World Cup LXI (61) RP Thread

by **Boring Paradise** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:18 am

Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands 2-0 Boring Paradise

Continued From Here

Fans: Cameron Clark (CC), Sharkinal Jones (SJ) and Gary Hughes (GH)

(Night before the match)
SJ: Thanks for the drive.
Theodore Czacki: No problems. Have a nice night. (Drives off)
SJ: We've found the hotel. At last we can rest in peace.
CC: Who drove us here.
SJ: We might have just been asking Strachland and Minor Outlying Islands's football coach, Theodore Czacki.
CC: You are not serious aren't you?
SJ: I'm am serious. Now lets go in for the night.
CC: But..
SJ: No buts.

In the Hotel
SJ: The room is 6760 on floor 67 at the very top of the hotel.
Reception: Yes it is.
CC: Great let's get some sleep.

Following Night
SJ: This was the best hotel I have ever been to for a long time
CC: Don't You mean for a year. Last World Cup you said was the best was Carpathia and Ruthenia's Hotel in the south of the country.
SJ: It seem like it happened ages before.
CC: Lets go the match. We don't want the seats empty.
SJ: Let's go then.
CC: The players are already on the pitch.
SJ: Are they.

TV: Match Announcement: Please sit down now as the Wc 61 MD 8 Qualifier match will begin shortly. Boring Paradise are against Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands Away. This Match is being held at Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands. The player numbers are:

Boring Paradise
1: Nathan Pili
2: Archie Elder
3: Lewis Homewood
4: Jenson Browning
5: Ben Collins
6: Samuel Wong (C)
7: Ryan Miller
8: Kevin Harris
9: Alistair Adams
10: Raiyaan Malik
11: Raiyaan Malik Jr

Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands
1. Navering Pounchtal
2. Juran Chueran
3. Francia Mohling
4. Bandar Nuripur
5. Morris Sitko
6. Ratin Beenum
7. Michael Esterhazy
8. Elzbieta Wolszan
9. Jerce Wolszan
10. Lyle Verdak
11. Zachary Zeelowe

CC: Quickly now. We don't want to miss it, Taxi.
GH: I am here with you guys.
SJ: Last time I saw you was in BoF 47 in Cassadaigua
CC: Thanks God, that your back.
GH: Hop in, we will go into the stadium together. What's your Seat Number?
SJ: A69 and A70.
GH: Great mines A68.

After the Match
SJ: Not good at all for us.
CC: I'm not well.
GH: Well at least we haven't lost our position in the group.
CC: But now 5 points off the play-off position.
SJ: We will get the perfect second half of the qualifiers.
GH: Who's ready to go to home and let Boring Paradise thrash Warkus in Empilot City Arena.
CC: Yes what are you travelling on Gary?
GH: BP Airlines to Para City. I'm going home to get my stuff ready for the rest of the qualifiers and hopefully for the group stages. If we get there.
SJ: BP Airlines to Oldcastle. For packing things for the journey ahead.
CC: BP Airlines to Oldcastle. To stay with my family in Oldcastle for two nights. Then from there I'm going to Empilot City Arena. Stay a night with you guys and then from their to Valladares.

At the airport
SJ: Well then I will see you in Empilot City Arena. First thing though what's your user names on the Paradisian Football Forums.
CC: CC1982.
GH: GH2901.
SJ: SJ9999. Great I will see ya on the forums then.
CC: Bye

Group 11 Standings

   Team                                      P  W  D  L For  Ag +/- Pts
 1 Carpathia and Ruthenia                    7  5  1  1  14   7  +7  16
 2 Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands      7  5  0  2  11  11  +0  15

 3 ABK                                       7  4  1  2  13   6  +7  13
 4 Valladares                                7  4  0  3  12   4  +8  12
 5 Boring Paradise                           7  3  1  3   8  12  -4  10
 6 Malt                                      8  3  1  4  13  15  -2  10
 7 Zandistan                                 7  2  1  4  13  14  -1   7
 8 Warkus                                    7  1  2  4   9  16  -7   5
 9 Boyznichov                                7  1  1  5   8  16  -8   4

MD1: 0-3 Valladares (H)
MD2: 1-0 Boyznichov (A)
MD3: 3-1 Malt (A)
MD4: BYE
MD5: 2-5 Carpathia and Ruthenia (A)
MD6: 1-0 Zandistan (H)
MD7: 1-1 ABK (A)
MD8: 0-2Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands (A)
MD9: Warkus (H) (Win)
MD10: Valladares (A) (Lose)
MD11: Boyznichov (H) (Win)
MD12: Malt (H) (Win)
MD13: BYE
MD14: Carpathia and Ruthenia (H) (Draw)
MD15: Zandistan (A) (Win)
MD16: ABK (H) (Win)
MD17: Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands (H) (Draw)
MD18: Warkus (A) (Win)

by **Apox** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:35 pm

Camera's pan around the Total Football Takeover Studio, with a funky theme tune. The presenters Merlin Kadozan (MK) and Jon Quillisi (JQ) sit at the the desk in the centre.

MK:Hello and welcome to a very special version of Total Football Takeover here on APX Sports.

JQ: Yes todays edition is entirely different from what you'll be used to on this program, and not necessarily for a good reason.

MK:You see, our lads took on the Sarrbian football team who are incredibly secretive, so much so that we were not allowed to film the match in Sarrbia. In fact, we don't know anything about the Sarrbian team at all.

JQ:However we had to present something to you, so we came up with a special segment of a player profile for one of our very special players.

MK:Today we present unto you... DRAVID SCOTT!!!

JQ:The stats: The current captain of Apox, Dravid has captained every match he's played in, a total of 16 matches out of 18 internationals we've played. He is the the highest goalscorer we have by some way, with 8 goals, twice as many as anyone else.

MK:Dravid was one of our first home grown greats, having joined the newly formed Apox School of Football as it was formed 15 years ago, aged 14, in its first year.

JQ:There he excelled, and many predicted greatness for him. He graduated, aged 18, 12 years ago. He has played for all the top clubs in Apox in the amateur era, and then played for Urbanista in the first year of professionalism.

MK:He now plays domestically for Queenstown in the Saer Republic after obtaining the Apox record transfer fee, at 4 million NSDollars.

JQ:What a legend.

MK:And we are receiving the score now, full time 0-0. We cannot tell you the scorers or go into any further detail, and for that we are sorry.

JQ:Moving on, let's look at the game-by-game stats as we play our last game before the half way stage.

MD1: Altito Asmoro 1-1 Apox
MD2: Apox 0-2 Western Cuba
MD3: BYE
MD4: Apox 0-0 Ipeland
MD5: Pasarga 1-0 Apox
MD6: Romili 0-1 Apox
MD7: Apox 4-1 Camerania
MD8: Sarrbia 0-0 Apox

Team Shett from the Match
GK - Jarvis Staniels sub William Hewtt unknown'
RD - Sam Lowe
CD - Chris Neguwa
LD - Donnie Rathburn
RM - Fari Y
CM - Will Fich sub Ken Rickwright unknown'
CM - Jonty Smith
LM - Cas Newan
ST - Chris Maarsden
ST - Dravid Scott (c)
ST - Stan Miller

by **Farfadillis** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:05 pm

Important away win

We won away, that's good. We just need to keep this streak of good performances going. This time it was a deserved win by 4 - 2. Johans scored some early goals and Sameba just couldn't do enough to counter that. Next match against Yorobia will be a must-win match.

The match started with a really early goal scored by Johans on the 6th minute. Dandalleion sent a cross, Johans headed it, it hit the post, he got the rebound and sent it in slowly, showing us that we were still on our streak. And, like if that first goal hadn't been enough, he scored our second goal on the 10th minute by dribbling 2 Sameban players and sending the ball to the left post of the goalkeeper, it was 2 - 0 just by minute 10, there were still 80 more minutes to go, plus stoppage time. Sameba then got a goal on a counterattack on the 30th minute, Kobe scored it by dribbling Lisdiren. I wouldn't say they did the merits to score, but they did and that's how we went to Half Time, with Farfadillis winning away and fairly.

On the second half, Farfadillis tried to score even more goals, like if it wasn't risky to try to do so. Luckily, it turned out well. On the 65th minute Dandalleion outran Valdez after a long pass from Chinsúa, stopped the ball and shot towards the left post of the goalkeeper, scoring the 3 - 1 and leaving Farfadillis leading by two once again. Farfadillis kept attacking, maybe it was because they wanted a positive goal difference, who knows? Anyways, all the attacking ended on yet another goal on the 80th minute, Farfadillis executed their famous "massive box slaughter", 8 players entered on the box while Wanderis got the ball outside it, Sameba left spaces, enough spaces to let Wanderis shoot on target, scoring our 4th goal, the 4 - 1 and showing that Fendergéson Numbá is the manager for a reason, that goal was well planned. After that, Sameba got to score an incredible olympic goal, scored by Barsa on the 2nd minute of stoppage time. 4 - 2 win away, that sounds pretty awesome to me.

We won fairly this time, against a worse team, but solid nonethless. We'll see how the qualifying ends, I'm keeping what I said pre-WC, we'll end up 4th.

Also, if you buy the next Ferdullaele Post newspaper, by paying an additional 2 F$, you'll get an exclusive DVD of Farfadillis' matches so far this WC, including the next match against Yorobia. After the second half of the qualifying you'll be able to get the second part of it.

by **Mesoland** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:18 pm

MBC Sports News
Coverage of the LXI World Cup in Valanora and Andossa Se Mitrin Vega

MESOLAND STUN AGAIN AS THEY TRIUMPH OVER BIG-SHOTS MEGADIA

Megadia 0

Mesoland 1
Bulu, 39

Mesoland continue to shock the footballing world as they record another win over a high-ranked side, this time away to 79th ranked Megadia. The capacity crowd at Megadia's national stadium was occupied by an unknown quantity of Mesoland fans, reportedly making up a third of the supporters in the arena who all could be heard chanting the Mesoland football anthem, 'bluebirds'.

The game was very even for the first half an hour as the teams began to set into a rhythm. Megadia were inching the possession race, with a 52-48 percent possession ratio at 30 minutes however both sides had plenty of shots, with Akazambaa having to make some fairly spectacular saves to deny the Megadian lead striker (of whom we have absolutely no information about). The game continued like this for the next nine minutes, with much of the play in the midfield area, however second-choice striker Zirka Bulu (who was replacing Nukaba) suddenly found himself one-on-one with the Megadian keeper after being played a through-ball by the captain Nazakofye, and he asserted his dominance over the goalkeeper with a confident chip shot which found itself rolling into the back of the net after it failed to reach the goal airborne.

The game played out as you would have expected from the Meso boys; leading at half-time, they went into the second half in all-out defence mode, and the rest of the game was spent defending from relentless Megadian attacks, however Mesoland prevailed in the end and came away with a win, once again by just one goal. Mesoland had made only one change from the previous game, Bulu for Nukaba (as aforementioned), and the game ended cardless. The man of the match was Zirka Bulu, the only goalscorer.

Mesoland now sit in third place in group 5, with Slembana (who lead us on head-to-head difference) in second and Jeru FC, who we drew with in our first match, in first.

All World Cup and BoF news and results can be found on the MBC website, http://www.mesolandbc.mz, under the sports section. Article by Hugh Biakalwe.

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:25 pm

Dear Búa,

Mr Tzimisces says we have to be nice to you now following recent events in your realm, and that here at the Imperial Club we should apologise for calling you 'Mr Stinky Poop-Face' behind your back.

So we'd like to say that we're sorry, because magnamity is surely something that social superiors can freely direct towards lesser, inferior entities.

In a sign of new-found respect, we would like to donate three objects towards your national museum, always assuming that such institutions exist in the cultural wasteland of Wight.

First of all, we would like to send you the elephant gun with which Mr Tzimisces recently helped defend your realm:

Secondly, we would like to bequeath you a plate of burnt lentils and onions (frankly, we're not sure why we have to send you this one, but Mr Tzimisces assures us that 'you'll understand and appreciate the gesture')

Finally, we understand that you have recently become inordinately fond of chimichangas, so thought you would appreciate receiving the personal recipe of Isaac the Prince Imperial's fourth-favourite palace cook:

We sincerely hope that you accept these gifts in the intended spirit, and we look forward to giving your boys a sound and deserved thrashing in the return qualification leg.

Yours,

Imperial Senator Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel

by **United Gordonopia** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:51 pm

Previous Entries in "Norm Bates: Tolten's Fire"

The time had come. After four years of school, thousands of hours of practice, and years of dreams from both him and his father, Norm Bates was stepping onto the professional pitch.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is a substitution for West Tolten in the 68th minute. Norm Bates will receive his first professional cap as Al Schmidt steps off the field."

The home crowd, minus the high-up contingent from Riverwork that was attending hoping to see Norm play, was relatively unexcited. Some had heard of the rising star in the high school leagues, but most of the applause was for the outgoing attacking midfielder, Schmidt, who was one of the more popular players on the West Tolten side. Nevertheless, Norm knew that this was the biggest shot he had to prove himself.

Like most rookie players, Norm was entering his first game at a relatively safe time. The Machine was up 2-0 over Plains, as good a time as any to try out an untested young prospect. At first, Norm saw little action, and was simply searching for an opening, keeping clear of the Plains defense. The sheer leap in skill from his old high-school league to the professional pitch struck him immediately, and although he'd experienced it somewhat in practices, there was nothing quite like the real thing.

His first touch finally came a few minutes after taking the field. A Plains defender was moving the ball around, searching for a clear pass. Completely unaware of Norm so close to him. Immediately, Norm closed in, and with a perfectly timed slide, took the ball. He tried to move it up the pitch, but the defender he had just surprised had turned and proceeded to trip him. The resulting set piece came to nothing, and Norm found himself searching for opportunities once again.

That second chance came in the 76th minute. A solid pass from the central-midfield found its way to him, and Norm quickly found his way to the wings. Dodging a Plains defender, he moved up to a perfect crossing position with excellent timing. Preparing to take the cross, he hesitated for just a moment. Earlier in the game, a similar cross had failed because of early execution. Not wanting to let that happen, Norm's pause gave West forward Sorin Deljin just enough time to reach the box. Right before a Plains defender could close in, Norm fired off the shot, and as it sailed into the penalty zone, Deljin headed it perfectly into the net. Goal.

With an assist now to his name Norm was overcome with elation. He rushed to join his teammates for the celebration, and was pleasantly surprised when they were just as excited for him as they were for the veteran Deljin. Little did they know that this was only the start. Only minutes later, Norm would be the sole recipient of their attention.

In the 85th minute, the game was clearly in hand. That didn't change Norm's attitude at all when he received a long pass from the West Goalie, Ed Hammond. From the halfway mark, Norm could practically visualize a perfect approach to the box. Without waiting, he embarked on the route, and maneuvered around the defenders that came to challenge him. Little to his own surprise, though the crowd saw it differently, he found himself facing the Plains keeper one-on-one. The goalie never came close as Norm smashed the ball into the upper-left corner of the net.

This time, the entire stadium began chanting his name, and Norm was left with a sense of disbelief. By the time the final whistle blew, Norm realized how incredible his first game had been. With an assist and a goal already to his name, he had the potential to be a true offensive threat. As the team, and later Coach Heinrich, congratulated him, he could only respond with smiles and enthusiastic nods. At only 18, Norm Bates, the kid from the slums, the kid with the dead dad, had made his first mark in professional football. He could only imagine how many more were to come.

by **Urbis Tractus** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:04 pm

Engine Room
Urbis Tractus
Before the game against Geisenfried...

“We’re almost in Guy-sen-fry-ed Skip.” One of the engine men had run to the Captain and shouted this.

“You’re two feet away from me pal, no need to shout !!” The Captain, John Smith, had been moving Urbis Tractus around since its first day on the move, and he’d seen a lot of strange things in that time. Ponies, elves, and every strange creature in between.

“Sorry Skip.”

“It’s fine. Now piss off and get us to this place !! The Prof has a match to play !!”

“Sorry Skip.”

“Piss. Off.” The Captain sighed as the man ran off in the other direction. He was sick of people bugging him when he was trying to drive the city. It was a much tougher job than most people thought, and he barely ever had time to relax.

Suddenly, he felt a bang.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOIN’ ON IN ‘ERE ?? Cheesers Crice...”

“Skip, the engines ‘ave stopped.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’VE STOPPED ?! THAT’S NOT FUCKING POSSIBLE !!”

“It seems that this Guy-sen-fry-ed place has a Siebach Field Array around its borders.”

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE ‘AVIN’ A FUCKIN’ LAUGH !!”

“No Skip.”

“You’ve got to be, it’s not possible.”

“Get me a normal car or summat. I’m going in there and sortin’ them stupid bastards out !!”

“I’ll do it now Skip.”

“GO !!!!”

Government Building
Konigseifert, Geisenfried

Captain John Smith was pissed off. Incredibly so. Even more than he normally was. He couldn’t believe that these idiots, whether intentionally or not, had managed to shut down an entire nation.

He stormed through the door of the building, and entered into a rage filled rant.

“What the fuck was goin’ on there ?? I came here, drivin’ Urbis Tractus ‘ere so they could play some dumbfuck football game, only to find that some idiot had some kind of radioactive thing that shut down our entire nation !! It’s a fuckin’ disgrace !! I can’t believe the nerve of you people !! What the fuck do you think we were ‘ere to do ?? Blow you to pieces ?! People in ‘ospitals are dyin’ cause they can’t get power, we can’t drive for a football game, and my bloody shaver won’t work !! Would you shut out those Starlady geezers cause they’ve got elves in their team ?? Or them Urines cause they’re socialists ?? NO, you wouldn’t !! So why the fuck is it different fer us ??” The Captain stood there, waiting for an answer.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:07 pm

.:: 1.8 kilometres inside of Gyatso-kai, Concordian-Avatarian Border ::.
2145 hours local time (UTC+9), 12 August 2012.3

Another summer's night spent driving, thought RC-12-2885 as he turned the steering wheel of his SandCat. He wasn't used to driving around everywhere, and the tediousness of the affair was visible on his face.

A commando in a car... What's next? RC-12-2885 --- or Fiv, as he was known --- continued musing, looking down from time to time at the montior at the center of his dashboard. Nothing new was on it, which just made him even more exasperated.

"Fiv, I swear," spoke the commando in the passenger's seat, "If you sigh one more time, I am kicking you out of this truck and leaving you to freeze out in the desert."

Fiv shook his head before glancing to his right. "Look, Eights, why did I have to drive? I am the sniper; shouldn't I be looking out my scope at the surroundings?"

"While driving? No."

"But come on... I hate driving."

"And that is why you were assigned," quipped the squad's sergeant in the back seat, RC-12-2889, or "Yuza". He was looking down, staring at the aPad in his lap, reviewing some information Fiv couldn't make out in his rear-view mirror. "You whine like a little girl any more, and I will see personally you become the squad chauffeur, talyi'bac?"

Fiv furrowed his brow as he turned back to the task at hand. The sand out in this part of the border was nigh-intraverseable on foot, yet RepCom sent out a patrol every hour to monitor for enemy troops who would be stupid enough to travel across the desert at night. It was something to do for the commandos stationed on the border: So far out from the Concordian border, they were not the first responders to any sort of intrusion into Avatarian lands. Not like back at Outpost AUREK, where they actually fought with Concordian mercenaries and soldiers who had grown bold from their camps... Not like Hoovesdale where they had the occasional bar fight to break up....

"I just don't understand why we don't just use UAV's out here?"

"We do, Fiv," Eights laughed as he pointed to a small beacon on the monitor. "That is the UAV following us..."

"So what is the point in having us and the UAV?"

"Doesn't hurt to have two pairs of eyes..."

Fiv again turned the vehicle, this time towards the Concordian border. He seemed to be just adjusting his heading, but anyone could see he was merely working his way back to the base.

"Fiv, are you just mad you are missing the Bloumani game?" asked Yuza, still looking down at his 'pad.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because the Bisons are not doing well this year..." sniped Eights as he looked to the window of the SandCat.

"What do you mean? We are atop of our group, and we defeated Audioslavia the other day."

"And? Have you seen our scoring? Every game as been won by either a single goal or three goals."

"So? A win is a win, Eights."

Eights looked back to Fiv. "True, but how you win is important. A team needs to be able to make an impact on their opponent; to show them that they are not to be taken lightly. We have not been doing that at all..."

"Impression? Two straight shutouts and four total... Yeah, no impression"

"What about tonights came with Blouman? And the next game against those monstrous Bears?"

"What about them?"

Yuza looked up from his 'pad and turned to face Fiv and Eights. "The Bears are very close to overtaking us in the group. I mean, they are 5-1-1 with a massive goal differential."

"So?"

"If we lose, they will be a single point behind us, meaning," Yuza sighed as he turned back to his 'pad. "They can very easily overtake us. They are more offensively-orientated, with that massive front of five Ursines."

"That just means their defence is weaker,"Fiv stated looking to the monitor again at the centre of his dash. He could see a small message at the top of the screen, flashing, and when Eights noticed it, he tapped the screen to bring it up.

"What do we have?" asked Yuza, his eyes now transfixed on the screen.

"Nothing, BaseCom thought we would like to know the score..." stated Eights with a smile across his face.

Gyatso-kai 1 - 0 Blouman Empire

"Another lone goal win," uttered Yuza as he patted Fiv on the shoulder. "Just... don't look at the Bears' score until we get back. It may be a shocker..."

by **Aguazul** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:39 pm

“We should probably report on the last few games.”

“That sounds good.”

“And by “we” I mean “you.””

“It's your job too!”

“I'm not the one flirting with the new arrival from Emberton.”

“I am not flirting with the Krytenian!”

“Not now you're not.”

“Well, you're the one who thought they meant “headhunting” literally!”

“I'm learning.”

“Yes, yes you are. Now go write the recaps.”

La Verdad

A quick review

Aguazul 2, Unified Falcon 1

Aguazul held off the combined forces of Falconear and Falconfar, thus thrilling the fans who attended the close match under the retractable roof in Ciruelas and also fans of domestic soccer who never liked Falcons anyway. It would be another bird of prey, of sorts, who scored for the visitors: charismatic vice captain Damon Hawk equalized after Escobar Lanos' opener. Fittingly enough, Merlín Salomón did eventually give us the win.

Balma 0, Aguazul 1

A surprisingly (or perhaps not) game against a side ranked jointly 333rd in the world. It took a goal just after the hour mark to secure three points, and it came from Celia Rimoldi, in the process becoming the first woman to score for Aguazul. “Took us long enough,” she sighed after the game, “well, in a couple senses. But seriously, this was a game I'm glad we won, we had a lot of chances and I was glad one of them eventually came together. As a midfielder I have a lot of different responsibilities, today this was how I helped out.”

Aguazul 3, Saugeais 2

The match between the group's top two seeds had seen both sides trying to downplay their chances, with the Knights able to point to our history and us able to point to their more recent track record. Then again, as hosts of the last World Cup, the World Cup 60 qualification had been just as uneventful for them as for us.

The defenses' rust, to put it mildly, showed in the first half with a flurry of goals from both sides. Though Lanos gave us the lead, Kuzman Ruslan (their only dedicated striker per se) quickly equalized, and then Leandre Pahlke (another left wing!) gave them the lead off a pass from young François Rousseau. But sure enough, Ramón Galindo assisted Muño Valcárcel on another goal.

In the second half, things calmed down drastically; Saugeais felt more confident by being able to keep pace with us (which had certainly not been the state of affairs at our last meeting, in World Cup 58). Yet, Galindo would eventually break through the defense again, evading Deforest Seaver for what turned out to be the winning goal.

Aguazul 1, North banrodesia 1

No one predicted a straightforward qualification campaign, but few would have expected our first dropped points to come at home against the group's unranked team. Yet, that was what happened as an exhausted team took on the excited visitors. While an attacking team much like our own, they had been lacking in goals, until Freddie Kellock stunned the Ciudagua crowd (but not the same Ciudagua crowd that had seen the previous game). Arturo Benavides eventually came on to provide fresh attack and would score, but some damage and shock had already been done.

The first half of qualification will wrap up in Mapabore when Aguazul host the visiting Kiri, who sport a perfect record so far and top the group. ~~Assuming my fellow journalists can keep their eyes on the game,~~ we'll have all the news for you!

by **Antoletia** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:09 pm

"Well that was a really boring week of practice."

"Yeah nothing to look forward to at the end of the week. The whole week was a leadup to nothing."

"And then we have the biggest game of the season."

"Least we had more time to prepare for the Cassadaiguans."

"Yah. Though i doubt it will do us much good to be fair. They are to good, and they don't have many holes in their whole system that we can really exploit."

"Yeah we really need to wok on our whole defense, the offense really works, we just need to work on the whole defensive side of the ball."

"Yeah lets get out their and run. So we can run the heck around them and work on getting around the defense and scoring."

"Yeah if we can do it against the Archregimancy we can do it against them."

"Yeah...Lets do it."

by **Arcadian Islands** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:30 pm

The Satinbirds travelled to Northern Sunrise Islands for what was always going to be a tight clash on matchday eight. Almost at the halfway point of qualifying, the Arcadians find themselves in sixth place and on track to possibly reach their projected target of fifth in the group. Nial Moro has done well to mould the side and improve their results from their first competition; a draw in the upcoming match against Bostopia would be a dream result for the Satinbirds who have publicly claimed they believe they can improve on their performances during the second half of the qualifying campaign.

Match Summary
@ InComm Arena, Matthew City, Amy Island, NSI
Northern Sunrise Islands (1) 1 - 1 (0) Arcadian Islands
M.Leminski 13'
D.Williams 56'
Yellow Cards
J.Pedrotti
R.Sese Aala

Match Highlights
The match kicks off

3' The match has begun in even fashion with both sides sharing possession

5' Robert Lamanon has the first chance of the match for Arcadian Islands but hits his effort wide from the edge of the area

6' Gareth Sully gets behind the Northern Sunrise Island (NSI) defence but is called back for offside

8' Francisco de Sousa crosses from the left for NSI but and the ball is deflected onto the post by Michael Leminski and goes out for a goal kick

8' Francisco de Sousa has two chances in quick succession, first with a header that is cleared off the line by Rexley Sese Aala to the relief of the Arcadian defense, and the second with a quick volley kick that goes wide

10' Gareth Sully cuts onto his left foot and shoots but the effort is deflected wide

12' Andrew Dennett breaks down the right and shoots straight at NSI goalkeeper Andy Cunnington.

13' GOAL!!! Northern Sunrise Islands 1 Arcadian Islands 0: The Marills go ahead when Michael Leminski chests down an early cross from Anthony Hawk and beats Satinnirds goalkeeper Travis Croker with a low volley; the home crowd is ecstatic.

17' Francisco de Sousa falls heavily under a Sese Aala challenge and play is held up while he receives treatment

19' Francisco de Sousa gets back on his feet and appears well enough to continue

20' Robert Lamanon shapes to shoot on the edge of the NSI area but is tackled by Josué Pedrotti before he can pull the trigger

23' Northern Sunrise Islands have a free kick in a promising position but Felipe Pessoa sees his effort delflected wide

23' Larissa Pereira heads a corner over the bar, despite the miss goalkeeper Croker shouts at the Arcadian defense to mark up better on set pieces.

24' Andy Cunnington survives a nervy moment when Jean d'Entrecasteaux breaks into the box, but Matthew Di Martine closes him down and the NSI defense scramble the ball clear

28' Francisco de Sousa latches onto a cross at the near post but can't get his effort on target

29' Arcadians Edward Aitken and Zeke Fitzgerald suffer a head clash after chasing the same aerial ball, both receive minor injuries and play is held up while they receive treatment

30' Aitken rejoins the action but Fitzgerald trudges off to receive further treatment but is yet to be replaced.

32' Fitzgerald comes back on and appears to have recovered

33' Lamanon touches a free kick to Kennedy and he shoots from an acute angle but NSI keeper Cunnington blocks the effort

36' YELLOW CARD: Josué Pedrotti is cautioned for Northern Sunrise Islands.

38' d'Entrecasteaux hits the post from a Fitzgerald cross but the flag is raised for offside anyway

39' SUBSTITUTION: The injured Fitzgerald is replaced by Bryan Davies for Arcadian Islands.

43' Larissa Pereira receives the ball in the box but the attacker can only find the side netting

45' André Jamet slides in near the six-yard box to put a threatening cross wide

45' Five minutes of injury time will be played

45' + 5' The first half comes to an end

The second half kicks off

48' Justin Redwing makes an overlapping run down the left for NSI but his cross is cut out by André Jamet.

48' SUBSTITUTION: Arcadian Islands make their second change with Dan Williams replacing Robert Lamanon.

50' Dan Williams weaves past two defenders down the left and also beats Marill keeper Cunnington with his shot only for the ball to roll inches wide

52' Dan Williams has made an immediate impact - the increasingly tense home crowd are again put on the edge of their seats with a shot from just outside the area but the ball deflects off a defender. The home crowd applauds nervously.

55' Arcadian Islands have come out firing in this second half. Andrew Dennett makes a good run down the right before his cross goes out for a corner

56' GOAL!! Northern Sunrise Islands 1 Arcadian Islands 1: Dan Williams cuts inside the defense and smacks his shot top corner to set off wild celebrations among the small numbers of travelling Satinbirds fans.

58' SUBSTITUTIONS: NSI make a double change; Damien Bonapart is replaced by Guillermo Di Luca while Eduardo Costa replaces Larissa Pereira

63' A corner for Northern Sunrise Islands but the ball is headed just over the bar

65' Gareth Sully picks up a Kensi August through ball, gets around his marker inside the box and hits target but Cunnington makes a fine save with his foot

69' Kensi August, noticing a gap in midfield, pushes forward before he goes down just outside the box. August thinks he has won his side a free kick but play is waved on. After a slow start, the Arcadian captain is proving to be a handful for the Marills defense

74' Eduardo Costa looks to be through on goal after a nice pass by Michael Leminski but the NSI attacker is called back for offside

78' YELLOW CARD: Rexley Sese Aala is cautioned for Arcadian Islands

83' Arcadian Goalkeeper Croker dives to beat away a shot from substitute Guillermo Di Luca.

84' SUBSTITUTION: Gareth Sully is replaced by Paul Riggott for Arcadian Islands

90' Two minutes of injury time will be played

90' + 2' Arcadian Islands have one last chance to cause an upset and take all three points when d'Entrecasteaux fizzes a shot across the face of goal

The final whistle is blown

by **Ossidiacqua** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:36 pm

"Ricardo! Ricardo!"

Ricardo swore to himself, stopping in his tracks as he tried to walk down the tunnel. Normally he'd have carried on walking. In fact, the last three times Fabricio Calderon had attempted to collar him after a game he'd palmed him off with the same answer three times and gone off to join the rest of the team in the changing rooms. He would have done the same again today, but the prospect of yet another roasting from Alessio Cardinale wasn't all that appealing. La Renaissance were having an absolutely dire qualifying campaign so far, and even though the latest defeat might have been an acceptable one in a campaign where they'd otherwise been performing to standard, a 1-0 defeat to Yesopalitha where they'd looked completely out of ideas had Cardinale looking like a bull about to charge as he marshalled the players down the tunnel.

"Ricardo!"

Hm, maybe answering a few questions couldn't hurt...

"What is it, Fabricio?" asked Ricardo, keeping up the image of an impatient national captain trying to get back to the changing room, "As if I couldn't guess..."

"Who was that guy?"

"Just a fan, I've told you."

"A white fan, though. A white fan that went to an away game. Dedicated."

"Why is that relevant?"

"Well, just that white faces tend to stand out in an Acquan crowd, and I've never seen him in the crowd at any other internationals."

"Well, maybe he can't afford it all the time, I don't know."

"Yeah, maybe..." said Fabricio slowly, smiling at Ricardo in a way that said 'I know you're lying to me' clearer than a skywriter could write in letters 100ft high.

"What else, Fabricio." sighed Ricardo, "I'm the team captain, I should go."

"Where were you that day, Ricardo?" asked Fabricio earnestly, chasing the information to get the evidence he felt he needed to get to that letter from Enzo Sertori to Lady Esmeralda Vleasquez had been rather more fun than he'd expected it to be, and this thrill of the chase was evident on his face as he interrogated Ricardo Velasquez for the fourth time.

"I told you, Fabricio, several times. I went to my specialised physio session in Franz Josef City." said Ricardo, almost on autopilot. "I got special dispensation to go from the OFA, they know about it."

"Right, but, here's the thing," said Fabricio with a triumphant glint in his eye, "I checked up with your physio, and he says you were there."

"Well then what's the problem?" shrugged Ricardo.

"You say you were there, and he says you were there, and the OFA is quite happy knowing you were there... but the Polarian immigration documents tend to disagree..."

"...what."

"The immigration statistics for that month in Franz Josef City International Airport, they say you were never there."

"...how on earth did you get hold of private details like that?!" exclaimed Ricardo, trying desperately to control the volume of his voice as his sense of unease rose within him.

"Oh no snooping was required." said Fabricio, with what was probably meant to be a nonchalant air, instead only succeeding in coming off as uproariously smug. "They release the immigration details up there in terms of basic numbers of nationalities, and guess what? Zero Acquan passport checks at Franz Josef City International Airport all month you were supposed to be there. We're not good flyers, really, are we, Acquans? Don't often make trips as far as the Islandstates unless we have to. Which you did. And yet you didn't..."

"Okay, right, but, the thing is, I didn't fly into Franz Josef City, I flew into, erm, Longyearbyen and took the boat from there. Cheaper." said Fabricio hesitantly, attempting to think on his feet.

"Really? Hm. I see. Then how come the flights you claimed for from the OFA say Franz Josef City on them? It's all in the claim files." replied Fabricio, having clearly done his homework on the matter.

"I mean, erm, we got diverted. There was a-..."

"No you weren't," interrupted Fabricio, "give it up, Ricardo. Tell me where you were or I'll tel the OFA where you weren't. I'm sure they'd be interested. What was on that piece of paper that guy gave you?"

"Okay, okay, fine, shush, keep your voice down." hurried Ricardo. "Look, I can't talk now. Come to the team bus later, I'll shake your hand and give you a piece of paper. I have to dash. I'll see you later."

Fabricio watched the national team captain hurry down the tunnel, no doubt to receive another ear-bending from Cardinale. Small wonder la Renaissance are getting whupped every week if the captain is always that easily spooked, he thought, and wandered off to the team bus to await the players leaving through the dressing room doors.

Twenty minutes later, and at the end of a line of players that look like they'd all seen a ghost, Fabricio spotted Ricardo Velasquez. He signed a few signatures, and then moved down the crowd to Fabricio.

"Erm, here's that poster you wanted signing." said Ricardo, holding out a piece of folded paper.

"Thank you." said Fabricio with a grin, barely getting the words out of his mouth before Ricardo extracted himself to disappear onto the team bus. He hadn't made eye contact the entire time.

Fabricio looked at the piece of paper, tucked it safely into his pocket, and only unfolded it to examine the contents when he got back to the safety of his own hotel room. Ricardo had looked scared earlier, and Fabricio wasn't taking any chances that the Mafia or the Magisterio had their dirty paws mixed up in this somewhere along the lines. He opened the paper, and read.

"Look, I know you're only doing your job, but this is my family we're talking about here. Be nice, please.

Bri an Eisc FC under-12s
Bri an Eisc
Inis na Sidh
Na Hoileáin Órga
An Tearmann"

"'Be nice'?" said Fabricio aloud, confused, "what in the name of the Pause Time does he mean by that?"

And an under-12 youth team? In Ancharmunn? Fabricio recognised the spellings of the words as Tynealan, but the only word he could place out of them was the nation. Quite where the other places were, he had no idea. But he was going to find out.

"The plot thickens..." he pondered, packing for his journey back to Sant'Elia. He had a travel broker to visit. Again.

by **Kiryu-shi** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 6:01 pm

from a scrap of paper found at the bottom of a deep lake in unexplored Kiryu-shi forests

rolling on
i lay at the feet of one player to another
it’s all a daze now

now is after then it was during that moment i lost consciousness perhaps

or perhaps just a dream

dreaming on
i roll

it started off fine another game this was the eighth against balmy balma

but just another game it certainly wasn’t

netted twice early by the kiri was rolling fast quick over the surface in amanuma a crowd pleased by the display and me sure pleased but not extremely happy nothing special just going about my business and balma was fine too they weren’t particularly adept their feet clanky i was misplaced misaimed a few times but then again after those two goals early the kiri were in no rush or hurry it seemed and so it was lazy for me

poor play to be sure but play all the same and nothing too stressful

but now

but now

now
i drift unconscious no longer lazy for i’m active again up and down the field but little more than rolling internally i scored once just now and the kiri are pushing again perhaps antagonized or simply just attempting to play to their best

but i am certainly not
my best

it was just after that break they call half time when it happened a fluke
maybe
i’m still
hazy
on the details

rolling
but nothing too extraordinary
when all of a sudden a tackle a hard flying tackle i ricochet off a foot and a knee and i fly out of the pitch fly off to the side between seats and all of a sudden

terrifying contact i fall into a substance too bizarre for words it hits me but also moves away upon contact scattering substance through the air while i just

float

not flying not rolling everything stopped except
bobbing up and down what

can
this
be?

later i hear someone say i fell into the pond
a pond
water
a body of water
i retch

how could it happen to me
the kiri celebrate blithely they’ve scored yet again i roll around in the back of the net and though it is no longer my body this incarnation is dry but still i am disgusted

they cheered the crowd cheered when i fell when i
splashed - what a vulgar word

they were happy for my misfortune they thought it
humorous

and now they cheer at their team’s success
kicking me across the field
into the goal

for the fourth
time

i am disgusted what how could this happen how could i let my body be debased in such a way i lie fallow at the back of the net still balma is slow to pick me up the kiri pile on top of each other their swine they will pay for this insolence this
is not my day

aguazul
aguazul will be my savior they will punish the kiri they will triumph i know i will help or at least try there is no shame in that
only
shame
water

but if they win aguazul them the kiri will no longer be in first - good

and no longer will we play in this infernal place this place of sin and revulsion i will
never
return

[ooc notes: I am incorporating dictionary.com’s Word of the Day into my RPs, today’s word is ‘fallow’. Also, as should hopefully be evident, this is written from the ball utilized in the matches of Kiryu-shi, and hopefully accurately represents the writing ability (maturity) of inanimate objects.

Also, goalscorers for record keeping and RPing purposes: d'Arányi 6’, Feingold 11’, d'Arányi 76’, Yume 88’

by **Taeshan** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:37 pm

What a boring game that was. Another in the long line of boring games of Taeshani history. Of the some 527 matches the Knights have played over the last 40 odd years id say about 80 percent of them were boring as shite. And not the good kind of shite. I mean when you buy tickets you expect a show, and if your a fan of the Purple Knights the only show you get is a snoozefest. They practically gurantee at least half the fans in the stadium will fall asleep by the end of each home match, and to be fair its worse on the road. On the road they play a nye impossible to crack defense to make it practically impossible to get near the goal let alone score. That of course is do to the age old idea of win your home games, make it through your away games with as much from it as you can scratch away from the opponents hands. Last night the Knights managed a full 3 points from surprise package Remad who had until recently been high up in the sections standings, but now seem to be faltering as their lack of experience in the event begins to show. The Knights were able to exploit their opponents lack of offense, and use it to their own advantage. The age old adage is that the best offense is a good defense, and we all know the defense of the Knights has very few comparisons in the world. Especially not in the modern world of the high flying offensive trapeze acts that many times seem to plague opposing managers who just want to show the fans a good time. Since when was Football about appeasing the fans. It is about winning, by any means necessary.

A man that knows a lot about defense being the key to the game is Knights vice captain Gwyn Juniper. Recently Gwyn has switched clubs in the nation of Valladares, which happens to be one of the preeminent leagues in the world, the Valladares Soccer League. One of the many Taeshani players abroad, Gwyn is the leader of the Knights midfield, and sure that has not much to do with their defense, but he leads the Knights strategical movement of the ball. And did he ever the other night. He assisted on the loan goal of the evening finding the head of the burly defensive center back Jordan Jaffacake who punched the ball like a rocket off his head for the evenings loan goal. Juniper who recently switched allegiances from Nacional to Olympique de Fonteville was happy provide the assist, though he is more prone to scoring. "Soccer is a team sport. We all want to win. I am just happy to provide wins for my country."
Asked about his strange hairdos of late he had no comment.

I mean to be fair i think we can all agree that that is a what the frick were you thinking hairdo. But you can't fault the guy. The kind off pressure he is under to lead this team to qualifying is enough to make a guy crack. Elsewhere though the news is good. The Knights sit third in their qualifying group with one final game against pygmy puff Danaelia. Elsewhere first is currently held by favorites Sargossa, with Licentiapacisterra only two points ahead of our Knights, and the Kytlerians in fourth another point back. With the Sargossans and Kytlerians meeting on the final matchup their is sure to be one final shakeup before the halfway point is made and we have a break to sit back and prepare for the whole second half.

by **New Montreal States** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:48 pm

In middlebrow Laval we lay our scene; specifically, Fabrice Sévérin's luxury condo. Our protagonist is laid up on the couch, a brace to support and protect his tweaked hamstring obliging him to prop his injured foot up on an ottoman. His fellow Black Hole Son from CF Laval¹ Phillipe Portier is burning the midnight ganj and downing the midnight pale ale, keeping vigil alongside his wounded comrade. The two of them are staring at Sévérin's big-screen TV, resolutely bludgeoning each other through the medium of animated, fictional video game characters.

"Feeling any better?"

"Nope. Leg still sucks. Press is still calling, hoping that I can magically explain why FSSO made the jump and we didn't."

"Didn't you tell them that you don't have all the answers squirreled away?"

"No, I told them that I was keeping all the answers in a fireproof filing cabinet next to my computer, and that I would give them to the press once they had proven themselves worthy."

"Has anyone taken up the challenge yet?"

"I thought I had this kid from the Moncton Sands Tribune poised to live for a week on nothing but decaf, almond danishes and positive vibes, but when he called me back to say no I could hear his coworkers laughter in the background."

"Pity."

"I know. I was totally going to give him an exclusive tell-all at the end of the week, just to see what he'd be like after that." His smartphone, which had been sitting next to him on the couch, began buzzing. "If this is another reporter who thinks I have nothing better to do while I recover than answer the same eight questions over and over again..."

"I doubt it," replied Portier. "Aren't most press types passed out in dumpsters behind bars by now?"

"That might make this call worth taking," said Sévérin, finally picking up his phone on the off chance that he was, in fact, getting drunk-dialed by a member of the fourth estate. "Bonsoir!"

Peikko Uistella was on the other end of the line, back in Longyearbyen. He was adhering to the age-old reporter's adage of "if at first you don't succeed, call a midfielder with a reputation for getting blazed and running off at the mouth and see if that pans out any better."

"Yes, good morning, Mr. Sévérin? I'm Peikko Uistella, from the Polar Islandstates. Do you have time to answer a few questions?"

"Say what? You're the demon Piccolo? Mike [Gladden, one of Sévérin's fellow midfielders], if this is another one of your drunk calls gloating about how you're about to bring back an Asian 10 from some exotic nightclub while my ass is stuck on this couch, I swear I will embark on an itching-powder jihad against everything you own or have ever owned in the last..."

"No, my name is Peikko..."

"Do spellcheckers not work when it's below zero all the time?"

Uistella was more than willing to take a cheap shot in pursuit of a story. "I'm a reporter from the Polar Islandstates. Your coach's move over to New Montreal is a pretty hot topic out here, and I was hoping to get your thoughts on the matter..."

Sévérin and Portier were still locked in their 512-bit deathmatch while the former was on the phone with Uistella, and Sévérin's attention had drifted away from the phone call and back towards the T.V. "Uh-huh..."

"You guys are all but out of the running for the guaranteed qualification spot, and locked in a tough battle with the greatest side of all time for the playoff spot. Do you think coach Kirkkegaard's switches to your traditional 2-6-2 have worked out well for your side?"

While Peikko was loading his question, Sévérin had managed to finally land the combo he had been trying to pull off since just before his phone had started going off. His character, a bedraggled homeless man named Kenneth the Wino, reared back, yelled "HOBOKEN!" and spewed out a volley of loose change propelled by the fury of fifteen years of Night Train-fuelled hangovers. Portier's combatant, an immaculately dressed elderly asian man wielding a sword cane, was knocked to the ground. Portier slammed his controller to the ground in frustration while Sévérin pumped the air and yelled "GLORIOUS VICTORY!" at the top of his lungs. For the first time in the phone call, Uistella was taken aback.

"Is that...is that your comment?"

"Huh? What?"

"'Glorious victory?' Is that all you have to say about Kirkkegaard's tinkering with a cherished Paladins tradition?"

"Nah, I got a comment for you, Pikewad Ukelele or whatever your name is. Buy a goddamn clock, because it's two in the goddamned morning out here." Sévérin hit the "end call" button on his phone with a bit more force than absolutely necessary and turned to Portier. "Maybe he got confused by the 24-hour sunshine up there, or something. I dunno. Another bong?"

"Only if it's followed by another rematch."

Several thousand miles away, Peiko Uistella shrugged and put his phone back in his coat pocket. He wasn't even angry, let alone surprised. He had known damn well what time it was in Laval, and had bet that Sévérin would be wasted yet talkative. Maybe next time. Meanwhile, there was other work to be done...

¹Their nickname was given 213 years ago by the young men who formed CF Laval mostly in the hopes of getting out of the soul-crushing "Black Hole" they felt they had grown up in.

by **Falconwhereveryouare** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:56 pm

The Eagle's Eye
The #1 News Source North of Filopines!
SPORTS
What the Holy Empire Just Happened

By Otis Birmingham

Well... that was... interesting? Well, firstly, for some reason the Falcons insisted that the Liturgy of St. Basil would be read before the match, even though I believe the reading of any liturgy is only required in matches against the Archregimancy (whom we have played, but was in neutral ground in the last Cup of Harmony). I think the Falcons have been spending too much time with the Orthodox Cloned Falcons; it would be a tragedy if our typically Atheist nation was represented by two Orthodox Christian football teams, but hey, who really cares as long as they win? However, after the six-hour reading finished, win they did not. In fact, it looked like the Chaps of the Holy Empire team might have been overly bored by the reading and had a fire under their rear-ends when play started, trying to make things interesting quickly. For the most part, they succeeded, with Imperial Senator Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel completing a great pass to Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz- weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of New Nicea, who would put the ball past Vladimir at just 3'. Mr. Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz- weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of New Nicea wasn't done, however, as he would follow up with a solo charge up the wing to put a second by Vladimir just four minutes later.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz- weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of New Nicea would then record an assist as Imperial Senator Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel increased the gap to 3-0 17 minutes in! Afterwards, the Falcons finally seemed to get some kind of a hold on what was going on, but only after reverting their 3-3-1-3 formation into a 10-0-0. Perry Dempsey especially showed an impressive amount of defensive prowess for someone who is normally mucking around on the forward wings; his excellent positioning stopped five separate Empiran charges cold. Of course, a counter-attack was out of the question, but it stopped them from scoring for the team being. Vladimir was forced to make quite a few saves, however.

The wheels really fell off the wagon with five minutes left in the game. At that point the Falconians realized "wait, why are we still doing this?" and essentially just started punting the ball as hard as they could whenever they somehow gained possession. Without a motivated defense, Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz- weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of New Nicea headed in a shot from Imperial Senator Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel that had bounced off the crossbar without any contest from defender nor goalkeeper. Even then, Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz- weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of New Nicea wasn't quite satisfied with his performance--adding on a fourth goal just before 90 minutes rolled over. The loss drops the Falconians to sixth in the Group 3 standings, but what did anyone expect after playing the #1 ranked side away?

Falconwhereveryouare - 0
The Holy Empire - 5
Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich- grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz- weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of New Nicea, 3', 7', 85', 89'
Imperial Senator Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel, 17'

by **Kinitaria** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:15 pm

KINITARIA produced a thoroughly professional performance to see off Perinpanland today, matching pace with their qualification rivals and making the race for the World Cup from Group 10 look increasingly three-sided.

It proved to be a routine affair for the Kinitaria attack, first Vacarestič then the recalled Naoumov giving them the win either side of half-time, a result which takes Kinitaria to ten games unbeaten, matching the national record set just after their Baptism of Fire win.

It is also the last fixture before Kinitaria welcome Polar Islandstates, ninth in the world, to Mi'ato in a game which could - should they upset all the odds and actually nick a result against their illustrious opponents - prove pivotal in Kinitaria's World Cup bid.

Minds today, however, were firmly focused on overcoming the team in front of them. Kinitaria, who have been known to start stronger than they finish, made their intentions clear early on as Lupan Mihalcič blazed his way through the centre of the Perinpanland defence, but his sliced effort was always rising and never in danger of troubling goalkeeper Trotter.

Perinpanland themselves looked to launch some early attacks, playing an offensive version of the 4-4-2 formation, and did manage to threaten the Kinitar goal early on, first when Charpentier took advantage of a Kinitar defensive mix-up to break free of the back line, but could only shoot straight at Petran, and then Raymond Bradley tried a shot from range which flew inches over the bar.

Kinitaria began to seize the advantage as they got into their stride in the first half. It took a diving challenge from Connors to prevent Sabčot getting a shot away as the striker was pulling the trigger, and Gaspard Trotter was forced into a flailing save which enabled him to just get his fingertips to a fiercely struck effort from Lupan Mihalcič just minutes later as Kinitaria continued to keep their opponents pinned back in their own half.

But it wasn't long before their dominance would pay off. Wall couldn't hold onto possession on the wing, but Vacarestič was there to take advantage of the slip-up. The Kinitar winger quickly cut inside, taking the ball into the penalty area and feinting to pass Worley before smashing a ferocious right-footed effort past Trotter into the back of the net.

Perinpanland showed some fight immediately after falling behind, and the Kinitar defence were nearly caught out by a swift surge forward by Chas Morrison, but the home striker couldn't find the finish. Scottie Fish also shot wide just moments later and Charpentier lifted his effort over Petran's crossbar after a quick break from the hosts.

Kinitaria finished the half on the front foot, though. Sabčot could have increased their lead with seconds to go before half time when he escaped the attention of his marker, but his well-hit shot flashed across the face of goal and harmlessly out. As the teams made their way in for the interval, Tofiq Yurovič looked much the happier of the two managers, the mood in the opposing camp being correspondingly more sombre.

The second half began in similar fashion, some rapid Kinitar attacks pushing their opponents back and threatening to come away with a few goals in the bag as Mihalcič and Sabčot were both denied from close range thanks to some desperate defending. The attacking power of Kinitaria was remarkably effective, the tracking back of the defensive midfielder Scottie Fish largely nullified as Perinpanland's back four were constantly caught too far forward, giving the Kinitar wingers a simple task as they surged forward.

It wasn't long before they'd doubled their lead through some rather fortunate circumstances. Emil Pročazka's dipping corner was easy enough for Trotter to punch away, but he couldn't stop the ball from rebounding off Mason and landing at the feet of Paolo Naoumov about two yards from goal for the easiest strike of his career.

The two-goal cushion gave Kinitaria a safety net and they were able to knock it around their opponents with some ease, taking advantage of the Perinpanland players' frustration with some patient build-up play which almost gave them a third goal when Sabčot broke free at exactly the right moment, but Naoumov's flick over the top was just a little too far for the striker and Trotter was able to gather it.

Perinpanland thought they might have pulled one back with just over ten minutes to play, Valenzuela's chipped free-kick being steered home by Raymond Bradley from close range, but any hope of a grandstand finish was cut short by the linesman's flag. Despite the home side's protest, the decision stood - replays after the game would prove he was offside by a few yards.

And the final word would go to Kinitaria, who were not done looking for opportunities to extend their lead. Veteran captain Yulian Kovačev tried his luck from well outside the box but failed to test the goalkeeper, his skewed effort sailing into orbit as the game drew into its final few minutes.

There would be no more chances of note, the referee's whistle mere moments later bringing the curtain down on a solid performance by Kinitaria, leaving them unbeaten in the group and setting up a crucial encounter with Polar Islandstates on home turf, one which manager Tofiq Yurovič will begin preparing for immediately.

Tofiq Yurovič, Kinitaria manager, following his team's fine victory over Perinpanland:
"I expected a performance out there today and the players have given one, that's it in a nutshell. I'm happy with that, we've done enough to beat Perinpanland and we certainly weren't going to underestimate them. We've been a bit wasteful in front of goal, but we got the two that we needed in the end - two well-worked strikes, I have to say - and the defensive performance has been a lot better too, so overall I think you can say that we''re improving as a team and working together as a good, solid unit. That's how we're going to have to play if we think we can keep up this form, and I'd be delighted if we could. We're ten unbeaten, and we're only there through hard work.

There's been some good individual performances out there as well as a good team performance. Paulo [Naoumov] - he's been brought back into the team on a good run of form and he's delivered with a goal. It's not just him, though, you couldn't really fault anyone's performance out there today, they kept going for ninety minutes and worked their socks off in every area of the pitch, and, well, you can just see the improvement that it's brought. We're second now, there's still only two points in it since the teams around us won, but we're not going to be forced out without a fight.

Polar Islandstates - well, it's going to be like nothing else we've faced before. It's our first time playing a team in the top ten. Thankfully, it's at home, so we'll have 70,000 fans behind us, but this is the very pinnacle, isn't it? Facing off against one of the best teams in the world... well, we're going to have to be at the top of our game. But we can get something out of the game. Our squad is good enough to go out and nick something against Polar Islandstates. Whether we will or not, I can't say, but we're going to go out there and give it our very best shot. The players are ready. Ready to go out and do the impossible."

PER 0 - 2 KIN
(46%) Possession (54%)
(7) Shots (10)
(2) On target (5)
(3) Fouls (4)
(3) Corners (2)
(2) Offside (4)
(0) Yellow cards (1)
(0) Red cards (0)

Kinitaria team ratings: Petran 8, Sala 8, Lupei 7, Sykora 9, Spirlea 8, Vacarestič 8, Naoumov 9, Kovačev 9, Pročazka 7, Mihalcič 8, Sabčot 8.
Substitutes: None.
Goals: Vacarestič 29, Naoumov 57.

"...ready to go out and do the impossible."

Ready: (l-r) 8 Yulian Kovačev, 6 Sergiu Vacarestič, 10 Luka Sabčot, 16 Paulo Naoumov.
Minutes before kick-off in Kinitaria's crucial World Cup qualifier with Polar Islandstates.

by **Blouman Empire** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:04 pm

THE DAILY REVIEW

The Final Whistle

Riley Drongon

The recent criticism on the Blouman Eagles from both the media and the general public is destructive, ignorant, disgusting and shows a complete lack knowledge on international football and the team as a whole. This has not been helped by the unrealistic expectations set by the media and some governing members of the Football Federation of Bloumany. Some factions boosted the public's expectations by even claiming that we would qualify for the World Cup after the team won their first two games. By placing these expectations and pressure on the team not only gives them a target that is impossible to reach but also hinders their playing ability.

Let's have a reality check on the Eagles' qualifying campaign. The Eagles' team are made up of young players, while they are highly skilled and perform to a high standard on the domestic level they do not have any international experience. While some have criticised Malsomp's choice in selecting a squad that has an average age of 22 his reasoning behind it is sound and shows long term thinking. While it is true there are a number of older players that are more experienced and more skilful it would not have made much difference and we would still not have qualified. The media and public also need to remember that we are playing against teams that have been playing international football for a number of years and have squads full of players that have international experience and will ultimately perform better. The Eagles have failed to win their past four games, losing three and drawing one. This lack of results has been why the Eagles have been highly criticised as it has dropped us down to 6th and 11 points behind the leader, but we need to look at who we have played these past four games. The Eagles have played the two highest ranked teams in the group Bears Armed (ranked 4th) and Gyatso-Kai (ranked 35th) anyone who thought that we would beat these teams are either deluded or insane. A young inexperienced side had no match against these powerhouses. It is similar to expecting Brunick Rangers beating Jollipville Athletic, it would never happen. The final reality check everyone needs is that we never once qualified for the World Cup before our suspension despite playing in 15 campaigns, our biggest achievement is making it to the semi-finals in one Cup of Harmony campaign. I have been baffled as to why I have seen commentators who should know better state that the Eagles have a chance of qualifying.

Harry Malsomp and the team have never stated they would expect to qualify this World Cup, in fact Malsomp stated that it would take a few campaigns before the Empire were qualifying contenders, the Empire has played exactly to their expectations. One player spoke to me before the first game saying he would be surprised if the team won any games. This expectation of qualifying is not one held by the team at any point but rather one that has been imposed on them by the media. To now criticise them for failing to reach this impossible target is wrong, we should not be holding our international team to these high standards, I wouldn't expect them to be in serious contention for at least another 4 campaigns. I wish the team the best of luck for the remainder of this campaign I won't be expecting them to make it into the top two. I do expect the media and the public to continue to support our team no matter how they perform. This young team has many more campaigns ahead of them and will improve as they gain more international experience and we should continue to support them throughout the many campaigns to go.

Riley Drongon is a former player for Braxon City F.C and is also a host of The Beautiful Game which can be seen Thursday nights at 8:30pm on KTV

by **Equestrian States** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:09 pm

ESPN: Equestrian Sports Programming Network
Fire Dash and Thunderlane Score Hat Tricks in Slaughter of Hutt River
By Steve McNotapony

CANTERLOT - After an easy win against Vindesby, most ponies would have told you that, despite the team's recent string of success, the Equestrian States would be challenged by the fourth-seeded team in the group: Hutt River. But after last night's game, they wouldn't tell you that anymore because they would still be in shock or would be too hoarse from cheering to tell you anything.

The match began with Fire Dash doing what he does best: dashing through the defenders with the ball at his front hooves. In just the 2nd minute of play, the red pegasus seized the ball from Hutt River's Arnold Rimmer and made a brilliant shot to give the Equestrians first blood in a much-anticipated game. But the Equestrians didn't wait for an opportunity after play was restarted, rather they took control once more and soon Fire Dash was celebrating another goal with his teammates as the crowd rejoiced in their good fortune.

Now with a comfortable two-goal lead, the Equestrian States backed-off for a while, allowing Hutt River to try to put together an offensive attack. But none of these attempts would come close to producing a goal.

However, when Starlight Sparkle was tripped inside the penalty box in the 24th minute, she recognized her chance and easily fooled Dave Lister by faking her shot direction. As Lister lifted himself from the ground, Starlight Sparkle was mobbed by her teammates. Thirteen minutes later, Thunderlane would widen the already imposing gap with a curving shot that glanced off the side bar before going into the back of the net. It established a commanding 4-0 lead for the Equestrian States to carry into halftime. But a strange creation, Talkie Toaster, had other ideas. The Hutt River player took a cross from Frankenstein and put his team back into the game before the end of the half.

While they had conceded an easy goal, few fans or players had doubts that the Equestrians would win. But even fewer fans - and no players - expected what would come in the second half of play.

A mere three minutes after the match resumed, Andrea Molovi scored on a booming kick to put the Equestrian States up 5-1. Another three minutes would pass before Fire Dash snuck a long free kick by Dave Lister to give himself a hat trick, prompting many to wonder just how bad this game was going to get.

It would take ten minutes, but Thunderlane answered with his own long goal, tying his personal single-game record and allowing the team to tie its highest-scoring record that had been set earlier in the qualifiers in the team's 7-1 win at Bitternea.

Eight minutes later, Starlight Sparkle gave the Equestrians their record with a beautiful arching goal. Some Equestrian supporters cheered wildly, some stared in awe at the scoreboard, while others simply looked at each other grinning and hoping for an even higher score.

Unfortunately, Hutt River finally managed to strike back again in the 76th minute. Kryten - a midfielder - took the ball through several Equestrian defenders before sneaking it past High Soarin' to close the distance ever so slightly. As time wound down, the Equestrian States went on the attack again. The 90th minute passed by as Thunderlane and Fire Dash hammered shot after shot at the goal. Eventually, a corner kick was awarded and Thunderlane took up his position. Everypony was on their hooves at this point, hoping for one more chance to cheer a goal. It was given to them. Leaping above the Hutt River defense with his wings extended, Thunderlane hammered home the ball to complete his own hat trick. A couple minutes later, the whistle ended the match but the Equestrian fans were still celebrating. It was a wonderful way to go into the team's bye.

The Equestrian States will host The Icemark in their third-straight game at home. While the starters will undoubtedly want to play in the firendly against The Icemark, it is likely that Twilight Striker will do her best to keep them healthy in preparation for their next qualifying match against Krytenia. If the Equestrians can somehow manage to pull an upset against group favorit Krytenia, they will be easily in position to make another playoff run and perhaps qualify for the World Cup. It seems unlikely to happen, but miracles have happened before, maybe one will finally happen in Canterlot.

by **Polar Islandstates** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:16 pm

"Evenin' Gunnar, the usual?"

"Aye, ta Yannis. Much obliged." answered Gunnar, closing the door of The Auld Creaky behind him and stepping inside as Yannis turned off the radio.

"...WHO GRACIOUSLY ALLOWED JUUL TO TAKE THE FREE KICK, AN OPPORTUNITY HE DID NOT WASTE. DIEDRICH KVITCHENKO WAS ON TARGET IN THE SECOND HALF AFTER A DYNAMIC PASSING MOVEMENT FROM LEPKA AND VAN SORENSEN FREED UP SPACE FOR THE EAST FRANZ STRIKER TO HANG BACK IN, SO AS ELMSVIKUR RAN TO THE EDGE OF THE BOX FROM LEPKA'S THROUGH BALL HE WAS IN THE PERFECT PLACE TO COLLECT THE PULLBACK FROM HIS STRIKE PARTNER AND RIFLE THE SHOT IN FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX. THE SECOND HALF TRANSFORMATION WAS COMPLETE FIVE MINUTES LATER, SUBSTITUTE EYVINDUR SUDESVAL SCORING WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH FROM A CORNER AFTER COMING ON FOR JORGEN HAUGE. THE TERNS NOW LO-..." *click*

"Is that it?" prompted Yannis.

"Is what it?" asked Gunnar, the picture of innocence.

"No shots of Seasogs today? Not going to get wasted?"

"No, no. Just a pint please."

"Hm."

"What?"

"There's no crazy scheme of yours to avoid Larsen. I'm suspicious." said Yannis, narrowing his eyes as he pulled the pint of Grogg for Gunnar.

"Don't be, I'm just sitting here, waiting for Larsen's inevitable appearance so I can listen to what he has to say." said Gunnar serenely.

"You're not planning on killing him, are you?"

"Killing him? No, no. I'm just waiting." smile Gunnar. Yannis was getting a little weirded out by now. Enter Larsen.

"Hello, I have a nice one for you to-..." started Larsen, trailing off when he noticed something was missing. "What's wrong with Gunnar? He hasn't said anything yes. Nor is he drunk. I'm suspicious."

"Resigned to it, I guess." offered Yannis.

"Plus, I'm on heavy sedatives." interjected Gunnar.

THE ZEPHYR DISASTER
Commercial airships operated widely across the region during the 1940s, seen as a luxury mode of transport for those that could afford it. Quieter than the planes of the time, and quicker than a boat, the industry was tightly regulated and growing rapidly, with a fine safety record. The airship Zephyr, operated by the Kallstrom fleet, was one of the largest and most prestigious in the region, and was a popular choice for the football teams of Novaya Zemlya to charter and fly to away games in the Latitude Cup. None more so than the successful Red Star Severny side of the time, who found themselves playing more games in the Latitude than most thanks to their success. They would pay a heavy price for their frequent air miles however, and were involved in one of the great tragedies of the modern era.

On their way to play Melville Celtic in the semi finals of the 1949 Latitude Cup, Red Star, widely tipped to win the competition that year, charted the Zephyr. They made it to the Republic of Hans and Melville in good time, and were about to dock at the airfield when conditions worsened considerably. What happened next isn't clear, but whether through pilot error or otherwise, the Zephyr made contact with the docking tower, puncturing three of the forward gas bags. Well tested safety precautions meant the sacks did not ignite immediately, but the airship lost altitude rapidly, drifting towards the forest on the border of the airship as it did so before striking the ground on its front right side and then igniting, a wall of flame exploding quickly from front to back.

HUMAN TRAGEDY
The loss of life was huge. but could have been so much worse had many passengers on the left hand side not been thrown clear in the initial impact. Nineteen members of staff lost their life, including one groundsman and the captain, and of the title winning Red Star squad and support staff, eighteen lives in total were lost. Amongst them were the highly talented young striker Niko Rostropovich, only nineteen years old but already in the Red Star first team, club legend Isaac Hirvonen (see p.42), now an assistant manager, and Novaya Zelmyan national team captain, the great Ibrahim Zacharov. Red Star were forced to forfeit the match against Melville Celtic, faced as they were with crippling loss of life in their squad, and the nations of Hans and Melville and Novaya Zemlya were plunged into mourning over the tragedy. Melville Celtic went on to win the final against Novaya Sibir Reds 4-1, dedicating the trophy win to Red Star in the process. All twenty eight survivors of the tragedy were guests of honour at the final.

Full list of fatalities:
Crew
Captain, Piotr Eriksen
First Officer, Franz Drejer
Pilot Officer, Tomas Anke
Watch Officer, Nikita Khotliykova
Watch Officer, Oleg Brize
Navigator, Alexsander Määttä
Navigator, Noah Egerman
Chief Radio Operator, Artemiusz Seim
Radio Operator, Lewis Moscovitch
Radio Operator, Jeppe Lonning
Engineer, Sasha Rinnekangas
Engineer, Merlin Sterner
Helmsman, Tomas Paulsen
Helmsman, Berg Knivelyova
Helmsman, Mateusz Aspen
Mechanic, Martijn Kosygin
Mechanic, Willem Soisalo
Mechanic, Dietar Nilsen
Groundsman, Sebastian Holtan
Red Star Severny
Assistant Manager, Isaac Hirvonen
Coach, Steffan Herskowitz
Coach, Boris Tabanov
Coach, Noah Lasovskaya
Physio, Julius Marken
Physio, Artemiusz Klein
Cook, Mantus Solem
Press Officer, Klaus Polyakov
Player, Niko Rostropovich
Player, Tor Mullova
Player, Miko Lidstrom
Player, Tor Fischer
Player, Ibrahim Zacharov
Player, Klaus Laukkonen
Player, Pavel Kouptchinski
Player, Pavel Malenkov
Player, Joni Marken
Player, Artemiusz Narozhylenko

THE ZEPHYR FINAL
Red Star were a shattered side, and only thanks to the kind donations of other teams sending youth players and experienced veterans were they able to continue - the players all more than willing to help as the footballing community across the region pulled together and rallied to Red Star's aid. Manager Vadim Hovda was lucky to escape with only minor injuries, and he set about devoting his waking hours to rebuilding the club from the ground up, never releasing or casting aside a survivor of the crash unless they asked him to.

The club got the perfect opportunity to attempt to come to terms with what had happened in the following season, as they were drawn away at Melville Celtic in the first round of the 1950 Latitude Cup. Travelling by boat with what players they had, the Red Star team were given a heroic welcome by the people of Melville, who were desperate to atone for a tragedy that they saw happen on their territory.

On the day of the first round, the match itself was preceeded by a moving ceremony of remembrance at the crash site, many of the survivors facing their demons as they revisited the scene of so many of their nightmares of the past six months. As the players then ran out onto the pitch at Melville House, a packed crowd that looked several thousand over the official ground capacity gave them a standing ovation so loud the referee had to blow his whistle to start the match three times before it was heard.

Red Star were bruised physically and battered mentally by the events and emotions of the day, and in reality they stood little chance with the makeshift team they had put together for the new season. Melville Celtic were keen not to push their advantage too far and humiliate their opposition however, and the lead remained settled at 3-0 at half time after goals from the Celtic front three of Darek Eiken, Niels Hermann, and Jonas Skvortsov. Red Star rallied in the second half, with Sebastian Lorenzen, a youth import from Northbrook Diamonds, scoring a fabulous goal with the outside of his boot. But the biggest cheer of the day came as the moment everyone had hoped they would see came to life before them.

Alexandr Steinback, badly burned from the crash, had taken a long time to recover from his injuries. The former 20-a-season striker was still clearly haunted by the incident, carrying both physical and mental scars onto the pitch that day, and so when he made a substitute appearance in the second half as the only survivor of the crash to make a playing contribution that day, he received a deafening cheer from the crowd. In the last minutes, and to the delight of both the home and away supporters, Steinback scored with a diving header, immediately bursting into tears at the memory of those friends and colleagues he had lost in the crash.

LEGACY
Red Star Severny were applauded from the pitch that day like no other opposition side at Melville House ever has been, either before or since, and matches between the two sides are still treated with poignant respect today. Red Star would take a decade to start challenging for titles again, Vadim Hovda sticking with the club through thick and thin along the way, until his eventual retirement in 1962, just one year before Red Star would once again with the Novayan League, to tumultuous celebrations.

The greatest victory to come from the incident wasn't Melville Celtic's or Red Star's however, but for everyone in the Valhallan footballing community. The surge in good will and collective activity that happened after the crash was powerful, and affected the day to day life of so many people that it transcended mere football. The community realised their strength in unity, and began to show that even out of the depths of such intense personal tragedy in such a public domain, the flashes of hope and the light of recovery can be found.

The airship trade never recovered, and the last route closed for good in 1954.

"Erm, Gunnar, you sure you're allowed to be drinking if you're on sedatives?" asked Yannis.

Gunnar didn't answer, but instead slowly slid off his stool and onto the floor, smile still fixed on his face, a vacant expression in his eyes. Larsen watched him fall slowly, and Yannis leant over the bar to peer down at his oblivious customer.

"So that's, what, a 'maybe'?"

by **Yesopalitha** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:29 pm

Sparky's Stance

Every World Cup cycle, there is one game that stands out to you as a game that was closer than it should've been, or, in other words, a squeaker.

Squeaker was the word to describe the Flames' win over Ossidiacqua at The Sacred Heart. For eighty minutes, the second-ranked team in the group wasn't playing like it. They were being bullied by the Acquan players, playing tentatively, and just doing enough to not concede any goals. In fact, with the Acquans taking double the amount of shots than the Flames, it was a miracle that they weren't down at all, but then it does help to have a goalkeeper like Jonah Calhoun. Calhoun was the lone star for the eighty minutes, making spectacular saves look easy and keeping the Flames in the game.

Thankfully, when the goalkeeper is playing well, ten minutes is all you need. Starting the eightieth minute, the Flames started to click finally, or maybe it was the Acquans starting to fatigue. They started to get closer and closer to goal, and then, at the eighty-eighth minute, Isaac Jack-Bentley scored his first goal of the cycle on an excellent ball that curved at the last minute, and Flames fans could finally relax.

It doesn't bode well for the Flames heading into a game against Conclespia that will end the first leg. Though ranked 310th, if the Flames play like they did against the Acquans for eighty minutes, they can be upset quite easily.

Hopefully, the real Flames will show up...

Comments on Yesopalitha's Group Mates:

Astograth: Dropped two points on a draw, which gives them a one-point lead on the group. May be possible for Flames to catch up.

Rustika: Surprising squad is at third place following four wins. May have to watch out for them the second time around.

Amstaad & Bierlin: Playing below potential, but always dangerous. Capable of a breakthrough run.

Equatorial Sarmen: Playing like they are supposed to. Two wins a bit of a surprise.

Ossidiacqua: Not playing up to potential. Possible breakthrough? Not likely.

Bisim: Doing okay for an unranked squad, eh?

Conclespia: Already has an upset win over Amstaad & Bierlin. Will try to obtain a few more.

Democratic States of Fenbar: Lifeless.

by **Unified Falcon** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:34 pm

Newson's Files

Damn it, on top of all the things that I am trying to do, I am sick, down with tuberculosis. Of all the times to get sick! The team really needs me right now... We only have one win and it's almost the halfway point. We keep drawing against teams that we are supposed to beat! It is a bit frustrating...

The problem is I can't figure out what is wrong, and now that I am bedridden, the players are pretty much running the show themselves. I told them that they are to do what they feel will be best for the nations of Falconfar and Falconear, and that they are to prepare for the next match themselves. I am hoping that they will see that what I have done for them so far is the way to go, but I have no idea if that will work. All I know is that I need to get back out there ASAP!

The doctor tells me it'll take me a while to recover. I don't want to take more than I have to, but I need to take as much as I need to so that I can be out there again soon. It's such a tricky line to maintain. I did tell the team that I will be on the phone with the assistant coaches the whole time in the next match, so I'll see what happens.

It would be good to head into the half with a win. Our goal this time around is fifteen... And we are at six right now. Getting to nine would be a huge boost.

Let's at least be somewhat in the mix, eh?

I have to get well soon!

by **Andossa Se Mitrin Vega** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:03 pm

And a time for the first half of qualifying to end has come. Who will be sitting pretty and who has their worK cut out for them?Find out now

by **Stachland and Minor Outlying Islands** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:08 pm

EDIT: Darn. Missed the cutoff by that much.

Stachland Reds

Reds Keep Moving Forward
by Witold Elliott

This is a very strange qualifying campaign. With just one final game in the first half of qualifying still to play, the Reds are currently in second place in Group Eleven—as anticipated.

However, the two teams to which they have lost, including first seed Valladares, sit firmly below them in the table, and the team above the Reds, Carpathia and Ruthenia, they earned a hard-fought victory over a few weeks ago.

With Valladares reeling, it is looking possible that, should they be able to pick up steam for the second half of qualifying, the Reds may be able to pull off a first-place finish in their group for the first time ever—not just for a World Cup qualifying group, but for any group in any international sporting event, ever.

The team is not allowing themselves to become engrossed with the possibility, however. “Commentators speculate on it every time out,” said team captain and goalkeeper Navering Pounchtal. “They say, ‘Is this the year they’ll get it done? Isn’t it about time?’ and we’ve not yet delivered. So, even though we’re looking pretty good right now, we certainly can’t get complacent.

The Reds’ latest victory was a 2-0 affair against Boring Paradise that was a rather conclusive and powerful performance by the home team, despite the final score being relatively close. The fans at Generalife Union Arena got to see several shots taken by a number of Stachlandic forwards and midfielders, and goals were scored by Zachary Zeelowe in the fortieth minute and by Ratin Beenum in the sixty-fifth.

“It feels odd, because it feels like we’re playing a lot worse than we really are,” Zeelowe reported. “But we’re right up there, like we always are. I guess our two losses have both been really, really bad, which is why it feels like we’re not playing at our usual level.”

The Reds will play ABK tonight to round out the first half of World Cup 61 qualifying.

by **Geisenfried** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:33 pm

As far as humanitarian crises and international incidents go, it could have been worse. As they had feared, Urbis Tractus had ignored every warning and manuevered their city into Geisenfried's special anti-phenomenon Siebach array, causing the entire city to plummet thanks to knocking out whatever was powering the thing. They had managed to "land" the city on a relatively abandoned piece of coastline not far from Heimüller, the metropolis where the qualifying match was supposed to take place, rather than falling into the bay, avoiding sinking their entire nation at the very least. And somehow they'd managed to keep the match to go as planned. But there was now a half-wrecked city sitting broken on the coastline - and the people from Urbis Tractus were obviously none too happy with their sudden predicament.

They'd finally managed to coax their unruly guest in a more private room. He'd come in ranting and raving and altogether appearing to have no collection of what the term 'diplomacy' meant, but nonetheless, he was a foreign dignitary and deserved to be treated as such. In light of the unfolding situation, the federal government had sent one of their high ministers to handle the repercussions of all these developments. He opened up in a light enough tone.

"Welcome. I admit this wasn't an ideal way for us to meet after a simple World Cup qualifying match, but nonetheless, we'll do what we can to help you get back on your feet or... back in the sky, as it were. We'll provide humanitarian aid to all in the area. And for the time being, we will deactivate the nearest generator so that your power systems can return online."

The diplomat, however, suddenly became far more serious and irritated.

"But I shouldn't need to remind you that we warned you... repeatedly not to come into this country. I don't really care what excuse you'd like to make up for why you continue to feel entitled to enter other nations' sovereign territory without their permission, but we're not tolerating it. When other nations send football teams, they send them with passports and visas and all these little documents that we civilized nations like to use to guarantee each other that they mean no harm, in simple things like civilian airplanes that we can easily maintain security for. They do not bring them in giant floating monstrosities with who knows how many people and how much stuff we can't know about. I don't know how the hell we're going to arrange this away leg, but let me make this perfectly clear - once you are out of the area and the field goes back up, it and the rest of the array will stay back up, and unless you'd like us to have to go through the process of issuing visas to your entire civilian populace and having us comb through the entirety of your damn city for contraband - the answer is no, by the way, I'm just being rhetorical - YOUR CITY IS NOT WELCOME into our lands. If you'd like to try this stunt again, we'll treat it like any other nation that carries in a giant piece of machinery with untold numbers of people in it without our permission - with guns, and missiles and bombs, because we will consider it an act of war. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

Geisenfried 1-0 Urbis Tractus

- Volke (50')

Group 12:	GP	W	D	L	PT	GF	GA	GDF
Eura		 7	6	1	0	19	27	10	+17
New Mont. St.	 7	4	0	3	12	10	 8	 +2
Starblaydia	 7	4	0	3	12	13	12	 +1
Baltskandio	 7	3	2	2	11	18	16	 +2
Ko-oren		 7	3	1	3	10	 9	10	 -1
Mashiki		 7	3	0	4	 9	 9	11	 -2
Geisenfried	 7	2	3	2	 9	 5	 9	 -4
Aexalla		 8	2	1	5	 7	 7	17	-10
Urbis Tractus	 7	1	0	6	 3	 8	13	 -5

Next Match - MD9: @ Starblaydia

World Cup LXI (61) RP Thread

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