Copa Rushmori 42 - Everything Thread (Rushmore only)

[Cassadaigua]

Getting a chance to play,
by Lexi McGregor- forward

I was named to the Copa Rushmori team with a chance to showcase my skills, which everyone saw in the CSL when Starksville United when the championship. I am sure it will be the first of many championships that we win now that I grow older as a player. Even the great players in world can not win such a title without great players around them, and my two teammates from Valladares, Kiara Rodgers and Alexandra Carabali have played a pretty damn large role in helping me get even better as a player and fulfill my dreams of having my kit number be retired by CASE as one of the greatest of all time. Sierra Torres will be around for a long time, too, so anyone out there who doesn't think that Starksville United will be on the verge of winning many more titles is not being true to themselves or seeing what is really happening out there. We have one of the greatest coaches in Cassadaigua here, and that shows that she, Hannah Shanley, is the assistant here on the national team. Since Brittany Byers is not a domestic manager, then what CASE is saying here is that they believe Shanley is the best manager in the CSL. Our fans already know that.

So, I know there are people out there who think I am too outspoken. That I should not have said, when I was 16, that if I was on the World Cup 91 team that we would have qualified for it. Some people don't like all the bling that I wear when not playing, and saying that I am too arrogant for my age. Those people can just go on and keep hating. I don't talk shit if I can't back it up, and if you look at my play ever since I was in the Starksville Regional Academy, to the RTC Cup, and being named to the World Cup 92 team at 18, even though I was only a reserve, is the proof that I am backing up what I say. I got into World Cup qualifying games, and I scored two goals in the four games that I was able to take part in. In total, I got 57 minutes of playing time, getting a chance as a sub, obviously, and I used that time to pot a pair. Then, I had the CSL title last year, so the proof is all there, I am getting results and am just going to get more of them because I am 19. If they play a Di Bradini Cup this time, I will be there and probably start, likely with Lacey Sherwood and that would be fun as hell.

Anyone who thinks I am a bad teammate is just looking for a problem. Inside that locker room, I am all business, one of the first to arrive at the practice field and one of the last to leave. I have diligently worked with the Valladares duo, Rodgers and Carabali, to allow their experience and skill sets make me a better player and hopefully help them become better players as well. Do you think that my own domestic coach would allow Brittany Byers to name me to the national team if I was a bad teammate or if I was not a hard worker? Being part of this team is f**king amazing! I'm practicing with some the best that there is, many of whom I don't get a chance to play against since they play in other leagues but that is all okay. I know I have to pay my dues and that Rachel Boldin, Chloe Anderson, and Carly Patterson deserve to be the starting forwards. Boldin was the MVP of the CSL is in the prime of her career, and Chloe Anderson kicks ass in Quebec. Patterson deserves her chance. So, I am here as a substitute, with Shannon Cunningham who is actually younger than me but had a great season in Chromatika. It seems as though we will be playing aside one another for a while, and it is cool to get to know her a little bit. She's not as outspoken as I am, not even close, but just because we have different personalities does not mean we can't click as a duo when we get the chance.

In the game against Rea San Vegas, I got a chance to come in, in the 70th minute. We were up 2-1 at the time, thanks to Boldin and Anderson each getting one, and it took just four freakin' minutes for me to get my first goal of the Copa Rushmori. Rea San Vegas, who I have never even heard of before, couldn't handle my fresh legs and it was fun to take advantage of that. We got another in the 82nd to close it out. I wasn't in on it, but Krystal Sherwin nicely got the goal.

Next on our schedule is Nyowani Kitara, who at least we have heard of.

[Sargossa]

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Football



Off The Mark



Blanco Borrayo reports from Snezhnaya;


For quite some time in Sargossan society there’s been accusations of bias against the island of Cormino in general and the city of Goza in particular. The Greater Republic’s largest city should probably play a more significant role in national affairs, so the inhabitants believe. And they’ve long chaffed as population centres like Soluca, the national capital, Maturín and Jucaro have enjoyed massive urban development projects while Goza remains looking just a little shabby. Many believe the rumoured bias is a collective figment of the city’s imagination. Others suggest that their Gozan forefathers should probably have fought a bit harder in the separatist war that they started a couple of centuries back. Either way, it remains a hot button topic in the city.

The infrequency with which players from El Nacional, Goza’s top football club, appear for the Sargossan national team is another perceived sign of the anti-Gozan conspiracy. That and the sheer number of key referring decisions that supposedly go against El Nacional, denying them the glory they claim to deserve. Some of these theories should probably now be revaluated. Last season El Nacional positively romped to the Cima Liga title, brushing the Soluca duo of Ciudad and Sportivo aside with consummate ease. And the eleven that took to the pitch in the colours of Sargossa at Arka Park in the opening round of Copa Rushmori matches featured no fewer than eight El Nacional players, a record for any club in Sargossa. There were even calls for El Nacional boss Eric Alonso to replace Mytanar coach Slavko Jelic at the Corsairs’ helm. Prompting the Football Federation to firmly reiterate their faith in the current incumbent.

Strangely this has only fuelled a whole new conspiracy. One in which the exposure of their players to yet more football and the potential poaching of their coach is purely intended to weaken El Nacional, to the benefit of their rivals from the capital. Venture even deeper into the rabbit hole and you’ll hear tell of the El Nacional players being made to deliberately deteriorate by being forced into a 5-3-2 system (a formation in which both Jelic and most teams in Sargossa feel comfortable) instead of the 4-3-3 religiously practised at El Nacional. The 4-3-3 played at the Independiente is regarded as being ‘quintessentially Gozan’ and another indelible facet of the city’s unique identity. Despite it being introduced to the club a couple of decades back by a Nethertopian.

Back in the real world Slavko Jelic has selected a squad heavily weighted on players who were part of a side that had enjoyed an incredibly successful previous twelve months. It was part of a wider facelift to the national squad, following a thoroughly disappointing run. The World Cup qualifiers ended with a whimper and then, with passage to the Cup of Harmony knock out rounds in sight, the side lost to the lowest ranked team in the group and instead finished bottom of the pile. After which Jelic has waved the axe with much abandon. Out have gone some well established international names and in has come an injection of new blood that the coach will be hoping can lead to some improved performances.

But if fans are expecting to see Sargossa display the kind of attacking fluidity that El Nacional have been showing in the Cima Liga they’re probably going to be disappointed. Eric Alonso at El Nacional favours a very attacking style. Jelic likes to build upon a solid defence. Alonso is wedded to the club’s famous 4-3-3 system. Jelic operates with a back three. And then there’s the level of competition. Tikariot present a somewhat greater challenge than Sportivo Alcántara for example. The pieces may be the same but the picture they will be used to create could be very different.

As the opening Copa Rushmori game in Snezhnaya proved. Sargossa versus Olastor probably wasn’t looked at as a match to trouble the highlight reel too much, and it lived very much up to that expectation. There was much talk pre-game as to whether the coach would attempt to crowbar the El Nacional front three, so devastating domestically, into his starting eleven. This would have been the match to do it in, against Group B’s lowest ranked side. But, for whatever reason, Jelic declined the opportunity. Instead the veteran coach has responded to recent defeats by adopting a conventional 5-3-2 formation, ditching the wide midfielders in favour of wingbacks. It was a system designed to counterattack. Unfortunately it was arrayed, on this occasion, against a side that weren’t looking to attack all the much. Which didn’t make for the greatest of spectacles.

The El Nacional contingent didn’t look overly comfortable in the system and Ciudad Soluca's Enrique González, a rare survivor from the World Cup qualifiers, seemed out of sorts pushed further forward into a number eight role. A disjointed and frankly dire first half was a frustration for fans and neutrals alike and spoke of changes to come in the second. Although the locals did have a little to interest them, with the Mytanar based duo of Nicolás Riesgo and Juan Esteban Collazo both starting and Milagros Fernán and Gustavo Alcocer appearing from the bench in the second half. It was Alcocer who so nearly opened the scoring with his first touch, only to see his header clawed away by the opposition keeper. Olastor have never beaten Sargossa, they’ve lost five of the previous six meetings. And, eventually, that poor record with continue here. It was another substitute, Jorge Fernández, who would make the difference. He replaced Collazo, a switch that allowed González to drop back into his favoured deeper playmaker role.

Suddenly the Corsairs looked like a much better team. Fernández stung the palms of the keeper with a well struck effort from twenty yards, the outstretched boot of Alcocer was a centimetre from diverting Fernán’s low cross into an empty net and González struck a freekick off of the right hand post. When the breakthrough came it was Fernández who was at the heart of it. The tricky Estrella Torreón attacker went on a mazy little run before threading a beautifully weighted diagonal ball through the Olastor defence and into the path of Lucas Recoba. The El Nacional frontman had been in devastating form domestically and he showed why, with a calmly taken dinked finish over the keeper. It brought a punch of the air from Slavko Jelic, on his first return to his homeland since taking the Sargossa job, and cheers from the larger than expected travelling support. The fans had stayed away during the World Cup qualifiers and were barely present at all at the Cup of Harmony. But the Copa Rushmori still clearly holds a certain gravitas for the Sargossan support.

Their team may not have quite set the marker they would have been hoping for from this opening fixture, but it ended a run of three straight defeats, it was three points on the board and it gave the nation an early lead in Group B. But there are plenty of challenges still to come, with Bollonich, a first ever fixture against Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland and a reunion with former Corsairs’ coach Brian McAllister, now in charge of his native Tikariot, all on the horizon.

[Pasarga]

Several months on and Queen Azra still found it hard to believe all that had transpired in the previous two years. The loss of her father had been a burden enough to have to shoulder, but the ensuing political and then military struggle that came after had felt like it was bridge to far in trying to take. Thankfully through assistance from Eura and Sargossa, the attempted coup of the seat of power was put down and she was restored to the throne and her family's seat of power in Torgos. Even that came at great cost though, as despite the distrust between Azra's branch of the family and Ezio's, she still felt a great pain to know that her cousin and his mother had been slain due to the situation. The entire situation made her feel a deep sense of distrust of those in parliament, even though there had been some within the organization that had supported her cause from the initial scheme had been put into play. It was not their fault but the stain of the attempted coup would not likely be removed soon from her mind or the entire nation with the impact that it had caused.

Things on the surface though were starting to begin to return to normalcy, with the Queen herself ruling from Torgos, and her brother and the Crown Prince Iskander ruling in Peynol at Stilinkeep. She had been told that football was also returning to normal, with the national team set to return to the dual islands after a short stay in Sargossa during the World Cup Qualifiers, while the domestic pyramid would be returning from their season abroad in Valladares. While not a fan of the sport herself, it was a commonality for the people of the dual islands and it would not only promote unity from a people who had been torn apart through the civil strife but also prove good distraction from the rebuilding process that was going to be needed. Through the sport the wounds that the nation had suffered through the attempted coup would hopefully be treated and heal over, letting the citizens settle back into what life had been like in the dual islands before the entire situation had began to arise two years before. Hopefully that would disseminate into the rest of the population and ease the lingering tensions in the nation.

"Your majesty, you are expected to hold court this morning." It was one of her aides that had interrupted her from her thoughts and reminding her of what was immediately on the table. "Shall I inform them of delay or perhaps schedule it for later this week?"

"No, no, it is fine. It is part of the healing process isn't it, returning back to the mundane things that were merely part of normalcy before?" Her voice was stronger than it had been in weeks and she looked more well rested than she had in some time. Though she was still worried and had quite a bit on her plate, she was finding ways to not let the stress of it all completely take over her life as she had been for much of the last few months.

"Well yes, but if you are not feeling up to it, it can always be postponed. No one is expecting you to act as if nothing has happened your majesty, they will understand occasional need for rescheduling." Though the aide meant well, Azra knew it would not do.

"I appreciate the concern as well as the likelyhood that you are right in those that would accept such. I am the Queen and I like any other need to be able to do my duties. That means listening to the requests of my people and holding court from time to time, as old a custom as it might be in these more modern times. If we are to rule this land, we must uphold our end and not take advantage of our position. No power comes without at least some degree of responsibility."

[Mytanija]

MYTANIJA 2–1 ASTOGRATH

MYT: Vujanovic 21’, Skara 76’

MYT: 1. Besak; 2. N. Ovcina, 3. Savicevic, 4. Mbala-Ekakia, 5. P. Odonelec (sub. A. Milosevic 64’); 6. Papez (sub. Smajic 82’), 7. Atsev, 10. Kuhar-Arh (sub. Ovsyannikov 82’); 8. Vujanovic, 9. J. Ocokoljic (c) (sub. Skara 64’), 11. Hranilovic (sub. Bajic 82’)

Luka Vujanovic’s goal on debut to open the 42nd Copa Rushmori was followed by some of the most emotional celebrations you might ever see from a footballer. The 20 year old, born in Tumbra to Mytanar immigrant parents, cut inside the Astograthian full-back and unleashed a powerful, curling effort into the side netting at the far post. It left the goalkeeper completely stranded, unmoved, he seemed to know that it was hitting the net as soon as it left Vujanovic’s boot and it was as if he spared himself – and the rest of Radnika – the illusion of at least trying to get to it. When it hit the net Vujanovic spun away, chased by his teammates all the way over to Dzvezdan Kitanchev and manager and player shared a tight embrace – Kitanchev roaring some words in Vujanovic’s ear to be heard over the din of the partisan Mytanar crowd before being mobbed by the rest of the team and the bench.

When Vujanovic emerged tears streaked his face, Jezdimir Ocokoljic put an arm around him and tried to whisper some words of wisdom. He even signalled to his head, the universal symbol telling the youngster to keep his head, to remain calm. Vujanovic didn’t listen, sinking to his knees, raising his hands to the sky and muttering words of prayer. He had scored a goal on his international debut to put Mytanija ahead at a Copa Rushmori on Mytanar soil, keeping his head wasn’t exactly the first thought in his mind. When the referee came over to politely remind him that there was a game to resume he trotted back over to the left flank with a barely concealed grin across his face. He knew that his parents would be watching the game, he didn’t know where they were in the stadium, but they were there. His siblings, cousins and some aunties and uncles would all be watching back in Couno and the scenes there would be similar to what Luka had done out on Radnika’s sacred turf.

His family were of Zentrian extraction, his grandfather had fought for Kalinina’s army in the Mytanar Conflict but had deserted when he saw some of the horrors that those armies were perpetrating. His grandfather never forgave himself for swallowing some of the lies told by the regime, the lies which he believed and persuaded him to join the army which paved the way for ethnic cleansing of poor Rauchiks and Thessians. After the war he had taken the opportunity to move his family as far away from Mytanija as possible, to try to escape the memories which haunted him and there, in Tumbra, Luka’s mum (his daughter) met Luka’s dad, another Zentrian. Luka had always asked why his grandfather was so quiet and it wasn’t until he was a teenager that his parents explained. Luka had been horrified, both at hearing the reality of the Mytanar Conflict when related to somebody so close to him and at the thought that his granddad had been on that side of the war.

Still, when he prayed after his debut goal he prayed for his grandfather. He had died just over a year ago, not that long after he had gushed with pride over Luka’s debut for West Couno United. Luka had momentarily been knocked over by the blow, his granddad had taken him to training when mum and dad were working every hour on the clock to provide for their four kids. He had been the one who had first spotted his talent, knowingly telling his dad that he should be sent for trials at a proper club and not just kicking the ball around the neighbourhood with all the other Mytanar kids. But Luka knew that he couldn’t be knocked over for long, that his granddad would want him to make the most of his opportunity – to make something of himself and be able to give the family a gentler lifestyle. He had even joked about Luka one day playing for Mytanija and making them all so proud. That’s what had made Luka so emotional. If only he could see him now.

“He’s up there watching son! He’s up there watching!” Kitanchev had bellowed into his ear. The pair had had a long conversation, the manager wanting to learn more about Luka’s family background. He always made a point of wanting to get to know his players, wanting to understand what made everybody tick. Luka had explained about his granddad being so involved in the early years of his football ‘career’ (a term which still seemed surreal), but also about how it didn’t seem like he ever forgave himself for what happened during the Mytanar Conflict, even though he was only one soldier and wasn’t a member of the units which perpetrated genocide and war crimes.

It was the first time Luka had ever explained it to somebody in his own words and Kitanchev had just sat there and listened. Luka didn’t quite understand why, but it felt like exactly what he needed. That’s why he ran over to him after the goal, he just wanted to thank him, for giving him the chance to play international football but also for having that conversation. It was only when they started to play again that Luka tuned back into just how loud the stadium had gone. He had dreamed of playing in stadiums like this as a kid, watching Mytanar football at his granddad’s knee in a bar in Tumbra. Now he was doing it wearing the hooped shirt. The hairs on his arms stood on end and he could feel a thumping in his ears. He shook his head slightly and smirked, he still had 70 minutes to play.

Would it always be like this?

[Eura]

COPA RUSHMORI 42 – GROUP E MATCHDAY 1
Poais 4–3 Eura
Scorers:
Brookfield 38, Woodman 51, Mason 69, Hart s/o 75
Lineup:
13. J Hewitt
21. M McKenzie (sub Mason 61)
25. M Hart
27. M Pearce
23. E Reeve
18. F Brown (sub Vincent 45)
16. L Holland (sub Sharp 67)
22. D Barnes (sub Singh 45)
12. O James
29. E Douglas (sub Woodman 45)
17. R Brookfield

---

emplor.eur/main/sport/football
LESSON NUMBER ONE - DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP
A new era of Euran international football begins with a very hard landing

Amidst the debate over the mysterious circumstances in which Skorji Oslograd and the EFA finally had enough of each other (and some wild happenings in Spartangrad), Sterling Rose has faced little scrutiny in the early days of his reign as Euran manager. All of that will change after Eura suffered a humiliating opening day defeat at the 42nd Copa Rushmori, losing 3-4 to a Poais side playing their first Copa or WCC sanctioned international match.

With his eye on upcoming games in a tough group, Rose did what any manager of a top side would do against such opponents, fielding a heavily rotated side and handing out international debuts to Martin Pearce, Laura Holland and Ethan Douglas. But as has been frequently demonstrated on the pitch in recent years, Eura are not the side they were, and cannot take anything for granted anymore. Such a result was not unheard of in the halcyon days of Euran football past, but they were usually offset by overall success, and managers were given a pass for the odd bad game.

The EFA have become a lot less patient and so have the fans. Oslograd’s eccentricities became tempered in his final months as Euran boss and, after the failure of his experiment, the EFA made a point of calling for “a more strait-laced approach” – and an even bigger point of underlining their reduced flexibility by only offering the talented Rose a two-year contract. The former Bastion and Marketville manager may be regretting trusting his more inexperienced charges in his opening competitive game, with no prior friendlies in which to gel the team around a more conventional 4-2-3-1 than Oslograd’s 3-5-2.

In an ultimately terminal first twenty minutes, Eura were pulled apart by an unexpectedly vibrant Poais attack. The Poaisian team of mostly footballing mercenaries (with questionably thin links to the island nation) soon had Eura on the back foot with enterprising, direct football, played from the structure of a classic 4-4-fucking-2. No sooner than Ryan Ridermark had given them a stunning lead against the two-time world champions and three-time champions of Rushmore, Patrick Leyland was there to bag a second, both well worked goals against a sleeping backline.

It was all rather unfortunate for Martin Pearce, the 24-year-old Starling centre back experiencing a horror show on debut. ‘It will knock his confidence, as it would for anyone’ admitted Rose after the game, ‘but he’s a talented lad and he’ll be back on the training ground tomorrow and come back stronger.’ Rose will need that to be true of the entire team after the shambles that was the first half. Rita Brookfield was able to claw back a goal with a fortuitous deflection, but soon after an equally fluke direct corner goal put Poais up 1-3.

Rose has at least demonstrated early on that he will not hold back in making radical substitutions, something Oslograd would sometimes be oddly cautious about given his temperament. A triple substitution at half time brought on three big guns – Oscar Vincent, Adam Woodman and Sophie Singh – yet a Woodman goal soon after half time was equally soon undone by Poais captain Frank Tyson, scoring a decisive fourth from just outside the box. Rose made another couple of substitutions and the game again swung back towards Eura; a poor Matt McKenzie had been replaced by Ana Mason, who scored Eura’s third with aplomb from a tight angle on the right.

This was too little, too late, and especially so after Farrenton Athletic’s rising star defender, Morgan Hart, was sent off for a foolhardy challenge on Ashley Sheeton. Hart’s red card changed the complexion of the game for a final time and took away Eura’s momentum, their attempts at finding an equaliser petering out rather limply in the final ten minutes. Rose glared at the referee at full time as if he could strangle him with telepathy. However, in truth, Eura’s performance had been dire and the thunderous boos of their own fans well deserved. The new manager has a huge and unenviable task ahead of him.

---

The Steelman (Holdenberg, centre-right, broadsheet)
TWELVE DEAD AS GUN RUNNER FEUD TURNS DEADLY

The spectre of gun violence is again afflicting the streets of urban Eura (ok, Eura) as two of Holdenberg’s most notorious gangs conducted a vicious battle in the city’s most deprived neighbourhood, soaking the river Holden with blood in the process.

The grey, depressing towers of the Pollen Estate were built long ago during Eura’s brief period of Marxist rule and named in honour of the lovely forest that was unceremoniously flattened before construction. This was to provide more housing for the workers of the city’s booming heavy industries, who had previously relied on the much nicer terraced slums homes built by kindly steel magnates to work to death live in.

In the present day, these pillars of the people resemble decrepit tombstones to a bygone age, and increasingly are appropriately matched to the wave of violence that is besetting them. Eura was not always like this – gun crime used to be extremely rare in the country as a whole, and still quite uncommon in areas where crime is mostly to occur. Those guns that were in circulation were almost exclusively the reserve of serious organised crime groups and imported diaspora gangs such as Mytanar mafias, who were careful about who they sold to and judicious about when they were used.

Our horrific conflagration with Sameba changed everything. Eura’s strict gun laws were effective in peacetime but not designed for the chaos of war. Millions of firearms became readily available in the hands of civil defence militias and various other groups, such as the ethnic Sameban communist insurgency against the old Republican regime. Even as the war was going on these weapons were flowing back into the country inside of the embattled far north, as criminals celebrated a golden age of smuggling by arming themselves to the teeth.

The end of the conflict did not bring an end to the problem. If anything, it made it worse, as impoverished Samebans happily bargained off anything that could shoot which they could get their hands on, while some returning Euran troops took advantage of the growing Liberal-Social bureaucracy and bloated mechanisms of state, doing so to get around law enforcement and sell their own weapons for petty cash. The old order entrepreneurial, comparably gentleman-like gun trafficking was over.

Replacing it was a new anarchy which has slowly consolidated around several big traders in each city, never getting too big to attract the hammer of federal intervention. But the clarion calls that have been sounding for action for too long may be becoming too loud to ignore. And those calls will only grow after this terrifying incident in our city as the two biggest gun gangs in the city – the Pollen Estate’s very own Linkmen, and their cross-city Tin Street rivals – came to blows where the infamous Estate meets Eura’s great river.

A fierce engagement involving pistols, sub-machine guns, semi-automatic and automatic rifles, at least two machine-guns and even hand grenades, has stunned everyone in this mighty metropolis of the Euran industrial heartland. By the time heavily armed police units and an Army helicopter arrived, the fighting was over. Forty men and a few women were hospitalised, twelve more dead. Body parts were literally lying in the streets like bits of loose meat. A couple of dead were floating in the river, surrounded by a mass of red. Police and politicians alike agree that something must be done, but as of yet, no-one seems to know what that should be, or who is responsible.

[Graintfjall]

This roster recycles a lot from past editions, though new players are marked and many of the bios are updated. As before I apologize for its unwieldy size.

42 word roster

Græntfjall / Græntfjallers / “Snow Wolves”

Manager: Ingþór Auðbjörnsson

Kit: Blue / white

Goalkeepers

Mikkel
Hanif
Ásólfur

Defenders

Alyssia
Eyvar
Asbjørn
Jasmijn
Sigurbergur
Tom
Klængur
Jan
Sveinbjörg

Midfielders

Tinni
Vanessa
Danny
Kæja
Sara
Ari
Valtter
Hanna
Kjárr
Steinar
Þrastar

Forwards

Mímir
Röskvi
Joel

Style: +1

---

Kit credit (IC: Ferideia; OOC: Tikariot)

Team name: Græntfjall
Trigram: GRÆ [GRF when not available]
Demonym/adjective: Græntfjaller
Team nickname: Snow Wolves

Coach: Ingþór Auðbjörnsson
Assistant coach: Saxi Dómaldsson

Thor had two tough jobs on taking over as manager: living up to the standards set by Valhalla-bound Igrene Cantor, and improving the woeful Copa Rushmori record of the Snow Wolves. One Copa Rushmori title later… It may be early to judge but Thor has at least seemed to settle in nicely, perhaps reflecting his already having found a welcoming home in Græntfjall, where has has previously served as manager of GT Molding, taking the club to their first silverware in decades with the Cup, then next season winning the league title and then repeating the trick. His more attacking approach has proved something of a culture shock for a Snow Wolves that very nearly won the World Cup without bothering to score any goals in regulation, but they adapted to play some free-flowing, fascinating, fun football in the Copa. During World Cup qualifying poor set-piece defense began to emerge as a recurrent issue, but he still took them to the World Cup quarterfinals, going out only in extra time to Valanora. Former U18 assistant manager Saxi Dómaldsson has been moved up to assistant.

Squad: A 26-person squad has been named for the tournament, with the expectation of using 5 substitutions in 3 windows + half-time per match. Generally those numbered 1-11 will be starters, except that Jasmijn, Tinni and Vanessa will start.

• Names. -son names are men, -dóttir names women, -bur names non-binary. Græntfjallers are comfortable having their first name used instead of their surnames, though there’s no consistent standard on this. Players without a patronymic surname are Kamdyr, members of a minority nomadic community; Jasmijn is female. Hanif is sometimes referred to as Hanif Anwar, omitting the -sson.
• Sex. The Græntfjaller Premier League is open and it is seen as uncontroversial for men and women to play alongside each other. If you find female players immersion breaking, you have my permission to choose an all-male side from the squad. Owing to difficulties of managing open squads in tournament play, I am revoking this permission, but contact me if you still find the presence of female players too immersion-breaking and we'll work something out.
• Transfers. The financial status of football in Græntfjall is declining because of successive IFCF bans. Most quality players are fleeing the country. I normally conduct transfers through the Transfer Window but if you have a desire to sign a player I am usually open to arranging a transfer outside that; send a TG/DM. I am particularly open to such deals when linked to an ongoing RP story. Those specifically listed on the Transfer Window are marked [TW].
• Style of play. In general, Græntfjaller players are athletic and have excellent whole-match fitness, disciplined, and not prone to violence or emotional outbursts. They are, however, not tremendously skilled. A particular type of footballer, nicknamed “BFG” (Big Fucking Græntfjaller), is associated with the country, normally playing in roles such as center back, defensive midfielder, or center forward. The new crop of, predominantly though not exclusively, female central midfielders somewhat eschew this stereotype and there have been growing attempts to get more skilful players into the lineup, most notably Sara Kristoffersdóttir and Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir.
• Captaincy. Sara Kristoffersdóttir has been named as permanent captain, moving away from the elective model sometimes used in the past. Unless she is suspended (which is not out of the question) she should be expected to wear the armband.
• Timing. In my timeline this occurs 2 years after the last CR and 1 year after the WC. It occurs during TW38 and immediately before the IFCF games and next international domestic season; players on foreign teams will be assumed to be given leave.

Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers in Græntfjall had traditionally been pure stoppers, with little culture of playing it out from the back, but a gradual expectation for keepers to be able to play with the ball at their feet has emerged under the influence of foreign managers. A recent weakness for the Snow Wolves has been set-piece defense, and there's a big shakeup in the corps here with Björnólfur dropped after an indifferent performance at last year's World Cup, though it's unlikely he's totally off the radar for NT selection.

1. Mikkel Rúnarsson (27) Þingsnitz [TW]
Appearance: Well over six and a half feet. Sandy blonde hair. Dark eyes. Absolutely enormous hands that have made him a folk legend.
Personality: A stolid chap, who’s happy to muck in on the team jokes, likes a drink, and isn’t too fussy. Likeable enough, not terribly bright.
Profile: Given his physical gifts Mikkel might have been expected to emerge as the first choice keeper sooner, but Björnólfur, who has better footballing skills, has had a lock on the #1 jersey.is clearly the young pretender to the #1 shirt, but needs to work his footballing skills, his positioning, his tactical awareness, his communication, his not walking into doors… Look, you can’t teach height, OK? During the World Cup he was the first choice replacement for Björnólfur, and he takes over the #1 jersey now.

12. Hanif Anwarsson el-Said (25) Tekstil Ibon
Appearance: Tall and gangly. Short cropped curly black hair, no beard. Dark skin compared with the rest of the team.
Personality: Rather shy off the pitch, contrasting with his exuberance on it, waving to the crowd for energy or yelling at his defenders. Not religiously observant.
Profile: He made his name in the Di Bradini Cup with his flying saves, but as a former striker who converted to goalkeeper he’s already comfortable with the ball at his feet. He's developed into a solid starter in the highly regarded Mytanar Top League, but sometimes back in Græntfjall off-field issues seem to overshadow any assessment of his goalkeeping skills.

NEW PLAYER!
23. Ásólfur Nilsson (23) Laitwinkl [TW]
Appearance: Tall, slender build, snowy hair, pale complexion, ice blue eyes.
Personality: He looks like he's been chipped off an ice shelf and he keeps like it too, with a very calm head on young shoulders. Off the field he's comfortable socializing with his teammates but honestly prefers a quiet night in reading a book, watching old black and white movies, or listening to the latest KijaniBeat world music recordings.
Profile: Maybe the next big thing. His performance at the Under-18 World Cup that the Snow Pups won earned him the MVP award with his high-flying saves and excellent management of his defense. Testament to how high he's rated is that despite being at Laitwinkl, a bottom-dweller in the GPL, he's already on the national roster.

Defenders
Center back is the team’s traditional strength, although the temptation to move to three at the back remains in the air for now. The bigger question marks concern the wide defensive positions: Jasmijn and Alyssia's speed and offensive contributions, or Jan and Sigurbergur's more solid defense? Under past Snow Wolves the latter might have won out, but for now it's the ladies who keep their starting spots.

2. Alyssia Noahsdóttir (25) Brattleboro FC
Appearance: Strikingly snow-blonde, heavily freckled, wides purple-blue eyes. Medium height and slimmer build. Short sleeves reveal tattooed forearms.
Personality: As wide-eyed as she looks. Excitable and still trying to take it all in.
Profile: Right-back has been the Snow Wolves' position of greatest turbulence. Alyssia represents a wing-back option but her attacking value trades off in being less composed in defense. She was one of the brighter spots of the Under-18 World Cup we don’t talk about, and a key component of the Di Bradini Cup that we very much do talk about. At World Cup 91 she very nearly lost her place but her composed penalty to defeat Valanora instantly redeemed her and by the final she was a trusted member of the championship XI; in World Cup 92, concerns about her defensive frailty compared to the bustling Sigurbergur re-emerged and she played fewer minutes than him.

3. Sigurbergur Geirröðursson (24) Montreal Koreana
Appearance: Squat and broad shouldered with massive thighs. Craggy features. Long light brown hair that he sometimes bundles into a rough pony tail. Perpetually unshaven. Not the ugliest human being ever born, but in the top 10.
Personality: Scowling, intense bruiser. Among Græntfjallers, 5’9” is short for a man and he has a little bit of a complex about it. Reasonably intelligent and enjoys reading spy novels.
Profile: Sigurbergur offers a completely different style at right-back (he can also cover CB, albeit with a drop-off in height) to Alyssia. He’s a brutal tackler, and his unusually wide build gives him great balance; he’s also double-footed and lethal at cutting inside and hitting powerful strikes off his left. However, he’s ploddingly slow and struggles with the fitness levels needed to fulfil end-to-end wingback duties. He could feature in a center back role if the team moves to three at the back.

4. Eyvar Mathiasson (26) Ulsa
Appearance: Just 6’ but his bull-like build makes him seem taller. His slightly incongruous mop of scruffy dark hair seems at odds with his wise-beyond-his-years physiognomy, densely freckled pale skin, and serious dark eyes. He has tattoos up and down both arms and across his chest and back. Can’t grow facial hair to save his life.
Personality: A natural leader, calm, composed, and surprisingly intelligent for someone whose main qualification is his ability to slam his head into a moving leather ball and/or his opponent’s faces.
Profile: Eyvar is the captain who led the Snow Pups to their DBC title, and has grown into the challenge of taking over the hallowed #4 shirt from his idol, Hjörleifur Reynarsson. He lost much of the WC91 qualifying campaign to injury but went on to have an outstanding domestic season in Eura. As well as the intangibles of leadership he can provide solid defense with excellent fitness and an OK passing game. Having developed in the academy project to get better ball players into defensive positions, he’s not just a physical prospect, but he can definitely put in a tackle (or elbow) when needed. Very long, powerful throw.

NEW PLAYER!
5. Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson (26) North Hall
Appearance: "...and like a lot of dreams... there's a monster at the end of it."
Personality: Leadership material. Not shy about voicing his opinions. But he's not a fascist. He considers them a bit of a soft touch, after all.
Profile: The first true second-generation Snow Wolf, the son of BoF winning captain Vilbjörn Hjörleifursson, he has long been groomed for success. He is, to those who despise his right wing politics, an irritating competent footballer: tall and strong, but also intelligent and a capable ball player.

NEW PLAYER!
6. Klængur Ulfarsson (26) Mühlrich [TW]
Appearance: The tallest player in the squad. Shorn head but a huge scraggy red-brown beard. Appears to be made mostly out of rock.
Personality: Friendly and very mild mannered despite his imposing looks. A model professional. Protective of his friends.
Profile: A much more traditional BFG without any of the finesse of those ahead of him on the depth chart. But just try scoring against him.

13. Jasmijn Spiderlair (28) Tanrısal
Appearance: Typical Kamdyr features: darker than Græntfjallers with dark, slightly slanted eyes, and long dark hair worn in a complex plait. Medium height, wiry build.
Personality: Intelligent, reserved, likes to speak second so she can get someone’s measure.
Profile: The first Kamdyr to ever represent Græntfjall in international football, Jasmijn is a member of the Kamdyr nomadic community. In the past she completed a loan spell at AC Olarria in Astograth, but has since moved to Tanrısal in Pasarga. She’s an attacking left wing-back, prone to the odd defensive error, but with good skills on the ball and a powerful throw. Her place as a starter is perhaps the most contested and this tournament may be a prove-it-or-lose-it affair.

17. Tom Ernestisson (33) Inland Peaks
Appearance: 6’3” and solidly built. Handsome in a windswept, square-jawed, Viking warrior sort of way. Shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. Thankfully, the moustache is gone!
Personality: Genial team player who gets on with everyone. He can almost write in joined up letters, which makes the rest of the BFG corps regard him as something of a dangerous intellectual.
Profile: Somehow inexplicably still not only alive but propering in the Vilitan League, Tom has been in and out of the side, accumulating 50 caps and a goal in the Cup of Harmony final without ever nailing down a starting role; such is the life of that most ill-fated of players, the third best center-back in Græntfjall. Played right-back covering for his injured wife during the World Cup 89 finals and has also played defensive midfield. Good for an occasional monster free-kick.

21. Jan Játmundsson (23) Alnio
Appearance: Medium height, slim build, but with well muscled arms. Short, snow-white hair; with his absence of facial hair, he looks shockingly young, and his green eyes only add to the impression. Tattoos on forearms and midriff.
Personality: A composed, sensible lad with a good head on his shoulders. Can be trusted not to embarrass team or country. Despite his innocent looks he is a hardy southerner with mountain ice water in his veins.
Profile: Jan was an Under-18 World Cup winner and has developed into a top young player, making the 1st Team All Red League selection in Chromatika's highly regarded and influential top league. Something of an all-rounder who lacks express pace, top physicality, or a really clinical touch on the ball, but has good football IQ and defensive awareness, excellent fitness, and is comfortable playing off both feet. He can perhaps feel aggrieved at not being first choice at left-back after his phenomenal domestic season.

NEW PLAYER!
24. Sveinbjörg Áslaugsdóttir (28) Hofvinger
Appearance: Tall, slightly angular build but clearly carrying some solid muscle. Her high forehead, dark hair and tight scraped-back ponytail make her forehead look enormous. Small pointed nose. Look, she's not going to win any beauty competitions but she can clearly handle herself on the pitch.
Personality: A stoical everywoman typical of Hofvinger-folk: she considers herself a purer Græntfjaller than anyone else, but is too reserved to say anything about it. She has three children.
Profile: In contrast to the some of the flashy contracts signed by her peers, Sveinbjörg has remained a one-club woman with the Northern Wolves and is likely to remain so so she can be near her family. She's proved herself probably the best woman to play center back for the Snow Wolves which may be damning with faint praise ever so slightly given the lack of women to have played there. Her heading is excellent and she's more than willing to put the boot in when brought on as a late sub targeting the opposition's best player.

Midfielders/Wingers
The Snow Wolves have built up a stack of central midfielders, reflecting the bumper crop of exciting talents that have emerged through Sopo Chacuzca’s youth system. Under Cantor they generally played a narrow midfield diamond of 4; under Thor they’ve moved to more of a 4–3–3/4–1–3–2/4–1–2–3: the key is Tinni, holding things together and allowing the full-backs to provide width, while an attacking front three sees Sara and Vanessa listed as wingers but capable of trending in to provide support to Kæja.

7. Sara Kristoffersdóttir (29) Wirr Tsi
Appearance: 5’3” with a fairly stocky build. Long blonde hair, worn in a ponytail. Blue-eyed. Sleeve tattoo on her left arm.
Personality: Loud, boisterous, impossible, crude, trouble-making. If she weren’t good at football…
Profile: …but, she is. The debate about whether she’s worth the trouble she brings with her is over: she’s just too good to leave out of the team. One of the few national products to marry speed, skill and vision to aggression and determination. Though she can play just about anywhere, she’s developed into a fine left-winger. Her maverick playmaking touch can get away from her at times, but she’ll run the field relentlessly wherever she’s deployed. As captain she will get in the referee's face whenever she feels like it. Turns out she feels like it pretty frequently.

8. Danny Oddkellsson (26) Aminey CS
Appearance: Lean, 6 foot even frame topped by a bird’s nest of black hair. Blue-gray eyes, sometimes rocks some less-than-designer stubble. Tattoos across his body and even, unusually for a Græntfjaller, onto his hands and fingers. Scar on his temple.
Personality: The living embodiment of “lads lads lads”. Loves a cheeky Nandorsson’s. Top bantz.
Profile: A bustling harrier of a player who’s got great energy on and off the ball. Plays anywhere from holding to attacking roles but best used as a box-to-box guy in support of slightly more skilled creators. Powerful shot but doesn’t score too many. Relentless, gives his all, bit lippy when decisions don’t go his way. Fan favorite.

10. Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir (26) Tanrısal
Appearance: Quite short and slender. Pixie-cut blonde hair and blue eyes; very pale. Cute as a button.
Personality: From Altendalur longshoreperson union stock, Kæja's humble beginnings are reflected in her quiet personality, but she's coming into a more assertive sense of her self as she takes on the mantle of leading the midfield.
Profile: Now generally regarded as the best player in the team, Kæja is a creative attacking midfielder, with an excellent set-piece but concerns about her lack of size and confidence. Nonetheless, after leading the Snow Pups to a Di Bradini Cup title, playing key roles in the World Cup and Copa Rushmori victories, and putting in a starring season in Pasarga, she has emerged as the offensive lynchpin of the future.

11. Ari Hlynursbur (30) Ituraitz FC
Appearance: 5’4”, slim, with pale skin, short blonde hair, blue eyes. Generally dresses in neutral clothing when not playing.
Personality: Quiet and shy, though not unfriendly once they get to know people well. A bit more intelligent than the average footballer and enjoys spending their free time reading and listening to indie music.
Profile: Ari began their career as a central midfielder but lacked the physical size for it; their speed and accurate crossing made them a better fit for a wide role, where they have thrived in Astograth. Two-footed, they like to work cutting moves inside, but aren’t very comfortable shooting from range and tend to always look for one pass too many.

14. Vanessa Marvinsdóttir (28) Stahlburg City
Appearance: 5’2” and very fit. Long dark wavy hair; mixed race so much darker skin than the average Græntfjaller. Style queen off the pitch; on it, usually wears a hairband and rolled-up sleeves.
Personality: Energetic and intelligent. Exuberant and loves to party and socialize, though she doesn’t let this get in the way of her football career.
Profile: A specialist winger who’s fast and agile, Vanessa can play on either flank for club; for country she can be expected to a specialist right-winger. Her elevation to regular starter was something of a surprise but she’s been very effective, and hearkens back to an older age of speedy wingers whipping in crosses for roaming BFGs to head in. Her brother is defensive midfielder Valtter.

15. Hanna Nicosdóttir (29) Suttonville [TW]
Appearance: 5'3", with a mess of blonde curls, freckles, and brown eyes. She has a left sleeve tattoo and several tattoos on her right arm and hand, plus body tattoos that are rarely seen. A fairly slight build.
Personality: Has a quirky, slightly-out-there sensibility. Not entirely whether she's joking some of the time or has her head in the clouds. She's into crystals and astrology but it's unclear to how many levels of irony.
Profile: A specialist wide right midfielder, a role that hasn't featured prominently in recent Snow Wolves sides, but she had some decent appearances during World Cup 92. Agile and still fast, an excellent crosser, but not always physically strong enough on the ball. With Suttonville being relegated she is looking for a new opportunity.

16. Valtter Marvinsson (28) Gortz United [TW]
Appearance: Strong build, average height, very “thicc” around the hips. Mixed race so darker in complexion than most Græntfjallers. Over-coiffed hair (the ball gets sticky with gel every time he heads it). Cheekbones you could cut yourself on. Housewives’ favorite.
Personality: Affable off the field, intense on it. Was formerly known for some anger issues but has mellowed.
Profile: The lone specialist DM in the squad, Valtter isn’t intended to start but he could provide valuable defensive ballast as a substitute. Two footed and tends to pass with his left, shoot with his right. Can take corners and free-kicks with moderate-to-terrible accuracy. He’s reasonably good on the ball and can pass capably enough, but it’s in tackling, physicality, and marking that he really makes his mark. Her sister is winger Vanessa.

18. Tinni Grímólfursson (30) Avenida Leal
Appearance: Lumbering 6’2” of sturdy build. Short dark blonde hair. Pretty severe ice-blue eyes.
Personality: The exotic places he calls home are total contrasts to his steady, stoic disposition. A courageous battler and a teammate who’d rather die than let someone down, even though Amanda told him it was just a vending machine and to let it go.
Profile: Tinni has arguably been the most important Snow Wolves player over the last four years. He may not get the headlines of Sara, Jason, and Kæja, but he's held the midfield in the holding role and scored some important goals too. He was probably the MVP of the World Cup 91 winning campaign from the unglamorous position of holding midfielder. His strength allows him to drop back as a third center-back, but he’s not just a defensive bruiser: his huge right boot (he has no left whatsoever) made him a feared free-kick specialist in Tequilo, though this aspect of his game hasn't featured so much since moving to Farfadillis.

22. Kjárr Þorfinnsson (28) Mühlrich
Appearance: Tall, with shaggy dark blonde hair and a short beard. Soft brown eyes. Ruddy faced in hot and cold alike. Vaguely handsome, vaguely threatening. Knotted with muscle. Big dragon tattoos on chest, and runic tattoos down his back.
Personality: A bit dopey. Kjárr isn’t exactly a tactical mastermind but he’s very loyal, and also doubles up as a useful coat-stand as he doesn’t tend to notice people hanging coats, hats, small suitcases, etc. on him.
Profile: A fucking warhorse who’d run through a glass door for his teammates. No, Kjárr, stop, it’s a glass door! Sigh, someone get the bandages… A BFG-style box-to-box guy who’ll run himself ragged all game, putting in big defensive and attacking shifts alike. Which isn’t to say he’s totally unskilled on the ball, and he rips an absolute snorter of a goal every 10 games or so. But definitely better suited to a holding role behind someone more creative.

25. Steinar Clemensson (26) Blades ex Magnaeus [TW]
Appearance: Medium height and built like a fridge: square shouldered, wide hipped, powerful thighs. He has long light brown hair, usually worn tucked behind an alice band, and has experimented with a goatee and Van Dyk but is currently clean shaven. One of the few players without a single tattoo, though he does wear an earring off the field.
Personality: Quiet and intelligent. Openly gay.
Profile: With his low center of gravity and stunningly powerful left boot, Steinar has forged a decent career for himself from uninspiring beginnings with Crater Town in the EOT lower leagues. He transferred to Blades ex Magnaeus and has since regularly scored 10+ goals a season. His international career hasn't quite taken off, behind Kæja in the queue for the AM role. He has been injured fairly frequently in his career, which some coaches have put down to his overly muscular build, but he doesn't seem keen on dropping weight.

26. Þrastar Bjarnlaugsson (26) Hofvinger
Appearance: Medium height, stocky build, shockingly pale. Scruffy reddish-blonde hair and a shaggy beard. Sweats profusely. Wyvern tattoo across his back and a huge forearm tattoo of a stylized cross.
Personality: Never the most popular guy in any dressing room. He has a need to be the funniest and smartest person in the room (which he rarely is) so it leads to lots of awkward silences after he juts in unnecessarily. That said, he's not a bad guy and will stand by his teammates.
Profile: Capable of playing on either wing or as an attacking midfielder, Þrastar has been an important player for the Northern Wolves for several seasons without particularly looking to break into the NT, until his selection during the last World Cup qualifying campaign began to earn him minutes, particularly as an impact sub where his pace, aggressive instincts, and incisive passing all proved assets. As a younger man he scored plentifully but he's become more of an assist merchant, whether out wide whipping in a cross, or in the center threading through balls past the defense. Or occasionally just cunting it up the pitch from the halfway line and hoping a BFG gets a head on it.

Forwards
In this 4-3-3 role the striker is expected to hold things up physically to give the midfielders room to work.

PROMOTED TO STARTER!
9. Mímir Waltheofsson (28) Wirr Tsi
Appearance: Tall, evenly muscled, sandy blonde hair. His gray eyes are speckled with brown. He has the names of his two children tattooed on his left forearm.
Personality: Amiable, not a very big personality. One of the few people able to talk sense into Sara. Tends to keep to himself off the field.
Profile: Mímir wasn't considered all that much when he left lowly Putzendorf on a free transfer to Umbar State in Chromatika's Blue League. 30 goals followed, and a transfer to Z'ai'ai, leading their charge to the Red League. He helped them stay up and finished 2nd in the Golden Boot standings, which attracted the attentions of Wirr Tsi and partnered him with Sara K. His career has gone from strength to strength, and his chemistry with Sara has won Mímir the coveted #9 shirt in the starting role.

19. Röskvi Tyrfingsson (27) AFC Treason
Appearance: One of the most strikingly ugly players ever to have graced a football field, Röskvi has an extremely badly broken nose that resembles nothing less than a squashed strawberry. With an untidy mop of shaggy red hair and a misshapen brow, he bears a more than passing resemblance to a ‘Chucky’ doll. Except he’s six and a half feet tall.
Personality: A selfish player who demands service and gets frustrated when the cross isn’t perfectly delivered onto his forehead. But off the field he’s happy to be one of the lads. He tends to read as a little camp. Enjoys fishing.
Profile: Röskvi looked to be the next big thing in BFG forwards, but has simply never scored frequently enough. He enjoyed a strong domestic season in the Zenith and with Jason gone hoped to be back in #9 but has been eclipsed by Mímir's undeniable form. His heading should be a lethal weapon, he has a nose for goal that inspires many obvious puns given his less than model-like appearance, and he’s fearsomely strong, but he has a poor disciplinary record and tends to give up when the game goes against him.

20. Joel Wolfgangsson (26) Altendalur [TW]
Appearance: Just 5'10" and not especially strongly built. His shirt always seems too big for him. Untattooed. Has dark hair and dark eyes.
Personality: A popular dressing room guy who doesn't take anything too seriously. Unusually for a Græntfjaller he is Jewish, though not especially observant. His sisters Lilly and Julia have both played for the Snow Wolves.
Profile: As a replacement for Jason, a small dark haired Jew might be an unusual pick, but in a lot of ways he's actually the closest thing they have to a like-for-like. A pure poacher with a goal scoring instinct, his heat map doesn't show much outside the six yard box but he's a lethal finisher.

Style modifier: +1
Back to a slightly less positive modifier as we work out how the new look team plays.

Penalties: Kæja, Sara
Free kicks: Kæja, Sara, Tinni, Alyssia
Corners: Kæja, Alyssia
Throw-ins: Jasmijn, Alyssia, Eyvar

RP permissions:

Choose My Scorers: Y
Godmod Scoring Events: N
Hand Out Yellow/Red Cards: Y, but be sensible; I use a self-enforced rule of a 1 match suspension for 1 red card or 2 yellow cards, but I won’t apply this to your players without your permission.
Injure My Players: Y, you can say they are injured but let me decide the severity and consequences.
Godmod Other Events: N, but if you ask first I’m open to any roleplay angles you have in mind.
Additional permissions:

• Please don’t have my players, staff, or fans engaging in violence without my permission.
• If you use non-photoshopped photographs, please don’t say they’re my players without asking.
• In general I’m open to most things so long as you ask.

[Mytanija]

Cut-off for Match Day 2! Relax and have a listen to this whilst I do some scorinating.

Group A
The Askari Union 6–5 Mytanija (Scorinated by Mertagne)
New Gelderland 5–1 Oberour Ar Moro

  Group A                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 The Askari Union                              2   1  1  0    9   8  +1    4
2 New Gelderland                                1   1  0  0    5   1  +4    3
3 Mytanija                                      2   1  0  1    7   7   0    3
4 Oberour Ar Moro                               2   0  1  1    4   8  −4    1
5 Astograth                                     1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group B
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 0–1 Sargossa
Tikariot 2–1 Bollonich

  Group B                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Sargossa                                      2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Tikariot                                      1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1
4 Bollonich                                     2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
5 Olastor                                       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group C
Gatchingerrak Union 0–3 Cabo Azure
Kirungabi 3–5 Norrhem

  Group C                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Cabo Azure                                    2   2  0  0    6   1  +5    6
2 Norrhem                                       2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
3 Gatchingerrak Union                           2   0  1  1    1   4  −3    1
4 Darmen                                        1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
5 Kirungabi                                     1   0  0  1    3   5  −2    0

Group D
Cassadaigua 4–3 Nyowani Kitara
Isle Noire 0–2 Rea San Vegas

  Group D                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Cassadaigua                                   2   2  0  0    8   4  +4    6
2 Ceni                                          1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Rea San Vegas                                 2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
4 Isle Noire                                    1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
5 Nyowani Kitara                                2   0  0  2    6   8  −2    0

Group E
Eura 5–3 Eastfield Lodge
Valladares 0–1 Poais

  Group E                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Poais                                         2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Eura                                          2   1  0  1    8   7  +1    3
3 Eastfield Lodge                               2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
4 República Guanacasteca                        1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Valladares                                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group F
Pridnestrovia 4–3 Xinhua
Río Oscuro 0–1 San Isidro Labrador

  Group F                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 San Isidro Labrador                           2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
2 Pridnestrovia                                 2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
3 Nephara                                       1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
4 Río Oscuro                                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Xinhua                                        2   0  0  2    4   7  −3    0

Group G
Captina Island 1–0 Southwest Eastnorth
Græntfjall 3–1 Firinsymnia

  Group G                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Græntfjall                                    1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Firinsymnia                                   2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    3
3 Captina Island                                2   1  0  1    1   4  −3    3
4 Southwest Eastnorth                           2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
5 Pasarga                                       1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0

Group H
Yuezhou 0–0 Three Golden Kingdoms
Savojarna 0–0 Gnejs

  Group H                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Gnejs                                         2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
2 Three Golden Kingdoms                         2   0  2  0    4   4   0    2
3 Savojarna                                     1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Austroslovakia                                1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
5 Yuezhou                                       2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1

[Cassadaigua]

Kids making an impression,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

We are only two games into the 42nd Copa Rushmori, but it is becoming pretty apparent that the next generation of Cassadagan stars are on display here within the tournament. The expected stars are still getting the job done, as both Rachel Boldin and Chloe Anderson have scored a goal in each of the first two games, and Carly Patterson added her first of the competition against a better than their record suggests team from Nyowani Kitara. Morgan Rosenblatt and Krystal Sherwin have played solid soccer, and there isn't anyone that you would point a finger at and say bad things about after the first two games. As this is going on, we have seen the two "kids" up front make an impact. Against Rea San Vegas, Lexi McGregor came on in the 70th minute, and scored a goal just four minutes later. The score simply turned a 2-1 game into a 3-1 game, but at the time, the Fillies were needing to put away an upstart underdog, and they were able to do that. McGregor's presence on the field turned all momentum in favor of Cassadaigua, and they would add a fourth goal as well in the resulting three goal victory.

Under the guidance of Yuezhou's Liang Wei, the Kitarans have qualified for two World Cups, and surprised many people, including mostly everyone in Cassadaigua, when his squad made it all the way to the semifinals. As odd as it can seem, there is not always a correlation between having success in the World Cup and in the Copa Rushmori, even if you think that it should be. Wei's club plays a very offensive style, and that was on display against our Fillies as the teams exchanged goals up to a 3-3 tie after 66 minutes when Anderson scored the tying goal. In the 71st minute, our manager, Brittany Byers made the call to sub out Carly Patterson and Kelsey Werth in favor of both Lexi McGregor and Shannon Cunningham. It was an aggressive move by the team, but having two teenagers who aren't even old enough to drink in some countries, they had some exciting fresh legs out there on the field. You knew Wei would counter the move, but it did well to keep the momentum at Novi Kaunostadion in favor the pink and black. McGregor and Cunningham have virtually no experience playing together, but they have worked hard in practice knowing that this type of situation could come about. In the same minute, the 74th, that McGregor scored again Rea San Vegas, she nearly had one here as well, but the play was ruled to be offsides, disallowing the potential goal. Lexi was just a little too quick for the pass from Morgan Rosenblatt, and no one was disputing that the play was offsides. Still, it was a glimpse of what she could do. Cassadagan fans, whether they love or hate McGregor with Starksville United, have seen it all, but what they have not seen is Shannon Cunningham do the same thing.

Cunningham had a huge season playing for BT Ming in Chromatika, and Brittany Byers was impressed by the scouting reports that she had been given on the 18-year old to add her to the team and give her valuable playing time. Here, she would get it, and in the 79th minute, it looked like her and McGregor had been playing alongside one another since they were little kids. Rachel Boldin started the play, but perfectly placed pass from McGregor to Cunningham allowed Shannon to show her shooting touch, and she would deliver the eventual game winning goal. "So thrilled to have picked this up!" Cunningham said after the match, "I just have to thank everyone for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I hope that there is plenty more to come. It is an honor to wear this jersey, and to play alongside people I have been watching since I was a kid and at the same time play with people my age that I can have a long career with at this level." Brittany Byers also complimented the play of the youngsters, "They are making the most of their minutes. That's all we can ask. They work hard, I have had no issues with any of them, and that is something that will make us a better team going forward, whether it is here, or in future tournaments."

With the victory, Cassadaigua is 2-0-0 and atop Group D. Their next match is against 1-0-0 Ceni, which will then lead into their bye.

[Tikariot]

*Powered by

Today we will continue our look at some statistics of the Tikariot Premier League, powered by Tikariotian statistics provider StatisTik.

After having checked into the most capped players of the TPL, today's topic is goals, something that many people place the greatest emphasis on. So just like last time, let us have a look at the overall leaders in this category (with the numbers representing games and goals):

Gary Conway			TKT	250	115
Jardel Connolly			TKT	260	111
Morris Nighthorse		TKT	262	108
Adrian Grimaud			TKT	260	107
Simon Arrowsmith		TKT	231	 87
Xasthur Fredriksson		TKT	185	 85
Nathan Ekpetita			TKT	235	 82
Jesson Morrison			TKT	233	 75
Hamish Stainthorpe		TKT	201	 75
Ashton Tomlinson		TKT	198	 75
Ellis Wagstaff			TKT	244	 73
Alan Castanheira		TKT	191	 70
Choam Osfomilúo			TIO	204	 67
Adam Dodd			TKT	161	 67
Graydon Sheffield		TKT	257	 64

Unlike the games played, one non-Tikariotian has found his way into the Top 15 with Tikariot City FC legend Choam Osfomilúo. But to get a better overview of the international influence on the league, let's have a look at the international players with the most TPL goals:

Choam Osfomilúo			TIO	204	67
Snorre Fridtjofs		SRS	155	62
Ravanna Ballarin		ASU	179	57
Nick James			TJU	224	54
Calliope Montevecchi		SVG	178	54
Santo Silvestri			JUV	168	54
Cleto Silveira			CBZ	 91	54
Adam Wladić-Hermann		ZRH	236	53
Pierre-Simon Duhamel		QUE	162	53
Boudewijn van der Weide		GAR	188	48
Kenzo Gibson-Hindle		EFL	156	47
Nycollas Mauranghas		OAM	153	47
Hikoshige Matsushita		KNR	155	43
Barthelemy de la Cormeilles	GVN	166	40
Juanma Saez			CAD	 67	39

Compared to the statistics about games played, the top 15 of international goal scorers hail from 15 different nations, so how does it look when we tabulate the goals scored by nations?

Tioguldos		 966	183
Squornshelan Remnant S.	1140	154
Gouvanach		1210	153
Savigliane		1422	141
TJUN-ia			 800	125
Oberour Ar Moro		1031	113
Quebec & Shingoryeo	 808	106
Eastfield Lodge		1050	102
Askari Union		 431	 98
Zeta Reka & Hugeltaldom	1062	 91
Cabo Azure		 383	 90
Kandorith		 400	 90
Juvencus		 512	 88
Pyazhnaya		 723	 84
Chromatika		 937	 82

Now let's dive in a little deeper and have a look at the top nations and their best scoring players:

Choam Osfomilúo			TIO	204	67
Nordús Keslomal			TIO	147	37
Kogruam Lupauro			TIO	152	36
Losduse Albofokh		TIO	131	18
Ajufue Lorokelo			TIO	201	11

Snorre Fridtjofs		SRS	155	62
Halvar Skovgaard		SRS	137	29
Viordar Rebljeten		SRS	116	14
Tuulikki Aldana			SRS	122	13
Paiva Hedberg			SRS	122	10
Nortis Talpo			SRS	 90	10

Barthelemy de la Cormeilles	GVN	166	40
Jodoc Gane			GVN	161	22
Adhémar Desreaulx		GVN	129	18
Alanig Quiviger			GVN	121	18
Guillaume de la Verdure		GVN	175	16

Calliope Montevecchi		SVG	178	54
Alfonso Mazarin			SVG	184	23
Stella Boisbouvier		SVG	212	19
Alessandro Giudicati		SVG	 88	11
Efisio Moreau			SVG	 63	 7

Nick James			TJU	224	54
Preston Chapman			TJU	226	36
Mason Watts			TJU	217	25
Yomakaji Shimigatsu		TJU	 32	 4
Peter Ørberg			TJU	 34	 3
Bruno Ronaldinaho Cervantes	TJU	 32	 3

Obviously any goal scoring charts are dominated by forwards, so as a last tidbit of information here, StatisTik has extracted the top goal scorers among defenders and midfielders respectively.

David Blythe			FVA	230	36
Stephen Mhor			TKT	239	30
Halvar Skovgaard		SRS	137	29
Mathieu Lavoie-Sabourin		TKT	153	28
Dalton Aldridge			STB	142	27
Anil Al Hak			TKT	283	26
Fernando Ferradura		NLA	177	25
Zion Grimes			TKT	174	25
Gré Arceneaux			KOR	162	25
Jonathan Morretta		TKT	109	25

Choam Osfomilúo			TIO	204	67
Giovanni Vacarese		TKT	222	62
Virgil Wickens			TKT	242	54
Nick James			TJU	224	54
Nicholas van Haar		TKT	255	51
Michael Gaffigan		TKT	226	45
Dairon Noles			TKT	215	45
Pierre Sukunda			TKT	202	43
Hikoshige Matsushita		KNR	155	43
George Hancock			TKT	250	42

OK, we had originally called this the last tidbit, but we have one more, looking at the other end of the spectrum. Excluding goalkeepers, which players have played the most games in the TPL without scoring a single goal?

Andy Bamford			TKT	186	0
Orlando Castorani		SOR	160	0
Raphaël Cadieux			SVG	136	0
Mitch Deering			TKT	110	0
Raul Amaru-Dominguez		HUE	108	0
Giacomo Favaro			SOR	107	0
Jordan Jillson			TKT	 95	0
Charles Hillock-Smith		TKT	 94	0
Neil Crozier			TMB	 88	0
Viketnija Krastev		SRS	 87	0

[Captina Island]

Captina earn first CR win
The Captina Company News Service
(THESSIA, MYTANIJA)--The Captina Company Football Agency National Team earned the nation's first ever win the Copa Rushmori, breaking a 450+ minute shutout streak to defeat Southwest Eastnorth here.

The squad came out determined to make up for their loss on the first matchday against Firinsymnia, a fourth straight CR loss without a Captina goal scored; Alessandro Mercardi put the side ahead on 37 minutes with a strike off a pass from Barnabas Morningstar and Pierluigi Nieri held SWEN scoreless with four saves against an opponent that scored four goals in their opener.

The team will next face Pasarga, which gave up those four goals to SWEN on their first matchday and come off a bye ahead of the match in Esca.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Discover Captina!

Following the last Copa Rushmori, ahead of the Baptism of Fire, there was an overhaul of TCCNT's roster to make it more representative of the nation. Previously the players selected had all been of Italini descent so it was thought that changes should focus on including more diversity into the squad.
The native Captini and immigrant Italini live, work, and play side by side across the nation however the number of Captini taking up the sport of football professionally has declined over time; the four Super League clubs that began as Captini organized and oriented--AC Geneva City, Clarksburg FC, Flint AC and Fairmont City SC--have seen more Italini and mixed race players over time, although they retain large numbers of Captini supporters.

[think of Captini as being like Maori or Tongan or Samoan in physical appearance and Italini as being closer to Southern Italian--dark hair, slightly darker complexion]

It's rather easy to discern who is of what parentage as naming conventions in Captina are widely uniform--although there are the exceptions that prove the rule.
In the current squad, Barnabas Morningstar and Emerson Coverdale are both of full Captini descent, while Tonio Harold Owenby and Giuseppe Overstreet have Captini fathers with Italini mothers and Charleston DiCanio's mother is Captini married to a Italini father.
The exceptions are usually in cases like the last example, where a Captini mother/Italini father might give a child a first name that could be spelled in different ways and create ambiguity: Claudia, Sandra, Maria, and Michelle are among the most popular given names in the country, as are Anthony, Michael and David.

[Valladares]

THE METROPOLIS HERALD
Metropolis, Sunday, December 18^th, 2022

HOME | IN THE CAPITAL | GENERAL ELECTIONS | DOMESTIC | RUSHMORE | INTERNATIONAL | ECONOMICS | SPORT | TODAY'S LIFE

GENERAL ELECTIONS | Labour-Liberal coalition left short of majority at Royal Parliament with Conservative and Catholic gains, Greens are the key

METROPOLIS (VAP) — With the conclusion of the count of the twenty-fourth General Election by the Royal Electoral Authority of Valladares, the victory of the official coalition made up of the Labour and Liberal parties has been confirmed, as they claimed 49 out of the 100 contested seats at the Federal Senate (28 Labour and 21 Liberal), and thus took a big step towards securing a parliamentary majority as well as retaining the position of Prime Minister, currently held by Labour politician Florent Phillipe, who despite winning a seat in the Senate for this election as well as being one of the most popular Prime Ministers of recent time with popularity levels hitting 70%, was not allowed to run for re-election due to the provisions of the National Accord of Political Participation of 1910, which established the rotation system for the position of Prime Minister between the country's four linguistic communities, meaning that parties were required to appoint Portuguese-speaking list leaders for this election.

Due to this, two figures who despite boasting some considerable regional reputation are relative newcomers to the national arena are the frontrunners to replace Philippe at Rodham House, those ones being former Chiquito State Assembly members Millene Domingues and Adriana da Silva. Mrs. Domingues, a Labour Party member for over 30 years, served as secretary of government of Maldonado as well as acting mayor in that city prior to running for a State Assembly seat, which she held for three consecutive periods, and is expected to gather the support of the Labourist parliamentary caucus in both the Senate and the Federal Assembly as well as the three Aboriginal MPs. On the other hand, Mrs. Da Silva's political experience is largely confined to the State Assembly where she served for two periods as the lone Liberal representative, but became known as the strongest voice against the state's Conservative government at the legislative body. She is expected to be supported by the entirety of the Liberal group. Either way, an election of any of them would be an historic milestone as it would guarantee a first ever female head of government in Valladares.

However, the leftist coalition's win was by no means a landslide, given that the right-wing opposition coalition integrated by the Conservatives and the Catholic League of Valladares seems to have emerged back from darkness with renewed strength, claiming a total of 35 Senate seats of which 20 belong to the former and the other 15 to the latter, thus recovering from the humiliating defeat four years ago. According to analysts, although these results still show that the right-wing coalition is still reeling from the Mega Bomba/Angostura disaster cocktail that caused the toppling of the Pratt administration by the Monarchy, they are more evident to show that the numbers of citizens disappointed with the current state of affairs with the Labourists in power are increasingly growing, believing that the "silence and retreat" strategy used by the Royal Government for regional pressing matters such as Nyowani Kitara and the Cassadaigua/North Cassadaigua dispute has been harmful to the country's reputation and influence. The latter conflict, as well as the failure to reach a settlement with the government of neighbouring Darmen on issues such as Valladar autonomy in Darmen and border openings are also believed to be a major cause for the switch from Labour to Conservative government in the Westlands state, just north of the Cassadaigua area. Although still not holding a majority, the Conservatives have a candidate for Prime Minister in former Chiquito state Governor Vinícius Prado, who would also be backed by the Catholic League in its entirety as part of their coalition agreement.

With that panorama, a fifth player is set to hold the answer to the question as to which side will be holding the majorities, and that one are the Greens, who claimed the remaining 16 seats in the Senate. Although the Greens are at serious odds with the Conservative faction due to their defense of the Mega Bomba as well as their proposal of missile batteries pointed at perceived "enemy" states, their potential to switch sides for this upcoming legislative period should not be underestimated: they could still find some coincidences with the Catholic League on issues such as non-violence policies, and are also dissatisfied with the current government coalition due to their disparagement of some of the Greens's key projects in the current legislative period, such as the Green Energies Transition Bill, which was shot down by the Conservatives after several Labour and Liberal MPs failed to attend the voting session. The Green leadership will hold meetings with representatives from both coalitions during the week, and will be expected to annonce their final decision after the Royal Council meeting is held.

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[Trans-Dniesters]

  SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR 1 - 1 PRIDNESTROVIA  
      BALLESTER (65')       UNGERER (79')

Christopher Ungerer, a substitute who came on for the final twenty minutes of the game between Pridnestrovia and San Isidro Labrador who also scored the equalizing goal for the Red Army, prepares to take an interview with the Pridnestrovian Central News Agency after the match.

Translated from the original Russian.

PTsNA: Guten Abend, Christopher. This is quite a memorable day for you, isn’t it? Not only did you get your first international cap for Pridnestrovia but you’ve also scored your first goal for the national team. Tell us how you are feeling at the moment.

CU: Yes, of course. I am very honored that I have been given the chance to put on the red-green-red shirt and represent Pridnestrovia in the Copa Rushmori, and I am also very happy that I’ve scored my first goal for the country in my very first appearance as well. The only thing that I don’t really like is that we didn’t win the game. Other than that, I am happy.

PTsNA: It’s probably fair to say that this result wasn’t exactly what the people of Pridnestrovia were expecting from the team, especially considering who our opponents were. What do you think you could have done better in order to get all three points?

CU: First of all, yes, I agree that this result is not what everyone would have expected from us. Even the rest of the team is surprised that we could only manage a draw against San Isidro Labrador. Of course, I don’t want to say that our entire plan of winning the Copa Rushmori relied solely on winning against SIL, but it would have been a great stepping stone towards completing that objective. But there are still three more games left to play. We still have a chance.

PTsNA: As you have just mentioned, Pridnestrovia is yet to play at least three more games in this Copa Rushmori. Knowing what you know now with regards to the team’s tactics and how the other teams in our group have played, what do you think is going to be the key to Pridnestrovia’s success this time around?

CU: I’m not sure if I’m the right person to answer that. I’m not the manager, after all. But personally, I don’t think we should change anything. The team executed the plan from Basil Santa Cruz well. We just simply didn’t have the best of luck in converting our chances. Some of it is down to poor finishing, and other times it’s the goalkeeper of the opposite side who prevented us from taking the lead. We can’t do anything about the abilities of our opposition to defend against us and stop us from scoring, but we can certainly do better in terms of taking advantage of our own chances.

PTsNA: Thank you for your answers, Christopher. We won’t hold you anymore. Auf wiedersehen.

---

A few days later, Ungerer would come off the bench for Pridnestrovia once again. Once again, he would score a goal for the national team, but this time it would be the winning goal in a thrilling 4-3 victory against Xinhua. This is what Ungerer had to say to PTsNA at the end of that game.

PTsNA: Welcome back, Christopher. What a Copa this is turning out to be for you! You've already gotten your first cap and your first goal for Pridnestrovia, and now not only have you doubled your tally, you also scored the winning goal for Pridnestrovia! Tell us how you feel.

CU: I feel great! Honestly! It's always a thrill and an honor to score for my team, especially since this is the national team we're talking about. The first goal is always going to be the most memorable one, but we only drew the game back then. Honestly, this goal might be the more memorable one for me simply because of the result. I won us the game, literally! The only reason I think that another goal from me will become more memorable than this one is if I score the goal that finally brings the Copa Rushmori to Pridnestrovia. But I don't know when, or even if, that will happen.

PTsNA: Many clubs in the Super League and maybe even abroad are sure to take note of your performances in the Copa. In the event that these clubs do indeed make their interest known, how do you think Dinamo Macaresti [Ungerer's current club] would react to this?

CU: I don't think this is the time or place to talk about things like that. I will be representing Pridnestrovia for the whole of the Copa, but back home I am a Macaresti man. I will continue playing for Macaresti for as long as I can.

PTsNA: Understandable, Christopher. Thank you for taking the time to entertain us.

CU: My pleasure.

      PRIDNESTROVIA 4 - 3 XINHUA                 
       GURKIN (13')       NG XINYI (36')
  OGORODNIKOV (28')       KWEK SIEW PANG (51')
   NEDELYAYEV (77')       JOHN FAN (67')
    UNGERER (90+2')

(Goalscorers taken from Xinhua's Copa Rushmori XLI roster)

[Cabo Azure]

Cabo Azure 3-0 Gatchingerrak Union
Scorers: Branco (44'), Gouveia (59'), Silveira (90+5')

A typically Azurean win to keep momentum going in this Copa.

A surprisingly robust defensive effort from the Gatchingerrak Union led to an uneventful first half wherein Cabo Azure dominated possession and had numerous attempts on goal, but all were rebuffed or deflected by the defense. Finally in the waning minutes of the half, Branco broke loose on an overlap and managed to score off a give-and-go with Man of the Match and Azurean captain Cleto Silveira.

The Azureans played a defensive game in the second half, characterized by defensive substitutions and aimless passes to midfield. The Gatchingerrak players grew increasingly frustrated with this bus-parking and Vasco Gouveia, who never saw a lead he didn't want to try and double, put one in off a costly mistake in the Gatchingerrak midfield. Down 2-0, the Union players became increasingly desperate, culminating in an ill-advised tackle on Cleto Silveira that allowed the striker to score on a penalty in extra time.

Having remained perfect through two games, conceding only one goal, the Azureans will face the two lower-seeded teams in the group, Norrhem and Kirungabi, in the next two matchdays before a matchday 5 bye.

“A Divisão”, pt 3
With the largest political party, the wealthiest family, and centuries of history on its side, it would be easy to conclude that the Azurean monarchy is unchallenged in its rule over the islands. Doing so, however, would underestimate the tenacity and innovation of the country’s republican movement. Rumblings of republicanism date back more than a century, to the rule of Carlos IV, sometimes deemed the “first modern king” of Cabo Azure because he was the first to share power with his Council. Even in those days, there were those in Cabo Azure who saw the Advisory Council as an embryonic parliament and the death of the despotic Adolfo II as the first step on Cabo Azure’s long road to democracy. Thus far, those who believed such have largely been disappointed, as two changes in government have not yielded a more democratic system, but the flame of republicanism has not died out.

To understand the staunch, almost fanatical support the Azurean monarchy has enjoyed throughout history, even when the rulers themselves were unpopular, it is important to understand the geopolitical context in which Cabo Azure exists. A small island nation off the coast of Terranea but with deep cultural ties to Anaia, Cabo Azure has long been a crossroads between regions, cultures, and ideologies. Over the centuries, the Azureans have watched across the straits as the Long Marches grew from balkanized, war-torn backwater to industrial superpower and began to project force overseas, under the guise of “liberating” far-flung locations from their monarchs.

Despite being an absolute monarchy in Nephara’s shadow, Cabo Azure has largely escaped its notice for centuries, likely by virtue of being too small to be worth the trouble. Nevertheless, the specter of Nepharim invasion looms large in the Azurean unconscious, and Azureans as a whole are skeptical of anything that appears to originate in Nephara, including, for many, democracy. Those agitating for democratic reform are often accused of being Nepharan plants or sympathizers. During O Interregno, the Gang of Seven successfully undermined popular support for republican rebels by spreading false rumors that they were funded by Nepharan intelligence.

Serious republican sentiment in Cabo Azure is largely confined to the fringes of politics these days, in large part because of King Manuel’s relatively progressive policies and carefully curated public image. The Partido Syndicalisto, the opposition party better known as the “Wolves”, holds some republican tenets in its governing documents, but has largely downplayed republicanism to avoid alienating voters. Geographically, republicanism is most prevalent in Dulce Muerte, the second-largest island in Cabo Azure, which has long-held grievances against the central government for being too focused on the islands of Aho and Portelo.

[Pasarga]

The opening match was less than what the fans and the team could have expected to unfold with the Wanderers taking their full strength first team to the Copa. After indignity of being eliminated before the group stage was even over during the last tournament had really caused a massive outcry in the dual islands, as some saw the Copa on par with the World Cup in terms of prestige. Part of that can likely be attributed to Pasarga being one of the founding members who enabled the Copa Rushmori to come into being in the first place, with the delegations meeting in Torgos for their deliberations that ended with the creation if the tournament. The tournament is seen by some as a Pasargan creation and that it be given the appropriate levels of respect it deserves.

Being upset in the first match and then having a bye for the second matchday is one of the worst ways this tournament could have started. Not only is there the immense sting of an unexpected defeat in the first place, but now the team is behind the eight ball and having to chase the group to try and advance out of it. Having the extra few days to stew in that sour taste of defeat has a real chance to put the players in a bad heads pace heading into the rest of the group fixtures, as they are left with their thoughts while the rest of the group are having a match. This is compounded by the fact that the Wanderers were a second seed in the draw thanks to the poor showing in the last tournament and draw the number one team in the region and current holder software the trophy, Græntfjall. The Ice Wolves are lead by one of the icons of Pasarga, Thor, which makes their success and the current decline of the Wanderers all that more painful to endure.

When the draw was made everyone in the dual islands who pay attention to the sport knew that the team was in for a difficult challenge in trying to advance. That task is now made all the more difficult as a direct consequence of not being ready for the sort of energy that their foes were going to bring to the opening match. The Wanderers are more than likely going to need to win out the rest of the group stage if they are going to have a real chance of progressing into the knockouts and this is going to be a huge test for their manager. There was quite a bit of talk that the Nepharim fell up into the position after their failure in Sanford. This is the sort of situation where if the Wanderers come through and do advance, they can prove their doubters wrong that they were not worthy of the position.

It starts with making sure the players' morale is not shattered and then getting the team to buckle down and focus on the next fixture. The team is in a hole but you can not simply jump out of it, you have got to put the steps in place to get yourself up and over the hole. There is no use in worrying about how to take on Græntfjall when there are other fixtures in front of them that need the full attention of the team. Captina Island is up next and they are going to be riding a bit of a high after besting Southwest Eastnorth in the last matchday, the team that had proved the surprise for the Wanderers on the first day. They were able to shut their opponents offense down and they are likely going to want to do the same. Elek Salai can show his credentials as one of the world's best strikers if he can navigate around the obstacles and help the Wanderers get the goals they need for three points and renewed hope for the group.

[Yue Zhou]

Starting Lineup to face Austroslovakia (4-3-3): Zhao; Lu, Zhu, Yuan (C), Dong; Wen, Wan, Mingsdottír Zhang; Jiang, Liu, Luo

---

Note: "Sporting Buddha" is a rough translation of the Yue podcast, whose name in Yue is 体佛 ("Ti-Fo"). Definitely not a reference to anything.

ZW: “Welcome back to Sporting Buddha podcast! I’m Zhen Wuxi...”

TJ:: “...and I’m Tong Jiewen, and the question on everyone's minds is: are Yuezhou even good anymore?"

ZW: "That's right, after an opening day upset at the hands of Gnejs, the Dragons have yet again dropped points to underdog opposition. 'Three Golden Kingdoms', which our sources have just confirmed is, in fact, a real country, held Yuezhou scoreless, giving the Dragons just one point from their opening two matches."

TJ: "Not only that, but Yuezhou has zero goals and a total of 0.82 xG in two matches against countries that they should be comfortably beating. So the question on everyone's mind: what the fuck is wrong?"

ZW: "I think you really have to contextualize this in Yuezhou's broader footballing journey. They've just lost in the qualification playoffs for the second cycle in a row, this time to Flavovespia. And while the Cup of Harmony run seriously raised expectations on this CR42 squad-"

TJ: "-despite the fact that half the players who fueled the run are either gone or no longer starting-"

ZW: "It also wore them out and delivered a seriously demoralizing conclusion."

TJ: "But more than that, Chen Huikang's new three-at-the-back setup is really struggling to create chances despite dominating possession against both Gnejs and Three Golden Kingdoms. They had well over sixty percent possession in both cases, but just had issues transitioning from defense to attack, as well as getting the ball unstuck from the midfield and the wings."

ZW: "We're seeing a definite emphasis on defensive solidity with a midfield of Wan Sheping and Yang Xie. But while it has been pretty solid - Three Golden Kingdoms were also stifled defensively, lest we forget-"

TJ: "-didn't forget, just don't give a shit-"

ZW: "-it's pretty creatively uninspiring with the likes of Kara Mingsdottír and Wen Xiaohui both on the bench. It forces a lot of traffic to the wings, but Lu Lanying and Dong Xiaowang have had issues connecting with their respective wingers. And even when the wingers do get it, teams can simply shut down Jiang and Luo and force them into long shots at the goal, or crosses to a team without many aerial threats."

TJ: "It's become pretty clear that this kind of possession approach, strong as it might have been in the Licentian Isles, just isn't something Yuezhou is particularly suited for. With huge matches against Austroslovakia and Savojarna coming up, I think this will be a huge test for Chen Huikang's managerial adaptability."

ZW: "It's worth remembering just how good Chen was for Glenmount Town, too. This is a high-quality manager - he's just tried an idea that hasn't worked out. Personally, I'd like to see them go back to the 4-3-3 shape that worked so well in the Cup of Harmony, and to a lesser extent, in the qualifiers. The advantage of this style would be that we could accommodate Wen Xiaohui again, who really provides that creativity and dynamism despite her advancing age."

TJ: "And while it would remove some of the threat posed by the wingbacks, realistically they haven't posed much threat on their own anyways. But I think that you'd also want to consider bringing on Mingsdottír, who is just itching to prove herself at this level, and recently secured a big transfer to Mytanar giants Liria Prizren - whose stadium has hosted many of our matches, too - against Austroslovakia. Still, I think the 3-4-3 has its place against bigger clubs like Savojarna. Again, with a more tested Mingsdottír or some other option alongside Wan without any significant shape alternations needed. Maybe Guo Hong, who's been very solid with 1896 Ebor? Just anyone but Yang Xie, who has looked a bit out of his depth at this level."

ZW: "That being said, one point in two matches leaves Yuezhou without much room for pragmatism. Realistically, a draw to Savojarna and a win over Austroslovakia would leave Yuezhou on five points, which wouldn't be enough to guarantee advancement - although I suppose we could still squeak through on that. Two wins, though, and don't you forget that it'd be against two teams that we outrank, would put us in a much safer position, and potentially challenge Gnejs for the group lead, although that ship has likely sailed due to Gnejs' strong start."

TJ: "I mean, it's not like 3-4-3 is conceding that we can't beat Savojarna. It's certainly a more solid setup, but not one that can't score-"

ZW: "It couldn't beat the fucking Golden Kingdoms, Tong!"

TJ: "Yeah, but that was with Yang Xie. I just don't think we can set up that carelessly against Savojarna, with Wen Xiaohui in a three-man midfield. Morten Poulsen will fucking dust her. Have you seen that guy play?"

ZW: "Look, I just think we need to maximize our chances of a win. This setup does have some things going for it defensively, especially once that three-man back line becomes more comfortable playing with each other. I could see it in the knockouts if we get drawn against the likes of Græntfjall or other teams that are conclusively better than us! But we've seen what happens when we play timid in the group stage, and it is not good."

TJ: "Have we been timid, or do we just suck?"

ZW: "Well, if it's the second one, then it doesn't really matter how Chen sets up anyways."

TJ: "Fair play. Anyways, next up, we discuss Olympic Nangang's surprising run to the Yue Super! League title. And we ask our viewers if they have invested in Poais Sovereign Bonds yet after the newcomers pulled off another upset victory. But first, a word from our sponsors..."

[Sargossa]

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Football



Wahn Nil



Blanco Borrayo reports from Ebor;


That Slavko Jelic would be stood on the touchline in his homeland, as the coach of a national football team, wouldn’t have come as a huge surprise to the man himself or those that followed his career. That he would be stood on the touchline in his homeland receiving a fair amount of abuse from the stands probably wasn’t part of the plan. There was plenty of praise too, admittedly. As befitted an elder statesman of Mytanar football. But within the broad church of football fandom sits a singularly unpleasant subsection. And they too made their thoughts known.

Because Slavko Jelic was not in Ebor as the coach of his homeland. There was a time when you’d have been forgiven for thinking he might have been. When Lev Repin elected to bring his highly creditable spell in charge of Mytanija to an end, his replacement looked to be a straight choice between Jelic and Litala ’93 boss Luca Zagorc. The subsequent decision to instead go with Dzvezdan Kitanchev was unexpected and wasn’t entirely well received by the Mytanar public. Although understandably disappointed in missing out on the role, Jelic didn’t have to wait too long for an international gig. The Football Federation of Sargossa had initially made entreaties to Lev Repin, essentially allowing him to name his price to become coach of the Corsairs. The response was a polite thanks, but no thanks. But what Repin did do was recommend Slavko Jelic to the FFS. Which is how the veteran Mytanar came to return to his homeland, taking charge of Sargossa in Copa Rushmori action against Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland.

The new look national squad had laboured to a win in the opening fixture against Olastor in Snezhnaya. But it was a victory nonetheless. Not that Jelic had gotten carried away. He’d seen his side win their opening Cup of Harmony match too, a 3 – 0 win over Mercedini in what was arguably the best performance the Corsairs had managed under the Mytanar. It was immediately followed by successive defeats to Adab, Chartistan and New Gelderland. A run of results largely responsible forJelic deciding to ditch more than half of that squad when naming his side for the Copa.

They’d laboured against Olastor. They were labouring against Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland too. In an effort to construct a side that could score goals without conceding a stack of them too Jelic was experimenting. Some might say he was forcing some square pegs into round holes. He was persevering with Ciudad Soluca’s Enrique González in the gap behind the two strikers, despite an ineffectual display in that same position against Olastor. And he continued with Pablo Alarcón, a brutally effective wide attacker for his club side, through the middle alongside Lucas Recoba. At the back Francisco Jesús and Joaquín Sanz, so used to being a centreback pairing in the Cima Liga, were joined by the Mytanija-based Nicolás Riesgo in a three.

The Mountaineers represented a step up in quality from Olastor and, arrayed as they were in a like-for-like 5-3-2 system, largely cancelled the Corsairs out in a first half that offered little in the way of drama. González was struggling to shake the tenacious Srðan Verdnik in the centre, while Recoba and Alarcón were being well marshalled by a back three led exemplarily by captain Aaron Pfeifer. At the other end the towering trio of Jesús, Sanz and Riesgo offered nothing to the Schutzenphalian attack as the two sides settled for a halftime stalemate. Jelic was forced into an early substitution as wingback Igor Aznar limped off after twenty minutes, to be replaced by Milagros Fernán. Fernán’s position in the squad has been a small source of contention. Plying his trade, as he does, in the Mytanar second tier while Ciudad Soluca’s Alfonso Barrueco, the top performing player in that position domestically, didn’t even make the trip to Mytanija. Although Fernán was central to the only real action of note in the first forty-five minutes. His cross from the left teed up Recoba but the El Nacional front man could only put his header the wrong side of the post.

The second half was barely ten minutes old before Jelic shuffled his pack again, this time voluntarily. González came off to be replaced by Dínamo Maturín striker Mateo Manzanares. It was a strange sight to see Manzanares stood on the touchline, waiting to come on. The forward had previously been one of the first names on the team sheet, with only a handful of his many caps coming off the bench. To his credit Manzanares hadn’t uttered a word of criticism since being dropped. His entry into the match was warmly greeted by the pockets of blue coated support in the Olujastadion. The change saw Pablo Alarcón drop back into the gap left by González. With Manzanares joining Recoba up front. Although Alarcón didn’t have much time to adjust to his new role, being replaced by club teammate Carlos Alberto mere moments later.

The changes had the desired impact, with Manzanares in particular looking like a man with something to prove. The Schutzenphalian defence were struggling to contain him and he’d forced two good saves from Niklas Kaplan within as many minutes. Daniel Reiter was looking lively at the other end but in Nicolás Riesgo he found a player in good form, something that would have come as no surprise to the locals in the stadium. As the half opened up there was a sense that somebody was about to blink first. Carlos Alberto caused it. He collected Manzanares’ pass and hoodwinked Stefan Kandel with a moment of trickery. The Obernbrück defender stuck out a boot to clip away a ball that was no longer there. Instead he clipped the heel of Alberto, sending him to the turf. The Darmeni referee pointed straight to the penalty spot. Enrique González is first choice penalty taker for Sargossa, with Pablo Alarcón as his deputy. In their absence Manzanares took the ball with a look on his face that suggested anyone with an alternative suggestion should probably shut their noise hole. It wasn’t necessarily a good spot kick. The height and placement put it eminently in the saveable category. But Kaplan dived to his left while Manzanares put the ball to his right. Any penalty that goes in should probably be counted as a good spot kick.

It was the decisive point in another game that will probably be at the back end of the highlight shows. But it was six points on the board, a second consecutive clean sheet and it ensured the leadership in Group B was maintained. But, as from match one to match two, the quality of opposition was ticking up another couple of notches in match three. Tikariot were on the horizon, with former Sargossa coach Brian McAllister in the hot seat. A man who knows a thing or two about winning this title. In a four team group, sitting on six points after the first two games usually meant passage into the next phase was relatively assured. In the five team groups here in Mytanija that isn’t quite the case. A win over Tikariot though would surely offer the relief of a place in the next round. Despite recent woes in the World Cup qualifiers and Cup of Harmony this tournament holds a special place in Sargossan hearts and a group stage exit would be considered quite the phalia. Will a positive result against Tikariot avoid that possibility? Wahn cahn only hope.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Uninspiring draw against Gnejs puts Savojarna under pressure

By Jaukka Halanen

Gnejs had somewhat shocked Rushmore’s footballing world when the Prosaic Union’s defensively solid setup took on seventh seed Yuezhou in their first Copa Rushmori match, and managed to upset their opposition. 1-0 against the top seed was a strong announcement that the Gnejs team was a solid opponent, and yet, Savojarna walked into the game on confidence. With Polina Zirkova in great club form and Rasmus Vikborg having the confidence of back-to-back titles in his back pocket, the Northlights’ central defence seemed even stronger on paper than the lineup that has shut out Yuezhou; on offence, names like Lars Alvesen, Morten Poulsen, and Kaisa Gyldenstjerne should stand way above the all-domestic Gnejs side. However, the game quickly proved to go different than Savojarna might have expected.

Despite the foresight of Maersk that saw the defensive two-way player Finn Östberg on the left flank replaced by Kimi Hartikainen, the Savojars struggled to get going despite large amounts of possession, and against a highly defensive opposition setup, many of their normal weapons were neutralised. Knardal tightly marked Ehlers to remove the element of surprise the Falourr support striker often brings from between the lines, and a tight midfield block made it hard to reach Morten Poulsen in good positions. Frustrated, Savojarna increasingly looked towards long balls as their solution of choice, but this brought nothing against Gnejs’ tight and competent centre-backs, resulting in a game that from about half an hour onwards looked increasingly as if the two teams would just be happy with the result. For the Prosaic Union, knowing they are ahead of their point schedule, this made sense; setting themselves on four points out of the two toughest teams in the group is a solid basis to secure an upset. On the other hand, the Savojars appeared scared of conceding on a counter, something that almost happened late in the first half as Hansen slipped through a gap and was stopped only by a smart heads-up play by Zirkova, who stepped out to stop the winger before he could look for a ball to Svensson.

The second half at least brought some interesting tactical variation: Savojarna attempted to sit deeper and play from the back, using Alexander Ilikin as a positional player who would send long balls and carry the ball up the pitch, and shifting play between the sides a lot. This did sometimes catch Gnejs on the back foot, but the Savojars still struggled to get the ball to the centre, revealing a clear weakness of these Northlights. They looked a little better once Ehlers, who was entirely neutralised, was freed of his fruitless labour; with Medberg Hansen on pitch, there was a little more havoc created in Gnejs’ back line as he can reach a ball even when closely marked. The few shots Savojarna had were still largely harmless, and the nature of the game can be seen in its statlines: Only 4-3 shots on goal were registered, with a total attempt number of 11-6; neither team managed to reach even close to one expected goal in a defensive and uninspiring match.

The result of this is that Gnejs, thanks to the parallel surprise draw of Yuezhou (also 0-0 to the Three Golden Kingdoms), now comfortably sit atop Group H. Savojarna, by beating the Golden Kingdoms, could take over the second spot; however, this still comes with the danger of needing a victory against Yuezhou to qualify. Furthermore, the Imperial Guard just drew Yuezhou in a 0-0, but also proved offensive danger against Austroslovakia in a spectacular 4-4 draw. Overall, we can expect a lot more space for Savojarna, but also a lot more offensive pressure onto the Savojar back line. They will have to put in a flawless performance to get themselves to that possibly all-deciding Yuezhou game, and every slip up on the way there would cost dearly.

Savojarna 0-0 Gnejs
Ribar, Trunca, MYT // att.: 23’986

Goals: –
Yellow cards: 17’ Nilsen, 39’ Klaey, 59’ Horndal, 72’ Ilikin, 86’ Knardal (all foul).
Remarks: –

Savojarna: Virulainen - Klaey (59’ Strid), Zirkova, Vikborg (86’ Hatun), Viipuri - Hartikainen, Niskanen (46’ Ilikin), Poulsen ©, Gyldenström (77’ Jashkin) - Ehlers (59’ Medberg Hansen), Alvesen.

[Mytanija]

MYTANIJA 5-6 THE ASKARI UNION
MYT: Ocokoljic 20’, 49’; Skara 67’, Skara 87’; Ovsyannikov 90+2’
ASU: Agustine 11’; Eskalza 13’, 26’, 45+1’; Digne 74’; Chinotto 82’

MYT: 1. Besak (s/o 78’); 2. N. Ovcina (sub. Puzin 80’), 3. Savicevic (s/o 8’), 4. Mbala-Ekakia, 5. P. Odonelec; 6. Papez (sub. Ovsyannikov 80’), 7. Atsev, 10. Kuhar-Arh (sub. Pestotnik 9’); 8. Vujanovic (sub. Smajic 56’), 9. J. Ocokoljic (c) (s/o 78’), 11. Hranilovic (sub. Skara 56’)
ASU: 1. Soumare; 13. Carcassone (sub. Aquilina 55’), 19. Agustine (s/o 90+5’), 5. Montargis, 2. Mercado; 14. Cavicchi (sub. Chinotto 67’), 6. Balard; 20. Fontaine, 15. Villanelle (sub. Giaccherini 90+6’), 10. Digne (sub. Hernandez 80’); 9. Eskalza (sub. Riva 67’)

Dzvezdan Kitanchev had a major problem. Mytanija were down to ten men, Grigorij Savicevic sent off after nearly impaling Renate Eskalza upon a dangerously high boot, but they were also 2-0 down to The Askari Union after conceding two goals in two minutes after Savicevic’s red. The first came from the free-kick which resulted from the sending off, whipped in by Estdal winger Alessander Digne and thumped home off the head of Hortense Agustine. Pretty much straight from kick-off Mytanija lost control with the Askari players all on a high and pressing with a sense of fearlessness which Kitanchev hadn’t planned for. It won them the ball back and suddenly Mytanija were in trouble, a Valentina Cavicchi pass sent Donatella Fontaine haring off down the left and Patrik Odonelec could only bring down the Ming player. Another Digne delivery into the box wasn’t dealt with and Renate Eskalza eventually stabbed the ball past a stranded Semir Besak. It wasn’t the start Kitanchev had foreseen.

From the touchline all he could do was tell his players to concentrate, they could salvage something if they could only keep their heads. He had sent Pestotnik on in Omer Kuhar-Arh’s place to replace Savicevic in the back-line and Pestotnik started to play some nice passes into midfield, these passes almost seemed to reassure the rest of the team and gradually Mytanija started to play better. Nurija Papez was getting on the ball, Luka Vujanovic was threatening the space behind the Askari defence and Jezdimir Ocokoljic was dropping deep looking for possession. There was a little bit more control. Kitanchev was a little relieved, but the result of the game was still important and Mytanija would have to try to salvage a draw if they could. A Luka Vujanovic cross was turned in by Ocokoljic, his 110th international goal, but Kitanchev remained unmoved. It was only the first step. Mytanija continued to push for the equaliser and he found himself concerned, there was still over an hour to play, they didn’t need to go all out like this.

“No!” He yelped as Mirko Hranilovic was caught in possession, allowing the Askari team to counter-attack. Mercado strode forward, finding plenty of room in the space Hranilovic would usually drop into, crossing the halfway line unchallenged. She then sent a raking ball forward for Eskalza who managed to get in front of Pestotnik, chesting the ball back into the general direction of Camoa Villanelle. Villanelle broke into the box with one touch, then past Mbala-Ekakia with a second, almost wrong-footing the Wirr Tsi centre-half with the scruffy nature of the control. Villanelle suddenly only had Besak to beat and the goalkeeper made himself big, sticking his limbs in all directions to try to prevent the shot from hitting the net, but it never came. Instead Villanelle tried to round Besak and was brought down by the trailing right boot. Gatchingerrak referee Martina Hjort pointed to the spot without hesitation, despite the protests of the Mytanar players and Kitanchev could only hold his head in his hands as Besak received the yellow card. Eskalza dispatched the penalty and restored her team’s two-goal advantage.

Tempers began to fray thereafter and Eskalza profited, rounding her hat-trick off on the stroke of half-time with an audacious lob from outside the penalty area. A fantastic demonstration of vision to spot Besak off his line and then technical ability to actually pull the action off successfully. A 4-1 deficit at half-time, to a team Mytanija would usually hope to beat with no problems, Kitanchev could already see the headlines in the sporting papers.

“You’re all a lot better than what you have showed out there during that first-half,” he told the players at half-time. “The game is probably gone now, especially with ten men, but let’s at least show a little bit of self-respect and pride in our ability. We’re better than this. Go out there and show it.”

The players seemed to listen, pulling one back within five minutes of half-time, Gavril Atsev playing a good cross-field pass for Hranilovic to get to the by-line and his cut-back turned in by Ocokoljic (with a helping hand from a hefty deflection). The problem was that the Askari players were never cowed by any signs of a Mytanar comeback, always happy to soak up pressure as Mytanija tired themselves out looking for goals and then hitting weary legs on the counter. It was a successful formula and Kitanchev eventually had to admit defeat, substituting both wingers to add another central midfielder to the fray with Mersudin Smajic coming on and Drazen Skara providing another body in attack.

It worked briefly, Smajic helping to re-establish some semblance of authority in the centre of the pitch and Skara giving the Askari central defenders something else to think about. Skara got another goal back, firing in from the edge of the penalty area and making it 4-3. Kitanchev once again gestured to the players to stay calm, but the Askari players had other plans and Alessander Digne – who had been a nuisance all day against the inexperienced Nemanja Ovcina – won another penalty by getting across Ovcina and waiting for the contact from the young left-back. Eskalza had her hat-trick already and handed penalty-taking duties across to Digne and the winger struck the ball well, Besak unable to get to the ball.

Kitanchev more or less stopped coaching after that goal, what could you do in a game like this? The referee, Hjort, had made all the right decisions – he couldn’t even complain about that. Conversely, his players had all been making incredibly poor decisions, which is something he had underlined in the run-up to the game. ‘Winning matches like these is all about decision-making, if we make the right ones then we have the technical quality to see them off’. It didn’t seem like his players had listened very well. He sat in the dugout at the Novi Atletskistadion as the crowd got angrier, this wasn’t the performance that they had expected to see.

That energy seemed to transmit to the players and passes started to go astray, teammates started to complain to one another and bad challenges started to go in. All of this suited the Askari team beautifully. That was when all hell broke loose, Luc Balard and substitute Pierrick Chinotto working together to dispossess Jezdimir Ocokoljic, Chinotto emerging with possession and racing away from the Mytanar legend. Ocokoljic felt he had been fouled, gesturing to the referee, when Hjort shook her head and gestured to play on it appeared as if Ocokoljic lost his composure entirely. He sprinted after Chinotto and scythed into a tackle which – whilst getting the ball – took the midfielder out and left him on the turf in a whole lot of pain.

Instantly the Askari players ran over to him, pushing and shoving him and then Mytanar players reacted. Semir Besak arrived amongst the melee all the way from the Mytanija penalty area, Drazen Skara pushed someone to the ground and Ocokoljic argued his case – pointing to the ball. Martina Hjort wasn’t impressed, booking Skara and Atsev along with a couple of Askari players. Somebody on the bench was booked, though it wasn’t immediately clear who, then Hjort beckoned Besak towards her. He had returned to his penalty area, but now he was walking back towards Hjort and barking obscenities at her. She reached to her pocket and brandished the yellow card at him, immediately followed by a hand in her back pocket and a red. His second yellow after giving the penalty away in the first-half.

“You fucking idiot!” Kitanchev yelled towards Besak from his technical area. Hjort wasn’t finished though, turning to look for the Mytanar captain, Ocokoljic. She then put her arm straight up in the air, holding the red card high for the whole Novi Atletskistadion to see. He was off too. He stood for a moment, completely bemused, but then started to slowly trudge off the field. The atmosphere inside the stadium went from poisonous to apoplectic. Missiles were thrown onto the pitch by the Mytanar fans and suddenly a large Policija presence appeared in the stands. Hjort walked over to Kitanchev.

“Please remind your players of their responsibility to play this sport in a certain manner, please.”

Kitanchev just glowered back at her. Three players down and 5-3 down on the scoreboard, this really was turning into one of the most embarrassing fixtures in Mytanar footballing history. Anton Puzin was sent on to take over from Besak between the posts and Chinotto added another layer of indignity to the score line soon after. Kitanchev didn’t crack a smile for the remainder of the game, refusing to celebrate even when Drazen Skara beat Montargis in the air to head home; or when Denis Ovsyannikov’s rocket – the probable goal of the game – from all of 35 yards out went in. The score might have ended up 6-5 to the Askari team, but they had been much better than that and were deserving winners.

A late sending off of their own, for veteran Agostino Montargis, couldn’t sour the sweet taste of victory and Jehanne Scaletta was joyous in her celebration when the full-time whistle went. She had masterminded one of the most famous victories in Askari history, beating Mytanija on home soil at the Copa Rushmori. Her celebrations contrasted neatly with Kitanchev’s indignation, whilst she celebrated he would have questions to answer and if that result was terminal for the Hoops then he might well pay for it with his job.

[Graintfjall]

The goal was a thing of beauty.

It started with Mikkel soaring high to reel in an overhit cross. Not terribly dangerous, perhaps, but it was the sort of situation the Snow Wolves had conceded frustrating goals from in the last 18 months, and his confidence in shouting for the ball fired up his defense. He laid it off to Asbjørn, who lazily shrugged off the attempt at a tackle and, after failing to target upfield, passed it back to Mikkel off his in-step. Mikkel controlled the ball well and spread it out to the other side, finding Eyvar. A simple sequence, perhaps, but compare it to Snow Wolves sides of years past who would sent a kick booming upfield hoping that Kalle or Tinni could wrestle themselves free to head it down.

Eyvar holding the ball, then unleashing a long pass to Alyssia. One touch and it was laid off to Mímir. It hadn’t been his night in front of goal, but here he was, dropping deep to help his midfield. Hard to imagine the sulky Jason doing that. A tap pass back, and here was Asbjørn coming up in support. More than an hour gone in the game. BFGs of old would have been gassed: no chance someone like Ralf or Stefan would have been pressing high in support at this stage. Asbjørn, finding Steinar. Working hard to prove himself as he looked for a way out of the Euran Oceania Territories, worthy of a higher standard of league. Kæja had scored and assisted on Vanessa’s, and it had been time to take her off, protect her for more difficult challenges to come. Steinar was proving a worthy substitute. A silky little turn to slip between two defenders.

Jan, coming up the left flank. Iffy first half from Jasmijn, perhaps at fault in the goal that had set the regional #1 ranked side back to a shock 0–1 deficit to unranked Firinsymnia. Jan had shown a real spark since coming on, and if the knock on him was he didn’t have Jasmijn’s flair, then the deft stepover he now pulled off seemed to prove the lie of that. Getting cornered by two defenders, but he finds Danny with a crisp long pass, and the midfielder, who’s been tireless, shows a gorgeous touch to gather on his left, pivot off the defender, and flip a no-look pass through off his right. He splits the defense perfectly. And it’s Steinar, running onto it – oh! Stretches out with his left foot and controls it impeccably! What silken touch! What grace! He – nutmegs the defender! This is poetry, this is art!

The goalkeeper has to come out now, charging towards him. Narrowing the angle with arms spread wide as Steinar readies for a powerful shot – which sits the goalkeeper down. He sells the dummy beautifully. Oh, this is magical football. As the goalkeeper sprawls, Steinar dinks it over his flailing legs. And there’s Joel, as the new generation of Snow Wolves strut their stuff, who’s in an ocean of space to finish in the open goal. Firinsymnia haven’t put a boot to the ball as the Snow Wolves have progressed it upfield on a carpet of roses. It’s balletic! It’s fantastical! It’s orgasmic! Is this really Græntfjall?

It’s… skied over the bar. Perhaps it is Græntfjall after all.

But a few minutes later Jan put in a brutal tackle, hacked the ball away from the sobbing Firinsymnia winger, and Sara cunted in a long range shot that bounced into the goal off the goalkeeper’s arse.

Yeah, definitely still Græntfjall.

[Eastfield Lodge]

Eastfield Lodge Roster for Copa Rushmori 42

Demonym: Eastfielder

The Imperial Commonwealth of Eastfield Lodge is a vast conglomerate of nations and states that resides almost entirely in a separate dimension to the reality you all know and love - a bubble universe would be an apt description (the why is a long story, involving the Dreamed Realm and a threat to the existence of the entire universe). The one bit of the country that lies in the regular dimension is a tiny island in the northern seas of the famous sporting region Rushmore, which serves as a transport hub for travel across the region by conventional transport, and for travel to the Imperial Commonwealth via something called a Void Ship (think of it like travelling through a well controlled wormhole).

The history of the country is long and complex, but the key overview is that it is a very socialist Muslim constitutional monarchy, with a noted reputation as being one of the nicest places to visit in the entirety of the known multiverse - the most recent WA census puts the Imperial Commonwealth in the top 100 nations in several measures such as Safety, Compliance/freedom from crime, Tourism, Weather, Compassion, Niceness and Environmental Beauty, amongst several others; most of which are also ranked as the best in the Rushmore region. Because of the initial portal, the nation advanced forwards in leaps and bounds technologically due to intermingling with denizens of another dimension, various alien races from the universe in which the popular RLStates TV show Doctor Who is situated. Whilst these aliens used to take part in life in the Imperial Commonwealth, even forming the Eastfielder National Team for a number of tournaments, they no longer exist in this bubble universe, due to a dimensional shift no longer aligning the two dimensions - for now, Eastfield Lodge only contains those beings that you find elsewhere in the NS multiverse.

Whilst we are a fairly chill nation, we are still fairly socially conservative, and there are plenty of special rules visitors need to be aware of:

• No Alcohol. At all.
• No smoking or recreational drugs at all. Visiting team members/fans will be given replacement/cessation therapy if struggling to cope.
• No public displays of affection. What you get up to in the privacy of your own hotel room is up to you, as long as it stays there.
• There isn't a legally enforced dress code, but at least dress respectfully, the locals will appreciate you.
• Cities are by and large car-free zones; make use of the extensive public transport system.
• Don't worry about a language barrier, there is an inbuilt telepathic translation circuit within the visas that you will be issued - it translates all speech and text into a language you understand instantaneously.
• No unhealthy junk food will be available, the country is too healthy for that. Also, the food will all be halal, but there is an extensive range of vegetarian/vegan options for those who insist.
• Ignore all the cameras and the police presence. They're for the safety of everyone.
• High-level technology pervades every aspect of society and life here, get used to it.

Lodger City Memorial Stadium
Location: New Lodger City
Capacity: 150,000
Description: The home of Eastfielder football, the stadium was built on the ruins of the old capital of Eastfield Lodge, Lodger City, which was flattened in a double disaster (severe floods from dams bursting and an explosion from an unknown source, killing much of the population of the city and rendering the city useless. Administrative functions were transferred over to Lodgertia, the city began to be rebuilt, and it was decided that this stadium would be one of the monuments erected in place. The inside walls contains inscriptions of the names of all the dead – just under 9 million. The stadium used to play host to the two classic giants of EL football – RGS Athletic and VLC FC - until both had their new stadiums finished; it is now only used for internationals and cup matches.

Parliament Stadium
Location: Lodgertia
Capacity: 80,000
Description: Formerly the second largest stadium in Eastfield Lodge (until King Iqbal II and Vorgan Park were completed), behind the Memorial Stadium in New Lodger City, it was built in the centre of Lodgertia, the capital of Eastfield Lodge, and the Imperial Commonwealth. It was named due to the fact that the Parliament is based just a few hundred metres down the road; in fact, the original stadium was actually joined to the Parliament building, as an area where MPs could watch or even engage in sport with the public, as well as being a designated protest site. However, with Lodgertia becoming more built up, it was decided that the stadium needed to be built up as well. It is home to Lodgertia United and Lodgertia City alongside being temporary hosts of RGS Athletic and VLC FC (when Lodger City was being rebuilt), and in the past has hosted several international matches, including the final of SBCC 27 and a group in both stages of Market Cup 4.

Tavernia Stadium
Location: Tavernia
Capacity: 65,921
Description: Currently the largest stadium outside of Eastfield Lodge itself, Tavernia Stadium sits near the heart of the city of Tavernia, in Westmeadow Tavern, the nation bordering Eastfield Lodge. WC85 will see the stadium's debut when it comes to hosting the Eastfield Lodge National Team, but it is no stranger to WC football though - it was the home ground for Westmeadow Tavern when they had their own international football team in the earlier years of the Imperial Commonwealth. It is also home to the two best teams in Westmeadow Tavern, with FC Tavernia and Tavernia City plying their trade here.

Manager: Robert Andrews
Age: 61. The former national team striker, who had over a century of international appearances to his name during his career, was specifically recruited by a former Eastfielder manager, his old friend and ex-teammate Shabeen Ahmad III. Being the national team's assistant manager was his first major job in football since his playing retirement, but his ability to calmly analyse situations even under immense pressure has earned him some plaudits from those in the know, and as such allowed the ICELFA some confidence in appointing him as the interim manager for Cup of Harmony 77 - however, things haven't gone well since, and Robert only remains in the job courtesy of it being a poisoned chalice no sane manager wants to approach. After the disaster of World Cup 87, he rung the changes, almost root-and-stem, and removed much of the ageing squad in time for the most recent Copa Rushmori - the team didn't gel well, but one would hope that, with time, they'll come together and bring some glory to the Imperial Commonwealth.

Player are listed higher are more likely to play – strongest starting XI listed in Tactics section

Goalkeepers			Age	Gen	Club
Muhaajir Gaber			28	 F	VLC FC
Fortune Cammers			29	 M	AS Marcadia (Audioslavia)
Aryan Ross			27	 M	Olympia FC

Defenders		Age	Gen	Pos		Club
Cristos Harding		27	 M	CB		Cazadores Cathair (Audioslavia)
Torunna Soriano		28	 F	CB		Walston Brook Albion
Brice Ehsan		32	 M	CB		VLC FC
October Lie		25	 F	RB		VLC FC
Leyton Begum		24	 F	LB/DMF		RGS Athletic
Jazzmine Sky-Afzal	25	 F	CB		RGS Athletic
Millicent Farina	29	 F	CB		Royal Jam FC
Said Bernard		29	 M	CB		Walston Brook Albion
Amie Witman		27	 F	RB		Walston Brook Albion
Guillem Karson		22	 M	RB/LB		Nile Bridge

Midfielders		Age	Gen	Pos		Club
Yohan Bob		26	 M	AMF		RGS Athletic
Aleta Armitage		26	 F	LMF		Nile Bidge
Mirielle Brewer		29	 F	RMF		Olympia FC
Mckenzie Black		32	 F	DMF		Olympia FC
Emmie Toure		24	 F	CB/DMF		Norrion Rovers
Munsif Strand		32	 F	LMF		RGS Athletic
Gisella Dialogue	32	 F	AMF		Norrion Rovers
Daniel Ashby		24	 M	RMF/AMF/CMF	FM Town

Strikers		Age	Gen	Pos		Club
Maisha Paree		28	 F	ST		Olympia FC
Zétény Pryor-Sandoval	32	 M	ST		Nile Bridge
Bishop Messa		24	 F	ST/LWF		FM Town

Formation: 3-3-3-1


It's a defensive formation for Eastfield Lodge, with three at the back, but still retaining the rotating attack system - striker and three players in behind moving about to find space. The central defender of the back three has permission to advance forwards on attack, allowing the formation to switch from a 3-3-3-1 to a more balanced 4-2-3-1 or even 4-1-4-1 in attacks, whilst the wingbacks retain the same attacking freedom they had under the previous 4-1-2-3 system. In terms of goal scoring, the ST will get the bulk of the goals, with good contributions from the AM and both WFs as well. The WFs will get most of the assists, followed closely by the AMs, then the ST, DM and the wingbacks.

Captain: Mckenzie Black
Vice-Captains: Mirielle Brewer, Torunna Soriano, Maisha Paree
Penalties: Maisha Paree, Aleta Armitage, Zétény Pryor-Sandoval, Yohan Bob, Mirielle Brewer, Bishop Messa
Corners: Torunna Soriano, Aleta Armitage, Mckenzie Black
Free kicks – shooting: Aleta Armitage, Yohan Bob, Bishop Messa
Free kicks – other: Torunna Soriano, Mckenzie Black, Emmie Toure

Style: +1
RP Permissions:
Select my scorers: Y
Give out yellow cards to my players: Y (maximum five, TG me with a reason for more)
Give out red cards to my players: Y (only one more than the number given to your team, maximum of three - i.e. I get two red cards, you must have at least one)
RP injuries to my players: Y (Maximum 3, no career-ending injuries without my explicit permission – I reserve right to how long players are out; you can RP how severe it looks)
Godmod injuries: Y (within some reason)
Godmod scoring events: Y (Have fun.)
Godmod other events: Y (TG me if you're planning on killing anybody though, or anything really extreme.)

If I do RP, I will include the line-up for the next match in my RP post, along with any suspensions/injuries. If there is no line-up, look through my posts and check for current suspensions/injuries, but otherwise it’s fine. Also, if you're RP'ing any part of my match, please use the full name Eastfield Lodge at least once, it helps me find the RP.

NB: As the people of EL are extremely compassionate, and very civilised (despite what you may say about the religion), it would be uncharacteristic for the coaches/players to lose their temper, dive deliberately (jumping out of the way of bad tackles and falling awkwardly doesn't count), to be sent to the stands (if the ref is clearly very biased however...), spit, argue with the ref or fight. Players will also tend to inform the referee about mistakes/clarifications in judgement regarding throw-ins, fouls given but with no contact and goal kicks/corner kicks (plus other bouts of honesty - up to you).

[Southwest Eastnorth]

Captina captivates SWENs

MYTANIJA - It's a tale as old as time, pull of a big win and get screwed over from the victory hangover. A 1-0 loss to Captina has seen a more questionable positioning in the standings for SWEN than expected. This comes right before a key match up with Graintfjall. THe Captina team themselves were coming off an embarrassing loss to Firinsymnia, while SWEN had Pasarga on the ropes. Captina was lead by charismatic Giorgio Fontana while SWEN had the player-coach of Chris Houton in charge.

The one thing that was noticeably different in Pasarga and Captina was that Captina played a much much more aggressive defense. This was the perfect counter to SWEN and their attack oriented offensive measures. This was mostly made obvious by one stat that stood out. Southwest Eastnorth only took four shots total as opposed to the 7 taken against Pasarga. Keeper Pierluigi Neri, did an amazing job keeping everyone from scoring on him, as all three of SWEN's strikers took a shot on goal at Neri.

Next up for SWEN though is the most key match in the qualifiers, Graintfjall! Graintfjall was a nation like Southwest Eastnorth, came into the international scene nearly 20 years ago. The teams played each other in both the 36th Copa Rushmori and the 72nd Baptism of Fire that cycle. The two teams seemed destined to be rivals, but fate seemed to intervene, they both went in different directions post BoF72. Graintfjall has risen up the ranks to World number 1, but SWEN has lingered in a state of mediocrity, at this point resigned to Regional contests only.

CAPTINA - 1
(37' )

---

SOUTHWEST EASTNORTH - 0
NONE

[Eura]

OOC: This may prove unnecessary, but the below RP features a character suffering from an episode relating to a mental health condition. I've tried not to be too graphic or detailed about it but please do skip the second part of the RP if you want to avoid that kind of thing.

COPA RUSHMORI 42 – GROUP E MATCHDAY 2
Eura 5–3 Eastfield Lodge
Scorers:
Sharp 13, 57, Vincent 40, Almwood 42, Malone 70
Lineup:
1. T Hammond
2. A Mason
4. J Menard (sub Byrd 81)
15. Q Phillips
3. L Almwood (sub Reeve 65)
6. J Gates (sub Johnstone 69)
8. O Vincent (sub Matthews 89)
11. B Malone
10. S Singh
7. A Woodman (sub Archer 60)
14. A Sharp

---

emplor.eur/main/sport/football
SHARP CONTINUES FAMILY LEGACY WITH CRUCIAL DOUBLE
Son of Dean, grandson of Lee pulls off magic brace to lead Eura to win

A flimsy capitulation against Poais on the opening day of the Copa Rushmori threatened to set the tone for Eura’s first tournament under Sterling Rose. Under pressure from scrutiny in the press and with squad places in question, Eura responded well against Eastfield Lodge, and it was Alex Sharp who led the way.

1830 Cathair forward Sharp has had a strong start to his international career despite Eura’s wider issues, but as he moves from “youth” to “established” it’s been a struggle to evict Stewart Robson from the number 9 slot. Now that Robson is 31 and Eura are back to playing a lone striker, and with Sophie Singh dropping into a slightly deeper number 10 role, Sharp has an opportunity to usurp the more limited poacher-like Robson.

He certainly made a strong case for himself against Eastfield Lodge, giving Eura an early lead with a sumptuous finish from 20 yards after Singh had been dispossessed just in front of him. Sharp provided an ever-present throughout the first half, even after the Eastfielders equalised when Quentin Phillips turned a corner into his own net. Oscar Vincent, now cemented in the first team after Vincent Robshaw’s international retirement, lashed home a second to restore the lead before Sharp neatly assisted Lucy Almwood for the third.

Eura were stunned after half time by another Eastfielder strike that threatened to precipitate a comeback. But Sharp was on hand again, this time nicking the ball off the feet of the left back, attacking towards the box and performing the most delicate of feints, wrongfooting the nearest centre back, before effortlessly using the space created to curl a shot past the goalkeeper at the near post.

Another impressive performance was that of Bobby Malone, a winger who must surely be begging to deliver something special for his country after years of disappointments. He played a key supporting role throughout the game, assisting the Vincent goal, and put the result to bed in the 70th minute by smashing home a volleyed fifth after a defender’s headed clearance sat up nicely for the Euran. Once again though the worst of Eura’s performance came at the back – a third conceded goal went in before the game was up and that brings Eura’s goals conceded to 7 in just 2 games.

---

Scarlett Hopkins stirred her coffee. She had been doing so for what felt like a lifetime.
‘I don’t get it. You said we were fine-‘
‘Its not that you’re not, you know, nice’ she stuttered, trying not to look him in the eyes and focusing relentlessly on the coffee, ‘I’m just busy all the time and, like, its not as if we’re that serious. We’ve had a lot of fun and that’s what we wanted. And we got it. So why carry on, right? I don’t have the energy for something I’m not that invested in. You must feel the same way. You know what I mean? Right?’
There was a long and stomach churning silence as her now ex-boyfriend digested what he had heard.
‘No, I didn’t – don’t – feel that way. I care about you.’
‘Ok, well…uhm…listen, there’s plenty of women out there-‘

She didn’t get much further before it turned into a shouting match. Scarlett eventually left, texted a girlfriend from her days at the Brigham Herald, and they found the nearest bar and met up to drown their (read: her) sorrows – first about the downfall of her latest squeeze, and then eventually the topic they always ended up on, Scarlett’s ex-husband. Emotional support was well supplied, and any lingering questions as to why a forty-something still had the dating habits of someone half her age were quickly crushed.
They also crushed a bottle of wine, so it would be a taxi home for Scarlett, the office lightweight.
Unlike the mass social housing that the subjects of much of her journalism resided in, Scarlett was dropped off at her cosy, modern apartment near the core of the city. She had paid for it back when she was a hotshot national journalist and then rented it out after she got married.

Then came a war assignment, a career break and her divorce, and Scarlett soon found herself back in her old place. Her therapist had encouraged her to make it cheerily cute and homely, using it as a platform to distance herself from the past. She even put a sign above the doorframe reading “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”.
The sign was in the bin within a week. Scarlett was not the type of person to just switch off and do the whole indulgent “self-love” thing. People had bigger issues in their lives than her affluent dysfunction, and she hated the idea of becoming the stereotype of a middle class professional permanently fretting over nothing that the right wing press loved to hate so much.
Even so, sign aside, she had gotten used to the comforting twee of the redesign, and so it mostly remained.

She entered her emotionally warm, gloriously sentimental little enclave. A laptop and her research notes were scattered all over the flat. Stories from the street, easy reading social realism, the best kebabs in the country, the whole lot. It was her solo stuff – much better than the album, naturally – that focused on what she was interested in and nothing else, not what the Herald wanted, just her.
‘I should really get some work done’ she muttered to herself, wandering over to the laptop. She tried to type and wow, that really was some strong stuff she’d had. Her old colleague had seemed fine, but Scarlett was all over the place.
Woops – there went her phone!
Oh well. Maybe if she sat on the sofa, and just steadied herself for a moment, she could…

…and she was out like a light. She had a few dreams.
Brigham winning the Gold League! Ah, what a time. And from that came the good old Dominik Mauer sex dream, yes please and-
No. No no no. Not here, not again.
‘Hey! Open the fucking door!’
She looked down at her hands. Blood everywhere.
‘Fucking hell, move woman, get to fuck, go go!’
She rolls onto the hard ground and bangs her head, the canvas-covered helmet just about absorbing the blow. She’s choking in the smoky haze. Nothing about this is right or happy. Suddenly she is being dragged, her legs unfeeling and unmoving. She’s propped up against a wall.

‘Just hold on, don’t move, we’re going to get out of here, Scarlett? Scarlett, keep looking at me.’
‘HEY! Get out of the fucking street, keep moving!’
‘I can’t move her-‘
‘If you don’t move now I’m going to smash that camera and hand you to the fucking Sammies myself. Get out of our way.’
A massive thump shakes everything and the sky turns orange as an explosion brings down the house across the street. She loses her sight for a moment, only for it to return, and to show her that her friend and colleague isn’t there anymore. She reaches out a hand and its slapped away by the furious man with a blue and gold flagpatch on his arm.
‘Do you want to die? Leave him and get on your feet!‘

…Scarlett was up and back in her flat and sodden with sweat. But she wasn’t warm. In fact, she was shivering to the bone. She wiped the tears away and stormed into the bathroom.
Crank open the medicine cabinet.
Where are they?
Where the- oh, thank God.
Screw top. Annoying. Get it open.
Down the hatch...
…ok.
She returned to the front room and surveyed the scene. Everything was as she left it. Everything was in its right place. Except her mind, but she was starting to think that was always going to be a work in progress.
Her phone beeped. A text from a source. Apparently there was a social worker she needed to talk to for more info.
Back to work.

[Mytanija]

This is your cut-off for Match Day 3! There is only one song that I can use for today's cut-off: and here it is.

Group A
Mytanija 1–0 New Gelderland (Scorinated by Mertagne)
Astograth 4–2 The Askari Union

  Group A                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Mytanija                                      3   2  0  1    8   7  +1    6
2 The Askari Union                              3   1  1  1   11  12  −1    4
3 New Gelderland                                2   1  0  1    5   2  +3    3
4 Astograth                                     2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
5 Oberour Ar Moro                               2   0  1  1    4   8  −4    1

Group B
Sargossa 5–4 Tikariot
Olastor 1–0 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

  Group B                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Sargossa                                      3   3  0  0    7   4  +3    9  Q
2 Olastor                                       2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
3 Tikariot                                      2   1  0  1    6   6   0    3
4 Bollonich                                     2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
5 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      3   0  1  2    1   3  −2    1

Group C
Cabo Azure 1–0 Kirungabi
Darmen 3–3 Gatchingerrak Union

  Group C                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Cabo Azure                                    3   3  0  0    7   1  +6    9  Q
2 Norrhem                                       2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
3 Gatchingerrak Union                           3   0  2  1    4   7  −3    2
4 Darmen                                        2   0  1  1    4   6  −2    1
5 Kirungabi                                     2   0  0  2    3   6  −3    0

Group D
Nyowani Kitara 0–0 Isle Noire
Ceni 4–3 Cassadaigua

  Group D                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Ceni                                          2   2  0  0    8   6  +2    6
2 Cassadaigua                                   3   2  0  1   11   8  +3    6
3 Rea San Vegas                                 2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
4 Isle Noire                                    2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1
5 Nyowani Kitara                                3   0  1  2    6   8  −2    1  E

Group E
Eastfield Lodge 1–3 Valladares
República Guanacasteca 0–2 Eura

  Group E                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Poais                                         2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Eura                                          3   2  0  1   10   7  +3    6
3 Valladares                                    2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
4 Eastfield Lodge                               3   1  0  2    5   8  −3    3
5 República Guanacasteca                        2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

Group F
Xinhua 2–3 Río Oscuro
Nephara 4–3 Pridnestrovia

  Group F                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Nephara                                       2   2  0  0    7   4  +3    6
2 San Isidro Labrador                           2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Pridnestrovia                                 3   1  1  1    8   8   0    4
4 Río Oscuro                                    2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
5 Xinhua                                        3   0  0  3    6  10  −4    0  E

Group G
Southwest Eastnorth 3–3 Græntfjall
Pasarga 1–0 Captina Island

  Group G                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Græntfjall                                    2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
2 Southwest Eastnorth                           3   1  1  1    7   7   0    4
3 Firinsymnia                                   2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    3
4 Pasarga                                       2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
5 Captina Island                                3   1  0  2    1   5  −4    3

Group H
Three Golden Kingdoms 2–3 Savojarna
Austroslovakia 0–5 Yuezhou

  Group H                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Gnejs                                         2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
2 Savojarna                                     2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Yuezhou                                       3   1  1  1    5   1  +4    4
4 Three Golden Kingdoms                         3   0  2  1    6   7  −1    2
5 Austroslovakia                                2   0  1  1    4   9  −5    1

[Southwest Eastnorth]

But can ya do it on a cold, rainy night in Thessia.......

MYTANIJA - After the Pioneers of the Southwest Eastnorth national team suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss to an upstart Captina, many experts weren't sure what to make of this team. What team would show up? Would we see the Pioneers who swarmed to a 4-2 lead over Pasarga before giving up one more in extra time, or the embarrassment of a team that got pass after pass, intercepted by Captina. Well the team that showed up was thankfully team A! Southwest Eastnorth drew world champion Graintfjall 3-3, in a game that saw a constant battle between two teams, and the elements.

As per usual it would take a little bit for the teams to play things out and get a feel for their opponents. In the first 10 minutes one shot was taken by the Pioneers. A nice shot too, it was a screamer right in to the arms of keeper Mikkel Rúnarsson. It was a damn shame that the shot was saved, cause there some beautiful footwork for the Pioneers out of Midfielder Ken Luckworth. Lucky as the fans have called him, had the ball at the near side of the box, he looked like he was going to take a shot, but faked it and passed to Keon Crust, who took a massive booming shot from the penalty arc area, who in turn shot it directly into the waiting arms of Rúnarsson.

It wasn't till the 27th minute that the first team scored. Sara Kristoffersdóttir scored on a series of events that took place during a corner kick. Orenthal Onassis, saved a beautiful header attempt by Mímir Waltheofsson at the 26 minute mark. He gathered up the ball and went to throw it but with the rain coming down the ball slipped out of Onassis hands and hit Jacque Labrador in the back and Kristoffersdóttir pounced, taking the ball and scoring on the one on one with an out of place Onassis.

Thankfully the Pioneers came back and at the 40 minute mark, they struck! Ulysess Barnett III took a shot from the far side of the field, but was not successful, a Graintfjall defender instead slid in front of the ball before it got to the goal, and kicked it away from the goal, but in doing so cleared it right into the path of Hoyer Harbors. Harbors took the ball and shot right into the back of the net, as Mikkel Rúnarsson tried his damnedest. but it just went by him. Before half though Graintfjall got one last shot in. a LONG pass from Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson down the field to Sara Kristoffersdóttir, who had some how snuck behind the Pioneers defense (possibly thinking about half time a couple minutes early?) and got a one on one with keeper Orenthal Onassis. Kristoffersdóttir blasted one by Orenthal and the game was now 2-1 Graintfjall

After the rush of goals near halftime, the game settled down for the two opponents as the middle stage of the game was a bit like the beginning and both teams paced themselves. But just past an hour into the game, The Pioneers scored and tied the game back up! a corner kick from Sean Bavaro landed in the path of fellow midfielder Roberto Fillipe's head . The popular Hartlespool Hurricane got it past the keeper and drew the game at 2-2. Again the game got into a bit of a stalemate for a bit with both teams being aggressive, albeit futile in their attempts to take the lead from each other.

Graintfjall's final strike came to fruition in the next block of attacks, after getting scored on by Fillipe's header, the Snow Wolves started multiple fervent attacks. The first two went by the way side thanks to tenascious keeping by Onassis but the third attack produced the third goal. Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir set up at the near side of the field, kick a nice hooking pass to Mímir Waltheofsson, who headed in the ball at line for the goal area. That was it, it had seemed the winner had been scored, but alas that wouldn't have been the case. There would be added time!

During the added time, the game would be tied up again! Mark Sternes sent a pass down the sidelines area of the field (albiet not over the sidelines of course!) and to a waiting Hoyer Harbors who ran it up towards the goal then passed it to a sliding Ulysses Barnett III who got it by Rúnarsson and scored the goal in the 93rd minute! A key draw for the Pioneers and now the standings in group G are incredibly muddled as Graintfjall and SWEN are tied on top at 4 points each, but Firinsymnia, Pasarga, and Captina are all on three points. The group is up for grabs, but SWEN only has one remaining game left and has to do a lot to feel safe. Firinsymnia vs Southwest Eastnorth is a key game for both teams.

GRAINTFJALL - 3
Kristoffersdóttir - 27' 44'
Waltheofsson 81'

---

SOUTHWEST EASTNORTH - 3
Harbors 40'
Fillipe 64'
Barnett III 90+3'

[Ceni]

Ceni upsets Nyowani Kitara and Cassadaigua with same scoreline to lead Copa Rushmori group

In a crazy Copa Rushmori dominated by crazy storylines — unranked Poais defeating regional powerhouses Eura and Valladares, anyone? — the Cenian national team is producing yet another crazy storyline. In defeating Nyowani Kitara and Cassadaigua, the latter ranked number two in all of Rushmore, Ceni has wrested control of Group D when all parties involved least expected it.

We're not going to bore you with yet another match report for the two matches — our colleagues have done that well, and we're sure that the Concord Heights Times and Nyowani Kitara Football Weekly have done excellent jobs from their own national points of view. Instead, we'll simply summarize some of the major storylines running through the two matches and where we're headed next in this Copa Rushmori:

Iain Cyn-Penzag is growing into his role as main striker for Ceni
In a profile published in the City Centre Eagle a few months ago, during World Cup qualifying, Cyn-Penzag expressed doubts at being Ceni's first-choice striker after Arrowsword retired from international football. If he's reading this publication right now, we'd like to tell him something: take those doubts and shove them in a sack. Because we would contend that he has arrived on the football scene with his performances here in Mytanija. Two goals against Nyowani Kitara? Another two goals against Cassadaigua? Those were the marks of a striker with true skill. Ceni is indeed fortunate to have a player like him reaching his prime just as its third qualifying cycle after the Portal Incident is coming up...

The managerial drama continues, with Arrowsword rumoured to be aiding Longstar but Ekstrom supposedly leading candidate
Okay, we're really trading in smoke and shadow here more than hard facts. But given that Longstar seems to be on the way out here, smoke and shadow can be really valuable. And in this case, the whispers suggest that Andrew Arrowsword is lending our embattled manager a hand in two critical wins. Because the narrative that Longstar has to go must be preserved at all costs, right? And he can't manage his way to two critical wins in this Copa Rushmori on our own? To be honest, that rumour doesn't have as much wind in its sails as we thought it might have.

The other rumour going around, even after these two critical victories, surmises that the Tikariotian Stuart Ekstrom is the leading candidate to replace Longstar. He seems to be a good fit for the team and its attacking mindset, especially in the attacking midfield position, where Ceni has a lot of talent to harness. Of course, that goes back to the original question: Can this pair of wins give life to Longstar's managerial career, even after a devastating Cup of Harmony position on home soil?

Okay, we've managed to give you more questions than answers in this section. But that's certainly dramatic, right?

Isle Noire and Rea San Vegas await; is it too easy for the Tir Snakes?
Yes, we're certainly expecting to defeat Isle Noire and Rea San Vegas in the upcoming two matches; we don't think that's a totally unreasonable expectation. After all, Ceni did defeat the one and only Cassadaigua in the last match. If it can defeat the second-best Rushmori team overall, it can surely defeat minnows that don't even compete in the World Cup as a whole.

But then again, this is the trap that got us into our Cup of Harmony disaster, the very same Cup of Harmony disaster that brought us all this juicy managerial drama in the first place. We expected to do well, even if our opponents were not minnows, and paid the price. Cap Nord was the exception that proved the rule: When we needed a blowout win, we only got a measly draw. Will the same happen here, where we need at least three points to secure our place in the next round?

That's certainly a possibility, and one we can't discard. So Cenian fans should not be preemptively going out to bars and gastropubs to celebrate our victories yet. Because we can't count our goals before we've scored them.

Can we even be thinking about the Round of 16?
See the above answer — we'd probably contend the answer is a resounding NO. But just like probably every Cenian fan in existence, we like to imagine, right? So, let's imagine: We've won the group to play a team from Group A. (Unfortunately, despite being our neighbours in Group E, we can't meet the unranked Cinderellas slash easy meat for barbecuing Poais until the final, should they get that far.) Mytanija, the hosts and sixth seeded team, seem the odds-on favourite to proceed out of that group despite a bizarre loss to the Askari Union.

But who will finish second: our neighbours New Gelderland? They have some momentum, having obliterated third seed Oberour Ar Moro in the first round. But their loss against Mytanija seems more dispositive than flukey. Second seed Astograth? They look iffy as they sit in fourth. So given that predicting Group A seems like a total can of worms, it seems best not to go there when we can hardly predict what's going to happen in our own group.

In any case, the best we can do there is cross our fingers and hope for the best — and root for Mytanija to win the group so we don't have to face them in the Round of 16.