Copa Rushmori XV everything thread

[Alitaba]

A RUSHMORED FLIGHT
Alitaba 1-2 Darmen, Friendly Cup 9. Squad straight to Saugeais for Copa Rushmori

Everybody in the Alitaban nation knows the fact that its strongest team, the Manggugubat, are still in the land of Maklohi Vai, competing for a spot in the semifinals of the Friendly Cup. Actually, that squad there is already depleted - four of them already went to Saugeais to meet-up with the made-up team of professionals, datus, lakans and sultans for the Copa Rushmori. Then a lucky break came. Their match with Darmen was scheduled earlier than thought, so they will make their first match against Sicoutimont - provided they lose. For security purposes, a charter flight that was supposed to contain only the makeshift players and was supposed to fly a short one straight from Alitaba to Saugeais, now had the Altlantan Oceanian land of Maklohi Vai as a far stopover.

When the plane landed on Vaian land, The match between Alitaba and Darmen have just started. Since there was a network that show the game, airline TV's were set up to be able for this team to watch their game. And they were surprised at the first kick of the game.

Donato Dimasuklian, the reserve starter for the Manggugubat have scored after 2 minutes. His shot was deflected off Kevin Santos and went rolling past Brady Summon for a 1-0 scoreline. The match went back and forth, with no one letting their opponents gaining ground. The halftime ended that way, 1-0 to Alitaba.

The team at the airplane were sweating. They should play in the Copa Rushmori if the scoreline remained that way. The beginning of the second half brought hope to the Darmeni and to the makeshift team.

At the 49th minute, George Pele found a way to squeeze his shot on target. The keeper Marcelo Katigbak saved it, put the ball fell kindly to Pele himself. At that point on, Katigbak had no chance whatsoever to block any shot of Pele. 1-1.

The match was tense coming into the 87th minute. No one was letting up. The attackers of Alitaba had it going, carving out chance after chance, with Summon making save after save. Eighty-seventh minute came and Suddenly, Charmaine Hooper found herself alone in the penalty box, and made a fierce shot that whacked the net and beyond Katigbak. The celebration and perplexion in the stadium and the airplane were imminent. The final score - Darmen 2 Alitaba 1.

An hour later, the team arrived in the airport of Maklohi Vai, and was supposed to board the plane. The Vaian authorities mistook the chartered plane as a plane on hostage drama, so there were forces surrounding the plane. After some successful negotiations, they were able to fly to Saugeais for the Copa Rushmori.

They will face Sicoutimont, but the Friendly Cup have brought them a much needed match fitness and experience, so they can take the Les Royales head on.

OOC NOTES: Synch posted with Friendly Cup RP

[Astograth]

The Astograth National Football Team

Style: +1
Wiki Page

Manager - Edorta Urrustoy

Edorta Urrustoy, the first Astograthian footballing superstar, has come full circle. In 3 years, the last of his career, he bloomed at Pazhujebi club Juvapanam, won 50 caps and entrenched himself forever in the nation's collective imagination, his position as a classic defensive midfielder being rendered tribute by a number of Olibondeka's most talented players. Working as a pundit after retirement, a bizarre twist of fate led to him becoming legendary Yaforian manager Shaan Magerin's right-hand man at the Bleak Rock national team, and from there he was offered a job at boyhood club Urbizania Wanderers. The rest is history, as they say, having taken them to become the first Astograthian club to lift the UICA Champions' Club.

Now? Now he's been made Olibondeka's manager after Sir James Handel's sacking, following a third failed World Cup qualifying run in a row - a catastrophe not even the most pessimistic could have predicted following at the onset of World Cup 63. His task? Bring the olive-greens back to the top. For now? Do the best he can at the Copa Rushmori, and to that end he's mixed things around; this side will feature no defensive midfielders and a more forward approach, with two strikers spearheading an attack at opposites to the more back-minded midfield he used at Urbizania Wanderers. With the international retirement and exclusion of several players, he has also brought in a number of young prospects and other uncapped outsiders... a potentially profitable gamble, and who said you can't win anything with kids anyway?

Starting XI:

#1 - GK – Machin Logegaray - Age 30 - Ituraitz FC – 24 caps, 21 goals against, 10 clean sheets
Despite the national team's poor form recently, Logegaray has been steadfast in goal and continues to shine as starting keeper for the most dominant team to ever come out of Astograth - which must surely make him one of the best in the world in his position. He can be well trusted to keep his cool and be a key player for Olibondeka.

#3 - LB - Ekain Ziaurriz - Age 25 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls – Uncapped
Ever so quietly, Ekain Ziaurriz shined at Oyardo FC and won the league with Echegoyan FC, drawing the attention of the rapidly-rising Surtsey. His position was not favoured by Handel, however, and after being repeatedly overlooked is now finally at Olibondeka - and very eager to prove himself, as the latest Astograthian to make headlines in the Divisjon One.

#4 - CB - Yokin Arizmande - Age 29 – Urbizania Wanderers - 98 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. At his peak, his play is exquisite, blending physical presence with speed, tactical awareness and fine technical skills - all of which are pushed to the limit by the demanding Urrustoy, at club and now country level.

#2 - CB - Anartz Agirrebenia - Age 26 - Royal Rumiatzi - 30 caps
Having previously been used to cover as sweeper for Arizmande, Agirrebenia has earned himself a big-money transfer to Royal Rumiatzi and a place on the national team's starting lineup. Having operated at the heart of defense for the ultra-defensive Blue Mountain Range since the youth teams, he has especially bred for this very role and occasion. He has the vision, the calm and the technique to carry out the job - with a proper understanding between him and Arizmande, they could be unstoppable.

#17 - RB - Raitin Eneriz - Age 31 - Echegoyan FC - 63 caps, 3 goals
A fast and versatile right-back at the powerful Echegoyan FC, Raitin Eneriz has endured a long spell being played in awkward positions by Handel; though he isn't Urrustoy's favourite either, he is undeniably the most consistent Astograthian right-back in the First Division. Despite his age he continues 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 at every level of football, few on the team can claim to be more experienced.

#7 - LM - Koldobika Benitzaizin - Age 27 - Echegoyan FC - 28 caps
Spirited and combative, Benitzaizin can run, can do so for a good while, and can dribble his way through tight defenses. Crossing isn't his strong point and has held him back before, but Urrustoy has a more incisive approach planned out for him - having the flanks as a direct goal threat should ensure a formidable three-pronged attack.

#15 - CM – Ikatz Alberro (C) - Age 33 - Ituraitz FC – 110 caps, 11 goals
Alberro has overcome injury troubles to situate himself as one of the all-time great Astograthian players in a position with a long tradition in the nation, guiding Ituraitz FC to unprecedented international glory and earning the Astograthian captain's armband for his trouble after the retirement of Urtzi Galard. 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 Olibondeka's new manager he's no stranger to rough tackles. This will be undoubtedly be his last Copa Rushmori, and he'd like nothing more than winning his second.

#21 - RM - Gaitzka Ogara - Age 21 - Astograth University - Uncapped
Certainly a gamble, but Urrustoy has an eye for young talent and few are prepared to question his judgement. Especially not when it comes to one of the First Division's most exciting young players, Astograth University's unassuming Gaitzka Ogara. Fast and skilled when dribbling and shooting, he doesn't often think things through, but his inclusion is far more about the drive and unpredictability that Urrustoy needs when going forward.

#8 - AM - Eriz Bakaikoa - Age 30 - FC Axel Heiburg – 62 caps, 10 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. He has the weight of a nation on his shoulders and has struggled to live up to expectations; Urrustoy's decreased emphasis on him as the team's fulcrum should allow him greater freedom across the front.

#10 - CF - Ibai Kiriano - Age 22 - Ituraitz FC - 33 caps, 16 goals
One of Handel's few successes, Kiriano has exploded onto the international scene, winning over the hearts and minds of the Astograthian public. Short, barrel-chested and not very smart, but very fast, very skilled in the dribble and extremely deadly. Already a regular on the starting lineup, and more importantly the scoresheet, he is by far the most exciting player on the squad, capable of doing the unexpected and rekindling hope for great things.

#9 - CF - Oskarbi Churin - Age 20 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - 8 caps, 4 goals
After surprising everybody with prolific showings in the second tier, barely aged 17, Churin repeated his act in the First Division with Athletic Club Rumiatzi and the Polarian league came calling. Fast and physical, his greatest assets are his incredible positioning - expertly beating all but the toughest offside traps - and his unflinching drive once he sets his eyes on goal. One to watch out for.

Substitutes:

#13 - GK – Polentzi Gayategi - Age 30 - Urbizania Wanderers – 1 cap, 1 goal against
Overshadowed and overlooked for far too long, Gayategi has been called up to foster some healthy competition, keeping Logegaray on his toes. Having played excellently for many years at smaller sides, and lately Urbizania Wanderers, Urrustoy has a soft spot for him, but knows full well that Gayategi is past the age to be one for the future.

#23 - GK – Zuriko Eliz - Age 24 - Oyardo FC - 2 caps, 2 clean sheets
He isn't a household name by any means, but Zuriko Eliz has carved himself out a little recognition thanks to his performances for the junior national teams and with Ximun Orieta FC, before moving to Oyardo, who continue to surprise in the First Division. With two notable performances in the games he's played, Eliz is one to watch for the future.

#16 - LB – Edur Raizabal - Age 29 – Blue Mountain Range - Uncapped
The no-nonsense left-back of the defensively-renowned BMR, Raizabal is delighted to be in the national team but knows perfectly well he isn't starting material - not at this point in his life at least, with not much to go before retirement looms and Urrustoy's plans for the younger players. He knows just what's expected of him and has the talent and professionalism to see it out.

#6 - CB - Haitz Maistegi - Age 29 - Astograth University - 36 caps
At club level Maistegi has been instrumental at both Astograth University and Royal Arexa, the latter of which he led to the Cygnus Cup semifinals. At national team level, he has successfully made it as a replacement to retired captain Urtzi Galard, and can be relied to keep things neat at the back; highly talented and roughly equal to Agirrebenia, they can be swapped at any given time.

#12 - CB – Etor Yauregialzo - Age 23 – Ituraitz FC - 10 caps
Raised at the defensively renowned Blue Mountain Range, Yauregialzo stood out enough for Ituraitz FC to lay down the money and bring him over to incorporate into their most dominant squad ever. Smart and quick on his feet, qualities valued by the BMR academy, he is reliable and very eager to show himself to the world.

#22 - RB – Kimetz Obonaga - Age 19 - Oyardo FC - Uncapped
The youngest member of the squad, Obonaga is looking to learn from Eneriz and the general experience more than get a lot of playing time, though he is rapidly becoming one of Oyardo's regulars and has a bright future ahead. Smart, quick and a good passer, he could potentially move up to attack down the right flank, though hasn't been employed in that capacity.

#19 - LM - Bingen Mandaka - Age 20 - Athletic Club Rumiatzi - Uncapped
The most unlikely call-up in a squad full of unlikely call-ups, Mandaka has had some good showings with Athletic Club Rumiatzi but still has everything to prove, and is pretty much forced to impress in order to justify his selection to the national team. A good dribbler and crosser, but often more timid and ponderous than he should be, going for the "safe" pass instead of trying something more daring.

#5 - CM – Burutzagi Bidaiyat - Age 27 - Edmonton United – 79 caps, 4 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 usually one for getting stuck in the challenge, though being played by Handel as a holding midfielder forced him to become comfortable in the tackle.

#14 - RM - Marin Mendazona - Age 29 - Sporting Iturributa - 40 caps, 2 goals
Part of the squad that won the Campeonato Rushmori Juvenil Sub-20, Mendazona took his time to make the jump to the senior team despite regular top-class football at Sporting Iturributa. Though tireless, a solid crosser and talented enough at defending, he isn't what Urrustoy is looking for in his wingers and may find himself out of the squad in due time - though he'd be a fool not to take advantage of the chance he's been given.

#20 - AM – Luar Dardan - Age 19 - Directus – 6 caps, 3 goals
Discarded by Edorta Urrustoy's Urbizania Wanderers in an uncharacteristic bout of short-sightedness, Dardan has set the Euran league on fire with his mazing runs, through-balls and eye for goal. Far more offensive-minded than Bakaikoa and currently reaping all manner of awards as well as a big-money transfer to giants Directus; Urrustoy has recognised his mistake and continues to call him up, meaning to ease him in - though three goals in six matches, at only nineteen, make him an extremely hot prospect.

#18 - CF – Aitor Rekalde - Age 20 - Royal Rumiatzi – Uncapped
Strong, tall and with impeccable technique: Rekalde is a striker the way Royal Rumiatzi breeds them. He hasn't seen much action with his club so far, but has impressed at the youth level and doubtless has a role to play for club and country. He has been likened to the legendary Soter Sarlange in playing style and ambitious attitude, though the expectations that would entail are perhaps disproportionate.

#11 - CF – Azubeli Garat - Age 20 - Astograth University – Uncapped
Recently become one of Astograth University's leading forwards, Garat is quick with his feet and his mind, laying off one-touch passes and playing in his teammates exceedingly well. He hasn't done it at the highest level, of course, but his league form has been strong and he could be a valuable asset in assisting the other elements of the squad, even if he doesn't stand out at shooting as others do.


Captain: Ikatz Alberro
Free Kick Taker: Eriz Bakaikoa
Penalty Taker: Ibai Kiriano
Right Corner: Koldobika Benitzaizin
Left Corner: Eriz Bakaikoa

Kits by Barrengeka

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

[Saugeais]

Matchday 1

Saugeais 3–2 Beaverriver
Western Cuba 3–0 Olastor
Polar Islandstates 1–0 Sameba
Sargossa 1–0 Karditan
Mangolana 0–0 Safaari
Sicoutimont 4–0 Alitaba
Eura 3–3 Leintalun
Mapletish 6–2 Aels
Astograth 1–1 Charruterra
Mytannion 1–0 Carasatoga
Pasarga 5–3 Filopines
Taeshan 3–0 Antoletia
Eastfield Lodge 3–1 Kitsunia-Deesse
Darmen 3–0 Falcus
Valladares 0–0 Ark
Dixhuitiles 1–0 Salem Oregon

Rank	Nation	Wins	Draws	Losses	SOV*	SOS**	Points
1	Mapletish	1	0	0	3	0	3
2	Sicoutimont	1	0	0	3	0	3
3	Darmen	1	0	0	3	0	3
4	Taeshan	1	0	0	3	0	3
5	Western Cuba	1	0	0	3	0	3
6	Pasarga	1	0	0	3	0	3
7	Eastfield Lodge	1	0	0	3	0	3
8	Saugeais	1	0	0	3	0	3
9	Dixhuitiles	1	0	0	3	0	3
10	Mytannion	1	0	0	3	0	3
11	Polar Islandstates	1	0	0	3	0	3
12	Sargossa	1	0	0	3	0	3
13	Eura	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
14	Leintalun	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
15	Astograth	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
16	Charruterra	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
17	Ark	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
18	Mangolana	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
19	Safaari	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
20	Valladares	0	1	0	.33333	1	1
21	Beaverriver	0	0	1	0	3	0
22	Carasatoga	0	0	1	0	3	0
23	Karditan	0	0	1	0	3	0
24	Salem Oregon	0	0	1	0	3	0
25	Sameba	0	0	1	0	3	0
26	Filopines	0	0	1	0	3	0
27	Kitsunia-Deesse	0	0	1	0	3	0
28	Antoletia	0	0	1	0	3	0
29	Falcus	0	0	1	0	3	0
30	Olastor	0	0	1	0	3	0
31	Aels	0	0	1	0	3	0
32	Alitaba	0	0	1	0	3	0

• * = Strength of Victories (3 points per win, 1/3 point for a draw)
• ** = Strength of Schedule (total of all opponents' points)

Matchday 2 matches
Mapletish vs. Sargossa
Sicoutimont vs. Polar Islandstates
Darmen vs. Mytannion
Taeshan vs. Dixhuitiles
Western Cuba vs. Saugeais
Pasarga vs. Eastfield Lodge
Eura vs. Valladares
Leintalun vs. Safaari
Astograth vs. Mangolana
Charruterra vs. Ark
Beaverriver vs. Alitaba
Carasatoga vs. Aels
Karditan vs. Olastor
Salem Oregon vs. Falcus
Sameba vs. Antoletia
Filopines vs. Kitsunia-Deesse

[Western cuba]

Voz de la Libertad

Reaching out to the Cuban War Community since 2012

New National Team Impresses in Copa

Written by: Vicente Lizano

The Copa Rushmori always manages to bring out the best of the Western Cuban national soccer team. Whether your midfielder is a professional soccer or a goat farmer, the Cubans always seem to find a way to come out victorious in this tournament. Maybe someday they'll revert this trend to world cup qualifying as well.

While the team has performed well in the Copa Rushmori in years past, not a single soul was likely predicting this team to do well this time around. With a majority of the roster consisting of refugees who had barely played soccer in there lives, people like Edgardo Mendoza, Tito Moreno, and Gabriel Ruiz were to be relied on heavily in the upcoming matches. I'll add Alberto Perez to that list of players for good measure.

And while those four players did literally lift the team to an outstanding victory yesterday, the other players in the starting XI made a far more tremendous impact than I would had predicted them to do so. And for most of them, this impact was left on the positive side of the spectrum. I'm still in disbelief about how well composed this team played against Olastor. Which by no means is a very good team, but its a signifigant victory for Western Cuba anyways.

The defense much to my surprise played incredibly well last night, preventing Olastor from barely getting any shots on goal and largely keeping the ball out of that part of field for most of the game. Normally I would give all the credit to Gabriel Ruiz, who captained the defense with great leadership and ability. But you have to give some credit to Julian Mazon and Bautista Puente. Mazon showed flashes of his former youth making a key save in the 67th minute and staying well composed in the box. Puente a former player at Tumbes FC may had just proved my doubts about him wrong with his performance last night. The national team has long lacked the consistancy of a good centerback to team up with Gabriel Ruiz, with Puente he may had just found the right partner.

The midfield did its job for the good part overall. Supporting the defense on the defense and distributing the ball to the forwards on the offensive, the midfield played a key part in this great game of football. Without a doubt it was Andrei Mostovoi who shone the brightest in the midfield, making key passes to Edgardo Mendoza with one resulting to an assist to his name. And while Alberto Perez seems to be getting on with age, his leadership in the midfield is without a doubt outstanding.

As of the offense, what's ever wrong with this offense? Tito Moreno and Edgardo Mendoza reunited? I think I see angels coming down from heaven playing beautiful music to us. The two most successful players in Western Cuban history both domestically and internationally back together? Need I say more? Well I suppose I will! Let's face it, the odds may already be thin for Western Cuba for this Copa Rushmori. But the possibility of success is very much there with the likes of Moreno and Mendoza. The former Scott City FC man and the Pays de Croix great always make for a great combo up front and it proved well in the first game.

Tito Moreno would start up the goal count in the 17th minute thanks to a through ball pass up the field by Alberto Perez and a fatal mistake by the Olastor centerback, Moreno had an open run on goal and capitalized on it. Driving the ball into the right corner of the net with one of his signature finesse shots.

And after a brief hiatus of goals, Mendoza returned the favor scoring quickly both times in the 62nd and 64th minute. The first was off a brilliant strike on a free kick from 24 yards out. After Santiago Fres was fouled just outside the box, Mendoza lined up to take the direct free kick and showed the world that while he might be getting on with age, his free kicks are just still simply brilliant. Before we knew it the ball was in the back of the net, and the Western Cuban team was around him cheering.

Quickly the latter would come after. Bautista Puente would intercept a key Olastor pass. Dribbling a few yards up to the midfield, he gracefully passed it to Emilio Batiz. Who then quickly played an effective give-and-go with Santiago Fres. With an open lane, Batiz began to dribble down the midfield, passing the ball to Mostovoi who then played a wonderful through ball to Edgardo Mendoza. Who then took on the last defender one-on-one, outplaying him with a cheeky scissors move and then (the most exciting part) "nutmegging" him to have the break-away. Just like Moreno, Mendoza had no problem tallying up the score chart launching a monster shot into the upper right corner of the net. By then the hopes of Olastor coming back were over, this was Western Cuba's game.

As I looked at this game, it was easy to notice how eager Tito Moreno was to impress. For Cubans who don't follow the national team in there respective domestic clubs, Moreno has long been a key component at Pays de Croix, a popular club in Saint Croix, Saugeais. Moreno already had the love and respect of its fans, leading them to a domestic title and winning several gold balls. However even though he was third in the league in scoring, Croix still struggled mightly and subcumbed to relegation to Saugeas's second division. Further winning the respect of Croix fans, Moreno elected to stay in support of his club, throwing away his one last chance to play at an even bigger stage of world football.

Saugeais has been kind to Tito Moreno, and its no doubt that is on his mind throughout this entire Copa Rushmori, where he will play in stadiums all too familar. Perhaps he will even be able to play in Peugueot Road, the home stadium of his beloved Pays de Croix. The odds that will happen are slim, but they are there. And Moreno like the rest of the national team is rooting for the opportunity for this to happen. And if it does, it is no doubt the Western Cuban national team will be treated with great home support by the Croix fans.

But that will have to wait for another game, as Western Cuba takes on you guessed it, Saugeais. The game will be a thrilling and despite the odds being stacked against Western Cuba, Tito Moreno and Edgardo Mendoza will give them a run for there money.

[Aels]

With apologies for the lack of RP to date (I am running something which takes up about all my time at the moment), here's the Aelsh roster, complete with WC65-era kit. Aels will debut its new Kirola kits at the World Cup qualifiers.

Football Commission of Aels

The Football Commission of Aels selection board, comprised of manager Sergyei Arefev, assistant manager Cameron Walsh and FCA chief of player relations Iwan Tudur, is pleased to name a 25-man squad for the 15th Copa Rushmori. The selection team are happy to announce that the 25-strong Cup of Harmony side have all been selected for this tournament.

New coach Arefev formerly managed the Mytannion national team, taking them to three World Cup Finals tournaments and reaching the second round in World Cup 62. He is assisted by Cameron Walsh, five-time Premier League (and one Cygnus Cup)-winning manager with Pentref-ar-y-Bae, while Cian Evans of defending league champions CCPD Penfro is also on the coaching team. The medical staff is led by Matthew Edwards-Parry, chief physio at Doverston.

The selectors have named five internationally-based players in their starting 11, including Elwyn Richard of Iturributa United, likely playing in his only World Cup cycle for Aels due to his increasing age, who has been named captain. The other three are Rhodri Evans, who plays for Spartangrad in Eura, his former teammate Bryn Thomas of Farrenton Athletic, and the Polarian-based Aled Jones (SK Aasiaat Harbour) and Ciarán O'Connor (Jan Mayen Islanders). A notable omission from the side is Aelsh-born Charmunnry captain Alun Jenkins, 33, who has opted to continue his international career with Ancharmunn.

Players with numbers 1–11 are most likely to start each match (though due to injury or suspension, they may not). The team's kits (below) are made by Audioslavian manufacturers Kirola. The 23-man squad, playing in a 4-1-3-2 formation (style mod +2), is as follows:

Goalkeeper

First strip

Change strip


My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers Please do!
Godmod scoring events You have free rein
RP injuries to my players Yes – but I determine severity
Godmod injuries to my players Yes – but keeping the above caveat in mind
Hand out yellow cards to my players Yes
Hand out red cards to my players Yes – but ask me beforehand
Godmod other events Go ahead (within the laws of the game)

#1 James McConnell
Age: 27
Club: Drayfill Town (last season: 4th)
Former clubs: Penfro Irish
Honours: Football League Premier runners-up (Drayfill Town 1100/01), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)

Defenders
#2 Russell Jones
Age: 27
Position: Left back
Club: CCPD Penfro (champions)
Former clubs: Drayfill Town
Honours: Football League Premier champions (Drayfill Town 1098/99, CCPD Penfro 1101/02), Football League Premier runners-up (Drayfill Town 1100/01), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)

#3 Owen Griffiths
Age: 20
Position: Right back, centre half
Club: Pentref-ar-y-Bae (3rd)
Honours: Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52), FCA Trophy runners-up (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1101/02)

#4 Iwan Maddox
Age: 31
Position: Centre half
Club: Pentref-ar-y-Bae (3rd)
Honours: Football Second League champions (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1089/90) Football League Premier runners-up (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1090/91, 1099/00), Football League Premier champions (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1091/92, 1092/93, 1093/94, 1094/95, 1095/96), FCA Trophy winners (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1096/97), Cygnus Cup winners (Pentref-ar-y-Bae CYG19), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52), FCA Trophy runners-up (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1101/02)
Biography: Named captain of the Aelsh Representative XI under Cameron Walsh at the fourth Cuppet tournament, Maddox is Aels' very definition of a one-club man. He came through the youth ranks at Pentref-ar-y-Bae and made his first-team debut at the age of 18 in the 1088/89 season, when Pentref finished fifth in the then-eight-team Second League. Named club captain at the age of 19, he then guided Pentref to their second Second League title in three seasons in 1089/90 and also scored a goal in the 4–1 promotion playoff thrashing of Doverston to seal promotion. He and the club have never looked back as they went on to form Aelsh football's biggest dynasty, winning five straight league titles in the 90s. He is a close confidant and friend of Walsh, who has managed him since the season he was made captain.

#5 Stephen Andrews
Age: 28
Position: Centre half
Club: Hilshore County (5th)
Former clubs: Pontyport Athletic, Plaidstone
Honours: FCA Trophy runners-up (Plaidstone 1096/97), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)

Defensive midfielder
#6 Ciarán O'Connor
Age: 26
Position: Anchorman, centre midfield
Club: Jan Mayen Islanders (Polar Islandstates)
Former clubs: CCPD Penfro
Honours: Football League Premier champions (CCPD Penfro 1096/97, 1100/01), FCA Trophy winners (CCPD Penfro 1097/98), Football League Premier runners-up (CCPD Penfro 1097/98), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)
Biography: O'Connor, the son of Charmunnry parents, could have played for Ancharmunn. Brought up in Penfro, Aels' largest southern city which has a large Charmunnry population, O'Connor played both Gaelic sports and football, but chose the latter when he was spotted at 16 by CCPD Penfro scouts. His performances for the club even saw him called up to the Ancharmunn national team for a Copa Rushmori in the days when Aelsh players played for the Charmunnry team – although he would have qualified through his parents anyway. However, he was not selected for a single match, and faded back into club football until Cameron Walsh handed him a Cuppet call-up for the Aelsh Representative Team. A decent run of form meant that when Sergyei Arefev took over as Aels' first national manager, a call-up to the full side was inevitable. After winning the most recent Football League Premier title with Penfro, Polarian giants Jan Mayen came calling – and there would be no turning them down.

Midfielders
#7 Rhodri Evans (vice-captain)
Age: 29
Position: Centre midfield
Club: Spartangrad (Eura)
Former clubs: Farrenton Athletic (Eura), Doverston
Honours: Football Second League champions (Doverston 1091/92), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)
Biography: Rhodri Evans was a talented youngster who helped Doverston to the Second League title in his debut season before he was snapped up, aged just 19, a year later by Eura's Farrenton Athletic, at the same time Pentref-ar-y-Bae inside forward Bryn Thomas. The two had played together on Aels' Di Bradini Cup team and shared seven seasons at Farrenton, but their careers went in slightly different directions. Thomas struggled to get much press back home, despite scoring at least 15 goals every season for Farrenton, while Evans' quality has been noticed by Euran giants Spartangrad. At the age of 27 he made the move, for eight million Euran pounds, and came third in the league's Midfielder of the Season award. However, at Evans' insistence, Thomas has been given his chance for Aels too.

#8 Aled Jones
Age: 26
Position: Centre midfield, centre attacking midfield
Club: SK Aasiaat Harbour (Polar Islandstates)
Former clubs: Imeall an Uisce
Honours: FCA Trophy runners-up (Imeall an Uisce 1094/95, 1097/98), FCA Trophy winners (Imeall an Uisce 1098/99), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)
Biography: Jones is another up-and-coming Aelshman who's made the move abroad to bigger and better things. Having been relegated to the Second League with Imeall an Uisce, he stuck with the team with whom he went to three finals at the Free Stone Stadium – but much like compatriot O'Connor, when overseas interest was made known, he could not resist and his club chose not to stand in his way.

#9 Marc Powell
Age: 24
Position: Center midfield, right midfield
Club: Dovershore County (9th)
Honours: Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52), FCA Trophy winners (Dovershore County 1100/01, 1101/02)
Biography: Originally a bench player for Aels' Baptism of Fire winning effort, Powell made his mark during the World Cup qualifying campaign after replacing Gethin Evans in the starting lineup and impressing. Further impressive performances helped his club Dovershore County defend their FCA Trophy title despite a ninth-place league finish, which has sealed his place in the starting XI for now.

Forwards
#10 Bryn Thomas
Age: 30
Position: Inside forward
Club: Farrenton Athletic (Eura)
Former clubs: Pentref-ar-y-Bae
Honours: Football League Premier champions (Pentref-ar-y-Bae 1091/92, 1092/93), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)
Biography: Bryn Thomas may not be a well-known name in Aels these days, but for anyone who can remember a decade ago he was 'the next big thing' for Pentref-ar-y-Bae, top-scoring in their title-winning seasons in 1092 and 1093 before Farrenton Athletic snapped him up away to Eura. He's been heard from very little since, despite slotting home at least 15 goals every season he's played in Eura, but has finally gotten his chance thanks to his old friend Rhodri Evans.

#11 Elwyn Richard (captain)
Age: 34
Position: Complete forward
Club: Iturributa United (Iturributa)
Former clubs: Imeall an Uisce
Honours: Iturributan Premier Division champions (Iturributa United 647, 650, 652, 654), President's Cup runners-up (Iturributa United 647, 651, 654), Iturributan Premier Division runners-up (Iturributa United 648, 649, 651, 653, 655), President's Cup winners (Iturributa United 653), Copa de Campeones (Iturributa United CdC16, CdC18), two Emperors' Cups (Iturributa United), Baptism of Fire winners (Aels BoF52)
Personal honours: FIF Young Player of the Season (647), FIF Team of the Season (648, 649, 650, 651, 654), FIF Top Scorer (649, 650, 651, 654), FIF Player of the Season (650, 654)
Biography: What else needs to be said? Aels' biggest football export, and still banging in the goals at his age for Iturributa United. Previously capped by Ancharmunn, and has played in four World Cup cycles (59, 60, 62, 64) as well as five Copa Rushmoris (IX, X, XI, XII, XIII). Top-scorer for Aels at the Baptism of Fire tournament.


Substitutes
#12 Dai Rees, 23, goalkeeper (Doverston)
#13 Ceri Jones, 26, goalkeeper (Dovershore County)
#14 Ian Thomas, 25, left back (Hilshore County)
#15 Owain Howells, 29, centre half (Doverston)
#16 Hugh-James Edwards, 20, right back (Dinas Drefhil)
#17 Geraint Owen, 29, defensive midfielder/anchorman (CCPD Brifddinas)
#18 Will Evans, 24, left midfield/winger (Dinas Drefhil)
#19 Gethin Evans, 25, centre midfield/right/left attacking midfield (Doverston)
#20 Ryan Dougal, 21, centre half/centre midfield (Pentref-ar-y-Bae)
#21 James Morgan, 22, centre forward (Pentref-ar-y-Bae)
#22 Alun Trevor, 26, attacking forward/striker (Drayfill Town)
#23 Rhys Wyn Davies, 24, striker (CCPD Penfro)
#24 John Simpson, 21, forward utility (Doverston)
#25 Eoin Garvagh, 20, defensive utility (Hilshore County)

[Alitaba]

FOOTBALLING LESSON
Out of shape Manggugubat thrashed 4-0 by Les Royales

The Manggugubat of Alitaba were handed a footballing lesson by the Les Royales - a four-nil drubbing from Sicoutimont in Pitape in Saugeais. The lads showed their black with yellow sash kits from Barrengka (they have just arrived in time for the match), since the normal red kits may have a kit clash with the Sicoutian kit. However, the Les Royales showed their experience in their drubbing of Alitaba - 3 goals in the first ten minutes.

Girard Giroux had opened the scoring for the Sicoutians at the very first minute, after Josefino Macasaet made a defensive blunder in his own box. Giroux stole the ball from him, lashed a shot and it even deflected off the legs of a chasing Macasaet. That leg hit swerved the ball off the path to the keeper Katigbak and the ball rolled freely to the back of the net. Upon seeing Macasaet as a defensive liability, this time it was Christopher Savard to exploit that weakness. In the 5th minute, he jinked past Macasaet, and the defender, upon seeing Savard go past him, saw a straight red as he hackled the attacking opponent. A fight almost ensued between the players, and cards would have been produced, but the referee let it go. However, for Macasaet, he will go to an early shower at the locker room.

Savard scored from the penalty spot, dispatching the ball past Katigbak for a 2-0 lead. The sending off forced Tisang to sub Abad Santos out, to be replaced by Beltran Datumanong. it effectively became a no contest after Savard scored again, this time catching a pass off Oscar de Orebale, straight past a surprised keeper - he did not even move! That 3-0 lead forced the hand of Tisang, who replaced Katigbak with Crispin Makisig Dimaano. Tisang had no more subs left as a hobbling Donaldo Hinagpis was replaced by Enrico Dimarahan in just the 31st minute. MRI scans show that Hinagpis is fit for the next match. Five minutes later, Les Royales put the nail in Alitaba's coffin as Savard hit his hattrick, a looper that kept Makisig rooted on the ground, and the ball bounced to the back of the net,

Alitaba had zero shots. Yes, Les Royales' offense was omnipresent and the Manggugubat only had time to defend the ball. It almost became 5-0 when sub Lucas Dandenault hit the post in the 87th minute. Fortunately the match ended at 4-0, and avoided further humiliation. The Alitabans will face Beaverriver, who lost to hosts Saugeais at the Stade Amaechi Olsen in Montbenoit. This match will take place at Santiago Stadium in Gilley.

[Sameba]

Sameba Copa Rushmori Roster

Manager: Elgar Derei (Sameban, 49)
Assistant Manager: Meya Gelton (Sameba, 44)
Style Modifier: +3

Permissions:
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

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

The team:

Shirt number – name – position – age – senior caps – senior goals – club (nation)

1 - Roman Ayebler - GK - 22 - 5 - 0 - Usmer (Eura)
13 - Sol Cairney - GK - 37 - 136 - 0 - Rivet

2 - Dario Ragili - RB - 24 - 11 - 0 - Rivet
6 - Asey Vella - CB - 25 - 24 - 0 - Hornchurch (Eura)
5 - Sebastien Hamilton - CB - 32 - 46 - 0 FC Nyva Zvornik (Mytannion)
3 - Mario Andella - LB - 18 - 0 - 0 - Aspel
21 - Fabio Quella - RWB - 18 - 0 - 0 - Workers Union (Eura)
15 - Fernando Valdez - CB - 34 - 97 - 3 - Hornchurch (Eura)
19 - Levi Andetel - CB - 19 - 2 - 0 - Falourr (Eura)
23 - Marcus Anderson - LCB - 31 - 40 - 1 - Samebus

7 - Pablo Dohi - RW/ST - 21 - 9 - 5 - Holdenberg (Eura)
18 - Gerard Brassle - RM - 26 - 15 - 1 - Aspel
4 - Luis Aldardo - CDM - 22 - 4 - 0 - Ulsa (Eura)
8 - Alan Dabix - CM - 20 - 6 - 0 Holdenberg City (Eura)
10 - Eye Barsa - CAM - 30 - 60 - 17 - Bastion (Eura)
16 - Patrick Hayba - CM - 26 - 14 - 1 - Samebus
11 - Casper Constable - AM - 25 - 20 - 2 - Antiguoko FC (Astograth)
22 - Alan Mohan - LM - 33 - 35 - 0 - Rivet

9 - Julius Carrera - ST - 23 - 14 - 6 - Hornchurch (Eura)
14 - Michael Sarado - ST - 18 - 1 - 1 - Honeybadgers (Eura)
17 - Russell Lachland - LS - 29 - 33 - 8 - Samebus
20 - Erdei Parad - CF - 31 - 10 - 1 - Storfan

Starting Lineup

Formation: 4-1-2-2-1 (GK, RB, RCB, LCB, LB, CDM, RCM, LCM, RW, LW, ST)

1. R Ayebler
2. D Ragili
6. A Vella
5. S Hamilton
3. M Andella
4. L Aldardo
7. P Dohi
8. A Dabix
10. E Barsa
11. C Constable
9. J Carrera

Subs

13. S Cairney
21. F Quella
15. F Valdez
23. M Anderson
18. G Brassle
16. P Hayba
22. A Mohan
14. M Sarado
17. R Lachland

Player Roles

Captain: Sebastien Hamilton
Vice Captain: Eye Barsa
Direct free kicks: Eye Barsa (Either), Julius Carrera (Right)
Indirect free kicks: Luis Aldardo (Right)
Right corner: Eye Barsa (In/Outswinging)
Left corner: Eye Barsa (In/Outswinging)
Penalties: Julius Carrera, Pablo Dohi

Home Kit


Designed by UltraTeam kits.

[Karditan]

"How the hell did you talk me into this?" Carnac was pulling at his hair, watching Alejandro Echeverría cutting past Yong-Hu. "We're risking getting caught just to get our asses handed to us?!"

Silveen tutted and shook his head. "Don't be silly. We're not going to play the defending champions every day. Literally, that's how the Casaran system works. Even if we lose today, we should have a much easier time in the next match." Echeverría made a short pass up to Mariano Estrada.

"I still don't see how you thought this was a good idea! I've exhausted all my relevant connections to make sure the CR doesn't get so much as a passing mention on the major news stations, I have the Prime Ministers' secretaries ready to 'misplace' all international newspapers for the next few weeks, and I still don't think it'll be enough. We never entered the Equestria Cup, why would we enter a regional competition in a region that only cares about soccer?!" Red got in Estrada's way, but the latter just turned and passed it back to Echeverría.

"You know why. We're going to have to bring back a trophy if we want the Karditani populace to give a flying crap about soccer, and I seriously doubt we'll be lifting a World Cup anytime soon. And our Cup of Harmony chances are just as bleak, somehow. If we want to win the favor of the voters, the Copa is our best shot." Echeverría bounded upfield, turning towards the wings.

Carnac threw his hands in the air as Echeverría's cross found Ferreyra's head and the ball snaked past Emanuel. "You know what, I'm burning the bridge, right here. I'm not going down when you lot get caught."

"Oh, don't be like that, Carnac. We've been doing this too long for you to throw in the towel now."

"Sucker threw in the towel. He's off touring Audioslavia or something. Now it's my turn." Carnac stayed just long enough to see the Robber Barons give up possession immediately after the kickoff, then escorted himself out of the stadium.

Silveen buried his hands in his suit pockets and sighed deeply. "...shit."

[Astograth]

Astograth 1 - Charruterra 1
CHARRED!
Plucky Charruterrans Hold Urrustoy's Olibondeka To Scrappy Draw

It what would otherwise be an uneventful afternoon in sleepy Saint Croix, Edorta Urrustoy's brand spanking new Astograth came out onto the pitch roaring but slowly faded, allowing a battered Charruterran opposition to rally and ramp up the pressure, eventually drawing the match and controlling play to see out the rest of the encounter.

All things considered it was a poor showing from Olibondeka, though miles better than under "Sir" James Handel. For the first time in ages, the national team looked to have real attitude, drive and direction, no longer shooting futilely from afar but actively trying to walk it in, which we all agree makes for much more exciting television. In that sense we experienced a true rebirth, by which we mean the ratings were the best since we crashed out of World Cup 62.

Of the match itself? Not much to say. Uneventful, except for that yellow that should've been a red, that obvious handball in the box, that brutal penalty that wasn't given, that penalty that was given, the disgraceful behaviour of the Charruterran fans and a couple of goals. Not by that anybody that matters, anyway. Who even are these kids Urrustoy's taken along? Everybody knows you can't win anything with them.

Which brings everyone's favourite Sentinel to its main point in this article: how have the fluctuations in club football - domestic and international - impacted the development and performance of the Astograthian national team? How could we begin to analyse such a complex, multiple-variable phenomenon in the hopes of streamlining and modernising the fates of Olibondeka?

By infographic, obviously.

Now you'll be wondering, dear readers, what this fancy infographic is supposed to represent, and the answer is simple. Every club that has had one of its players called up to the national team during his spell at that club adds one to their tally - and it's possible for one player to be represented multiple times if he's changed clubs while still getting called up. This includes call-ups to every competition classed as "A-Level" by the FAF, in which caps are assigned - which means every tournament the senior team's been involved in other than the Olympics, which will never count until we've won. And it goes without saying that this only counts domestic clubs...

National Team Players By Club

So what does all of this mean? Well, for starters, the long-held myth that Royal Rumiatzi have been the most prolific at providing players for the national team is thoroughly debunked, soundly beaten by the surprisingly patriotic Ituraitz FC. Carry on, you loveable Reds. Going beyond the Traditional Two, the contribution of Urbizania Wanderers is worth noting, having consistently supplied at least a single player for most of the national team's history - and since rising to the very Top it seems unlikely to stop anytime soon. Astograth University, for their part, are worth pointing out for the relatively short timeframe in which they have operated, only sending players to the national team for roughly half of Olibondeka's historic run. To be fair, however, their numbers are inflated by the second-rate team sent to the third Brevity Challenge Cup, which was concurrent with Copa Rushmori XI.

The Iturributan clubs... let's skip them? Let's skip them.

Look again, Echegoyan FC is now diamonds in a similar position to Astograth University, its ascension to the top of the First Division roughly coinciding with its contributive streak - though its first player on the national team was none other than a young Ubelteso Adin, long before he starred at Raynor City United and became Olibondeka captain. Next, with 8 players, is Ituraitz Victory! A surprise for sure, considering it has been under the weather for the longest time now, but its position on the chart provides us with invaluable scientific data - combined with Ituraitz FC, it can be concluded that Ituraitzi stock is especially gifted for football and should be actively sought out. Someone give us a Mobel Prize.

Blue Mountain Range, with 6, are notoriously resilient, and it is a little-known fact that Astograth's first-ever right-back was Urbizania Wanderers' new manager Atzeden Lusa, back then the 34 year-old captain of BMR. If one tracks their contributions it is clear that many of the national team's best defenders have passed through this Echegoyani outfit, which could indicate they have some affinity for defensive football. This is an adventurous guess, we'll admit.

South Factory are surprisingly high on this list as well, though it was in the early days of the national team, before they succumbed to the second tier and footballing ruin, that they provided most of their players - most notably striker Itzaina Erreka. Who never really lived up to the hype, but it's something. Of the rest, only Oyardo FC have consistently had their players remain at the club while still being called up, mainly because they've only appeared on scene recently. Royal Association likewise held onto their single contribution, the ever-steadfast Bayardo Morriyas, but given his last appearance was at Cup of Harmony 47 one could comfortably call it a one-time thing.

If any of you have anything to point out, dear readers, please do! And be sure to watch out because we'll continue this series, expertly analysing the underlying causes of Astograthian success and misfortune... with infographics. We might even reach some worthwhile conclusions next time.

[Polar Islandstates]

OOC: Apologies for the tardiness - those of you that follow me on social media will know that this is because I have been moving to a new flat. Please note also that for me, this tournament happened immediately after the DBC.

THE FEDERATION OF POLAR ISLANDSTATES ROSTER FOR COPA RUSHMORI XV
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:
Manager: Morten Rasmussen, 57
Record in Charge: P 57, W 45, D 7, L 7, GF 99, GA 31, GD +68, WP 79%
He nearly did it. He so nearly did it. With the Terns stagnating and fresh blood needed, former FC Axel Heiburg boss Morten Rasmussen took over at the helm of the Terns, and after building on solid foundations he did what no other Terns manager has done and reached the World Cup final. What's more, he did so having gone unbeaten in qualifying and in the finals themselves. He came so close, and the Terns were beaten by Wight *spits* and a rather inspired Israel Falcon in the final, coming so close to an entirely unbeaten tournament. Despite making something of a habit out of going unbeaten in qualifiers, Rasmussen and his side nonetheless suffered something of a disappointing Copa Rushmori last time around, crashing out against Mapletish in the second round. With a keen eye for developing young talent and playing attractive football inherited from his time at Axel Heiburg with the excellent Haapa-Mechelin academy backing him up, it is no surprise to see Rasmussen ring the changes for this tournament. Rejuvenating the side that reached the final and preparing the next batch of players to step into the ring is the first and most important task on his checklist, and even though the big news is the omission of the soon to retire Alexsandr van Sorensen, hopes are high that the relatively untested players in the twenty-three can give Rasmussen something to think about when selecting the next World Cup squad.

Assistant Manager: Steffan Pekarik, 45
Steffan Pekarik is a player who knows what it takes to succeed. Holding 141 caps for the Terns and appearing for East Franz Athletic and KagPaz club Urajbina, he later joined Axel Heiburg and was their first ever title lifting captain in his last ever season of professional playing, all under Morten Rasmussen's guidance. He then went straight into the coaching set-up at the Argonauts and was the assistant manager by the time Jorgen Hauge lifted the title three seasons later. Upon Rasmussen's job offer at the Terns, Pekarik was swiftly whisked across as well, and it is thought that the inspirational and dynamic former left-back with the talent for man-management is being trained and prepared for a crack at a big management job himself in the future.

PLAYERS:
#1 - GK - Iulian Kirilaunen - Age 23 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - 18 Caps
Kirilaunen was handed the number one jersey at Surtsey a couple of season's ago, repaying the confidence shown in him by producing some outstanding performances as the Gulls continue to all expectations - a fact towards which Kirilaunen has made an integral contribution. Twenty-three years old is very young for a goalkeeper to appear on the national team as the number one, but over the course of the World Cup, and despite both keepers going unbeaten until the final match, Kirilaunen was able to wrest the first choice slot from Korzhanenko. There's a good reason for this.

#2 - DR - Alexander Hesjedal - Age 26 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 30 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
As one of the key attacking outlets for his club side, Hesjedal was brought in by Rasmussen to replace the attacking options that the retired Zacharias Juul always offered the Terns when it mattered. His performances at the last Copa were not exactly eye-catching for the right reasons, and it was no coincidence that he was dropped to the bench as a result. He's flitted in and out of form in the past, leading to him being dropped for the World Cup squad, but he has the chance to redeem himself with a set of strong performances here with Petersen left out of the squad in favour of youth. Needs to look over his shoulder though - his place in the squad is far from secure.

#3 - DC - Joachim Elden - Age 24 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - 13 Caps, 1 Goal
Thanks to a well established scouting network, FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls are able to discover the greatest hidden gems in other teams' squads. Wasting at RSK Longyearbyen Town as a third choice defensive midfielder, Joachim Elden was plucked away by the Gulls and moved back to the defence, and has produced a string of impressive performances by way of saying thank you. With a strong presence and a keen eye for reading the game and blocking attacks before they've even got going, Elden is a player who will immediately feel at ease with himself in the starting line-up.

#4 - DC - Vladimir Lucic - Age 25 - SK Franz Josef City - 5 Caps
This tall defender isn’t shy when it comes to making a tackle, and his readiness to go to ground and expertly take out both ball and player in a legal way has saved many a goal in the past. He is able to risk the offside trap more than usual thanks mainly to his sheer pace in a straight line, and this will come in useful as he partners Elden. Imperious in the air, and ready to stake a claim for an inclusion in the next World Cup squad.

#5 - DL - Kohev Küngas-Vaga - Age 27 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 101 Caps, 19 Assists, 9 Goals - CAPTAIN
Impressed as the u-21s captain despite going out in the group stages of the DBC under his watch, this defender is well known and trusted by the management team and he now takes the armband in the absence of Alexsandr van Sorensen. Kohev is a combative and battling left-back, though he is a talented centre back and defensive midfielder as well, and this enthusiasm and adaptability is something that Rasmussen 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 later ousted the now internationally-retired SK defender from the starting XI entirely. One of the youngest players to ever move past a hundred caps for his country, he took the final defeat to Wight *spits* particularly hard to take, and he will be working hard to try and lift the trophy. Failing that, inspiring the youngsters around him to better things will do just fine.

#6 -DMC - Eikr Lillehammer - Age 24 - SK Aasiaat Harbour - 19 Caps, 1 Goal
Eikr Lillehammer was never even in contention for an u-21s berth in his youth, and indeed he was let go by the Northbrook Academy without much fanfare and picked up by AFK Hans Island Pioneers. Performances there lead SK Aasiaat Harbour to purchase his services a few seasons ago, and by the end of his first year there he’d very much played his way into being one of the first names on the team sheet. With a battling mentality and a new-found confidence, Eikr is flying, and Rasmussen had an easy decision when it came to deciding who was going to replae Sudesval in the Copa's starting line-up. The one that got away for Northbrook, definitely.

#7 - MC - Jean-Eric Villeneuve - Age 26 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 64 Caps, 24 Assists, 9 Goals
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, and with the help of Rasmussen and Pekarik's encouragement, even the pace and athleticism is starting to improve. Often surprising how young he is, too.

#8 - MC - Jorgen Kirvesniemi - Age 25 - Fontvielle Impact (VLD) - 32 Caps, 4 Assists, 2 Goals
Appearing regularly in the top flight for Rapid Jan Mayen and then later in Divisjon Two, his signing by Red Star Severny was seen another step in the young midfielder's development, and one that has brought him once again to the attentions of first van der Riise, then Rasmussen, and then the Valladar giants of Fontvielle Impact. 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, 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 the time for him to crack on and really make a name for himself.

#9 - ST - Gustaf Kolehmainen - Age 25 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - 21 Caps, 3 Assists, 9 Goals
With a vicious right boot and a desire to succeed, Gustaf Kolehmainen is another player upon whom Surtsey have built their recent success. Has only scored nine for the Terns so far, but has been widely lauded for his performances in which he has utilised his broad range of talents, fitting into whatever formation he is required to do so. He can lead the line, he can support it, he can poach, he can hit screamers, he's strong, he's fast, he's two footed, he's strong in the air; he's the perfect all round striker, and he's solely focused on scoring more for the Terns.

#10 - AMC - Alexis Zeljeznicar - Age 23 - Ituraitz FC (ASG) - 14 Caps, 2 Assists, 2 Goals
After starting out for South Factory courtesy of their Polarian connections, Zeljeznicar was snapped up by global champions Ituraitz FC when South Factory were relegated. Like Bosnjakovic and of similar age, he is also a former striker that has since retreated to a more supporting role, reminiscent of a certain Tern absent this tournament. Pacy, aggressive, a handful in the box for both sets of players, and wickedly talented, if he could only stop basing his lifestyle of Timo Skye's he could be very good indeed, though his critics will continue to argue that he doesn't get enough assists.

#11 - ST - Felix Saarinen - Age 30 - East Franz Athletic - 68 Caps, 5 Assists, 39 Goals - VICE-CAPTAIN
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, and Kvitchenko's international retirement has allowed his team-mate a shot in the starting line-up just as he is hitting his peak condition. A tall and 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. Hard to believe that at thirty years old he is three years older than any other player in this young squad, but his experience will be a good thing on the pitch. Was the outstanding goalscorer for the Terns at the World Cup, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the presence of Kolehmainen up front with him.

#12 - GK - Artemiusz Korzhanenko - Age 27 - SK Franz Josef City - 40 Caps
Known for his strong performances whilst with the u-21s, Korzhanenko is nigh on unbeatable when running out for the ball in the box. He also has a great record in penalty shoot outs, and you never know when that might come in handy. Whilst he has lost the number one jersey to Kirilaunen over the course of the last cycle, Korzhanenko is the consummate professional, and you won't see him causing a fuss from the bench. A great calming presence to have in the locker room, too.

#13 - GK - Alexis Sand - Age 25 - Iturributa United (ITB) - 4 Caps
Just as he was making his breakthrough at Red Star, Alexis Sand was whisked away by former Severny hero and now Iturributa United manager Petter Bielsen to make his name on the Goose Coast. With a decent stretch and a firm punch, he'll do well when defending set pieces in the box, and his reflexes are second to none. There have been some concerns raised over his tendency to stay on his line when a sweeper-keeper approach might be more appropriate, but he is young yet and it is not difficult to see why he has been snapped up by the Iturributan giants.

#14 - AMC - Linus Bosnjakovic - Age 24 - Olympique de Fontvielle (VLD) - 19 Caps, 3 Assists, 3 Goals
Moving back to RSK after a season spent on loan at Solovetsky Monastery re-energised this former striker, and, now he prefers to operate behind the main strikers he has had his services purchased by Olympique de Fontvielle. He can spread the balls around at will, and he brings a one-touch one-two kind of speed and urgency around the box that the Terns aren't normally used to seeing. He'll certainly be a useful tool in Rasmussen's box of tricks, and he hasn't forgotten his striking instincts, either - just watch out for his fizzing shots given the time on the ball. He had an outstanding start to his Terns career at the Copa, with two assists and a goal in five matches, and he'll be disappointed to have lost out to Zeljeznicar for the number ten jersey this tournament. It'll be interesting to see how he brings that reaction onto the pitch.

#15 - DL - Fabian Vaaraniemi - Age 24 - FC1. Bjarnarey Flotilla - 23 Caps, 2 Assists, 1 Goal
A hugely impressive series of performances in Divisjon One has seen this fleet of foot left back from the Flotilla get another chance on the bench for the Terns. Lightning fast and with a hefty amount of momentum given the chance to run, he will be hard to stop late on in games should he come on. Finally got his first goal with another of his trademark stinging free kicks, and when faced with an intensely defensive opponent, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rasmussen move Kungas-Vaga to defensive midfield and have Vaaraniemi on the pitch just to utilise his dead ball skills when near the opposition box.

#16 - DR - Moses Luc Bjerregaard - Age 17 - RSK Longyearbyen Town - Uncapped
At seventeen years of age, Bjerregaard is he youngest player to get a call-up to the Terns squad since Alexsandr van Sorensen, and it's not hard to see why. Lightning fast, fearless, with a wicked control of a dead ball, and the willingness to run at players, Bjerregaard has all the credentials required to be a fine right winger. However, when you add a tough tackle, the ability to read the game, and a keen positional sense into the equation, it's easy to see why Bjerregaard can make such a devastating wing-back. Hence, he is perfect for Rasmussen's formation. His stamina and strength in the air still leave something to be desired, but he's still young, and off the back of breakthrough performances for RSK and a the DBC, it's fair to say that the Twitchers are eager to see what he can offer the Terns.

#17 - DMC - Anders Holzhauser - Age 19 - Issington FC (APX) - Uncapped
The second player in the squad to have come straight from the DBC, Holzhauser is a strong and tough-tackling defensive midfielder that has made quite an impact on the watching Rasmussen. With a commanding presence, he quickly grabs the eye as he marshals the defence behind him, and though he is able to fill in at centre back should he be required to, Holzhauser has the urge and the ability to push forwards in possession of the ball and add a different dimension to the attack in the process. Exciting at Issington FC, and dominating for the Chicks, his Terns chapter is now beginning.

#18 - ST - Vasek Frederiksen - Age 22 - Dinamo Esca (MYT) - Uncapped
Another of the seven uncapped players in this squad, Vasek Frederiksen is enjoying the warm glow of a Mytanar tan these days having moved to Esca from Torshavn. Tall and lanky, he's surprisingly good with his touch for a big man, and his gangly presence often belies his lethality in the box. Has a focused and naturally solitary demeanour that can come across as anti-social and aggressive, but on the pitch this frequently counts as a good thing, and you can bet he is focused now only on scoring for the Terns.

#19 - MC - Anders Ekman - Age 27 - Teva FC (UGO) - 19 Caps, 2 Assists, 1 Goal
Over the course of three or four seasons, Ekman had gone from a rotation option to one of FC Torshavn’s most trusted midfielders, and under Rasmussen’s guidance he received his first ever international call-up. Cynics and sceptics will point out his relative age for someone receiving their first cap, but supporters will point to his stats at club level, and the international stats of another late bloomer to the Terns – Casper Baek. Anders Ekman certainly has it within him to be the kind of midfield general that Baek was. Now playing in the United Gordonopian league, he is an excellent utility squad player - just what you need for tournament football.

#20 - ST - Torsten Wolff - Age 22 - FC Axel Heiburg - Uncapped
Having made a good impression with the u-21s, Wolff is currenly enjoying the plaudits following a fine season with Axel Heiburg partnering Illich-Svitych up front. With an easy-going nature, his partnership with Frederiksen at the DBC had a distinct air of the odd-couple about it, but it nonetheless worked well, and his keen eye for the top corner of the goal from wherever he is in the box has made him a fan favourite. And yes, he's heard all the wolf jokes already.

#21 - MC - Svenbjorn Einarsson - Age 23 - Mâ Âlâmëómë (FFD) - Uncapped
Red Star are making a habit of producing impressive midfielders recently, and their management will be hoping that Einarsson is one that they can build a team around. Strong and acutely accurate with his passing, Einarsson usually operates in a more defensive role for his club. Rasmussen sees his potential as a box-to-box player however, and he is included as a near enough direct replacement for Korvesniemi should the former get injured. Even so, it is likely we will see Einarsson in some capacity before the tournament is over, and his youthful energy and unwillingness to write any chase off as a lost cause could change a game late on.

#22 - DC - Morten Salo - Age 24 - Echegoyan FC (ASG) - Uncapped
Blunt, abrasive, and aggressive; Salo is anything but the life and soul of a party. Not that this matters in central defence, of course, and whilst he will be the first to admit his fondness for hoofing the ball out of danger as soon as possible, this can sometimes be the appropriate response. With a sly elbow here and there, Salo is the master of getting away with slight fouls here and there, and he can often be seen arguing on the pitch with his teammates, opposition strikers, the match officals, and even his own management team. He is a keen team player however, and can always be relied upon to give his all for his team, something his new teammates at Echegoyan no doubt appreciate. You want him with you rather than against you, that's for sure.

#23 - DC - Aapo Nordenberg - Age 23 - FC Torshavn - Uncapped
Nordenberg is the last of the uncapped players to be called up, and is also one of the least talked about. Playing way out in Torshavn, he has found it easy to slip under the radar and avoid the hype. Quiet, considered, and a scholar of the game, his game reading is excellent, meaning he is often able to make a challenge and prevent a dangerous situation before it even materialises. This lack of eye-catching last minute tackles contributes towards his relatively low-key profile, of course, though his call-up is likely to change that now. Tall, strong, and with a fine touch, Nordenberg is one of the ball-playing central defenders that are now becoming the vogue around the leagues.

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. Rasmussen plays 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. Elden, Lucic, and Lillehammer will act as the defensive triangle, and Zeljeznicar, Saarinen, and Koleh-Mainen will counter at the other end as the offensive triangle. Lillehammer and Zeljeznicar'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 Korvesniemi 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 Lillehammer and Zeljeznicar, but the athleticism of Hesjedal 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: Gustaf Kolehmainen/Felix Saarinen/Joachim Elden
Free Kick Taker: Alexis Zeljeznicar/Jean-Eric Villeneuve/Alexander Hesjedal
Corner Taker: Jean-Eric Villeneuve/Kohev Küngas-Vaga/Alexander Hesjedal

Starting line-up

Modification: -1


Record going into Copa Rushmori XV:
Played 389, Won 244, Drawn 72, Lost 73, Scored 762, Conceded 385, Goal Difference +377, Win Percentage 63%
Top Goalscorers:
Timo Skye - 117
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 102
Patrick Ackermann-Finn - 57
Diedrich Kvitchenko - 49
Ellis Elmsvikur - 47
Most Assists:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 107
Luc Demarchelier - 73
Ole van Jendrisen - 68
Niko Lepka - 46
Jorgen Hauge - 34
Most Caps:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 249
Jorgen Hauge - 215
Timo Skye - 168
Zacharias Juul - 166
Torre Urfstadt - 153
Asterisks indicate player in squad

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.

[Taeshan]

"Well that was rather exciting."

"Yes three goals, and the wing play was just beautiful."

"Yes, rather nice forward movement from the backs overlapping the midfield and allowing inward runs."

"Quite good bit of play over all."

"Nice opening goal to. We might not have won by so much if it wasn't for Ender's goal to get the game started."

"Yeah, though it was such a pass by Tyler Icicle. He might just have proven he was being misused on the bench behind Manny Pato."

"Yeah, two assists on the day. He threaded in Kyle Laravy for his goal as well."

"I've never seen a touch like that on the national team. Hell i've never seen him have a touch like that on Mt Ceabring."

"Yeah, the three Thunder starters managed to impress i must say."

"Yeah so did the subs from Giroux. Tyler Pantoum scored a goal on for Skylar Crane, Max Toledo was a rock in defense and Mark Tlumach provided some late speed that ultimately lead to the goal from Pantoum."

"Yeah bright future for the Knights."

"So who did we get drawn against for day two?"

"Dihuitiles. They also won, were in the same set as us. Could be interesting."

"Yeah, but i don't think they are on our level really."

"Probably not but they could surprise."

"Guess we will see."

[Mapletish]

OOC : this week is a hectic week for me in school, will catch up with the Rping at the second half of the week.
Copa Rushmori XV - Team Mapletish

A World Cup qualifying cycle went by followed by an impressive Cup of Harmony run by caretaker manager Sir Moros Alexander. It must have been a tough pill to sallow as the manager that brought Mapletish to the World Cup, Kristin Janette failed to bring the best of her squad in the qualifying cycle. Her departure was largely unexpected but since it was decided by the Sports Congress, there was nothing much that she can do. Sir Moros Alexander got the cue to take over the team on a caretaker basis and he must have brought in some "miracle pills" with him, a quarter-finals exit from the Cup of Harmony. With the men's U23 squad and the women's squad off to Liventia to take part in the Olympics, the "B" Team has been sent to Saugeais for the Copa Rushmori XV. Alexander would be once again at the helm to manage the team in Saugeais. And if Alexander can replicate a third place finish like what Janette did in the previous Copa, he might be able to take the job on a permanent basis. So lets get started, introducing Team Mapletish.

TEAM KIT - Kits proudly sponsored by Vulpine Sportif, Northern Sunrise Islands

Manager

Manager: Sir Moros Alexander, 76
Having had a rather successful Cup of Harmony 57 campaign, with a quarter final exit against Jeruselem, Alexander looks confident and all pumped out to go for the historical 15th Copa Rushmori campaign. A former multi-sport athlete in his schooling days, he was forced to retire prematurely after sustaining a serious knee injury during one of his training sessions in school. Having had difficulty recovering from the permanent loss of being a sportsman, he started to take a keen interest in coaching, being one of the youngest person to complete in the FA Coaching Course and being one of the youngest contracted coach at a tender age of 17. Coaching different teams from various sports, winning championships and honours started to be norm for him.

He later became a Mapletish Sports Federation high ranking official and despite that he continued his coaching career and at the age of 70, he got elected as the President of the Mapletish Sports Federation, becoming one of the most senior members of the Federation and in the Executive Committee. Finishing his five year tenure as the President, he gave up on the re-election and embark on his semi-retirement as he continued to put his attention onto coaching. Notable achievements include three URA Cup of Nations, olden Phoniex's historical treble in his first season breaking Home United's foothold in the league and Heywood City's double two seasons later in the Premier League. He's now responsible for the Mapletish team and with most of notable young players out for the Olympics, international retirement and injuries of several players, he has brought in a number of youth prospects and several other uncapped players to the team, in the midst of trying out new and different player combinations. With Alexander around, who would dare doubt his ability?

Starting XI

#1 - GK - Willy Gotthard - Age 20 - Celtics Rovers
An important part of the Celtics Rovers squad that led the league for the opening periods of the Premier League season, the young keeper has been solid at the back after the retirement of Celtics' veteran Aleksandre Andria. Struggling to fit in Andria's big shoes, with careless mistakes in his starting matches, he has been steadfast in his progress to establish himself as the starting keeper for Celtics. He is one of the few interesting goalkeeping prospects in the country now.

#2 - LB - Damiano Battista - Age 27 - Balmope Betis
Quiet at the back and never featured for the Lions before in his career, his impressive defensive performances with Balmope Betis in Season X caught the eyes of Alexander when he was selecting his players. A late bloomer, he was never favoured in the defensive position back at Betis however with the injury of several key defensive players in the team, he got his chance to prove himself.

#4 - CB - Bob Martijn - Age 23 - Club Atletico
Placed at the heart of a youthful defence back at Club Atletico, playing in the midst of major setbacks in Atletico with several high profile transfers and retirement, Martijn suddenly found himself in the middle of the defence after being a regular benchwarmer, he eventually made the cut for the national team with his no-nonsense defending attitude especially so in marking offensive opposition players.

#3 - CB - Lukas Gudmund - Age 19 - Golden Phoniex
A product of the Golden Phoniex youth academy, Gudmund was loaned to Liga Two side Tampines Rovers for most of his playing career with the Tigers. Gudmund impressed greatly with the Tigers but the team failed to make an impact in Liga Two, finishing at a rather average position in the league. Despite the impressive performances, he was soon put on the bench at Golden Phoniex but proved his worth with the little playing time he was given, he eventually caught Alexander's eye and got a call up for the national team.

#5 - RB - Predrag Boris - Age 32 - Porto
A one club man, Boris played his entire career with Porto and was essential in Porto's push towards the Premier League back in Season nine, and despite the club's average finish in Season Ten, Boris continued to impress for the club despite his age. Undeniably one of the most consistent player in the team, his presence in the defence has helped Porto however he was often overlooked in national team selections often failing to make the final cut. However he can be proud to earn his place with the national team with Alexander.

#6 - LM - Olsef Marko - Age 18 - Moonchester United
Breaking into the national team following an impressive performance with Moonchester United, giving them a well needed push in the Premier League as the team looked to threaten for the top spots consistently throughout the season. A winner of the league's young player of the season, this impressive young man has lots to prove, and has a bright future ahead of him.

#8 - CM - Fabio Chimono - Age 29 - Celtics Rovers
Chimono has overcome injury problems throughout his career and he mount a solid challenge in the starting position back at Celtics, combative and motivated, he was given the match opportunities to find his pre-injuries' form and he made good use of it as he only finished second behind Alero Junio in the running of the Player of the Season Award. Having appeared only five times for the national team before finding himself out of the national team list, Alexander did well to bring him back in the running once more.

#17 - RM - Hugo Gláucio [Captain] - Age 35 - Golden Phoniex
A veteran in the midfield of Golden Phoniex, the midfield mastero has a lot still left in him after providing 26 assists in Season X, having retired from international football many years ago, he came out of international retirement upon hearing Alexander's phone call to have him play in the Copa Rushmori. Playing in a more reserve role than he used to, one of the few more accurate passers of the game will find his way back into the international game in what would be his last international tournament.

#7 - AM - Alberto Valenz - Age 30 - Golden Phoniex
A product of Golden Phoniex's youth academy, Valenz was often criticised for his careless mistakes however he put in rather consistent performances in his career with Golden Phoniex but he failed to make the final cut in the national team selection and was one of the few wasted talents in the game, however this time he is blooded into the team to make full use of his rather impressive attacking work rate.

#10 - CF - Sean Michael - Age 24 - Moonchester United
One of the few youthful players and the most exciting offensive prospects of Mapletish football, scoring 38 goals and tied with Toni Blacks on the scoring charts, Michael became a rather familiar visitor to the score boards after his addition into the squad, a rather smooth transition from the reserve squad to the first team, his adaptability has long been one of his strengths and his addition to the national team would prove important and crucial in Alexander's push for the Copa.

#9 - ST - Silvio Matías - Age 23 - SC Milan
An eye for the goal, Silvio was an important figure in SC Milan's push to the Premier League, taking home the Stars Championships top goalscorer after scoring an impressive 45 goals for the squad in their push for promotion. Having touched the hearts and minds of many of the Milanese supporters, his ball techniques and speed has earned pundits' praises that he would be the next successor of Junio's strong mount hold at the front of the attacking line. Far by one of the more exciting prospects in the squad, his early addition into the national team would give him enough experience to further improve his game in Milan.

Style Modifier: +2
RP Permissions: Yes to all, but no career ending injuries or incidents. TG if there are questions.

[Ark]

"Nil-nil?"
"Yes Ma'am"
"Is that good?"
"Yes, and no Ma'am"
"Clarify ... "
"Well, a scoreless draw in itself is rather unimpressive but to do so against such a stronger team is admirable."
"Hmm ... How did they play? Well? Or did the girls get lucky?"
"A little Ma'am. Kharri Sfadro excelled herself. Only seventeen but highly accomplished. She made some excellent saves and in truth, we have her to thank for not losing."
"I see."
"Sally Ariadne nearly put us in front but the Valladar keeper was also on excellent form."
"A male goalkeeper?"
"Yes Ma'am. Miguel Alonso."
"I don't care what it's name is!"
"Sorry Ma'am."
"So where do we go from here?"
"Well, our next fixture is Charruterra Ma'am."
"And? Will we beat them?"
"I don't know Ma'am."
"Think woman! I don't pay you to tell me what I can easily read in a newspaper!"
"I think we have a chance. Maybe. A small chance."
"Hmm ... You see my dear. I simply don't wish to see the Arka be humiliated in front of all of Rushmore."
"I understand Ma'am."
"Ensure the team are fully prepared. Oh and pass on some of that official bullshit. You know. 'Queen Ursula sends her heartiest congratulations to the team, yaddi-yaddi-ya, love and kisses, whatever. Make something up."
"Yes Ma'am."
"You may go."
"Yes Ma'am."

[Saugeais]

Knights knuckle up on Beaverriver blunder

For some people, it's never fair to say that a team is expected to be defeated handily. However, in a match such as this, it was almost expected that the Saugeains should've taken their opponents to the woodshed. The Knights defeated Beaverriver in their opening match of the Casaran group stage 3-2, but not before familiar questions arose. Questions regarding the stability of the back line, and if they are becoming too error prone under pressure. "I do think it's more of a mental issue," said manager Powell Pieran after the match. "It was my belief that more international playing time would grow their confidence, especially against teams like Beaverriver. I'm starting to have my doubts about playing them, and if they don't show me something extraordinary soon, I may not call them back."

The match started on a high note for the Knights, as tip-top passing down the flanks led to many accurate crosses into the box, however Blake Descoteaux and François Bourgogne weren't as precise in their finishing. That was rectified in the 12th minute, though, when a corner kick from Alphonse Richelieu found the 6'3" Descoteaux, who redirected the ball via his head pass the opposing keeper, who was rooted to his spot seemingly indecisive about where the ball would go. It landed just inside the far post, giving the host nation the 1-0 lead, and the roar of approval from the crowd.

But already the doubts began to creep into the minds of the staff, as Jourdain Plamondon
and Courtney Hedley routinely missed tackles and failed to clear balls out far enough, giving Beaverriver several opportunities in the first half to score, a feat they were able to accomplish just before the half hour mark. Hedley retrieved a shot that was parried from keeper Yancy Wash, but cleared the ball only 30 yards out. It was retrieved by Luke Nigel of Beaverriver, who dribble up to the edge of the penalty box and took a crack. The ball started out towards the center of the net, but then drift up and to the right, away from Wash. Wash attempted a dive at the ball, and managed to get fingertips on it, but the force behind the shot was too powerful, and Beaverriver had tied up the match.

Disaster struck Saugeais again, as in the 40th minute a cross into the box from Beaverriver winger Julio Stager was inadvertantly kicked into the net by Dider Bernard. The own goal gave Beaverriver the lead, and a chorus of boos rained down upon the home team. "I tried to kick it over the crossbar," Bernard said after the match. "But I guess I didn't get under it enough, and it bounced on the underside of the bar and went in. I just wanted to fall into a hole, it was too embarassing."

After halftime, Courtney and Didier were replaced by Jerred Cornett, earning his first cap, and Thibault Renault in an effort to bring a more physical tackling presence, and to create an offside trap by playing further up. "I knew that had the speed to get back in case the ball went over their heads," said Pieran on his changes. While their impact wasn't immediate, the front lines were able to push the game back level in the 51st minute. Repeated shot attempts at the opposing keeper, who kept parrying the ball, led to Alphonse taking advantage of the distracted keeper, finding the rebound and smashing a low line drive into the left side of the net, knotting the game back up.

The counterattacking was working well up to a point, as accuracy of long range shots was a problem. Pieran seemed to be yelling at the players to get into the box more before shooting, but his words weren't being heeded. It was looking more and more like Saugeais would be taking a shock draw out of their first match. But in the 88th minute, Bourgogne took a strong shot inside the box, where Beaverriver defender Levi Elias instinctively threw his arm out to block it, striking the ball with his upper arm. The second after it happened, he immediately covered his face in shame, as the ref procured a yellow card at him and pointed to the penalty spot for a Saugeais kick. François Bourgogne stepped up to take the spot kick, and wasted little time to get it in the net, calmly striking it into the right side of the net, just past the diving keeper to give the Knights the out and out lead, never to let up again.

"It was nerve-racking, and I don't want that to happen again, not in this tournament, and not ever," said Pieran in the press conference. Indeed, it wasn't a pretty match, but Saugeais came out with the victory and the full points, putting them one step closer to the next round. The second match draw will pit the Knights against Western Cuba, a team the home crowd is more familiar with in baseball rather than football, but Pays de Croix fans will be able to recognize and respect Tito Moreno's ability around the ball. While the Cuban striker is aging and the team is selling players left and right, he remained adamant in his resolve to bring Pays de Croix back to the Premier League and win the title once more before he retires. The match between these teams will take place in Bugny at the Old Forest Stadium, a fair drive from the captial, but completely worth it if you want to watch a match between these two teams.

[Salem Oregon]

from a wire report:
Salem Oregon (0-0-1) had to start somewhere, and that start was a 1-0 loss to Dixhuitiles. Justin Lehman and Richard Watson were both stopped on numerous occasions, and a goal by Dixhuitiles in the 32nd minute went unanswered.

Salem Oregon next plays Falcus (0-0-1), who is coming off a 3-0 loss to Darmen.

[Valladares]

Andrés: Hello, hello! This is another broadcast of Around the Rectangle, live from Saugeais where we're covering the fifteenth Copa Rushmori for Radio Valladares and the whole Valladar nation, from Fontvielle to the Westlands. Today we're going to talk about Valladares' début in the competition, a scoreless stalemate against Ark, but not without introducing our dear co-host, Trevor Ramsey!

Trevor: Hello, Valladares! Thank you for the praise, by the way. Ok, now going into matter, the Valladar national football team got an undeserved draw from their first match in this Copa Rushmori, against Ark. Undeserved in my opinion because this was a match in which the guys did everything they could to break the deadlock, however, they found Kharri Sfadro to be on excellent form. She saved her team from the avalanche unleashed by the Valladar team throughout the 90 minutes of the match.

Andrés: As predicted, the Arkans were always on defensive mode and their only meaningful weapon was the counterattack, while the Valladars went out firing in all cylinders in search of a goal which could give them more confidence. The first warning came by courtesy of Frank Rozenthal, who sent his shot off the crossbar in the 7th minute. Then we had Frank Allenby, who opened the Arkan midfield up from the left and fired his shot from 22 metres, just to have it stopped by Sfadro. We were just in the 10th minute and the general feeling was that Les Gones would open the scoreboard soon.

Trevor: What we weren't expecting though, was that this girl Sfadro was on her day yesterday, and that several shots from Rozenthal, Christian Núñez, Allenby, and even headers from defender Luigi Maynard after corner kicks were going to be blocked by the goalie with such ease. The Valladars completely dominated the match during the first half, although Ark could have scored the first goal of the match five minutes before halftime in their first and only shot to the goal defended by Miguel Alonso. The counterattack and eventual shot by Sally defender Sally Ariadne was deflected by the Valencia FC goalie. From there until the final whistle, no more shots from Ark.

Andrés: Dimitri Campbell's side looked just fine in the first half, however, for the final and decisive 45 minutes, anxiety started to pay its toll on those young guns. Rozenthal kept trying to drill Ark's goal, just to find his attempts thwarted again and again by that wall called Kharri Sfadro, same applied to Metropolis Alligators young promise Jonathan Bosetti and Olympique de Fontvielle players Gaëtan Malicki and Pierre Thirriez, both of them being sent to the pitch by Campbell in order to refresh the team, but they were also infected with the anxiety of their teammates. And what about Alonso in this second half? He turned out to be part of the spectators who gathered at New World Stadium to watch the game...

Trevor: Final score: Valladares nil, Ark nil. Ark lucky, Gones disappointed, and both teams sharing the spoils and leaving with a point each.

Andrés: Fortunately for Dimitri Campbell, this team showed several good things which give us some hope for the rest of first round matches in the Copa.

Trevor: In other matches of this opening day, hosts Saugeais narrowly edged past a tricky Beaverriver squad, Mapletish, Pasarga, and Sicoutimont smashed Aels, Filopines, and Alitaba respectively, defending champions Sargossa beat Karditan 1-0, former champions Western Cuba and Polar Islandstates also claimed the full prize in their respective openers against Olastor and Sameba, Falcus were unfortunately thumped 3-0 by Darmen, and Eura and Leintalun exchanged blow after blow in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Andrés: Precisely, Eura will be the next rivals for Les Gones, in a match to be played at Tapandie Stadium in Metalton, a city which is also conveniently near Montbenoit, from where we're broadcasting our programme. Now, after watching this first game by the Valladar team, what are your expectations for this second match?

Trevor: I just hope Campbell can forget for at least 2 hours that he's an Euran. And please, don't go on full offense against them or else we'll get an egregious wrecking.

Andrés: Don't worry, this "full offense" strategy is only reserved to limited and defensive teams such as Ark. Eura has plenty of resources to propose a very different game, and, if there's anyone who knows more about them than us is precisely him.

Trevor: It seems Lee Sharp will be starting on the bench. That way, Sam Needle will be easier to control and neutralize. If Les Gones want to win this one, they must be patient and hit when the opportunity comes.

Andrés: That's true. This will be one of those matches in which focus and concentration will be determining factors to decide a winner.

Trevor: And with this, we finish today's broadcast. Don't forget to tune in tomorrow's programme where we'll be talking about the match against Eura, potentially trash-talking about someone, and more...

Andrés: Bye-bye everyone!

[Eura]

OOC: I'm going to do a type of RP I don't usually do, due to unforeseen circumstances.

On a Euran television channel leading up to the Eura-Valladares game, there is a brief break in the programme for the upcoming sport schedule. The channel then returns to the programme.

Hi there, and welcome back to On the Spot, where tonight we are interviewing former Euran international captain, a national sporting icon from our pre-World Cup era, with 53 goals in 159 caps. It is none other than Graham Hill. Welcome Graham.

Good to see you John.

So Graham, you were there for the Leintalun game. What were your thoughts based on what you saw?

I think the boys were let down a bit by simple mistakes really. Not just the own goal, but we defended poorly for the other two and the midfield, even the forwards, were not supporting the defence enough.

Were there any culprits in particular that you'd pick out?

No, no, I don't think that would be fair. I'd think as individuals they're all solid, they just need to focus a bit more. What's important right now is that they continue to improve their communication, because there were times where they were playing Leintalun off the pitch and times where they looked half asleep. To be fair to them there was no way anyone could have predicted Leintalun would come out of the blocks like that, they're virtual unknowns.

What about the goals we scored?

The first one was a bit fortunate, I think we all know that. But you've got to take your chances and after the deflections Skorji had one, and he put it away well. But Bill's strike was just wonderful, I don't think anyone will deny that, and that Sam Thomas goal was trademark of what you want in a striker; he's a strong lad and he made a nuisance of himself in the box, got in amongst it, used his strength and put it away with a poached finish.

The team in general is looking a bit stronger than it has for a while, don't you think?

I think so, the only thing I worry about is age. Sharp, Needle, Stevenson, Dawson, Kane, even Belgrave, they'll all be gone soon. But we've got youth prospects, Sinclair, King, Gilbert. But none of them are in this squad, which is why I think these guys will be really going for it at this Copa because they know this might be their last chance to win something.

What about Valladares? How tough a challenge do they pose?

Well, they're a very good side obviously, not too different from us either; attacking, free flowing, but vulnerable defensively and inconsistent on the big stage. I don't think they've exactly improved quality wise under Campbell, but their football is more attractive now and Dimitri will know the way through us which we've really got to look out for. It concerns me a bit that Louis Watson, our highest ranking member of staff to have worked with Dimitri, is off with the Olympic team. I'm sure Kelly will be on the phone to him working out Dimitri's weaknesses.

Okay, thanks for that insight there Graham. We'll talk to you again after the match.

[Polar Islandstates]

An awkward fall on a now-twisted ankle. So it was that Aapo Nordenberg made his international debut.

He clapped as he looked around the stadium, waiting for Vladimir to hobble his way painfully off the pitch. Impressive surroundings. Surroundings that were befitting of a moment so steeped in significance as his first full international appearance for the Terns. He shook hands with the limping Vladimir, and ran out onto the pitch.

It felt good. It felt really good.

He felt alive with the greetings the crowd sent to him, verbally. He was instantly filled with a sense of being required to undertake his duty on the pitch, and, like he had done all his career so far, he set about doing it with as little fuss as possible. Slotting in next to Joachim in the defence, he put his mind on the game in front of him, and did his job.

The Terns had a lead to protect. Aapo had a lead to protect. Gustaf had put the team ahead in the eighteenth minute after Alexis had sent him clear, and Aapo was taking the protection of that lead as a personal burden that he had to shoulder. Sameba would come, of course. Once, twice, three times, four, five, six, seven times. And every time, Aapo was there to thwart their advances. Eventually, the Terns would start to regain their shape following Vladimir's departure, but Sameba were able to break, and who was there to stop them in the penalty box with a well timed slide tackle? Aapo.

Because nobody was going to get past him. Not that day. That day marked his first ever senior international appearance. And nobody was going to ruin it for him.

Especially not a Sameban.

[Saugeais]

Matchday 2

Mapletish 4–5 Sargossa
Sicoutimont 1–3 Polar Islandstates
Darmen 3–1 Mytannion
Taeshan 1–0 Dixhuitiles
Western Cuba 4–1 Saugeais
Pasarga 3–4 Eastfield Lodge
Eura 0–0 Valladares
Leintalun 4–2 Safaari
Astograth 1–2 Mangolana
Charruterra 2–1 Ark
Beaverriver 1–0 Alitaba
Carasatoga 0–2 Aels
Karditan 1–0 Olastor
Salem Oregon 1–1 Falcus
Sameba 2–2 Antoletia
Filopines 1–1 Kitsunia-Deesse

Rank	Nation	Wins	Draws	Losses	SOV*	SOS**	Points
1	Sargossa	2	0	0	6	6	6
2	Darmen	2	0	0	6	4	6
3	Taeshan	2	0	0	6	4	6
4	Eastfield Lodge	2	0	0	6	4	6
5	Polar Islandstates	2	0	0	6	4	6
6	Western Cuba	2	0	0	6	3	6
7	Leintalun	1	1	0	3.33333	2	4
8	Charruterra	1	1	0	3.33333	1	4
9	Mangolana	1	1	0	3.33333	1	4
10	Saugeais	1	0	1	3	9	3
11	Pasarga	1	0	1	3	7	3
12	Dixhuitiles	1	0	1	3	7	3
13	Mapletish	1	0	1	3	6	3
14	Sicoutimont	1	0	1	3	6	3
15	Karditan	1	0	1	3	6	3
16	Mytannion	1	0	1	3	6	3
17	Beaverriver	1	0	1	3	3	3
18	Aels	1	0	1	3	3	3
19	Eura	0	2	0	.66667	6	2
20	Valladares	0	2	0	.66667	3	2
21	Astograth	0	1	1	.33333	8	1
22	Safaari	0	1	1	.33333	8	1
23	Sameba	0	1	1	.33333	7	1
24	Kitsunia-Deesse	0	1	1	.33333	7	1
25	Antoletia	0	1	1	.33333	7	1
26	Falcus	0	1	1	.33333	7	1
27	Ark	0	1	1	.33333	6	1
28	Salem Oregon	0	1	1	.33333	4	1
29	Filopines	0	1	1	.33333	4	1
30	Olastor	0	0	2	0	9	0
31	Carasatoga	0	0	2	0	6	0
32	Alitaba	0	0	2	0	6	0

• * = Strength of Victories (total = 3 points per win + 1/3 point for a draw)
• ** = Strength of Schedule (total of all opponents' points)

Matches for Day 3

• To prevent repeat matches, these nation's matches have been switched: Saugeais, Mytannion, Pasarga, Beaverriver, Eura, Valladares, Astograth, Safaari
  (Thanks to Legalese for the correct listing)

Sargossa vs. Western Cuba
Darmen vs. Polar Islandstates
Taeshan vs. Eastfield Lodge
Leintalun vs. Charruterra
Mangolana vs. Aels
Saugeais vs. Mytannion
Pasarga vs. Beaverriver
Dixhuitiles vs. Karditan
Mapletish vs. Sicoutimont
Eura vs. Safarri
Valladares vs. Astograth
Sameba vs. Salem Oregon
Kitsunia-Deesse vs. Ark
Antoletia vs. Falcus
Filopines vs. Alitaba
Olastor vs. Carasatoga

[Sargossa]

SSM | Sargossan State Media
International Edition - Sport


Arçon Thriller


Gonzalo Amaté reports from Arçon;

Is not often that the national side play second fiddle but with Olympic action well and truly underway over in The Heartland Iarlaith Mag Aonghusa’s side are enjoying a certain lack of media and public scrutiny. In fact some estimates of viewer numbers show that more people watched Sargossa’s Olympic squad beat Sicoutimont than the opening Copa game with Karditan.

Which is possibly just as well as the opener was hardly a classic, the reigning champions of Rushmore making hard work of breaking down a Karditan side for whom football is a somewhat clandestine pastime rather than a national sport. But captain Alejandro Echeverría once again showed himself to be a cut above, terrorising the Karditanis almost from the outset and eventually setting up Federico Ferreyra for would turn out to be the game’s only goal. It was a winning start in this Copa defence but hardly a performance to get the Darmenis and Polarians shaking in their football boots.

This year the competition is sporting a fancy new system which has added an element of unpredictability to the first stage. The opening five matches will eventually halve the field from thirty two to sixteen but the fixture list for those five games is somewhat fluid. Sargossa played Karditan, having no clue what kind of opposition they would face on match day two. After that win the names went back into the hat and the Corsairs would be paired with Mapletish, in a repeat of the last tournament’s semi-final.

Whereas the first match was a slightly turgid affair the second game was utterly ridiculous. It was a cracker for the neutrals but both Mag Aonghusa and his opposite number Sir Moros Alexander would have been tearing their hair out, before tearing their respective sides a new one. Two goals apiece from Ferreyra and Rodrigo Defederico looked to have put the Corsairs into an unassailable position and when substitute Gelson Di Santo capitalised on some loose defending to make it 5 – 2 three points were assured. Or so we thought. But this was against a side that had found the back of the net on six occasions during their opening game and sure enough the ‘Tish came roaring back. Silvio Matías and Hugo Gláucio both netted in the space of five minutes to set up a very tense end to the match. Somehow the Sargossan defence just about managed to muster up enough cohesion to see the side through to the end of the game without damage to the goals against column.

So back we went to the big hat of nations from which the balls were once again drawn to set up a matchday three encounter with Western Cuba. Normally such a draw would really raise the pulses, the Corsairs having beaten Western Cuba with relative ease on each of their two previous meetings. But given the level of swagger shown when the Cubans batted aside the hosts in their last match it would seem that their class of CRXV are a much improved vintage.

[Western cuba]

Voz de la Libertad

Reaching out to the Cuban War Community since 2012

Surprising Upset Shows Western Cuba to Have True Potential

Written by: Vicente Lizano

I was very worried that the results of the first game would be a flash in the pan for Western Cuba. Right now is one of those few times where I'm quite thankful that I was wrong. This makeshift national team has brought me so much hope in a rather depressing time where happy things have come seldomly for us. Truthfully what was the last good thing that happened to Western Cuba? Nothing come to mind? There's probably a good reason for that.

Only one thing in this country seems to bring out of the best of us, and that is the lovely world of deportes. (Sports). Now yes the last good thing to happen for us was most likely the Copa Rushmori title and our 2nd World Baseball Classic championship. How long ago was that? Quite a few years. Its hard to believe that's potentially the only good thing that has happened to this country...but sadly it may be true.

But fear not, for this national team has brought new aspiring hope. Yesterday's clobbering of Saugeais was a surprise to all, even the players. one could not hide the surprise in Tito Moreno's face as he walked off the field on the 90th minute, with the scoreboard reading 4-1 in favor of Western Cuba. Much better teams for Western Cuba lead by Tito Moreno have faced Saugeais and lost soundly. And now a team consisting of a goat farmer, taxi driver, and butcher have suddenly taken down Saugeais without really any problems? It may be strange, but hey I'm not complaining. A win is a win, and that win yesterday was beautiful.

Things seemed to be a little scary at the start of the game, with Leonardo Romo losing balance and quickly being beaten by Saugeas's captain, Francois Bourgogne. Seconds later the ball was in the back of the net, with Julian Mazon holding no absolute chance to stop a great shot by the captain.

Tito Moreno however soon proved why he continues to be held with such value by the people of Saugeais, well at least Saint Croix. Minutes later Western Cuba seized the opportunity to equalize, counterattacking, Andrei Mostovoi played the perfect ball to Tito Moreno. Cleverly beating out the defender, Jourdain Plamondon with a quick fake shot, Moreno found an open hole in the defense dribbling through and then striking a perfect ball into the Saugeais net. Yancy Walsh made a valiant effort trying to stop the blazing shot, but it proved to be worthless as Moreno equalized.

Soon Old Forest Stadium, home of Bugny F.C. erupted into a storm of cheers and boos. While few in number, Western Cuban refugees who had managed to attend the game cheered patrioratically for there hero Tito Moreno while the rest of the stands erupted in a loudness of boos. Much of Saugeais was already used to Moreno scoring on them domestically in games, they sure didn't appreciate Moreno giving it to there national team as well.

But Moreno wasn't done yet, towards the end of the first half another opportunity arose which he did not take lightly. On a Western Cuba corner, Edgardo Mendoza played a perfect cross up towards the far end of the Saugeais goal. Outjumping the Saugeais defenders, Moreno managed to play a perfect header which landed gracefully into the right corner of the net. Following the goal, Moreno gracefully jogged back towards the midfield, showing no sign of celebration.

While Moreno showed no sign of emotion with his first two goals, it could cleary be seen that this game was tremendously important to him. Every second on the pitch last night Moreno showed no sign of laziness and poured 110% effort into yesterday's game. And he was resoundly rewarded with a hat trick, as Moreno scored the third goal of the game early in the second half with a solid strike outside the eighteen which flew into the lower left corner of the net out of Yancy Walsh.

The hat trick left quite the mark as Western Cuba was up a surprising 3-1 against Western Cuba. And with the game hitting the final minutes, Goyo Soto played a surprising substitution taking out Edgard Mendoza and putting in Juan Felipe Vivancos a completly unknown Western Cuban, who I rarely even noticed while watching national team practices. All I can say is....well wow.

Edgardo Mendoza had passed the torch to Tito Moreno as the best player in Western Cuba when Mendoza started to show his age. Now with Moreno showing his age and the national team in a crisis mode, many were questioning who would eventually take Mendoza's place. I think that question may had been answered yesterday. While most of us have not heard of Juan Felipe Vivancos, (what am I talking about none of us have), yesterday has changed that.

Coming on in the 87th minute, Western Cuban fans watched eagerly to see what Juan Felipe had in him. And all it took was thirty seconds. Entering play on a Western Cuban throw in, Santino Fres threw the ball into Emilio Batiz. Taking control, Batiz played it to the newly substituted Juan Felipe. Taking a touch on the ball, Juan Felipe quickly rouletted the defender past him and then even more impressingly "nutmegged" the next defender leading to an open hole towards goal.

Finding himself in a one-on-one breakaway with Yancy Walsh, Juan Felipe dribbled forward pressing towards Walsh. As Walsh drew himself out position to rush Juan Felipe, Juan gracefully chipped the ball over Walsh's head high enough that he could not reach it. The Western Cuban fans would soon erupt into great cheers and the ball bounced into the net much to the surprise of everyone. As I stood in the commentator's box, I had foreign journalists eagerly running around me noticing that I was the only Cuban journalist there. All of them asked me quickly, "who is that?". Feeling foolish I responded with a simple, "ni idea".

There is much to still be learned about Juan Felipe Vivancos, but one thing for certain is that this national team is here to compete. And now they face an even bigger challenge against Sargossa, a team that they have never seemed able to beat in the Copa Rushmori. (I assume you can call them Western Cuba's achilles's heel in this tournament).

Sargossa will be tough opponents, but so will these Cubans who I believe to my great satisfaction will continue to surprise us and beat Sargossa tomorrow. A few weaknesses may be there for the Cubans, but with the leadership of Gabriel Ruiz, Andrei Mostovoi, Edgardo Mendoza, and TIto Moreno along with the new found player in Juan Felipe, I think the chance of doing well in this tournament may be great for Western Cuba. Let us hope so.

To end the article, I have decided to include my quote of the day from the press conference's after the game tomorrow. It comes from Tito Moreno and I very much agree with him on his statement and I hope both things happen. I asked him what he wishes to happen for this tournament and he replied with. "Definitely winning the Copa, as a team player that is always my goal to win tournaments. However personally, I would appreciate playing a match at Peugeot Road. The fans there have always been good to me and I would love to play for my country there with the support of Pays de Croix and Western Cuban fans."

[Eura]

OOC warning: Some pretty morbid imagery in this RP. Death camp galore. Don’t read if that sort of thing isn’t good for you.

40 miles from Zaochnyi
Mytannion
Roughly halfway through the civil war

The worst thing about rain is, in the eyes of most, its effects on the body. Obviously you can get wet if you’re in it, but your body temperature can drop rapidly. You’re exposed to illness as your immune system functions at a less than optimum level. Your nose and ears become affected as the weather takes its toll on your senses. But for John, it wasn’t any of these things that were bothering him. It was the low visibility that came with torrential rain. Himself and his colleague, called ‘Goose’ at his own request, were lying prone in a fairly thick treeline, looking out onto a massive clearing ahead of them. They had a lot of equipment to handle; their rifles, packs, ghillie suits (already adorned, of course), a toolbox, camping equipment and most importantly their thermal imaging equipment.

With them to help the load and watch their backs were four members of the MB, who were all more modestly equipped. That said, one of them did have an RPG. His name was Boris and he was very proud of it. ‘I took it from a truck’, he told John for the millionth time while the Euran had come back from his overwatch to grab a packet of crisps. ‘Angry Sameban looks at me, he’s like, “Hey you, what are you doing!” I run away and he tries to shoot me, gun jams! Stupid cocksucker!’
‘Yes Boris, we’re very impressed. Can you just keep concentrating please? I know the weather is shit but I need you to watch this corner of the treeline.

John returned to his little set up, lying down under a stretch of tarpaulin he was using to keep him and Goose dry. He noticed his comrade was using the thermal imaging equipment, looking down the gentle slope at something that was about half a kilometre away. ‘Talk to me, Goose.’
‘The perimeter patrols have got bigger. Used to be six guys, now it’s nine, in a staggered column. Every time they move at least a couple of dudes with shovels seem to be moving between the exterior boundary and those big old ditches behind the stream. You know, the ones we noticed before the rain started.’

What they were looking at, from what they had gathered, was a camp – possibly a combination of a forward operating base and a POW camp. Most of the men there seemed to be Mytanar Army, a combination of general infantry and motorised shock troops in old BMP’s and armoured cars. More worrying was the clear presence of SZGN men; the Premier’s most loyal troops. There was a makeshift helipad too with what looked like two Huey helicopters with machine guns, but from this distance it was impossible to tell if they were usable or not. The camp was huge, yet had a strangely low number of troops present.

It had at least forty temporary accommodation blocks visible, and what appeared to be two workhouses. There was a small physical recreation area and a big assembly area, currently empty other than with a few trucks. Yet although there were many guards, there was no sign of any troops present. Just lots of barbed wire, huts, and the thermal outlines of random people (seemingly unarmed) staggering about. Occasionally they would fall over. Two guards would come and pick them up, and they would not be seen again. Logic dictated this must be an undersupplied POW camp, but John and Goose had other suspicions.

‘Some of the stuff I’m getting shows people who look almost like kids. I’m serious, they’re really short.’
‘Could be child soldiering. They’ve done it before, put the infant in infantry and all that shit.’
‘No, I don’t buy it. Something’s up here.’
‘Hmm. Hold on, give me my binos, I want a look.’ John wiped off some drops on the eyepiece. ‘Bloody weather. Now, let’s have one last look-see…’ As John was looking, Goose momentarily reached back and grabbed the packet of crisps only to notice it was empty. ‘Hold on a minute, you’ve noshed them all you cheeky cun-‘
‘Shut up, wait! On the eastern approach!’

Goose focused in on the camp again to look at what John had pointed out. ‘Huh. Looks like more bad guys have come to join in at summer camp, eh?’ Driving down a country track road towards the camp from the east was a sizeable convoy of eight flatbed lorries, with a BMP at their rear and a jeep at the point and between every other vehicle. They pulled into the assembly area and suddenly stopped. At least a hundred and fifty people were unloaded from the vehicles, and one thing was noticeable about most of them. They were unarmed. Some of them noticeably shorter than the others.

Civilians.

However, the eighty lorry to pull in was separated from the others. Two army officers were clearly having a spirited argument by the truck when an SZGN man approached. You could tell he was SZGN purely from his uniform. He suddenly dragged a man out of the back, throwing him to the floor and gesticulating towards him. After a few moments, the SZGN officer raised a sidearm and fired repeatedly, brutally killing the man on the floor. Two men with automatic rifles then climbed onto the back step of the lorry and opened fire. John and Goose couldn’t see through the tarpaulin covering the back of the truck, but you didn’t have to be a genius to tell what had just happened.

‘What now John?’ As the Mytanar troops began dragging bodies out of the truck, John turned to Goose with a grim look on his face. ‘Looks like we’re going to have to get a closer look.’

-------------------------------

It was dark now and the rain was less intense, but it remained nevertheless. John, Goose and the four MB men had, over the course of two hours, edged their way towards the least watched corner of the camp and now found themselves right at the edge of the stream. ‘Ok Goose, hand out the NVG’s to these guys and cover me. I’m going to take point once we’re through the stream and get us to that outer fence. Stick to the gully and watch for patrols. You’re my eyes Goose.’

After a few minutes they were in position. The MB men had been ordered to photograph whatever they could with specially adjusted cameras, while Goose kept lookout for guards patrolling. John was following the fence line, looking for weaknesses if any attack was to be made on this strange camp in the future. As he slowly moved along, crouched and with his head down, he began to notice that this chain linked fence with barbed wire on the other side was going round the back of several huts. He came to a stop, aghast at what lay before him.

Two dozen men of varying ages were sitting in the rain, with even more in the huts behind them. They were caked in mud and wearing threadbare clothes, number tags printed on wristbands the only means of identifying them. Most of them were clearly quite emaciated, and one was lying in the mud with some sort of white fluid leaving the corner of his mouth. A deflated football lay at the feet of a small boy who was with one of the men, presumably his father. The man was as thin as a twig. He clearly hadn’t eaten properly in months and his office shirt and trousers were now far too big for him, draped over his wiry shoulders like a poncho.

They all stared in bemusement and silent surprise at the camouflaged commando crouched on the other side of the fence. These people clearly realised he was not there to help them. None of them looked excited, or encouraged by the thought, the tantalising dream of liberation. Yet they remained calm, perhaps too tired more than anything to raise the alarm in hope of some sort of reward from the guards. What really broke John was looking to his left to see several women and children gathering, looking even more gaunt than the men. One of the kids, no older than five or six, squeezed through a gap in the barbed wire behind the fence which had been created by the bad weather. He silently stood in front of John, looking deep into his eyes.

There was nothing to say. No words to exchange. John felt guilty because he knew that this small boy would die in this camp. He would never see the outside world, and John could do fuck all about it. He would leave soon, going off to trek about the Mytanar countryside killing people of one group of murderous bastards on behalf of another. And for what? None of it was going to save these people, short of a Euran land invasion. The kid himself was clearly in a poor way. He was grubby and he smelt terrible. Based on his skin colour his kidneys were shot and he didn’t have long left.

John couldn’t leave without giving him something. He didn’t have any food on him, and his canteen was too big to fit through the fence. All he had really was a small knife, and that would only have so much use. Regardless he passed it through a hole in the fence, and gave the boy an instruction in Mytanar. ‘Give that to one of the men. We will return.’ The boy looked back at one of the men, who was shaking his head. ‘Daddy says you won’t.’ There wasn’t really much John could say to believably refute that, so he simply lowered his head and sighed. ‘Goodbye, boy.’ They exchanged looks for a moment, frozen in time and the light rain. The boy’s face was brown and green with dirt and disease, John’s was brown and green with camouflage paint and specks of mud.

Slowly he backed away, crouch walking back to the gully behind before giving the boy a little thumbs up and moving away slowly. Suddenly he was approached by Goose, who was practically running. ‘Goose, what the fuck? Move quietly!’
‘Those MB twats are gone.’
‘What?’
‘I said they’re gone. They got us the evidence, gave it to me, said they were going to fall back to the gully while I went off to find you and now they’re fucking gone. Where the hell have you been?’
‘I…I…’ John couldn’t hold it anymore. He put his hand on Goose’s shoulder and leant to the side, throwing up the contents of his K-ration into the ditch. ‘…fuck.’

‘Look, let’s get out of here. Screw those MB guys.’
‘No, no, we have to find them. They could blow our cover if they’re not caref-‘ John was interrupted by the crackle of gunfire as they both threw themselves to the floor. About a hundred metres along the ditch at the perimeter fence the four MB men had taken up firing positions and lit up a patrol, leaving four dead soldiers outside the fence. Suddenly one of the BMP’s was thundering along towards their position with numerous infantry in tow. ‘Right, they’re fucked.’ The two of them began to retreat back towards the stream.
‘They’re trying to trap the BMP, hit it with the RPG?’
‘Must be. Do they have anything on them that might compromise us?’
‘No, they gave us all the hot shit. I wonder if they saw the graves, and that was what did it.’
‘What graves?’

John’s next step forwards seemingly went into the void. He tumbled into the mud and fell, rolling over and over down a small slope into a massive ditch – one of the strange pits they had seen the edges of from their overwatch position. ‘John! John are you ok! FUCK!’ Goose scrambled down, desperately trying to get down to his comrade. John lifted himself up with his left arm, grabbing his rifled as he dragged himself up to his knees. At this point, to his horror, he realised that the pit was a mass grave. A sea of bodies in various states of decomposition and disrepair lay before him. He began to crawl backwards, moaning in wordless disgust at what he was effectively wading through. Goose was trying to reach him when two Mytanar soldiers suddenly came into view, running past the pit on their way to engage the MB men. They saw the two Euran’s but before they could react Goose had fired off three shots, two into the first one and one into the other. ‘Come on mate, let’s get the fuck out of here!’

By the time they had managed to get to a safe distance, having crawled the best part of three hundred metres to safety, the firefight behind them was now raging. Remarkably the MB men were still going, but were pinned down and hadn’t fired back for nearly five minutes. There was a pop, a thud and then a large explosion followed by a ball of flame as brave old Boris fired his RPG at the BMP which had parked near them. He lowered the launcher and stared upon his victims with a smile, before being cut down by gunfire. A few minutes later the shooting had ceased. ‘That’s them gone then. We have to tell their regional commander to get his men in order, no bloody discipline. We should’ve done it on our own.’
‘Just shut up for a bit Goose. I don’t want to do any more heavy thinking today.’

[Kitsunia-Deesse]

OOC:Italic means a sound effect, something added in radio shows that tend to be more bound to comedy.
Whenever an URL video is linked, it's supposed to explain what the song is based off and not what the ficticious song actually is. It's an easier way to explain what the guest is like.

A little info in this, though. While Kitsunia-Deesse may look like a dictatorship when you look at the data, the country is actually pretty free aside from the religion. So here we have the Wacky Kru, a program that has jumped from radio to radio until eventually landing in COOL FM 99.4, one of the many anglóphone radios in the country, based mostly around the population of Pokemons and Basswulfs but not limited to the Kitsunes that also know English due to their ties to the Unzucneru Association.

Back in the past, they were risqué and have not changed that much until sticking out with their actual radio. They have a cult of followers due to their extremeness but still manage to respect autorities and La Déesse, as usual.

Wacky Kru in the Playhouse
with Felix Montelongo and Olvey Montreal

Felix Montelongo: HELLO, KITSUNIAN EMPIRE! I'm Felix Montelongo, the one that runs this joint, and welcome to Wacky Kru in the Playhouse at COOL FM 99.4, the Breeze! Let's start the cast call, first, from the warm beaches of Rougepont at Óceaniland, Olvey "Torero" Montreal!
Olvey Montreal: That's me, but you... you already knew that. OLE!
FM: And also with us, a Kadabra with a deep voice, deep thoughts and deep drugs... From Tokyoto, Northern Sunrise Islands, Mistah K!
Mistah K: Meh Babbeh, Ki-tsu-nia! Jammin'!
FM: Also, the innocent friend of the group, the one that doesn't know about the bees and the flowers... from Joinville, another Sunrisian, "Pretty Boy" Spark Ellecid!
Spark Ellecid: I have been saying this for two years already, Felix! THAT'S NOT MY NICKNAME!
OM: Shhh, do not yell. It hurts my ears. But you already knew that. OLE!
FM: Tonight with us as well, he's hot... he's spicy and according to Selphie Sorunt, he tastes great-
Selphie Sorunt: HEY!
FM: ...from Chole, at the Ócean Domains, Firey Sanchez!
Firey Sanchez: Wait, is that true?
SS: It ain't! Stop screwing around, Montelongo.
FM: And last but not least, because that's Spark's job-
SE: ...You do know that I can electrify your behinds without difficulty, right?
FM: ...the freezing Glaceon, Selphie Sorunt!
SS: Ahahah, keep it cool, Spark!
FS: Eheh... Anyways, let's get on with the show, right?
FM: Yeah. We would be talking with a guest right now, but Jamie Pitchu, the actor who currently plays the Avenger Pikachu of the PokéMovie series, our guest had to cancel his appearence due to the loss of his mother.
OM: Could that be why you have been acting so weird, Montelongo?
FM: Well, yeah. It's awful to know that such a nice Pikachu like him had to deal with his mother being traded.
OM: Aw... Well, good thing it wasn't... well, y'know. OLE!
FM: I don't know if they actually die, though.
SE: ...That's actually a pretty good question, our elders never taught it to us. This and the whole egg thing.
FS: Yeah, they say you have to go to the PokéFarm and then... things take their own road.
SS: Don't you guys want to talk about something else? Death and Breeding are two kinda creepy things to me... and besides, we have the Copa Rushmori rolling.
FS: Oh, yeah. The whole debacle about how the Duchess of Israçhelle sucks as a coach and all.
SE: I have to be honest about it, even I am a little buggered. It was nice that we got a draw against Filopines, but... the team hasn't been doing that much of a good job.
SS: Yeah, but the first match was way harder than what we expected. Besides, Zirome scoring one goal per match is pretty solid.
OM: But you don't have wins just from having a solid marker of one goal per match, idiot. You just have one goal!
FS: I feel some hate from those words. Say, lost a bet?
OM: ...Yes. And now I have to find a way to invite Amélie Jiggline back.
FS: ...You lost a bet to Spark? Daaaaamn.
SE: How did you knew that I made the bet against him?
SS: I didn't, just expected that it was something that you created, because, well.
SE: Sigh, fell for the bait.
FM: I think the difficult part will be playing against the rough team of Ark, who is also winless and three positions behind us due to Strength of Victories.
MK: Strangth of Viktories? Then y Eura not at top? Eura Stronk!
SE: Nah, they are refering to actual strength in winning matches, something Eura still has to do in this tournament as well.
FM: Well, let's go with Power Trip by Austerodonthis, this is Wacky Kru in the Playhouse at COOL 94 FM, the Breeze.

[Astograth]

Astograth 1 - Mangolana 2
MANGOED!
Rekalde Goal Insufficient Against Mangolana

What happened last night? An embarrassment, to put it mildly, as Olibondeka were bent by a much superior side Mango-gators that adapted well to Urrustoy's tactical innovations and managed to stay in the lead for most of the match - Aitor Rekalde's goal on his national team début, the equaliser, was quickly countered with a knockout blow by the Mangoes. A disappointing display from what was expected to be a much renewed Astograth, but which doesn't look any different from Handel's, other than literally looking entirely different.

Now, we could put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Edorta Urrustoy, or Machin Logegaray, or one of the defenders, or the midfielders for being wimps, or even FAF President Eneko Gandiaga! But that would be entirely predictable, and predictability is not the kind of scientific rigour the readers of The Rumiatzi Sentinel have come to expect from it. No, we strive for something entirely different - for the unpredictable, the deep hidden causes behind failure and success; albeit some of which is undoubtedly down to Urrustoy and Logegaray and that prick Linos down at the printers.

To that end we have continued our brave internment into the realms of scientific precision by offering the following infographic for your consideration, which does not depict naturalised foreigners as it might initially seem - we'll be damned if we ever let a Polarian take up the olive-green, nevermind fifteen. No, this fancy table represents how many players have been called up from clubs in each foreign league during the national team's ruun - and it's possible for one player to be represented multiple times if he's changed clubs or entire leagues while still getting called up. This includes call-ups to every competition classed as "A-Level" by the FAF, in which caps are assigned - which means every tournament the senior team's been involved in other than the Olympics, which will never count until we've won.

National Team Players By Foreign League

There is a very worrying tendency that we have noticed while making this table: as the tallies increase, so do the national team's losses, and the last time we had a fully Astograthian contingent was waaaaay back in our first ever international tournament! A reversal of our fortunes might simply lie in the fact that we have relied for too long on foreign-based players; if you look closely at this Copa Rushmori squad you'll notice that a whopping FIVE of them ply their trade abroad, which is harmful to our domestic game and produces disjointed play at the national team level, as if these people were barely getting to know each other. Unacceptable.

Do you know what else is unacceptable? That the Polarian Divisjon One tops this table. It reflects horribly on our patriotic pride that we must send our footballers to the freezing wastes in order to consider them for Olibondeka... which actually sounds like a really cool trial of manhood, we should try that sometime. Like in that movie, 500 STRONK. Euran cinema is severely under-appreciated. Anyhow, we have found no correlation between amount of "Polarians" in the squad and success, therefore we should recall the lot of them and stop wasting their time.

Kagdazka & Pazhujebu, meanwhile... aaah. Good days, golden days. We did great when we had players there. It is a testament to our short-sightedness as a nation that we no longer send our best players to kick balls over there. Along with Erathore and Cafundéu they were once our greatest providers of talent and we have ruthlessly cast them aside. We have been ungrateful, and should seek them out once more.

Valladares have a tally of 4, though two of those are the traitorous viper Artzeiz Zornoza and another the called-up-but-never-capped Cherran Zarranz. Balendin Uzkudun rounds out the list, but it seems we won't be seeing much of him under Urrustoy. We'd put the VSL up there with the good leagues as far as our fortunes go, if Zornoza hadn't turned out to be double-crossing scum. Eura, with 3, two of which are Luar Dardan, is definitely on the up however; if only their domestic football were as good as their tanks, we'd be all for taking the entire squad there.

Let's not talk about Camwood. Civil Citizenry would be doomed to the halls of the forgotten were it not for once being the home of the blonde titan Munio Baranzano, cornerstone of Powell Pieran's Olibondeka. Attempts to re-establish contact with Eastern Chase have all failed, though it's understandable they wouldn't be interested in any Astograthians after having housed possibly the greatest of them all.

The rest are... forgettable, really. Cotdelapoms only supplied players for a very short run, Krytenia contributed ones already well-known in Astograth, Albundania was a disaster hardly worth mentioning, Aguazul provided Iturri Aginaga in the twilight of his career, Saugeais' Mikelatz Elizalde didn't earn a cap, Swartaz was... yeah; Taeshan's was Eusko Kuruchet, does even his mother remember him? United Gordonopia sent the venerable Itzaina Erreka in his last appearance for the national team, and Valanora was home to revered captain Ubelteso Adin. That last one might actually be worth looking into.

In summary, if we can't keep them all here we should at least try to get our players into Kagdazka and Pazhujebu, Cafundéu, Erathore and maybe Civil Citizenry. Our chances of success, we think, would increase exponentially. Also, Iturributa? >Implying Iturributa is an independent country, as the youth would say.

[Mangolana]

Mangolana Gazzette

Mango's dominate Astograth, head for clash with Aels

The Mangolana National soccer team is off to a good start under new manager Martín Tejera. Following a 0-0 opening day draw with new comer Safaari, Mangolana was paired off against veteran Rushmore nation Astograth who also drew their opening match against Charruterra. To those of you who do not know, the 15th Copa Rushmori brought along a new format with the Casaran System which pairs teams against each other by their previous matches and previous strength of schedule. The system was first used on a major stage at the Baptism of Fire and has now returned here in the 15th Copa Rushmori. Through this, a normal group stage is not held but a draw and matches based on rank from the previous matches are used. Thru this, Mangolana was drawn against old foe, Astograth. This Copa Rushmori also marked the changing of the guard at Goalkeeper with the 34 year old Chris Marte being replaced by the 27 year old Tanner Hall. Their was also a number of roster changes with older veteran players replaced by young stars such as Kieth Slater, Dustin McDonald, and Jordan Montgomery all making their way in the National team. Though only two changes from the World Cup starting XI took place with Hall entering the line-up and Hector Luna making it to starter at left back.

The match however was dominated by Mangolana even with an ugly slip up by the defense just after Halftime. The match opened at the 75% full Peugeot Road with Most of the fans their from Astograth, making the match an essential road match for the Mangolana national team. Mangolana dominated early on with two Brett Mallon shots going off the post and cleared by the defense. The breakthrough for Mangolana would not come though until the 36th Minute. Gregory Nena was able to get into a 1 on 1 position out right with Raitin Eneriz. A great pass from Nena through the legs of Eneriz was recieved by Mallon who was able to beat the charging Machin Logegaray to the ball and bury it into the back of the net. Astograth would answer back though near the start of the second half when Aitor Rekalde on his national team debut scored on a beautiful volley to even the score. The tie did not however last long as Mangolana midfielder Allen Fuller found his brother JD Fuller on a through ball. Fuller streaked in the box where he was able to draw Machin Logegaray from his net. Fuller then sent the ball to Gregory Nena who drove the shot into the open net to give Mangolana a 2-1 lead. Astograth would not mount much of a charge after this and Mangolana was able to cruise to a 2-1 win and a 3rd Matchday meeting with Aels.