Copa Rushmori 42 - Everything Thread (Rushmore only)

[Yue Zhou]

Copa Rushmori 42, Group Stage MD3: Austroslovakia 0–5 Yuezhou
Starting Lineup (4-3-3): Zhao; Lu, Zhu (Li 57), Yuan (C), Dong (Reeve 73); Wen (Luo C. 65), Wan, Mingsdottír Zhang (Guo 57); Jiang, Liu, Luo N. (Luo D. 65)
Goals: Luo N. 12, Liu 25, 42 (p); Dong 68, Luo D. 82

After zero goals in their first two matches, the sleeping Dragon finally woke up against Austroslovakia, putting five goals past the poor Austroslovakian goalkeeper en route to a resounding victory. While the win buoys their chances of advancement to the Round of 16, they still have an uphill climb ahead of them: Savojarna's win over Three Golden Kingdoms (so now you stop being Ko-oren at the back?) means that Yuezhou will need to defeat the Northlights to avoid a humiliating early exit.

The biggest narrative of the day was that four-at-the-back did what three-at-the-back couldn't. It's perhaps too obvious of a lesson for Chen Huikang, who rode the 4-3-3 to a Licentian domestic title and a runners-up finish at the Cup of Harmony. But the manager had thought a Lu Jialan-esque 3-4-3 might be best to stabilize a transitional roster. No goals in two matches seem to have dispelled this notion, although obviously, Chen might know a bit more about tactics than we do. Still, even against weaker opposition, the Dragons looked the best they've been since the Cup of Harmony semifinals from the opening whistle. The ever-reliable Luo Nanwei put Yuezhou up after just twelve minutes, barely keeping Wen Xiaohui's diagonal switch from going out for a goal-kick before cutting inside and slicing the ball in at the near post. While Austroslovakia nearly equalized against the run of play, Yuezhou continued to apply pressure and was rewarded with a Liu Huiyihng brace before the half. The first was a solo goal of wondrous quality, as Liu took on three defenders before firing home from close range. The second nearly saw Kara Mingsdottír register the first of many international assists with a piercing through-ball, but Jiang Jieren was felled after latching onto it, winning a penalty that Liu calmly converted.

While Yuezhou was less controlling in the second half, giving Austroslovakia a few opportunities to pull a goal back, Zhao Deliang, as well as the relatively new pairing of Zhu Mingxia and Yuan Mingrong, held firm. Zhu in particular had a brilliant goal-line clearance that surely saved the Dragons' second clean sheet of the Copa (and the first they'll actually be excited by). The introduction of Guo Hong at the hour mark did see the tides shift somewhat back in the leaders' favor, as the 1896 Ebor turned in an energetic, harrying performance that put serious pressure on Austroslovakia's midfield and defense. It was his pressing that led to the turnover that gave Yuezhou their fourth goal of the night, off of a diagonal run and belted finish from fullback Dong Xiaowang, and his pass that started the sequence that gave Luo Dan a headed set-piece goal at the far post.

Lineup to play Copa Rushmori 42, Group Stage MD5 (v. Savojarna): (4-3-3) Zhao; Lu, Zhu, Yuan (C), Dong; Wen, Wan, Guo; Jiang, Liu, Luo N.
Against the Northlights in what is sure to be a do-or-die match, Chen Huikang has opted to stick with the 4-3-3. However, compared to the free-flowing attacking setup that won Yuezhou their first international silverware, this is significantly more focused on maintaining pressure on Savojarna's dangerous midfield and attack. In defense, the more skilled Li Jianguo gives way to the more aerially imposing Zhu Mingxia. More surprisingly, Guo Hong will get the start at center-midfield alongside Wan Sheping and Wen Xiaohui, likely owing to his strong substitute appearance against Austroslovakia. Kara Mingsdottír Zhang, who started against Austroslovakia but returns to the bench to the horror of the Free Kara crowd, is likely to come on for Wen Xiaohui around the hour mark.

[Valladares]

"It's quite disappointing. We tried to start with a win by every means but a mistake proved to be really costly, especially in such a short competition. It's an unfortunate setback, but I promise we will bounce back from it."

Alexandra Carabalí's statement following the defeat to Poais in the first Copa Rushmori match of the Valladar team showed a player naturally dejected by defeat against a relative unknown yet still hopeful that things could change for better. If there was someone on the Valladar team who could attest to fortunate turnarounds it was precisely her, who was discovered by an Ajax Carloburgo scout while playing a football match with her father's fellow sugarcane cutters in the fields surrounding her hometown of Barracas, aged 15. Nine years later, she had already won one Liga-M title with Ajax and one league title with Starksville United in Cassadaigua, had become a celebrity in her hometown, and was now playing her second Copa Rushmori with the Valladar national team. And the Valladars' first chance to start staging that change Carabalí was talking about did not take too long to come, as they were now at Radnika, in the Mytanar capital, donning their white alternate kits and ready to take on Eastfield Lodge and start regaining ground in their second out of four attempts to clear the first stage of the competition.

Compared to her fellow forward Larissa Campanella, whom she followed as the last Valladar player while both teams entered the field for the pre-match ceremony, she is shorter and skinnier, but her chocolate skin and her talent make her stand out. And she started making a statement from the very moment Campanella kicked the game off, with the Edmonton United striker making the first pass to Carabalí and the Barracas-born player testing her luck with a very long-range shot which bounced off the Eastfielder side's crossbar and left the field to the applause of the Valladar support present at the stadium, while also taking by surprise several fans who were still getting into their seats.

"I suddenly felt like giving it a try, but then I knew we were just getting started..."

The early surprise did not discourage the Eastfield Lodge players though, and they started pushing the Valladar players into their own half of the field. Both Carabalí and Campanella found it difficult to put themselves in a position to score, since playmaker Kiara Rodgers (who met with Carabalí in Carloburgo and then both moved to Cassadaigua) was also having a hard time with the Eastfielder six-player midfield and thus was unable to supply her teammates with balls to create clear-cut chances in the goal defended by Muhaajir Gaber. But just as their rivals were getting closer to start giving some work to Valladar keeper Elisa Buckanan, La Nacional was able to hit first. In the 25th minute, Larissa Campanella, forced herself to retreat in order to be able to touch the ball, stole it from Mckenzie Black and then made a swift pass into space to Carabalí, who wouldn't be as merciful as she was in that very first play and kicked the ball hard with her left foot into the upper right corner to put Valladares ahead on the scoreboard. Carabalí could have followed her first goal in this Copa Rushmori with a second one shortly afterwards, but she was dispossessed as she was entering the box and getting ready to fire another strong shot. And with five minutes to go in the first half, the Starskville United striker tried to leave her mark on Eastfield Lodge's goal once again, dribbling past a rival defender and then having her shot blocked by Gaber. But the rebound was caught by Campanella, whose shot was too strong and went wide as a result, with which the 1-0 score stood until halftime.

The second half began with another Valladar charge, this time from the right wing: in the 47th minute, Johanna Daza blocked a pass from Leyton Begum and started an attack from her side of the field, finding Kiara Rodgers well-positioned and near to the Eastfielder box. As soon as the ball was delivered to Rodgers, she was under the pressure of Torunna Soriano as she had been for the entirety of the first half, but this time she managed to find an opening and got rid of Soriano with a feint. Carabalí, in turn, easily outsped Brice Ehsan and -carefully aware of her position as well as Rodgers' moves with the ball and the position of the last Eastfielder defender to avoid falling for the offside trap- received an assist coming from Rodgers to double Valladares' lead in the match.

Some people say 2-0 is the most dangerous score in a match, as it may lead teams to think that everything is already settled and let their guard down. And this is precisely what happened to Federico Rassmussen, who asked his team to hold tight at the back and try to control the ball in midfield. As for Carabalí and Larissa Campanella, both were instructed to return and help the midfielders while waiting for a chance to stage a counter. Although Carabalí tried her best to contribute with the defensive tasks, she was constantly outmuscled by the Eastfielder midfielders and this strategy ultimately allowed Eastfield Lodge to regain control of the middle of the field and start cornering the Valladar players. The deserved reward for Eastfield Lodge did not take too long to come, with Maisha Paree beating Vera Kraft to the ball and turning an assist by Yohan Bob into a goal to half the Valladar lead in the 64th minute. This, as well as Jessica Curran's opinion on the matter, forced Rassmussen to acknowledge his mistake and change plans, and a tired Alexandra Carabalí was eventually called back to the bench as the first substitution, leaving her place on the field to the fresh Metropolis Alligators striker Yvonne Veira. Carabalí left the field in the 67th minute amid thundering applause from the Valladar fans who did not hesitate to acknowledge her brace and her effort during the match, whilst Larissa Campanella ended rounding up the Valladar maiden win in this Copa Rushmori edition with a strong shot from outside the box when the clock marked the 77th minute of play.

"When you score a brace and it helps your team win, the sensations are really good. Now we have to turn the page, prepare ourselves for the next match, and keep improving. We know that there are still six points at stake and we have to win them all if we want to advance. There is no margin for error now."

The win against Eastfield Lodge was a much-needed launching pad for the Valladar CR campaign, but Carabalí has got the idea clear enough even though it means putting a lot of pressure on her and her teammates' shoulders. One single point dropped from now onwards could mean elimination, and these women have worked too hard and have overcome too many obstacles in their careers to get an early Copa exit as their "reward"...

Eastfield Lodge 1-3 Valladares
(Paree 64'; Carabalí 25', 47', Campanella 77')

Eastfield Lodge: Gaber - Ehsan, Soriano, C. Harding - Lie, Black (c), Begum - Brewer, Bob, Armitage - Paree
Manager: Robert Andrews

Valladares: Buckanan - Gilleron, Cruz (c), Kraft, Croft - Daza, Calderón (Méndez 88'), Reed (Chamoun 67') - Rodgers (A. Harding 80') - Campanella (Lagos 88'), Carabalí (Veira 67')
Manager: Federico Rassmussen

Venue: Radnika, Esca
Attendance: 59,182

[Nephara]

Nephara 4 - 3 Pridnestrovia
(4-2-3-1 -> 4-4-2) 1 - Strand; 2 - Meadows (17 - Levering 87'), 18 - Copperhead, 6 - Scales, 3 - Lind; 4 - Southsea (19 - Rosziter 87'), 8 - March (15 - Sauber 71'); 7 - Anharbour (24 - Conder 71'), 13 - Brewer (10 - Harper 71'), 11 - Loeher; 21 - Vetiver
Goals: Vetiver 3', Loeher 29', Anharbour 35', Harper 82'

THE HERALD
BRINDLE MAKES SHOW OF ROUND WELCOME TO NANGANG
Valeri Albrecht Political Correspondent

In the latest performative show of warmth to the United Republics of Yuezhou, Minister for Foreign Affairs Drusilla Brindle today spoke at length to the press about Corvistone's support for Nangang's integration to the CRC.

"We have made no secret, and it has been shown time and again to be a bipartisan position, that the CRC is a force for good in Rushmore and indeed the world," asserted Brindle. "We welcome the voice of all democracies, and truly believe we are stronger together."

"Nephara's default position is to cooperate with and strengthen democracies, especially across the region; the CRC plays a major role in that," she added. "We reject the notion that it is solely a Terranean concern, but we recognise that the only way to make that clear in the eyes of some is for the CRC to take on more and more Pavolan voices; let me make this clear, we welcome this, we do not see it as a threat."

It was one part of a broad-ranging speech in which Brindle sought to downplay any rumours of a Pavola - Terranea divide. The growing perception abroad, highlighted recently by a State of the Republic address by Tumbra's Prime Minister.

Among a characterisation of 'global anarchy', he asserted the 'growing whiff of a great power rivalry between the Pavolans and the Terraneans' that posed a danger as far afield as Esportiva. MFA Brindle did not mention the address directly, but it loomed large over the speech.

She did not, however, shy away from the spectre of the Pavolan War, where Nephara was the most prominently involved foreign power. "Of course blood has been shed," she said, "and only a few years ago. That's why we have to work so hard to put it behind us, and help safeguard the future of the region. Foreign commentators might be fixated on images of the war, but for mine, it's the Varakoula Accords that really shows the way forward; and of course, Nangang played a pivotal role in bringing that lasting peace to fruition."

Brindle was calm and composed throughout, with a clear mastery of her talking points. It is clear that she has grown into her role over the years, after an uncertain beginning. But only one question, perhaps a forseeable question, did bring her to a brief stutter, when one journalist asked how this firmly pro-CRC stance squared with the recent overtures to Mytanija. It is believed that the smoothness of that trade negotiation was in large part down to Corvistone showing no desire to make CRC overtures to Esca.

But Brindle was able to riposte, in the end. "At the end of the day, the CRC is just one vehicle to bring nations together. Insisting on terms Esca would never agree to would be putting the cart before the horse, and for the sake of pride. There's a place for pride, but in international diplomacy, pragmatism comes first."

[Gnejs]

August
…and it took him completely by surprise. He was having such a good time, just off the pitch after a heroic game of textbook defensive «northern football», where they according to plan had managed to hold the Northlights of Savojarna to a 0-0 draw, and he was laughing and joking with the reporter, saying things like “its always nice to kind of understand the curse words of the team you’re frustrating” and giving his take on the remainder of the group stage. And then it dropped, the question if he had any comments on the news about him and three other Dandelions signing for Fort Viljan and moving down south.

They’d all been given strict instructions not to talk about the transfer, both from their clubs and PUFF suits. Not that it was supposed to be some grand secret or anything, they had said, but formalities and technicalities needed ironing out, and it seemed all agreed it would be better for the national team’s «social cohesion» to leave the announcements til after the Copa.

He had wanted to tell people, he longed for it, of course he did. Going pro for real down south? Moving abroad and playing in a major league? Dream come true, and of course he was just itching to tell the world. And now instead he was told the world already knew. So what could he say? He had been instructed to not talk about it, but what if someone asked him? He just tried not to look completely out of sorts, smile and say he didn’t have any comments and then just get back to the squad.

Did they already know? Was it already so out there in the world? Many of the players had a tradition to survey the biggest papers after a game, was this what they had been met with? He finally made it passed all the reporters and back. He could tell they all knew the moment he stepped in the door. Something was different, a vibe, tension, whatever it was it was tangible, and when he entered it was like all the force of that tension was directed towards him like a hammer to a nail.

It was supposed to be wonderful news, he was dying to tell his Friends and teammates, but now somebody else - an anonymous media voice - had already filled them in. His teammates back in Nordstiernan? They’d know now as well. They had struggled so much the last season, but there had grown a new sense of optimism after they won the qualification to stay in Allgnejsan so convincingly, and now he wouldn’t be a part of that, and he hadn’t even told them about it himself. How would they greet him when he got back? And all of a sudden the news didn’t feel all that wonderful anymore.

He looked over to his Nordstiernan teammate Cornelis, who would join him in moving down south. Cornelis met his eye and gave him a sad smile. It’s got to be even worse for Cornelis, August thought to himself…

Cornelis
…there was relief when August walked into the room, because it deflected all the attention from Cornelis and the others, if only for a moment. He had no idea that the news about the transfer had leaked and he found out at the same time as the rest of his teammates were smacked in the face with it when a few of them started trawling the biggest Union papers for reviews and commentary about their game. It started out with a loud grunt from Mikael Fauster, and was followed up by more or less the entire team putting their noses down in their phones, then silence.

A disturbing kind of silence, with everyone shamelessly staring at Cornelis, Cratylus and Carl. A weird kind of staring that covered every conceivable end of the emotional spectrum. Cornelis could count several instances of disbelief, some of excitement and others of disdain, and that’s just scratching the surface; it was all there.

But there were one pair of eyes that he just couldn’t bring himself to face, not just yet. This was not the way his brother Henrik was supposed to hear the big news, not the way at all. His big brother, who had always been there for him, always protected him, the brother who once broke the nose of a Allmänna Gränd defender who purposely buried his studs in Cornelis thigh. He had begged the board representative for permission to tell his brother, but they had been steadfast: no one says anything, same policy across all clubs.

Well, someone had said something, and ruined everything. And that was when August walked in and all eyes got fixed on him. It was a relief, but then Menexenus Nilsen started screaming at poor Cratylus…

Cratylus
…so timid as well, at least off the pitch, and clearly the one of the foursome who spent most time considering his options, of course Cratylus was the one who got to hear it, but coming from Menexenus it could ever only be him.

Because Menexenus was one of those first-wave Kallipolisian child immigrants who’s loyalty towards the Union that had provided their families shelter was so strong it bordered on psychotic, and he was often jokingly called Xenophobus Nilsen because of his disdain for pretty much any other nation and perhaps most of all people he perceived as acting traitorous against The Union, especially those of similar descent as himself, like Cratylus Hansen (for some background about the Kallipolisian community, here’s another story).

So Menexenus stormed up to Cratylus, spat on the floor and screamingly accused Cratylus of betraying his home, selling his soul and started lecturing about what happens to people who take their Friends for granted. And it hurt. Not that Cratylus normally put much value on Menexenus opinions, but the hail of criticism mirrored the internal struggle he had gone through during his decision process, and it was hard having it all served once again when he thought he was done, and now he started doubting himself and was unsure if he had made the right decision after all, and Menexenus just kept screaming and no one came to his aid either, the rest of the team just stood there, but then young Carl threw his boot at Menexenus and started screaming even louder…

Carl
…the fuck up, Menexenus, Carl shouted and positioned himself between the target of his screams and his future teammate. Fucking be glad for us or just be fucking quiet you ass, and that goes for all of you. Carl had a tint of lunacy in his eyes as he let them wander from player to player. Stefan Grålum and David Knardal returned his gaze with stern faces, but both gave him a small nod of approval, Göran Drake and Mikael Fauster just shook their heads while newest Dandelion Samuel Falkmar looked utterly shocked. The silence was heavy and eerie. All in all the «speech» did not seem to have the cathartic effect Carl had been aiming for…

Lineup for third game:
GK: 1. Wijk

RD: 2. Grålum
RCD: 14. Fauster
CD: 4. Knardal
LCD: 8. Bjørneboe
LD: 17. Benedictsen

RM: 18. Hansen
RCM: 24. Falkmar
LCM: 20. Drange
LM: 12. Nes

F: 23. Ceder

[Kirungabi]

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Kirungabi National Football Team Roster

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A foreword from Kirungabi Itangira Guhera director, First Lady Musabyimana Uburiganya:

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Dearest Kirungans,

It is with great pride that I receive the honor of introducing our first ever Kirungabi National Football Team lineup for our country's inaugural international football tournament, the ever-prestigious regional Copa Rushmori competition. Together with my husband, and our dear leader, His Excellency Innocent Uburiganya we have been working tirelessly to propel Kirungabi forward into a new age of growth, prosperity, and international relevance, in no small part through thorough investment in sports infrastructure and training programs under the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera umbrella.

The Kirungabi Development Front founded Kirungabi Itangira Guhera (KIG) in the year 2001, two years after the end of the vicious, eleven year civil war and ensuing Fupi genocide of the Barebare. The conflict left 2.5 million Kirungans dead and over 2 million internally displaced persons scattered across our razed land; through our estimates, we believe over 60% of the existing Barebare population at the time was slaughtered or forced to emigrate for their lives. The objective of the program was clear to see in its name: 'Kirungabi Starts Again'. Our program quickly proved a success, offering a safety net to broken Barebare families and orphans left astray by the civil war: by providing housing, education, and employment, hundreds of thousands of Barebare quickly began their journey of reinsertion into a fair and united society.

The program was initially destined to serve the most vulnerable members of our fractured nation: the Barebare victims of the genocide. But as the program grew in size, it did so in scope as well: in 2008, by which time our program had already reached 84% of all Barebare living in Kirungabi and had begun, with excellent results, lifting Fupi victims out from poverty as well, I personally launched the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Sporting Commission, a sub-body of the program which would propel the development of our Kirungabi in a brand new and universally beneficial direction. Through the Sporting Commission, families already incorporated into the KIG program, and existing athletes of all ethnicities, were eligible to come under our watchful wing and see their sporting talent develop. Even despite limited infrastructure, our initial programs in tennis and athletics proved resounding successes. Career and amateur athletes alike, whose primes were slashed by the dawn of the civil war, finally found themselves thrust back into competition or managing entire sporting programs as head coaches or directors, while young and bright Barebare and Fupi alike took their first steps towards becoming part of the sporting elite.

Today, as the KIG program reaches 100% of Barebare and a select percentage of Fupi, it is time for the Sporting Commission to make its biggest leap yet. Though the sport pales in popularity to athletics, we knew exactly which path had to be our next endeavor. Reviving the Kirungabi Football Federation, derelict during the civil war, has proved to be the greatest challenge of our sporting arm thus far; we hope, like all that Kirungans put their mind to, that with out steely determination and quick wit, our brave boys and men can show the world that Kirungabi has, truly, started again.

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Kits

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Team members

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Manager: Cyril Kamembe (age: 47)

Born in the small transit village of Impangabiyaga on Statehood Day, Kirungan team manager Cyril Kamembe started his football journey as all of Kirungabi has: playing among his peers, on the banks of the twin lakes of his namesake hometown, with bushes and twigs for goals and anything as a ball. Kamembe, an ethnic Fupi, relocated to the Fupi-majority city of Imyuzure in 1985 amid economic hardship and flaring ethnic tensions in rural areas. Playing at the local Garçons du Port athletic club from 1988, Kamembe quickly honed his skills on the pitch to become one of the club's starting midfielders in the national single-level Championnat du Kirungabi de Fut in 1992, at the age of 16. Though the ensuing civil war cut his early playing career short amid the 1995 suspension of the Championnat until 2008, Kamembe returned to football at the ripe age of 34 a year after, playing for two more years before becoming manager of the GdP squad in 2017 after a small hiatus. He oversaw Championnat titles for GdP both as player and manager, including two successful championship defenses as the latter, and was selected by the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Sporting Commission to spearhead the revival of the Kirungabi National Football Team.

Assistant coach: August Abihayimana (age: 53)

Kamembe's second-hand man Abihayimana played alongside the head coach at Garçons du Port in their primes, completing the opposite midfield flank to his teammate in a near flawless partnership which netted them the 1994 Championnat title. Son of a working-class Barebare couple and born in Imyuzure, the GdP midfield star made his professional football debut three years prior to Kamembe, and the introduction of the fresh-faced Fupi player in 1992 unlocked a new level of performance in the local man. His star status initially had kept him from suffering the first blows of the Fupi genocide of the Barebare, but as the government of the People's Republic of Democratic Kirungabi began to lose its grip on power, the incitement of ethnic violence worsened. Abihayimana and his family successfully sought asylum in Græntfjall in 1996, and it wouldn't be until 2008, the year of the Championnat reboot, that the former #7 would return to the pitch. He shared one year on the field with his former teammate upon his return to football, before sticking beside him ever since in coaching roles at Garçons du Port.

Players

The Kirungan national team is entirely comprised of local-born players of the domestic Championnat du Kirungabi de Fut, with 10 of the 12 professional teams of the league featuring on the team's roster. Focusing on maintaining synergy between Championnat teammates, while also picking the best on offer from each squad, coach Cyril Kamembe has assembled an energetic and close-knit side with a penchant for defensive play and the objective of maintaining possession throughout the match. Though the ages across the roster are varied, the team combines fresh but inexperienced talents and proven stars with war-interrupted careers; facing world-class teams will be a challenge, but if the Garçons du Port/Thousand Hills City rivalry is anything to go by, Kirungabi won't go down without a fight.

Pos #   Name (age)                          Place of Birth     Club (City)
GK #1   Théoneste Bugasera (28)             Imisozi            Garçons du Port (Imy)
DF #2   Hadrien Ubuzima (34)                Mwanzibashi        CF Liberté (Mwa)
DF #3   Thomas Gatera (20)                  Abongereza         Royal Boys AC (Abg)
DF #4   Rugira Rurangwa (26)                Mwanzibashi        CF Liberté
DF #5   Patrick Mutoni (18)                 Imisozi            Royal Boys AC
MF #23  Jean-Pierre Nduwayezu (27)          Gukingira          Garçons du Port
MF #7   Chitundu Sindikubwabo (24)          Kawakiyambu        Sport Kawakiyambu
MF #18  Marcus Irakunda (20)                Imisozi            Thousand Hills City (Imi)
MF #9   Umunzimukuru Nzafashwanimana (26)   Mutembe            Thousand Hills City
FW #10  Pascal Mutabazi (19)                Imyuzure           Garçons du Port
FW #11  Munyentwali Niyonzima (22)          Gusohora           Delta CA (Gus)

Substitutes:
    
GK #20  Adrien Bakungu (28)                 Kurimbuka          Amahoro United (V. Am)
GK #21  Patrice Nahimana (32)               Imisozi            Imisozi Ishaje
DF #16  Yves Mugiraneza (23)                Gusohora           Delta CA (Gus)
DF #24  Aimable Mbabazi (25)                Kawakiyambu        Nouveau Kawa (Kaw)
DF #25  Jean-Luc Uzanabiryo (26)            Mugugu             CF Liberté
MF #6   Patient Habimana (21)               Imyuzure           Garçons du Port
MF #8   Felix Mugabe (26)                   Mugugu             Imisozi Ishaje
FW #28  Taylor Gufungura (27)               Gufungura          True Delta (Guf)
FW #29  Rungayindo Gatabazi (23)            Ubuzima            Garçons du Port

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RP Permissions:
Choose my goalscorers/starters: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but no career-enders
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: TG first
Godmod other events: Yes

Style mod: -2
Formation: 4-4-2

[Cabo Azure]

Cabo Azure 1-0 Kirungabi
Scorers: Florencio (38')

A rotated squad does enough to qualify Cabo Azure to the knockout rounds of the Copa Rushmori.

Cabo Azure's third group stage match against Kirungabi was a statement match, and the statement appeared to be, "No unnecessary risks, but not going to play for a draw, either." Needing a win and some help to clinch advancement at the midway point of the group stage, Paulinho played a mix of veterans and new faces, likely hoping to rest his core squad for the group stage and test his fringe players while showing sufficient respect to Kirungabi. The result was a success on all counts; debutante Rolando Florencio scored his first goal for the Maçaricas playing in Seth Rathbone's deep-lying playmaker role, and the team won the match to clinch advancement into the round of 16.

The second-stringers played the game largely by the book, creating chances through overlaps and overloads in the box. Licentian-based fullback Heitor "Bandicoot" Soares was unlucky to hit the crossbar on one such overlap early in the first. Florencio threaded between Gatera and Nduwayezu to find open space in front of goal and score the game's only goal. Kirungabi's best chance came early in the second half as young Pascal Mutabazi got on the end of a cross and whipped it toward goal with his head, sending Gomez sprawling to get a glove on it.

Cabo Azure will play Norrhem next before having their bye on matchday 5.

“A Divisão”, pt 4
Azurean Prime Minister Federico “Rico” Bravo is said to be an enigma even to those closest to him. As the first prime minister elected after the coronation of King Manuel, he is both a staunch royalist and the greatest threat to King Manuel’s leadership of Cabo Azure. He supports the family unit despite being a lifelong bachelor, the secular state despite being a devout Christian, and a balanced economy despite his previous career as a stevedore having been entirely dependent upon the shipping industry.

One aspect of Rico Bravo that is unambiguous is his loyalty to the Silva family who made him. He came up in the stevedore’s union, one of the few trade unions that was allowed to operate under the Gang of Seven, and was brought into Dom Carlos Silva’s orbit as someone with outsized influence over a large number of people in Sao Simone especially. Rico worked closely with Dom Carlos and his family on social issues and petitioned the reticent Gang of Seven-led government to make needed reforms, allegedly spreading bribes where needed to grease the skids, which earned him a reputation as a rare go-getter in a time characterized by bureaucratic morass.

It is said to have been Marisol Silva, Dom Carlos’s granddaughter and anointed successor, who first identified Rico’s potential for leadership outside the realm of the stevedores’ union and recommended he run for mayor of Sao Simone as the Silvas’ chosen candidate. The mayor had always been a Silva loyalist, often one at the end of their career who was given the distinction as a reward for service, but Marisol envisioned it as a testbed for potential Alianca Nacional politicians in national politics.

Rico’s run for mayor was nearly uncontested, and he proved immediately popular in the role, using the same tough negotiating tactics as he had with the union to win victories for the city government. He served only one term as mayor before running for prime minister, in a race that started out hotly contested and became a walkover once entrepreneur Joaquin Sequeira dropped out. As prime minister, Rico has been broadly popular, but has shown vulnerabilities in certain areas, namely foreign policy, especially after the Euran foreign minister’s visit and the subsequent ratification of bilateral trade deals.

As he approaches the end of his first five-year term as prime minister in 2021, Rico’s main challenger will be Sonia Vargas, a young woman who has become the face of the Partido Syndicalisto, better known as the “Wolves.” The daughter of a general store owner from the tiny island of Sao Cristobal, Vargas is expected to run on a platform of broader trade, capitalizing on the success with Eura, as well as more progressive social policy across the board, including expanded access to family planning, the decriminalization of abortion, and the nationalization of certain social programs.

[Tikariot]

The transfer window deadline is quickly approaching and Tikariot Premier League teams have been active, both internationally and domestically, so while there are still a few deals in the process of ironing out, it is a good time to have a look at the activity so far.

Champions Port Rhovanyon AFC have not suffered any prominent losses, which is not surprising but are aiming at giving youth a chance, with no less than four academy graduates making the jump into the TPL roster with two dual citizens in Fjalsherredian Preben Serritslev and Astograthian Katerin Saizarriktoria.

The Parakleion Firebirds, runners-up in the past season, have gone down a similar route, with the only exception being Vanorian centreback Fredrik Nystuen pursuing a starting position with Eivora, which has been compensated with Sylestone's Harold Granger coming over from relegated Morannon Athletic. The Paladonian youth players also include some dual nationals, with Magdalena von Yxkull also holding a Savojar passport, Callia Canterbury a Nepharan and Sayurtegi Legarretaechebarria also being eligible to play for Astograth.

The first major transfer move comes from the mountain fortress of Oriannor, where the Mountaineers have managed to lure Easton Aird away from Xanark City for 6 million auranurs, replacing TJUN-ian team legend Nick James, who according to TSG information is close to signing a deal with Capnordian side Vereniging Huftstad. Notable players to leave the club are Israel Conrad and Duke Waltham, who are joining the Bul Khungur Miners and Guillarim Blades respectively.

Some changing of the guard also has been happening in Port Tacassam, where Santo Silvestri and Olliuier le Duc have left the club to ride into the sunset, while Aleran de Varenchy is escaping the Rams' bench for provincial rivals Alcassar 1896 FC. Cabo Azurean keeper Vincent Leitão (Eivora) and Tumbran national team forward Duncan Silverwood (Pyathora) have been drafted in as replacements, but two youngsters have made the headlines as well. A year after securing the services of the Sæsdóttir twins, another highly talented duo is making its appearance in the TPL with teenagers Callum Dwyer and Isiah Cross hoping to make an impact soon.

Rounding up the IFCF participants, the Carathyr Emeralds have once more managed to keep their championship-winning team from two seasons ago intact and are also joining the youth movement. Most prominent new signing is Patriotlandian centre midfielder Samuelle Savoie-Smith.

The biggest surprise of last season, Khalgarh Valley, are entering their sophomore season with a revamped line-up, bringing in three players from relegated Baraldhur AFC in Mytanar Mehir Altikulac, Sylestonian Callum Blair as well as Alexander MacLeish, while Brian McTavish is joining from Morannon. Repeating their sensational sixth spot from last season will be a very hard task, but all of these players have proved their TPL mettle before.

Crimsonhawke FC has made a name for its excellent youth academy and its roster reflects this with a very tight-knit community. So it does not come as a surprise that Gouvanarchais Giraude Archambault is the only player to leave the club in pursuit of more playing time in Miruan, being replaced by another youth product in Jean-Luc Mongrain.

Speaking of Miruan City, Archambault is not the only new arrival in Paladon, albeit the most prominent one. Other than Chromatik right back Krutina Nyusha Afanasievna the Lions have no signings that are not moving up from the academy, with the biggest names leaving the club being Adhémar Desreaulx, Spencer Miltaugh, and Zezé Sapateiro, who are penciled in as starters in Bul Khungur, Vantanoch, and Xanark respectively.

The Griffins of Eivora Athletic have seen some of the biggest squad turnovers of non-promoted sides, with no less than nine players leaving the club, even though other than Keith Farnham and maybe Luciano Olaya none of them were considered starters on a permanent basis. With the former retiring and the latter moving to Bul Khungur, Eivora has brought in three prominent names in Nemanja Ovčina (Pyathora), Fredrik Nystuen (Parakleion), and Quebecois midfielder Otis Tekaronhonte in an attempt to compete for IFCF qualifying positions again.

Rounding off the top half of the league are the Guillarim Blades, who managed to salvage a horrendous first half of the season with a concerted effort toward the end. To avoid the same from happening again and aim for international play again, they signed former Oriannor and national team player Duke Waltham, while also adding Michael Morck and Ashleigh Sweeney as powerful impact subs.

Join us again tomorrow for all transfer activity from the bottom half of the table.

[Kirungabi]

Imyuzure, Kirungabi

Florine Mutabazi sweeps her front door clean, the reddish dust billowing out into the streets of the suburbs of Imyuzure. The weather has been unusually dry this time of year, and it showed: everything, from the couch, to the television, to the photos and amulets and makeshift shrine for her late husband, was permanently covered in a thin and volatile blanket of dust. When she called Pascal, who was off playing football in Mytanija, he urged her to keep the windows shut, but the warm breeze buffeted the living room's tulle curtains too nicely. To pass the time and fill the silence — she was alone for the first time since Pascal had finished school — she had her handheld radio on the windowsill looking out towards the street, a dinged reusable metal bottle swaying in the wind beside it. Through the intro song for the afternoon headlines, a voice crackled into life, announcing RTK's special Copa Rushmori coverage:

---

Second Loss Strains Kirungabi Qualification Chances Despite Shining Youth

MIAGO (MYT) - With two losses in two matches, the debut of Kirungabi in international football at the Mytanar-hosted Copa Rushmori may soon meet its end — albeit not without a statement of intent for tournaments to come.

The team of debutants, fielding domestic legends such as Hadrien Ubuzima of Mwanzibashi's CF Liberté alongside up-and-coming stars like Patrick Mutoni of Royal Boys AC, fell in their hotly-contested inaugural match to an aggressive side from Norrhem. Despite a solid penalty from Munyentwali Niyonzima and two left-footed bangers from young Garçons du Port striker Pascal Mutabazi, the Norrish team proved superior, with a total of five goals, including a Chitundu Sindikubwabo own goal, flipping the scale.

Mutabazi's strong showing on his debut match was almost repeated in the second game against Cabo Azure, the highest ranked team in Group C, but while his header was successfully blocked by keeper Ambrosio Gomez, a defensive lapse by Kirungabi led to their ultimate loss.

While Kirungabi's chances of qualifying are now slim, as the team's hopes bank on both their own performance and that of their rivals, team manager and prolific Garçons Championnat-winning coach Cyril Kamembe was adamant that their performance so far had been respectable.

"We came into the tournament realistic about our chances; to not have suffered a catastrophic loss to our rivals is already a resounding success," he claimed. "Some of our boys have never even set foot outside of KIrungabi; for the youngest of our players, this is their chance to make their mark, while for the veterans, it's a sign of gratitude after years of hardship."

When asked about the team's qualification chances, Kamembe admitted they were slimmer than predicted, yet still not impossible. "The truth is that we must win both our remaining matches against two very strong sides in Darmen and the Gatchingerrak Union, and still cross our fingers for the tailwind as regards the results of Norrhem. Still, we are hopeful we can continue to fight; we've spotted our weaknesses and our strengths and know where to focus for our next match.

[Pasarga]

Sat beside the bench of the players changing room as they waited for the upcoming match was a tablet. It was not uncommon for these sort of devices to be used by support staff these days to quickly assess situations and explain suggestions to the manager. There were still quite a rarity in Pasarga, with really the elite clubs within the dual islands being able to afford such a luxury tool, although the PFA was ensuring that the national team staff also had access to such tools. Except instead of being focused on statistics or tactics for the upcoming match in the Copa, the tablet was opened up to the web page of the Torgos Tribune, where the main article questioned the continued involvement of Pasarga in the CRC.

"What use has this organization been to the people of Pasarga in ensuring her continued prosperity and safety through these years we have been involved in it? They scoff at our traditions and heritage and demand that we change to suit their sensibilities and leave the legacy of our past behind us and change centuries of doing things to appease them. Yet in our time of need, the member states of the CRC were nowhere to be found, even when a call for aid was made by the Queen. Indeed, none answered that call but those already onside with the dual islands before the CRC was even conceived as an idea. These are no friends of the dual islands, they do not have the best interests of our people in their hearts and minds. We can only rely upon ourselves and our trusted allies to truly do what is best for our people and as such, we should withdraw from the CRC post haste."

It was likely none of the players getting ready for their upcoming Copa Rushmori match had read the article or even entertained the thoughts expressed within it. For Queen Azra however, it stirred quite conflicted emotions in her as she had been afforded the luxury of reading the entire article. Her people were still grieving from the events that had transpired over the last few years and now the anger that some had felt was starting to boil over. If not for Pasarga's entry into the CRC and the accommodations that the nation had made to gain entry, namely the creation of the parliament itself, the attempted coup would have never have had legs to stand on in the first place. The rogue Parliamentarians had used their positions of influence to amass the wealth and pull to be able to attempt their scheme, which they would have been without had Jakub kept to the absolute monarchy the government had been before.

Though she was loathe to admit it, she agreed with large portions of the article and wondered if the continued membership in the organization was worth its cost. It could be one domino on the way to restoring the old order, though that likely carried the risks of having those pro democratic governments to think they could enforce their will on the Pasargan people through force. The recent attempted coup had shown that the armed forces of the nation had some ways yet to go to be a respectable modern force. They had performed well once assembled and deployed but the fall of Torgos would be a sting in the pride and learning lesson for years to come. Perhaps it was best if both she and the rest of the nation were distracted by the football, such heavy concerns weighed heavily upon her.

[Mytanija]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

OOC TW: The part of the story beyond the asterisks includes references to some dark themes, please do skip if you may feel uncomfortable.

After Scarlett had checked her shoe for any rat corpse, the trio headed back to the rather desolate bus stop and Zineta laughed to herself at the sight of Elena and Scarlett inquisitively looking around at every minor curiosity. She had often complained about people coming to the Mytanar neighbourhoods of Brigham on poverty safari, taking photos wearing high-fashion brands and expensive streetwear in front of the tower blocks awash with graffiti and street art created by people who had very little other than their art. Now Zineta was here bringing these two journalists around the area and they were peering around like they’d just discovered a new civilisation. To them it may as well have been, Zineta thought silently.

They managed to negotiate the bus journey back a little more successfully. Neither Elena nor Scarlett fell over, partially because they now knew to expect harsh braking and cornering; and partially because they were holding onto anything they could to remain upright. Zineta chatted casually with a lady who had just been visiting her sister. The lady had said how Ilija Leskovar – the Social Party’s young firebrand who they were itching to get elected due to both his political abilities and how progressive he would make the party look – had helped her sister get some work done to repair the plumbing and heating in her home. Zineta explained how she often worked with Ilija on political campaigns and told the lady that she should vote for him in the future, whenever he stood for election.

“As long as he doesn’t allow that Social Party to ruin him as soon as he gets a sniff of power,” the lady replied in true no-nonsense fashion. “It happens to enough of them, we can’t just trust him because he’s Mytanar too.”

“I’m sure he won’t,” Zineta smiled, “He really wants things to change for people here, like we all do.”

Zineta wished her goodbye when the lady got off at the next stop and then looked back over to Elena and Scarlett. The pair looked like they were holding onto the side of the bus for dear life. Zineta allowed herself a small chuckle. They would be meeting Tamara next, there would be much less humour there. She had a particularly horrific experience at the hands of the gangs who trafficked her into Mytanija and then sold her into prostitution. Escaping was difficult, but she had managed it, despite the fact that those gangs were still searching for her – trying to hold her to the trafficking costs which all victims of that cursed trade were forced to pay back.

It had been good to see both Elena and Scarlett’s human side when speaking to Urso and learning about his friend Luka not being seen for a long time. Scarlett particularly seemed able to empathise, perhaps due to her friend being ‘disappeared’. They would both need to be similarly empathetic around Tamara, although Zineta wasn’t sure that it was possible to lack empathy when listening to the tragic nature of her story.

***

Zineta had described it as a ‘safe-house’ run by a group who support Mytanar women in Brigham. They might be victims of domestic violence, they might be teenage mothers who are not being supported by their parents and – as in Tamara’s case – they might be victims of the brutal human trafficking trade to prostitution pipeline. It looked just the same as many other buildings in the Mytanar neighbourhoods of this city, a bit rundown and decrepit, crumbling ever so slightly, as if a strong wind might cause the whole place to fall down. As the three reached the front door they realised that it was nothing of the sort. A pair of hulking security guards stood outside the entrance.

“Hey lads,” Zineta started. “Ladies, this is Bosko and Vedad, they look after the women here.”

“Good afternoon ladies,” Bosko smiled. It was an unusual smile, somehow both friendly and almost ominous in that it was perhaps the friendliest thing Bosko had done all day. Vedad merely nodded by way of greeting, somehow that was less ominous, perhaps because it was more in keeping with their general demeanour.

“I’ve got an appointment, if you check with Gavrila.” Zineta smiled. Vedad reached into the deep pockets of his padded jacket and pulled out a radio.

“Gavrila, I have Zineta and two guests here to see you.” He muttered into the receiver.

“No problem, please let them in.” Came a squawked response from the other end. Vedad gestured for the ladies to follow him towards the door. He then stopped and waited, then the door let out a low hiss.

“You can only unlock it from the inside,” Zineta explained. “There are no keys to access the place from here, to keep the women safe, you know?”

“It’s good. I’m glad it’s a lot more secure than the place looks.” Elena said.

“Yeah, the group raised money for ages to be able to improve the security. Now you’d need to be really stupid to try to break in, there’s Bosko and Vedad, but then there’s a few more of these doors which can only be opened from the main control room.” Zineta added.

“I’m not sure you should be telling everybody our security measures, Zineta.” Vedad grumbled disapprovingly.

“Sorry Vedad, but I’m not sure either Elena or Scarlett will be trying to break into here anytime soon. I think you’re good.” Zineta replied cheekily. Vedad shook his head and waited for the next door to open. After a couple of hisses and doors opening later, they were into a large waiting area replete with comfortable sofas, fresh flowers and light flowing in through a large skylight. Compared to the general sense of grey in Brigham, this was positively airy.

“Wait here,” Vedad said, pointing to the sofas. “Gavrila will be down to meet you shortly.”

“Thanks Vedad,” Zineta said as he nodded and turned to make his way back to the front of the building. The three women all waited for a moment and then sat down. It was a very relaxed area, quiet, there were a couple of corridors stretching out away to different areas of the building. Some women lived there, they had their own rooms or they might share with one other, then there were larger rooms for classes and talks. They wouldn’t be seeing any of those today, Gavrila had only agreed to them getting to chat to Tamara if they had the conversation in the foyer. She didn’t want either her room or the class areas to be clouded for her. They were meant to be safe spaces.

As they waited Elena absent-mindedly flicked through a magazine and Scarlett glanced at the flowers. Zineta looked at her nails, hyper-focusing and having to shake her head to clear her eyes as Gavrila and Tamara walked into the room. Gavrila was an immaculately dressed woman, middle-aged but difficult to pin down exactly how old she was. She was a psychologist, an extremely clever lady who had done very well for herself in a Euran society which had set-up lots of barriers for the children of immigrants. She was effectively retired from her day job, able to help out full-time at this centre, picking up the small wage that they could offer but still able to live comfortably given her successful career.

Tamara was younger, mid-twenties, she looked tired. She wore a green jumper over dark blue jeans and white trainers. She looked like pretty much every other Mytanar-Euran woman her age, although her story was one which only a very small section had ever experienced themselves. As Gavrila and Tamara approached all three women stood up to greet them.

“Hello ladies,” Gavrila said. “This is Tamara. Tamara, this is Zineta who you have met before. She wanted to bring Elena and Scarlett here to talk to you for a story that they are writing—”

“Might be writing,” Elena interjected. “We don’t know exactly what the story is yet, but we want to learn about your experience, Tamara. It may well form a part of what we write, people should hear about these things, they should know.”

“… Quite.” Gavrila said, looking back towards Tamara. “But if at any point you want to stop then just tell me. We don’t need to make you relive any of it.”

“I know,” Tamara said. “It’s okay, I want to talk about it. And people should know, you’re right, Elena.” She smiled slightly.

“Could you tell us a little bit about your life in Mytanija and how you ended up coming to Eura?”

“Sure. I grew up in Zolota, there wasn’t much there, very few opportunities, not much chance of making a good life for myself. My family were all in pretty low-level jobs too, both parents worked every hour they could, my brother worked in manufacturing but he was always worried about his job getting moved to one of the cities. My younger sister had the intelligence to perhaps be able to go to university, so I spoke to my parents and we tried to work out what we could do to help her. I was 21 and I wasn’t going to do much else, so I thought why not? There was talk of going abroad to work, maybe Polar Islandstates, maybe Astograth, Eura.” Tamara said, wincing slightly at the final country. “I didn’t have a degree, so getting a decent job would be difficult, so we asked people around Zolota if they knew anybody in these places who might be able to set me up with a job and then I could send money home to help Izabela get her books and all those things which she might need at university.”

“Were those people family friends?”

“Yeah, some of them, eventually one said they knew somebody who was able to get people jobs in Eura. He was called Dusan, he wasn’t a family friend, we didn’t really know him that well, but he said he would be able to get me set-up with a waitressing job at a high-end Mytanar restaurant in Brigham and that I would be making a lot of money and could send it home to my parents. He was very convincing…”

“Did you ever have to give him money?”

“Not straight away no, he said he’d start organising move over free of charge, but then he started to ask for money for plane tickets and deposits for a room in an apartment. We thought that was all normal, it didn’t seem unusual, but then we realised that he had paid for my plane ticket and one for himself. My dad wasn’t happy with that at all and started to ask questions. Dusan then started to argue, saying he had been very helpful organising things and not asking for any money. He said he needed to fly over to see family and finalise things for me, in the end I told my dad just to think of Izabela and how we’d be able to help her. He left it then…”

“How much money did you end up giving to him in total?” Scarlett asked.

“I’m not sure, I think between the flights and deposit it was nearly 7,500 coruns,” Tamara said, causing Elena to gasp. “I’m not sure exactly what that it is in Euran money.”

“A lot,” Elena said. “Around 2,500 I think.” Both Scarlett and Zineta grimaced.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t all, once I left Zolota Dusan wanted more money. There were costs for trains and things like that, but then when we got over to Eura it all changed. It wasn’t money for things I needed to get over to Eura, it was money to cover ‘the fee for his services’. I tried to argue with him but he would shout at me, push me and threaten me with having to go back. He said he’d hand me over to the Eurans because he hadn’t sorted out my working arrangements yet and was only there as a tourist. I was scared of all the money my family had already spent being wasted, so I shut up quite quickly.”

“What happened once you were in Brigham?”

“He brought me to this house, I didn’t know what it was at the time but as soon as I saw it it made me feel uneasy. On the way to it he would keep stopping the car and stepping outside to talk on the phone. I didn’t catch everything he was saying but he would often ask about ‘things being ready’. I thought that was a good thing, that there was some truth in what he was saying, but one we got to the house I realised it was nothing of the sort. Dusan led me to my room, it was absolutely tiny with no window and only room for a small bed and nothing else, but again, I didn’t say anything. But what he was asking about were locks on the door, three huge locks. They weren’t on the inside though, they were on the outside, to stop me from being able to get out.”

“Oh my god…” Scarlett said breathlessly.

“Yeah, I tried not to go into the room, I tried to say I needed to go outside for air. I tried to get my bag with my phone in it, but Dusan had held onto it from the car and into the house. My passport was in there as well. Then this other man came, I never learned what his name was, but he seemed to be in charge. Dusan listened to him. He said that because of the great costs to get me into Eura and get my clearance to work that I’d have to work for free first, to pay him back and pay Dusan back for his time too. I didn’t argue, it was clear that there wasn’t any arguing with this guy, he was very intimidating. Dusan was only intimidating when he started to shout and get violent, the other man was even when he spoke normally. I was almost thinking ‘fine, I’ll do that as long as I can get my stuff back and then if I don’t complain maybe they will let me move to a better room and the locks won’t be there.’ I still thought they meant I would be working in waitressing, I was so young… I didn’t know…”

“I’m so sorry Tamara,” Elena said, wiping away a tear.

“I know, everyone is, me included” She said, smiling grimly despite tears flecking her cheeks. “They held me in that house with eleven other women, all in similar rooms with no windows, none of us had our passports and all our doors had triple-locks on them. I asked about the waitressing job and the guy just laughed at me, after that he told me to strip so that I could be photographed for the clients and that was when I realised what had happened. My blood ran cold. I sat on my bed and didn’t move so in the end he tore the clothes off me and took the photos and then I cried and cried for hours. They would bring pitiful meals and if we were hungry we were offered cigarettes even if we didn’t smoke because we ‘had to stay thin’. Men would come and do what they wanted, at the start it’d be one, but then it became several a day, I felt powerless, there was nothing I could do to stop it. They would put some money on the bed and knock on the door, the locks would open and they’d leave. The guy would come in and get the money and go. I don’t know how long this went on for, but if I’d chosen to work like that then I lost thousands and thousands because of them.”

All of the women were in tears when Tamara finished explaining. Gavrila gently rubbed Tamara’s arm, trying to offer some comfort. Zineta sniffled, rubbing her face with her sleeve. Elena and Scarlett were barely able to think about their next questions.

“Do you want to stop?” Gavrila asked, puncturing the silence.

“I’m okay for now, Gavrila, thank you.” Tamara nodded.

“How long were you in that house for, Tamara? And did your family try to contact you?”

“I’m not sure exactly how long, it was probably at least six months. My family did try to contact me but Dusan had my phone, so he pretended he was me and replied to them acting as if I was always too busy or too tired to call them. He basically told them the truth about why I wasn’t sending money home, that I had other costs which had to be covered, but obviously he said it as if it was me saying it.”

“What happened after those six months? And were you allowed to have your phone back?”

“After six months I was pretty broken mentally, I just wanted to get out of the room and go somewhere else. I think they must know that it broke people, which is why they brought us all there, because then they said I could work in nightclubs if I behaved. If I didn’t try to run away or talk to people other than clients. I was that sick of being there that I was pretty much ready to agree to anything. So I went and did the same thing in the nightclubs, there would be separate rooms to go to with anyone who paid and a security guy would collect the money. There were Mytanars, Eurans, and people from all over. Lots of rich guys. Sometimes I’d get to walk through the club and for a moment I’d think about being at home and just being a normal young person, I’d pretend that’s what I was doing. I think I did this for about two years, going to the nightclubs and then going back to the house, always watched, always supervised. After the first year they would start to give me some of the money, so I could save it and then ask them to send it home for me. I never realised that they would just pocket most of it for themselves. They allowed me to call home a few times but never for very long, I think my mum and dad just thought I was keeping all the money for myself and partying here… They never wanted to talk to me for very long either.” She said, lip trembling.

“We can stop whenever you want, Tamara.” Gavrila offered again.

“No, I’m okay.” Tamara replied. “I’ve since explained all this to them, of course, they understand the truth now. They’re devastated that they ever allowed me to go in the first place. I think it’s caused them to split-up, my father blames himself and my mother said she never wanted me to go in the first place…”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry Tamara.” Elena said. “Really, we can stop if you want.”

“No, it’s fine, I’m not going to go into the gory details so there’s only a few other bits for you to know. After the first couple of years of doing that in the nightclub I eventually realised I had to try to escape whilst there, when there’d be a lot of people, so I thought about it for a while and realised that when I was between the dancefloor and one of the rooms I could try to sneak off. The security would hopefully miss me and I’d be able to get away. Wishful thinking. I tried it when one guy was going with me to the private room and thought I was getting away, I was running down the stairs, I forgot the simplest thing: that they all had radios. The guy who had been accompanying me and the client upstairs just radioed down to the guys on the front door and they grabbed me and took be to the office bit, handcuffed me to a chair. Then Dusan and the other guy came and screamed at me for what felt like hours, but I didn’t care, I was numb to it all by then. They bashed me up a bit, but they couldn’t do it too badly or they’d lose money. I was taken back to the house and they left me there for a few days, then Dusan came back and apologised and said they only had to do it because I’d tried to escape and that if I didn’t do it again that they could think about giving me more freedom. I knew it was a load of rubbish, but there wasn’t much I could do.”

“How did you eventually get away?”

“Well, I basically did the same thing, but some of the other girls wore wigs when they were in the nightclub. You know, different colours, like neon pinks and stuff like that. One just had a blonde wig, completely different to how I looked. I did my make-up differently because I knew I was going to try again and whilst I was at the club I pretended a client ripped my clothes, so I said to the security I’d have to ask one of the other girls to borrow some spares of theirs. I looked completely different between the wig and the clothes. Next client came and I ran when we headed to the private room, I did the same thing and during the chaos the security just missed me entirely. I felt like a spy in a film or something… Then I realised I had no idea what I was doing, wandering the streets at night with no money and no phone and dressed, quite literally, like a hooker. I just walked and walked and walked and eventually I found a Mytanar café that was open late, filled with women talking.”

“Klara’s?” Elena asked.

“Exactly. Klara’s. There were women there who knew of a group which could look after me, which could protect me. I stayed with one of the women that night and she gave me some normal clothes, she fed me and she let me ring my parents – I had memorised their numbers – to finally explain what had happened. I cried again, for hours, but it felt like a weight lifted for them to finally know the truth. Every other time I’d spoke to them over those four years or so I had been watched, I could never tell them the truth. I’m not even sure they believed me at first. My life had been a living hell, it sounded almost too horrendous to even be true, but why would I ever make any of that up? Then I met Gavrila and everything changed, she helped me recover, I found out I have post-traumatic stress disorder and now I live here and get the support I need.”

“Have they tried to contact you since?”

“Of course, several times. They have sent letters here threatening me, they know I live here, they know I’m still in Eura and that I can’t really leave without them potentially being able to get to me. I live in fear for my parents and brother and sister, they’re in Mytanija, they could get to them because of me. I am scared of all of that, but Gavrila has helped me put it into perspective, they can’t get to me here because that would involve the cops. I was offered the chance to speak to the police myself earlier, but I have just never felt strong enough to do so and I don’t want to get in trouble for coming here illegally either.”

“We’re working on that one,” Gavrila said. “It’s up to Tamara, of course, but if she ever wants to tell the police what they did to her then we want her to be strong enough to be able to do that.”

“Yeah, maybe I will be able to eventually, I’d like to. Not just for me, but for all the other women they’ve done this to.”

“Hopefully we can help them,” Elena said quietly. “If we write about this hopefully it will help them.”

[Graintfjall]

Selection of articles from the Græntfjaller football transfer news blog GræntGoss.

Thor backs veterans, but “World Cup will be different”

Change is coming in Græntfjaller football: but slowly, or at least, at the pace set by manager Ingþór Auðbjörnsson. During his tenure as coach of the Snow Wolves, he has established a reputation for favoring veterans over prospects: bringing back Amanda Guttisdóttir as a key part of the Copa Rushmori 40 winning side, convincing Jason Þórhallursson to stay on for one more World Cup, keeping Grímúlfur Gunnþórsson in the center of defense, and retaining the services of Johanna Álvgeirsdóttir even as, at times, a specialist captain. During the last World Cup much was made of the relatively old squad he took to the finals, with an average age over 27 and no players under the age of 23; it’s a trend that has continued on to Copa Rushmori 41 despite some turnover (none of the above four players are included in the squad, for a start). But at a press conference after the Snow Wolves’ frustrating 3–3 draw with Southwest Eastnorth, the Pasargan manager confirmed he was “absolutely” looking to bring younger players into the mix in the course of World Cup 93 qualifying.

“We are the defending Copa Rushmori champions and I wanted to bring the strongest side we had to defend our title,” he said. “That meant some tough calls and some younger players who may have been left disappointed, but they are very much going to feature in our plans going forward.” Græntfjall’s use of pool of players for WC qualifying saw over 40 different players wear the blue-and-white during the last two years, and Thor anticipates similar rotation. “Tournament play isn’t the time to be experimenting with formations,” he said, in a possible nod to the idea of the team exploring three-at-the-back formations again, “Nor blooding young players with the pressure of the eyes of the entire region on them.” Thor also pointed out that the squad was “far from old”, with only one player over the age of 30 selected. “The narrative that this is an ageing squad is largely a media invention. I’m very happy with our fitness levels and with the strength in depth this squad represents.” Tom Ernestisson, at 33, is the oldest player in the squad, and 30 year old Ari Hlynursbur has been recalled after a fine individual season in Astograth; the two are, Thor, points out, among the fittest in the team. “No gray hairs on them, so, let’s not panic just yet.”

Two names in particular have floated as being unfortunate to miss out this Copa Rushmori: Amandara Navinsdóttir Thakur of Atletik in Mytanija, and Charlotte Leonardsdóttir, who has followed an increasingly popular path for Græntfjaller footballers and decamped to Chromatika to further her career, following up her highly successful season with Lanar with a 7.5 million krónor* transfer to Tihon. The two are Græntfjall’s only double youth world champions, having been the two members of the 15th Sporting World Cup winning Under-18 team promoted to the Under-21 team that won the 52nd Di Bradini Cup. Amandara won the Bronze Boot in Mytanija’s highly regarded Top League this season, while Charlotte was selected to the first team All-Red League alongside NT captain Sara Kristoffersdóttir and left back Jan Játmundsson. Thor would not be drawn on specific players on the NT “radar” but confirmed that Græntfjaller scouts were watching “every league possible” for future talent and a number of names would be “added to the expanded roster”, expected to be announced after the CR is over.

For their part, younger players seem accepting of the selection process overlooking them – for now. “My time will come,” says Charlotte Leonardsdóttir. “Playing in Chromatika has been an incredible experience, up against some of the best players in the world in one of the most competitive leagues that’s the equal of anywhere in the five sporting regions.” Charlotte, who goes by ‘Lotte’ in Chromatika, points out that “I played youth football with Kæja [Finnvarðsdóttir] and she is an incredible talent. I don’t think there’s any shame in being behind her in the pecking order. Just so long as I am in the pecking order and not out doing whatever chickens do what metaphors get horribly twisted.” Varða Vígsteinsdóttir, who enjoyed as sensational season with Crimsonhawke FC in neighbor Tikariot, said: “I think the days of the Snow Wolves picking untested teenagers [as current NT captain Sara K was at CR 35] may be over. I’m not expecting to get the call just yet but it’s good to know that getting new blood in is something they’re thinking about.”

One problem for Græntfjaller youth development has been their lack of participation in recent U-21 World Cups, creating a gap between the U-18 program and senior football, while the second successive IFCF ban – this time after Verdean right back and league MVP Roberto Dylan’s use of an “autopen” to take penalties led the league’s results being invalidated for lacking sporting merit – has led to an exodus of talent from the GPL and younger players being forced into starting roles rather than given time to develop. Thor pointed to the example of Arnar Heikkison, a Steinaux midfield prospect who completed a successful loan at FC Waalterzee in Cape Nord last season, as the kind of loan transfer he hoped more younger players would take advantage of. “It’s important that our younger players get experience playing football, regular top level football rather than carrying drinks for senior teams or getting stuck in junior and second XI sides,” he said, indicating that such loans would be assessed more favorably when it came to possible future NT selection. Thor also expressed a hope that a new director of youth football would improve the development pathway [applications still open!].

Chromatika remains the first choice proving ground

Chromatika’s Red League has developed a reputation as the prime incubator of Græntfjaller footballing talent in recent years. Sara Kristoffersdóttir, once considered “unmanageable”, has developed into the national team captain and a perennial All-Team selection at Wirr Tsi, winning multiple club silverware including the recent Tropicorp Super Cup. But Sara K was always destined for great things, having been first chosen for the NT at just 16. Arguably more impressive has been the ascendancy of Mímir Waltheofsson, who started his career in the Blue League and worked his way up to join Sara K at Wirr Tsi, and take on the #9 jersey as starting center forward for the Super Wolves. Comparing his career to that of Röskvi Tyrfingsson, who when he signed for Nepharan club AFC Treason was held up as the biggest forward prospect Græntfjall has produced, football journalist Olle Tobiasson says: “Newsflash: scoring goals matters.”

According to Tobiasson, “if you compare them side by side, Röskvi is taller, stronger, faster, better in the air, better at positioning. But Mímir has just scored stacks of goals at every level he’s played at, and kept scoring them.” Röskvi, who started at striker for the Snow Wolves at the beginning of their title winning campaign in 91 but failed to score and was displaced by Jason Þórhallursson, has “simply never found the back of the net frequently enough” for the NT, in contrast to Mímir, who added another goal in the recent game against Southwest Eastnorth. Röskvi enjoyed a strong first half to the season in the Zenith, scoring regularly as Treason mounted a challenge, but fell away in the second half along with his team. “I don’t think the choice of #9 is any more scientific than: ‘who is the most consistent scorer?’ Jason, for all his sins off the pitch, could reliably score, so the national team stuck with him even if he wasn’t always the model teammate. Röskvi will need to prove he’s a real threat to score if he’s to get back into the starting lineup with any regularity.”

That points to a possible World Cup recall for Eiríka Jonathansdóttir out of the international wildnerness. The Maigburg club legend left her beloved home club to further her international ambitions in Nephara, and was at one time a leading scorer for Starling, but missed a season on maternity leave, and appeared to fall out of the club’s first choice plans on her return. “Starling were very accommodating to her and a model of professional treatment of sportswomen in the 21st century,” says football blogger Minney Móadóttir. “But Eiríka just wasn’t quite up to it any more.” She signed with NK Dyka in Mytanija for a transfer figure in the low millions* but enjoyed a strong return to form, finishing third in the player of the year charts. “With Thor favoring a 4–3–3 it’s not inconceivable that Eiríka finds her way back into the conversation,” says Minney.

Back in Chromatika, the high regard in which the league is held is indicated by the number of Græntfjallers opting for sideways transfers during this end-of-season’s transfer window. As well as Charlotte, who will replace Verdean national captain Primitivo at Tihon, her former youth football midfield partner Sara Vatnarsdóttir (‘Sara V’) and center back Svandís Marcosdóttir are among those opting to remain in Chromatika after their club contracts have expired. Sara V will move from Frenei Tor to Urrheddiao, while Svandís heads in the opposite direction, from BT Ming to Frenei Tor. “It’s an indication of the Red League being seen as premium competition,” says Tobiasson. “These young players would rather try their luck with another Chromatik club than come back home or risk moving elsewhere.” Klængar Ulfarsson, seeking to press his NT case, is the highest profile new arrival, signing with Anomalies; also joining the Red League will be Hermione Báisdóttir Xiǎo, whose loan spell with Endeavour Brenecia failed to prevent their sinking to the bottom of the A-League table, and will now sign with FK Shakhter Z'ai'ai. Bucking the trend is Rebekka Kajsdóttir, who has signed for Sabrefell Athletic in Nephara. The former Brisara FC player is expected to be put out on loan but said she was “excited to begin her journey in Nephara” while crediting her time in Chromatika with being “the best football education”.

Also on the blog: transfer window round-up

Nephara’s Coret Hawks have won the splashy arms race for highly touted young striker Járngrímur Náttúlfsson … national team defensive midfielder Valtter Marvinsson credits his time in Astograth with having helped him develop into a more rounded player but has decided to accept a transfer to Libertas Bergheim in Savojarna, making him the highest profile Græntfjaller in a league that regularly ranks among the top for viewership in the White Winter Queendom … what do Jabal Akhdar and Quebecois side Mipojoseon have in common? they’re both being invaded by Græntfjallers! Mipojoseon lost out in the battle for Járngrímur but have picked up Joel Wolfgangsson, surprise CR call-up as reserve striker, as well as promising defensive midfielder Hámundur Henrýsson … there are rumors that Steinar Clemensson, reported to be ending a successful multi-year stint in the Euran Oceania Territories, may be headed Tumbra-bound, after he was spotted boning up on principles of constitutional law in the Háttmark Central Library … bye bye Banija? Jason Þórhallursson could be lining up a surprise exit from Herzegovina City, but will any club want to shell out the millions for an ageing striker clearly past his best?

* The value on the TW sheet is in NSD; this is the conversion to króna.

[Eura]

COPA RUSHMORI 42 – GROUP E MATCHDAY 3
República Guanacasteca 0–2 Eura
Scorers:
Stewart 29, Robson 87
Lineup:
1. T Hammond
2. A Mason
4. J Menard
5. K Sherwood (sub Pearce 67)
3. L Almwood
6. J Gates (sub Brown 45)
24. G Stewart (sub Holland 80)
22. D Barnes (sub Malone 72)
10. S Singh (sub Matthews 90+1)
12. O James
9. S Robson

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emplor.eur/main/sport/football
ROBBO SEALS IMPORTANT WIN
Late strike adds to fine Stewart goal and doubles Euran points tally

Euran national team manager Sterling Rose heaped praise on Raynor City United’s George Stewart after a 2-0 win over República Guanacasteca, but he also had veteran forward Stewart Robson to thank for calming some late nerves in Eura’s third match of the group stage.

On an unusually warm night the Eurans started well against their latest opponents and created a number of early chances, coming closest when Sophie Singh pinged a lace shot against the bar after just ten minutes. It was going to be a long half for República Guanacasteca, who found themselves so firmly stuck on the back foot that a casual observer might have thought they were stuck in cement. Eura had nine first half shots on goal to their opponents zero. However, they would only find the net once, as the masterful Stewart sublimely chipped the opposition goalkeeper after a smart one-two with Owen James.

Stewart has worked hard for his place in the Euran side but has found relatively few minutes despite playing for one of the best teams in the world. Rumours that fellow Euran and RCU manager Dan Eastwood would take the national team job proved unfounded, dashing hopes that Stewart, already 30-years-old, might become the lynchpin of a new Eastwood revolution. But that doesn’t seem to have affected him too much, the central midfielder controlling the centre of the park for most of the game with an immense passing success rate of 96%.

Despite Stewart’s fine form, República Guanacasteca were much improved in the second half and started to create a few half chances. The Eurans were made to sweat, and a decision from Rose to swap out Jermaine Gates for Flora Brown at half time proved unwise, with Stewart and Brown not working brilliantly together as a partnership. Jack Menard was iron willed in defence as ever, though Tom Hammond had to pull off a fine save against a powerful near post header to preserve Eura’s lead.

Eventually Eura found an opportunity to kill the game on the break and did so, substitute Bobby Malone feeding Robson to burst through the defence and finish through the legs of the goalkeeper. Alex Sharp was the focus of all the attention after his brace against Eastfield Lodge, but Robson will be pleased to have shown he is still competitive for a starting place. Owen James was also quietly effective in this match as he looks to supplant either Malone or Adam Woodman, not just picking up the assist for Stewart’s goal, but troubling the República Guanacasteca with little runs inside and deadly crosses throughout.

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‘I get that. No, really, you’ll hear politicians say stuff like that all the time, talk and talk, play up their supposed honest working class roots. So, I get the cynicism. But I know what it’s like you know? I grew up ’round here. And I won’t forget that.’
‘Good!’ declared Deidre, who encapsulated the median Euran pensioner in almost every sense. ‘Bloody lot in Bastion are useless. We need more younger ones like you in parliament, with some calluses on your hands, not another muppet from…wherever!’
She got a little lost on the last bit. The effort was admirable anyway.
Ilija Leskovar gave her a warm hug and saw off his would-be-constituent with a smile. He wasn’t above cynicism – what politician was? – but he took genuine joy in moments like that.

Ilija had it all.
Young? 37.
Smart? Yes, but not slick – just tidy enough to not scare off the suburbanite middle class.
A communicator? Very much so. Fluent in the tongue of his ancestral home and that of his adopted motherland, to the point, clear. Not obviously media trained which was always a bonus.
Most importantly of all he had a narrative. The child of desperate refugees fleeing abysmal crimes against humanity, heading one way to Eura while the Marine Corps and Western Fleet headed in the other. Came of age in a tough neighbourhood with humble dreams, just wanting to help better his community and look after the people around him. Some family tragedy dotted here and there which always helped.

He didn’t see himself as a walking RP coup. Those around him did – and before he knew it, he was getting involved in party politics after making a noise in the union movement. A left winger at heart, he made the wise choice of getting in with the big tent Social Party, avoiding the mess of old school, irrelevant fringe politics that had consumed the Civil Federalists. He had made some enemies, sure, but he’d been too young to be tainted by the factional infighting of the pre-Barnham era which made him appealing to the younger left, likeable to the soft left and tolerable to the right. Before long, he’d gone from a union rep at a local level, to a bigger fish city organiser, and had served on the metropolitan council.

Only a decade ago the man from Mytanija was nobody. Now, he was a meeting away from becoming a candidate for the federal parliament, a role that would see him go from having a constituency of tens of thousands to almost a million Eurans citizens.
‘The important thing is not to panic’ wobbled his assistant Lucy, a spotty first year university intern working in his campaigning office, ‘just be really calm. Its all going to be fine. I’ve briefed you on everything, I’m sure.’
‘Its ok, Lucy, you’ve done a good job! It’s all on me…don’t worry, you’ll get your reference either way.’ She laughed nervously as he gave her the trademark smile. A bit of him winced on the inside. He was a man of principle and substance and not a charming political operator. It didn’t hurt to be broadly appealing, though.

‘Who’s on the panel?’
‘Jones, Partington, Howell-Dean.’
‘Ok…not as bad as I thought.’
‘Howell-Dean isn’t your biggest fan.’
‘He’s just bitter that its not him on my side of the table.’
‘I’ve prepped you for the other two.’
‘Jones and me go back, he’s a good bloke. Partington, she might be trickier. But that’s what this is for!’ he proclaimed, waving around Lucy’s proudly assembled binder. ‘Listen, I’ve got a couple more metro constituents I want to meet before our office hours are up.’
‘Ok. Remember though, you’ve got to be there at seven, no later!’
‘I will be. On the dot.’

[Mytanija]

Welcome to Match Day 4. Getting to the business end of the group stage now, who is going to get you out of it?

Group A
New Gelderland 2–2 Astograth
Oberour Ar Moro 3–3 Mytanija (Scorinated by South Newlandia)

  Group A                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Mytanija                                      4   2  1  1   11  10  +1    7  Q
2 Astograth                                     3   1  1  1    7   6  +1    4
3 New Gelderland                                3   1  1  1    7   4  +3    4
4 The Askari Union                              3   1  1  1   11  12  −1    4
5 Oberour Ar Moro                               3   0  2  1    6  10  −4    2  E

Group B
Tikariot 5–1 Olastor
Bollonich 2–4 Sargossa

  Group B                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Sargossa                                      4   4  0  0   11   6  +5   12  Q1
2 Tikariot                                      3   2  0  1   11   7  +4    6  Q2
3 Olastor                                       3   1  0  2    2   6  −4    3  E
4 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      3   0  1  2    1   3  −2    1  E
5 Bollonich                                     3   0  1  2    4   7  −3    1  E

Group C
Kirungabi 0–1 Darmen
Norrhem 0–5 Cabo Azure

  Group C                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Cabo Azure                                    4   4  0  0   12   1 +11   12  Q1
2 Darmen                                        3   1  1  1    5   6  −1    4
3 Norrhem                                       3   1  1  1    6   9  −3    4
4 Gatchingerrak Union                           3   0  2  1    4   7  −3    2
5 Kirungabi                                     3   0  0  3    3   7  −4    0  E

Group D
Isle Noire 3–6 Ceni
Rea San Vegas 1–5 Nyowani Kitara

  Group D                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Ceni                                          3   3  0  0   14   9  +5    9  Q1
2 Cassadaigua                                   3   2  0  1   11   8  +3    6  Q2
3 Nyowani Kitara                                4   1  1  2   11   9  +2    4  E
4 Rea San Vegas                                 3   1  0  2    4   9  −5    3  E
5 Isle Noire                                    3   0  1  2    3   8  −5    1  E

Group E
Valladares 0–0 República Guanacasteca
Poais 1–2 Eastfield Lodge

  Group E                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Eura                                          3   2  0  1   10   7  +3    6
2 Poais                                         3   2  0  1    6   5  +1    6
3 Eastfield Lodge                               4   2  0  2    7   9  −2    6
4 Valladares                                    3   1  1  1    3   2  +1    4
5 República Guanacasteca                        3   0  1  2    0   3  −3    1  E

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

  Group F                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Nephara                                       3   3  0  0   10   4  +6    9  Q
2 San Isidro Labrador                           3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
3 Pridnestrovia                                 3   1  1  1    8   8   0    4
4 Río Oscuro                                    3   1  0  2    3   6  −3    3  E
5 Xinhua                                        4   0  0  4    7  13  −6    0  E

Group G
Græntfjall 1–1 Pasarga
Firinsymnia 2–3 Southwest Eastnorth

  Group G                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Southwest Eastnorth                           4   2  1  1   10   9  +1    7  Q
2 Græntfjall                                    3   1  2  0    7   5  +2    5
3 Pasarga                                       3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
4 Firinsymnia                                   3   1  0  2    7   6  +1    3
5 Captina Island                                3   1  0  2    1   5  −4    3

Group H
Savojarna 0–1 Austroslovakia
Gnejs 3–0 Three Golden Kingdoms

  Group H                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Gnejs                                         3   2  1  0    4   0  +4    7
2 Yuezhou                                       3   1  1  1    5   1  +4    4
3 Austroslovakia                                3   1  1  1    5   9  −4    4
4 Savojarna                                     3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
5 Three Golden Kingdoms                         4   0  2  2    6  10  −4    2  E

[Cabo Azure]

Norrhem 0-5 Cabo Azure
Scorers: Medonça (1'), Medeiro (15'), Fonseca (35'), Silveira (58'), Branco (90+1')

Las Maçaricas chose violence.

After Pio Mendonça scored on the opening possession, the Norrhem squad were clearly rattled, but did a passable job rallying in defense and trying to get numbers forward. A hard-fought defensive effort led to an otherwise beautiful strike from Corte-Real being tipped over the crossbar by Gunnar Fagerud, eliciting a roar from the Norrhem fans and proving that perhaps their team did have some fight in them; unfortunately, Deodato Medeiro chose the resulting corner to open his account for the national team, ripping a vicious header just being Fagerud's glove and doubling the Maçaricas' lead.

Down 2-0 in the opening quarter of an hour, the Norrhem squad attempted to stay composed but struggled to get forward, allowing Cabo Azure to dictate the pace of the game and take shots at their leisure. Estavao Fonseca, replacing Gouveia in the starting lineup, scored again for the Maçaricas before the half.

The game slowed some in the second half, but an ill-advised tackle from young centerback Frederika Norrland gave Cleto Silveira a direct kick in dangerous position, and he converted for the Maçaricas' fourth. Branco would score in stoppage time, a characteristically cheeky coast-to-coast run to just beat the keeper.

The Azureans advance as group winners to the round of 16, where they will play Cassadaigua, the team which famously crushed their hopes of exiting the group stage in Copa Rushmori 38, the Maçaricas' international debut.

“A Divisão”, pt 5
The current Azurean constitution, the kingdom’s first in its history, is widely referred to as “O Compromisso”, because it contains a number of concessions made to the Gang of Seven, the oligarchy which ruled Cabo Azure after King Reinaldo II was deposed. O Compromisso was negotiated in secret by a group which included representatives from the Gang and both royalist and republican factions of the resistance, mediated by Quebecois diplomats. The royalist faction was led by the queen presumptive herself, Dr. Abigail Fonseca, formerly Princess Abby, the younger sister of King Reinaldo II who was disinherited and exiled before the coup.

Abby made a strong case for restoring the monarchy as the best hope of uniting the Azurean people behind the new government. Both republican leaders and the Gang of Seven were reluctant to place Abby on the throne, believing she had the potential to consolidate power as her great-grandfather Adolfo II had, and so a compromise was struck. The monarchy would be reinstated, and Abby would be crowned queen, but she would never rule; instead, she would immediately abdicate to her son, Manuel, who was in his late twenties and employed as a bartender and cab driver in Sao Simone.

Other stipulations of O Compromisso were that the new government would not cancel the debts incurred by the Gang of Seven and would not seek to prosecute the Gang of Seven or their cronies for crimes committed during O Interregno. These terms were controversial when they were revealed to the public, but Abigail managed to turn the controversy to her favor by contending that she had acted within her mandate as the rightful queen of Cabo Azure.

Under the power-sharing arrangement enshrined in O Compromisso, the newly-minted Assembly could pass laws with the tacit approval of the ruling monarch, but the monarch held final veto power over any laws they passed. The crown lacks the authority to pass laws without the Assembly, though it can overrule the courts in allowing the Assembly to pass laws that would otherwise violate O Compromisso. King Manuel has yet to use either of these powers, though he maintains an active presence in Azurean politics in general.

[Gnejs]

Today’s News

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Sports – Copa Rushmori

Dandelions defies rumors of imbalance due to disruptive internal turmoil in confident 3–0 win against Three Golden Kingdoms – first ever Copa knockout stage within reach

By: August Berg

Both stakes and tensions were on high alert as the Dandelions approached their third game in the 42nd Copa Rushmori in the Mytanijan port city of Trunca and the newly refurbished Ribar stadium.

After the massively important – and in all honesty somewhat surprising – win against Yuezhou on the first match day, and an impeccably executed frustration of Savojarna on the second, the circumstances for a first-ever qualification from the Copa group stage seemed to be perfectly aligned, with the remaining opposition being lower seeded teams. Yet despite this, woe and uncertainty have marked the past few days in Union football life and commentary.

After we at Today’s News were able to break the story of four Dandelions leaving The Union and their domestic clubs for Tikariotian and Viljamark team Fort Viljan Northern FC next season, there has been an uncharacteristic abundance of gossip and rumors surrounding the national team, with talks about internal strife and heated personal conflicts.

Apparently, the main source of strife is one segment of players vehemently and loudly condemning the transfers as “traitorous”, but it was said that everyone in the squad and apparatus were equally annoyed at the timing of the whole affair and its disruptive effect at a crucial stage of the Copa campaign. Only yesterday, we were informed about intense arguments escalating into all-out brawls and fistfights during a morning training session.

Sources tell us that midfield key player Menexenus Nilsen was heavily involved in yesterday’s troubles, and the plot thickened even further when the lineup for the upcoming game was released and coach Eriksen had made several changes – which again is highly uncharacteristic – among them benching Nilsen and instead starting with newcomer Samuel Falkmar. Another aspect that certainly turned some heads was that all four of the transferring players were set to start on the pitch, with Carl Benedictsen and Cornelis Ceder replacing Phaedo Svensson and Simon Naess.

From the outside, this surely looked like a coach taking sides and openly supporting some of his players over others, but Eriksen was visibly annoyed when hints like these were thrown at him at the pre-match press meeting earlier today. He maintained that the changes he had made were all planned ahead, saying

”We came here with not one plan, but several plans, as we always do. Our main plan – what was deemed most realistic – was to steal a point each from the top seeds, and then approach our finishing games fielding our most experienced starting 11. However, if we managed to come away from the opening games with one, or even two, wins – which was deemed a possibility – we would use the opportunity to give game time to other players, among them our newest addition, Samuel. As you know, we did come away with a win in our opening game, and we therefore implemented what had been agreed upon beforehand. There is no story here besides one of proper implementation.

It’s probably fair to say that not everyone was convinced by Eriksen’s explanations and assertions, and the players present were all tightlipped and opted to speak little about team chemistry and refused to comment on rumors.

All Union players had a tense look in their eyes as they entered the pitch, but it’s of course impossible to determine whether that was due to these alleged conflicts or just the game being a crucial point in their campaign. That tension would melt away however, and some of the credit for that could perhaps be placed with the travelling Union fans, who right before the game finally kicked off made a statement of their own when they unfurled a large white banner with the words Vi är alla Viljamark spray-painted in black.

Whatever the reason, the Union team kicked off with great intensity and proceeded to take charge of the game (again, uncharacteristic, as opposed to their standard reactive mode). The new inner midfield pair of Falkmar and Drange seem to have quickly built an understanding, and combined they injected an unusual amount of attacking energy and speed to the Dandelion midfield. The first goal came after around 30 minutes of play, when Cratylus Hansen managed to secure a Union corner that he himself made sure landed perfectly on Stefan Grålum’s forehead.

The second half in many ways mirrored the first, with the Union team possessing much of the ball and effectively shutting down the few attempts emanating from the Three Golden Kingdoms, although some of that attacking energy evaporated. Benedictsen and Mikael Fauster managed the trust put in them by coach Eriksen well, and they nicely integrated into the five-man defensive line. Cornelis Ceder remained invisible for large stretches of time, but in the 78th minute he narrowly escaped an offside trap and managed to catch a beautiful through-ball from Falkmar that he coldly put past the Kingdoms goalkeeper. Ceder ran towards the Ribar section holding most of the Union fans and applauded them, before being overrun by teammates from pitch and bench, and a big embrace between Ceder and Menexenus Nilsen seemed to put most rumors of irreconcilable differences to rest.

Coach Eriksen made a couple of changes late in the game, and substituted Falkmar and Nes for Göran Drake and Theages Nilsson, whereas Eriksen’s “old Friend” from Finntorp IK Jack Wijk came in instead of Ceder. Wijk, who has said that this Copa will be his final outing with the Dandelions, thanked Eriksen by scoring a final goal in the second minute of extra time after August Bjørneboe and Drake collaborated in setting up a quick counterattack.

With that 3-0 win, the Dandelions now sit at 7 points at the top of Group H. That coveted qualification for the first knockout round is very much within reach, but the deal isn’t done and it’ll all be decided on the final match day. The Dandelions wields the power to seal their own fate, because any point they bring home from the game against Austroslovakia means they are through. Advancement is still a possibility should they lose, but then they’ll have to depend on a favorable outcome in the other game, where Yuezhou takes on Savojarna in what promises to be a very interesting game.

[Mytanija]

MYTANIJA 1-0 NEW GELDERLAND
MYT: Skara 36’

MYT: 12. Puzin; 13. A. Milosevic, 14. Pestotnik (sub. Jaganjac 87’), 4. Mbala-Ekakia (c), 16. Gvardjancic; 6. Papez (sub. Smajic 60’), 18. Aganovic, 10. Kuhar-Arh (sub. Ovsyannikov 74’); 8. Vujanovic (sub. Tejic 60’), 22. Skara (sub. Prpic-Bosanac 60’), 21. Bajic
NGD: 1. Birdwhistle; 2. Z. Engstrom (sub. Ben-Avi 74’), 3. Villin-Sallow, 4. Calder, 5. Apollo; 8. Springsure (sub. Nesheim 67’), 6. McKenna (c), 7. Hume-Nelson (sub. Proulx 55’), 11. C. Engstrom (sub. Prescott 74’); 9. Swan-Weiss, 10. Longreach (sub. Aphelion 55’)

MYTANIJA 3-3 OBEROUR AR MORO
MYT: Skara 11’, Atsev 43’, Prpic-Bosanac 81’
OAM: Petitmesnil 50’, 63’; l’Apostoile 87’

MYT: 12. Puzin; 2. N. Ovcina, 14. Pestotnik, 4. Mbala-Ekakia (c), 5. P. Odonelec; 17. Smajic, 7. Atsev (sub. Prpic-Bosanac 65’), 10. Kuhar-Arh (sub. Ovsyannikov 45’); 20. Tejic (sub. Vujanovic 72’), 22. Skara (sub. Prokopljevic 45’), 11. Hranilovic (sub. Bajic 72’)
OAM: 1. le Duc; 2. Bauldry, 10. Chapuisseur (sub. au Paus 90’), 11. de Baingneus, 3. Lot; 5. Breut (sub. de Chaalons 59’), 4. Clouzot, 6. d’Amienz (sub. la Ventriere 59’); 7. Vrely, 9. Petitmesnil, 8. Gayrard (sub. l’Apostoile 80’)

Dzvezdan Kitanchev didn’t know what to make of his players’ performances in the Copa Rushmori group stage. You would usually see a host nation play with increased motivation, taking the game to opponents and riding a wave of national pride to some fantastic results. Instead, this time Mytanija looked burdened, when they got a lead it looked like they didn’t want to attack for fear of letting one in at the other end, the play was sometimes slow and laboured. Poor Nurija Papez was one of few who could hold their head high, the young regista was playing a difficult position in Kitanchev’s team and all the play went through him. He would sometimes be the only one showing for the ball, looking to make things happen even when his teammates were not making runs off the ball for him.

Then there was whatever happened in the match versus The Askari Union. Kitanchev had been apoplectic in the changing room after the game. It had been an utter embarrassment, experienced players like Grigorij Savicevic getting sent off so early in the game, Jezdimir Ocokoljic making a true striker’s tackle and Semir Besak not helping himself by giving away penalties and getting himself sent-off for talking too much. They were suspended for the match against New Gelderland anyway, but when they had served their suspension Kitanchev kept them out of the game versus Oberour Ar Moro too, to prove a point. The problem was that Mytanija collapsed in that game too, a poor defensive showing and an error from Anton Puzin for the eventual equaliser sent the media into overdrive about how Kitanchev would have to bring the experienced heads back in.

He winced at the thought, the three had not been happy with his decision, they could easily have created further disquiet in the camp but thankfully did not. Now he would need them to come back in and perform, to not hold a grudge against him. Luckily Drazen Skara had performed well, scoring the winning goal against New Gelderland when smashing a Milos Bajic cut-back – something he was so used to doing for his club – low beyond Birdwhistle. He had notched the opener against the Oberours as well, heading home from a Nemanja Ovcina cross. Ocokoljic had been the hero for so long, but Skara was certainly on an upwards trajectory too. Ocokoljic was long enough in the tooth to know that he couldn’t rest on his laurels if he wanted to play a key part in any success the Hoops might have.

It was a different story at the back. Pestotnik had acquitted himself okay and perhaps would look even better if the rest of the team was working better, but Grigorij Savicevic’s reputation had only grown with his suspension and being left out of the team. Several pundits proclaimed how the team ‘would never’ have lost a 2-0 lead with Savicevic in the team, how he’d have handed out a couple of reducers to the opposition as soon as they looked like building up a head of a steam and stopped their momentum in its tracks. Besak was in a similar position given Puzin’s error for l’Apostoile’s late goal. They’d both come back in for the knockout rounds, though Kitanchev felt a little lucky that Mytanija were even getting there.

Their 7 points would be more than enough in a four-team group, that would represent a strong showing and Kitanchev would be praised for getting the team through undefeated. In a five-team group it was a little less solid and had results gone differently, could have left Mytanija in a very sticky situation. This was something the media were only too happy to note, despite the fact Mytanija were now through. The draw between Astograth and New Gelderland ensured the Hoops had the head-to-head tiebreaker over both no matter what their results on Matchday 5 and whilst the Askari Union could still overtake them due to the crazy 6-5 win at the Novi Atletskistadion, that did mean that Mytanija would be safe in either first or second whatever the configuration of the results in the final games.

The sporting dailies didn’t want to know about that, though, they were happier with the screaming headlines about how Kitanchev’s team had embarrassed a nation versus the Askaris and how they were only squeaking through despite the home support roaring them on. Kitanchev hadn’t always been as conscious of the newspapers as he was in the national team job, but the general bemusement around his appointment had led him to tune into it all a bit more. Many had believed that Slavko Jelic or Luca Zagorc would be better choices, some wanted the proven success of a Misel Ravnjak or a Sava Grgurovic despite the difference in playing styles they would represent from the Repin school which had been established with the national team.

Jelic was now doing incredibly well with Sargossa, leading them to four wins from four in the group stage on Mytanar soil. Luca Zagorc had taken Litala ’93 into IFCF competition and was now taking over at Liria Prizren, a new high-pressing, direct solution for a club which had usually stuck to the well-trodden philosophy of possession football at all costs. Many viewed Kitanchev’s appointment as a mistake in light of the success those guys were having. Dzvezdan didn’t begrudge them success (well, maybe Slavko a little bit, he was managing Sargossa after all), but he did begrudge the fact that they escaped the 24/7 spotlight that came with the national team job after Lev Repin. Repin had revolutionised things after Mytanija had been in the doldrums following the Conflict, it pretty much didn’t get tougher as a follow-up act.

They would be in the knockout rounds, though, either against Sargossa or Tikariot, dependent on whether The Askari Union could beat New Gelderland or not. If that happened and Astograth failed to win then Kitanchev would face off against Jelic and Mytanija against Sargossa. One of the toughest international derby fixtures there was. Otherwise, Tikariot would be the opponent, a team Mytanija had done reasonably well against in the recent past but who could always pose problems given the strength of some of the attacking talent available to them. Kitanchev knew things would only get more difficult from here on. He needed the players to know that too.

“Okay! Everybody in!” He blew his whistle, prompting all the players to stop juggling footballs and passing to one another and come in. Time to get his message across to them.

[Captina Island]

Captina's Greatest Day Awaits!
The Captina Company News Service
(ESCA, MYTANIJA)--The Captina Company National Football Team need just ninety minutes and a victory over defending Copa Rushmori champion Graintfjall to earn a place in the knockout stage of this current CR tournament.
There would also need to see a no winner finish in the other Group G contest between Pasarga and Firinsymnia, which would leave Captina on 6 points, Graintfjall and Pasarga on 5 and Firinsymnia with 4 points, all behind Southwest Eastnorth which have qualified after completing their fixtures.

Any other result in the final matches will see the NT eliminated, with The Captina Company Football Agency leaving the program in limbo for the World Cup 93 cycle. There are suggestions that TCCFA might look to build upon the modest successes in the Copa Rushmori Juvenil with entries into the DiBradini Cup and RTC Under 18 Championship.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

TCC Super League clubs fall in IFCF play
The Captina Company News Service
(BIG FLINT)--The first occasion for clubs from TCC's Super League to compete in the Champions League and the Challengers Cup have seen all four entries eliminated within the first two qualifying rounds.

League Champion CNO North Point were knocked out of the Preliminary Round of the Champions League, losing both legs of the tie against Tjori side Asverblau Afoln, 3-1 away and 2-0 in the return in North Point to fall 5-1 on aggregate.
In the Challengers Cup, TCC Geneva lost at home 2-1 and then away to Hovedstad Capital 2-0 in the Preliminary Round, while Punto Nord suffered an identical fate against Villa Silva by similar results.
TBG Big Flint were the only winners, seeing off Malta FC by a total 5-1 score after winning at home 4-1 and closing out the tie with a 1-0 away victory. This sent them into the First Qualifying Round where they faced Nazionale Acqui Bollente of Saviglaine, which saw a 3-1 defeat followed by a draw in the return trip to Acqui Bollente.

Finally, CNO were demoted to the ChC Second Qualifying Round after their exit from the CL, and faced Banijan club Busukuma AC, with the first leg at home; unfortunately, the S-FPL side were too strong, winning 2-0 and finishing off the tie with a 2-1 victory at home.

For TBG and CNO, two additional home matches brought in additional gate receipts for the clubs, which will be used to strengthen their squads ahead of the opening of the next TCC Super League campaign.

[Poais]

Poais... a true land of opportunity

White sand beaches, the perfect climate, beautiful landscapes. A pristine land washed by the sapphire blue waters of the ocean... This might be paradise, but no, it’s paradise made real – Poais, a true land of opportunity.

Poais Sovereign Bonds are an excellent investment
Backed by the full faith and credit of the Sovereign Government of Poais, not only are Sovereign Bonds a safe investment, they offer unmatched returns and are available for a limited time. Expand your portfolio with a sure-win asset that will deliver a secure future for all your plans in life.

Poais real estate is set for massive gains
There is no better time to invest in land and housing, in fact many would say these are the safest assets possible. Imagine a slice of prime beachfront land you can call your own... forever. For you and your family to hold and pass down to the next generation, so your descendants will always enjoy a place in paradise. That’s the promise of the numerous excellent and reputable developments in Port MacGregor and government-approved resort destinations in Poais.

As more and more people are discovering the investment opportunities and quality of life that Poais has to offer, this is an opportunity that will quickly disappear. Don’t miss out – this is almost certainly the start of a boom and this is a chance that won’t last for long. The Poais Land Office at www.land.gov.poais can help you find your new home or exclusive getaway.

Poais is definitely real
Many biased journalists in the media have accused Poais of being a scam and not a real country. Sadly, this is just the kind of colonial prejudice developing countries like Poais inevitably face from some in the Western media who are stuck in the mindset of a century long past. Some other allegations are false, baseless and defamatory, and the Government will pursue such malicious claims to the fullest extent of the law. Our football players who have had such success in the Copa Rushmori will be very surprised to learn they are not playing for a real country, that their houses are fake, etc. Ask Eura, ask Valladares, how fake is this country? Not at all. Such baseless lies are easily disproven, so foreign journalists must refrain from further insults to our sovereignty.

How can you protect yourself from scams? Make sure you’re dealing directly with the Government of Poais, or if you’re dealing with a broker, make sure they show you our Government's seal of authorization and a serial number that can be verified by calling our worldwide toll free number. That's how you'll know you're dealing with someone you can trust.

[Nephara]

Nephara win

[Tikariot]

Welcome back to our coverage of the Tikariot Premier League transfer window activities and with this to the second half of the table.

As one of the disappointments of last season, Dhun Lagarr FC have put it on their banners to avoid a repeat and aim at IFCF again, where they feel they belong. The biggest name missing from the season 107 roster is midfield legend Raymond Mattheiss, who at the tender age of 36 has decided that enough is enough and has switched sides to become part of the coaching staff. To take his spot as an impact sub and potential successor in the aging midfield, the Bulls brought in Eduardo Sarramauca from relegated Baraldhur AFC, who was lured away with the promise of more playing time.

The Avanaroch White Wings also did not quite manage to hit their targets. After an excellent start to the season, their momentum sputtered out towards the end and they are trying to fine-tune things. The two most prominent departures are Zeta Rekan centreback Damjan Protić and Mertagnian striker Branoc Letemendia, who are off to Kelssek's CS Saint-Rémy and Vantanoch FC respectively. Despite some decent income from the transfers, the White Wings have opted for a rather spartan approach, bringing up three academy players, among them San Ortelian dual national Lida Morini, as well as Stevencousin free agent Chathura Vimalaharan, which has not been very well received by fans in Avanaroch.

Speaking of disappointments, Tikariot City FC has had one of the most miserable first halves of a season ever, occupying a relegation spot for the most part before rediscovering their strengths during the second half, putting down the third-best record in that stretch and recovering to a still disappointing 13th position at the end. While some teams would go for a massive overhaul, the Snowy Owls are showing remarkable restraint with the only player from the starting eleven to depart being Jean-Aniel Sirois, who is joining Forest City Athletic in Quebec & Shingoryeo, but club legend Choam Osfomilúo also is taking a step back, given his fairly advanced age. While Sirois' spot is being taken over by shooting star Anders Skogensberg, Choam's position will be under particular scrutiny, especially with TCFC splashing out 5.5 million auranurs for Cardenaoan midfield wizard Diego Valenzuela.

Alcassar 1896 FC managed to stay afloat after their promotion and with the often much harder sophomore year approaching, they have been one of the most active teams in the window in an attempt to model their return to the TPL after the immensely successful Carathyr Emeralds. While Licentian Alasdair Barclay will be providing backup services on the leftback position, the other four signings are all slotted into starter roles, with Morannon Athletic's relegation providing Alcassar with three of their new players. Kuraitan duo Jonas Adomaitis and Lauris Indrašis moved west together with Cardenoan Zoltan Keidobika and Port Tacassam academy product Aleran de Varenchy will be taking over a lead role in central defense.

The Kyethas Rivermen also have been stuck in a bit of a rut of mediocrity, much to the chagrin of fans and management alike, given the quality of the squad. Despite this, or maybe because of it, the Rivermen again are putting their hopes on the true strengths to come through and maybe just some luck in tight games making the difference. The only notable departure is young Mytanar striker Miran Zakubovnik moving to Vantanoch for a season on a loan, while youth is the common denominator in any of the new faces, with forward Grant Plasencia joining the ranks, who already have Giacomo Patriarca and Zakubovnik as young offensive talent.

The Dragons of Xanark also are looking at quite some turnover, some of which is not by choice. Losing Easton Aird to the buying power of Oriannor surely is a harsh blow and it will remain to be seen if they can recover from it in what promises to be a tough season. Also gone are goalkeepers Daniel Bangoura (Bul Khungur) and Sondre Fosnæss-Tokstad (Fort Viljan) as well as rightback Mathieu Lavoie-Sabourin who has joined Port Tacassam as heir apparent to Anil Al Hak. The pressure of replacing Aird will squarely lie on Amelia Northmore's shoulders, a Sylestonian national team player coming in from Avondale Beach. Other signings of note are Cabo Azurean goalkeeper Zezé Sapateiro from Miruan, Chromatik left back Jenowefa Krzyżanowsk as well as young Tjorlian striker Henrik Nordnes, who is slotted in as understudy of his veteran compatriot Torstein Sondrol.

Barely escaping relegation only two seasons after their surprising TPL championship, the Pyathora Mariners are trying to reverse their fortunes. Unfortunately for them, two key players have left the club with Tumbran forward Duncan Silverwood joining Port Tacassam FC and Mytanar leftback Nemanja Ovčina switching their allegiance to Eivora Athletic. Filling their roles are Togonistan striker Keyn Menetua and Adrian Muscio moving up in the hierarchy. Menetua is coming from relegated Varakoula Warriors together with centreback Rai Kamakiwole, who will act as first backup in the defensive corps.

Now looking at the promoted teams, these usually are a flurry of activity in preparation for their first seasons (back) in the top flight and this year's "graduates" are no different. TSL champions Vantanoch FC, who in the past had a large Squornshelan contingent, are now placing their hopes on the concentrated power of Mertagne. Signing four of them (Jamie Lagueruela, Bleiz Denham, Jake Inxaugarate and Branoc Letemendia) shows that they are hoping that a strong bloc can bring immediate cohesion. But their attempts in strengthening their squad did not stop there. In defense Sylestonian Olivia Nambucca, Spencer Miltaugh and Savojar Simon Ronnberg were brought in to give the Hawks a solid back block, while Brandon Blacklock has been signed from Baraldhur to provide some offensive firepower in midfield as well. Joining Letemendia upfront is Mytanar youngster Miran Zakubovnik, joining on a loan from Kyethas. Also worth mentioning are two academy products, Astograthian dual national Bengolarrea Bidaurrazaga and Banijan-descended midfielder Livingstone Byaruhanga.

The return of Fort Viljan Northern FC also means the return of their very own approach to roster building. Traditionally they have been staying close to their roots, with their youth academy producing a remarkable number of players every season and also signing foreign nationals that align with their cultural heritage. They will be starting the season with two very exciting young players in Mikael Danderyd and Daniel Sankalin, while signing no less than six national team players. Capnordian Jorgen Bjerkness and Tjorlian Solveig Nicolaisen are joining four Gnejsan players in an unprecedented move for the island nation. Carl Benedictsen, August Bjørneboe, Cratylus Hansen and Cornelius Ceder will form a block within the Fort Viljan team that should provide the Viljan XI with
immediate familiarity.

And finally, the legendary Temple of the Crow is back in the TPL with the Bul Khungur Miners making their way back into the league. With the exception of their defense, where Annika Tatasciore has been drafted in, all other parts of the starting eleven have seen upgrades, many of them internationals. Former Xanark keeper Daniel Bangoura is taking over in goal, while the midfield will now boast Tikariotians Eachann Ó Maoilsheachlainn (Morannon) and Israel Conrad (Oriannor Mountaineers) as well as Pemecutan Satya Permadi (also from Morannon) and Savojar Kristian Reikkinen. Upfront Addison Gray is joining Ó Maoilsheachlainn and Permadi from Morannon and Gouvanarchais national team striker Adhémar Desreaulx is moving over from Miruan, where he had been confined to very little playing time.

So this was our transfer roundup and we can't wait to see how all of these changes will affect what promises to be yet another exciting season!

[Trans-Dniesters]

          NEPHARA 4 - 3 PRIDNESTROVIA     
     VETIVER (3')       NEDELYAYEV (54')
     LOEHER (29')       ZHOLDASOV (63')
  ANHARBOUR (35')       PEKKOR (77')
     HARPER (82')

Basil Santa Cruz, current manager of the Pridnestrovian men’s national football team, prepares to answer some questions from the Pridnestrovian Central News Agency after the Red Army’s 4-3 loss against Nephara in the 42nd Copa Rushmori.

PTsNA: Good evening, Basil. What a game that was, even if the result didn’t go our way. Once again, Nephara proved themselves to be superior against the Red Army. Would you care to say a few words with us about the game?

BSC: Of course, it will be my pleasure.

PTsNA: You went out there with a plan to take the fight straight to Nephara, a plan which lasted all of three minutes before the Cormorants took the lead against Pridnestrovia. Thirty minutes later and suddenly you were looking at a three-goal deficit when previously there had only been one. This then made you remove both Vladislav Fokin and Maksim Gurkin for David Nedelyayev and Viktor Astankov before the first half had even ended, but in the second half those two players were instrumental in helping Pridnestrovia achieve a near-improbable comeback. Did you always have those two substitutions in mind had the score remained 1-0 at half-time, or was you hand forced by the situation?

BSC: The plan was always to bring on either one of David Andreyevich or Viktor Fyodorovich before the second half. Their youth and their pace would have posed a challenge against Nephara as the game went on. However, the circumstances did push me towards making those early substitutions, but as we saw, it almost worked out for us. Almost.

PTsNA: This was the first time in so many years that Pridnestrovia had been on the wrong end of a 3-0 score at half-time in the Copa Rushmori, but you were also the first manager to almost lead the Red Army to its biggest turnaround in the same competition, only for the Cormorants to put an end to such hopes in the 82nd minute. What can you say about the mentality of your team and how they approached the problem of coming back from three goals behind?

BSC: I mean, I have nothing but praise for my players. This is only my second time managing them in the Copa Rushmori but I believe that I’ve finally gotten them to play the style of football that I want to play. And I also have to praise their mentality as well. Many other teams would have just meekly accepted losing 3-0 to Nephara, but not this team. Remember, Nephara was the team that denied Pridnestrovia victory in a third place playoff, which was also the Red Army’s first ever appearance in the final four of the Copa Rushmori. Pridnestrovia sees Nephara as the team that had denied them at least a part of their rightful destiny. They were most definitely not going to let themselves be beaten 3-0 by Nephara. I can certainly tell you that much.

PTsNA: Speaking of which, you are from Abanhfleft, correct?

BSC: Yes.

PTsNA: The Pridnestrovian people are well aware that Abanhfleft considers Nephara as its rival, although it currently appears doubtful that Nephara extends the same view to Abanhfleft. However, the question is, how much of your being a citizen of Abanhfleft affect your desire to win against Nephara?

BSC: The question answers itself, Ilya Mitrofanovich. As a citizen of Abanhfleft, I do consider Nephara as a rival of my country, although you are also correct in that Nephara doesn’t even look like they know that this rivalry exists. But then again, we are merely specks of dust to them. They have bigger fish to fry, so to speak. But that hasn’t stopped me from doing my best to claim victory over them, whether it is for Pridnestrovia or Abanhfleft.

PTsNA: Moving on from Nephara, Pridnestrovia still has one more match left to play in the group stage, which is against Rio Oscuro. Rio Oscuro are already eliminated from the Copa Rushmori while Pridnestrovia are not. However, a victory against them might still not be enough to secure our advancement depending on the results of San Isidro Labrador’s game against Nephara. Have you said anything to your players regarding Pridnestrovia’s probabilities of advancing?

BSC: I prefer not to do that sort of thing with my players. I find that it only distracts them from our actual objective of winning the game against our current opponents. There’s nothing that we can do to influence the result between Nephara and San Isidro Labrador, so why should we waste time thinking about it? Then again, if Nephara were to beat SIL by a large margin, it might just be enough for the Red Army to make it in. This might be the first time in my whole life that I have actually decided to support Nephara in anything. But I won’t let it intrude into my thoughts too much. From now on, my focus and the team’s focus will be on Rio Oscuro.

PTsNA: Thank you for your time, Coach Basil. We will let you return to your duties now.

BSC: Of course. My pleasure.

[Eura]

Iilja was not normally prone to nerves and today was no exception. He turned up at the headquarters of the Brigham Metro Social Party branch with a spring in his step, and without anyone from his office.
‘Ilija!’ barked a short and wide man of many years emerging from the lifts.
‘Dario!’ Ilija replied with warmth in his voice, as he saw the familiar face of the man who had founded the Social Party Mytanar Association. Dario Radakovic was one of the first major Mytanar diaspora political figures in Eura, let alone Brigham, and he’d played a big role in guiding Ilija to this point. ‘How are you? How are the grandkids?’
‘Oh, same old really, little bastards don’t know how good they have it. If I could tell them about the old days…’
‘I bet you will do, at length, I just hope they don’t fall asleep.’ Dario let out a cackle and glanced down his phone, then frowned.

‘Bastards.’
Ilija raised an inquisitive eyebrow. ‘What?’
Dario held up his phone. Another diabolical article, this time the Daily Falcon, trading in insinuations and slurs about Mytanar-Eurans, Euran-Mytanars, or whatever else you might want to call them – in this case, “devious pickpockets”.
‘Grim.’
‘When you get in to the house’ Dario proclaimed confidently, ‘you’ll be the example to put these people back in their box.’
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s a long way to go.’
‘No there isn’t – I know you Ilija, if somehow it doesn’t go well today, you’ll come back. But you will get there. Its not like they’ve got anyone else.’
‘Oh’ Ilija laughed, ‘thanks for the resounding vote of confidence.’
‘Ah, give over, you know what I mean. Good luck, lad.’

Once he was sat down in the room, Ilija’s calm demeanour wobbled just a little. He took a swig from the provided water and muttered something under his breath, a swearier version of “snap yourself out of it”.
In they came.
‘Mr Leskovar, thanks for joining us. As you know, you’re one of a handful of prospective parliamentary candidates we are considering to replace our colleague Bob Thomas at the next election. There are a few things we need to cover...’
Then, the flood.
Mistresses. Have any?
Embarrassing moments. When and where?
Allegations and accusations. Anything that can stick?
It was a level of personal inquiry he’d never faced before. But Ilija, fortunately, had very few skeletons in his closet. There was nothing big enough to cause him real problems, anyway. Once they were through that section, the panel gave each other approving glances, which had to be a good sign.

The rest of the interview of sorts fixated on a mix of strategy, with the unsaid caveat that personal and factional considerations were at play. It wasn’t entirely simple – Howell-Dean was the leftwinger on the panel, but had multiple axes to grind with Ilija and really shouldn’t have been involved on that basis. He was on Ilija’s case throughout over the minutiae of his plans as an MP more so than the substance.
Partington was on paper the tough nut to crack, a powerful player on the right of the party in the city. But interpersonally, they got on, and she was the youngest of the three panellists, which definitely gave Illija an opening to get her on side. She was probably never going to be entirely sold on him ideologically, but Ilija was able to make a targeted case for himself based on competence and connection to the local area.

That left Jones, who like Dario had known Ilija for years. He was the soft left figure and, ultimately, the one who would most likely swing it either way. And he was the easiest.
At the end, he got a few “problem testers” – questions designed to make sure he wouldn’t become a problem for the PM on key issues. Relations with Mytanija, Sameba, devolution to city councils, anything where the panel thought he could feasibly become a liability...
...and “law and order”.
He resented the focus on that subject but decided to grin and bear it. Inevitably, any Mytanar MP in Eura was going to face all sorts of attacks on the subject. He had to be prepared. None of them said it, none of them acknowledged it explicitly, but they all knew it.
The session was over. He took to leave-
‘When can you start canvassing?’
‘...what?’ Ilija was confused. ‘There’s no election for ages. I don’t want to undermine Bob.’
‘He’s dying. Got his diagnosis yesterday and is quitting tomorrow. There will be a by-election in a couple of months and you will be our candidate.’
‘Oh...’
‘Any questions?’

[Graintfjall]

“No divided loyalties” as gritty Snow Wolves grind out draw with Pasarga

Græntfjaller national team manager Ingþór Auðbjörnsson played down any talk of split loyalties after the Snow Wolves’ match against Pasarga, Auðbjörnsson’s home nation. “I’m a professional, and this is job. Igrene [Cantor] had to lead the team against Nephara, and this situation is no different.” The match also pitted Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir and Jasmijn Spiderlair against teammates and rivals from the Pasargan SuperLiga, where both play their trade for Tanrısal. Both players were firm in their desire to continue on with Tanı despite recent domestic political tensions in Pasarga that led to a season-long arrangement where games were played in Valladares. Spiderlair for her part continues her tussle for the Snow Wolves’ starting left-back role with Jan Játmundsson, but says she “enjoys playing in Pasarga, it’s one of the best leagues in the world and I have no plans to leave”, while pointing out that by most metrics, Pasarga is a considerably safer country than Græntfjall. “Pasarga is a very safe country, and I’m looking forward to another season there.” As for Finnvarðsdóttir, the midfielder, the star of Græntfjall’s World Cup victory campaign at the age of just 23, found the SuperLiga a tough assignment initially, and was not even given a starting role in the Tanrısal team to the consternation of Græntfjallers back home, but appears now to have grown into the confidence needed to get more regular starts and enjoyed a highly successful season in which she was named all-league. She, too, has recommitted to Tanrısal.

For all the build-up, the match itself proved something less than a barn-burner: with Pasarga needing to make up the points they dropped to Southwest Eastnorth, they played the more assertive role, but as a draw would keep the Snow Wolves in the group G qualifying hunt, a cagey affair suited them. Kjárr Þorfinnsson started in place of Danny Oddkellson in a nod to the defensive intentions of the Snow Wolves: with the extra defensive midfielder in place, Pasarga found it difficult to get any penetration in the middle of the field, and tried to rely on wing play exploiting overlaps with the Græntfjaller full-backs playing high. It took 25 minutes before either team registered a shot on goal, a through-ball just too heavy for Eustacio Corral Magana to get more than a toe to, comfortably saved by Mikkel Rúnarsson. As a cautious first half petered out, Magana again came close, this time beating Rúnarsson but cruelly striking the woodwork. Emboldened, Pasarga came out stronger to open the second half and within a minute of resumption, Ilona Kárpáty was slotting in a cool finish to an excellent string of passes.

Oddkellsson, sitting on the bench, could ruefully reflect that he hadn’t done a lot wrong in the first two games to merit deselection. Nor has he done a lot wrong at Aminey CS, despite whispers that the huge transfer fee attached to his signing for the Ko-orenite club hasn’t quite yielded the results hoped for. One thing he has not done often enough is score, but here he came up with what could be his important goal in blue-and-white since the World Cup 91 final, bringing the Snow Wolves back from 1–0 down after coming on as a substitute. It was Finnvarðsdóttir’s artistry that created the chance, gathering a seemingly impossible-to-control booming long ball from Alyssia Noahsdóttir and splitting the Sarazin–Szölôsi central defensive pairing with a stunning bit of skill before laying off the pass. Oddkellsson steadied himself and drove a firm strike in off the far post, beating Tomáš Přibyl at full stretch. As crowd favorite “Dan the Man” lapped up the chants from the travelling Snow Wolf Pack, the Wanderers were left with just 1 minute of regulation (and 3 of stoppage) time to summon another winner, which they could not – but then nor did the Snow Wolves, with Finnvarðsdóttir showing off another wonderful bit of skill to turn and get a shot off in the box, and slightly less wonderful skill in sending the toe-ender half-a-goal’s-width wide. In the end, whether loyalties were split or not, the points were, and both teams now will have to scrap for last day wins to follow Southwest Eastnorth through as qualifiers.

Also in the paper:

• NEWS: 1 dead after shootout at railway station, terror police on scene
• BUSINESS: As Espo gains traction in Esportiva, Rushmori central currency remains a pipedream
• POLITICS: Businesses sign up to initiative to provide families with meals during summer holidays
• STYLE: Prime Minister’s blonde makeover: how you can steal her look for less
• SPORT: Rögnvaldursson seeks to revive NT ambitions with move to Sylestone

[Kirungabi]

---

Kirungabi Eliminated from Copa Rushmori, to Make WC and BoF Debut

MIAGO (MYT) - With one match still left to play, the Kirungan National Football Team, managed by prolific Garçons du Port manager Cyril Kamembe, will not advance from the group stage into the knockout rounds of the Copa Rushmori held in Mytanija. Three losses from three games played, against 49th ranked Norrhem, top group seed Cabo Azure, and the Darmeni national team, has meant that the fledgling Kirungan squad has been left with no chance to qualify — and has placed the team among the worst performers of the tournament.

Playing their second match in Miago, the Kirungan team succumbed to a relaxed yet assertive Darmeni side with an 86' goal by debutant Emerson Weaver, after a near matchful of resisting well-orchestrated attacks from the 16th ranked side. A skillful entry by Bill St. John, who etched his way past an increasingly weary and fragile defense, prompted recently-subbed Aimable Mbabazi to attempt a sloppy recovery; the stray ball was caught by Weaver, who shattered the goal and left keeper Théoneste Bugasera with little chance of making the save. The loss meant that Kirungabi was definitively ruled out of any chance at qualification past the group stage; with no draws nor wins to their name, only 25th ranked Xinhua has performed worse at the tournament — with four losses and an extra game played.

Despite the disappointment — and the head-down bow-out from the pitch by the Kirungan squad — manager Cyril Kamebe was adamant that the loss was "part of the learning curve" of international football — at the same time, he made the shock announcement of the team's future plans.

"It's been confirmed to me by the President of Kirungabi Itangira Guhera, First Lady Musabyimana Uburiganya, and I have been informed I may announce it: Kirungabi will partake in the upcoming Baptism of Fire, and subsequently our very first World Cup Qualifiers. It's a landmark moment in our country's sporting history; okay, fortune and foresight may not have been on our side here in Mytanija, but as I have said and will continue to maintain, it's all part of the process. We have a lot to learn and a lot to change; with every stumble we learn to avoid a new stone."

Kamembe declined to comment on rumors that the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Sporting Commission, the organism which runs the Kirungabi Football Federation (FEKIFUT), is aiming to replace the Fupi manager with an experienced foreign coach heading into the marquee football tournaments of the multiverse. However, he hinted that changes in the team's roster were not out of the question. "Of course, our guys are also learning alongside us, and as we continue to discover how we can work together as a team, naturally, players may come and go as we find that synergy," he said.

The team's starting XI has been modified before their final match against the Gatchingerrak Union, with Marcus Irakunda and Munyentwali Niyonzima ceding their places to Garçons du Port starters and NT first-timers Patient Habimana and Rungayindo Gatabazi — attributing five of the eleven starters to Kamembe's Imyuzure based team.

MD5 Starting XI (Roster)

Pos #   Name (age)                          Place of Birth     Club (City)
GK #1   Théoneste Bugasera (28)             Imisozi            Garçons du Port (Imy)
DF #2   Hadrien Ubuzima (34)                Mwanzibashi        CF Liberté (Mwa)
DF #3   Thomas Gatera (20)                  Abongereza         Royal Boys AC (Abg)
DF #4   Rugira Rurangwa (26)                Mwanzibashi        CF Liberté
DF #5   Patrick Mutoni (18)                 Imisozi            Royal Boys AC
MF #23  Jean-Pierre Nduwayezu (27)          Gukingira          Garçons du Port
MF #7   Chitundu Sindikubwabo (24)          Kawakiyambu        Sport Kawakiyambu
MF #6   Patient Habimana (21)               Imyuzure           Garçons du Port
MF #9   Umunzimukuru Nzafashwanimana (26)   Mutembe            Thousand Hills City
FW #10  Pascal Mutabazi (19)                Imyuzure           Garçons du Port
FW #29  Rungayindo Gatabazi (23)            Ubuzima            Garçons du Port

[Mytanija]

This is your cut-off for Match Day 5. It is the season and all that: here is a festive tune.

Group A
Astograth 2–1 Oberour Ar Moro
The Askari Union 2–3 New Gelderland

  Group A                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Mytanija                                      4   2  1  1   11  10  +1    7  Q1
2 New Gelderland                                4   2  1  1   10   6  +4    7  Q2
3 Astograth                                     4   2  1  1    9   7  +2    7
4 The Askari Union                              4   1  1  2   13  15  −2    4
5 Oberour Ar Moro                               4   0  2  2    8  13  −5    2

Mytanija ahead of New Gelderland and Astograth on head-to-head points
New Gelderland ahead of Astograth on goal difference

Group B
Olastor 1–1 Bollonich
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 0–1 Tikariot

  Group B                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Sargossa                                      4   4  0  0   11   6  +5   12  Q1
2 Tikariot                                      4   3  0  1   12   7  +5    9  Q2
3 Olastor                                       4   1  1  2    3   7  −4    4
4 Bollonich                                     4   0  2  2    5   8  −3    2
5 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      4   0  1  3    1   4  −3    1

Group C
Darmen 1–2 Norrhem
Gatchingerrak Union 0–0 Kirungabi

  Group C                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Cabo Azure                                    4   4  0  0   12   1 +11   12  Q1
2 Norrhem                                       4   2  1  1    8  10  −2    7  Q2
3 Darmen                                        4   1  1  2    6   8  −2    4
4 Gatchingerrak Union                           4   0  3  1    4   7  −3    3
5 Kirungabi                                     4   0  1  3    3   7  −4    1

Group D
Ceni 1–1 Rea San Vegas
Cassadaigua 4–2 Isle Noire

  Group D                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Ceni                                          4   3  1  0   15  10  +5   10  Q1
2 Cassadaigua                                   4   3  0  1   15  10  +5    9  Q2
3 Nyowani Kitara                                4   1  1  2   11   9  +2    4
4 Rea San Vegas                                 4   1  1  2    5  10  −5    4
5 Isle Noire                                    4   0  1  3    5  12  −7    1

Nyowani Kitara ahead of Rea San Vegas on head-to-head points

Group E
República Guanacasteca 1–1 Poais
Eura 5–0 Valladares

  Group E                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Eura                                          4   3  0  1   15   7  +8    9  Q1
2 Poais                                         4   2  1  1    7   6  +1    7  Q2
3 Eastfield Lodge                               4   2  0  2    7   9  −2    6
4 Valladares                                    4   1  1  2    3   7  −4    4
5 República Guanacasteca                        4   0  2  2    1   4  −3    2

Group F
Nephara 2–0 San Isidro Labrador
Pridnestrovia 1–1 Río Oscuro

  Group F                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Nephara                                       4   4  0  0   12   4  +8   12  Q1
2 San Isidro Labrador                           4   2  1  1    5   4  +1    7  Q2
3 Pridnestrovia                                 4   1  2  1    9   9   0    5
4 Río Oscuro                                    4   1  1  2    4   7  −3    4
5 Xinhua                                        4   0  0  4    7  13  −6    0

Group G
Pasarga 1–1 Firinsymnia
Captina Island 0–5 Græntfjall

  Group G                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Græntfjall                                    4   2  2  0   12   5  +7    8  Q1
2 Southwest Eastnorth                           4   2  1  1   10   9  +1    7  Q2
3 Pasarga                                       4   1  2  1    6   6   0    5
4 Firinsymnia                                   4   1  1  2    8   7  +1    4
5 Captina Island                                4   1  0  3    1  10  −9    3

Group H
Austroslovakia 0–1 Gnejs
Yuezhou 0–0 Savojarna

  Group H                                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Gnejs                                         4   3  1  0    5   0  +5   10  Q1
2 Yuezhou                                       4   1  2  1    5   1  +4    5  Q2
3 Savojarna                                     4   1  2  1    3   3   0    5
4 Austroslovakia                                4   1  1  2    5  10  −5    4
5 Three Golden Kingdoms                         4   0  2  2    6  10  −4    2

Yuezhou ahead of Savojarna on goal difference

Second Round

A1 Mytanija v Tikariot B2
Stadion Prizren, Prizren

C1 Cabo Azure v Cassadaigua D2
Miagostadion, Miago

B1 Sargossa v New Gelderland A2
Olujastadion, Ebor

D1 Ceni v Norrhem C2
Novi Kaunostadion, Thessia

E1 Eura v San Isidro Labrador F2
Radnika, Esca

G1 Græntfjall v Yuezhou H2
Novi Atletskistadion, Thessia

F1 Nephara v Poais E2
Kotrba, Esca

H1 Gnejs v Southwest Eastnorth G2
Psenicova, Decraa

Your next cut-off will be in 6 days (just under 144 hours from now). Have a lovely Christmas!