Baptism of Fire 82 - IC Thread

by **PotatoFarmers** » Tue Oct 17, 2023 7:27 am

Hello one and all to the 82nd edition of the Baptism Of Fire! This would serve as the introductory tournament for 24 teams new/returning to the World Cup cycle, looking to compete to be the best of the newer teams. This would be the Everything thread for the IC information only. Any OOC posts should be made on the discussion thread.

Format
4 groups of 6. Top 4 of each group, will qualify for a Round of Sixteen. Thereafter, it will be a single-elimination bracket.

Groups

Held in and Scored by Poafmersia

Group A
Newlandiq
Frontiere
Vilwandia
Salish Republic
West Kharakia
Vielfaltig

Group B
Maraonia
Corrupt Petrostate
Myrtle Beach
The Dictatorship of Vanilla
Aquatian
Filonian State

Held in and Scored by Juvencus

Group C
Rea San Vegas
Basel-Triesen
Why are you in here
Shieldstan
Sea Dome
Brannfjord

Group D
Bigpipipstan
Vdara
Corporate City 1
Beefsteak City
Niolo
Senterus

Group Stage Tiebreakers
1. Points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw)
2. Head-to-head points among tied teams
3. Head-to-head goal difference among tied teams
4. Goal Difference
5. Wins
6. Coin Flip (Match scored using only RP bonus)

Schedule/Cutoffs
(How to read the below: If you are the 1st listed team in your group, then you are team 1 as listed below; 2nd listed = team 2; 3rd listed = team 3; etc.)

MD1: 21st Oct (Sat) - 1 v 6; 2 v 5; 3 v 4
MD2: 23rd Oct (Mon) - 6 v 4; 5 v 3; 1 v 2
MD3: 25th Oct (Wed) - 2 v 6; 3 v 1; 4 v 5
MD4: 27th Oct (Fri) - 6 v 5; 1 v 4; 2 v 3
MD5: 29th Oct (Sun) - 3 v 6; 4 v 2; 5 v 1
Round of 16: 31st Oct (Tue) - A1 vs B4/B2 vs A3; B1 vs A4/A2 vs B3; C1 vs D4/D2 vs C3; D1 vs C4/C2 vs D3
Quarterfinals: 2nd Nov (Thur)
Semifinals: 4th Nov (Sat)
Finals/3PPO: 6th Nov (Mon) at Juvencus' cutoff timing

Poafmersia (Group A-B) cut-off timing: 10 p.m. Singapore Time (3 p.m. British Summer Time/10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time)
Juvencus (Group C-D) cut-off timing: 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. British Time
(MD1-4: 4 - 6 a.m. Singapore Time next day/4 - 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time).
(MD5 onwards: 5 - 7 a.m. Singapore Time next day/5 - 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

Scorination will be done using xkoronate 0.3.3, with the NSFS formula, and additive modifiers between -5 and +5. Please indicate your style modifier as a number in a clear and obvious manner in your roster post.

RP, Roster Information
Rosters will be entitled up to 1x Matchday RP Bonus.Quality and effort of the RPs will be taken into account. Users who are interested in their current RP progress may give us a TG for a rough estimate of their RP bonuses anytime during/after the tournament.

You may start posting rosters/RPs in this thread now! Please do not reserve any posts/rosters, thank you.

For the newcomers to NS Sports, participating in a tournament in this forums for the first time, do have a read at the Guide to Sports Roleplaying, linked above! For more info on how to start a roster, I have linked some information in the spoiler below, explaining about RP permisions, style mods and all.

Before any tournament begins, it is common courtesy to post a roster. A roster may include: Background to your country; Information about your players; Sharing about your football playing style; How your fans interact with out fans in this nation; some of the special information others should know when roleplaying about the match between your team and their team.

In your roster post please include the ever useful RP permissions box to let your opponents know what you're okay with them doing in their post-match RPs. A common template is as follows:

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent roleplays first, they may:
Choose my starting lineup: Y/N
Choose my goalscorers: Y/N
Godmod scoring events: Y/N
RP injuries to my players: Y/N
Godmod injuries to my players: Y/N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y/N
Hand out red cards to my players: Y/N
Godmod other events: Y/N

You may also include a style modifier which reflects your national team's style of football in the roster. The modifier is a number (typically up to 3 decimal places), between -5 and +5. The most defensive of teams will use a style modifier of -5, while the most aggressive of teams will use a style modifier of +5. Teams who play a more balanced style may use a style modifier of 0. Do note that this will not affect your chances of victory/defeat, it only affects how the final scoreline may be. For instance, looking at a one-goal win, two really aggressive teams have a higher possibility of scoring 7 goals in a 4-3 victory for one; two really defensive teams are more likely to end up having a 1-0 scoreline instead.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Tue Oct 17, 2023 7:28 am

Welcome to Poafmersia! The Ministry of Business and Trade (MBT), through the Poafmersian Tourism Board (PTB), has published various guides to Poafmersia, giving visitors from around the multiverse some information about the Poafmersian culture, heritage, and a guide to the various states and major cities in Poafmersia. The guides are often never exhaustive, and depending on the group of visitors and their purposes, PTB often customise these guides to allow them to be more informed prior to the nation of Poafmersia. In conjunction with the Ministry of Arts, Sports and Culture (MASC), the PTB has published this version of the sports guide - for fans and visiting teams coming to Poafmersia for the 82nd Baptism of Fire.

All about Poafmersia
Poafmersia is a really huge country located in The North Pacific, with a size of 1.8 million square kilometers. Home to approximately 850 million residents, the country is well known for its really idealistic policies and governance system. Many Poafmers consider the nation to be at the forefront of "pioneering government policies", ranging from her environmental policies, her system of governance, as well as building a multicultural society. Even though the majority belong to the Jaffan race, Poafmersia is home to 27 ethnicities in total, according to government estimates. The true proportion of these ethnicities, however, is not official tracked, under the "Ethnic Protection Act" which forbids collection of data related to ethnicity.

Transportation
Many visitors may find themselves unused to the transportation system in Poafmersia. The nation's emphasis on environmental protection has made public transport the main method of transport for Poafmers and visitors alike. While there are inter-city roads that are open for private vehicles, these vehicles are not allowed with many city limits, including Trimidau Island, City of Mancodas, City of Dalaris, Fiskadaha City, and Holhot, among other places. For small groups who require personalised transport, they would typically charter minibuses or electric taxis, which are readily available in big cities. Otherwise, the rail system or the public buses is the main method of travel.

Between cities, there are inter-city railways, as well as cross-state buses, that allow for travel from one side of the country to other. For smaller counties and townships, there are also shuttle train and bus services that serve these areas. Because such places may be out of the place and may not be as well connected, residents in these places may be more likely to own private vehicles. There are rules and regulations in place governing the ownership of these vehicles, as well as the type of vehicles.

For the teams coming to Poafmersia, it would be possible to charter buses for the teams to travel from a city to another for matches. The alternative, however, would be to charter trains - and many major inter-city railways have express tracks for express services, that would allow for quicker travel alternatives. There are also 4 high-speed rail services that serve different parts of the country, namely the Mancodas-Fiskadaha Express (between Mancodas and Fiskadaha City); the Trimidau-Dalaris Rail (between City of Dalaris and Trimidau Island); the Holhot-Fiskadaha Line (between Fiskadaha City and Holhot, with selected stops at major cities such as Sarim, Jackinson and Paishi-jak); and the North-South Railway (starting at Madaris, stopping in the outer limits of Greater Mancodas, Fiskadaha City, before moving on to Georgetown, on the inner limits of the City of Dalaris).

Culture
Poafmersia is very welcoming to foreign visitors who are exploring the country. The people's openness to visitors was something that couldn't be taken for granted a decade ago - when Poafmersia was largely isolationist. Sports has been a major avenue where Poafmers have gained exposure to foreign nations, especially in football, which is the most popular and successful sport in Poafmersia. Other major sports include basketball, hockey (both field and ice hockey), badminton and aquatics, though the skill level of the sportsmen largely varies.

In Poafmersia, racial and gender stereotypes are frowned upon. In many sports, men and women co-exist in national leagues, and gender neutral terms are largely preferred. As such, conversations that crosses the racial and gender lines will probably get you into trouble, so visitors should be careful of that. Care for the environment is something that is extremely unique in Poafmersia. Visitors in hotel rooms would be expected to sort out their waste between recyclables and non-recyclables. At restaurants and dining places, food wastes are chargeable, and diners are reminded to request for smaller portions if necessary. The country has largely eliminated use of plastic cups, cutlery and bags. At shopping malls, people bring recyclable bags or buy paper bags; at drink stalls, people bring their own bottles and tumblers. Visitors to Poafmersia are also expected to abide by these environmentally-friendly guidelines, and there are reminder announcements played at major ports of entry.

Stadium locations in Poafmersia

Poafmersia is split into 10 main states. For this competition, 12 stadiums will be used in various stages of the competition. In particular, a multitude of smaller stadiums will be used for this tournament. Note that the stadium allocations for the knockout stages will be announced separately.

Bikasta
Located at the north-west of the country, Bikasta is the second smallest state in the country, after Dalaris. The state is home to the second busiest port in Poafmersia, after Georgetown, located in Jottim. Jottim is also the capital of the state.

Stadia Cochin, Cochin (capacity 49,000)
Located in Cochin, the second largest city in the state, Stadia Cochin is home to Cochin FC, a mid-tier club who has been moving between the Apex and the Supreme League. The stadium is one of the few stadiums in the country with an artificial turf (the other being Dreamers Park).
Matches to be played: Myrtle Beach vs The Dictatorship of Vanilla (MD1); Frontiere vs Vielfaltig (MD3); Aquatian vs Maraonia (MD5)

Sporting Jote Stadium, Jote Town (capacity 41,000)
A smaller town located just outside the city boundaries of Jottim, it is home to Jote United, a Supreme League club which has been improving in recent years. Many Jottim schools also use the stadium for their sports activities, as this is the bigger stadium as compared to Jottim Park.
Matches to be played: Maraonia vs Filonian State (MD1); Salish Republic vs West Kharakia (MD3); The Dictatorship of Vanilla vs Corrupt Petrostate (MD5)

Ramadau Trish
Located at the west of the country, Ramadau Trish is considered to be the agricultural centre of the country. Many of the residents in the state are farmers, working for a number of local agriculture farms. For people interested in taking a tour of animal farms, this is the go-to state, as many of these farms also provide experiential tours to showcase the entire farming process.

Theatre of Light, Kistina (capacity 59,000)
Home of Kistina Galaxy, one of the big clubs in the Apex, the 59,000 seater stadium is one of the best in the country. A retractable roof is just one of the many technological advancements in the stadium. The stadium could be converted for use by track and field events in just under 8 hours, and it comes with automatic temperature adjustors that can change the internal temperature in under 30 minutes.
Matches to be played: Corrupt Petrostate vs Aquatian (MD1); Vilwandia vs Newlandiq (MD3); Myrtle Beach vs Filonian State (MD5)

Dalaris
Dalaris may be the smallest state per land size, but it is one of the most well developed states in the country, and is a main driver of Poafmersian economy. Georgetown, located on the Dalaris island, used to be a commercial port, but operations have largely moved across the bridge to Bigsorth. Georgetown is a heritage site, as recognised by the MASC, and there are lots of heritage buildings which represents an important part of Poafmersian history. For visitors interested in heritage tours, a visit to Dalaris is something which should not be missed.

Dalaris State Stadium, City of Dalaris (capacity 46,500)
The main stadium in Dalaris, it is home to Dalaris City, one of the biggest clubs in Poafmersia. 10 years ago, it would be absolutely unbelivable that Dalaris City was going to be one of the finest clubs in Poafmersia. But the club's rise has largely been due to their investments in a bigger stadium, better training facilities, and integrating younger players into their squad. In fact, 3 consecutive years of domination at the top is what prompted many clubs to change their strategies towards football, and changed the face of the then PFFA Premier League, now the Apex. Dalaris State Stadium will be one of the main stadiums in the hosting of the IAC.
Matches to be played: Maraonia vs Corrupt Petrostate (MD2); Vielfaltig vs West Kharakia (MD4)

Sporting Dalaris Stadium, City of Dalaris (capacity 37,120)
This used to be the main stadium in Dalaris, sharing between Dalaris City and Dalaris Sports FC. Both used to be semi-professional clubs, aiming to dominate the Dalaris State League, a very small football league in Poafmersia. As their bigger city rivals moved out, Dalaris Sports FC took complete ownership of the stadium. The rivalry between both clubs is often seen as a battle of thoughts. Dalaris Sports FC advocates the haggling of the ball, aggressive gameplay, as well as defence-first tactics. Dalaris City, prefers a more balanced approach, utilising possession to build momentum and create fast flowing attacks.
Matches to be played: Filonian State vs The Dictatorship of Vanilla (MD2); Newlandiq vs Salish Republic (MD4)

Agureo Stadium, Agureo Township (cap 47,000)
Agureo Town is a small town on the mainland, along the main travel pathway to Piskn. The town is home to lots of good food, with the famous Joseph strip comprising many nice seafood restaurants.
Matches to be played: Aquatian vs Myrtle Beach (MD2); Frontiere vs Vilwandia (MD4)

Piskn
Piskn is the other tourism hub, considered the big brother of Dalaris. Piskn has lots of tourist hotspots, like beaches, museums. Trimidau Island is not the usual resort island, but there are lots of fascinating beaches that makes it the big brother of Dalaris. Fast crafts betwen Trimidau and Dalaris happen close to every hourly. There is also the underwater rail between Kingsford, the biggest city on mainland Piskn by population, and Rukiya, the capital of the Trimidau Island. Kingsford and Trimidau Island will have 3 stadiums for the duration of this tournament.

Naksa Stadium, Naksa, Trimidau Island (capacity 41,000)
Trimidau Naksa is the smaller club on the island. Naksa, is the more culturally vibrant side of Trimidau, being on the eastern most point of the island. Facing the East Poafmersian Sea, the beaches are the cleanest on the country, and a grand total of 6 beach resorts exist on the outskirts of the city. Many tourists come to Naksa to enjoy water activities, including Snuba Diving, and Water Surfing.
Matches to be played: Newlandiq vs Vielfaltig (MD1); The Dictatorship of Vanilla vs Aquatian (MD3); Salish Republic vs Frontiere (MD5)

Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island (capacity 37,000)
Rukiya is the more developed part of the island, and is home to some clean factories that accounts for a huge part of the island's economic contributions. However, Rukiya is a must-go for its hawker culture, which is the setting up of food stalls by the road side. The intermingling of tall buildings, together with the kampung-like hawker culture, is what makes Rukiya absolutely interesting. Rukiya Sports Stadium, part of the Rukiya Sports Hub, is the home stadium of Trimidau Rukiya.
Matches to be played: Frontiere vs West Kharakia (MD1); Corrupt Petrostate vs Filonian State (MD3); Vilwandia vs Vielfaltig (MD5)

Offsdi Stadium, Kingsford (cap. 55,500)
Kingsford is the capital city of the state. It is home to Offsdi Stadium, which is the home stadium of the capital's 3 clubs. It is a very populous state and full of lots of good shops and food.
Matches to be played: Vilwandia vs Salish Republic (MD1); Myrtle Beach vs Maraonia (MD3); West Kharakia vs Newlandiq (MD5)

Cochas
Cochas is home to Mancodas, home to the headquarters of many companies, and also the biggest population center in Poafmersia. There are lots of corporate headquarters and branches in Poafmersia. While the official financial hub is Fiskadaha City, there are other companies who have chose to set up their headquarters and offices here in Mancodas. Mancodas is also home the University of Mancodas, the biggest university in Poafmersia (but may be less popular than the Fiskadaha School of Liberal Arts or the Maximus Rochester Institute for Science and Technological Research), featuring faculties in various areas.

United Park, Greater Mancodas (cap. 61,000)
United Park is located around 35 minutes ride from Camp of Power by bus, but there is no direct bus from that part of the city to this part of the outer limits. United Park is home to FC United of Mancodas, the third club in the Mancodas subregion. FC United is unique in that the ownership lies in the fan club, and the fan representatives make decisions on hiring personnel to the various positions, as well as the sacking of the manager.
Matches to be played: Newlandiq vs Frontiere (MD2); Corrupt Petrostate vs Myrtle Beach (MD4)

Mancodas Complex, Greater Mancodas (cap. 60,000)

Mancodas Complex is part of the Mancodas Sports Complex, the biggest sports complex in Poafmersia. Featuring 6 indoor sports halls, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the Mancodas Basin (which allows for open water activites), Mancodas training ground (typically used for gridiron and rugby), as well as other indoor facilities such as a cycling track. Mancodas Complex is wel connected to the city center of Mancodas, and is home to Mancodas Athletic FC, the oldest football club in Cochas.
Matches to be played: West Kharakia vs Vilwandia (MD2); Filonian State vs Aquatian (MD4)

Camp of Power, City of Mancodas (cap. 61,000)

Located in the heart of Mancodas, it is the closest to the Mancodas Airport. It is one of the stadiums with the best facilities, featuring a retractable roof and the ability to change the field format for various sports. It is home to Mancodas City, one of the top clubs in the Apex.
Matches to be played: Vielfaltig vs Salish Republic (MD2); Maraonia vs The Dictatorship of Vanilla (MD4)

by **Juvencus** » Tue Oct 17, 2023 7:29 am

JUVENCUS INFO:

BENVENUTO AL JUVENCUS

BIEVENUE A JUVENCUS

BIENVENIDOS A JUVENCUS

BENVINGUTS A JUVENCUS

WELCOME TO JUVENCUS

Juvencus is a nation of contradiction, a millennia-long history and a huge variety of cultural groups that all belong under the same banner. It is located on the northernmost point of the continent Suntae in a planet called Sonnel. It has a football-crazed population of 150 million people, most of which eat, breathe and live football. There is a Juven saying that goes "There's God and then there's football." which is what should be kept in mind as you visit Juvencus.

History: Juvencus' history is a history marked by war, the spread of its diverse yet interconnected string of cultures and to a lesser extent its tip-toeing between colonising several areas of the world while also remaining isolated from most global politics until recently.

While its first parts of history can be traced back to the prehistoric era, Juvencus' alleged ethnogenesis takes place in ~500 BC with the creation of the Pomen Empire. With an era known as the era of Advancement spearheaded under the reign of Emperor Julianus I, the Empire found itself controlling the entire western side of modern-day Juvencus, slowly settling over the land and intermixing with several pre-Juven tribes. By 200 BC, the Pomen Empire found itself having 3 excellent Emperor-Generals in Claudius II Magnus, Octavian I and Demetrius IV and a period in history known as the Century of Conquest followed. The Pomen Empire not only managed to conquer lands in modern-day Juvencus and Oscioru but managed to spread way beyond while carrying their language, traditions and the religion of Juvacism to the farthest reaches of what was the known world at the time. For the next 5 centuries a period of relative peace followed until 400 AD, where the empire had been weakened by its upper class living way too lavishly and because of the corruption that had filthed up the masses. A new religion called Christianity started to spread in the Empire. Despite efforts to stop it, they all failed and it led to its dissolution in multiple states.

Throught the middle ages the area known as Juvencus was split between ultra-religious feudalist states that fought with each other over power and influence, especially over religious hegemony. Two powerful states emerged in this period, namely the Duchy of Pomena and the Principality of Scudelli, two states that would remain undissolved until the Unification of Juvencus. A series of wars followed in the Papi Orientali period between Western Juven factions and Eastern Juven factions over whether the papal seat of power were to be in the east(led by Scudelli) or west(led by Pomena), the west won and the seat of power was moved in a makeshift city-state called OCEPS(Order Cardinalis Et Papa Sonneliae).

The Rennaisance Period followed on which the arts, sciences and literature progressed and while proxy wars kept on between the two afforementioned great powers, it was a period of prosperity. While trade with other Revoda Sea states was flourishing, the search of different spots for trade followed with Montagnaverde and Al Qurija soon being discovered and colonised by Pomenienze and Scudelliano settlers in the 17th century. 100 years later the first portals to other parts of the multiverse were discovered, however they were not completely understood until the early 20th century.

The 19th century can only be described as a century where the nationalism took a heavy rise and people realised that they were part of one unified group, the Juven. The Enlightenment of the Juven and the subsequent Juven Question followed were big subjects in the first 30 years of the 19th century. Following that, several states, led by Pomena, took it upon themselves to unify the people of Juvencus. The first attempt, known as the First Great Unification War, was a 4-year conflict which failed. Severeal strict measures were imposed on the losing side which led to remorse and the thirst for Unification. The events of 1865 and the genocide of the Sud Juven following The Great Attempt(as the name suggests, an attempt on which the Sud immigrants from all over the nation tried to return to their homelands), were the final straw. This culminated in the Second Great Unification War. After a bloody conflict which saw over 1 million people perish in combat and due to disease, it all ended with the unification of Juvencus into the state that it is known today under the guidance of an Emperor blessed by God, Pomenienze Duke Gianluca IV, coming from a line that the Terzi family claims to be a direct successor of the last Pomen Emperor, Stephanus III the Cursed.

The early 20th century was plagued by conflicts with neighboring Oscioru while the new nation was trying to establish itself in the world stage in one way or another as well as a de jure decolonisation from other Sonnelian establishments that they had created. A strong mafia established itself in the major cities of the nation, dictating life in it until the 1950's when the monarchy itself decided to kick them out of the nation. They successfully managed to fully kick the mafia into Montagnaverde by the 1960s. From then on, the Monarchy itself indulged in corruption until the death of Paolo IV, Terzi which included an embarrassing defeat in the 1975 War Against Oscioru. He was succeeded by none other than Nicola II, Terzi who contributed to the Holy Empire's entry into advancement, new age exploration and neo-colonisation in different sides of the multiverse and modernisation, a phase it is still in today.

Geography & Climate: Juvencus is located on the northernmost tip of Suntae in Sonnel, right across from Drawkland. To the southwest it borders Dubbo-Krish, Oscioru to the south and Pripet Socialist Republic and Pravilo Za More to the southeast. It is important to pinpoint the country's proximity to the equator, located just south of it.

The west is known as one of the traditional breadbaskets of the nation, with a mediterranean climate mostly owing to a cold breeze and current from the Revoda Sea which gives its lower temperature and larger seasonal variation than what would be the average in its latitude at the Juven side of the coastline. It is a flat, fertile region with a type of soil known as "Juven soil" on which plants grown on it grow at 4-8 times the rate they would if they were to be put onto any other type of soil and always on a quality far ahead of the rest. It is known as the heartland of the nation as many major cities, namely Pomena, Serone, Tipoli and Vilan are all located in there.

The center-east is known as one of the two typical sides of Juvencus at this latitude weather-wise. It is characterised by the dense tropical forest of Santo Giovanni Maria with rich wildlife and a large flat savannah region -namely the Port-Pegassu basin and delta- that are extremely fertile, despite the heat that is known to strike the region. That region has two seasons, hot & humid or extremely hot & dry. Revoda Sea provides no temperature mitigation on this side of the country. Scudelli(Port-Pegassu being part of its greater area) is the only major city in the area, but it is one of the most important ones in the nation as a whole.

The center and far east of the country are known as a tropical desert area with an extremely hot & inhospitable climate as the Revoda Sea currents suddenly become warm again and the wet wind gets trapped on the west and center-east. The area's signature enviroment is that of the dry desert known as the Crescent Desert, whose barrier is the Crescent Mountain range in the west and south. Major cities in the area are Torona, Cuori, Córdoba and Vinceti.

The south and southwest, known as the Sud, are the other typical -weather-wise- region of the nation. It is known as yet another region mixed with flat savannahs and lush rainforests scattered all over. The savannah is known as either La Savanne or the Conquista plain while most of the forests have multiple names due to their small size and linguistic barriers between neighboring towns. This is the frontier of Juvencus as beyond this region are the neighboring nations of Oscioru, Dubbo-Krish, Pravilo Za More and Pripet Socialist Republic. Major cities in this region are Pacgliari, Aguajú, Demene and Tiscan.

People & culture: Despite the nation being internationally known as a Holy Empire, Juvencus is a secular state and that is reflected on its population. Juvencus has population of around 150 million people, 60% of which belong to the country's national religion of Juven Catholicism. There is also a significant chunk of Atheists, Agnostics and other Irreligious people, touching at 30% while the rest belong to the Juven Orthodox Church, Sonicrism, Islam and other religious sects.

Juvencus is split into two major regions culturally, the Pomenienze-influenced west and the Scudelliano-influenced east. The west is afforementioned West, South and Southwestern geographical/climate regions with several patches from the Center. A department known as Occidentalis. While the eastern department are patches from the Center, the Center East as well as the east, known as Orientis.

This has prevalent effects on society as a whole and while Christians, mostly gathered in the west, are a bit more conservative, traditionalist and nationalistic in nature, the irreligious people, mostly gathered in the east, are known to be more progressive, liberal and not as caring of their national identity. Unless it is of course for the country's representation internationally through sports or through other means, such as politics.

Their mutual point is hospitality and kindness, which are uniform all over the nation. In the west, people will serve you tabletop sweets like "atyrú", which are small unleavened fried dough balls dunked in either honey or syrup(similar to RL lokma) or "azucarcana" which are soft candy canes if you visit their homes for an extended period of time. In the east, people are inclined to offer strangers sweet coffee, a glass of red wine of the Campana Variety(very sweet, high alcoholic content, served in small glasses) or an alcoholic beverage known as Verteze which resembles aperitifs like ouzo or raki. Juven people are also known as very temperamental, passionate and prone to several mood swings, however they are not violent. So do not hesitate to talk to any of them as they will help you around with everything you need help with.

Juven cuisine is diverse and it really depends on which region of Juvencus you decide to go to. However, it could be characterised as a type of Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on fruit, vegetables and less so on meat despite the prevalence of lifestock. More meat such as beef is consumed in the west than the east, while the east is more reliant on fruit such as bananas. Both sides however eat a lot of grains.

Another important thing to know is that in Juvencus people drive on the right side of the road. They are somewhat reckless drivers but thankfully the good-quality of roads prevent unnecessary accidents from taking place.

Lastly, it is important to know that the Juven national currency is the Juven Peso, with 1 Juven Peso being equivalent to 1.78 Universal Standard Dollars. Exchange offices exist in international airports, ports, near bus stops that serve international transits and close to football stadiums, however debit and credit card usage are both widespread.

Football in Juvencus: A version of football in Juvencus was firstly introduced by explorers Adamo Carabinieri and Maximillian Lacoste to people in Scudelli after they went on an "illegal" expedition to a distant multiverse where they found a different group of humans, which are known as the mythical Osstruti who played a sport played with the feet and the purpose was to score goals. The modern version, however, was introduced by Quebecois soldiers in the 1880's, as the Great War of Unification was approaching its last days. It was initially only played between Quebecois and Juven soldiers in the battlefields but soon enough spread in every single corner of the nation with many people of the working class taking part in street games that would last for hours. As such, a war-like passion for the game was born.

It did not take long for rich people to notice and take advantadge of the situation and as such several professional teams were established, with different regional tournaments taking place all culminating in a national cup tournament between the winners. It was how the game would be run in the country until 2016 with the creation of an official Squadra to participate in international tournaments as well as the creation of the Campionato di Juvencus. Although the pyramid of Juvencus has 2 divisions, all regional tournaments persist and are played out with many teams being used as talent farms for the professional teams up high.

Football culture is fierce in Juvencus with many teams possessing large groups of passionate fans with many ultras organisations that would do anything for their clubs. Many of the teams were created with a political or social undertone and as such, football is seen as a way to fight a war without the death or destruction of many. That is of course always proven wrong, unless Juvencus has to host international tournaments.

Stadiums:

GROUP C: DESERT GROUP
Alcázar Stadium, Córdoba(Capacity: 45,000): FC Cordoba's castle, the Alcázar is one of the newest and most technologically advanced stadiums in the nation. Located in the city center of Córdoba, right across the Qasim Mosque, the stadium is modelled after that grand structure. It has 4 minaret-looking towers, which also serve as VIP watchpoints for the game, while the seats are located close to the pitch, giving the fans the power to speak to the players in-game. Lastly, it has a retractable roof that can give the stadium the appearance of a mosque from afar. This gives the stadium an intimidating feeling both looking outside and especially when located inside.

To host: First-listed group games

Stadio di San Valentino, Cuori(Capacity: 40,000): Cuori is a bustling oasis and metropolis in the middle of the desert, which is reflected in the Stadio di San Valentino. Stadio di San Valentino is designed to look like a gigantic desert fortress from the outside, while from the inside it has the most modern air conditioning so to keep both fans and players alike in check among the high temeperatures of the desert. It is AC Picilia's home ground.

To host: Second-listed group games

Stadio Artemio Alberti, Herona(Capacity: 31,000): Named after Herona's Pomenienze language group protector and language promoter in an ever-growing Scudellois speaking city. It is a blood-red stadium that adorns the city's southern side. On the inside, all seats are red and gold, arranged much like an amphitheatre, while a giant statue of Artemio Alberti holding a book on one hand a musket on the other is just outside the stadium's gates. The amphitheatre-shaped stadium produces loud sounds which come from the fan chants inside the stadium, providing for an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

To host: Third-listed group games

GROUP D: REVODA WEST GROUP

AquaToro Arena, Torona(Capacity: 56,000): USC Toro's stadium, AquaToro Arena is a bright stadium modelled to highlight Juvencus' capitalist tendences in the fullest sense of the word. A stadium that is filled with large billboards, a lot of which are dedicated to the popular drink brnd AquaToro, which also invests heavily in sports and gaming. The inside of the stadium is pretty much the same, with giant screens that show advertisements at half time, while a lot of stores keep expensive shops inside the stadium making it usable both while a game is played and while it is not.

To host: First-listed group games

Il Metropolitano, Tipoli(Capacity: 40,000): SSC Tipoli's home ground, Il Metropolitano is yet another stadium indicative of maritime pride and the country's connection to the Revoda Sea. A mixture between mixing in the urban jungle whilst simultaneously having beautiful grass designs, usually shaped like unicorns or dolphins is what describes this stadium best.

To host: Second-listed group games

Il Porto, Serone(Capacity: 40,000): Il Porto, located right at the heart of Serone's harbour gives the sensation that the spectator might be on a boat. With the waves crashing every so often right outside the stadium's gates or when a ship honks its horns as it is passing by. It is, both literally and in essence, the closest to the Revoda Sea any stadium will be located in the competition. It is the home of AC Serone, nicknamed "i Revodesi" meaning the inhabitants of Revoda.

To host: Third-listed group games

KNOCKOUT STAGES: GIRO DI JUVENCUS

Vinceti Catedral, Vinceti(Capacity: 53,000): The Vinceti Catedral was to initially not bid to host games for the competition, as it had performed its duties as the national team's home ground. It also has a state-of-the-art cooling system, as well as very specialised VIP rooms and shops of all kinds, like a small city. Most importantly, however, it is a stradium with an electric atmosphere, where fans are expected to play the loudest chants, musical instruments and keep the stadium as colorful as it gets.

To host: First-listed Round of 16 game

PegAssus Arena, Port-Pegassu(Capacity: 43,000): Stadio del Porto's upgrade is now know as the PegAssus arena. A giant oval stadium filled with purple seats and has 4 giant golden horns on top. On the inside, the stadium is inside a makeshift cage that still allows for a good view of the game, while it gives the impression of the Hell in a Cell wrestling stipulation. Its unusual design makes it an interesting stadium to play in and to watch games from.

To host: Second-listed Round of 16 game

La Frontière, Guillermont(Capacity: 40,000): AC Guillermont's stadium, it is located next to the War Cemetary of Unification War Doctors and as such, statues of doctors and other pacifist figures adorn the stadium gates. The inside of the stadium gives the impression of being in the fields, due to the stadium's more "natural" design which also gives it a touch of class unlike others in the nation.

To host: Third-listed Round of 16 game

Nuovo Stadio della Popolazione, Remeno(Capacity: 51,000): A stadium made by the people for the people. A hall celebrating the efforts of the Remeniotti fighters that died in the War of Unification as well as the workers that helped rebuild the nation in the following years. On the inside, there's amplification windows that amplify the sounds of the fans inside the stadium and can make chants sound extremely loud. On top of that, lectures promoting the political ideology of the local inhabitants are commonplace before every game, that includes games of international calibre.

To host: Fourth-listed Round of 16 game

Il Scudelliano, Scudelli(Capacity: 55,000): U.S Scudelli's ground, Il Scudelliano is the city's marvel located at the iconic "Marchard" neighborhood with colorful homes while overlooking the sea in the distance. It is a square structure where the seats are literally next to the pitch, allowing for pitch invasions to happen at any time. Thankfully security personnel keep a tight look and as such they do not happen often. On the other hand, it also positively enhances the performances of the players by receiving positive chants from the fans this close to them. It has received a giant extension since last time it was used for international matches and now it is considered as an even hotter boiling pot than before.

To host: First-listed Quarterfinal game

Stadio Electrico, Aguajú(Capacity: 34,000): No stadium in the country is quite like this one. Stadio Electrico is exclusively funded by the fanbase of AS Aguajú. A stadium with a sky blue glass ceiling and generally exterior, with all sorts of lightning bolts adorning the general seat design of the inside. Stadio Electrico has an electric atmosphere, indicative of the impulsive, striking nature of the locals of the region. A giant Uranus sign statue exists within the stadium as a sign of respect to former manager Urano Berpitulli, who led the local team AS Aguajú to victory.

To host: Second-listed Quarterfinal game

Stadio Gianluca IV, Pomena(Capacity: 85,000): Stadio Gianluca IV is one of the newest major stadiums to be built in the nation funded directly by the Holy Emperor himself. It is a state-of-the-art facility with all the newest multiversal stadium technologies in use, such as airconditioning and artificial grass of a material that gives the perception of real grass, as well as other similar properties. Its atmosphere has developed from more artificial in comparison to some of the other stadiums in the country to one that can make even the bravest souls tremble.

To host: Semi-final game

Il Nuovo Stadio Olimpico Della Pomena, Pomena(Capacity: 137,000): The largest stadium in the nation, Il Nuovo Stadio Olimpico Della Pomena is a gigantic, immense presence in the city of Pomena. Its sheer size alone makes every chant feel intimidating, like a call to arms. It is indicative of the nation's deep history and it is the home ground of the Gli Attaccanti as well as AC Pomena's former ground. It routinely hosts high-level games, whether domestically or internationally the most imporant of which was the 3rd place playoff match of Independents Cup 16.

To host: Baptism of Fire Final

by **Maraonia** » Tue Oct 17, 2023 9:42 am

MARAONIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
Information
Name:The Federal Republic of Maraonia
Trigram: MAR
Formation: 4-4-2
Style Modifier: +2.5

Position Name Age
GOALKEEPERS
GK Sebastiano Del Rosario (Age 25)
GK Konstantínos Mitropoulos (Age 32)
GK Maximilien Labouchère (Age 28)

DEFENDERS
RB Aleksandr Matasovič (Age 23)
RB Marco Da Silva (Age 27)
CB Fabiano Casanetti (Age 30)
CB Damien Mosinmann (Age 21)
CB Jose Mario Fonseca (Age 29)
CB Marko Savicevic (Age 28)
LB Giovanni De Laurentiis (Age 34)
LB Viktor Čanković (Age 32)

MIDFIELDERS
RMF Alessandro Di Lorenzo (Age 28)
RMF Christodoulos Antonákis (Age 25)
CMF Sébastien Dechambeau (Age 20)
CMF Alexandre Ferreira (Age 27)
CMF Sebastião Proença (Age 22)
CMF Fabien Domenach (Age 30)
LMF Federico Martinez (Age 22)
LMF Giovanni De Rossi (Age 29)

STRIKERS
CF Damien Lacosteau (Age 23)
CF Jose Carvalho (Age 27)
CF Alexandros Pavlákis (Age 32)
CF Sèbastien Grosjean (Age 25)

STAFF
Main Coach: Konstantinos Paraskevopoulos (Age 41)
Assistant Coach: Jose Eduardo Da Silva (Age 36)

Kits
Home:Dark Red with Dark Blue Shorts
Away: Dark Blue With Dark Red Shorts

Team Lineup
Del Rosario
Matasovic—-Mosinmann—-Fonseca—-Čankovic
Antonákis—-Dechambeau—-Proença—-Martinez
Carvalho—-Grosjean

Team Roles
Captain: Viktor Čanković
Vice-Captain: Sèbastien Grosjean
Left Corner: Christodoulos Antonákis
Right Corner: Federico Martinez
Penalties: Jose Carvalho
Free-kicks: Sebastião Proença

RP Permission
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my starting lineup: Yes
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

by **Maraonia** » Tue Oct 17, 2023 11:19 am

OOC: The world that Maraonia is in is a merger of both the NS & RL worlds in this Universe

Giovanni De Laurentiis has had a great footballing career. He has become one of the greatest Maraonian footballers in history and at 34 years of age his career was pretty good. From starting college football winning the NCUSF Football Premier Division to making his professional debut for Olympique de Castellet and then winning 2 national titles
with Olympique it was time to go international signing for Romania’s Steaua Bucharest until he was 29 when he went to join Dutch giants Ajax guiding them to 3 Eredivisie titles in a row his career was for his point of view was fantastic. But he announced that he would have a press conference about his career.

Giovanni De Laurentiis’s brother Alessandro 2 years younger than him said ‘’ Giovanni are you sure about this?

Giovanni said ‘’ I’m sure this is my decision’’

Alessandro said ‘’ Well okay’’

At the hotel the media were getting ready then as Giovanni walked to the table infront of the media he felt worried in his brain but he was calm

‘’ Hello everyone thank you for coming after Giovanni’s speech we will get to questions thank you’’

It was time ‘’ Hello I want to make this short but in general I am announcing my retirement from both club and international football after the end of WC95 cycle. I know that this was a difficult decision but after the 95th World Cup Cycle. I am retiring from football entirely I only want to thank the players, managers, the everyone who has contributed to my football career I am proud of want I done during my football career and it has been a blast so even though I have said this I am retiring from football after the 95th World Cup Cycle thank you.’’

After the questions from the media Giovanni went to his house near the CBD it was 7:00 in the evening and Giovanni looked at the windows showing the city of Chamberg.

Giovanni sighed and said ‘’ Well time to show myself one last time.’’

by **City of Myrtle Beach** » Tue Oct 17, 2023 8:34 pm

Myrtle Beach National Football Team

The following squad has been called up for the 82nd Baptism of Fire and the 95th World Cup (4-4-2 formation, I have no idea why there is so much space between this heading and the table):

Position	Player	Club
CF	Justin Stevens	Southport City
CF	Brian Farmer	Myrtle Beach FC
F Reserve	Caleb Brennan	Myrtle Beach Union
RM	Michael Norris	Kingsland Athletic
CM	Blake Campbell	Adamsville SC
CM	Jeremy Fulton	FC Northdale
LM	Eli Morris	Southport City
M Reserve	Cody Bartlett	AFC Florence
M Reserve	Austin Potts	Myrtle Beach Union
M Reserve	Grant Wright	Adamsville SC
RB	Max Byers	Southport City
CB	Peter Perkins	AFC Florence
CB	Edgar Newman	Riverboro FC
LB	Cameron Mathis	Wilmington United
D Reserve	Garrett Nixon	FC Northdale
D Reserve	Ethan Carey	Adamsville SC
D Reserve	Donovan Hayes	Myrtle Beach FC
GK	Parker Chase	Wilmington United
GK Reserve	Cory Byers	AFC Florence

Style modifier: +2
Tactics: Short passes from defense to midfield through the center, long passes from midfield to forward through the center

Head coach: James Robinson
Trigramme: MYR

Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (Minor injuries only, please)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes (no double yellows/automatic reds)
Hand out red cards to my players: No
Godmod other events: Yes

by **Senterus** » Wed Oct 18, 2023 5:50 am

The Senterus National Football Team

Trigramme: DSTS
Founded: 1932
Style Modifier: +3.16 - Agressive Pressing Gameplay , very prone to commuting fouls and injuries.
Current Formation : 4 - 3 - 3

Squad For Baptism Of Fire
GoalKeepers
Klaus Maniquen 27 Drauhius Wurst 31 Tembulu Sakhayeth
Defenders
Morhimer 24 Rivalheiros 21 Sajesh Rakth 28 Ali Aqsan 31 Maishuru Zai 20
Midfielders
Hanzare Kyathi 27 Martin Trellis 26 Isacc Henderson 28 Tzaku Bono 31 Romario 23
Forwards
Marc Rulblev 20 Maurah Vuma 29 Carlitos Sanchez 25 Hausher Maurice 23

Coach: Andre Martini
Physiotherapist: David Royce
Home Stadia : Lord Pyke's Stadia
Nickname: Lord's Overseers

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent roleplays first, they may:
Choose my starting lineup: Y
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: N

Lineup:
Morhimer- LB
Rivalheiros - CB
Sajesh - CB
Ali - RB

Martin - CM
Isaac - CM (C)
Hanzare - CM

Maurah - LF
Carlitos - SR
Marc - RF

Free kick taker : Maurah
Penalty taker : Carlitos

OOC: As I am rping a dictatoria nation, my sports newspaper will be extremely biased and contain events that in certain cases couldn't be true to the actual events at all. However the final scoreline will remain the same as it is impossible to manipulate scores. There might be accusations of bias and false allegations against opposing teams. Please do note that this is purely under RP and at no point am I directly accusing an opponent for malpractice

by **Why are you in here** » Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:56 pm

The WAYIH National Football Team

Trigramme: VUR
Style Modifier: +1.5
Formation: 4-3-3
Team colors: Orange, red, black
Kits:
HOME
Front: Black shirt with orange fire on the bottom
Back: Orange fire around the number of the player

AWAY
Front: White shirt with a stripe of the colors orange, red, and black in the middle
Back: Just the number of the player

Name Age
GOALKEEPERS
Darren Maxwell 23
James Lawson 22
Jeff Ward 25

DEFENDERS
Richard Cummings 25
Kieran Markham 26
Anthony Raven 25
Jolyon Illingworth 24
David Watson 25

MIDFIELDERS
David Kent 26
Duncan Carter 25
Michael Pepper 26
William Riordan 27
Dave McCullough 24

FORWARDS
Bernardino Farinha 27
Stuart Johnson 26
Max MacDonald 27
Stephen Wood 26

Coach: Gary McFarlane 45
Assistant Coach: Phillip Crook 43

Lineup:
Richard Cummings - LB
Kieran Markham - CB
Anthony Raven - CB
Jolyon Illingworth - RB

David Kent - LCM
Duncan Carter - CM
Michael Pepper - RCM

Bernardino Farinha - LW
Stuart Johnson - CF
Max MacDonald - RW

Free Kicks: Bernardino Farinha
Penalties: Max MacDonald

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent roleplays first, they may:
Choose my starting lineup: Y
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: N

by **Basel-Triesen** » Thu Oct 19, 2023 6:28 am

Unified Kingdom of Basel-Triesen
Baptism of Fire Roster

Nation Information
Long Name: The Unified Kingdom of Basel-Triesen
Short Name: Basel-Triesen
Denonym: Bastriesian(s)

Uniform Information
Team Colors: Blue, yellow, and black

Staff Information
Head Coach: Rikard Stuhlfauth
Assistant Coach: Alicia Knöpfle
Team Physician: Karl Szepan
Team Translator: Fritz Hofmann

Squad Roster Information
***Athletes highlighted in blue indicate expected starting lineup***

Goalkeepers:
#5 - Ralph Münzenfodder, 27 years old, Lyngbybronn Lions
#2 - Ernest Gramlich, 24 years old, FC Konstanzengen

Defenders
#3 - Jakob Kobierski, CB, 25 years old, Regal Würzingen
#12 - Samuel Kitzinger, CB, 22 years old, WorgiM FC
#19 - Edmondus Conen, LB, 28 years old, WorgiM FC
#7 - Max Kupfer, RB, 30 years old, FC Lippham
#10 - Walter Posipal, CB, 31 years old, Mönchengladbach FC
#13 - Josef Kohlmeyer, CB, 26 years old, Grizzled Greizlangen
#21 - Pascal Koller, LB, 24 years old, FC Ribdamenz
#47 - Kurt Ibertsberger, RB, 25 years old, Fulkassel FC

Midfielders
#38 - Lars Canazlar, CM, 24 years old, Pforzbronn FC
#29 - Elias Stöger, CM, 21 years old, Pforzbronn FC
#16 - Dominik Lorenz, DM, 26 years old, FC Husuetersen
#27 - Philip Zivkovic, CM, 28 years old, Sefensee 97
#45 - Jakob Kanuric, CM, 32 years old, Bronn Deggen Dragons
#32 - Adis Mischitz, DM, 29 years old, Kitzbronn Kickers

Forwards
#1 - Lukas Braunöder, CF, 24 years old, Lörrasal FC
#4 - Nikolas Gaymayer, LW, 24 years old, Lörrasal FC
#22 - Sebastian Kujrakovic, RW, 23 years old, Oldesloeke FC
#17 - Kai Szymaniak, CF, 19 years old, Ratina Rioters
#8 - Leonardo Briegel, LW, 26 years old, FC Herzogenaurach
#33 - Noah Augusthaler, RW, 28 years old, Erlareuth Elephants

Roleplay Information
Style modifier: +3

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes, but only mild injuries that don't last longer than the game itself.
Godmod Injuries to my Players: TG me first
Assign Red Cards to my Players: TG me first
Godmod Other Events: No

by **Beefsteak City** » Thu Oct 19, 2023 7:40 am

NationState’s latest up-and-coming dystopia is the humble metropolis of Beefsteak City. The tiny, four-city-block-square nation is a haven for industry and commerce, but not much else (read: residents). Its most famous ~~attraction~~ feature is a shopping center that runs the entire width of the city (all four blocks of it).

Beefsteak City is so full of factories and stores that until just recently, it had a population of just one (1): Mayor, CEO, and President, Tom Ato. Realizing that the nation would need at least eleven inhabitants to compete in the Baptism of Fire, Mayor Ato appointed City Clerk Assistant Jerome Salisbury to organize the sporting effort—and made it clear his job was on the line.

Salisbury rounded up his squad from among Beefsteak City’s employees and executives, and is forcing them all to live in the city’s only other house for the duration of the tournament in order for them to qualify as Beefsteak City nationals and fulfill WCC regulations. Below is the roster he put together.

GK - Jack Price - 56yo - CIO, Hawkeye Systems - Price makes a living on keeping information secure from hostile militaries, and now he’ll try to keep his net secure from hostile strikers.

LB - Blaine Maddox - 54yo - CEO, Maddox Holdings - Maddox' keen eye for investment means he always knows when to strike. Unfortunately he times his tackles less precisely.

CB - Nancy Dykes - 46yo - Senior Vice President of Marketing, Darkwebs - Dykes, a former secret operative of unspecified origin, can hang with the boys both in the boardroom and at the tavern after work, although her skills on the ball are lacking.

Also LB - Michael Maddox - 22yo - Vice President of Finance, Maddox Holdings - Mikey's always been a nepo baby, both at his daddy's company, and on the soccer field.

LM - Rick Porterhouse - 46yo - COO, Ribeye Group - Porterhouse has strong opinions on how things should operate. That’s his job–just not on the soccer field. But someone forgot to tell him.

CM - Darren Buffitt - 93yo - CEO, Burkshire Hasaway - Buffitt's long career history of offering sage hedge fund management advice has earned him the respect of investors... and a spot on the team.

CM - Chuck T. Bone - 45yo - Vice President of Operations, Ribeye Group - Organizational dynamics at Ribeye Group have always been murky, and the overlap between Bone’s role there and his teammate Porterhouse’s has always caused confusion. Unfortunately they don’t see eye-to-eye and their acrimonious arguments have carried over into the locker room.

RM - John Collier - right wing - 24yo - Vertical 5 Axis Mill Operator, Stanley-Taylor Steel - Collier works 6 10-hour shifts a week making turbines for axial compressors. He doesn't really have the vacation time to make it to practice for the soccer team, but he is still the best player.

LW - Curt Fargo - 38yo - Partner, Adams Schwab & Melzer LLP - Fargo picked up the sport again by coaching his kids in the suburban youth soccer league, and now that he can get his lowly associates to do his dirty work, he may have the time to hit his peak.

ST - Emily Pierce - 17yo - Customer Service Associate, GoGo FroYo - Emily's just working part time at the frozen yogurt shop to make it through high school, but when her boss found out she was on the varsity team she got roped into this whole thing.

RW - Aaliyah Jones - 41yo - CFO, Byrd Manufacturing - Nothing has gotten in the way of Jones’ very successful career, until now: Byrd Manufacturing's CEO has mandated an executive training program for the leadership team, which required at least one of the execs to join a “regular sports opportunity” for “work-life balance.”

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent roleplays first, they may:
Yes

Style mod: +5

by **Vilwandia** » Thu Oct 19, 2023 9:43 am

Vilwandia National Football Team
Vilwandiese Nasionale Sokkerspan

Team Information
Nickname: White Stars, Soccer Swans
Colours: White and Blue horizontal stripes, All red away kit
Trigram: VWD
Style Modifier: -4

Home Kit

Away Kit

(Credit to Ochre Islands for making these for me

)

The Commonwealth of Vilwandia is a small island nation, which until recently was a loose collection of tribes that eventually came together to cooperate with one another. Most of Vilwandia is still fairly developing outside from the capital and primate city of Eteksiville, built in order to unify people from all corners of Vilwandia and the wider world. Vilwandians are fairly passionate about football, after the first league was put in place a few years ago by the Department of Health under Jonnie Pistorius. This later expanded to a Vilwandian National team, who played friendlies against the league teams in order to warm up for the most recent CAFA tournament.

Since the quality of life has been improving in Vilwandia, many fans can now afford to travel overseas to watch Vilwandia compete in international sporting competition. This is seen as a privilege for many, and those who do attend are loud, passionate, however are free of the usual mob-mentality of a lot of other fanbases, and are more than willing to let anyone join in their chanting.

After a moderately successful (by Vilwandian standards) inaugural showing in CAFA 7, the Vilwandian national team has become a symbol of pride in the newly unified nation. With the Baptism of Fire tournament and the 92nd World Cup looming large on a bright horizon, the White Stars will be looking to leave a good first impression as they head to Poafmersia.

Vilwandia’s squad remains mostly unchanged from CAFA 7, with a few representatives of the Industria Reds, a newly-formed team made up of the best players from individual factory teams, making up most of the newcomers. Most player movements are a result of them moving to new towns, rather than a formal transfer between clubs, as the Vilwandian Premier League is still an amateur league, with talks of introducing professional football to the island being slow.

Squad
3-5-2 Formation, tries to put pressure on the opposing attack and then counter when possible,
leading to a game of fast runs up the pitch

Starting XI
GK: Ade Petersen (31, Elsmont Rovers)
LB: Marick Opperman (26, Swansburg United)
CB: Unys MacLean (Captain, 32, Swansburg United)
RB: Hansie Smuts (28, Swansburg United)
LDM: Blake Goldberg (23, Royal Yandopolis)
CDM: Matthis De Bruyn (30, Dreport Athletic)
CDM: Piet Heisen (28, Royal Yandopolis)
CAM: Phillipus Marx (32, Industria Reds FC)
RDM: Jonnie De Jager (31, Sparta Vilwandia)
CF: Christiaan Vermaak (23, Swansburg Victoria FC)
CF:André Liebenberg (29, Elsmont Rovers)

Substitutes:
GK: Stefan Collins (19, Eteksiville FC)
GK: Luan Banard (33, Sparta Vilwandia)
DF: Rudi Booysens (28, Eteksiville FC)
DF: Leeto Clark (28, Industria Reds)
DF: Brunelda De Velt (20, Industria Reds FC)
MF: Gerhard Isaac (22, Kleburgh United)
MF: Leon Britz (31, Dreport Athletic)
MF: Karl Mlambo (20, Elsmont Rovers)
FW: Jerome Sibanda (18, Young Vilwandia FC)
FW: Brian Ellis (28, Commonwealth's Army FC)
FW: Nigel Mabunde (29, Eteksiville FC)

Head Coach: Xolani Solomon

RP Permissions Bit
If my opponent RPs our match first, I give them permission to:
Select my lineup: Y
Select my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP Injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: N
Godmod other events: Y
I prefer you pick these goalscorers for my side: Vermaak, Raubenheimer, Liebenburg, Heisen. Not really too bothered if you don't though

by **Vdara** » Fri Oct 20, 2023 9:53 am

Very Sexy Kirola Kits (Home, Away, Goalkeeper)
(ta muchly, Audio)

They said it couldn’t be done. They said that no nation could return from the beany depths. ”They’re too deep into the beans. It’s bean too long. They won’t be back.” They were wrong. From the beans, comes the means - the means to take part, the means to compete, the means to win. An injection of youth, the introduction of mixed-gender squads, and the return of some of the team’s most well-respected stalwarts has forged a new image for an old name, rekindling the old flame - that is, Vdara’s love for football. Some names you may recognise, some may slip your mind, and some will be totally different to you. What matters, though, is that Vdara are back.

Squad

POS - Player Name - Sex - No. - Club
Formation: 4-3-3

GK - Serapheim Metrakis ♂ - 1 - AE Pergamos
LB - Tryfon Vlahiades ♂(CAPTAIN) - 99 - Union Cathair (AUD)
CB - Katerina Stylianou ♀ - 3 - Chaniakos
CB - Takis Pipades ♂ - 26 - Columbia City (TMB)
RB - Manousos Athanas ♂ - 5 - Ierapetra
CM - Maria Hadjipavlou ♀ - 6 - Valletta
CDM - Lambros Tantalopoulos ♂ - 71 - Brunchester United AFC (KOR)
CM - Anargyros Stamatelis ♂- 8 - Kyrenia
LW - Mathaios Makrotsis ♂ - 17 - Mipojoseon (QUE)
ST - Sophia Kyprianou ♀ - 10 - Asteras Chania
RW - Giovanni Rossi ♂ - 11 - Panirakleios

—————————————————————————————————————————————
Substitutes

GK - Michalis Papadopoulos ♂ - 13 - Ierapetra
LB - Andreas Mitsotakis ♂ - 2 - Panirakleios
CB - Alekos Andreadides ♂ - 23 - Rethymno
CB - Marco Karayiannis - ♂ - 4 - Panirakleios
CB - Evdoksia Galaniade ♀ - 33 - Limassol
CB - Stamatios Christakos ♂ - 37 - CF Daineri (AUD)
CB - Anargyros Zervaes ♂ - 40 - Oljestaden IF (AUD)
CDM - Kostas Papadakis ♂ - 7 - Limassol
CM - Alessia La Rosa ♀ - 43 - Panirakleios
CM - Akakios Demotis ♂ - 48 - CF Daineri (AUD)
LW - Alkiviadis Moustakoglou ♂ - 53 - Limassol
LW - Kyriakos Papadopoulos ♂ - 9 - AE Pergamos
ST - Sotiris Mitras ♂ - 63 - Larnaca Athletic
ST - Gianni Palamaratos ♂ - 73 - Paphos
RW - Dimitris Agnoulis ♂ - 83 - Kyrenia

With this squad, Vdara makes a little bit of history for itself, as this marks the first Vdaran mixed-gender squad in a WCC-certified competition. Five women in a 26-player squad may not seem like much, but for our socially-conservative nation it’s a landmark, and we’ll celebrate it as such. Long may it continue!

Information
Official Language: "Vdaran" (it's Greek, but our special kind of Greek)
Greeks Offended By Our Language: Too Many To Count (sorry ;) we know you love us really)
Manager: Markos Moustakakos (goalkeeper-turned-legend)
Home Stadium: VdarArena
Trigramme: VDR
Rank: Unranked
Best result: 3rd in WC89 Group Stage
First International: Hapilopper 2 - 1 Vdara
Largest Win: Vdara 8 - 2 Cascadia
Largest Loss: Equestria 6 - 1 Vdara
Captain: Tryfon Vlahiades
Vice-Captain: Anargyros Stamatelis
Oldest Player: Anargyros Stamatelis (aged 43)
Youngest Player: Andreas Mitsotakis (aged 19)
Style Modifier: +4
Cheapest Pint: €2.50, bosh. (inflation has caused the price to rise by 25%. horrific times.)
Climate: Sizzling (it’s the mediterranean!)
Presence of Darts: Widespread
Gyros Eaten This Year: 2,827,031 and counting

Permissions
Do what you want. In fact, do your worst. Hurt my players. Send them to hell. I will bring them back. Send my players off - I have others. Suspend my entire team - we will bribe the referees. In fact, I encourage anyone to bribe referees against us - because they need the money.
(oh, and pick whoever you want to score goals. we’ve got 26 players, so we’re bound to make some substitutions here and there.)

by **Brannfjord** » Fri Oct 20, 2023 7:14 pm

Brannfjords Fotballforbund

Official Roster for the 95^th World Cup

About Brannfjord:

Brannfjord is a nation with a long and proud history, rooted in the ancient traditions and legends of the Vikings, the so-skilled ocean navigators that wanted to forge commercial spots across the entire Sporting Universe, including Rushmore. Its name means “the fjord of fire”, referring to the volcanic activity that shaped its landscape and gave it its distinctive features: mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, fjords and hot springs.

The origins of Brannfjord can be traced back to the 11th century, when a group of Viking explorers led by Egil Thorsen sailed westward from what is now the Polar Islandstates in search of new lands. They reached the western coast of the continent of Pavola, where they founded a settlement called Grimnes (whose name stands for “The Village on the Rocky Promontory/Fjord). However, they soon faced hostility from the native inhabitants. After several skirmishes and raids, they decided to abandon Brannfjord and return to the northern isles they called home.

On their way back, they encountered a storm that blew them off course and brought them to what they thought to be an unknown island in the north of Pavola. which they named it Brannfjord. After the fiery eruptions they witnessed from its volcanoes. They were amazed by the beauty and richness of the land, which offered them fertile soil, abundant wildlife and natural resources. They decided to stay and establish a permanent colony.

They also discovered that the island was inhabited by another group of Viking settlers, who had arrived there a few years earlier from the East. They called themselves Graentfjallers (green mountain dwellers), after the name they gave to their territory: Graentfjall (green mountain). They welcomed the newcomers and shared their knowledge and experience with them.

It turned to be a shocking moment for the Viking settlers of Brannfjord when they realised that they covered more land to the West, reaching the fjords, as they noticed that Grimnes was still standing. In that moment, they were aware that the storm sent them back to the place they disliked because of the native inhabitants, which left the place. After they realised, they considered to stay in the place, due to the natural beauties, resources of the place, and the connections with Graentfjallers living in the East.

The Brannfjorders and the Graentfjallers lived in harmony and prosperity for several centuries, developing a culture and a society that combined the best aspects of their Viking heritage and their new environment. They followed the old Norse religion, worshipping the gods of Asgard and Valhalla. With some twists, Brannfjord decided to create its own law system, based on the principles of honour, justice and democracy. They held regular assemblies called Storting, where they discussed and decided on matters of common interest. They also maintained their tradition of exploration and trade, sailing across the seas and establishing contacts with other nations.

However, their peaceful and isolated existence was disrupted by the arrival of new invaders from different places across Rushmore: In the 18th century, the invaders began to expand its empire and influence across the world, seeking new territories and resources. It set its eyes on Brannfjord, which it considered as part of its domain by virtue of force, as they had navies and armies ready to attack the coasts of Brannfjord and get into the nation.

The invaders sent several expeditions to Brannfjord, trying to establish their presence and authority there. They encountered fierce resistance from the natives, who refused to submit or surrender their lands and rights. The invaders resorted to violence and deception, attacking and plundering the settlements, kidnapping and enslaving the people, spreading diseases and destroying the environment. They also tried to impose their religion and culture on them, forcing them to convert to Christianity and adopt their laws and customs.

The Brannfjorders fought back with courage and determination, using their skills and knowledge to defend themselves. They also received support from other peoples in the region, as they were recognised as a continuity of them, and allies at some extent. They also formed alliances with other nations that opposed foreign domination.

The independence of Brannfjord marked a new era in their history, opening new opportunities and challenges for the small nations. They had to face the consequences of the war: rebuilding their infrastructure, recovering their economy, healing their wounds… They also had to adapt to the changes in the world: embracing modernity, participating in global affairs, dealing with new threats… They had to find their place and role in the international community: defining their identity, asserting their interests, promoting their values.

They also had to deal with new neighbours: The Kytler Peninsulae and Tikariot. Neighbours that have pretty different characteristics than those used to be considered as “normal” in Brannfjord, which was initially considered as a potential threat. Instead of being in a potentially dangerous situation, both nations respected, and continue to do so, the sovereignty of Brannfjord, not having big border issues or anything related for the last couple of decades.

Brannfjord faced these challenges with courage and wisdom, preserving their unity and solidarity, while also respecting their diversity and autonomy. They maintained their culture and traditions, while also embracing innovation and progress. They defended their interests and rights, while also cooperating and collaborating with other nations. They remained faithful to their values and ideals, while also being open and tolerant to other views and beliefs.

They continued to write their saga, as the seals of Brannfjord.

Quick Facts

Official Name: Republic of Brannfjord - Brannfjord Republikk
Motto: Lojalitet, Frihet, Mot (Loyalty, Freedom, Courage)
National Anthem: Mellom Bakkar og Berg
Capital City: Grimnes.
Highest Point: Tordentoppen (4,625 masl)
Currency: Rigsdaler (R$ 1 = N$ 1.45)
Official Language: Norwegian.

Without further ado, the starting XI and substitutes are presented in the following tables:

Starting XI

Substitutes

Kits

Home: Mostly white, with some green stripes.
Away: Green, with some white stripes.
Third: Blue.

Summary


Nota bene: Only official matches are taken into consideration for current record, caps, and goals

Nickname: Selene (The Seals).
Current Record: 00-00-00 (W-D-L) 
Most Caps: TBD
Most Goals: TBD
Biggest Win: TBD
Biggest Defeat: TBD

Captain: Ivar Øygard
Second Captain: Eivind Haugen.
Third Captain: Lars-Erik Berg
Most likely to score: Sigurd Haugen
Most likely to get red carded: Lars-Erik Berg.
Prone to get injuries: Erik Nordby
The genius: Øystein Sæther.
The motivating soul: Øystein Sæther.
Goal Song: Brannfjordling Målsangen

Manager: Kjartan Martinsen. (56) 
Assistant 1: Håvard Henning. (45) 
Physio: Pål Magnussen. (37) 
GK Trainer: Georg Mjelde. (38) 
Doctor: Sigbjørn Erdahl. (55)

Usual Starting XI Tactical Scheme

Formation: 4-3-3
Style modifier: +2.5

Players' Descriptions and Tactics:

Ivar Øygard
Ivar Øygard is a calm and collected leader who commands his area with authority. He's a seasoned plyer already for Brannfjordling standards, as he has played Første Divisjon football since he was 15. Gifted with lightning-quick reflexes and outstanding shot-stopping ability, he is the best option available among the limited pool that the nation can provide for a national representation. One of his main treats is his ability to play as a sweeper-keeper, also a risk lover, as he often wants to try penalty kicks when required.

Håkon Hansen
Håkon Hansen, the Brannfjordling centre-back, is a towering and imposing defender who may be a nightmare for attackers. He's a strong and physical player who is excellent in the air and reads the game superbly, this partly because Hansen comes from a footballing family; with his father and grandfather both having played professionally. An important thing to consider is that Hansen may, sometimes, get out of control because of how furious he can be against rivals, or even teammates when a mistake happens.

Lars-Erik Berg
A dynamic and versatile defender who loves to get forward. He's a quick and agile player who is excellent at overlapping and creating chances for his teammates, not being fearful to take some initiative and command any chance to attack. Berg grew up in Senja, a town whose main industry is the wood processing, and has been playing football since he was a child; this has helped him to forge a strong personality, to the point that he might take the initiative in case Øygard is having a bad day.

Tobias Thorbjørnsen
Tobias Thorbjørnsen is a young right-back who is quickly making a name for himself in the Brannfjording team. He is known for his athleticism, his crossing ability, and his ability to get forward and create chances. Decided, he might go up and attack, despite the manager may tell him not to do so, but he will do because he has a good dribbling, and a capacity to return and defend fast. There’s a reason why he’s nicknamed De Tog (The train).

Kristoffer Eriksen
A surprisingly creative and imaginative player in the right wing of the team, he is somebody who is always looking to spark something special. He's a skillful player with an eye for transitioning the ball forward, who is excellent at dribbling and beating defenders; somebody who will not doubt to do the best to score a goal or, at least, serve a lovely pass to the strikers. A man from the far away islands, he will do his best to optimise space, something he has learned playing indoors in the harsh winters.

Eivind Haugen
Haugen is a person who can try to anticipate to the happenings and a tactician, who is always looking to make things happen. He's a tenacious and tireless player who is excellent at winning the ball back and setting up his teammates, truly living to the Brannfjordling way of being a team player rather than being a solo singer in the field. Haugen is the perfect companion for somebody as Sæther, as he will try to get in the middle of a marker and Sæther himself, protecting the brain of the team at all costs.

Øystein Sæther
Sæther is a technically gifted and intelligent player who is the heartbeat of the team, making him the best option for a central midfielder in the nation. He's a versatile player who can play in a variety of positions and is always looking to get on the ball and dictate the tempo of the game, not being shy to press for it and launch the team to attack as a horde. Sæther, personally, can be reserved, but he shows his extrovert characteristics in the field, being almost unrecognizable to what he uses to be.

Erik Nordby
Erik Nordby is a hard-working and dedicated player who is always looking to improve himself, a lover of constant improvement and quality books from industries and services. He's a strong and physical player who is excellent at winning the ball back and protecting his defence. Nordby grew up in a small village in eastern Brannfjord and has been playing football since he was a child, with a mindset inspired by his parents, who are process engineers for one of the biggest telcos in the nation, who suggested him to find a hobby, but instead, he found a profession out of it.

Martin Nordstrøm
Martin Nordstrøm is a towering and powerful striker who is a menace for defenders, to the point that he has invested many hours in bodybuilding to achieve a strong physicality for the game. He's a clinical finisher with a keen eye for goal who is also excellent in the air albeit slow, he will act more as a poacher rather than a striker who will create his own chances.

Sigurd Haugen
The epitome of a lightning-quick and agile striker who is a nightmare for defenders to mark, possessing a technicality rarely seen among Brannfjordling folk. He's a prolific goal scorer with an eye for the spectacular who is also excellent at linking up play with his teammates, confident enough to try unexpected methods to finish plays with a goal.

Emil Helsing
Helsing was born and raised in a city in the island of Nærøy. He started playing football at a young age, and he quickly showed his talent. Helsing joined the Nærøy HamKam youth academy at the age of 14. He progressed through the ranks, and he made his senior debut at the age of 16. Helsing has quickly become a star for HamKam. He is a regular scorer, and he has helped the team to achieve success. Helsing is a talented and exciting player. He has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world.

The Brannfjordling Style of Play

The Brannfjordling team plays an attacking style of football that is designed to create chances and score goals through the exploit of creativity, team chemistry and clinical finishers up front. The team is built around a strong midfield that can control the game and creating opportunities for the forwards but is also capable to control the tempo and shut down the defence when needed.

The Goalkeeper

Ivar Øygard is a talented keeper who is known for his calmness and composure under pressure. He is also an excellent shot-stopper and can make world-class saves. Sometimes, he might want to take risks to the point that he will leave the penalty area and will play as a sweeper, often trying to dive and clear the ball in that way, aside from taking free kicks and penalties when he wants. The manager has given him, along with the rest of teammates, enough confidence and freedom to step up and do set pieces.

The Defence

Håkon Hansen and Lars-Erik Berg are a formidable central defensive partnership. Hansen is a strong and physical player who is excellent in the air, while Berg is a quick and agile player who is good at reading the game. Both can combine through each other’s advantages, but Hansen tends to be the dominant centre back due to his game reading talent, as we will see Berg following him or doing what he instructs Berg to do at any given chance.

The Midfield

Øystein Sæther is a technically gifted and intelligent player who is the heartbeat of the team. He can play in a variety of positions and is always looking to get on the ball and dictate the tempo of the game, often switching with Eivind Haugen. The latter is a natural strategist and tactician who is always looking to make things happen. He is excellent at winning the ball back and setting up Sæther, or they may exchange roles when Sæther decides, allowing the team to react to a different range of scenarios, using the individual skills of both to adapt the pace of the team to the demands of the match.

The Attack

Martin Nordstrøm and Sigurd Haugen are a dangerous duo up front. Nordstrøm is a towering and powerful striker who is a menace for defenders, while Haugen is a lightning-quick and agile striker who is a nightmare to mark. Nordstrøm can either receive crosses and aim to do headers, but also can be able to act as a pivot, taking the ball down and serving to whoever is able to create a chance and score, be it Haugen or Eriksen who may arrive in support at any given time.

The Brannfjordling Style in Action

Brannfjord typically starts the game by playing out from the back. Øygard will look to find Sæther or Haugen in midfield, who will then use their passing and dribbling skills to create chances for the forwards. They might also rotate to a situation where Haugen will take a dominant role, in that scenario, the team will enter in defensive mode, and Sæther will try to read the game and control the defenders on their movements.

If the team is unable to break down the opposition defense, they will look to create chances through set pieces. Øygard and Eriksen are both excellent at taking free kicks and corners, and they are capable of scoring goals from long range. Øygard will be always the first choice to kick penalties, that when Sigurd Haugen tries to get actively fouled in the area, achieving the penalty.
This team is also capable of playing on the counterattack. Nordstrøm and Eivind Haugen are both quick and agile, and they are capable of scoring goals from distance, while Eriksen will always try to push by himself and score or prepare a pass for the strikers.

Strengths

Its attacking style of play and its talented midfield will always serve as a stronghold for the team, providing multiple options for them to capitalise and score. Sæther and Haugen are both capable of creating chances for their teammates, and Nordstrøm and Haugen are both capable of scoring goals, but Eriksen can try to do both things. There are multiple choices for this team to score, which really helps when player is having a bad day in the pitch.

Weaknesses

Defence and its lack of experience can be quite of a toll for the Brannfjordlings. Hansen and Berg are a good central defensive partnership, but they are not as experienced as some of the other defenders in the multiverse; this first adventure will make them recognise the ground they’re stepping in, improve and being able to become a strong force for this team. It doesn’t helps being a young squad at all. They might be a fast and creative team, but the experience needed at some point of the Qualifiers will not be there for help, that’s why they must compensate by being resolute and courageous.

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers:        Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events:    Y (TG or contact on Discord)
Injure Players:               Y (TG or contact on Discord)
Godmod Injury Events:         N
Red Card Players:             Y (Max: 3)
Yellow Card Players:          Y (Max: 11)
Godmod Other Events:          Y (TG or contact on Discord)

Style Modifier: +2.5
=================================

by **Beefsteak City** » Fri Oct 20, 2023 7:24 pm

Blaine Maddox, CEO of Maddox Holdings, sat at the hotel breakfast, in front of him a black coffee, two almond croissants, a smoldering cigar, and a copy of yesterday's Beefsteak Lasagna. Curt Fargo, litigation partner at Adams Schwab & Melzer, approached his table with his own coffee and a plate of sausage and eggs.

"Morning, Curt," Blaine said. "How are the mergers today?"

"Excellent," Curt replied. "How are the stocks?"

"Beautiful. It's a great day to be a corporate mogul."

"When isn't it?"

Both men laughed coldly and Curt sat down at the table. "So, they get the Lasagna here, huh?" Curt noticed, making that finger purse gesture with his hand.

"What can I say? Beefsteak City is on the rise. Local newspaper on the stands all over Sonnel!"

Blaine's son Michael, VP of Finance at his father's company came into the breakfast hall, scowling. "Good morning, son," Blaine said. "How did you sleep?"

Michael gave him a glare that was meant to be withering, but with his youthful appearance only came off as adorably irritated. "You snore," Michael complained.

"It's called cocaine, son, and you should try it. You've been dragging at the office lately and I can only give you so much special treatment. Now come, sit down. You know Curt—"

Michael rolled his eyes and went over to get food, smiling and nodding at the team's blue-collar man, John Collier, who was sitting by himself.

Blaine tutted. "My son's a good boy, he shouldn't be sitting with that riff-raff..."

"Now, now, let him make some friends his own age," Curt interjected. "At least he's not consorting with that girl from the ice cream shop. She's trouble."

"Yeahhh, she is," Blaine shook his head. "Hell of a player though."

"No kidding. Now tell me again, who's this team we're supposed to be playing next?"

Blaine consulted the Lasagna. "It's, um... Corporate City 1? Surely that's a placeholder. Right?"

"It's not. I don't know much about them, but I do know that's their honest-to-God name. It's a very political kind of place."

"Politics? People? How corporate can it be? We are Beefsteak City. We are pure efficiency. It is not a place where people live!"

"Well, I'll tell ya, it's been no picnic pretending to live in that city. Getting a Mediterranean pita wrap for lunch? That's about as comfortable as I want to get near my office. We've been living in the tavern barracks, for Beef's steak."

"Well, I'll tell you what, let's just get through this little shindig, and then we'll figure out how to skirt those WCC rules. I'm sure one of your first-year associates can take a look at that if they need something to do."

"Those useless grunts? Sure, why not. Now excuse me, I have six conference calls and four interns to fire before practice."

by **Why are you in here** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 7:08 am

The public finally gets to see the football practice facility for the first time on TV. Some people are running on treadmills while some are working on their football skills. The interviewer approaches Bernardino Farinha, one of the most skilled talents on the team, while he's doing pushups. Bernardino Farinha gets up for the interview.

"Hello Bernardino Farinha. We finally get to see what's inside the football practice facility! What are your thoughts on the Baptism of Fire?" The interviewer asks Farinha.

"Well I think it's a good idea. It gives people some ideas on what to expect in the World Cup. I think my team can take on the others." Farinha replied.

"And how did you become so skilled?"

"It takes time and effort. Ever since I was 11 I practiced football. I've scored a lot of goals during my 16-year run. A lot of people praise me for being so skilled."

"Do you think you are the only one that can carry your team to victory?

"Definitely not. Some people like Stuart Johnson and Michael Pepper are skilled also. Our goalkeepers are also good too. Everyone is trying their very best to be better at this sport so we can win."

"So you're saying your team is gonna win easily?"

"Our team is not gonna win easily. This is much bigger than a regular football match. We're gonna be against other nations. It's not gonna be the end of the world if we lose. I'm saying we have a chance at winning but that's it."

"Well that has been a very good interview. That's all the time I have for today. Goodbye Farinha and good luck to the rest of the team. The nation is rooting for you all.

The interviewer leaves and Bernardino Farinha goes back to doing pushups. Richard Cummings sits on a bench next to Farinha, exhausted.

"So whatcha doing after training?" Cummings asks Farinha.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll go to the bar or the bowling alley. You can come with if you want." Farinha replied, still doing pushups.

"That sounds good. I'm down for that."

An alarm goes off, signaling the end of practice for today. Bernardino Farinha gets up after doing 200 pushups.

"Alright let's go."

Bernardino Farinha and Richard Cummings leave the facility and goes to a bowling alley while the rest of the team rests at their homes.

by **Corrupt Petrostate** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 8:06 am

Dispatch from Corrupt Petrostate

His excellency the Sovereign Iker Izotz Aldana the Third is delighted to announce the official squad and manager of the most Competitive and Stylish Football Side of the Great Nation of Etxeko Lekua - know abroad for reasons inexplicable to us, Corrupt Petrostate.

His excellency has taken it upon himself to lead the team in a playing role, and will be delivering for our proud homeland as captain of the side. His excellency has long been known for his athleticism, and is much admired abroad and at home for his powerful legs and graceful mastery of the football pitch.

The Football Federation are also delighted to announce the signing of the highly experience and talented Elmyia Paul Reynard as manager. Having an excellent record before agreeing a settlement to leave Mosfleet Albion, we have full confidence that he will be successful in bring glory to the national side in their upcoming Baptism of Fire campaign.

Those who doubt Etxeko Lekua will soon learn of our footballing might, we imagine Aquatian must be quaking in their boots.

Ages in brackets
Starting XI
1. Danel Bengoechea (30) - Goalkeeper
3. Frantzisko Gebara (26) - Left-Back
4. Eder Garrastazu (34) - Centre-Back
5. Eder Aldana (24) - Centre-Back
2. Arrats Garrastazu (28) - Right-Back
6. Markel Solo (25) - Centre-Midfield
8. Zorion Etxebarria (26) - Centre-Midfield
11. Imanol Zubizarreta (20) - Left-Midfield
10. Iker Izotz Aldana the Third (47) - Attacking-Midfield
9. Unai Ola (25) - Centre-Forward
7. Asier Jasso (31) - Right-Midfield

Squad
12. Peio Bengoetxea (33) - Centre-Forward
13. Marko Abasolo (28) - Right-Midfield
14. Zigor Aritza (20) - Centre-Midfield
15. Jon Azarola (19) - Left-Back
16. Eki Loyola (26) - Centre-Back
17. Aritz Urbina (33) - Centre-Midfield
18. Martzel Loyola (30) - Left-Midfield
19. Petri Bengochea (25) - Centre-Midfield
20. Unai Urbina (32) - Centre-Back
21. Ekain Bengoetxea (35) - Right-Back
22. Iban Ubiña (26) - Attacking-Midfielder
23. Juantxo Zabala (20) - Goalkeeper

Choose my starting lineup: Y
Choose my goalscorers: Y - (in my RPs Aldana the third will be incorrectly credited with goals - in reality he will be a major hinderance)
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y
Style Mod: -2

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 8:42 am

Cutoff for Groups A-B!

Group A
Newlandiq 3–1 Vielfaltig
Frontiere 1–2 West Kharakia
Vilwandia 0–1 Salish Republic

# Group A                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Newlandiq                     1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Salish Republic               1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  West Kharakia                 1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Frontiere                     1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
  Vilwandia                     1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
6 Vielfaltig                    1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group B
Maraonia 1–0 Filonian State
Corrupt Petrostate 2–0 Aquatian
Myrtle Beach 3–1 The Dictatorship of Vanilla

# Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Corrupt Petrostate            1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
  Myrtle Beach                  1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
3 Maraonia                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Filonian State                1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Aquatian                      1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
  The Dictatorship of Vanilla   1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

by **Vilwandia** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 11:22 am

Vilwandia 0-1 Salish Republic

Vilwandia's first foray out of Anaia saw the Soccer Swans first head to the Poafmersian city of Kingsford, where the team were encouaged to bond with one another by being given the opportunity to go on an exploration of the bustling state capital. This also doubled up as a grounding exercise from Xolani Solomon, being there to familiarise the Vilwandians with their new surroundings. The main leading player of the team morale-wise seems to be goalkeeper Ade Petersen of the small rural city of Elsmont, who seems to be acting as an older-brother figure towards especially the new players. His calm mentality rivals only that of the coach, and has certainly rubbed off on his teammates.

However, on the pitch his mentality was not enough, as Vilwandia slipped to an uncomfortable 1-0 defeat to the Salish Republic, a first half goal from their opponents enough to seal the deal. The small contingent of Vilwandian fans were left disappointed, but still singing.
Back in Vilwandia, large gatherings of fans lined the parks and high streets of Eteksiville, Swansburg, Dreport, and several other towns and cities, huddled together as one to support the fledgling national team. Sales of footballing equipment has soared despite the loss, and the White Stars' appearance in such a major tournament has rekindled football fever in the country.

The White Stars' next test is fellow Anaian nation West Kharakia, who Vilwandia will hope can be beaten, in order to get their Baptism of Fire campaign back on track. They immediately set off for Greater Macondas via train the morning after the Salish Republic game, and will be using the opportunity to refine their tactics.

by **Maraonia** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 12:02 pm

Sport360
Football-Baptism of Fire

Maraonia began their Baptism of Fire 82 Campaign with a 1-0 win over Filonian State with the only goal scored by Sèbastien Grosjean in the 12th minute.
Despite many chances by both teams the Maraonians attacked and defended through the Filonians during both the 1st and 2nd half’s

The game started with good chances by
Federico Martinez,Sèbastien Grosjean, Jose Carvalho and Sebastião Proença.
The only goal from Sèbastien Grosjean was a 20 meter shot that passed the Filonian goalkeeper.

After the match head coach Konstantinos Paraskevopoulos said The Baptism of Fire can’t be won again so this is our only chance to win it.
Maraonia’s next game will be on Monday against Corrupt Petrostate.

by **Bigpipstan** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 12:30 pm

The sports team consisting of ponies, kirins and gootraxians; prepares for their first ever international competition. They wear sports clothes made of cotton cloth, that has been dyed royal purple. With coresponding numbers on their backs. Their captain is a gootraxian named Ethan, who used to be a captain for a domestic paintball team, before switching to leading a different sports team. For his leadership experience, he is determined to lead this team to victory. Motivated by the oportunity to flex on foreigners.
The team is composed of experienced people from different backgrounds, their ages ranging between 25 and 36 years old.

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent roleplays first, they may:
Choose my starting lineup: Y
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y
Hand out yellow cards to my players: N
Hand out red cards to my players: N
Godmod other events: Y

by **Juvencus** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 2:26 pm

This is a cutoff for groups C-D for matchday 1!

Group C
Rea San Vegas 3–3 Brannfjord
Basel-Triesen 3–3 Sea Dome
Why are you in here 4–0 Shieldstan

                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Why are you in here      1   1  0  0    4   0  +4    3
2 Basel-Triesen            1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Brannfjord               1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Rea San Vegas            1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Sea Dome                 1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
6 Shieldstan               1   0  0  1    0   4  −4    0

Group D
Bigpipipstan 2–2 Senterus
Vdara 6–3 Niolo
Corporate City 1 3–7 Beefsteak City

                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Beefsteak City           1   1  0  0    7   3  +4    3
2 Vdara                    1   1  0  0    6   3  +3    3
3 Bigpipipstan             1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Senterus                 1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
5 Niolo                    1   0  0  1    3   6  −3    0
6 Corporate City 1         1   0  0  1    3   7  −4    0

by **City of Myrtle Beach** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 8:22 pm

Glorious Myrtle Beach Team Destroys Inferior Opponent 3-1

Welcome back to the Bob Moment, I'm your host John Greene filling in for Bob who's currently searching for the meaning of everything. I'm joined by our board of correspondents in the Hot Zone. It's time for today's Hot Topic. Our glorious national team absolutely demolished the puny Vanillan team, scoring three goals to Vanilla's mere 1. Let's go for the Quick Rotation. Matt, we'll start with you.

Matt: Yeah, this was an excellent game. I think the real highlight of the game was when Brian Farmer used the screams of a thousand souls to rocket the ball into that puny, weak keeper's face and sent him and the ball flying into the back of the net. It was unfortunate that every bone in that feeble keeper's body was destroyed, but honestly he was so languid that I couldn't care less about how he felt. Unfortunately, Farmer got a yellow card after the goal, which I and many others thought was completely unfair, but it seemed they were able to work something out and the rest of the game went on without any ejections or fouls on the Myrtle Beach team.

John: Alright, now it's time for Adam.

Adam: That was an amazing goal. I could feel the echoes of the thousand screams radiating through my skull, making me feel only pure anger at the Vanillan team. Speaking of anger, after that goal it seemed many of the front fans from each team got extremely angry and ran out on the pitch and began to fight each other. It took quite a while to disarm the conflict, but luckily it gave our team time to recover from the huge exertion that summoning demons from the deepest depths of Hell requires. After the fight was over, Farmer went right back onto the field and slid another goal past their even more sickly reserve keeper. Unfortunately, afterwards, the keeper flung the ball across the field and it landed between the feet of a Vanillan forward, who slid the ball past Parker Chase for a 2-1 ballgame. Fortunately, Cameron Mathis was able to summon the Minotaur who dragged the forward to the deepest depths of the Labyrinth, where he will toil for the rest of eternity.

John: Such an elegant move from Mathis. Time for... Zach.

Zach: I question Mathis' decision to send that forward to the Labyrinth. I feel that the better decision there would have been to transform into a praying mantis and behead the forward like he did in the exhibition match in Florence a couple of weeks ago. Although, I suppose I can see the benefit- since the Labyrinth is below the stadium, the forward has not left the field and Vanilla still has 11 players left on the field. If he was beheaded, then the forward would be declared legally dead and Vanilla would be allowed to send in their backup forward if he did not run away after the beheading like we saw in Florence. Either way, Mathis was able to retrieve the ball after the forward was sent to the core of the Earth and he passed it forward to Jeremy Fulton who cruised into the goal to make the game 3-1. Then... it was over.

John: Thank you all for that grand explanation. That'll be all for this, remember to tune in on MB1 at 9 PM to catch our exclusive story on how a strange man from the country was killed after trying to strike up a conversation with a man on the Myrtle Beach Tunnel.

by **Why are you in here** » Sun Oct 22, 2023 5:49 am

Fans rejoice as Why are you in here beats Shieldstan 4-0.

On October 21st, Why are you in here went against Shieldstan in matchday 1. After 2 goals from Bernardino Farinha, 1 goal from Stuart Johnson, and 1 goal from Anthony Raven, the team earns their 1st win in the Baptism of Fire.

"We definitely picked the right talents to join our team," Gary McFarlane said after the team won. "We're not gonna let that win get in our heads though. We're gonna practice more and we're gonna keep trying our best so we have the best chances to win. I'm very proud of the players for making it a great game."

"It was a really good game. We all did super well against Shieldstan." Cummings commented.

On Monday, Why are you in here will go against Sea Dome. Until then, the team will continue to practice in the football practice facility.

by **Frontiere** » Sun Oct 22, 2023 6:49 am

Association de Football Frontière

Manager: Mathias Bordeau
Trigamme: FRN
Players in Camp: 19
Formations: 4-3-3/4-2-4
Fanbase: The Blue Pirates

The Squad

Goalkeeper
#1 Jules Félix °
#22 Enéas Travert

Defender
#11 Waltier Fabien °
#12 Pascal Blanchet °
#41 Olivier Charbonneau °
#15 Elliot Thomas °
#9 Narcisse Langlais
#55 Hercule Beauchêne

Midfielder
#19 Philbert Colbert °
#5 Thierry Dufort °
#99 Philippe Roy
#13 Waltier Duchamps °
#65 Brian Favreau
#97 Lionel Durand

Forwards
#7 Serge Leclair °
#10 Vivien Fay °
#9 Thibault Favreau °
#65 Franc Babin
#43 Maxence Robert

° denotes Playing XI

Permissions

Style Modifier: +3

My Opponents, if they RP first. Can do the following:

Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: No
Godmod other events: No

by **Frontiere** » Sun Oct 22, 2023 8:03 am

Le Messager
Les meilleures nouvelles que vous recevez!

Faire Connaissance: The Blue Pirates

"The Blue Pirates" is like the super-fan club for the "Frontière National Football Team," and they're all about that French flair. These die-hard fans wear blue and white, just like the team's temporary colors, and they're seriously committed.

They're famous for their loud chants, colorful banners, and cool displays at games. Plus, they don't stop at the stadium. They often do stuff for the community and charities, showing how tight-knit they are. The Blue Pirates have got some neat traditions too, like special pre-game rituals and songs that have been around for ages. They don't just watch the game; they're part of the team's success.

Their dedication to the "Frontière National Football Team" adds that special French touch to the team's identity, creating a vibe that pumps up players and fans. The Blue Pirates show how sports can bring people together and make them proud of their French roots.

The Blue Pirates have some cool traditions. Before every game, they get together and do special things. Like, they have these chants and songs that they've been doing for ages. It's not just cheering; it's like remembering the good times. They also bring lucky stuff to the game, like a flag or scarf that means something to them. They think it helps the team do well. These traditions make the Blue Pirates feel like one big family. When they do these things together, it's like a big get-together. It shows how much they love the team and their culture. It's all about sharing their love for the game and their awesome country.

They're also known to bring their traditional snacks to the stadium and share with their friends and even to the opponent fan base. The fans of the "Frontière National Football Team" bring yummy French snacks to the stadium to make the game even more fun. They've got stuff like bread and cheese, croissants, and these thin pancake things called crêpes. Some people like sweet crêpes with Nutella, while others go for ham and cheese. They also munch on colorful macarons and those long creamy pastries called éclairs. Don't forget about cute little madeleines, which are like tiny cakes. And sometimes, some people make a fancy apple tart called tarte Tatin. These French snacks taste awesome and make the game super cool for the Blue Pirates and other fans.

Squad For Baptism Of Fire
GoalKeepers
Klaus Maniquen 27	Drauhius Wurst 31	Tembulu Sakhayeth
Defenders
Morhimer 24	Rivalheiros 21	Sajesh Rakth 28	Ali Aqsan 31	Maishuru Zai 20
Midfielders
Hanzare Kyathi 27	Martin Trellis 26	Isacc Henderson 28	Tzaku Bono 31	Romario 23
Forwards
Marc Rulblev 20	Maurah Vuma 29	Carlitos Sanchez 25	Hausher Maurice 23