World Cup LXV (65) RP Thread

by **Filopines** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:20 am

Smart, Dumb and Funny Season Two Episode Three (E22 overall)

(continued from previous episode)
Kate and Rachel: What?!
Luis: We said we're cutting you off.
Rachel: You're not the electrical company.
Julie: That's not what we mean.
Kate: Well, you're not the gas company.
Aaron: Still not what we mean. Although I wish we were.
Mark: We're cutting you off from our group of friends. And I'm breaking up with you, Kate.
(Kate slowly walks up to Mark and gets in his face)
Kate: If you think you can just say to me we're breaking up, you're wrong. You can't just do that.
Mark: I just did.
Aaron: OHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
(Luis punches Aaron in the arm)
Rachel: Who are you going to replace us with?
Luis: Stephen Cayley and Rebecca.
Kate: Fine. Let's go, Rach. Stuff these guys.
(Kate and Rachel leave)

(in Kate's car)
(Kate is driving and Rachel is in the passenger seat)
Kate: What bitches.
Rachel: I know, right?
Kate: I gave them advice, I bought them food, I paid some of their bills...
Rachel: I read their minds...
Kate: So did you see that brand new shop, uh... Kiki Kini?
Rachel: I bought one of their bags, see?
Kate: Looks nice.
Rachel: Yeah, much better than those four traitors.
Kate: I still can't believe they could do such a thing.
Rachel: Hands on the wheel, Kate.
Kate: Sorry.
Rachel: It's OK.
Kate: I mean, it's unbelievable. All the nice things we have done-
Rachel: Hands on the wheel!
Kate: Come on, Rach. It's not like-
(Kate looks at the road)
(Another car approaches)
(Kate and Rachel scream)

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:29 am

And nothing happened that day

San Potato tied The Holy Empire and made sure they could not get ahead of the group! Their 3-3 game must have been the best game of the day, although it was not the only game to end in 3-3. Liventia, top of the group, also saw their match end with 3 goals for each team, and for some reason, Ko-oren was the other team. Because the Sova Empire tied their game as well, the top 5 of the group all drew their match. Which means technically nothing really happened, except for the teams in 6th and 7th getting closer to the top group. Ko-oren is one point behind Liventia and the Holy Empire, level with the Sova Empire, and two points ahead of San Potato. And three points ahead of Iturributa and Nouvel Ecosse. That is a lot of teams close together, and it only makes me worried that one loss could have a team fall down zero, one, two or three places in the group. One side of me hopes that the group stays close together, the other hopes that now Ko-oren has played the top four seeds (okay, top three seeds excluding ourselves), we can get 12 points against four of the lower seeded teams.

As far as the match itself went: it wasn't bad. Liventia had the home advantage, which resulted in a slight advantage in shots and shots on target. But that difference was so small, it was negligible. The same goes for possession. Ko-oren had the passing accuracy advantage, which more or less negated all other statistics. It was a very even match, to the extent that even the goals fell close after another. After the penalty granted to Wilson after a foul (and a yellow card) for goalkeeper Asgard, it didn't take Tokachi three minutes to equalise. Moreover, Idrasil put Ko-oren to 2-1 ahead even two minutes later. Tokachi profited from a pass that stumbled through the Liventia defense, while Idrasil saw his shot from distance fly in the top corner. In the second half, Liventia was the first to score again. Grant headed the equaliser home, yet Shiribeshi put Ko-oren back in the lead from the penalty spot. Wilson finished the scoreline off after 78 minutes, evening everything up 3-3.

Overall, the teams were extremely close and the only fouls came forth from just fanaticism. Asgard took down Wilson after 12 minutes when he broke through the Ko-orenite defense, though the referee saw a yellow card fit. Glower got the next booking, for a tackle that was just blatantly mistimed. Dehenat got the third booking of the game at the end of the first half for playing on too long after the referee whistled for an earlier, minor foul. Lastly Davis' booking was the only different one: he got his yellow card for some time-wasting.

The stadium in Liventia was filled for 'only' three-quarters, though that still means there were more fans than at any match in Ko-oren could maximally have. Part of this might have been that it was quite cold, and as far as Ko-orenite factors go: the game started very early. This actually was more of an excuse for the low ratings in Ko-oren than actually why there were little Greenblue fans in the stadium.

Liventia 3–3 Ko-oren (SoT 9-8, S 15-12, Poss 51-49, Pass 77%-83%)
@National Olympic Stadium, City Center, Liventia (max. att. 190,000)
13:00 (Liventian time), 6C, clear. Att: 158,840

Goals:
'12 Wilson 1-0 PEN, '54 Grant 2-2, '78 Wilson 3-3 - '15 Tokachi 1-1, '17 Idrasil 1-2, '56 Shiribeshi 2-3 PEN

Yellow:
'30 Glower, '84 Davis - '11 Asgard, '45 Dehenat
Red:
/ - / 

Subs:
'58 Sanuki OUT
    Eregrent IN
'64 Nidog OUT
    Juliasterinthen IN
'80 Tokachi OUT
    Bonangorthen IN

Chapter 5: Population and Demographics

Ko-oren is inhabited by over 300 million people, most of which are native Ko-orenite. Because the country is in the far corner of the region (and an unpopular corner, even), there are not many immigrants to Ko-oren. This is not just because of geography, but also some social, political and economic issues that will be covered later in their respective chapters. Tourism, however, is a big thing in the archipelago, and many tourists make their way to Ko-oren each year. Most visit the big cities and the more populated areas, but there is plenty to do outside of these areas too.

The total population is 331 million, according to the most recent census. This is a growth of almost seven and a half percent compared the previous census, and the biggest growth was recorded in Vnoskjulung, the state that makes up the few islands in the north; Rabth, the state on the largest island of Ko-oren closest to Vnoskjulung; and Sishinova, the island in the far southeast of the archipelago. Their growth figures are nothing compared to the state the capital is in: Kthosl. The state grew from nine million to over fourteen: a growth of 55 percent.

The most people live in Arelothun, the largest state of them all. In the southern state live 135 million people, or 41% of the total population. Second place is for Othushun, the state in the north with many large cities: ninety-three and a half million (28%). The third most populous state is Jeknolr, another northern state, with 5,3% of the population (or 17,5 milion). After this, many states have more or less the same number of inhabitants. If you’re looking for the place with the least people: your best bet is the western states. The most populous of these is Maethoru with almost 10 million people, but the other three states together do not go over 5 million, and together they have 1,1% of the population. These three states are, as described, the coldest and harshest regions of Ko-oren, which explains their population.

Region-wise, the north is most populated with almost 147 million people, 44% of the total. The southern region has 145 million people, which also comes down to 44%. The east comes next, with 25 and a half million (7,7%), and lastly is the west, with 13,5 million, and 4,1 percent of the total population.

As far as expectations for the next census are concerned: the Ministry of Statistics and Mapping (we have quite a lot of ministries, but that will also be detailed later) expects the total population to drop significantly. Many Ko-orenites have moved to the seven colonies nearby. For next census, the colony populations will also be tallied, so the emigration should be visible in their statistics. Lastly, more and more people now live in Ages. More on Ages in chapters 8 and 9. Be sure to read that, for it is probably the most interesting feature of the culture of Ko-oren!

by **Commune-PDTv2** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:48 am

Watching the crescent moon shine overhead, the Xylovitus lay upon the dank soil of his dwellings. Beta would come, he knew this. Having recently returned from Maklohi Vai, there was obviously the ritual propaganda to deal with first. Xylovitus wondered what the new score would be, whether there was actually any chance of reaching the world cup finals and then of his fate after all this was over. Two guards paced around the top of the high walls which imprisoned him, silhouetted in the silvery night sky. There was the click of a key in the door to his house, it opened slowly and cautiously and then Beta entered, alone.

They looked at each other for several silent moments. Beta seemed a little scared, it was an emotion seldom seen in the higher ministers. Xylovitus sat up slowly as the guards watched like hawks upon hearing the creaks of movement from Xylovitus.

"Greetings Xylovitus"

Maintaining his gaze upon Beta, the great creature placed a hand against the wall. Subtle fronds of ivy and creeping plants intertwined to form living words on the wall of his cell.

"Greetings Beta Sigismund"
"What do you want?"
"Firstly, a little privacy"

All the time, thick vines had been climbing stealthily upwards. Obscured by the shadows in the corners of the walls. Now they struck. Quick as a flash, they grasped the unsuspecting guards by their ankles and tossed them like ragdolls off into the night sky. Beta watched concerned.

"There. Better now."
"You are aware that I can summon ten times as many guards in the blink of eye, with enough weedkiller to destroy you in a short agonising instant."
"But you won't."
"Do not make assumptions about my actions."
"Then do it."

Beta paused, trying to think clearly without expressing the panic building in his body.

"You are curious as to why I spelt your name and even you would not be so foolish as to destroy your nation's football team in one fell swoop."
"So what do you want?"

The creature looked sorrowfully at Beta as though he had expected Beta to know what he wanted.

"My identity."
"Your what? You have none! You're a fucking sentient tree. All this melodrama over this?"
"I needed you to listen and you, I assume, have the appropriate clearance to find out."
"You are no longer what you were. Your previous records have been destroyed."
"Find them."
"You dare threaten me?"

A vine shot from the wall and wrapped tightly around Beta's throat and hoisted him from the floor. Struggling and gasping, Xylovitus brought him close to his cold black eyes. Beta could just make out the words which appeared upon the wall.

"Yes, yes I do."
"The scientists, The scientists. They know. They have records and files. Ask them. Ask them!"
"No Beta. You."
"Why me, you crazy fucking plant!?"
"Because you fear me and you fear death. The scientists have been replaced, killed for misdemeanors, failures. They, like most Communadi have no fear of death, they expect it and sometimes welcome it. You, you always live. Above judgement and beyond justice."
"Fuck you!"

The grip around Beta's throat tightened. His lungs strained and his heart raced.

"Give me what I want."
"Ne ... *cough* ... Never ... "
"Give me what I want."
"You'll ... hrgh ... You'll never make me ... I'll leave that door... arrgh ...that door, a free man."
"Really?"

That single word petrified Beta, even more so than the spindly barbed hand approaching his chest.

"Last chance."
" ... hrgh ... Screw ... hrgh ... Screw you shrub ... arrgh! ... "

The thorns of the Xylovitus' hand penetrated Beta's chest but he had not the air in his lungs to cry out. He spasmed as he felt something moving within him. He flailed his body with all his might but to no avail. Suddenly, Xylovitus released him. Falling to the floor in an ungainly fashion, he drunk greedily of all the oxygen he could wrench into his lungs.

"What ... What have you ... you done to ... to me?"
"Give me what I want."
"What have you done to me?! I ... I demand you to tell me!"
"Give me what I want."
"Nev ... "

There was a sudden pain and Beta collapsed back to the soft soil. A vice had gripped his heart, preventing it from beating. His fingers began to feel numb, his eyes faltered in the dark light and his head was a maelstrom of fear. The pain subsided as the vice relinquished it's grip.

"Now you understand."
"How are you doing that? You're not supposed to be able to ... I could have you killed for this. What have you done to me?!"
"A shard of myself. I learnt to maintain control over dismembered pieces of my body and now one lives in you. Feeding from carbon dioxide before you exhale it. Encasing your heart and attaching itself to your spinal cord. I control you Beta."
"You vile fucking monster."
"Give me what I want and you can keep your life."

by **Paradystopia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:43 am

JW: Third place after five games, that's not bad.
YS: Haven't you got all the difficult teams to play though?
JW: Yeah, a few.
YS: You ain't gonna qualify mate.
JW: Let's not be defeatist.
YS: What? I'm not defeatist. I'm not Paradystopi. I don't even care.
JW: So you keep reminding me.
YS: I don't think the Lymrykers would do this well though. They are pretty shit in the grand scheme of things.
JW: Didn't you get into the knock-outs in the last AOCAF?
YS: Yeah but whatevs man. Football ain't my thing.
JW: What is your thing?
YS: Fish
JW: Fish?
YS: Yup
JW: Just fish?
YS: Oh yeah. A bit of poetry too.
JW: What a fulfilling life you must lead
YS: It's pretty good thanks
JW: Fair enough. So I'm guessing a discussion on the use of a fluid wing-back formation would be lost on you?
YS: Yup
JW: And you have no comment on the current Paradystopi attacking partnership of Benjamin and Jabez?
YS: Who?
JW: Thought so.
YS: Sorry?
JW: Well, It just limits the potential of the show, you know.
YS: Sometimes I think that our conversations are just the mindless, schizophrenic ramblings of a greater being who doesn't know what to say and is trying to make sense of essentially random figures through the medium of football results.
JW: You into philosophy now?
YS: N'ah ... just thinking out loud
JW: So if they're random figures, how come there are obviously better teams?
YS: I dunno
JW: So much for the discussion ...
YS: Maybe teams that do better have a better chance of doing better in the future?
JW: I just think you're getting all existentialist because your life is devoid of anything interesting.
YS: Maybe I'm just a one-dimensional character focused solely upon fish?
JW: Err ... maybe ...
YS: Whoa! My mind, she is blown!
JW: Don't get depressed dude ... Was just saying ...
YS: No it makes perfect sense. You, you're just a generic person created purely to interact with me created a humourous dialogue betwixt man and otter
JW: Err ... Yapper ... are you okay?
YS: Don't you see! Our existence ... it's a lie ...
JW: Sorry about this folks. Yapper appears to be having an existential crisis. We'll be back after these adverts.
YS: Who are you talking to?
JW: The audience
YS: There is no audience
JW: I know, it's a TV studio ... the audience is at home watching on TV
YS: What if they're not. What if there is no-one?
JW: I'm sure someone is watching.
YS: Man. I don't exist.
JW: Yapper, you're scaring me slightly
YS: No I'm not. You don't exist.
JW: I assure you I do.
YS: How come I can do this then?

by **Paradystopia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:43 am

Whirled Cup

The ten-minute micro-show providing a fun look at the sixty-fifth world cup! Please welcome your hosts, renowned Paradystopi sportscaster, James Wong and that funny Lymryker, Yapper Stinkypaws

JW: Heys Guys, How is everyone?
YS: Sk'ǽ gō! Let's hear it for football. Woo!
JW: Wow. Great to be here in our custom mini-studio just outside the Khollozium in Sabrjk and just a few days away from the beginning of the qualification phase but before we begin, I have to ask, Yapper ...
YS: Yup?
JW: ... are you any relation to the Lymryker football captain, Hooktooth Stinkypaws?
YS: You've asked me this before
JW: Yeah, I ... err ... I have ... What the fuck just happened?
YS: We went back in time
JW: How?
YS: I saw it man. My one-dimensional character, my doubts in my existence. Well, time is not one-dimensional. I couldn't see that before, but now, my eyes are opened.
JW: To be honest, I'm beginning to believe what you said before ... You know ... err ...
YS: Sometimes I think that our conversations are just the mindless, schizophrenic ramblings of a greater being who doesn't know what to say and is trying to make sense of essentially random figures through the medium of football results.
JW: Did we just travel in time again?
YS: No, I just repeated myself.
JW: Oh ... This could get confusing ...
YS: So now we've unlocked the secrets to time travel, what do you want to do?
JW: Well, we could ... hang on a minute. Are we still broadcasting?
YS: Don't know, don't care. We've moved on.
JW: But ... wait, what?
YS: No time to explain
JW: Why not?
YS: I don't know. It just sounds more dramatic.
JW: Oh, I'm so fucking confused right now
YS: Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey
JW: What?
YS: Dunno, I heard it somewhere. Maybe I can ...

by **Paradystopia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:43 am

Whirled Cup

The ten-minute micro-show providing a fun look at the sixty-fifth world cup! Please welcome your hosts, renowned Paradystopi sportscaster, James Wong and that funny Lymryker, Yapper Stinkypaws

JW: That's gonna get real damn annoying pretty quick you know

by **Thatius** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:46 am

Intro & Part I
Part II

Part III: The Stadiums

In past years during World Cup Qualifying, Thatius has held all of its home matches at the National Stadium in Frederikstadt. However, a significant portion of the population of Thatius is unable to witness the game live or even travel to Frederikstadt, so it was the idea of the National Committee of Soccer (NCS) to host the home qualifying matches in five different venues across the nation. Citizens across all four regions will have access to some kind of qualifying match nearby, and can experience the atmosphere of a qualifying match even if they don't purchase a ticket.

First and most importantly is the National Stadium in Frederikstadt. The stadium is brand new, fits over 90,000, and has some of the top technology in the world. The jumbotrons, developed by Hafestedt Teknologie, display some of the clearest pictures of any large screen television. The stadium is one of the player and fan's favorite venues, alike.

Next, two more stadiums exist on the western islands. In Brevik, Air Srjbo Stadium seats 65,000 exactly and gives views of the entire downtown skyline. Further south in Varael, the Luzuki Stadion marks the second biggest stadium in the country, seating well over 85,000 spectators. Both of these stadiums

Luzuki Stadion, Varael, Thatius

On the other side of Thatius on the Eastern Island, sits Eisenstadt's 75,000 person stadium, Anfeld-Royal Stadium, built as of last year. The retractable roof supports play any day, especially helpful in Thatius' fickle climate. Because it is indoors, it also ranks as one of the loudest stadiums in the nation as well, and it's well-kept grass is a standard in soccer.

Finally, the fifth venue for World Cup Qualifying is located in Aeropolis, in the Southern Djonos Islands. The Aeropolian Stadium, the biggest in the group of islands, will play host to only one match, Thatius v. Carasatoga.

Yesterday, Thatius celebrated a victory against Carasatoga in Aeropolis, as the Firebirds downed the opposing team 1-0. Chase Kowalczyk surprisingly scored Thatius' only goal in the match, in a fiftieth minute stunner. The right defender, Chase rarely has the opportunity to push into the opponent's half of the field nevertheless the goal box. But he found himself with the ball right after the first half and pursued the goal while midfielder Marcel Asarenko took his place.

Storming down the field, Chase sought Cooper Branham or John Lukosik to cross to, but they were not open. After utilizing the always-hated scissors move to avoid defenders (a trick he knows all too well), Chase was one on one with Carasatoga's goalie, Henri Sevey. Chase faked a chip to the right side of the goal, to where Sevey dove, and instead kicked it right down the middle. The crowd erupted in cheers and the whole team rushed to celebrate with Chase, who felt pride in scoring his first-ever World Cup goal, joining the ranks of so many famed Thatians.

Eventually Coach Djantschenko subbed off the starters so they would have their legs well-rested against Stachland. Nick Barlow replaced Marko Voloski, and he almost came up with Thatius' second goal of the match. It bounced right off the post, causing Nick (as well as everyone else who supports Thatius) to put their hands in the air in protest. So close.

On the morrow, Thatius travels to Stachland for another matchup. Both teams have done somewhat well, although neither are at the top of the group. Stachland stands at 3-0-2 and Thatius at 4-0-1, with the Firebirds' only loss coming to the hands of top-ranked Darmen. If Thatius can secure a win at Stachland, then they will still be in the hunt for a first-place finish in Group 2.

by **Omarios** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:38 am

"Coach Ramo enters the dressing room"

"At least we didnt lose 4-0"

"We need to do better in the future matches"

"But you did a good job, (sigh) go get some rest."

by **Apox** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:47 am

George McLaren and Sir Richard Marshall were sat at the bar of the Rose & Thistle in Dwyle discussing football tactics for the upcoming game against Haïtiens, as well as trying to choose a team, as well as find them. So far they'd signed up the only other footballer who lived in Dwyle, John Harper (Mercury United, 516-518, 8 apps, 1 goal) and the veteran goalkeeper Ned 'Caddie' Jones (Woolhead United, 528-534, 83 apps). However, playing with a squad of 3 would not be on and George didn't want to rely on playing Sir Charles Barton, keen though he was.

Sir Richard had suggested travelling into Wight Spit to find some of the names on George's list, although that would be easier said than done, as Teril had said, "the list was out of date". Sir Richard had persisted though and he'd just left. George had just turned back to his list to search out some more names when the door swung open. Like one of those cheesy western's he had seen, there was a silhouette in the doorway. The silhouette spoke first,

"Why if it isn't my old friend George McLaren!" George recognised that voice, he know it if he heard it anywhere.

"Victor!" he exclaimed springing up and running towards the figure, who was indeed Victor, Victor Charlfont, from his playing days at FC Endeavour (515-527, 89 apps, 22 goals.)

"How are you doing?" asked George, beaming as he invited Victor in for a drink, pushing the passed out bodies of Withnail and Marwood of one of the barstools so Victor could sit there.

"Well not too bad old chap. Been getting on alright here, if I remember rightly. Anyhoo, thought I'd come-a-calling when I heard about your bet against old Bodwannick at Haïtiens. Would love to get one up on them so I would." said Victor, a frown across his normally amiable face.

"Really, why?" asked George. Victor looked surprised,

"Old boy, I thought you would know. I've got inside knowledge of Haïtiens by playing in their league. Wight Spit Casuals none the less! Itching to get another shot at them outside of the season, especially with a loads of the chaps from back home. Enough of playing with those Wightlings, nothing beats a good old Apoxian kickabout."

"Well you'd certainly be in." said George, "I'll have to alert Richard." And with that, George and Victor stood up to follow Sir Richard Marshall into Wight Spit.

Apox beat Vettrera 5-0. Wat. Takes us back to the top on GD! Huzzah!

Goalscorers: Keri Ularu 13',43',79'; Olim Benzari 26'; Dan Weekes 55'

Keri Ularu becomes the second person to score a hat-trick for Apox, after Dravid Scott completed the feat in a World Cup 62 Qualifying Match against Slembana (8-0) and in the World Cup 63 Qualifying Match against San Potato (7-2).

Team Sheet from the Match (scorers in bold)
GK - Ettie Seabrooke
RD - Fronden Abel
CD - Dan Weekes
CD - Athelstan Firth
LD - Hans Nielssen
RM - Olim Benzari (c)
CM - Jack Moses
CM - Will Fich
LM - Fari Y
ST - Fred Barnett sub Maxim Kolo 60'
ST - Keri Ularu x3

by **Horusland** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 6:26 am

HorusLand, third in group!

The World Cup Qualification started with a loss, 4-0 against Super Llamaland. Though the game started out on our advantage, all our attempts at scoring - which were mostly made by Santtu Virtanen (21^st minute) and Doruk Aslan (67^th minute) - were deflected by the adversaries' goalkeeper, Tyson Richards. After twenty minutes, the ball possession was clearly unbalanced, 62% Super Llamaland, 38% HorusLand. The first goal was given by Bobby Crosby, at the end of the first half. Soon after, as the HorusLandian team started losing morale, Super Llamaland scored thrice. Trevor Duncan seemed to be the most active player from Super Llamaland. Though only scoring once, he was present in all their attacks, including the other two goals, scored by Even Powell and Chris May. In this game, Eneko Ibarra from HorusLand received a yellow card for fouling Trevor Duncan.

On the second match day, the HorusLandian Wolves played against Friday Freshman, a new and unranked team. Though HorusLand is also new to the international scene, the game ended well. The first goal was scored by Altaan Narek, our most famous player (nationally), in the 32^nd minute. Soon after, Kaoru Hamasaki scored in the 47^th minute, with a wonderful shot over the goalkeeper and into the net. At the end of the game, the players of Friday Freshman almost succeeded in scoring, but the HorusLandian goalkeeper, Haru Izumi, defended it. Then, 6 minutes before the end of the game, midfielder Alfred Nikolajsen scored, ending the game 3-0.

The next game was an uneventful one. HorusLand tied with Kalusia, 0-0. The Kalusian team had two attempts at scoring: by Wêrno Zanti in the 22^nd minute, and Kamôn Bonzon, 16 minutes later. Altaan Narek's attempt was defended by the Kalusian goalkeeper, Ferîx Piamred, in the 57^th minute, and Doruk Aslan received a yellow card for fouling Ropen Tornej. The Kalusian player sustained no major injury.

On the fourth match day, HorusLand won against the Fief of Sir Kunne, which is ranked 267^th internationally. The only goal was scored by Kaoru Hamasaki, right before the game ended. Our fifth game, against Oralana, ranked 308^th, ended in the same way, 1-0, with a goal scored by Altaan Narek, at the beginning of the second half.

And this places us in third place in our group, with 10 points. Above us, we have Kalusia, which is in the same situation, and Taeshan, ranked 11^th, with which we will play our next game. Taeshan has 15 points, with all games won. Our chances at winning are small, but at least we are doing better than last year.

Here are our current group placings.

-  Group 1                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Taeshan                              5    5   0   0     9    1   +8    15
 2 Kalusia                              5    3   1   1     6    3   +3    10
 3 Horusland                            5    3   1   1     5    4   +1    10
 4 Super-Llamaland                      5    3   0   2    11    7   +4     9
 5 Armed Bears                          5    3   0   2    11    8   +3     9
 6 Sargossa                             5    3   0   2     4    3   +1     9
 7 Leorudo                              5    1   2   2     2    4   −2     5
 8 Oralana                              5    1   1   3     5    9   −4     4
 9 The fief of Sir Kunne                5    0   1   4     3    8   −5     1
10 Friday Freshman                      5    0   0   5     1   10   −9     0

Tune in again tomorrow for our next game, against Taeshan!

by **Blouman Empire** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:07 am

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Important Match For Eagles

After securing a close win against Powersmith keeping the Eagles within reach of a top two finish the Eagles will be coming up against second place Falconwhereveryouare in what is sure to determine the chances of the Empire qualifying for the World Cup. A win tomorrow will put the team one point above their opponents and depending on other results will be at least on equal points with second place. A loss for the Eagles will see them five points behind second place making their road more difficult. The Eagles have so far managed to secure three wins from 5 games, however, most weren't due to domination and against Powersmith was considered to be a lucky win. A draw against the Michael VII showed that the Eagles had to fight against tougher opponents while the loss against Polar Islandstates exposed weakness within the Blouman game.

The importance on this match hasn't been lost on the players or coaching staff with team captain Baden Lakes speaking to the media after an open training session stated "We know we haven't performed at our peak so far but we all have what it takes to be able to win the upcoming game. We all want to be able to go Pasarga or Saugeais and compete in the biggest competition in the world." Manager Sir Keith Kolson has also made it clear on his expectations "We have been working on our blind spots, it's a must win game and I have confidence in everyone of my players to do what they have to do to win".

Regardless on the confidence of the players the team will be facing a strong opponent who has so far managed to win four wins from five games and are well on their way to cement their place as a second spot competitor. The Eagles will have the home field advantage playing at the Mellor Insurance Stadium and will be backed up by the support of what is expected to be a sell out crowd.

by **Mapletish** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:21 am

Mapletish got into their fifth match of the campaign with a fine yet unconvincing 2-0 win over Free South Califas, as the Lions have to overcome a determined Califan outfit to seal the win after a sluggish start to proceedings at the San Diego Stadium. One of the bigger stadiums right at the Califan territory. It all came off as a slow affair for the Lions but goals from substitutes, Morison and Remigio sealed the affair for the Lions, with Sapphire earning a clean sheet, the second time in the campaign.

The match proved to be somewhat important for the Lions as they would need a win to restart what could have been of the worst starts to the cycle itself. "We weren't performing well thus far and the win has certainly gave us the courage to come out of the poor start to the campaign." Janette was quoted as saying in the press conference after the match against FSC. She has also made it clear that the Lions won't give up without a fight in the upcoming matches as they look to catch up with the widening gap between them and the top spot which will be mere impossible for the Lions to reach with ASMV going on a five out of five undefeated streak. Currently leading the group with an effective 15 points, the Lions would have to give up on qualifying for the World Cup automatically like they did last cycle and will have to work for the playoffs at the very least.

"We won't want to play a losing campaign and end up in the Cup of Harmony and not perform up to standard." stated captain Junio in the post match conference after the victory against FSC. Whether the confidence or the morale of the squad, the Lions are still deemed as one of the more influential and a better team in the group. Whatever happens, the Lions will have to stay strong and not fall apart in the upcoming matches that follow. The win leaves the Lions seventh in the group, maintaining their worst start to their campaign after being ranked in the top 50.

by **Slembana** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:13 am

Slembanan team update

We have four matches to update you on in this update. Out of those four, we have sadly won only one, drawing the other one, and losing the other two. Typical us.

Our first match in this update was against Lahoa, ranked 293rd in the KPB rankings. We only managed a measly 1-0 victory against the Lahoans, who haven't even submitted their squad. Lahoa dominated the match, and were unlucky to score when their star striker blazed over the bar from 15 yards. However, we managed to score the only goal of the game, when Harry "Komodo" Young drilled past the goalkeeper in the 86th minute.

Our second match we have to update you on in this update was against minnows Arkolon, ranked 339th. Everyone was expecting us to thrash the Arkolonians, but we were given a reality check as we drew 2-2 - a draw so bad that it felt more like a loss. We opened the scoring in the 18th minute, when Val Kylx, our star striker, headed home from a great cross from Oliver Maxwell. However, in the 35th minute, Arkolon's attacking midfielder curled home a great free-kick. Olajide Tamerik restored our lead in the 48th minute with a great half-volley, but Arkolon's star striker drilled home a 22-yard drive in the 89th minute to send their fans bananas.

Our third match in this update was away to footballing powerhouses Vilita, who are ranked 16th in the KPB rankings. Despite Vilita being 60 places higher than us in the KPB rankings, we took an early lead in the 20th minute, when Val Kylx smashed home a great volley from 25 yards. However, Vilita equalised in the 60th minute, with midfielder Steffyn Siazzu curling home from 20 yards. And then, in the 80th minute, striker Kristofer Kilpter headed home from 6 yards to give Vilita a 2-1 win.

Our fourth, and most recent, game in this update was at home to Kinitaria. We were demolished 4-1. Luka Sabčot, Kinitaria's star striker, opened the scoring for his team in the 32nd minute, stroking home a penalty. Two more goals for Sabčot - a header and a tap-in - and a great free-kick from Kristijan Preda - regarded a late Jyvx Dagens consolation goal from us meaningless. We are currently fourth in Group 19, with five games played.

Our next game is against Mashiki. They're ranked 46th - 30 places above us - but, with enough optimism, we could maybe manage to get a shock draw - 1-1 is the predicted scoreline.

by **The Inevitable Syndicate** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:24 am

Cities of the Syndicate: Magnaeus
Magnaeus is the Syndicate's second largest city and a hub of commerce and culture. Magnaeus is located in the dead centre of the country, above the River Sebald. One of the original two kingdoms that made up the Syndicate, Magnaeus has been through turbulent times in the past, but has come out of it better than ever. Magnaeus is the home of science and engineering, with many manufactories and science facilities springing up in the partition of Black Peak, after an initiative in the 50's.

Travel:
Travel around Magnaeus isn't quite as efficient as other cities, due in part to the rocky terrain near the mountain, but buses and trains are all available for getting around. Characterised by their navy blue buses, MagTravel (a subsidiary of the Syndicatian government) operate a robust bus network that spreads to all areas of the city. Cycling initiatives are also available here, and the same rules apply when renting bicycles anywhere in the country. Of course, if all else fails, one can always walk, as there aren't any areas that aren't reachable on foot.

Places of Interest:
The Black Peak (Black Peak Visitors Centre reachable on bus route 37, Mountain walks are free. Train service costs: Adult/Child/Concession Price: ᶑ12.50 ᶑ7.50 ᶑ10)
Black Peak is the famous mountain for which the local area is named after. Standing at 1,209m high, Black Peak is the highest point in the otherwise low lands of the Syndicate. A challenging yet accessible climb, many ramblers choose to go to Black Peak for a day out, and if climbing isn't your thing, the train service to the top of the mountain provides some wonderful views on the way up. Don't forget to sign the guestbook at the visitors centre, that contains over 15,000 named from 43 different countries, including names such as Roger Bunn (aged 7), Andrew Browne, and Tiberius Starblayde!

Mountaincourt Palace (Can be found on City Circle bus route, or reachable by train at Benoit Station. Open 09:00-19:00 Daily [except Sundays] Tours are every 30 minutes. Entry Costs: Adult/Child/Concession: ᶑ10 ᶑ6 ᶑ8)
Mountaincourt Palace was the centre of the Magnaean Monarchy before the Unification War. A hub of activity and scheming, it was here the initial plot to assassinate the Fligsivi Queen was launched. The original war room is still preserved for exploration, and the gates of the palace are still strewn across the room where the Thomas Browne and his peace crew broke down the gates and stormed the castle to put an end to the conflict.

Mike's Comedy Club (42 Hastesby Street, City Centre, Magnaeus, BP1 9BY.)
Mike's is one of the oldest clubs in the Syndicate, and it is here that many famous comedians have been discovered. If you can catch a show, then the delights of Syndicatian humour will be yours to experience. Meals can also be ordered, so if you fancy dinner and a show, then Mike's is the place for you!

Nolaria Shopping Centre (Nolaria Court, City Centre, Magnaeus, BP1 6CT)
The Nolaria Shopping Centre is the biggest area of commerce in the Syndicate, rivalling any of Fligsive's shopping experiences. This six floor high building sports any selection of good you could imagine, as long as you look in the right places. Looking for souvenirs? You can't go wrong shopping here. Also unique to the Nolaria is the indoor water feature, that shows a timelapse of the building being constructed through advanced water projection technology. If you have any money left over at the end of your trip, it might be beneficial to go here!

Magnaeus Broadcasting Centre (Open 10:00-18:00 daily. Entry Costs: Adult/Child/Concession: ᶑ5 ᶑ2 ᶑ3.50)
In an odd PR Move by STV, the government controlled organisation that operates several television streams for the Syndicatian Public, the Magnaeus Broadcasting Centre (which is the main headquarters of the STV organisation) was opened for the public to tour. Inside, you will find old television studios, which still have some of the original sets inside! If you are a fan of Syndicate classics such as “Sailing on the Sebald”, “Professor Dimensions”, or “Jungle Raider: Temples of Peril”, then you can see the sets where some of the greatest episodes were recorded. Also found in the centre are several costumes of famous characters, including every single suit worn by Dr. Leopold, and the one that Andrew Browne, Syndicatian Administrator, wore when he appeared on the show.

Culture – Music:
Syndicatians are big on music, and enjoy a variety of genres. But the most popular one by far is electronic music, which has many aficionados across the country. So much so that a niche radio station – ElectroStatic FM – has sprung up to cater to the fans. It's immensely popular, and you can tune in too by going to their website: http://www.electrostaticfm.co.is.

by **Barunia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:04 am

BaruniainSports.com.bu

No surprises here
By Kitty Smith

We lost. Is any one surprised? It was a very one sided affair, as you might imagine when facing off against the second best team in the world. Andossa se Mitrin Vega completely dominated the game and beat the Suns four goals to nothing. Is this the Suns biggest defeat? It's certainly the biggest margin they've lost by*, although up until now the undisputed biggest defeat was that infamous play-off game when West Angola trounced us 5-2. This will go down in history as a bad but expected defeat, but the game against West Angola will always be known as the day the Suns dreams of a fairy-tale first qualifier came to an inglorious end.

There's little to say about the game, so instead I've decided to fill in the space by writing about the team. I wrote a short bio for each of them.

Mic Willans
An experience international keeper, currently signed to mid-table Goodfeather FC in the New Sideburn league, Mic seems to operate on pure instinct, picking his position and timing rushes with uncanny precision.

Tobias Forrest
He's younger than Willans, but Forrest is considered by many to be just as good. He isn't as aggressive a keeper as Willans, preferring to stay in the goals than rush an oncoming player. The tactic works well for him, as he's rarely caught out of position.

Billy Meyer
Despite Edwardton's remarkable rise to win the Champion's League, Billy is the Eagles' player on the national squad. He is rather flamboyant for a keeper, with a tendency for spectacular looking saves. Isn't afraid to move around the penalty area.

Lucio David
A rookie on the national squad last World Cup, Lucio proved he had what it takes to make it. Last cycle he was put under enormous pressure due to the civil war, as he is a relative of Astella David, the dictatorial leader of the Republican side. Lucio responded by famously declaring himself a socialist in dramatic fashion. Dramatic is probably the best way to describe his football too. He is a tenacious and fierce tackler, and is the Suns player most likely to find himself in trouble with the referee.

Julian Millet
The backbone of the Suns defence, Millet is also the tallest player on the team. He has a commanding presence in the goal square, and his height and heading ability make him a good man to have when facing an opposing free kick or corner.

Pacifique Tsebo
Pacifique's story is remarkable. Born with a degenerative eye condition, he lost his sight at the age of twelve. Brought to Barunia by a charity, he underwent surgery to restore his sight. Having been playing football since before he lost his vision, Tsebo soon found himself selected first for his school team, then for the Orcas U-16 squad. Pacifique is known for his ability to intercept the ball and his precise passing skills.

Andre Lopez
Currently the oldest player on the team, Andre is a stalwart of Barunian football. Despite some controversy over his inclusion last year, he has proved that he is a tough and capable defender. His long career has given him the experience and ability to read opposing players and anticipate their moves.

Tommy Clinton
17 year-old Tommy Clinton only joined the Champion's League this year, having come out of the U-16 league. Signed to powerhouse Porthaven United, Clinton has a remarkable talent for tackling fair. Very rarely will his name appear in the referee's book.

That's all the biography's for now, I'll add more in later articles. The Suns are now in a good position on the table, firmly in second with three points clear of third placed Mantwenic. Our next opponent is Maplitesh, who are down the table in seventh place. They are ranked number 33 in the world, but are the Suns worried? As Mic Willans told me, "Rank means nothing, it's how you play. We've beaten teams ranked in the thirties before, and we can do it again."
Good to see that the Suns are in good spirits despite the heavy loss. I'll be travelling to Maplitesh to cover the game, and reporting as usual here.

*After further study, it has come to my attention that Barunia also lost four-nil to Taeshan in WC64.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:20 am

Group 1
Armed Bears 3–1 Friday Freshman
Leorudo 0–2 Sargossa
Super-Llamaland 1–3 Taeshan
Horusland 1–0 Oralana
Kalusia 2–0 The fief of Sir Kunne

- Group 1 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Taeshan 5 5 0 0 9 1 +8 15
2 Kalusia 5 3 1 1 6 3 +3 10
3 Horusland 5 3 1 1 5 4 +1 10
4 Super-Llamaland 5 3 0 2 11 7 +4 9
5 Armed Bears 5 3 0 2 11 8 +3 9
6 Sargossa 5 3 0 2 4 3 +1 9
7 Leorudo 5 1 2 2 2 4 −2 5
8 Oralana 5 1 1 3 5 9 −4 4
9 The fief of Sir Kunne 5 0 1 4 3 8 −5 1
10 Friday Freshman 5 0 0 5 1 10 −9 0

A quick standings update: Taeshan is very comfortably leading, winning all five games as of far. Kalusia and Horusland are deadlocked at ten points apiece, and Super-Llamaland, Armed Bears, and Sargossa each have nine. This is the area to watch for the Llamas; five nations seperated by a single point. After this, things get loss close: Leorudo with five, Oralana with four, Sir Kunne with a mere point, and Friday Freshman winless and drawless, but with plenty of losses.

On to the game!

Holding Their Own
Trevor Duncan
First Half
It wasn't easy playing an undefeated team. But he figured that all they needed was an early lead. And to cancel out Taeshan's rhythm.
The Llamas had taken advantage of an easy schedule to take second with a loss to Kalusia their only blemish. But here they were...

Oh. Taeshan was getting into a rhythm, passing quickly and outfoxing the Llamanean defenders. Tyson was holding his own at goal with deflections everywhere, but a goal was inevitable. As attacking midfielder, he couldn't do much to help. So he watched helplessly as his team struggled.

Finally, somebody from Taeshan got their foot on the ball solidly and Tyson stretched out in vain. The crowd went berserk. 1-0 Taeshan at the thirty-sixth. Taeshan was now dominant, with 57% Possession, but the Llamas got one in. For once, Trevor had nothing to do with it: just some nice play back and forth by May and Oliver until Chris May swept a pass to Bobby Crosby. 1-1 at the forty-third. As they went into the half.

Things were looking good, but Taeshan was getting better and better. 62% Possession. Now 63, now 64. It was awful, but the tie remained. Then Tyson dove hard for a ball...and went down. 2-1 in the seventy-second. Worse, their starting goalie was injured. Nick DeJesus came in, but they got no more opportunities and Taeshan upped their lead in the eighty-first. 3-1. As they went into the locker room.

A dominating loss by a better team. That was all it was.

LLAMAS: 36% Possession, One goal, Five shots (Four on goal), no cards
TAESHAN: 64% Possession, Three Goals, Ten shots (eight on goal), no cards

STATS UPDATE:
Tyson DeJesus 86% Saves, 42 SOG-Six Goals [injured]
Nick DeJesus 50% Saves, 2 SOG-One goal
Trevor Duncan NINE POINTS (three goals three assists)
Bobby Crosby SIX POINTS (three goals)
Jared Mullin FIVE POINTS (one goal three assists)
Chris May FOUR POINTS (one goal two assists)
Luis Alcanatra THREE POINTS (one goal one assist)
Johnny Rushmore THREE POINTS (one goal one assist)
John Oliver TWO POINTS (goal)
Evan Powell TWO POINTS (goal)
Chris Chapman ONE POINT (assist)

by **Nandezia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:33 am

by Tomas Ubina
Nandezia Draws at Home
Hosting Neu Engollon, Nandezia came up with a 1-1 draw against the Neu Engollonians. After giving up a goal just before halftime, manager Dani Clemente stressed the importance of getting a goal in front of the home fans to his team during halftime. Just after halftime, Mjolnir United forward Jimeno Moles struck and the crowd went wild. The tying goal saw the Nandezians jump for joy, and their play suddenly gained tempo. However, it was not enough to grab a winning goal. In fact, after that goal, they seemed more likely to concede than to score.

Nandezia will now travel to the country of Mr Creeper, in which very little information is known about. After five games, Nandezia have only accrued two points, and rest in 8th place. Mr Creeper have lost four of their five games, drawing the other. They currently are in 9th place in the group. Mr Creeper is also coming of a 0-4 away loss to Homelands our. Vice Captain Felix Alban has stated that this away game against Mr Creeper should be a great oppurtunity to gather points, and attempt to catch up in the table. He said that, "drawing and losing simply aren't options anymore. We need to start winning games."

Nandezia are currently 4 points behind 7th place Neu Engollon, and 10 points behind leaders, The Archregimancy.

The Canaries have stated countless times that this next match will show better results, but the Nandezians at home aren't too sure. When NSN asked Clemente if he would make any changes to his lineup, he stated, "I don't see any reason too. This is the best lineup we have, and I feel they're playing well. We've come up against tough opponents, we've been unlucky, and things just downright haven't been going our way. We're already in the stream, and I don't see any reason to change the horses just yet."

by **Antoletia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:51 am

"Well we won again."

"I saw 1-0 to the Icemark at home. Jeez every game seems to be at home. Gonna have more second half games away which could hurt us."

"Yeah, but we are not doing to overly bad. And Hiarchratez scored again, if he stays hot we might have a chance to actually make it somewhere."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, after all we are shitty team more often then not."

"True, true."

"So how's the group looking?"

"It's a big ole clusterf***."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah we are sixth..."

"Not so hot."

"But only 3 points out of first place though."

"Oh well thats not that bad."

"Yeah, we can still do it. The second half is easier than the first. We can easily make up the points in the second half."

"Yeah, we could."

"Well hope we do good."

"Certainly."

by **Zwangzug** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:58 am

The easiest way for Zwangzug--or indeed anyone else--to beat Starblaydia, thought Sue Fleischmann, would be to strike early and take advantage of their goalkeeper's inexperience. Put a scare into whoever was stuck back there, that was the way, and then just wait for the visitors to beat themselves.

It didn't happen. There was the usual tedious attempt for Starblaydia to ati their draki or some such (if they had wanted to place a long-distance interregional call, thought Sue, they were much better off relying on the telephone service at Wayr Stadium, which most of the time was not too bad). And then they were off, Natrionne flicking a pass back to Calamari for the opening goal before Rodundo made it 2-0. Zwangzug were hardly testing Prinns at all. He looked confident in the back. Why...

She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Halftime passed, and then Zwangzug finally did break though against the bicentennial men, Joan heading in a pass from Davi. But Prinns and the defense weren't shaken. Rodundo would get a corner kick later in the half, and Kylee Constantini deflected it in to make the score 3-1.

So there they were. The anniversary celebrations churned on and...well, Prinns looked much more like a suitably grizzled player than a college senior.

That was it. Sue glanced down at the program. Of course, Prinns was 31, and his backups somewhat more junior, but not unusually so. And yet...

She made her way down to the souvenir stand as the fans trickled out. "Excuse me," she said, "who's in charge of the media guides?"

"The programs?" asked a confused stadium worker. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No. Better than all right, actually, I just...need to speak with whoever's responsible."

"There should be list of editors on the first page or so," he pointed out, "can you give them a call?"

"Yeah. That helps. Thanks." And it wasn't long before, in fact, she'd made contact. "When were these printed?"

"Er...funny you should ask," laughed the editor. "Quite recently. We had them all drafted up, you know, but then we got new information..."

"The goalkeepers' ages."

"Yes."

"So, how'd you get them fixed so quickly?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." There were a lot of things she had to keep track of, after all. Things the average citizen of Zwangzug didn't think about very often. Things the average government of Zwangzug couldn't be bothered with.

They stayed on her good side and she stayed on theirs, more often than not, which was probably for the best.

"There was...this guy," said the editor. "Just showed up the night before deadline, who'd heard about the misprints. He just volunteered to edit everything."

"He knew about the roster? What was he, a Starblaydi fan?"

"Oh, not at all. He didn't seem keen on them--just--glad they'd come up with the roster, for some reason. I don't understand."

Sue exhaled slowly, flipping through the pages of the media guide. "Did he--do anything else?"

"He just said he'd make a few other additions. Fun facts, stuff for the fans to read. You know."

Sue riffled through some more, to a blank page stapled in the middle of the program. "And what the bleep is this supposed to be?"

"Oh that wasn't him, that was all us. It's a scorecard!"

"A scorecard."

"Baseball fans do it!"

"Baseball fans have...discrete plays and individual statistics that you can keep track of in different boxes. What are you supposed to do with a football scorecard?"

"Write down who scored. Try and keep track of the ball."

"Wouldn't that just devolve into little squiggles?"

"It's a work in progress. The guy who came by, you know, said you might as well turn it into a drinking game. Every time someone scores, take a shot. Every time they argue with the ref, take a shot. Every time you wonder how those domestic teams are doing, take a shot."

"I see."

"Do you know what a drinking game is?"

"No. If it has something to do with taking shots, it might be, like a military thing."

"Ew."

Sue nodded and flipped through some more, running across a "Did You Know" section. "World Cup 1 final...Crosshill over Europa Brittania...first penalty shootout in tournament history, the second and third being recorded by..."

"A team named, just, Lemmitania."

"Of course."

"And then he just left. Do you know what this is all about?"

She took the program back in her hand, and thought of the way Prinns had stood tall, the challenge that had come and gone, and the way the copies must have rolled off the printer. How many fans just like her, free to walk into the stadium and free to read the program, like there was nothing to it? "Nothing that concerns you," she said quietly.

And for a moment she was reflective. The next, her phone was ringing. "They. Who? You don't--what? Ragnorak what? What on Earth...??"

by **Taeshan** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:09 am

Taeshan

Super-Llamaland

3

1

Voegael

Richards

Longwaters

Mathewson

Lydie

Palmer

Jaffacake

Jefferson

Fasnacht

Mujica

Pato

May

Juniper

Chapman

Müller

Duncan

Ptolemy

Oliver

Ibrahim

Powell

Wiggin

Crosby

Subs: 50' Kyle Laravy for Brian Ibrahim [TAE], 68' Aaron Conrad for Andrew Müller [TAE], 73' Nick DeJesus for Tyson Richards [SLL], 88' Mark Tlumach for Gwyn Juniper [TAE]

Goals: 36' Brian Ibrahim [TAE], 43' Bobby Crosby [SLL], 72' Kyle Laravy [TAE], 81' Gwyn Juniper [TAE]

In what proved to be altogether more work than it should have been the Purple Knights went to Super-Llamaland and took down the home side 3-1. The real sad thing, as you may have noticed, is that the Knights have lose their cleansheet on the season and have now lost their season cleansheet only 5 games into the season. Considering the past two seasons this is somewhat of a failure, but at the same time the overall nature of qualifying means that shit happens every once in a while.

To be fair all the credit in the first half had to be given to the opponents from the home nation. They fought hard, especially after going down 1-0 from an early goal that Brian Ibrahim masterfully put past a disgruntled goalie. They came back and the Knights lost their cool for a second letting a goal in. But you never want to make the Purple Knights unhappy especially before halftime.

Now many did not know what Henning Tir's halftime coaching would be like in a non winning game, but last afternoon he showed a brilliant display of coaching. That or the players decided upon themselves that they would not be made a mockery by such a small side. And they went out there and proved it. Two second half goals, perhaps the second a little less majestic with the first leading to an injured goalie. Brilliant pieces of offensive work and the Knights won another 3 points, and now this game will mark just another in the long annals of Taeshani history.

by **Sangti** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:33 am

Alwin Villejo, the goalkeeper for Carbonel Nuelma, was on holiday in the Island of Nespa, spending time with his hot girlfriend, during the first matchday of the World Cup Qualifiers, where Sangti lost to Jedi8246. Then he watched TV at his hotel room for Sangti's home match with Saintland. He was shocked to see Williard being carried away on a stretcher.

"I hope he's OK."

Minutes after the goalless draw, the news report show a report on the status of Williard, and the doctors reported that he will miss the rest of the qualifiers. He had a groin injury and he will be replaced by another backup keeper. Alwin was the first choice on the B team recently and has impressed coaches at the matches Sangti B participated in. He was actually going to start playing for the B side at the Leaklan Cup. However, scenes at the Estadio Ferdinand Marcos put him in a situation where he can claim a spot on the senior side.

"I hope I can get that chance."

He told his girlfriend that they will cut their vacation short due to the circumstances. He was expecting a news report regarding the replacement that day, and alas, it came out. The news report says that the FA Sangti will look to one of the keepers of the B side to get the nod.

"I hope that I will be picked."

Then a call came from the secretary of the FA. It tells,

Hello Alwin. Reece Santelices here, the secretary of Jerous Almirante. You can get your ticket of the Sangti-Sondstead match at Baoyam, in the hotel where Jerous Almirante stays, Baoyam Hotel. We need a keeper after we were defeated by the Royal kingdom of Quebec. We have informed your parent club in Nuelma about this and they agreed to let us select you. Hope you will come.

"I hope it's true."

Then he along with his girlfriend flew to Baoyam in the day of the Sangti-Sondstead match. The tickets were for two people in the VIP area. They were lucky. He celebrated after Adrian scored the first goal for Sangti. And while at half-time, Jerous the FA chairman approached him. He told Alwin that he will suit up for the Aquitayne game.

"I hope it's a starting spot."

The next game at Aquitayne, he was sitting at the bench. He wore the number 1 jersey that Williard had before being injured. He watched the entire game as Brian Cua and the Agilang Dilaw pushed Aquitayne to its limits. However, the result was not Alwin was hoping for, a nil-nil draw. Then Jerous Manalo approached him. He will start next game against Narsora.

"I hope we can beat Narsora."

The team flew to Narsora that night, and Alwin is now sleeping with the squad at the airplane as they go to their destination.

---

SPORTS VENUES

ESTADIO FERDINAND MARCOS INFORMATION
Year Built: 1973
Capacity: 40,000
Is Expandable: Yes
Owner: ADS - Associacion Deportes Sangti
Tenants: Sangti National Football Team
First World Cup match: WC65 Qualifiers, against Saintland

Named after the great dictator, and Sangti's former dictatorship status, the stadium was built in 1973. Since at that time until now, league football in the Region Capital is strictly forbidden and the previous dictators ruled that the only teams that can host matches at the Region Capital are the National teams of Sangti. Because of this, the EFM has maintained its cleanliness and orderliness despite its aging stadium itself.

Anyone who tries vandalism or causes disorder at the stadium is immediately arrested and is banned for life from attending any sport event. However recent history shows that this regulation is not much imposed for foreigners at the stadium especially the latter. It was evident at the Riots at the Villa Deportes.

Another feature of the stadium is it is expandable. This year, Sangti is bidding this stadium to host the Series B Champions' Cup final and the Campionato Esportiva di Campiones final. If either bid is accepted, the capacity will be increased to 60,000. However, once the nearby Estadio Olimpico de Sangti (EOS) is completed, the national team will move there. Conferencia club Ramo Central is planning to make it their home if they reach at least the Campeonato and the current government relaxes its policy on stadium occupation in the Region Capital.

In the next edition, it's the Estadio de los Inversores Chinos (Stadium of the Chinese Investors).

by **Sargossa** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:50 pm

SSM | Sargossan State Media
International Edition - Sport

Stuttering Sargossa Find Form

Gonzalo Pereira reports from Leorudo;

There is a rule in the sportiverse that dictates that at some point during any given World Cup qualification campaign Sargossa will drop points to a nation you’ve never heard of and will never hear of again. Mitumba, remember them? How about Mazion? Nope. Nethertopia? Thought not. At least on this occasion we got it out the way early as unheralded Oralana popped up in Soluca and, like a thief in the night, made off with all three points on the opening day of the campaign. This despite being battered for the majority of the match and registering just one shot on target in the whole game. But one was obviously enough.

The problem with dropping points so early on in the campaign, embarrassment factor aside, was that arguably the toughest game of the whole gosh darn thing was just around the corner. Sure enough the Corsairs sailed off to Taeshan and were handed a fairly predictable defeat. The top seeds gaining some measure of revenge after losing the Copa Rushmori final to Sargossa in this very same stadium not so long ago.

Giving everyone else a six point head start is certainly generous but isn’t exactly conducive to a successful campaign, particularly when it leaves you level on points (or lack thereof) with Friday Freshman at altogether the wrong end of the group table. Fortunately coach Iarlaith Mag Aonghusa is an old hand at this international management lark and was unlikely to start panicking just yet. Sure enough the first win did eventually came at the third time of asking, group whipping boys Friday Freshman duly providing a handily useless opponent in what was an early must win match. Three days later the always tricky Armed Bears were vanquished in a tight encounter in the capital as Sargossa doubled their points tally. And last night they trebled it with a comfortable victory in Leorudo, Federico Ferreyra's brace sealing a third victory on the spin.

So that’s three straight wins and three successive clean sheets in a run that’s almost Taeshani in its consistency. Perhaps unsurprisingly as Iarlaith Mag Aonghusa is himself a former national coach of Taeshan. And the run in form has led to a slightly improved picture on the group table as Sargossa have moved off the bottom and into sixth place. Admittedly that’s not hugely impressive for the reigning champions of Rushmore and Group 1’s second seeds but when you consider it’s only a single point off second it starts to sound a little better. But already top spot looks a lost cause as the Purple Knights romp away in the early stages, leaving a five nation battle royal in their wake.

by **Sondstead** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:35 pm

World Cup 65: Tough match ends in Sondsteadish disappointment
Sondstead loses against The Sovan Antithesis 3–2 in Bankstead

24 June 2013

Bankstead — Returning home, Sondstead faced The Sovan Antithesis last night in the World Cup qualifiers hoping to recover after a loss against Sangti, only to face disappointment despite a strong, fast-paced match.

The game kicked off with Sondstead in their typical 4-4-2 diamond formation and lineup against the offence-skewed Sovan Antithesis team, which immediately launched into a series of furious attacks, with the forward "71013" (the names of the Sovan players have not been published) scoring a goal at just 6 minutes in. Their lack of defence however allowed Sondstead to quickly equalize the score, with Jen Weäldrberg doing so at 17 minutes in. The Sondsteadish defence soon adjusted to the lightning speed of the Sovan players and kept every Sovan shot out for the remainder of the first half. Sondstead even managed to pull ahead, with Kalju Rummo scoring a second goal at 39 minutes.

After halftime, Sondstead struggled to keep up with the Sovans, with "43903" and "83303" scoring in quick succession at 57 and 61 minutes, first equalizing and then pulling ahead as the game headed into the final half hour. Despite a valiant defence on the part of the Sondsteadish team which succeeded in blocking nearly a dozen Sovan shots, the pace gave Sondstead no time to both defend and push ahead, and the team was itself unable to score an equalizing goal, although Karl Sude̊rman came heartbreakingly close at 81 minutes, and the game reached full time still at three to two in favour of the Sovans.

Every further team Sondstead will face until the mid-qualifing break day is now ranked well above Sondstead in the KPB tables, starting with 18th ranked in the world Wight tomorrow away.

Comment or read more at www.srrsondsteadworld.org

by **Svengarda** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:37 pm

I stepped onto the bus to a chorus of "who was that"s and "oooooh"s. I ignored it though and just made my way to the back of the bus, with a smug grin on my face, and I took my place next to Emma. She was reading a magazine, and she looked up and appreciated my presence. I took my headphones out of my kit bag, plugged them into my MP3 player, and closed my eyes.

Seconds later, I received a nudge in my ribs from Emma. I opened one eye, and met the gaze of every single person on the bus.

"Tell us who he was" someone chirped from the front of the bus.

There was a general agreement in the bus.

"Fine". I took my headphones off and sat up. "He was some guy from the FA."

"What did he say?"

"Well...I've been invited to the Stormskamer Trial Day, in four days."

There was more frantic whispering, and several waves of "well done"s. Everyone seemed satisfied, and I put my music back on and sunk deep into my seat, dreaming of great futures.

[Sorry for the short RP, I had a longer one which involved the trial day, but my Internet went funny]

by **Punum** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:45 pm

At Last! Punum Win

Yesterday, Punum got their first win of their World Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over Tyrrin. They got out of the blocks well and never looked back.

Bjorn Roy and Jarod Kennard of Tyrrin kicked off and instantly lost the ball to Aaron McGuire, he played to Michael Dean, who was on the right wing, he took on Werner Brent with a great outburst of pace. Dean then played it through to Aaron McGuire who was then one on one with the keeper. On his first touch, using amazingly fast feet tapped it across the goal to Chris Lloyd. He was left with an open goal, and from 12 yards out there was not a chance of him missing. 1-0 in the second minute. Despite the goal, Punum were still hungry for more and in the sixth minute they got a corner from the right. Michael Dean crossed it in to Earl Marquez who was on the far side of the box. With a solid move of the neck he headered it over the crowd of players to Rick Curtis at the near post. He put it in with his head from close range making it 2-0 in 8 minutes. Punum carried on dominating the first half, yet once again a mix of poor finishing and outstanding goal keeping kept the score at 2-0. Punum came close to making it 3 when in the 23rd minute when Malcolm Guzman picked up the ball 25 yards out. He played a lifted ball over Teagan Trask and Valter Hrodland. It landed on the foot of Aaron McGuire, who went for a cheeky chip over the top of goalkeeper Grinnard Lakehard. It hit the bar though and bounced back to Chris Lloyd who skyed the rebound. They went into half time with Punum having a 2 goal advantage. After half time Punum were still on top. They came close again when Lasse Attwater brought down Henry Dean 25 metres out. His brother, Michael, took the following free kick. It was a great free kick aimed for the bottom right hand corner, but a gust of wind moved the ball onto the post. The score remained at 2-0. This was to change though. In the 68th minute, Craig Hoffman received the ball 30 metres out. He saw Michael Dean making a run round Elwood Mayes and gave him the ball. With a quality first touch he took the ball past Valter Hrodland and shot from the edge of the box, over Grinnard Lakehard into the far top left hand corner making it 3-0 after 71 minutes. Punum carried on dominating for the rest of the game but couldn't extend their lead. The game ended 3-0 and Punum had completed their first victory in their fifth game.

Punum's next game is against last placed Lukquarel. They have just suffered at 1-0 defeat to the hands of Consumar in their last game. Zackary Brown has announced the team.

GK: Felix Briggs
RB: Craig Hoffman
CB: Norman Ismael
CB: Rick Curtis
LB: Earl Marquez
CDM: Lenny Dotson
RM: Michael Dean
LM: Henry Dean
CAM: Chris Lloyd
CAM: Malcolm Guzman
ST: Aaron McGuire

Subs

GK: Bill Hanson
RB/LB: Albert Chandler
CB: Clinton Conley
CDM: Matthew Jewell
RM/LM: Neil Long
CAM: Rodrick Dalton
ST: Martin Hood

Lenny Dotson returns from suspension and returns to defensive midfield and Matthew Jewell drops to the bench, meaning that Frederick Newman will watch from the stands.

Lee Mueller

World Cup LXV (65) RP Thread

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