Copa Rushmori XIII - Everything thread

by **Sicoutimont** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:19 am

Les Royales Roster for Copa Rushmori XIII

Les Royales return to the Copa after a poor showing at the Cup of Harmony. Can Giroux and crew recapture the glory of 7 years ago, a 3rd place Copa finish?

Manager: Marc Denis
General Manager/Director of Sicoutian Football Association: Rene Rochefort
Style Modifier: +2
Formation: 3-4-3
World Ranking: 59th

Goalkeepers
Pier-Luc Dion-GK-FC Ararat Severyan (Mytannion)
Artyom Bergeron-GK-Ferdullaele FC (Farfadillis)

Defenders
Yves Savard-DF-Lokomotiv Ostrava (Mytannion)
Neal Kent-DF-Earthquake Champlain (Sicoutimont)
Alex Gannot-DF-Athletik Thessia (Mytannion)
Shane Von Axelsson-DF-Riviere St-Denis City (Sicoutimont)
Loic Leduc-DF-Matthew City Rangers (Northern Sunrise Islands)

Midfielders
Hans Richelieu-MF-Riviere St-Denis United (Sicoutimont)
Oscar de Orebale-MF-Persepolis (Free Swiss States)
Antoine Urbaille-MF-Lac-Drouin City (Sicoutimont)
Vincent Varrault-MF-Lac-Drouin St-Pierre (Sicoutimont)

Strikers
Girard Giroux-ST-CAP (Valladares)
Christopher Savard-ST-Calexico (Free Swiss States)
Georges Allonts-ST-Lac-Drouin St-Pierre (Sicoutimont)
Stan Sarault-ST-Athletik Thessia (Mytannion)

Les Royales first action in the Copa was against groupmate Kaledor. Les Royales were drawn into Group G, with Kaledor, Charuterra and Pasarga. Blackrock Gate in Sayercoon was the place, playing to a crowd of 23,000. Les Royales were on the defense early, and survived the first half tied 0-0. Artyom Bergeron had to make many saves, and the team was looking down offensively. Finally, in the 59th minute, the Kaledor broke through. Sir Tarquaine Fitzroy scored his first of the Copa, to make the score 1-0 Kaledor. Just 4 minutes later, Les Royales took a penalty in the box. Penalty kick. Fitzroy wouldn't mess up, and Sir Tarquaine has the Kaledor team up 2-0. Les Royales just could not answer those. Referee Officer Tiranas from Eastfield Lodge would assess another penatly kick for Kaledor, but the scoreline would remain 2-0. Now, Les Royales head to the Capital of Aels, Drayfill. New Free Stone Stadium, capacity 39,000, will be the site of the next match, Sicoutimont vs Pasarga. Kaledor takes on the Charruterrans next, also in Drayfill. On the final group stage matchday, Les Royales take on Charruterra at New Free Stone Stadium. Using Drayfill as a base camp, the team will get some well-needed R&R today before playing again tomorrow. Tune in here to see results of Sicoutimont vs Pasarga!

by **Mapletish** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:50 am

Since PIS hasn't posted their roster, player references will be limited to Player with their Kit number.

Dennis Long strikes twice to shock Polar Islandstates in a memorable victory for the Lons, who defended with their lives to clinch a priceless victory against Polar Islandstates. A textbook smash and grab display from Mapletish was enough to see them upset world number four Polar Islandstates 2-0 in the opening game of Group D at Drayfill, Aels.

Dennis Long opened the scoring during the second half in controversial circumstances after an apparent handball by Calagero Tino in the build-up and putting a second past the keeper after a counterattack for a second goal with nine minutes to go.

Having never clashed horns or met each other before in the international stage and the regional stage, the match was for the taking of Polar Islandstates, who started off the match with commendable momentum. PIS dominated possession, but they were unable to convert their dominance into goals in the face of the impressive defensive resilience and resistance from the Lions, who looked convinced of getting a cleansheet to start the new World Cup cycle right.

In the absence of Alero Junio and many other senior players in the team, Dennis Long was put forward as the make shift utility attacking option for Janette as Calagero Tino was often seen as pairing up with Long in attack. Janette would later be very pleased with her last minute selection and putting her faith in the youngster.

Early on, veteran Martin Keller was forced to head away a Player 2 cross dangerously close to the far post, a moment for which Travis could heaved a sigh of relief to. However the first real opening came when Di Natile's flick put Tino in the clear, but a poor first touch allowed Player 3 to remove the danger in a well timed interception.

AN unexpected became expected when the Lions put under significant pressure by the passing motions of PIS, but, to their credit, were able to stifle the PIS team in greater numbers and were mostly force to bide their time with patient passes outside the penalty area to keep up with the pace.

A mist-timed challenge from Barrett Ron earned him his first yellow card for his career in the 25th minute for tripping up Player 10, but the first half passed with little incident as PIS could do little with all their possession, while the Lions stay back to soak up pressure before pouring forward with rare occurrences.

The second half progressed in much the same vein as with the first with PIS coming out top with possession keeping but just before that hour mark, the Lions would take the lead out of nowhere in controversial circumstances. Steven Johnson laid off a free kick to Di Natile, whose shot appeared to cannon off the hand of Tino. The referee didn't call for anything, however, and PIS were stunned as Long steadied himself to finish from the edge of the box much to the surprise of Player 1.

Protests started appearing on the pitch as PIS players started to crowd around the referee for his apparent decision, anger among the fans could be sensed as the fans booed the referee off. As a result of the confrontation between the referee and the players, Player 7 got his booking and PIS frustration continued in front of goal. Player 6's fizzing drive from distance was about the best they could muster.

And with 81 minutes on the clock, the Lions put themselves into a comfortable lead. A sweeping move on the break saw Steven Johnson release Di Natile into the are, who in turn teed up the advancing Long for a precise finish from inside the box.

The stadium was rocking with pride and disbelief after the final whistle, and PIS simply could not believe that they were beaten by fellow Rushmori counterparts who are lying themselves near the 50th position in the world rankings. One can easily predict what might happen to PIS in the remaining matches.

What happen to PIS, a Mapletish point of view

As it is, the highest rank football nation in Rushmore, yes, they are the Polar Islandstates. The region's greatest group of players from the last few cycles produced a performance lacking in heart, soul, fight and ideas as they fell to an average Mapletish in Aels last night, leaving themselves in a difficult ground to progress on. Afterwards, some of their stars attempted to explain the damaging defeat but were lost for words at the nature of their disappointing display. Where was the quick and fast Polarian football that put them up so high in the world rankings?

Many are looking for that answer to that, the quick swift defending that was what PIS was well known fell to the feet of average 50-50 ranked players. Polar Islandstates may feel aggrieved by the first goal, in which Tino's raised hands helped set up Dennis Long to shoot past Player 1, yet the Polarians could have few complaints about the overall outcome. The referee's decision is final, well not that but they had deserved a little more.

These two teams have never met each other before in any tournament, however one could see the differences and similarities in the two sides. The Polarians who put much emphasis on speed and fitness with huge emphasis on their triangle formation. Mapletish on the hand focusing much on the same speed and fitness but with much more emphasis on tactical discipline in the team after Kristin Janette took over. When such resulting factors clash together in one match, it was all tied down.

Stripped of the services of the Alero Junio in the center of attack due to personal commitments and several other senior players, this team is noticeably weaker than that of the original side. Yet as this match got underway, the Lions seemed to stifle the Polarians with relative ease, trying to attack the spaces with two tight lines in defence and midfield.

PIS had 65 per cent of the possession but they were unable to make it count. Player 2 couldn't push himself out of his flank area as he got pushed back by the Lions' midfield, Player 8 became slow in feeding the engine room with fuel and was well short of his personal best. Player 10 failed to find his range or his bearings and would rather be better well off with a sniper rifle to drop forward on the left. Player 11 on the other hand was dropping deeper than expected, and found no joy in his attack.

For two thirds of the playing time, PIS was holding onto the ball with nervous passes around the pitch, PIS's territorial advantage was scarce however. They managed just two attempts on target, fewer than what they are expected to put in. This would seem to be one of their worst match in the present era.

Such games might have finished happily for PIS had they played better in their match. Dramatic levellers and goals don't really save matches but they are relying too much on this match. There appeared little or no urgency to their play until Dennis Long added a second to his tally with 10 minutes remaining on the clock. By then, though, it was already too late, too late for even the fastest team in the world to react in matches.

Not even was their pressing evident of their effort. Once in the first half, Player 10 laid back into his position rather than going forward to chase the loose ball down even after losing it. It wasn't a reminder of what PIS was good at, it was a reminder of how complacency can get into the player's head.

Putting in match winning performance was not on the books of the PIS players. Player 10 found himself in a physical and mental battle with the Lions defenders and dropped deep to find space for a pass, but was tracked by the annoying men in red wherever he went and his influence on the game was curtailed completely. He managed just two shots in the 90 minutes, and on of those was a wild sweeping shot from outside the box before Keller come intercepting his shot.

The Polarians' quick defending strategy wasn't put into place last night too, too many balls were pulled out from the flanks and came flying down to the penalty box for the Lions to pick up. The defence seem two times slower than that of the attacking play of the Lions, a defensive trouble that they will be looking at if they would want to maintain their footing in the top 10 spot in the world.

Mapletish's win might not be a century blockbuster but has certainly cement the Lions' spot as one of the teams that is capable of putting the kind of football that will shock teams.

by **Darmen** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:42 am

"¿Kanendir du cron hen wastsrith mech ton spirlen mersmó on en defensive role?"¹ said Gene Turko, as he glared at the All Green's new manager, William St. John de la Ware. He was unhappy with the new manager's emphasis on sound defensive play, and Turko had been selected to provide more support.

"Non,"² replied Tor Tong Lee, as he struggled to take his sweat soaked jersey off over his head. He finally gave up and just ripped it in half, making the Equipment Manager cringe in the corner.

"Beasley ands Salapu alrertse sropen tucacse ton helple aus, Ic nocht sec waforh Ic haren ton to,"³ replied Turko through gritted teeth. He shoved his cleats into his bag, and stormed off to the team bus, eager to get back to the hotel and sleep. It had been a hard fought match against Phalnia, and the All Greens needed two second half goals from Tor Tong Lee and Bryan Faulkner to secure the three points.

In the back of the locker room, William St. John de la Ware was watching. He turned to William von Kriesler, his assistant, and asked, "What were they saying?"

"Oh, Turko's just angry that you're playing him a bit deeper that he's used to. He's a good kid though, and he'll follow the instructions you give him. I might suggest though that you allow him to go forward every once in a while, just to keep him happy. Everyone likes to score a lot of goals, and Turko can do that."

But Turko had played exceptionally well throughout the match, and de la Ware had no intentions of changing any of his tactics. Almost every run made by Phalnia on the side of the field occupied by Turko was shut down immeadiately. And once Turko had won the ball, he sprung into action, sending the All Greens onto the counterattack. He had been credited with the two assists for both goals, although his pass to Tor Tong Lee had inadvertently bounced off of the back of Roberto Gregio, but still made it to Lee's feet.

"Why aren't any of the players speaking English?" asked de la Ware, "I thought most people in Darmen knew it."

"Oh, just about everybody knows it. As to why the players are speaking in Legonian, I'm not sure. They probably don't trust you enough to feel comfortable speaking English around you."

"You should teach me some Legonian phrases, for instance, how do I say, 'SPEAK ENGLISH!'?"

Everyone in the locker room locked over to the ex-Paladin centerback. Some laughed, while others looked suprised.

"Sprekert Englisch," replied Tor Tong Lee as he walked past, heading towards the team bus. He didn't look at de la Ware as he passed by.

"Why are you guys so hostile towards me?" asked de la Ware, "what did I do?"

"It's not what you did," answered Bryan Faulkner, tucking his shirt into his pants and tightning his belt, "it's what the DSF did. They didn't give O'Donahaue another chance. We have our best performance in the World Cup ever, and then the DSF says not enough, get out. None of us think it was right."

"But O'Donahaue was going to retire at the end of the cycle anyways," said von Kriesler.

"Exactly, at the end of the cycle. And yet he didn't even get to Manage us in the Cup of Harmony. Not that you didn't do a good job," replied Faulkner, acknowledging von Kriesler and his performance in coaching at the latest Cup of Harmony.

Before long, the locker room was empty. The Equipment Manager looked like he was about to burst into tears as he picked up the two pieces of what had been Tor Tong Lee's jersey. Both Williams headed out towards the team bus, and a lone reporter was trying to find a piece of memrobilia, but was being chased off by one of the Equipment Manager's assistants.

The match against Nethertopia was waiting for them, and this time the Equipment Manager would be ready to help Lee take his jersey off, rather than see a piece of history worth several hundred Babas be torn in half.

¹"Can you believe he wants me to play more of a defensive role?"
²"No."
³"Beasley and Salapu already drop back to help out, I don't see why I have to too."

by **Sargossa** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:44 am

Copa Rushmori XIII

Sargossa - 'The Corsairs'

Kit
Courtesy of ediraf

Home / Away / Keeper

Coach

Martín Tejera
Once regarded as one of the very best goalkeepers in world football when he was one of many foreign stars plying their trade in Cafundéu. Former Sargossan international who cut his coaching teeth at home town club Estrella Torreón before leading Nuevo Onwere into the SuperLiga. That achievement earned him a move across the city to Sporting San Marquez, where he masterminded successive title wins. Under his tenure the Corsairs have finished third at the Cup of Harmony, runner’s up at the Copa Rushmori and reached the last sixteen of the World Cup.

Assistant Coaches

Principal coaching staff remain, providing much needed continuity. Meaning Hernán Ojeda holds on to an assistant coach slot while Israel Navarro continues to work with the goalkeepers and Javier Valentín oversees the fitness work. But Tejera’s long-time collaborator Carlos Tesero is added to the back room team, as is his former international team mate Ernesto Farías who juggles senior squad duties with his current role as Under-21 coach.

Talent

GK: 1. Ezequiel Medrán (24) – Sporting San Marquez
Picked out by Tejera, who knows a thing or two about goalkeeping, as one to watch during his tenure in charge at the Estadio Silva. Now first choice for a Sporting side that finished as Liga de Fuego runner’s up.
GK: 13. Omar Cuerdo (30) – El Nacional
Something of a late bloomer after plying much of his trade in the murky lower levels of Sargossan football. Signed to be a backup at the Independiente but when injury gave him a chance in the first team he made the position his own.
GK: 25. Silvio Romero (27) – Sportivo Cordova
Mr reliable at the back for Sportivo. He’s not showy, he’s not spectacular but everything Silvio does tends to be right.

DR: 2. Mauro Maidana (25) – Sporting San Marquez
One of the stars of Nuevo Onwere’s excellent season. A first call up to the national side coupled with a big money move across the city to Sporting are the just rewards for a fine year.
DRC: 5. Matías Sosa (23) – Sporting San Marquez
A free scoring centreback whose temperament has been known to get him in a spot of bother. Twelve goals and a string of dominating performances were high points of the season. Four red cards, not so much.
DLC: 6. Mauro Fernández (27) – Ciudad Soluca
Soluca giants Ciudad may not have had their finest season on record but one thing that did stand out was their defensive solidity. And key to that was the form of this rugged centreback.
DL: 3. Gabriel Mercado (20) – El Nacional
Some eyebrows were raised at the inclusion of Mercado who did well as part of El Nacional’s youthful setup but was often founding wanting when called upon to actually defend.
DC: 12: Víctor Ayala (28) – Dínamo Maturín
Turning out for a number of unfashionable clubs is probably why Ayala hasn’t found international recognition before now. Tejera’s experimental Copa side is just the opportunity he’s been waiting for.
DC: 14. Diego Jara (31) – El Nacional
A rare thirty plus-er in the El Nacional lineup whose experience became crucial as the campaign went on. Diego rose to the occasion and helped his side to Globe Cup qualification.
DLC: 19. José Toranzo (22) – Daroca Marinos
Versatility is why a number of bigger clubs are looking at the Marinos youngster. Can play at both left fallback and in the centre of defence, looking equally accomplished in both positions.
DR: 21: Orlando Pezzella (25) – Sportivo Cordova
A rock solid fallback who will be looked upon as an ideal replacement should Maidana’s attacking instincts led him astray.

DMC: 4. Matías Escobar (23) – El Nacional
A young midfield anchor man who can run all day long. Statistically the best performing Sargossan in the Liga de Fuego last season.
AMR: 7. Javier Jerez (23) – Sporting San Marquez
A diminutive winger with plenty of technique but a willowy frame that struggles to compete with the game’s more physical practitioners.
MC: 8. Rodrigo Defederico (25) – Nuevo Onwere
Currently the most highly prised transfer target of the close season and object of desire for all the nation’s big clubs. Ciudad currently look like snapping up last season’s leading assist maker but nothing has yet been signed.
AML: 11. Sebastián Canteros (24) - Dínamo Maturín
Started life as a striker before the youth coaches at the Ciudad Deportiva decided that such crossing ability was wasted in the centre.
AMRC: 15. Rodrigo Hoyos (26) – Sporting San Marquez
‘Hot Rod’ spends a little too much time making headlines for his off field antics for most coaches liking but you can’t argue that the boy has talent. Another key member of Sporting’s strong season.
MRC: 16. Nicolás Valeri (28) - Alianza Jucaro
Simply a very reliable footballer who goes about his business with the minimum of fuss.
MLC: 18. Rafael Fontana (30) – Porto Alegro Azul
A surprise call up for the thirty year old off the back of some good domestic form.
DMC: 22. Eduardo Ledesma (27) – Alianza Jucaro
A battling midfield player who happily sits in front of the back four while his more flashy teammates take most of the plaudits.
AMLC: 24. Ivan Ávila (22) – Ciudad Soluca
An understudy for Sargossan international Alejandro Echeverría at the Estadio Generalissmo Joaquín Delgado who is starting to show why he’s regarded do highly at his club.

FLC: 9. Gelson Di Santo (22) – Ciudad Soluca
A real find from the Ciudad academy who is used sparring for both club and country but tends to rise to the opportunity when given it. Can play up front or wide on the left.
FC: 10. Federico Ferreyra (24) – Nuevo Onwere
Another gem unearthed by the scouts in San Marquez who was his club’s top scorer as they finished in a more than creditable 13th place in the Liga de Fuego. Unlikely to be a Nuevo player for much longer.
FC: 17. Jorge Salinas (30) – Sportivo Cordova
A journeyman striker who is currently turning out for the ninth club of his career. Another beneficiary of the experimental Copa side.
FLC: 20. Marco Morel (26) – El Nacional
A tricky right footed player who loves drifting in from the left hand side and unleashing one of his trademark thunderous drives.
FRC: 23. Agustín Caruzzo (27) – Alianza Jucaro
Top scorer at the Bonilla Arena as Alianza squeezed into the Globe Cup qualification places.

Style
A fluid 4-3-3 in possession, a more solid 4-5-1 without the ball. Probable starting eleven (Listed L to R)
Medrán -- Mercado - Fernández (C) - Sosa - Maidana -- Ávila - Escobar - Defederico -- Di Santo - Ferreyra - Caruzzo

Style Modifier = (+1)

Permissions
If my opponent RP's first they can:
Choose my goalscorers: Heck yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (within reason)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod Other Events Yes: Just no killing, maiming, burning or heavy petting

by **Polar Islandstates** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:12 am

THE FEDERATION OF POLAR ISLANDSTATES ROSTER FOR COPA RUSHMORI XIII
Nation Name: The Federation of Polar Islandstates
Demonym: Polarians/Valhallans
Team Nickname: The Terns
Official Supporters Group: The Twitchers

KIT COLOURS:
HOME - AWAY - KEEPER

HOME STADIUM:
Nasjonale Stadion - 67,481 (Franz Josef City)

HOME SUPPORT: The Ostkurven - Home of the Twitchers

STAFF:
Interim Manager: Gregorz van der Riise, 52
Record in Charge: N/A
With the Terns stagnating and fresh blood needed, manager Joachim Schwartz offered his resignation in good faith, seeing it accepted by the FPIFA as they agreed the time had drawn to a close on the Schwartz era, and the next chapter must begin. FC Axel Heiburg boss Morten Rasmussen will take over at the helm of the Terns from the start of the next World Cup qualifying cycle, but for the time being, whilst Rasmussen finishes his final season with his club side, it is Gregorz van der Riise who will govern the side for their Copa Rushmori campaign. Gunning to be the most successful team in Copa Rushmori history, the Terns will look to van der Riise for inspiration and for the guidance that this team in transition will need. Some veterans, some barely out of nappies - it's an interesting bunch, and to be honest, before the talented hands of Rasmussen can get to work on the team, the fans are just hoping that the Terns don't embarrass themselves. Gregorz van der Riise knew many of these Terns when they still played for the u-21s as mere chicks, and so perhaps his insider information could come in useful. Particularly as knocks to five important players will keep them out of the tournament; Kvitchenko, Kindahl, Folke, Urfstadt, and Lepka all miss the tournament, and coupled with the international retirements of Finnibaturinn, Elmsvikur, Hauge, Rasmus, and Bru, that makes ten changes to the team that reached the World Cup quarter finals. Unsurprisingly, there are four uncapped players in the squad as a result.
Assistant Manager: Henning Tir, 38
Henning Tir is the only member of the previous backroom staff of any significance to have stayed on after Schwartz's resignation, though he himself will also be moving on after the Copa for pastures new and unknown. A former Tern and player for both SK and East Franz, one of the few to bridge the Elfsteijn successfully, his is a calm and measured voice that never needs to raise or shout in any way, and whilst his managerial talents are probably lacking, this is only a short-term deal and the FPIFA are willing to let him have a crack at it.

PLAYERS:
#1 - GK - Artemiusz Korzhanenko - Age 24 - SK Franz Josef City - 3 Caps
After some strong performances for the u-21s, Korzhanenko was handed the chance to make his first Terns cap in this home tournament just as he captured the number one jersey at SK. He had a great season for the Griffons last time around, and that edged his case in the coinflip between him and Piotr Hemjann-Bezelhov in the coin flip when it came to who was going to be replacing Jan Rasmus in the sticks. Nigh on unbeatable when challenging for the ball in the box, he also has a great record in penalty shoot outs, and he will further the recent Polarian tradition of tongue-twisting goalkeepers.

#2 - DR - Zacharias Juul - Age 32 - Jan Mayen Islanders - 144 Caps, 10 Assists, 11 Goals
So often seen bombing down the wing in support of the attackers or simply on a distracting run that defenders have to cope with, Juul truly blossomed under the tactical regime implemented by Schwartz, turning from a dependable and solid right-back with an attacking twist into a full-on attacking wing-back. He is fast, a natural leader, capable of single-handedly turning around any teams' fortunes on the pitch, calm and confident on the ball, and will be one of the most consistent performers in the side, week-in, week-out, launching attack after attack up the right wing as required to by the formation being played. With his hundredth cap safely in his pocket, he can now move towards consolidating his own personal place in the Terns' hall of fame. His pace isn't what it used to be, so will be looking to support more than attack in some instances.

#3 - DC - Julius Oyen-Spekke - Age 29 - East Franz Athletic - 81 Caps, 8 Assists, 6 Goals
Quietly putting in match-winning performances isn't easy in the Federation League, where every move is scrutinised and caught on camera, but playing for a club outside the big four helped. Oyen-Spekke is a defender upon whose shoulders many hopes rested when his promotion to the starting XI was seen as something of a risk, however daft that may sound now. He hasn't looked back since, and following disappointing results for Resolute Storm he moved for big money to East Franz Athletic and has become one of the best defenders in the country since. His agility and ability in the air is almost unmatched, and for sheer athleticism he'll be hard to beat, particularly as he is a huge threat in the opposition box as well. With Urfstadt's injury and the retirements of Hauge and Rasmus, he is suddenly the senior voice in the defence, and he'll be forced to rise to the occasion at the Copa.

#4 - DC - David Wien - Age 24 - Jan Mayen Islanders - 14 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
Thanks to Jan Mayen Islanders' partnership with Liventian team Caernville Seahawks, Wien has already accumulated a significant amount of first team experience; experience that has set him up well as he moved not only back home to Jan Mayen, but also from the u-21s side into the full international side and now the starting line-up. His leadership and positional knowledge is already at an advanced stage, and his popularity with the other players in the side is noticeable to all. Pencilled in by some in the media as a future captain, he walks the fine line between being popular and being a leader like an expert. Despite this, his short temper can sometimes let him down.

#5 - DL - Kohev Küngas-Vaga - Age 24 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 48 Caps, 12 Assists, 5 Goals - VICE-CAPTAIN
Impressed as the U-21s captain despite going out in the group stages of the DBC, this defender is well known and trusted by van der Riise, so it was no surprise to see him made vice-captain here. Kohev is a combative and battling left-back, though in truth he is a talented centre back and defensive midfielder as well, and this youthful enthusiasm and adaptability is something that van der Riise will be able to make good use of. Moving to the first team as a result of Edvar Folke's previous hamstring tear, his athleticism was called upon to offer support and attacks from down the left side, and he has now ousted the SK defender from the starting XI entirely.

#6 - DMC - Eyvindur Sudesval - Age 28 - SK Franz Josef City - 38 Caps, 3 Assists, 3 Goals
Another favourite of van der Riise who has captained the u-21s in the past, Sudesval came to the senior side with a wealth of experience already in his back pocket. Confident in his own abilities, he lets his football do the talking, and this quiet individual can often be seen practising alone if left to his own devices. Strong in the air and full of potential, his fitness levels are astonishing, able to run end to end for 120 minutes if needed to, therefore making him a perfect payer for the Pythagorean system. Boasts a powerful thunderbolt of a shot as well as the ability to control and dictate a match. He's a pro all-round defensive midfielder, which is exactly why SK brought him back from Saugeais in an effort to fix their lack of weight in the middle of the park. Has the unenviable position of being asked to fill the significant boots vacated by Jorgen Hauge in the middle of the park, but if anyone can do it, Eyvindur can.

#7 - MC - Jean-Eric Villeneuve - Age 23 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 19 Caps, 9 Assists, 4 Goals
Niko Lepka's achilles isn't risked at the Copa, so Jean-Eric Villeneuve gets his big break in the first team. Moving back to Northbrook from Cap Nordique in Cotdelapoms, Villeneuve is a creative attacking midfielder in the same mould as Lepka and Demarchelier and, like the latter, he hails from the Rochefroides community of Ellismare. Fluent in five languages, he is incredibly intelligent as far as footballers go, and his range of passing and vision on the pitch is evidence of this. Not the fastest player to have ever hit the turf, he lets the football do all the hard work for him, which can lead to his apparent lack of effort being an easy target for disgruntled fans is results aren't going so well. Fortunately, with Jean-Eric in the side, this is rarely the case.

#8 - MC - Marten Cornelius - Age 27 - FC Axel Heiburg - 40 Caps, 20 Assists, 5 Goals
Cornelius came into the squad having been an inspiring presence for the U-21s in the past, and now some impressive game-changing performances for Axel Heiburg ensured he was a key member of their Champions' Cup title-winning side. Two assists in his first five caps for the Terns gave glimpses of a fine midfielder with excellent vision, and despite playing a more attacking role for Axel Heiburg, we see him in the traditionally 'box-to-box' slot in the Pythagorean midfield plan. His inspirational midfield performance against Yuba United in the final of the Champions' Cup, pinging passes left right and centre as the Silver-Blues had no answer to his output, shows us that he's perhaps the closest thing we've got to a replacement for Alexsandr van Sorensen's driving midfield creativity, and as one of the most senior and experienced members of this side now, he will be needed to provide the leadership.

#9 - ST - Vadim Illich-Svitych - Age 24 - FC Axel Heiburg - 32 Caps, 2 Assist, 11 Goals
With van der Riise taking both Jagr and Illich-Svitych to Wight for the Brevity Cup, the latter found his range with explosive style in his first match off the bench, and he was frequently brought on to terrorise defences late in the game after that. He has had a couple of outstanding seasons in the Federation League, quite rightly catching the eye as FC Axel Heiburg lifted the title and took the Champions' Cup with them, and this young striker with the dazzlingly good ball skills will seek to continue his hot streak here now Elmsvikur's retirement has granted him a spot in the starting line-up. Diedrich Kvitchenko will be fighting for the first team place once he's back from injury for the next qualifying campaign, but for now the number nine shirt belongs to Vadim.

#10 - AMC - Alexsandr van Sorensen - Age 33 - Jan Mayen Islanders - 207 Caps, 85 Assists, 92 Goals - CAPTAIN
Shining light of the side Alexsandr is now just turning thirty-three, and at his best he can be devastatingly untouchable. Played a vital role for Jan Mayen before his move to Cafundéu where he played for Petardos S/A after CR Submiria, and is now on his way back home to the Ospreys after making waves with Valladar club AS Bezieres in the Super League, winning the Cygnus Cup three times in the process. Suffers from rare brain condition synaesthesia, meaning his senses get muddled up in his head, but manages to not let this affect his attractive attacking play - indeed if anything it appears to help him. Having played as a midfielder for Petardos S/A, Joachim Schwartz made full use of this natural tendency of Alexsandr's to drift backwards, and placed upon his shoulders the crucially important role of trequartista in his tactical scheme - taking up the pivotal role behind the strikers in the 'attacking triangle', and acting as a midfielder when the side has to defend. An all-time legend already, he is without a doubt the Terns' key player at this tournament and has been handed the captaincy by van der Riise as a result, and indeed he probably will be until he retires. Speaking of which, at thirty-three years old now, if the Terns are going to use one of the best players in the world to propel them to being the most successful Copa nation in history, they haven't got many chances left.

#11 - ST - Felix Saarinen - Age 27 - East Franz Athletic - 26 Caps, 2 Assists, 16 Goals
With a series of hugely impressive performances in the Federation League, Saarinen's partnership up front with Kvitchenko has seen the Polarian duo become one of the most feared partnerships in the league. He is fast and nimble, and yet is able to command a lone striker position if necessary. Tall and a dangerous figure in the box, his resilient pace late on will torment tired legs, and this will surely see him make an impact as he aims to improve his impressive goal ratio yet again. Twitchers are excited to see just what he can do in the Terns shirt after Kvitchenko and Elmsvikur are out this tournament, and whilst he perhaps hasn't been granted as many chances for the national team as he could have done, he is nevertheless on form to shine this tournament.

#12 - GK - Piotr Hemjann-Bezelhov - Age 30 - Jan Mayen Islanders - 10 Caps, 1 Assist
Taking over the first gloves at Jan Mayen since Mathias Marek's sudden move abroad had been something of a baptism of fire for the keeper, but his reflexes and speed off his line have kept him right and his performances had at one point dragged the Ospreys back into title contention as a result. Recent results aside, he still shines for Jan Mayen, and with Korzhanenko's jump to number one jersey the backup keeper for the Terns remains Hemjann-Bezelhovs.

#13 - GK - Iulian Kirilaunen - Age 20 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - Uncapped
Kirilaunen was handed the number one jersey at Surtsey this season, repaying the confidence shown in him by producing some outstanding performances as the Gulls exceeded all expectations this past season. Twenty years old is astonishingly young for a goalkeeper to appear on the national team's bench, but there are some intensifying whispers about this young man, and van der Riise hasn't really surprised that many people by including him here. Whether or not he'll get on the pitch is another question...

#14 - DMC - Franz Odegaard - Age 28 - RSK Longyearbyen Town - Uncapped
Twenty-eight isn't really that young to break through into the Terns, but Odegaard, one of the loosely related horde of Odegaards that seem to be flooding the league at the moment, has been rewarding for his form throughout the FPIFA season, inspiring RSK to ever better results in the past few years, securing Globe Cup football and putting all thoughts of relegation far from their minds. He's strong and takes no nonsense on the pitch, and shouldn't be too over-awed by international competition.

#15 - DL - Fabian Vaaraniemi - Age 20 - FC1. Bjarnarey Flotilla - 5 Caps
A young defender still finding his feet on the pitch, Fabian Vaaraniemi has benefited from Edvar Folke' injury to add to his small collection of caps so far. He isn't the most composed in tight situations yet, but given the space to breathe and to attack, this Bjarnarey youngster can create counter-attacks with a single well-judged interception at which he is an expert, and with a turn of pace he can start to bamboozle the opposition.

#16 - DR - Alexander Hesjedal - Age 23 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 12 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
For another of the young players called up at the last Copa through injury to more established players, see here. Hesjedal has been in the Northbrook first team for a while now, and first captured the imaginations of van der Riise and he nation with some commanding performances at the DBC. Dima Pedersen was be disappointed to have missed out through lack of fitness, but the coaches are sure that Hesjedal is more than a worthy replacement understudy for Zacharias Juul. Known as 'the Snowstorm' to his affectionate fans, he is notable for being albino.

#17 - AMC - Kjetil Huytspurr - Age 29 - FC Axel Heiburg - 18 Caps, 3 Assists, 2 Goals
Once upon a time, Huytspurr was a straight left-winger, darting down the flanks and ducking inside to wreak havoc in the opposition box. Now however, years of training and tactical adjustments made at his club side, FC Axel Heiburg, mean that Kjetil is a dazzling and devastating presence across the attacking midfield positions. Capable of changing a game in a heartbeat, his vision and pace mean that hs can be te driving force behind any comeback. Can sometimes lose discipline, but has been gunning for a Terns return for years now, and he will now work hard to keep it.

#18 - ST - Gustaf Kolehmainen - Age 22 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - Uncapped
I don't think anybody was expecting Gustaf to have the season that he did for the Gulls, least of all himself. Never even really being in contention for the u-21s or the Terns, the young Surtsey striker seized his chance in the starting line-up and held on to it, scoring an impressive thirteen goals for his club side as they baffled the league by becoming one of the top flight's top scorers overall. Gustaf has suddenly become one of the hottest and most promising talents in the country, and he has the chance here to prove to van der Riise and the world that it wasn't a one-off. Tall and with a keen eye for the top corner, Kolehmainen won't contribute much to team moves, mainly because he's the one finishing them.

#19 - AMC - Vladimir Konovalov - Age 27 - Royal Rumiatzi (Astograth) - 14 Caps, 2 Assists, 1 Goal
Stunningly, Konovalov's re-introduction to the Terns makes him the only foreign-based player in the side, but also possibly the one with the most to prove. He is a strong and powerfully built attacking midfielder, and he can blast his way through a defence and let the attackers pounce on the remnants of the shattered rearguard with a simple lay-off. Playing his whole life for Royal Rumiatzi, he has seen no end of media scrum out there, so he'll able to ward off any unwanted attention here in Tyneala.

#20 - ST - Wojciech Jagr - Age 23 - FC Axel Heiburg - 7 Caps, 2 Goals
Wojciech Jagr has been Vadim Illich-Svitcyh's partner in crime throughout this whole career, the both of them coming through the Haapa-Mechelin Youth Academy at the same time, and whilst probably not quite as talented as his strike partner, there is no doubting his drive and desire to win. A relatively short striker by Polarian standards, Jagr is a battler, a fighter, and an ankle-biting scrapper who can be brought on to link in with the midfield at any time. His finishing might let down at times, but his style of play nonetheless makes him a very handy player to have in your side.

#21 - MC - Jorgen Kirvesniemi - Age 21 - Red Star Severny - Uncapped
Appearing regularly in the top flight for Rapid Jan Mayen and then later in Divisjon Two, his signing by Red Star Severny has seen another step in the young midfielder's development, one that has brought him once again to the attentions of van der Riise. He has it all in his locker, and can twist and turn out of danger, or provide a battling block as necessary. He can inspire and rifle in assists, or he can sit back and dictate play. Unwilling to let him become a positional expert just yet, the coaches are keen to let him add to his arsenal of overall talents. Could be a world-great in the future, another Hansen or Bielsen, so this is all seen as vital experience.

#22 - DC - Soren Rovanpera - Age 23 - FC Axel Heiburg - 4 Caps
Already a multiple title-winning defender with the formidable Golden Generation of FC Axel Heiburg, Soren Rovanpera is in he squad at the insistence of Gregorz van der Riise, who has been impressed with his performances in the top flight. Wise beyond his years, Soren is capable of marking the best players out of the game on his day, and he can frustrate and torment like a pro, teasing more than one volatile striker into a sending off in his time. With a good future ahead of him, Rovanpera will be keen to add to his caps here.

#23 - DC - Vojta Vlaschenko - Age 23 - FC Torshavn - 3 Caps
Formerly of FC Cape St Paul, Torshavn 'rescued' Vlaschenko with some of their new found wealth, and he has formed a good relationship with Mytanar Martin Latka at the back in recent seasons, learning well from the quality and experience in that side and fighting his way back to a Terns call-up as a result. There have arguably been better defenders in the top flight over the past year, but one of van der Riise's directives is to build for the future, so this blooding of Vlaschenko will suit Rasmussen well going forward after this. Tall and capable of the kind of game saving tackle that would result in a red card for most of the population, Vlaschenko's eye for the game is one to develop.`

TACTICS: "The Pythagorean" 2-3-3-2
The Polarian game is fast, quick, and physical. They won't give you a second on the ball to think, and they won't hold back in the tackle. In the centre of the park they will play a possession based midfield game, though a defence splitting pass could come at any moment towards the fast and direct attack. Seeing no reason to alter the formation based on the talents of Polarian footballers, van der Riise will be keeping Schwartz's tactical plan, a narrow and heavily modified diamond formation dubbed the Pythagorean by the sporting press. It is reliant upon two key triangular sets of players that transcend the normal "rows" of player in conventional formation layouts. Oyen-Spekke, Wien, and Sudesval will act as the defensive triangle, and van Sorensen, Saarinen, and Illich-Svitych will counter at the other end as the offensive triangle. Sudesval and van Sorensen's roles in this scheme are absolutely crucial, as their job is to support and unlock the other two players in their respective triangles, providing outlets and creativity in abundance. Villeneuve and Cornelius will be part of a compact and creative midfield that will supply steel or style whenever the situation demands it, as well as partnering up with their respective full backs to form a kind of "bumper" that sweeps the flanks in attack or folds in to protect the penalty area in defence. Fitness of all players will therefore be key to the success of this plan, not least the constant positional changing demanded of Sudesval and van Sorensen, but the athleticism of Juul and Küngas-Vaga in particular will be tested to the limit as their roles require frequent attacking. It's not quite a 4-3-3, it's not quite a 4-1-2-1-2, and it's not quite a W-M... its the Pythagorean.

Penalty Taker: Eyvindur Sudesval/Felix Saarinen
Free Kick Taker: Alexsandr van Sorensen/Zacharias Juul/Jean-Eric Villeneuve
Corner Taker: Alexsandr van Sorensen/Kohev Küngas-Vaga/Marten Cornelius

Starting line-up

Modification: -1

Record going into Copa Rushmori XIII:
Played 328, Won 197, Drawn 65, Lost 66, Scored 659, Conceded 350, Goal Difference +309
Top Goalscorers:
Timo Skye - 117
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 90*
Patrick Ackermann-Finn - 57
Ellis Elmsvikur - 47
Amadeus Irndtor - 44
Most Assists:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 85*
Luc Demarchelier - 73
Ole van Jendrisen - 68
Niko Lepka - 42
Teemu Hansen - 29
Most Caps:
Jorgen Hauge - 215
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 207*
Timo Skye - 168
Petter Bielsen - 146
Zacharias Juul - 144*

THE OPPONENT CAN
Choose my goalscorers? Yes.
Godmod scoring events? Yes.
RP injuries to my players? Yes, within reason, and I reserve the right to change the severity in a follow-up RP.
Godmod injuries to my players? Yes, as above.
Hand out yellow cards to my players? Yes.
Hand out red cards to my players? Yes, but only 2 per match maximum, and never to van Sorensen.
Godmod other events? TG me first, but I'm always open to ideas.

by **Kaledor** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:18 am

ISideWith UK · by **Eastfield Lodge** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:44 pm

From the live coverage on ELBC Sports 1:

Pre-match

PA: "Welcome one and all to the Aelsh city of Drayfill, and to the Cae Ras, where today, Eastfield Lodge will be taking on the giants called Valladares in the first match the thirteenth Copa Rushmori, hosted by the Tynealan combo of Ancharmunn and Aels. I'm Pablo Acquet and commentating with me today will be Kyle Etherington, a former EL international who never had the chance to grace this prestigious competition."

KE: "Shut up before we get censored for bloodcurdling screams as your head gets torn off. Moving on, there has been shocking news; the trophy is missing! Apparently, the place where the trophy was being held was broken into a couple of nights ago, and the trophy is now missing. Rumours have it that a swan-like superhero is on the case, so no need to worry."

PA: "As for the match today, both teams are fielding the starting lineup, although in Valladares' case, the full U-21 team, with no injury or fitness concerns for either team. We'll be back in a few moments, after the teams come out and the national anthems are played."

*camera switches to view of players lining up in tunnel (where possible)*
*players leave the tunnel and go onto the pitch, and line up ready for the anthems*
*anthems and other formalities done, players position themselves for kickoff*

PA: "Today's match will be officiated by Lewis Matthews of Aels. The Valladar players prepare for kickoff, and they'll be attacking from left to right on your screen, provided the picture on your sets is the right way up, with the EL team opposing that. The ref checks his watch and they're off..."

14th minute:

PA: "... Rojas standing with the ball, good closing down so far by both sides. Rojas back to Alonso, Alonso clears, only as far as Creet, who knocks it to Jack. Jack gives to ball to the Pyrovile, clearance down the wing to Jenny, chance evolving here. Jenny beats Maynard and crosses. Clearing punch by Alonso, and now Valladares on the counter attack. Bosetti, back to Rojas, long ball forward. Neat flick on by Núñez, Martins found in space and shoots! He scores! 1-0 to Vallada... no, the ref has pulled him back for offside, the assistant on the far side with his flag up. And the Valladar players are not happy with that."

KE: "Well, it was a good move nonetheless, perfect sighting on the long ball and the awareness of Núñez to flick it on like that. Looking at the replay, we see Martins in an offside position, but as the ball comes in to Núñez, he starts pulling level with Rory ... You know, I think he was level. I think Martins was level with Rory when Núñez made the touch."

PA: "Controversial decision indeed, and definitely a crucial turning point on this match. Blon takes the free kick, Raston knocks it wide to Jenny. Jenny back to Vastra, cross into the box. And the Doctor scores! From what should have been 1-0 to Valladares, it's 1-0 to Eastfield Lodge, and the Doctor scores a surprise opener."

KE: "I can't blame the Valladar players for not concentrating, not after having a perfectly good goal ruled out. But good play by the Doctor to find the space and beat his marker, and good play by the team to capitalise on the mistake."

26th minute:

PA: "... Pyrovile with the ball now, just inside the EL half, back to Rory, side pass to Strax. Strax to Reaper. Reaper to Jenny and back to Rory. Rory clears and Raston beats Kléver and crosses it into the box. Alonso gathers the wayward cross and quickly throws it to Maynard, to comes under pressure by Jenny. Maynard stumbles with the ball, Jenny takes it off him. It just Courtois between her and the keeper! Jenny cuts to the right of Courtois and shoots! Great save at the near post by Alonso. Corner to Eastfield Lodge. Rory takes. Whipped into the melee and misses it. And off the far post by the arriving Vastra. Close to the second goal there, too close for some."

KE: " Yeah, that was a really bad error by Maynard there, who just doesn't seem to be composed enough to deal with Jenny. Maybe Marín will look to shuffle him out if his lacklustre performance keeps going."

32nd minute:

PA: "Doctor is caught offside, free kick to Valladares. Alonso takes, punts it upfield. Rory heads away, only as far as Frau. Frau wide to Kléver. Kléver passes to Bosetti. Bosetti forced to retreat to the flag by Rory. Corner given. Frau to take. Played short to Kléver who crosses it in. Blon punches it clear, only to Courtois. Courtois shoots on the half-volley! And it hits the crossbar!"

KE: "Well, it was worth a try, with Blon off her line. And it did catch her off guard. Unlucky to hit the crossbar though. Very unlucky."

45+1st minute

PA: "And into stoppage time we go, 1 minute indicated by the fourth official. Alonso clears his lines, falls to Rory, out to Strax, in to the Pyrovile, out wide to Raston. Raston cuts into the middle and feeds Vastra on the flank. Vastra reaches the penalty area, Kléver defending against the run. Ball cut back to Jack. Jack to the Doctor and he tries to get around Courtois. Tripped! Courtois has just tripped the Doctor, and the ref has pointed to the penalty spot! Penalty to Eastfield Lodge in the dying moments of the first half! Lewis Matthews is now calling Courtois over, and it's a yellow card for the Valladar."

KE: "I'm surprised that it wasn't a red card, to be honest. I'm pretty sure that it would have been a clear goalscoring opportunity once the Doctor got past Courtois, but the ref thinks otherwise. Good passing play by the EL teams here though."

PA: "The Doctor places the ball on the spot, and looks at Miguel Alonso in the Valladar net. He moves back to the edge of the D, and the ref blows his whistle. The Doctor runs up and ... saved! Rebound ... and it's in! The Doctor scores the rebound! 2-0 to Eastfield Lodge, and the ref has called for half time."

KE: "Well, Alonso did well and correctly guessed the shot, high and left, but he could only push it onto the post, and such is the lack of fortune the Valladar team is having today, that the ball came straight back to the Doctor, who effectively had an empty net to slot the ball into."

56th minute

PA: "Blon with the goal kick, plays it short to Rory. Rory wide to the Reaper, forwards to Jenny, sidelong pass to Jack. Jack gives back to the Pyrovile. Pyrovile takes it forward, the Valladar players seemingly unwilling to press. Pyrovile passes out wide to Raston, ball intercepted by Kléver. Kléver fires a long ball to Bosetti, who's in a lot of space. Bosetti chips the ball to Núñez, who moves out wide. Ducks beneath the Reaper and crosses the ball to the edge of the area. Allenby arrives, pokes it to Martins who shoots! Straight at Blon, who has no trouble with the save."

KE: "Routine save for Blon really, Martins should have done much better with the opening he had and the shot. But they have begun the second half brightly, 10 minutes and already 4 scuppered chances."

68th minute:

PA: "... Rory under pressure from Martins, turns Martins and gives the ball to Strax. Strax lobs it as far as Creet. Creet keeps it up and lobs it wide to Raston. Raston begins running at Kléver, beats Kléver and get to the 6 yard box. Raston chips the keeper... and cleared off the line by Courtois, rather acrobatically as well. Ball goes out of play for an EL throw in on the near side. Jenny takes, throws it long to Jack. Jack holds off Frau and gives the ball back to Jenny. Jenny running at Maynard, one-two with the Doctor and Jenny's through! And she puts it wide! What an opportunity to leave the game dead and buried with a 3 goal lead."

KE: "Yeah, it was lovely play by Jenny to get in behind the Valladar defence, but credit to Alonso for recognising the danger, coming out early and forcing the shot wide."

79th minute:

PA: "... That's not a good tackle by Bosetti. Slid in hard and late on Rory. And yes, Lewis Matthews is dishing out the third yellow card for the Valladar team, so Bosetti will have to be careful. Free kick on the half way line for Eastfield Lodge, Strax standing over it. Ball played out wide for Raston, Raston holds up ball for Strax, Strax now running at Frau, lays it off to Jack. Long ball to the other flank. Jenny picks it up and crosses it in ... Creet scores! 3-0 to Eastfield Lodge, and goodnight Valladares!"

KE: "Good use of his flying ability there, flying above the crowd and knocking the ball downwards past a shocked Alonso."

89th minute:

PA: "... Not long left now until stoppage time. Jenny has the ball, dawdling on the wing. Passes back to Vastra, who knocks it in for Rory. Rory out wide to Raston, ball intercepted by Rozenthal. Rozenthal advancing with the ball, Rory blocks his path. Ball wide to the charging Kléver, cross into the box and ... the ref's called for a foul. He pointing to the spot! Penalty for Valladares!"

KE: "I'm not really sure what it's been awarded for really, I think one of the defenders handled the ball from the cross... yeah, it looks like the Reaper misjudged its wingtip and hit the ball with its hand while trying to clear."

PA: "Chance for Valladares to get the consolation goal. Martins lines up the penalty, Blon's huge frame in goal providing a much harder target for the striker. Lewis Matthews blows his whistle. Martins runs up ... and it's saved! Blon has saved the penalty and punched it out of play."

KE: "Well struck penalty by Martins, swerving into the top right hand corner, but Blon read it and managed to get a claw to it and pushed it out for a corner."

Full Time

PA: "3-0 to Eastfield Lodge, who would have thought that that would be the scoreline. The 84th ranked team in the world beating the U-21 team of 12th ranked nation 3-0. What in your opinion went wrong for Valladares today, Kyle?"

KE: "I think it was just a case of demoralisation, after Martins' goal was wrongly ruled out and we scored within a few seconds, so they found themselves a goal behind as opposed to a goal in front. They certainly didn't pose a massive threat in the first half, with the closest being Courtois' shot onto the crossbar. But the second half, they came out all guns blazing, 2-0 down with nothing to lose and everything to gain. It showed, with 4 chances in ten minutes. But I think that because they still hadn't scored, they lost a little confidence in themselves, and eventually, we capitalized with the third."

PA: "All well and good about Valladares, but what about Eastfield Lodge? Doesn't the team deserve the credit for going out, beating the odds and winning the match?"

KE: "They do deserve a lot of credit. Especially Jenny and Raston, they were superb on the flanks, time after time beating the full backs and creating chances. But I still maintain, had Martins' goal stood, Valladares would have got at least a point."

PA: "Well, that's all we have time for today, but tune in next time when the EL team will be travelling to Ancharmunn to face the mighty Polar Islandstates, the best ranked Rushmori team in the KPB rankings at fourth. Will we be able to pull off the upset there, you'll have to wait and see. Goodnight."

by **Birolika** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:09 pm

Copa Rushmori Squad Announced - Looks suspicously like Cup of Harmony Squad

Last night Birolika announced their squad for the Cup of Harmony after keeping it a secret for the first game. The result is surprisingly similar to the last competition we were involved in (the Cup of Harmony) with the only real difference being Orick Blaines breaking back into the squad. The best player is still Alec Eiffel (who stands on the Goal Line) even though his defence is awful he still makes the best of it.

The first match has actually been played as we went up against giants of Rushmore Queer Poco el Mono Ara who were expected to thrash us. The result was surprising as it failed to produce a surprise, like most games, and QPeMA defeated us with three goals coming quickly after half-time. The main theory for our defeat is the lack of fans as they're throwing a hissy-fit after Birolika wasn't selected to host the Copa Rushmori. The official fan base statement was: "It's not faaaaiiir!!! We wanted to host it!"

Starters

GK: Alec Eiffel
LB: Roger Teeth
CB: Paul Squash
CB: Peter Squash
RB: Orange Squash
LM: Arnie Swaltzer
RM: Orick Blaines
LWF: Timothy Head
CF: Lennie Brick
CF: Ron Eep
RWF: Reind Narek

Subs

GK: Daniel Carson
DF: Pierre Berring
MF: Saul Hudson
MF: Aingeru Mooshian
FW: Danny Klatz

Reserves

GK: Charles Thompson the Third
DF: David Jones
DF: Farrokh Bulsara
DF: John Ritchie
DF: Harry Denielson
MF: Saul Hudson
MF: Baer Kasabian
FW: Luke Croft
FW: Sean Duke
FW: Karl Liezen

Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod scoring events Y
RP injuries to my players Y
Godmod injuries to my players Y
Hand out yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out red cards to my players Y
Godmod other events Y

Style mod: +4

by **Valladares** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 2:22 pm

(OOC disclaimer: Valladares will present a U-21 roster for this Copa Rushmori, and EL has agreed (via TG) to change the names of Valladar players to the ones in this list in his RP)

THE VALLADAR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

OFFICIAL ROSTER FOR THE 13^TH COPA RUSHMORI

Style Modifier: +3
Formation: 3-2-2-3
Coach: José Marín (Sargossa)

GOALKEEPERS
1. Miguel Alonso - GK - 21 - Valencia FC (Vice-captain)
12. Pablo Saavedra - GK - 20 - Ajax Carloburgo
23. Oscar Herrera - GK - 19 - Guzmán-Cress Academy

DEFENDERS
2. Kléver - DR - 21 - Chiquito FC
13. Mario Montoya - DR - 20 - Pradera FC
3. Patrick Courtois - DC - 20 - AS Montreux
14. Rémy Reynolds - DC - 18 - Guzmán-Cress Academy
4. Luigi Maynard - DL - 21 - Marinos Metrópolis
15. Alexander Ricketts - DL - 19 - CAP

MIDFIELDERS
5. Santiago Rojas - DMC - 20 - Nacional
16. Fabio Viana - DMC - 21 - SC Caimanes (Captain)
6. Peter Frau - DMC - 20 - Tannenberg FC
17. Gaëtan Malicki - DMC - 21 - Olympique de Fontvielle
7. Jonathan Bosetti - OMC - 19 - Metropolis Alligators
18. Álvaro Barrera - OMC - 19 - Slateport Bulls
8. Frank Allenby - OMC - 20 - Canalave Dragons
19. Alexandre - OMC - 20 - Fontvielle Impact

STRIKERS
9. Arnold Martins - FW - 20 - Edmonton United
20. Pierre Thirriez - FW - 19 - Olympique de Fontvielle
10. Christian Núñez - FW - 20 - AS Bezieres
21. Eduardo Sáenz - FW - 18 - CAP
11. Frank Rozenthal - FW - 19 - Olympique de Fontvielle
22. Richard Henry - FW - 19 - Metropolis Alligators

Starting Lineup:

Alonso - Kléver, Courtois, Maynard - Rojas, Frau - Bosetti, Allenby - Martins, Núñez, Rozenthal

RP PERMISSIONS:
In the event my opponent RPs first, they may...
Choose my goalscorers YES
Godmod scoring events YES
RP injuries to my players NO without permission. I'll determine the severity if granted permission.
Godmod injuries to my players NO without permission.
Hand out yellow cards to my players YES
Hand out red cards to my players NO I'll determine whether my players are sent off or not.
Godmod other events YES only if they involve weather conditions.

Special requests:
1) Please no killings
2) Try to be as realistic as possible, and last but no least...
3) Have fun.

KITS:

First

Alternate

Goalkeeper

by **Saugeais** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:34 pm

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Part 2: Sadness and Success

I was never told what life in Vilita was going to be like as a footballer. Would I be mobbed? Jeered? Celebrated? The first few days were rough in trying to get acclimated to my new surroundings, and fortunately the locals were extremely kind in pointing out where to go and what to do in Mavaloiao. Once I had firmly settled, it was down to business, which wasn't easy from the get go. The training was ramped up tenfold to what I was used to back in Saugeais, and the coaches were very degrading, demanding that I basically "shape up or shove off." And it didn't translate to immediate success on the pitch there, either. 12 goals in four seasons would've been fine for a defender, but for someone who's entire livelihood depends on putting the ball in the net, it was disheartening. Every season, I considered requesting a transfer back to Saugeais, a release to familiar territory. But I held back, for reasons I can't fully explain. Was it for the chance to prove myself away from the comfort of my home, that I could be the striker I want to be? Because this certainly wasn't it.

Shortly after moving to Vilita, I received a call from a Mr. Iarlaith Mag Aonghusa. He had just been instated as the manager of the Saugeain national team a couple months prior. The call went something to the extent of wanting me to "follow in Olsen's footsteps." Amaechi Olsen had been my idol throughout the academy, and I tried to emulate his playing style as much as I could down to the last detail. Even to the way he took his penalty shots, I wanted to be that precise. In the end he said that I would be his back up in the upcoming World Cup 58 qualifiers, and I said I would be honored to represent the nation. I was even more honored that I would be training and playing alongside the man I respected the most growing up. Upon arrival at the training grounds back in Montbenoit, Olsen called me over for a private meeting. A one on one with my idol? I contained my excitement as we began talking about future strategies, playing styles, then turning to light-heartedly about favorite TV shows and what life was like in Vilita and Polar Islandstates (since he was playing for Jan Mayen at the time). But before we finished up our conversation to head out to the practice pitch, he said something that has stuck with me since that day. "Play because you want to, not because you have to." "I've gotten too old for this game at 35," he said, "and the legs just aren't as good as they used to. But national pride and glory kept me coming back. I want to get to the World Cup Finals. I felt like I had to play for the country, because I felt like I had no other choice. Don't go down that road. When you feel your time is up, then walk away with your head up and be proud of what you accomplished."

That year, the national team was good enough to make it all the way into the World Cup Finals for the first time ever. And while we were defeated without achieving a single point, Olsen got his wish, and retired happily the next day. I happily returned to Vilita having received my first of many caps and goals, and the sense that, while I wasn't achieving as much at Mavaloiao, I can always turn towards the national team to boost my confidence. In fact, for a time, the national team was the only thing boosting my confidence. Between the next two Copa Rushmoris and the other two World Cup qualifying runs, I was hitting on all cylinders and performing to near peak potential. And then the thoughts crept back into my head. Thoughts about moving to a different country, not just Saugeais. That it was Mavaloiao's fault for stifling my potential. I still don't know why I spent 6 years there. But I still had Mag Aonghusa and the national team to look forward to, as had firmly established myself as a star there. It was almost as if I had to be on the national team every time I was called.....
----------------------------
Saugeais 3-0 Falconwhereveryouare
Archambault 34', Ruslan 61', Bourgogne 88'

by **Falconwhereveryouare** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:31 am

The Eagle's Eye
Coming to you on the fly!
SPORTS
Saug It Ain't So, Jack

By Otis Brimingham

An inauspicious start to the Copa, no doubt. Our third match with the Knights of Saugeais ended much like our first one--a 3-0 drubbing. I'm normally not one to propagate rumors, but there's been an undeniable uproar lately about Jack Laughton's decision to keep aging Boris Halth in charge of the defense. The criticism is not exactly wild reactionism, either; the defense of Umber FC, lead by Halth, was not particularly strong in the last Primary Division season. Especially when two defenders from one of the best defensive teams, the duo of veteran Yvonne Gyuappo and young hotshot Ásbjörn Tachibana of Marriet, are currently chilling on the bench. There has been petitions flying around the internet ordering for the Falconian FA to fire Laughton immediately in favor of a more defensive manager, someone who will "finally ditch this silly formation" and return the Falcons to a "proper" four-back formation. In my personal opinion, that's a bunch of bull. I wouldn't particularly mind pulling Kouzmanoff backfield a bit and turning the formation into more of a 3-4-3 with a midfielder diamond, but attacking ball with a strong midfield has always been the mark of Falconian football and I cannot see that tradition changing. Laughton, for his part, seems to be shrugging of the attacks and is just putting his nose to the grindstone in figuring out what went wrong in the Copa opener.

To help him analyze just what went wrong, I've created a list of things that are fixable without a massive overhaul:
1. Coordination. There are several new players to the starting XI, and the team just needs to figure out how the pieces fit together again. While Dan Pacés has experience on this level, it was all taking advantage of tired defenders late in matches. This is his first foray in suffering the rigors of playing a full match against energized opponents, plus he's playing out of his normal comfort zone. With Stanislava Hertz occupying the forward midfielder role, Dan Pacés has been forced into a crash course on defensive midfielding on the wing. Hertz herself showed promise but a stunning lack of discipline. As the vital pivot between the Falcon's strong midfield and prolific attackers, it is up to her to keep drives alive and create opportunities. There were countless balls misplayed against Saugeais that could have turned into something, anything, even just a consolation goal; but no. She just could not seem to find any of the forwards when they were open. And finally, on the back end, is Marissa Anthony. By far the most consistently successful keeper Falconwhereveryouare has produced, it seems she's having a little trouble adjusting to the tricks of world-class strikers. Casimir Archambault shooting with the wrong foot caught her totally off-guard, that split-second of delay being enough for the Knights to open scoring. The main cure for this is more practice and more experience; this Copa may be out of reach, but the experience these young guns gain will be invaluable come the next World Cup qualifiers.

2. The Wings. It's always the wings, and that's what irritated fans have been complaining about every time we've lost since our first loss in the Baptism of Fire. The narrow formation, the weaknesses on the sides always being the easy way to explain away a bad game. This does fit a bit into the first problem, as Dan Pacés' has yet to adjust to his job guarding the wing, but there seems to be a slightly wider problem: with Edwardo Baez usually playing such an advanced position along the wing as he's gotten used to, our left wing has been more exposed than usual. This was shown when François Rousseau broke through a wide-open gap on the left and was set up to make a deep run, Joaquin Pelletier's late challenge only forcing a pass to a wide-open Kuzman Ruslan, who blasted the ball past Anthony. Laughton needs to get Baez to play further back, in his proper position. Especially with assist-machine Hertz getting used to her spot in the front, Baez's playmaking will be much more useful when focused on keeping and taking possession as opposed to constantly bombarding the goal.

3. Stamina. Laughton is normally pretty liberal in his use of substitutes late in games, and the depth of the Falcon squad permits this as a good strategy. However, it just seems like the true hard-hitters--Jarrel and Dempsy in particular--are slowing down a bit earlier than they should be, and it's hurting us not as late as I'd like. Both of them utterly failed to outrun anybody set out to mark them in the second half, and twenty minutes of Myles Marrero's fresh legs at the end isn't a magical cure-all. Darry Kouzmanoff was at fault the most, however, as an older Rashad Kitchens--who had played the entire match, same as Kouzmanoff--ran damn near a full circle around the Falconian centre, starting up the drive for the nail in the coffin, a recently subbed-in Bourgogne's last-minute curler beating Anthony one final time and ticking the scoreline up to 3-0. Treadmills, wind sprints, exercise bikes, jogs around Drayfill, whatever is necessary to get the Falcons back to peak physical shape is an utter necessity. If our players can't last, neither will our manager.

Falconwhereveryouare - 0
Saugeais - 3
Archambault 34'
Ruslan 61'
Bourgogne 88'

by **Sargossa** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 4:45 am

SSM | Sargossan State Media
International Edition - Sport

New Blood. Old Foe

Gonzalo Pereira reports from Drayfill, Aels;

Danger, boring cliché ahead. And here it is. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for everyone with a vested interest in Sargossa’s national football side in the last few months. From the hallowed halls of the Football Federation, through Martín Tejera in the dark blue chair to the huddled masses of the supporters. It’s had its ups and there’s been some downs.

It was all downhill as the World Cup qualifiers headed towards their conclusion, with the Corsairs leaking points all over the shop and Tejera’s job seemingly hanging by a thread. Then came dominant wins over Taeshan and Kinitaria to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and took the nation to the biggest sporting event in the sportiverse. The highs continued with three wins from three in the group stage, including an impressive victory over Andossa Se Mitrin Vega which helped salve the wounds of a Cup of Harmony semi final defeat to the Sea Dragons two years earlier. A quarter final place beckoned, with only a Starblaydi side, a faded shadow of the vintage crop that graced their golden generation, standing in the way. But the ‘Blaydis had destiny looking over them as they brushed the Corsairs aside on their way to an unlikely Final appearance. It was a truly anti-climactic end to a turbulent campaign but once the dust had settled and the disappointment had passed Sargossa found itself at an all-time high of 16th place in the world rankings.

It was all pretty exhausting stuff, which probably explains the coach’s decision to make twenty four changes to his twenty five man squad for the Copa Rushmori. It was to be a transitional time anyway, with no fewer than nine members of an aging national side announcing their international retirements at the culmination of the World Cup, but with Sargossa’s finest also competing in the most gruelling domestic competition outside of the Unified Capitalizt States they’ve probably earned a rest.

So only youngster Gelson Di Santo survives from the side that took on the Purple Peril in the last sixteen of the World Cup as the technical staff cast their eyes over the depth of the domestic game’s talent pool. Unsurprisingly Sporting San Marquez, Ciudad Soluca and El Nacional remain fairly well represented but this Copa offers a wonderful opportunity for the likes of Federico Ferreyra, Mauro Maidana and Rodrigo Defederico, who played such key roles in little Nuevo Onwere’s wonderful season, to shine on a much larger stage.

That stage is the Copa Rushmori, in front of the eyes of the entire region. The draw hasn’t been unkind, placing the Corsairs in Group B alongside one of their oldest foes. Sargossa and Queer Poco el Mono Ara first clashed at the 34th Baptism of Fire and have been fairly regular adversaries ever since. But while the Corsairs are currently riding high the Pocoans are on a dramatic slide and on paper go into the fixture as heavy underdogs. But ye olde Rushmori derbies are rarely so cut and dried. The other group opposition comes in the form of Birolika and Nova Cambria. While there have been no meetings on the sports field between the nations both are still known in this part of the world, although not entirely fondly. State president Gregorio Emparán’s chose Birolika as the destination for his first official foreign visit, something he regretted almost immediately. And then there’s Nova Cambria. They're not exactly a force on the world stage but fewer nations are so reviled within Soluca’s corridors of power. How we’d love to crush them utterly. Them and their little canal too. Shame it didn’t happen, not here at least.

by **Polar Islandstates** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:21 am

Without wishing to tempt fate, Jon Arne Henreik had a feeling the Terns would win their next match. How did he know? Well, he was shaking his tired and shaken limbs off in a car park in Sayercooan having just got the long-distance bus from Ballyfeeaknock, and he had a ticket for the match against Eastfield Lodge. The anecdotal evidence that required all this to be relevant of course was the fact that the Terns had always won when Henreik had been watching them.

Not that he got to see them all that often. His job with the Federal government in the trades commission saw to it that he spent most of his time recently spent flying from nation to nation, hopping from embassy to embassy, and shaking hand after hand. He'd been a mere junior office clerk when the Federation had first formed, but was now a high powered executive, securing contracts and working his silver tongue on officials from around Rushmore in order to further the business needs of the companies of the Federation. Cars, foodstuffs, green tech, compuing, shipping, even securing railways expertise when the government used the money from their gold deposits to fund a huge and all-modern railway network on a state-by-state basis. You name it, he'd signed deals on it. Currently, it was shipping and logistics. The Federation had a lot to offer and so did the rest of Rushmore, if it was Polarian shipping companies doing the transporting and paying their taxes to the Federal government in Franz Josef City, even between two other nations, well then no harm done, right? All was good, money was flowing, and Henreik's name was furthered in the name of international diplomacy. For a man with eyes on higher office in the future, governor of Norscelt sounded nice, this was important The only downside was the amount of times he was separated from his beloved Surtsey Island Gulls and the Terns.

When he'd got off that plane in Jan Mayen to see the result from the Copa, he'd been stunned. He knew the side was in transition, with many of the team that started that quarter final against Audioslavia now no longer in the side, but even so. Two-nil to Mapletish was, without meaning any disrespect to the team from southern Rushmore, a result that the Terns couldn't be happy with. van der Riise might only have been an interim manager before Rasmussen came in, but even so, Henreik was stunned. Clearly, the Terns needed a little dose of the old Jon Arne Henreik good luck. He made a couple of phone calls to a couple of colleagues and got his next flights switched around. No more would he be flying to the Goose Coast to accompany an automotive delegation. Instead, it was a trip to The Vatmark with some more of the shipping companies, with enough time on the return leg to make the trip to Sayercooan and watch the Terns play Eastfield Lodge.

He was excited. There were two Surtsey players in the squad for a start, and it had been a long time since that had happened. He'd feared for his side in the days when the likes of Iulian Finnibaturinn had upped and left to win the Champions' Cup with Urbizania Wanderers, but Casper Baek had stayed through it all and had seen the Gulls become a source of good youth talent again, and that was promising.

He approached the stadium and thought of matches past. He'd been there when the Terns had beaten Audioslavia in that crucial qualifying match last cycle, Elmsvikur and van Sorensen tearing the visitors apart time and time again. He'd been there in Pradera when today's host nation, Ancharmunn, had been on the wrong side of another Elmsvikur strike. He'd been there in Ituraitz when the Terns had annihilated Auillian by seven goals to two in Timo Skye's last tournament for the Terns, the big man himself scoring a perfect opposition hat trick against the opposition. He'd seen the Terns beat Bruyn, Thatius, Astograth, Vettrera, and Kagdazka and Pazhujebu in the qualifying campaign for World Cup 58, back when he'd still been based in Franz Josef City. He'd also been there when Niko Marek had scored in his last ever match in the third place play-off against Krytenia as the Terns recorded what was still their best ever performance at the World Cup. He'd even seen the likes of Irndtor, Skye, Demarchelier, and McAllister score at the Nasjonale as the Terns beat Wolfmanne back in qualifying for World Cup 56. Not to mention the Terns' first ever qualification attempt all those years ago, seeing Ole van Jendrisen score a goal that sunk Cotdelapoms in the Terns' first significant scalp-claiming. That all seemed a whole world ago, now.

He looked to the future. Elmsvikur was gone. Hauge was gone. Rasmus was gone. Finnibaturinn abd Bru were gone. Folke was on his way out. As were Kvitchenko, Juul, Urfstadt, and Lepka. 'Period of transition' was about right - Rasmussen was going to have the biggest 'clean slate' to work with since Morten Yarbin and Sol Kirkkegaard had first started the national football team out all those years ago. What would this be now, thr fourth significant generation of Polarian fooballers? Would it be as good as the third one? Or even the first one, still the benchmark against which all other Tern performances were measured - that three-two away win in Jhanna in particular over the Purple Peril of Starblaydia was still talked about in the bars and pubs of the Federation as the result that sparked things off more than any other, even more so than the Burchadinger Cup win over a weakened Jeruselem side. Henreik had had the chance to go to both of those matches but, alas, work called him as it did so often.

The Terns had never lost to Eastfield Lodge, Henreik was aware of that He'd never seen their neighbours play, but knew the record of the Terns almost inside out. Four games played; three wins and one draw. Eight goals for and only two against. It was a good record, one of the Terns' better ones, and Henreik was hoping beyond hope that it wouldn't get ruined today with a defeat. He fished his ticket out of his pocket and handed it to the man in the turnstile asking for it in a language that Henreik barely understood. Time for a match. Time for a game of football, and time to put all thoughts of work out of his head for the time being. Time to concentrate on being the Terns' lucky charm.

That said, he'd heard that the owner of this stadium, that guy McGuinness, was a bit of a character. Maybe there was a chance to do some business with him if all the eyes dotted and the tees crossed. He'd look into it later. For the meantime, walking past the turnstiles with the rest of the Twitchers up the stands of Blackrock Gate, there was only one thing on his mind...

Another victory.

by **Astograth** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:56 am

The Astograth National Football Team

Style: -2
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Manager -

Sir James Handel

A catastrophic World Cup cycle saw the defending Copa Rushmori champions not just humiliatingly defeated by Farfadillis in the hunt for a qualifying playoff spot, but not even invited to the subsequent Cup of Harmony. For all his talent, for all the numbers in his favour, the wily Gunutz Yaregi and his uninspiring play had to go. Dumped down to the 39th place in the KPB rankings, the FAF despaired briefly and took their chances on a more radical approach this time around.

49 year-old Sir James Robert Handel; novelist, perfectionist, football manager, knight and motivational speaker, has been brought in straight from Yesopalitha, whom he led to become one of fastest-rising, most exciting squads in the multiverse. His unconvential formations, centred on "Lightning Counterattacks", are not necessarily the most offensively daring, but certainly fascinating and what's most important, brutally effective. For Olibondeka he has prepared a variation on his typical 3-5-2 that has never been seen on these shores, with a very active goalkeeper, a sweeper in front of him, two centre-backs to guard the line, two wing-backs pushed to the very limit of their physical capacity, a defensive midfielder to cover their gaps, a central midfielder to link the back with the front and keep things tidy, an attacking midfielder as playmaker and two strong forwards to bang the goals in. To accomplish this he has done away with a lot of dead wood and taking a number of fringe players with promise under his wing.

Expectation for Handel is high, but given he is only just getting the team together ahead of the coming World Cup there will not be much pressure on him to succeed at this Copa Rushmori - though as the defending champions Astograth still want to avoid embarassment.

Starting XI:
(Ages accurate as of Champions' Cup 46 final)

#1 - GK - Argider Gorriaran - Age 31 - Astograth University – 23 caps, 19 goals against, 11 clean sheets
Gorriaran has slowly but surely earned himself a reputation within the national team and in the domestic league for his clean sheets and reliability, which aren't entirely due to his teams' talented defense. Capped for the first time at Copa Rushmori XII, he played every minute of Olibondeka's title-winning run and was one of the team's highest performers, maintaining 5 clean sheets in 8 matches, conceding a scant four and being crucial in the semifinal penalty shootout elimination of the hosts, Polar Islandstates. He maintained a good run in the ill-fated qualifiers that followed, and looks set to turn out for Astograth on the road to World Cup 64.

#4 - SW - Yokin Arizmande - Age 26 – Urbizania Wanderers - 61 caps, 3 goals
A product of the Royal Vosaroni Antenelli youth academy in Erathore, Arizmande then spent several successful years at Niccostrato, in keeping with the Erathi custom of teenaged players. Having returned to his homeland, he has solidified himself as one of the leading defenders in the First Division and the national team. Close to reaching his peak years, his play is exquisite, blending physical presence with speed, tactical awareness and fine technical skills - all of which he'll need in the demanding sweeper position Handel seeks to instate.

#5 - CB - Urtzi Galard (C) - Age 34 - Royal Rumiatzi – 137 caps, 6 goals
The seventh most-capped Astograthian player, Galard is a veteran of Olibondeka's four successful World Cup qualifying runs and their sole Cup of Harmony win, on top of lifting the past Copa Rushmori; under Handel he has agreed to go out at least one more time with the captain's armband. Usually played as left-back, tireless for the full ninety and an expert crosser, he can swap positions with the left wing-back if need be, though he is quite comfortable in the middle of defense as well.

#3 - CB – Abdoulaye Bocandé - Age 31 –

East Franz Athletic – 103 caps, 6 goals
Although fully Zenegalese, Bocandé has been naturalised by Astograth after his standout performances in the First Division, originally joining from the Tamarindo league. A crucial part of Echegoyan FC's rise to the top and eventual championship runs, and now at Polarian giants East Franz Athletic, he is a blood-and-guts defender with no fear of crunching tackles or studs to the face. Set to become one of Olibondeka's most-capped, he is a proud symbol of Astograthian integration and growing multi-culturalism.

#7 - LWB – Lekubegi Guerrikaechebarria - Age 30 – Astograth University – 73 caps, 13 goals
Guerrikaechebarria burst onto the domestic scene with blinding performances at Athletic Club Yungoitio, and has since captained Astograth University to unthinkable heights. He is fast and lively, an important threat down the left wing and very versatile. His eagerness can sometimes be a bit excessive, not thinking things through and dipping in form when setbacks arise, but he is arguably Astograth's most exciting player.

#10 - DM – Burutzagi Bidaiyat - Age 24 -

Edmonton United – 41 caps, 2 goals
Bred at Erathore's Niccostrato, Bidaiyat is a technical-minded midfielder, preferring to dribble and, above all else, pass the ball around like a mindless drone until the opponent makes a grave mistake- as is (or was) the Erathi style. He isn't one for getting stuck in the challenge, though being played by Handel as a holding midfielder he'll either have to learn, yield his place... or develop something else entirely.

#14 - RWB - Marin Mendazona - Age 26 -

Sporting Iturributa - Uncapped
Part of the squad that won the Campeonato Rushmori Juvenil Sub-20, Mendazona never made the jump to the senior team despite regular top-class football at Sporting Iturributa - until now. Tireless, a solid crosser and talented enough at defending, he is exactly what Handel requires from a wing-back and so earns his first call-up, thrust into the starting lineup. Whether he'll hold up is unclear, but his club form has been such that it doesn't invite much doubt.

#15 - CM – Ikatz Alberro - Age 30 - Ituraitz FC – 71 caps, 7 goals
Alberro has quickly situated himself as the current best Astograthian player in a position with a long tradition in the nation, with or without the support of partners such as Ituraitz's Lester Sutton or the national team's Galeano. He is adept at finding space in thick midfields, whether to stick a pass in or muscle his way through, and in the proud heritage of Edorta Urrustoy he is no stranger to rough tackles. Issues with injury have held him back, admittedly, and could keep him on the touchline for long stretches.

#8 - AM - Eriz Bakaikoa - Age 27 -

FC Axel Heiburg – 23 caps, 2 goals
Brought up at the prestigious Haapa-Mechelin academy in Polar Islandstates, Bakaikoa is followed by the Astograthian public at a distance but has quickly become one of the most lauded foreign-based players of all time, winning the Divisjon One multiple times and a number of international trophies including the Champions' Cup, the Cygnus Cup and the Copa de Campeones. With Aintza Lekea definitively dropped by Handel owing to dressing room harmony concerns, it is time for Bakaikoa to take up the famed no. 8 shirt and guide Astograth to the same heights as FC Axel Heiburg.

#9 - CF - Hurko Atristain - Age 33 -

SK Franz Josef City – 84 caps, 48 goals
Big target man Atristain has long been under the long shadow of past greats Dei Ormache and Soter Sarlange, accused of failing to score when it counts the most, but the raw numbers don't lie. Atristain has racked up a goal count that has him just one goal off Ormache's tally - in almost half as many matches. Just a little more for club and country and he'll go down as one of the greats.

#11 - CF - Eguzki Berriex - Age 29 - Oyardo FC - 13 caps, 4 goals
Part of Urbizania Wanderers' Champions' Cup-winning side, Berriex was deemed surplus to requirements just as he finally rose to the fore and earned his first caps at the 3rd Brevity Challenge Cup. Now inevitably a star at the rapidly rising Oyardo FC, he has established himself a club level but still has everything to prove at Olibondeka. Often accused of simply being a poor man's Atristain, but Handel has faith.

Substitutes:

#13 - GK – Machin Logegaray - Age 27 - Ituraitz FC – 4 caps, 5 goals against, 1 clean sheet
The city of Ituraitz is very proud of its goalkeepers, and one of their brightest at the moment is Ituraitz FC's starting keeper Machin Logegaray, who has shown maturity beyond his years since replacing local icon Astigar Barrueta and can comfortably stay in the team for many seasons to come. Has played a few matches and performed adequately, making him prime candidate to replace Gorriaran.

#23 - GK – Loren Arambel - Age 28 -

Lajuno – 5 caps, 5 goals against, 2 clean sheets
Chosen as the best player in the Euran league, Arambel brings to the squad a foreign influence that is increasingly less noticeable in Olibondeka. He is a very solid keeper, roughly on par with Logegaray; the conditions are such that he could reasonably challenge for first-team football. A more dynamic and competitive battle for the #1 shirt would be a refreshing change to the typical stagnancy of the position.

#12 - SW - Anartz Agirrebenia - Age 23 - Blue Mountain Range - Uncapped
One of the few players in Astograth already familiar with the sweeper position, Agirrebenia has been operating at the heart of defense for the ultra-defensive Blue Mountain Range since the youth teams. Specially bred for this very role and occasion, he has the vision, the calm and the technique to carry out the job - with some international experience he could well be unstoppable in a few years' time.

#2 - CB – Edorta Garro - Age 29 – Ituraitz FC - 23 caps
Edorta Garro has earned his status as one of the Astograthian league's leading defenders through grit and hard-work, inspiring a highly successful generation at Ituraitz FC. His lack of versatility keeps him as backup on the national team though Handel is expected to send him on frequently, for added steel at the back.

#16 - CB - Haitz Maistegi - Age 26 - Astograth University - 3 caps
He's been capped before and has since been waiting for an opening on the squad - and he's finally got it. Haitz Maistegi has been instrumental at both Astograth University and Royal Arexa, the latter of which he led to the Cygnus Cup semifinals. He is well and ready to step in, despite currently being at the bottom of the pecking order.

#22 - LWB - Koldobika Benitzaizin - Age 24 - Echegoyan FC - Uncapped
Spirited and combative, Benitzaizin can run, can do so for a good while, and he can dribble his way through tight defenses. Crossing isn't his strong point, which holds him back in Handel's plans, but his raw talent and determined attitude are such that he's in the squad as backup anyway.

#21 - DM - Ayoro Barinaga - Age 26 - Astograth University - 6 caps
Equally good at unravelling defenses and hacking down forwards, Barinaga can be counted on to bring play forth from the back and, when not on the ball, keep a close eye on his surroundings and take down his opponents - if necessary he's not above cheap gamesmanship, which wasn't exactly drilled out of him at club level.

#17 - RWB - Raitin Eneriz - Age 28 - Echegoyan FC - 40 caps, 2 goals
A fast and versatile right-back at league champions Echegoyan FC, Raitin Eneriz has continued to demonstrate that his defending is top-notch if rash, but he truly shines when taking the ball forward, either dribbling or with the long pass. Blooded and experienced at every level of football, though Handel has decided to give Marin Mendazona a chance as right wing-back before deciding whether Eneriz is fully up to the task.

#6 - CM – Galeano - Age 31 - Royal Rumiatzi – 66 caps, 3 goals
Galeano joins Abdoulaye Bocandé as the other naturalised player of the squad; the Tamarindian-born midfielder laboured long and hard at The Army Club before earning a call-up to Copa Rushmori IX and a transfer to cross-town giants Royal Rumiatzi. His small frame can be a problem when confronted with more physical opponents, but he has the vision to wreak havoc if Alberro gives him the space he needs. The partnership proved fruitful throughout World Cup 61, though Galeano is often the first to go when Yaregi decides to alter the formation.

#20 - AM – Peli Alzu - Age 27 – Oyardo FC – Uncapped
Captain of the up-and-coming Oyardo FC, Alzu is a homegrown player who brings to the table leadership, style and much vigour. Beloved by his own people, he has a lot to prove at this level but is very much looking forward to it, having never before received a call-up despite a solid résumé for the youth national teams.

#18 - CF - Balendin Uzkudun - Age 27 -

Metropolis Alligators - Uncapped
It took a while, but Balendin Uzkudun at last attracted enough attention at the Valladar Super League for Iturributa and Astograth to both call on his services. He didn't think twice before turning down the Free Republic, where he was born and played before moving to Metropolis, and gladly lines up for Olibondeka. He won't have it as easy as for Iturributa, however; the fighting for the spot is fierce, even if he boasts a lithe grace that neither Atristain nor Berriex display.

#19 - CF - Ibai Kiriano - Age 19 - Ituraitz FC - Uncapped
A gamble from Hanel, Kiriano has turned out well not just for the Under-20 national team but for his club, scoring on his league début and impressing the world on Ituraitz's winning run at the 26th Aeropag Football Invitational. Short and not very smart, but very fast, very skilled in the dribble and very deadly. Perhaps too young to make much of an impact for Olibondeka, but he's been taken to this Copa precisely to see what he can do.

Captain: Urtzi Galard
Free Kick Taker: Eriz Bakaikoa
Penalty Taker: Hurko Atristain
Right Corner: Lekubegi Guerrikaechebarria
Left Corner: Eriz Bakaikoa

YES to all RP permissions, barring any career-ending incidents. Should you have any questions about anything, please do TG me.

by **Taeshan** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:10 pm

Well it was as good a start as any for the Purple Knights in their first Copa Rushmori. Three goals on the afternoon were scored as the Knights defeated fellow debutant Old Guard quite easily as it was. That was to be expected though, the Knights were heavily favored even if many consider the Copa to be one of the levelest fields of any competition, with international rankings considered trivial in the regions football tournament. Overall the Knights performed very well in their first Copa Performance, and with the result really never in doubt many wonder if the 11th ranked team in the world will continue to dominate as the tournament continues.

The big news on the day was really the substitutes as two of the U21 players got their first full national team caps. Tyler Provyay came on late in the second half to earn his first cap, and Michael Tlumach came on just a few minutes after the half mark. While it is certain Provyay will not make the full team for the next qualifiers, Tlumach is one of the leading contenders for one of the two open spots, with Tyler Pantoum as well from the U21 team. Early predictions have Provyay switching to a wing position for the future, and possibly becoming a midfielder on the national side of things.

by **Ancharmunn** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 1:07 pm

You want a cutoff and another tale from Éibhir the super crime fighting super swan do you? Well, then what do you know, it's your lucky day!

'Oh he's from Tyneala's land, a fighting fury he's from Tyneala land, in any weather you will see him going out on a limb, risking neck and wing, if bad guys are loose then never mind, know that Éibhir will fight them and win!'

“Mwahahahahahaha! What good little minions you are, you have brought me the Copa Rushmori trophy. That should disrupt that pesky little upstart region's little bit of fun. I trust there were no problems?”

“No Sir. Well, maybe. One. Just a slight problem though.”

“Do tell me.”

“Well, it's that Éibhir init. He's always sticking his beak into things like this, and I just worry that he might come after us.”

“Ah yes, that nosy little swan. Worry not, I already have a plan for him.”

-- Back at the crime scene

“And so as you can see Éibhir, the trophy was stored in this cabinet here. Under lock and key.”

“Honk! Indeed, but it's a glass cabinet. They've not even needed to pick the lock, simply smash the glass.”

“Yes, well. Something they seem to be have been keen on.”

“Ah yes, the window as well. They broke that in to make their entry and escape.”

“It looks that way, Éibhir, tell me, will you catch these fiends and return the trophy. Just imagine the Copa Rushmori final with the trophy still missing. It doesn't bear thinking about!”

“Have no worries. I shall have the trophy back to you by then. In fact I already have a good idea as to who the guilty party may be.”

*GASP!*

“Really, but who? Who could do this Éibhir?”

“Now, now. These inclinations I must keep to myself until I can be sure. Now, I must depart to continue my investigations.”

HONK!

-- Later that night, somewhere up a dark secluded stream.

“Hmm, could it really be.... no..... surely not....”

RUSTLE, SNAP, CRACK!!

“Hmm, what was that?”

CRACK, SNAP, RUSTLE!!

“Someone's sneaking around, no doubt up to no go...”

WHOOSH!!

“Gotcha ya big beaky meddler!”

“Huh, wha... lemme go!”

HONK!

HOOOONK!

HOOOONK!

Hooon......

-- A couple of days later

“You know, that Éibhir's gone quiet, perhaps we should just call in the police about the theft of the trophy?”

“Nonsense! I'm sure Éibhir shall have our trophy back in no time.”

'Oh he's from Tyneala's land, a fighting fury he's from Tyneala land, in any weather you will see him going out on a limb, risking neck and wing, if bad guys are loose then never mind, know that Éibhir will fight them and win!'

by **Ancharmunn** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 1:15 pm

Group A
Astograth 0–1 Phalnia
Nethertopia 1–5 Darmen

. Group A                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Darmen                   2   2  0  0    7   1  +6    6
2 Phalnia                  2   1  0  1    1   2  −1    3
3 Astograth                2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
4 Nethertopia              2   0  1  1    1   5  −4    1

Group B
Sargossa 3–3 Birolika
Nova Cambria 4–0 Queer Poco el Mono Ara

. Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nova Cambria             2   1  1  0    4   0  +4    4
2 Queer Poco el Mono Ara   2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
3 Sargossa                 2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Birolika                 2   0  1  1    3   6  −3    1

Group C
Falconwhereveryoare 2–4 Old Guard
Saugeais 2–4 Taeshan

. Group C                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taeshan                  2   2  0  0    7   2  +5    6
2 Saugeais                 2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
3 Old Guard                2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
4 Falconwhereveryoare      2   0  0  2    2   7  −5    0

Group D
Eastfield Lodge 1–3 Polar Islandstates
Valladares 1–2 Mapletish

. Group D                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mapletish                2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Polar Islandstates       2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
3 Eastfield Lodge          2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
4 Valladares               2   0  0  2    1   5  −4    0

Group E
Zandistan 0–2 Mashiki
Michael VII 0–0 Boring Paradise

. Group E                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Boring Paradise          2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
2 Mashiki                  2   1  0  1    2   1  +1    3
3 Zandistan                2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Michael VII              2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1

Group F
Ancharmunn 5–2 Kalosia
Western Cuba 2–0 Baltskandio

. Group F                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Western Cuba             2   2  0  0    7   1  +6    6
2 Baltskandio              2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
3 Ancharmunn               2   1  0  1    6   7  −1    3
4 Kalosia                  2   0  0  2    3   9  −6    0

Group G
Sicoutimont 0–1 Pasarga
Kaledor 0–0 Charruterra

. Group G                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pasarga                  2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6 Q
2 Kaledor                  2   1  1  0    2   0  +2    4
3 Charruterra              2   0  1  1    0   3  −3    1
4 Sicoutimont              2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

by **Mapletish** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:06 am

Leaving it late; second giant killing performance

A giant killing performance from the Lions once again gave the Lions the top spot in Group D. A giant killing blow hammered onto Valladares but, it wasn't much of an embarrassment for them though, a U21 squad out in the Copa Rushmori gaining experience. A youthful squad full of energy might not get you anywhere as demonstrated last night.

Despite going down 1-0 for the entire of the match, the Lions chose to leave it late to grab two goals to get a 3 point lead at the top of the table. Dennis Long was the man again as he and Di Natile broke Vallardares apart with a late comeback for Mapletish against Vallardares to pick up an important three points at Grulashawn Park, Rimsyleanus, after Núñez gave his go at the penalty spot for his U21 side.

Dennis Long's header and Di Natile's tap in proved to be too much for Vallardares to handle, despite a resistant yet inexperienced defence tried to keep the Lions out until the late stages of the game. With positioning errors, at some parts around the pitch, speed was what covered up the weak points in their defence.

A defeat for Valladares see them trot the bottom of the group with one last match to go. Not really an achievement but it proved to be a learning experience for a young team. Dennis Long played his lone forward position with Di Natile in the transition role playing deeper to support Long. Valladares had the same line-up for the match.

Right at the first few moments of the match, Dennis Long was denied the first clear chance of the game, when his shot from six yards out was deflected over the bar by the on rushing Alonso. Vallardares hit back immediately though, with Rozenthal forcing Travis to parry the ball to safety in a panicky attempt.

A great piece of build play by Mapletish saw Steven Johnson chest down the ball to the feet of Calagero Tino, but Alonso brilliantly blocked the midfielder's shot on the edge of the penalty area.

And in the 39th minute, Núñez broke the deadlock as he found space in the penalty box between him and Hard during a penalty. Núñez was apparently tripped by the onrushing Hard. Núñez's lead kept the Under 21 side, relaxed after all the panicky play in the first half.

Mapletish came out the stronger side in the second half with Tino and Long testing the UNder21 defence in the early moments of the second half, although a lack of precise passing in the final third of the pitch provided no clear chances for the other team.

Ron later joined Hard in the referee's book after the defender was deemed to foul Bosetti near the halfway line, Vallardares however failed to file an impact with the resulting free kick.

Di Natile who remained silent for quite awhile in the first half decided that it was time to make an impact to chase the score line down. He set himself up with a scissor-kick volley which the goalkeeper almost couldn't get his hands on.

Some good deliveries by substitute JH Morison and Long gave the Lions some hope in the closing stages of the game, but the keeper was repeatedly quick off his line to prevent any clear-cut chances for the Lions, fustration was beginning to build up for the Lions there.

Mapletish finally got an equaliser in the 84th minute though Long, who got his third Copa Rushmori goal for Mapletish by nodding in Keller's corner.

The Lionss were close to grabbing a winner in the 91st minute, before what looked to have been a game-saving challenge from Kléver.

But, with stoppage time almost over, Di Natile tapped the ball into an empty with the keeper off of his line following Long's cross into the Valladares penalty box to seal the win for the Lions.

by **Old Guard** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 1:01 pm

There's still hope. The team somehow managed to pull together a win against the highly rated Falconwhereveryouare team, who played well, and who were on the offensive at the start.

Old Guard opened the scoring, Xav the Fast nicking in a goal 5 minutes in. The Falcons recovered to prevent any further goals being conceded until just before the end of the first half, nearly netting one themselves in the 27th minute. However, it was to be John the Awesome who scored, in the 42nd minute.

In the second half, it was Old Guard who scored again, Xav the Fast netting a second in the 53rd minute. However, the Falcons got one back fairly swiftly, Stanislava Hertz smashing a terrific goal in, in the 57th minute. They scored again in the 67th minute, Edwardo Baez the scorer, and suddenly the game looked a lot more open.

It was a nervous 20 minutes after, with Falconwhereveryouare threatening to draw level, before Richard of France put a sublime shot away to seal the win for Old Guard. However, it will mean the next match, an encounter against tough team Saugeais will become a must win.

How to Select a National Team: Part Three

(written in the Ken Rickwright's note-book)

TP Indians 4–2 Moscva 2k12 David the Heroic 7',23',61', Kveta the Harried 41'; Richard of France 24', 75'
I had travelled to Tellabocari to see local rivals play each other. This was probably the fiercest rivalry in the leagues short existence, and both teams would quite happily lose most of their other games if it meant a win against their rival.

The stadium was very full, the Indians registering a record attendance of 1,264, a very good turnout indeed. The game started with intensity, and I could sit back and relax. Here was a game of high standards to watch in this country, finally.

For Moscva, Endellion the Hewn, a very athletic figure was instantly looking threatening, out on the wing, firing balls into the box. However, it was the Indians who would strike first, David the Heroic, who had only just risen to first team football smashing in a goal, first touch from a pass from attacking midfielder Benjy the Old, who was in comparison one of the club oldies.

It would be the Indians who would score next, in what was quite a high scoring game for the Iskandic League, David the Heroic getting his second, this time after going alone and leaving Gopala the Suleiman all ends up in goal.

However, Moscva replied quickly, Richard of France, now an established name in Old Guard football, scoring pretty much from kick-off, finishing with a long lobbed shot which serenely made it's way into the back of the net from 30 yards out.

There would be yet more action in the first half, with Kveta the Harried scoring from a free-kick after being taken down by Völund the Agressor. It was 3-1 at half time, and the crowd were certainly getting their money's worth for this game, the Indians couldn't stop scoring.

In the second half, Moscva looked a lot more agressive and competent, Endellion the Hewn continuing in fine form for them, and substitute, Aquart the Unusual thwarting what would have definitely been a goal with his first touch.

However, the next goal would be the Indians, David the Heroic scoring in what was turning out to be a great match for him, his hat-trick being completed by receiving Henda the Insane's pass, and slotting it beautifully into the top right corner.

Moscva, in fairness to them, didn't give up, and even though they were 4-1 down, they still fought hard until the end, with Richard of France grabbing a late goal, which was worthy, as they had been threatening for one. In the end a great game to watch!

TP Indians - Moscva 2k12
58% - Possession - 42%
13 - Shots - 9
8 - On Target - 7
1 - Yellows - 0
0 - Reds - 0

Key Players
TP Indians
David the Heroic - Great game for him, worked hard and thoroughly deserved his hat-trick
Benjy the Old - A club stalwart, played well but got tired towards the end.
Kveta the Harried - Harried the Moscva midfield, played quite well.
Henda the Insane - Ran around like a crazy person, and was mostly ineffective apart from assisting the 4th goal.

Moscva 2k12
Endellion the Hewn - A menace down the flanks, definitely national team standard.
Gopala the Suleiman - Tried his best but didn't play that well.
Richard of France - Played well, and was quite defensive apart from his two goals.
Völund the Agressor - Rash challenge ed to the Indians third goal. Needed to calm down a bit.
Aquart the Unusual - Solid in defense.

by **Darmen** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:39 pm

This time the Equipment Manager had been ready, helping Tor Tong Lee to remove his jersey without the need of ripping it in half. Meanwhile Gene Turko stood next to him, still angry at his lack of scoring oppritunities. He had taken only a single shot, which had gone wide of goal, when a prolonged possession of the ball in Nethertopia's half had resulted in Turko rushing forward for the one timer. Bryan Faulkner's pass back to Turko had bobbled just as it reached Turko's feet, and the awkward kick curled past the post, pounding into the fans behind the net.

Despite Turko's missed oppritunity, Darmen had scored five goals in their 5-1 demolishment of Nethertopia. The once powerful footballing nation had been brought to its knees by a team which had never qualified for the World Cup before. Bryan Faulkner scored the first goal, sixteen minutes into the match. Catching a lucky break, Luca Cormio was able to take control of the ball, despite being badly beaten by a strong run from a Nethertopian forward. The foward was running so fast, and was so excited about getting into the Darmeni box unmarked, that he overran the ball which had been passed to him by one of his teammates in midfield. He stopped, trying to correct his mistake, but instead, he slipped on the pitch's greasy surface. By the time he had recovered and stood up, Cormio had already taken the ball and passed to Faulkner.

The second goal of the match came in the twenty-fourth minute. After winning the first corner of the match for either side, Danny Beasley found himself unmarked in the box, and bicycle kicked the cross into the back of the net, stunning the Nethertopian goalkeeper, who could only watch in horror as the All Green's scored their second goal.

Nethertopia scored their only goal of the match in the closing minutes of the first half, as defender Charm Vue slipprf on the surface of the pitch, allowing a Nethertopian midfielder an unnoposed shot at goal. Even though the rain had stopped almost two hours before the start of the match, the pitch was still very slippery and wet, and there were several puddles along the touch line. It was wreaking havoc on both sides.

With the score 2-1 at halftime, Roberto Gregio was replaced with Sergio Autitore, and his fresh legs sparked Darmen to a quick start in the second half. Autitore scored himself in the forty-seventh minute, suring past the Nethertopian defense and putting his shot just under the crossbar. Tor Tong Lee added another goal in the fifty-first minute, converting a penalty which had reduced Nethertopia to ten men.

Then came Turko's shot, and soon thereafter a double substitution. Turko was replaced by Josimar Son, while defender Mikael Adan gave way to Scott Rydzik. The two players gave an injection of freshness to the All Green's defense. Luca Cormio scored the fifth and final goal for Darmen in the seventy-eighth minute, shooting and scoring from twenty yards out.

The All Green's new Manager, William St. John de la Ware was happy with the way his team had played. A 2-0 win with Phalnia had been followed with the huge 5-1 win over Nethertopia, and both were promising results. But the real test would be against Astograth, who had been unbeaten in their first two meetings with Darmen. However, Astograth was coming off of two bad results, a 0-0 draw with Nethertopia and a one goal loss to Phalnia, and were third in the standings. Only a win in their final game against Darmen would allow them to advance into the Round of Sixteen, assuming Nethertopia defeated Phalnia by no more than three goals. Anything else, and the Olives would be out, the defening champions defeated.

de la Ware was watching as most of the team filed out of the locker room at the 19,000 seat Free Stone Stadium in Drayfill, but he was more concerned with something else. Now that qualification to the Round of Sixteen was secured, as had the Group title, he planned to give most of the starters a rest day before their Round of Sixteen matchup. He turned to his assistant Manager, William von Kriesler.

"I'd like to give Siesman a chance in goal as a starter."

"You do realise that he's had multiple starts in goal already?" asked Kriesler.

"Er, no, I guess I didn't. Anyways, I want Osborne rested up for the Round of Sixteen. Any objections to having Rydzik, Goodwin and Sinapati start in the back?"

"Nope, Rydzik is pretty experienced, and Goodwin and Sinapati are both solid. Bit concerned about the fact that Sinapati hasn't had much game time in a while. Perhaps have Vue start, and Sinapati come on to start the second half?"

"No, Vue didn't perform to well today. I'm not sure if it was the wet pitch or his fitness wasn't up to par, but he definately needs to sit a game out."

"Who do you have in mind for midfield?"

"I'll keep Turko on in the center, and we'll have Ramirez, Zakuani, Son and Nystizor out on the outside. Zakuani and Son will play more defensive roles, while Turko will be the central attacking mid, and Ramirez and Nystizor can play on the wings."

"Sounds good, not sure if Ramirez has the speed to play out on the wing, Son might be better suited there."

"Oh, yeah, sure, we'll do that. I was thinking of having Gregio and Autitore up top, think we'll give the young ones a chance to team up for a full game, rather than just a single half of the final twenty minutes."

"Sounds good. Who are we going to have on the bench?"

"Schreier for goal, Garzan and Vue for the back line, Lee and Cormio for midfield, and McKay and Pele up front."

"Why have Lee and Cormio available when you're trying to rest them?"

"We're trying to defeat Astograth correct?"

"Good point."

"Just in case, we have a safety net to fall back on."

by **Taeshan** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:17 pm

Matchday 1 and the Purple Knights were taking on Saugeais for the second time in the calendar year, but this time it was on a neutral field and with a win the Knights would assure themselves a spot in the knockout round, whilst their opponents would still have had a doubtful spot in the next round with a final round of play. The Knights would win the game in a goalfest 4-2, assure themselves a spot in the round of sixteen, and really make their game with Falconwhereveryouare just a formality, which funnily enough that is also the second time they have played the FWY national team after playing the two teams in the opposite order before the World Cup.

It was a great day for a game, but the Knights proved to be the side with the less good play during much of the first half. With striker Kyle Laravy carted off the field in the early minutes and a sub not coming in for almost 10 minutes with no stoppages for a period of time. The Saugeains led 2-1 at the half after two nice goals from different Saugeais players, whilst Brian Kljestan in for Kyle Laravy scored a late goal. The second half saw the Knights turn the offensive on as Kljestan scored his first ever hat trick, on the same night he scored his first goal, with goals in the 54th and the 70th. Ender Wiggin put the game out of doubt with a 85th minute goal. With the Knights mathematically into the next round the last game is just a formality.

by **Astograth** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:08 pm

It is one thing to have a new manager, a new way of playing, a new philosophy and a new weight on your shoulders - it is another thing entirely to go two matches into the defense of your Copa Rushmori without scoring a goal, even losing to a nation nobody has previously heard of.

Being gentle, things weren't going as planned. Being blunt, Handel's era had kicked off as disastrously as Yaregi's had ended, and in this case bluntness was perhaps best. There was no way to sugarcoat the truth: Astograth's best chance rested on beating Darmen, the toughest opponent in the group, and hope for a Nethertopia win over Phalnia, so long as that wasn't a complete demolishing. If Phalnia so much as drew they were left hanging by a thread, and if they failed to put down the Darmeni then they were finished any which way.

It would be hard. It would not fully depend on them. It would not be a pretty way to go, nor a pretty way to start a new era. But then, has any manager of Olibondeka done so? Treko whipped up a team from nothing and slaved through the worst years of them all, retiring with a win percentage of barely 30%, when the national team was only just being introduced to the world. The prelude to Yaregi's World Cup semifinal run was a frankly disappointing Copa Rushmori that saw them eliminated by the Polarians in Valladares. Even Powell Pieran, World Cup Hall of Famer, the most revered of them all - perhaps undeservedly - kicked off with a Cup of Harmony on home soil in which they only just scraped their way to the Round of 16.

So really, a little perspective goes a long way. Especially when you're trying to salvage the situation against a background of incessant, hysterical whining from The Rumiatzi Sentinel and its ilk.

Treko would have voiced his exasperation (or so it went around the proverbial water cooler). Pieran would have pounded the table and drilled the criticism into their brains. Yaregi would have made them shower in cold water and reflect on what they've done. Urtzi Galard, captain of the team, veteran of many battles, was ready for any approach.

Except Sir James Handel's.

Not entirely, at least. He'd already caught the man's drift through the rigorously planned training sessions, his measured press conferences, the meticulous video analyses, and how he'd received them in the changing room of the Eilifint Bhán National Stadium following the despairing draw with Nethertopia. With a hesitant sigh followed by a faint smile, arms folded and piercing blue eyes checking on everyone. Brief encouragement; that this wasn't ideal but they were barely beginning. That they shouldn't get ahead of themselves, that he had faith in each and every one of them, that their commitment had been superb and any blame should fall on him - a generous assertion, given the repeated lack of precision in the pass, the cover and the shot.

This time around, now in the Aelsh capital, he'd swapped Mendazona for Eneriz, later on Guerrikaechebarria for Garro and him in turn with Galard... they'd been run ragged by a team they had never faced, seen nor heard of apart from their single showing against Darmen. It was beyond embarrassing. Phalnia had shown no fear against a squad awash with self-doubt, had boldly taken their chances, raised themselves to Olibondeka's level and delivered the most crippling of blows with a goal so close to the end, when players that made the semifinals of a World Cup were begging for the referee to just end it.

Gathered there afterwards, exchanging sympathetic pats on the back, drinking the competition's official sports drink, Handel walked in and told it like it was.

“That was bad. At times terrible. That team may be inferior to us 365 days of the year, every year before and every year since - but for at least ninety minutes of the world's time they completely outplayed us. Unacceptable. But only inexplicable if one were to guide himself simply by comparing 'on paper' or 'man-for-man' or whatever the media comes up with next.

We mustn't do that. Because like all the things, our defeat has a reason. I'm not entirely sure what that is - there could and probably are many - but in truth my job consists almost entirely of figuring it out and relaying that to you. Or that's how I like to do it, at least.

Qualification from this group is now an ever slimmer possibility that does not depend entirely on us. There is no use lamenting ourselves over that fact. We must aim to make the best of it, which means beating Darmen. And I promise you that I will do everything in my power to give you the best possible chances of doing so, because nothing is impossible; there are just some things that have not been attempted yet. All you must promise me is that you will do exactly as I say, because every word hides hours of work; much like every kick of yours hides years of careful honing.

You do this, I do that, and you can yet function not as eleven men of flesh and bone but as a single fierce entity of steel and legend; champions not of Rushmore but of the world. I came here to achieve nothing less, because you can.”

by **Saugeais** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 11:53 pm

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Part 3: The Definition of Insanity

I never like to lose, and any sportsman would tell you the same thing. So when you lose constantly, what do you think happens? We had just finished the 10th Copa Rushmori, after getting knocked out in the quarter finals for the fourth straight tournament. We were in the locker room after the heart breaking 4-0 loss against Polar Islandstates, and I just snapped. I started toppling the water coolers, then the table they were sitting on, in a fit of rage. The trainers and coach Mag Aonghusa tried to calm me down, but all I did was get into a shouting match with the head coach. I don't remember exactly what I said, something to the effect of "you gameplan is shite, replace them or I'm make sure you're replaced." I remained on the national team, though, as the FA realized that without me, the Knights would've had no chance in the qualifiers, but maybe I should've stayed home after all.

I worked my ass off, yet it seemed the rest of the team didn't. We were giving up easy goals and losing to the likes of Redaya. While the nation was shocked at our lack of qualification, I was hardly surprised. Mag Aonghusa kept using the same tactics without making so much as a position placement change, so by the time the second legs rolled around, our opponents were ready for what we had to throw at them. For every loss, I criticized my teammates and my coach that we should change things up now and again, give our opponents different looks and force them to make changes of there own. But Mag Aonghusa would always say he'd "take it into consideration" aka he wasn't going to do a damn thing. After we failed to qualify, the FA took it upon themselves to fire him, which is good as it saved me from having to fill out paperwork to have him fired myself. However, the replacement they had chosen took me completely by surprise.

Amaechi Olsen had been out of football for several years at this point; he was out doing welfare missions or whatnot, and honestly had been my last choice to hire on as coach. After not having seen my former mentor in so long, I had to get an opportunity to speak with him, catch up and such. So back at the training grounds, I walked into his newly furnished office and did just that. He said while it was an honor to take over the team he held so near and dear to his heart, he wasn't going to stay around very long; just only until the FA found a full-time, suitable replacement. "But won't that hinder your prep time for whatever strategies you wish to use?" "You know," he answered, "since the Cup of Harmony is coming up, let's just fly by the seat of our pants on this one." I was floored. He clearly didn't care for this job anymore, if he was suggesting that. I left his office in disgust at my former mentor, the man I once looked up to. Not anymore.

It became apparent after just three Cup of Harmony games that Olsen was better suited to leading welfare housing projects than leading a squad of footballers. Once again, we failed to qualify for a major tournament, and at the 11th Copa Rushmori, didn't even make it out of the group stage for the first time in 6 Copas. Olsen was sacked shortly after, and the FA was still looking for a new coach, but that didn't keep me from crawling up inside of a bottle. Vilita had some damn fine breweries, and I took full advantage every waking hour. Training be damned, I lost all focus, but internationally and domestically. My stats and playing time dropped, and motivation plummeted, all the while wondering if I was still going to have a job the next morning.

Then one day, I received a phone call from an unfamiliar voice. "Hello, is this Kuzlan Ruslan?" I confirmed his speculation. "This is Powell Pieran, I'm the new head coach of the Saugeais national team. I was calling you to say you're going to be in my next World Cup qualifying squad, if you are interested." Oh I was very interested, and more determined than ever.

But then again, you know what they say about doing the same thing over and over again.......
______________________________________________
Saugeais - 2
Rousseau 9'
Ruslan 26'
Taeshan - 4
Kljestan 44', 54', 70'
Wiggin 85'

by **Polar Islandstates** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 11:18 am

It was a proud day for all Polarians. Tickertape, flags, pennants and rosettes in just about every possible colour combination of navy, white, and green were tied to any suitable surface for as far as the significant crowd could be seen swelling the pavements. The flag of the Federation was unavoidable. Sneaking in amongst the homeland patriotism were a handful of ceremonial Aguazulenos flags, symbolic of the occasion. The Polarian crowd had arrive in a party atmosphere. From all over the nation, and in particular from all over the capital city, they had flocked the westernmost docklands of Franz Josef City in order to witness the historic event. A whirring could be heard in the air, carried on the wind from a distance, a sort of metallic hum that whipped the crowd up even more as the flag waving continued with fresh enthusiasm.

On the podium by the dockside, President Iversen-Eklund smiled as she too heard the approaching hum. Floating in on the air just as she had finished her big speech, the noise had arrived right on time, just as she liked it. Her trim blonde hair fluttered in the wind as she looked at Dima Koolhaas, FPIFA president, and Sol Kirkkegaard, co-president of the WCC - the reason they were all there.
The micronation at the heart of the WCC, NSWC Signups, was finally arriving. Lifted by fleet of heavyduty helicopters and carried all the way from Aguazul, the outgoing presidents, the micronation was to be lowered onto a floating pontoon courtesy of the finest in Bjarnese engineering technology, and would be a temporary member island of the Franz Josef Archipelago for the duration of the Polarian presidency - however long that may be.

With the crowd waiting with baited breath as they began to see the looming mass and bulk of the micronation coming slowly towards them through the ocean mists, Iversen-Eklund confessed to being relieved. Magnus Ragnorak, the other co-president, hadn't exactly had a glowing reign whilst at the FPIFA, but his connections in international footballing circle were undeniable, and he had been tasked with overseeing the transport of the unusual cargo. For it to have gone well was a sign, perhaps, that Ragnorak had turned a corner.
The helicopters got nearer, and the president of Rushmore's highest ranked footballing nation smiled again. This presidency would be good for the nation. Her nation. The official handover from the Aguazulenos officials present at the side of the stage wasn't due to happen until the island had landed on the pontoon, and yet the Polarians were already advertising their considerable engineering and logistical expertise to the world. They hadn't even turned on the green initiatives that would power the micronation, yet, and already the Polarians were coming off well, proudly showing what the might of the powerful transport companies could do - the so-called 'superlogisticians'. Combined with the recent business drive from her colleague Henreik, this would be a great advert for the nation...

Except, no, wait. What was that?

As the helicopters hovered above the pontoon, President Iversen-Eklund noticed something that it as apparent from their intensifying volume that every other Polarian there had missed. Those helicopters weren't carrying the standards of any of the superlogisticians she was familiar with. In fact, they carried a very distinctive flag indeed - that of Falconwhereveryouare.

She was furious. Such a great platform for the nation's businesses, and they had been betrayed. She had half a mind by whom, but there would be hell to pay nonetheless.

The island touched down. The pontoon held up, at least the Bjarnese contribution was irreplaceable. The crowd cheered. Iversen-Eklund glared at a concerned and sheepish looking Koolhaas and Kirkkegaard. But, then came the Aguazulenos officials for the cceremony. Time to put a brave face on. The time for fury, and believe you me there would be a time for fury, would have to wait. For now, time to put on a brave face and complete the ceremony.

The WCC Presidency started here.

[ooc: written dodgily from phone. I'll spellchecker it and add to it if I get time before the cutoff, and spellchecker it after the ccutoff if not]

by **Ancharmunn** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:46 pm

Cut-off time, and with that another thrilling episode of Éibhir and the Case of the Missing Trophy.

'Oh he's from Tyneala's land, a fighting fury he's from Tyneala land, in any weather you will see him going out on a limb, risking neck and wing, if bad guys are loose then never mind, know that Éibhir will fight them and win!'

*Groan*

*Chuckle*

“So, you thought you could outsmart us did you Éibhir? Hehehe, you daft little birdie.”

“I... urgh.... who are you? Where's the Copa Rushmori trophy?”

“Now, now. That's gone Éibhir, you and you're little region will just have to make do it without it.”

“NO! Never! That trophy shall be returned to it's rightful place in Ballyfeeaknock for the final. I shall see to that.”

“Ho ho ho. You Rushmoris really are confident little upstarts aren't you? The Copa is gone, it is nothing.”

“No, it isn't. It can't be! I shall get it back. I know I will!”

“Heh, how? We've tied your wings, you cannot even fly.”

“I am Éibhir, you cannot contain me!”

CRACK! KERPOW! SPLAT! BOOSH! POW! SMASH! BONK!

CRUNCH! SMASH! WHAM! BOOM! DING! DONG! BOOOOM!

“THIS. IS. RUSHMORE!”

“No it ain't mate, it's....”

“You bleeding idiot! This is a secret hideout, don't give away where we are.”

HONK!

-- Fighting off a horde of generally evil good-for-nothing baddies (and a few not so evil temps who didn't really want to do it, but there's not all that much work round at the moment you know) our anserinae hero escapes to safety and finds himself in an unfamiliar settlement. His recent escapades have surely taken him a step closer to reclaiming the Copa Rushmori trophy for Rushmori. Though not until he's found somewhere for some nourishment and refueling.

“Excuse me mate, is there Algae King nearby?”

“Sorry?”

“Are there any Algae King branches around here?”

“ARGH! A TALKING SWAN!”

'Oh he's from Tyneala's land, a fighting fury he's from Tyneala land, in any weather you will see him going out on a limb, risking neck and wing, if bad guys are loose then never mind, know that Éibhir will fight them and win!'

Copa Rushmori XIII - Everything thread

Kaledor 2-0 Sicoutimont

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