World Cup 69 RP Thread

by **The Inevitable Syndicate** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:45 am

The Circle, Fligsive

“Gentlemen, please, there’s nothing to worry about. It was one boat, and it had some Mertians on. So what?” Nathan Flynn, Administrator of Foreign Affairs, was trying to explain to his Corvidae colleagues that the Mertians leaving the nation was a good thing. “They’re gone! Out of our hair! We can move back in!”

“I don’t know how many are left in the northern settlements - and how many of them in the settlements are loyal to Corvidae. For all we know, Ohm could have ordered everyone to leave, and they’ll all be playing happy families in Neo-whatever by now!” Oliver Bellephoron slammed his mug of coffee on the table. “And why are we meeting so early in the morning, anyway? Lex, was there something you wanted to say?”

Lex Crowley thinned his beady eyes further, stood up, and pressed his hands against the table. He spoke. “Gentlemen. I’ve called you here as we, the Syndicate, need to speak about what we’re going to do about Mertagne, and by extension, Rüntenbach. Mertagne has been a pox on our land for a while now, and while I’m pleased at the news that they are leaving, I am concerned that we don’t have the disposable manpower to take the land back. This is why I plan to enlist the help of our friends from Yttribia, as a team-building exercise. Yttribian and Syndicatian troops will be overseeing an operation, which will be yours to conduct, Oliver, that will see us taking back the land the Mertians called their own within a month. Once this is solved, we will then work on the Rüntenbach issue.”

“Very good, Administrator - shall we be moving forces from the Unolian border from this operation?” Asked Bellephoron.

The Supreme Administrator replied. “No. We are to use those located on the Mertian Border. Simply move them up. The Yttribians will probably drop in alongside you without too much hassle.”

“Have you actually contacted Yttribia?” asked Clayton.

“Not yet, but I plan to after this meeting is over. It’s not like Administrator Augustin is going to say no, is it? He’ll be looking for an excuse to tout his army somewhere, proving to our enemies that Yttribia is a force to be reckoned with!”

Lake Bekk, Northern Calania
Frederic Barnes claimed that he was one of the best helicopter pilots the Syndicate had never seen. A master of the shadows in his rotating beast, Barnes was one of few who could maneuver helicopters in such a way that they appeared to dance over the area of operations. It was unfortunate for him, however, that his skills would immediately begin to fail him when he discovered the true extent of the Rüntenbacher-Mertian Co-Operative.

His helicopter had joined a fleet of tens of others, circling hundreds of tiny boats headed for the Bekkside city of Neorudo, Mertagne’s finest and first city in what is to be a new age for the Mertian people. Barnes was taken aback at the size of the operation, as he had only heard of the efforts of the Crispy Pringle, a boat containing Kreigsmachen soldiers and a tightly-packed mess of Mertians, who were attempting to cross the Bekk. He didn’t know that the operation was still going on, and that it was going so.. quickly.

He phoned into the nearest Corvidae communication channel, and asked his superiors what to do in such a situation. He waited, silently mimicking the movements of the enemy helicopters, before a crackly Lex Crowley voice sounded on his radio.

“Did you request orders?” it said. Barnes responded that he did request orders.

“Shoot them out the sky. All of them. I don’t want to see any Rüntenbacher aircraft near my sphere of influence. That is all, pilot.”

Barnes gulped, flipped the cap on the trigger to his missiles, and charged ahead of the group before spinning around and opening fire.

The morning sky was suddenly set ablaze with machine gun fire, as the single Corvidae helicopter battled against the horde of Kriegsmachen birds. The few that survived the ordeal would go on to recount it like watching a vulture tear apart a flock of geese, but not without going down himself. Barnes darted about, taking out machine after machine. At first, the enemy forces were too suprised to react, but the Syndicatian pilot had his wings swiftly clipped after a focused hail of bullets. Barnes, at this point, knew he was done for, and did the only thing he felt was right - try and land the scrap metal he was in to an area that would cause a much chaos as possible.

With tears in his eyes, he attempted to lurch the helicopter left and right, headed for the largest ship of the transport fleet. However, as he reached the water at a breakneck pace, he realised that he wouldn’t be able to make it. He didn’t feel like a failure, however, as he knew his actions would be the ones to spark a war...

The Circle, Fligsive
"So, are you happy with what we've written up?"

"Yes. Show them."

CORVIDAE COMMUNICATIONS
From the Circle, Centre of Operations of the Corvidae Collective

Nations of the multiverse, and everyone that inhabits them,

We of the Corvidae Collective share a united disgust for nations that feel that they are entitled to "help" or "liberate" people of other nations when they cannot see the full version of events. In many scenarios, the liberators are doing a disservice to those in the affected areas, displacing them from their homes or stirring up drama which can be detrimental to their development. We also share a united disdain for nations that don't recognise the sovereignty of all the nations within the Corvidae Collective, including those that have not quite ascended yet. We believe that denying these parties control over their regional, or national, governments, by banning them from operation, is an affront to the democratic process which we all hold dear.

Because of our views, we see some nations as the main operatives in denying Corvidae from achieving it's goals. These nations, and the leaders of them, are attempting to strangle progress, in order to keep a hold on their dying careers and ensure that they retain control in their minor spheres of influence. While negotiations have been attempted to de-escalate the inevitable conflict, it seems that they will not listen to reason and submit themselves to the Collective. It is for these reasons that the Collective, effective immediately, is now at a state of war with the nations of Rüntenbach, San José Guayabal, and the Collective Sunrise Islands. Nationals from these nations are now considered enemies of the state in every Corvidae Nation, and must be deported immediately to prevent possible attacks. Trades between these nations and nations of the Corvidae Collective are immediately cancelled, and any attempts to infiltrate our borders will be seen as an act of aggression, and will be dealt with in kind. Any other nations or sub-national entities who claim to ally themselves with this "Anti-Corvidae Alliance" will also be considered enemies of the state, and will be dealt with in an identical manner to those in the aforementioned nations.

You have made the mistake of throwing obstacles to progress for the last time.

Lex Crowley
Supreme Administrator of The Inevitable Syndicate
Leader of the Corvidae Collective

by **Electrum** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:03 am

OOC: Looks like i'm late to the party, eh?

Electrum Half-Weekly Sports Magazine - Special Obligatory WC preview edition

A Preview of Group 2

The high and mighty Electrum Bolts are just about to start their second outing in the stage of association football. After a less-than-lacklustre performance last time, it is hoped that the newly refreshed team will be able to make some inroads, perhaps gaining a respectable fourth or fifth placing. Ahead of them will be formidable opponents such as Rushmori allies Sargossa, the strangely unpronounceable nation of Farfadillis, the mighty Mangolanans and Timbermuniches. And let’s not forget those dastardly Lymantatians who thrashed us 7-1 last time round! Such a travesty cannot exist any longer. Let’s delve into the group previews, shall we?

Sargossa
Ah. These friendly Rushmoris know whats up. Just inside the top 50 as well. By just we mean exactly 50th. It is such a nice round number, one can expect for them to get a nice boost out of it. I don’t know, it’s all circular to me. I like circles. *AHEM* Anyways it’s expected that they take an easy second place. There are not that many challengers in this group.

Farfadillis
Farfa… Farfadils? Don’t let this strange and fickle hard-to-pronounce nation fool you. This 19th ranked nation is the top seed of the group and have probably the easiest draw in the entire tournament. Their next closest competition comes in the form of Sargossa, 50th, and Lymantatia, 79th. This group will be easy pickings for them, and they sure know it. It’s kind of like stealing candy from a children, easy but where’s the morals in that? Surely the organisers could have spiced the draw up a bit so it will be harder for them to qualify, but they haven’t and this group is what they’re stuck with.

Mangolana
OK. I’m getting bored now. Seriously? Mangolana? What a cool place to be named after. Named after the world’s most favourite tropical fruit (if you didn’t guess, it’s the mango), this Atlantian team places 119th in the rankings. We don’t know too much about these people, but it seems like this pack of mango lovers will put something on the table. Hopefully. Maybe not. I don’t know, don’t look at us, we’re not experts at association football.

Timbermunich
This new nation is expected to make some headway into the World Cup. Ranked in the top 200, Timbermunich is a new nation which is embracing its newfound love for football. After a great performance in the most recent Baptism of Fire, this deserving team made some progress in one of the toughest Baptism of Fires we have ever seen. And that’s saying something.

Lymantatia
Christ. Not these guys again. The “Equatoria” founders of Lymantatia are in our group once again. Known for their thrashing of Electrum by 6 and 3 goals, it’s time that we exact our revenge on these slimy peoples. Jacques Bressler will be on the hit list and should need be, we will ask customs to halt his entry into Electrum. It’s only right, as he’s been smuggling too many balls into the Electrum goals. It’s time that we kick their butts in the true Electrum fashion.

Yids
Yids found modest success at the last Baptism of Fire, but haven’t been seen since. Yids is a truly strange nation name. Yids can be traced back to an ancient language known as Hebrew, where it is a term for “friend, mate.” These lovely fellas like each other so much that they named their whole nation based entirely on that basis. Good stuff.

United commonwealth of ayrshire
A new nation coming out of this World Cup, but not much is known about them. What we DO know is that the word processor I’m typing this on seems to think that ‘ayshire’ should be capitalised. But it’s not, and that gives that nation a particular point of difference, right? In any case, we should expect easy victories here for Electrum. Surely we can beat a nation of non-capitalisers, right?

by **The Archregimancy** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:05 am

THE MONASTIC TIMES

HOLY SYNOD APOLOGISES TO COSUMAR
Schism Suspected as Synod and Archregimand Distance Themselves From MFA

By Fr. Nicholas the Scribe

Controversy threatened to engulf the Archregimancy's World Cup 69 campaign after the first matchday last night, following a 4-0 drubbing of the visitors highlighted by a rare 15th-minute own-goal from Cosumar goalkeeper Koskinen that opened the floodgates for the home side, with Fr. Irenaeus the Swift and Fr. Bathasius the Nimble scoring either side of half-time (the latter twice).

Events on the pitch were overshadowed, however, by the unprecedented apology from the Synod, which focused on both the home fan banners condemning the atheist visitors to the everlasting fires of Hell, and the MFA's recent condemnation of the WCC and World Cup hosts.

"First of all, we would like to apologise to the visiting fans for the lack of hospitality shown at the Holy Monastery of Iviron last night" the statement began. "While we have clear religious differences with the majority of the Cosumar population, this is no excuse to forego the basic principles of monastic hospitality towards pilgrims visiting our fair land; and we would remind the MFA that all visitors are considered pilgrims here, regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof."

Even more controversy was caused, however, when the statement continued by stating "Furthermore, the autonomous Holy Synod of the Archregimancy cannot endorse recent statements from the MFA regarding the World Cup Committee, or the World Cup 69 hosts. While we share the MFA's concerns over the organisation of the recent Cup of Harmony, we have no reason to believe that the WCC is run by atheist freemasons, is unduly prejudiced towards the One True Church, or that it was ever the intent of the OCHE or any other institution of the Holy Empire to name WC 69 'The Cup for Minor Orders'. As such, the condemnation of the WCC and the current World Cup is purely the opinion of the MFA, and should not be considered a theologically binding opinion of the Holy Synod, or of the Archregimancy as a whole."

Further shock was caused by the Office of the Archregimand, which issued a rare statement endorsing the Holy Synod's statement - an almost unprecedented intervention in internal affairs by the Archregimancy's secular authorities.

Speculation was mounting overnight that the MFA would retaliate by refusing to name the Patriarch or the Holy Synod's metropolitan in today's pre-match liturgy, effectively causing a schism between the Synod and the nation's footballing authorities. However, sources close to both sides are urging "calm" and "prayerful reflection" before any further action is taken.

by **Jeckland** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:17 am

Jeckland today lost 2-1 in a hard fougjt battle away against Mizuyuki. The Spuds and their opponents both had good chances in the first half, but failed to capitalise. In the second half Mizuyuki sprung out of the traps, scoring on 52 minutes with a left footed shot rifled into the top corner. The Spuds were visibly demotivated by this, which would cost them dear, as a lapse of concentration in the 61st minute allowed Mizuyuki to add a second goal via a brisk counterattack. The Spuds then finally woke up and attacked, but a stellar performan,e from the Mizuyuki defe.ce and keeper meant that Jeckland could not score until stoppage time, where they tapped in a consolation goal to make the final score 2-1.

Manager Eric Jones praised the performance, but conceded that a poor 15 minutes cost us the game, especially from the defence, who could have do.e better for both goals. "Sometimes you can get away with poor periods of play but not agai.st a team like Mizuyuki, they took their chances, defended well and were the better team on the day, and we need to move on and hopefully play better In the next match."
Elsewhere in the group, Jecatria somehow beat Tryienne 2-0 to go top, which means all but nothi.g at this stage. Northern Sunrise Islands were held to a draw by HopNation, and Thatius beat Evraim by a single goal. Jeckland will host Thatius for the next game, and although slight underdogs will be looki.g to take something from.

by **Mehdonesia** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:53 am

He had now been staring at his empty coffee for 20 minutes, the cafe was completely deserted beside from his table in the corner. The private investigator was late, again. He had already considered leaving the cafe on several occasions, but he was to intrigued by the note he had been slipped last night. "I found it". That was all the note said, but could it be his release. The end of his nightmare which had become a reality. Were these three words going to confirm his wildest ambitions. She found it. Found what? He needed to know as soon as possible. He stood up and browsed the selection of cakes on offer, none looked particularly appetising. Nonetheless, he settled for the iced bun and began to nibble away at it, impatiently tapping the table with his other hand. As the bell announced someone opening the door of the cafe, his head swung around only to see a worker on a coffee run. The barrister managing to serve the coffee whilst staring into the space behind the man, and then the man left. Whilst he needed to know the news he was running out of time, he was going to miss the training session and it the final one before the match.

Letting out a sigh, he rose from the table. He didn't leave a tip-the service had been awful- walking towards the door, he wondered what had happened to his contact, what had she found? Upon leaving the cafe a car rapidly pulled up to the street, the door was flung open to reveal his investigator. She was young in her late twenties, she had long blond hair but it was pulled into a professional bun. She wore a tailored suit and an earpiece.

"Sorry, cafe was bugged, we'd be better discussing this on the move"

He let his face fall into his hands. He would've fired her long ago but she was apparently the most competent in the business. She was used to dealing with high profile, illegal investigations. Especially corporate espionage between the businesses which make up the Mehdonesian oligopoly*. This probably explained her constant caution.

"How many times, Rachel? this is a COMPLETELY LEGAL investigation, there's no need to worry about bugs or a policeman in a cafe! Now can you tell me what you've found?"

She looked slightly disgruntled as she said "Here you go, it's a recording of a conversation between Jockall and the deputy head of the MFA. They discuss the entire 'masterplan' as they call it, in the process they refer to various bribes and there's also some photographic evidence in this dossier."

He was handed the dossier and an audio recorder, which contained the recording. It had taken six years, five investigators and £300,000 but he finally had what he needed. The training session was now out of sight and out of mind, his eye was on the prize.

"If this works Rachel, you get your million"

He had considered hiring an assassin to kill her afterwards, it was certainly cheaper than the million pound fee she had requested. But he didn't roll that way, he also got the feeling that Rachel Van Andel was not easy to double cross.

"Don't forget Marcus, I have a lot of friends"

She seemed to be able to read his mind most of the time, this was one of the things which made her the best. She also did indeed have a lot of 'friends' who could do just about everything from discredit him to murder him. It was probably best to pay up.

Getting into his car he put 'Mehdonesia Management Building' into his Sat-Nav and was surprised to find that it was on the street adjacent to this one, he got out and walked. Now thinking over what he would say to Jockall, he would finally have his revenge, he may even get the job which he deserved. It was no longer about the job, he was lead towards the huge tower block by pure coldness.

As he reached the building he saw the receptionist and asked where he could find Mr Jockall, with just the mention of his name she shivered, and she pointed him towards the top floor. He saw the elevator, but he needed time to prepare himself, and took the stairs slowly walking upwards. When he had gone for the job against Jockall there hadn't been a large building for the management, there were a few offices in the stadium itself. He had deserved that job, he had the experience and the skill over Jockall. He had brought Harwick from the second division of the league to one of the top five teams in the country in just two years. Jockall had managed a mid-table Gotta Have My Bowl Gonna Have Cereal side, he had always known that there was some corruption involved in the hiring of the manager. He was now half-way up the stairs and was already regretting taking them, he wanted to enter the manager's room triumphantly-not panting and slightly sweaty. Having climbed 15 stories of stairs he finally reached the floor. He followed the receptionist's instructions, admiring the fine art and catching his breath as he went. Having reached the office door he didn't knock, instead opening the door and marching in, ready to claim his victory...

by **The Icemark** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:53 am

People, Society & Politics
The Icemark is a land of tradition. And despite the fact that those tradition's have evolved slightly the basic structure of them remains as it has for over a thousand years. Though all citizens of the Icemark have equal rights, the society has a strict social structure enshrined into law. The nations society is divided between the noble class and the peasant class. Every Icemarkan is born into his class, and it is very difficult to raise higher or fall lower than that which you already have. The only way a peasant can elevate their status is by marrying into a noble clan. This occurs a lot more commonly than it used to. Nobles can be also removed of their status. They can be stripped of their lands and titles should they be proven to break the law. Instances of this happening are rare due to the fact that all of the noble lines can trace their ancestry back to the Kingdom's foundation, and a line dyeing out is generally not wanted.
The relationship between the noble and peasant class influences all levels of society. Despite having many more rights than they did a few hundred years ago peasants still live to serve their Lord, though they do get to choose their chosen career in that field. In return the noble class have a duty to provide the peasants with justice and protection. Though they used to be regarded as inferior in some aspects, most noble's now consider peasants the most important cog that keeps the Icemark's wheel turning, and in doing so treat the peasants with respect. All peasants by law now must be paid at least the standard living wage.
All male noble's are expected to serve in the military and the majority do choose to do so. Many female's also choose to serve in the military. There is no divide between men and women in the Icemark. The Icemark has had many female rulers and common women are allowed to take up any profession they wish to.
The Icemark has operated by a feudal system for over a thousand years. At the very top of the hierarchy is the King or Queen. The monarch is bound by the same laws that any citizen of the Icemark is. The monarch can suggest new laws but needs it to be voted through by his council of ministers. The Lindenshield family has been ruling the Icemark for a millennium now and are generally if not well liked, then at least respected. However, there is a council called the Wittingast that can have a monarch replaced should he or she fall out of favour with the populace.
Below the monarch are the Barons. Each Baron or Baroness hold land for the monarch. There are six major Baronies throughout the Kingdom, though the largest and most economically important is in the Southern Riding. Below the Barons are the Lords. The Lords hold land for the Barons and form the majority of the nobility in the country. The Lords and Barons are expected to once a year swear an oath of fealty to the Monarch at the Royal Court. Some Lord's and Baron's are appointed ministers in the Monarchs Coucil, that forms the basis of the nations government. A dead noble's land's are always inherited by their eldest child regardless of whether they are male or female. Arranged marriages are still very common between the nobility.
The army is an important part of the Icemark's society. It has a large navy and land army but only a small air force. All peasant males are required by law to have basic training. Many choose to have long term careers in the army, knowing that the army's social structure differs from the class structure. It is possible for a peasant to reach the pinnacle of a commander in the Icemark army.
Agriculture and fishing is the backbone of the Icemark's economy. After that it is commerce. Most merchants are from the peasant class, and many often become wealthier than the noble lords they serve.
Justice in The Icemark can be described as harsh. All members of society regardless of their rank or station are subject to the law. All standard crimes such as theft and murder are forbidden. Trials are usually overseen by a Lord acting as the judge, and a mixture of nobles and peasants generally make up the jury. Their is one major courthouse and prison in each of the Icemark's provinces. Corporal and capital punishment is still carried out in some cases. For low level crimes sentences such as short prison terms, floggings and fines are given out. For High level crimes the death penalty, life imprisonment or exile is usually received.
The people of the Icemark follows dual religions. The first is known as Druid Wiccanism. This is the most respected of the religions, if not practised. You have to be born into this religion to follow it. Practitioners follow a supreme Goddess, and are generally female. They are led by a high Priestess known as the Witchmother, who rules her sect until she dies. Those that follow this religion live a druidic lifestyle.
The other religion and most commonly practised is Asatru. This is the belief in Norse pagan gods. There is no formal structure to this religion, but it is believed to have been followed by the populace since records began.

by **Schottia** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:12 am

Dassatisfied

Marionville, Schottia

'Well, first things first, I'm going to put the kettle on.' Said Gary Corsie, laying down yet another heavy cardboard box on the carpeted floor of the flat he and Karen Seywel had just moved into.

'Good luck finding it babes,' answered Karen placing a similar sized box next to his. 'It could be anywhere.'

'Don't worry Karen, I know exactly where I packed it.' Replied Gary with a smile marching off to their new kitchen to plug it in. Getting this flat had been a long time in coming. With the two of them being professional footballers, finding somewhere ideally placed between their respective training grounds had not been easy. In the end they had settled for flat in Marionville city centre. Their building was an 18th century Cornellian townhouse, which like many, had been converted into flats. Marionville was a small city of only 75,000 people, but conveniently it sat somewhere between Lammerton and Handon, so that made it a goer.

Gary and Karen had been together for about a year now, and had met at the Sportscene studios while appearing as guests on a footballing chat show. The two of them hadn't hit it off straight away, and it had required quite a bit of chasing on Gary's part, but eventually as he would put it, "He wore her down."

Karen at 24, was two years older than him, and had long brown hair and a tall, athletic build. Gary on the other hand, was barely taller than her at 185cm and had unkempt light brown hair and a beard, unusually long for a footballer.

They had seen each other quite sporadically at first, their commitments keeping them apart most of the time. However mostly through Gary's persistence, he had got them to this point. He knew that he loved her, and her hoped she loved him too. She at least liked him an this was enough to go on.

'Okay honey, the tea bags are soaking, are you okay to go without milk?' said Gary coming back into the room as Karen stood, hands on hips, looking around at the mess.

'Yeah, that's fine. To be honest I'm not that much in the mood for tea.' Said Karen not really paying attention. 'If I can find my iPad I can try to get the internet up and running.' She continued to root around for the said appliance while Gary went back to check on the teas.

'HAVE YOU TRIED IN YOU RED BAG.' He shouted back through. 'I'M SURE THAT'S WHERE YOU PUT IT.'

---

It took the two of them the best part of the day to get unpacked. All the bags, boxes, sacks, tins and jars; things they never knew they had and things they knew they never needed. They came with them all the same.

'So how do you think Port Sebastian will get on this season.' Gary asked tentatively, sitting on an upturned crate eating the take way pizza he had ordered in. 'I mean we have lost Mark Allen, but I think we are in pretty good shape.'

I don't think you'll win the league.' Replied Karen, taking a sip from her bottled water and munching delicately on her couscous salad. 'I think you were a bit lucky last year, and with you lot losing Allen, and Handon United signing Avelione, that's going to be too much.'

'Thanks, Karen, for your voice of support.' Answered Gary in a rare moment of anger. 'God forbid you could ever encourage me.'

'What!' Snapped Karen. 'You asked my opinion, and I gave you my answer. Do you want me to lie to you.' She rolled her eyes in a way that Gary always hated. 'Aw darling, I think your team will do faby dooseys this year.' She finally added in a mocking tone. 'You know what, I'm going for a run.' And with that she went to the bedroom pulling off her top on the way ,revealing to him, her perfectly toned back.

Gary just sat there shaking his head. He hated this streak that she had, where everything was always so serious. He had, all his life, been a massive geek at heart, he loved his writing, and his books, and his collection of models of the Royal Ossarian Naval fleet, which he had painstakingly painted.

All Karen was interested in was fitness, looking great, and football training. But what gave him comfort deep down was the fact that he knew he was a better midfielder than her. Even though he only went jobbing twice a week, sat at a computer screen most nights, enjoyed beer and pizza; he could run rings round her. The best part was, he knew that she knew it too.

He had been weighing up a few of offers from clubs over-seas, a couple in Adiron and one in L'Ossienne. He could make five times the amount he made here, but he had told his agent to turn them down so that he could stay with Karen. They had only been moved in for a few hours and he was already wondering if it was a mistake.

by **Zenic** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:19 am

“4-3. Not sure how to feel about that, really. We still won but barely and it was to a nation that just recently entered international play. I feel like we should have won by more.”

Sanders was a little upset, still wondering how his team had let up 3 goals to such a team. Thankfully, a brace from reliable Ayaode and one apiece for newcomer Augustine and veteran Gavin Barnsley. “Well, it was Yasif's first game for the national team and he did let up one of the goals from his side. I think he needs more time to get adjusted to the pressure and level of play. Hopefully, that’s all it is,” Golovkin said, reading through a newspaper. He had already read the funny pages and had now move onto the sports section.

“Let’s hope so. Momoi is getting up there in years while both Lee Chan and Xavier Marshall would be playing out of position. Also, no way am I playing Edu out of his position, considering what happened when they tried that at his club.” Golovkin shuddered, as he remembered watching that game: a 9-2 lose for Academica Cote. ”Let’s give him a few more games first, Michael; if he gets better, then we have no problem and if he doesn't, we’ll see what we need to do, whether we change formation or start people out of position.” Sanders wasn't a huge fan of switching formations: honestly, the 4-4-2 diamond was the only formation that had ever won him anything but he felt he needed to win and qualify this year so if he had to, he would.

“Ko-oren,” said Sanders out of nowhere, catching Golovkin off guard a bit. Once he recovered though, he went straight to work. “They are the 26th ranked team in the universe. They play a 3-2-3-2 formation and are extremely defensive so most games against them are low scoring affairs. They've had some success, making it to the World Cup several times and making it the playoffs of both the World Cup and Cup of Harmony multiple times. However they have never made it to the semifinals of any senior side tournament thus they've never won an official tournament.”

“Speaking of senior side,” Golovkin said, making Sanders look over at him in curiosity,” their current squad is old. Only four starters are under the age of 30 compared to seven of our starters under 30. Even then, only 7 backup players are under 30 years old and none of the young backups are defenders or goalkeepers so it’s mostly their defense that is getting old. Which should be good for us and bad for them since their primary focus is defense.” Sanders looked at Golovkin, surprised at the level of calm he had and the great amount of research he had done on their next opponent. “Good job, Dmitri. That research should help give us an advantage over Ko-oren.”

“With that information, we can find a way to break their defense, score some goals and win. Now, we just have to make sure we find a way to keep our defense from crumbling.”

by **Paradystopia** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:36 am

Denouement

Parte, th'Fyrst

*beep beep*

Kadenza jerked her head towards the direction of the noise. It was her personal mobile phone calling for attention from some other location in her large apartment. Exactly where in her humble abode, she couldn't be sure but at least it wasn't something work-related. Work had been hard recently, too hard. 'Newe Paradystopie' was giving everyone a headache, her more than most as the scattered fragments of childhood issues with dyslexia began to resurface but such is the life of 'ðe Genneralle Oumbuddespaerzon-yn-Cheefe'; the highest political office of Paradystopia. You're meant to be the impartial advisor, judge and speaker for the bureaucratic nightmare of Paradystopi government. This wasn't work though, it was her personal mobile and reminding herself of that caused the knots which at the sound of a phone had instinctively clenched her spine between the shoulderblades to ebb away quietly.
She was approaching her mid-forties and not so happy about the fact. She'd never been the most attractive woman in her youth but what looks she had possessed had mostly been replaced by ghosts of their former selves. The once radiant, light-brown eyes where now paler and displayed the onset of crows-feet, the once sultry brunette mane now cropped back into some non-descript bob cut and her once ample bosom seemed to have begun a mission to imitate an elderly man's scrotum albeit without a patchy mass of coarse hair. Never could she have ever referred to herself as slender, even in her younger years but now 'buxom' and 'voluptuous' also became misnomers. 'Fat' was the term she made no bones about describing herself as. She'd even thought about getting a pet cat but changed her mind when she realised how much of a stereotype she was making of herself and that there was a chance of offending the Mousebaneskas.
However, despite the personal attributes she constantly tore herself up over and her hopelessly unfulfilling love life (which she naturally put down to her appearance rather than the punitive hours of her job), she was highly respected in her field and had served longer as the GOC than any previous candidate. Calmly and with a level head had she guided Paradystopi legislature and even now, in the current 'linguistic crisis' her nerve was holding. Personally, she had been against the new language, it was a pointless exercise. The politicians had other ideas though and she had to go with the majority, such was her job.

The message on her phone, once she had retrieved it from her bedside cabinet, brought little joy. It was a simple text update. As much as she wanted to watch the beginning of Paradystopia's World Cup campaign, there was work to do. There was always work to do and ninety-plus minutes watching the Blakke Cattes in Katta Larga was ninety-plus minutes lost reviewing drafts, more drafts, planning a framework for upcoming debates and more drafts.

Katta Larga 0 - 0 Paradystopia
7' - F.Pfyffydghoerraks - Yelloe Kard (Disentte)

'At least that bloody animal will be spending at least the next season in Bouian ...' was her initial thought. She knew Foskar was capable of truly amazing football, she'd been there at the Campionato Esportiva third place play-off and seen his unmatched agility and phenomenal tackling prowess but every coin has two sides and Foskar other side didn't bear thinking about. She wondered about Sirius Hope and whether he was still managing Bouian's national squad. He was a handsome man that Sirius and she wouldn't say no to ... but no, there were too many drafts to pile through without succumbing to smutty reverie and the only footballing double entendre which came to mind was 'being fed his balls' which was just ... well, no.

*beep beep*

It was as though the glare of the laptop screen was sapping further life from Kadenza's already tired eyes when her phone cried out again.

Katta Larga 0 - 1 Paradystopia
43' - F.Pfyffydghoerraks - Goel
asyste - K.y'Aetheklyffe

Finally, some good news. The untried squad had pulled ahead of their opposition. A large mug of syrupy coffee sat cold beside her. She had made it nearly twenty minutes ago and promptly forgotten about it perusing proposed new legislation on the space program. Some banal rules about increasing the minimum width of the heat shields by seven hairs-breadths and the like. It was quickly redistributed via e-mail to a sub-ordinate.

*beep beep*

Katta Larga 0 - 2 Paradystopia
45' - E.Quykfut - Goel
asyste - K.y'Aetheklyffe

The minister smiled. It was looking to be a positive start to the qualifying campaign which was greatly needed what with the likes of sharing a group with the celebrated Beyres wi'Armes and somewhat perenneal rivals Efsie y'Jerrue. Not to mention the glut of upcoming teams who'd all be looking to claim a scalp from the group's highest seed and one of Esporteve's best. Damn those bloody Nefarym and ...

*beep beep*
*beep beep*
*beep beep*

Phone call?

*beep beep*

"'Pryvate Numbre'"?! ... Really? c'mon ... This shyt does not happen now, c'mon' no ..."

*beep be

"... Who the fuwck are you and how did you get this number?"
"Relax Kay. It's Rychard. Intelligence. Y'know?"
"... ... seriously fuwck yow Rychard ..."

Rychard, the notorious head of the seecret seecret service. Paradystopia has two seecret services. The 'normal' seecret service actually has no secrets, everybody knows about it, yet because they know of the activities of this service they live in blissful ignorance of the other seecret service; ðe secreet secreet service. Everyone who possessed a high enough clearance to know of Rychard, Head of ðe secreet secreet service, knew it was no secret that Rychard was a dick. Openly pansexual and a polygamist (which is legal between consenting peoples in Paradystopia), he liked to remind his superiors that no-one was safe from his all-seeing eye.

"Firstly, never under any circustance refer to me as 'Kay' again. Secondly, don't even dream of calling me on this number again unless you'd rather lick envelopes in pensions department for the remainder of your career. Thirdly ... what the fuwck do you want?!"

'Kay' was the name Rychard used to call her when they dated for a little while at university. Just as he was crafting his reputation. Ancient history, but he knew it would rile her up nonetheless. Rychard however, had had his fun, he cut to the chase.

"There's been a meeting."
"There's meetings all the time!"
"Yes, but we didn't get an invite."
"Who did?"
"The highest ruling bodies in the nations of the Commonwealth."
"Oh fuwck off Rychard!"
"No joke Ma'am."
"Who organised this meeting, who's attending, why?"
"Psi of the .. *ahem* 'Glorious' Commune, 'don't know as yet' and 'we don't have the necessary resources to answer that'."
"Is it bad?"
"It's Psi of the Commune."
"Indeed."
"Well ... ?"
"Well what?"
"How should we process?"
"How do you think? As any other assignment. Find out more, highest level secrecy on it. Report to me alone and directly."
"Just like old times then Kay."

He hung up before Kadenza could reply. DIck. With the departure of one shit left another, staring her in the face. ðe Genneralle Oumbuddespaerzon-yn-Cheefe found the rest of her evening ruined by this mysterious meeting, the motives of Psi in the Commune and whether hiring a hitman on Rychard was taking things a little too far.

by **Valladares** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:43 am

Rodham House, Metropolis

The Prime Minister residence was bustling with activity following the end of the most recent "diplomatic setback" between Eura and Valladares. Prime Minister Jefferson Pratt and his advisors were closely following the developments between his Euran counterpart and the Valladar head of state, His Royal Highness Charles IV. The answer to the question as to why Crow had elected to meet the King and not him as head of government was somewhat beyond his understanding, however he felt things were now on the right track for both him and the country after two months of chaos and tension. After the conclusions of the meeting between both dignitaries were finally released, Pratt could not help but show a victorious smile: the terms stated for the Valladars to meet were less "humiliating" than the ones for the Eurans, as delivering an apology for a siege started by popular uprising was far less painful than acknowledging the government's involvement in the shooting down of an airliner. The feeling of victory would be much better though, with news coming from Bastion later that night that Prime Minister Crow had to resign his post as result of internal turmoil generated by powerful forces inside his cabinet. Pratt could not be more satisfied at seeing the demise of his main international rival and the backlash within Eura they indirectly caused. He sat down at his desk with his smoking pipe and called one of his advisers for some talk regarding the recent developments.

"And once again, Valladares beats Eura in the politics game. And we didn't even have to waste a missile for that."

"However, we've also got to make concessions at the end of the day. That embassy siege did hurt our image internationally", replied one of the advisers.

"We're not the ones who must say "we apologize" to the families of people travelling in a plane shot down by the Air Force and also apologize for delaying the release of the absolute truth in the incident. Clearly the conditions of the deal are more harmful for them than for us. At the end of the day, we won and they lost, that's it."

"Now we only have to withdraw the alert issued to all Army divisions in the east and get either the Minister of Internal Affairs or the Minister of Foreign Affairs to write a mildly convincing statement apologizing for our incompetence at protecting that embassy, don't we?"

"Correct. However, the Eurans have some degree of accountability for that incident and they know it. Had they not tried to manipulate some things and delay other ones to come out unharmed, this whole embassy thing would never have happened."

Pratt got up from his desk and went to the balcony to reflect. The stars were slowly showing up in the Metropolis evening sky. The adviser followed him to make sure there would not be an unaddressed issue after this meeting.

"Sir, now that Eura's quiet I think there are still some issues that need to be addressed, such as Darmen just to give an example."

"The Darmenis are something of far lesser importance to me. They're like a dog that will never shut up unless you give it a bone. I know they're silent right now, but they also know they cannot start barking for a territory that will never be theirs because they're risking an epic bombing of their border cities -which are not few, may I add- and/or their capital. The bone here is obviously all our ICBM batteries placed in the border and ready to be used if they ever dare to show more hostility than usual to us, and this is what has got them appeased, for now. They would be better off being our tenth State but they don't even come close to being a province, so that's why they don't worry me at all."

Pratt looked at the stars one more time and then continued with his monologue.

"Look, the goal this time was to have Eura's international reputation punctured, and we did it by far. They will get their apologies, some flowers or cheap biscuits, and their railroad connection, I think that's enough of a concession. Besides, we can cut access to that railroad whenever we feel like, so there's not much of a loss for us now."

"I brought the champagne as promised. Shall I call for a toast?"

"This couldn't be a better time for that. Toast!"

The Prime Minister uttered a final laugh as he and his adviser celebrated "their" most recent diplomatic success, even though it was the King who acted by himself all the time to dictate those concessions at their rival at the other side of the Ituyán.

by **The United Kingdoms of Zackalantis** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:45 am

VICTORIOUS START TO ZACH WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN

UKZ has begun it's world cup campaign on a good note. By achieving 1-0 victory over Lolloh.
The match held in Cair Paravel football stadium. The match began with both teams walking out onto the field where the national anthems were played. All zach supporters sand the national anthem loudly and proudly.
The match began with Abigail Barretto and Shubhankar Vartak made goal attempts in the 19th and 28th minutes respectively but the Lolloh goal keeper did his job.
After half time, UKZ was rewarded a penalty corner. Malaika Chawla capitalized and scored. The crowds cheered.
With only 10 minutes left in the game Satyajit Apte made a goal attempt but then the Lolloh goalie saved the shot. Satyajit lost his patience and punched the goalie in the face. He was given a red card.
The final buzzer sounded and the crowd cheered. UKZ had won it and now all eyes on the match against Fnaticka.

by **Sandwich Territories** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:50 am

Poor Performance Defensively Leads to 3-3 Draw

PORT TRADAIL — The Royals got things going with a 3-3 draw against Valdiviola; a match that they surely wanted to win at home, as was expected by many. Parc na Saoirse was filled to max capacity as many could not wait for the Sandwichians to once again get things going in a hope to finally make it past the dreaded playoff spots for the finals. However, if the Sandwichian FA wishes to accomplish such things, they really need to win games such as this one. Manager Laurance Blaise had to answer to the media last night, as questions of previous failures would be repeated. He replied by saying, "No it will not. We will do everything in our power not to have another poor World Cup performance." We shall see how things hold up, and what the response shall be if they do indeed miss their mark again.

The game started off very well for the Sandwichians; which many experts believe may have been their downfall. Right out of the gates, the Royals were ahead 1-0 with a rainbow of a shot from Barukh Kjeldsen just outside of the box, and right over Moretti's right hand. And soon after, in the 11th minute, Adam Sergeant was able to get in a shot from close range to make it 2-0. However, the Sandwichians seemed to almost park the bus slightly, which made very little sense considering they were the superior team overall and this game. Wether it was a mere defensive alignment gone wrong, or inane tactics, the Valdiviolians are an attacking side, and what was their mistake turned to be the mistake of the Royals, as in the 32nd minute, Marco Di Tella was able to get an excellent shot past Elian MacIntyre to make it 2-1; which is how the 1st half finished. The Sandwichians were determined to fix this, and it was heard that management asked for a change to more normal (Sandwichian normal, therefore not quite) formation. This seemed to be working for the Sandwichians, as Finnán Pavia was able to use his weak foot to make the game 3-1 in the 64th. Once again though, the Sandwichian FA (and this time the fans as well) got carried away with the ever so dangerous 2 goal lead, and now the Valdiviolians were determined to make the Royals pay. The FFV were able to get another goal on the SFA in the 71st minute, as Stefano Nocerino was able to outclass the Sandwichian defense for a goal. The stadium was still alive with cheers, although now, you could hear the opposition's supporters making themselves known to the Sandwichians. Eventually, the Sandwichian team was not able to keep up with the younger FFV, as they were able to destroy Sandwichian hope of win in the first game with a set piece goal by Michele Fanasca in the 83rd, sealing the fate of this match.

The SFA's odd tactics are not completely a surprise to everyone, as it seems even other nations in Group 10 (The Saint James Islands in particular) have noticed the odd ways of the Royals. One must ask themselves whether the FA should keep being different, as while it can be very beneficial, it can also be very bad for organization, and pace. Not only that, but it isn't so secret anymore, and that could bring some issues to the SFA. Either way, we shall see tonight what changes are made by management.

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:51 am

From the Desk of Lord Almighty Gregory

To: Saintland Soccer Federation
Cc: Consul Piazza, Gregoryisgodistan Soccer Federation, Free Republics Soccer Federation
Subject: Saintland "Home" Match

Dear Saintland Soccer Federation,

The nation of Gregoryisgodistan tentatively agrees to your offer to move the Gregoryisgodistan-Saintland match that was scheduled for Saintland to the Free Republics. I should point out that the Free Republics are on our Enemy List, meaning it is legal under Gregoryisgodistani law to kill any Republian citizen and the killer will receive a reward of 1 million greggygodbucks. (OOC: Lord Almighty Gregory is deliberately provoking Consul Piazza. That's the only reason he is cc'd.) We may or may not kill numerous Republican citizens during the away match there. (OOC: We won't, but Consul Piazza doesn't know that.) It may or may not be very bloody for them. Our players may or may not come armed with assault weapons and flamethrowers like the soldiers in Hicana and kill everyone then set them on fire.

Nonetheless, if Saintland will agree to play the match there, we accept, on one condition. You must let us send pitch inspectors to inspect the field during some match before the game is to be held, to determine that it is, in fact, acceptable. Assuming it is, we will agree to the move. We recommend allowing the pitch inspectors to inspect the field prior to the Free Republics-Miley World match on Matchday 6, so ideally the two games should be played in the same stadium. If the Free Republics do not allow our inspectors into the country, if they are not allowed to inspect the field, or if the field is deemed unacceptable, we will not agree to the move and another suitable venue will need to be found.

Please confirm that the pitch inspectors will be allowed to enter the country and inspect the field as well as confirming what field the game will be played at. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Lord Almighty Gregory

by **New Wolfopolis** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:59 am

Baker's Ball Blog
Wolfpack Crush Blaatschapen, 3-0

New Wolfopolis started this Qualifying stage on the right foot yesterday, beating up on The Blaatschapen, 3-0. Nicholas Pollard, Harlan Spears, and Eugene Acosta all had goals for the Wolfpack, and they delighted the home crowd at the Campana Bowl @ Lupinia Pavilion in Lupinia yesterday. Pollard's goal came from outside the box, with a long-range strike that hit the side of the net and went in. Spears was able to pass all the defenders and lob it over the goalie for the second goal of the game. And Acosta had a beautiful header off of a corner kick, perfectly placed and into the back of the net. And of course, Zachary Nicholson was magnificent in goal today, with a shutout and one save. His defenders did most of the work, keeping the ball away from them and allowing them only eight shots. That's another thing: the Wolfpack possessed the ball a whopping 66% of the time. All in all, they played a great game, and their hard work paid off with a win. This win puts them tied for second place with Zwangzug, trailing only Estope. And that brings us to tomorrow's game.

New Wolfopolis, coming off of a 3-0 win, plays Zwangzug, coming off of a 3-0 win. These two teams, after one matchday, are tied for second place in Qualifying group 15. This will be the Wolfpack's first true test. They're sending out their default eleven once again, with no changes from yesterday's starting lineup. They'll play the Zwangzug "hey you over there" team, looking for some national identity. Both team's captains are their number 10, and both are midfielders. For the Wolfpack, that's Nicholas Pollard, the footballer seemingly born with football instincts and talent. For the Zwangzug side, it's Martina Ruan, who has scored 16 international goals since her addition to the team in the 64th cycle. She has captained the team since the 67th cycle. This will be New Wolfopolis's first true test. Not only are they playing a team who just barely missed out on the Cup proper last time around, they have to travel to Zwangzug. I don't know if they'll be able to pull it off. My prediction? 2-1 Zwangzug. You can watch the game, live on NWSN. It'll definitely be a great game to watch. You won't want to miss it.

by **Nassau-Hessen** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:02 am

No Utter Domination, But Eagles Come Through, Get Glance At 1st Place

Nassau 3–0 Green Highland

Why did the only teams in Group 9 ranked in the 100's dominate? Could it be a new dawn for the Ice Birds and Eagles? Was it beginners dismay? Whatever it was, the Eagles can't get enough of it. In what was arguably the best debut in the teams history, the Eagles shut out the Highlanders with a healthy score of three to nil. No ties were recorded in the very first match day for the ninth qualifying division, with the majority of the games not even being remotely close. Team morales both were lifted and dropped in the fateful initial round. Could this first glimpse possibly set the tone for some teams on their long journey ahead? The Eagles are hoping so.

The game started off with a rushed kick-off from #67 Orgulas Sandybanks to co-captain #45 Blanco Chubbs. Green Highland found themselves unprepared since the first whistle, and a rather long offensive possession for the Eagles ensued. There were a few scoring chances for the Hessen within a mere few minutes of the starting time, including a header by midfielder Loamsdown that grazed the top of the net and a powerful but slightly wide shot by Zarambaga. The Hessian domination finally ended with a magnificent cross by Blanco Chubbs to Balbo Zarambaga (Both of whom were U21 teammates) in the 10th minute of play. Zarambaga made up for his wide shot by scoring from the cross by a swift kick just barely inside the right post, putting the Eagles up one to none. The next decade of minutes were slightly better than the initial ones for Green Highland, as they retained possession for at least a portion of the time, the Eagles were unable to find an opening for a counterattack, but were able to regain the ball a few times, therefore making a limbo of possession between the two teams. #37 Blaise Tworidge was able to intercept a pass between the two last defenders at the 32nd minute, he sprinted like a madman on an uncontested breakaway, that is, until the Highland goaltender warded off his well aimed ground shot. Tworidge was distraught from this missed opportunity, but the game had to go on. The Hessen pressured the Green Highlanders for yet another opportunity, but no significant scoring chance was to be gained. The whistle that signaled the end of the first half was blown, and the fans at the sold out Arima Pavilion could not help but feel a tad bit of disappointment. That feeling, as many would soon discover, would only be temporary.

The second half began with the substitution of Blaise Tworidge (who was still distraught from the incident) for #69, Quintus Marma-Madoc. The start of the second was almost identical to that of the first, only even more favorable towards the Nassauites, who were on a constant verge of scoring from good ball handling, intelligent decision making, and efficient plays. #58 Sancho Bolgorro provided the climax of this surge with a perfectly timed and curved shot that made it just inside the top right corner of the net, the Nassauites touched the inside twine for the second time in the 54th minute. Instead of aggressively pulling away from the Highlanders further, the Eagles played conservatively and in an efficient manner. This irritated the Green clad offense to their last nerve, causing them to become erratic. Marma-Madoc, while being aggressively pressured by three opposing players, found Balbo Zarambaga wide open with one final defender between him and the goalkeeper. Once 'MM' made an accurate pass, Balbo gave his all to outrun the defender, but seeing that he could not, generously crossed to his friend Blanco Chubbs (as Chubbs had crossed to him previously in the match). Chubbs did not waste the pass, and scored without letting the ball touch the ground until it was in the other side of the net. That kick put the Hessen up three to zero at the 85th minute, Green Highland, unable to deal with it any longer, played more aggressively than ever before. It's a good thing #32 Falco Brambler (the other co-captain) was ready for each and every shot. The match was over earlier than anyone expected, time flies when you're winning.

The Eagles are heading to Red Blackiland for the next match. The Dark Lions lost by the same result the Eagles won, only to the hands of the Torisakia Ice Birds. They claim that they believed they played well despite the disheartening loss. We can say that they definitely showed persistence until the finish (something worthy of praise, especially when losing late in the game), but whether they are masking their true emotions through a veil of being content or not is unknown. All that Nassau knows is this, they best show up ready to go through anything the next game, for it will not be easy in the Lions Den (the Hessian nickname for the Red Glorious National Stadium). How long will the Eagles and Ice Birds last on top? Once again, only time can tell.

by **Timbermunich** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:10 am

Parts 1-7 here* | Part 8 | Part 9

The following day Great Battle and Great One-Arm Willy rose and enjoyed a nice breakfast with each of their families. They then headed to the village center so they could announce their findings to the rest of the village. Their hope was that everyone would understand what it meant, thought they knew some might not fully understand nor would they know what to make of it but they still felt good about telling everyone. It also seemed that a peace had almost settled over the two, especially now that it had been two days since their experience. As they walked together in the direction of the village center they could feel each others contentment with the situation and nothing could remove the wide smiles on their faces.

It didn’t take them long to reach the village center, which after all was only a few hundred meters from their homes. The tent was still set up from the festivities before they left in search of something; the something they had now found and knew was exceptionally great. In the village center there was also a large signal gong, this was shaped like the head of Great Battles ax which was a double bit style. This gong was held up by one log that was supported and lashed to two other logs, one on each side. The gong and it’s supports was situated with the gong being one meter off the ground at it’s base and it stood a total of five meters high to the top of the horizontal log. Its width was just over seven meters from the outside of each vertical log. The sound of the gong could be heard though out the Great Timbermunich Forest, so anyone in the region could hear it. It was also only used to call village meetings so when Great Battle struck it with his own ax the villagers knew that it was not something to be alarmed about. Instead they slowly came to the village center to see what meeting had been called.

After a few minutes the village center was almost full and a buzz was circling through the villagers as to what the meeting might be about. Great One-Arm Willy started off by welcoming everyone and letting them know that the two Greats arrived back the night before. He also mentioned with little detail that they two had found what they were looking for and that Great Battle would give them more details on what and where it is located. At that point Great Battle stood up and stepped onto a small stump so that everyone could see him. He described to them how he and Great One-Arm Willy traveled to the edge of the Heart of the Grove on the day that they left following the wonderful celebration in their honor. They spent one night just outside the Heart of the Grove and then the following day they ventured in. When Great Battle mentioned they went into the Heart of the Grove the villagers become a little restless, and for good reason as no one had ever been known to go into the Heart of the Grove and then return. They had all heard stories of villagers in the past entering but never returning. Great Battle eased their restlessness as he told of how they found peace within and that there were animals within. These animals seemed to accept their presence, not fleeing when near nor even having the look of being concerned that the two had entered the Heart of the Grove. He went on to explain how they searched through almost the entire southern half of the Heart of the Grove before coming to the center, to what they found and had been looking for. Although he did explain that they honestly didn’t know for sure what it was they were looking for, but when they came across the mini TimberOak they both knew it was exactly what they were looking for. They told the villagers a little more of their experience with in the central area, which they called the TimberHeart, and that they were going to go to the other regions to pass on their news. Great One-Arm Willy added that they would explain their plan and what they thought this TimberHeart meant to all of Timbermunich in a few days time, but now they were going to rest and take a little more time to think about what all they had felt and seen over the past couple of days.

At that time the two Greats along with their families went back to their homes and the villagers remained to talk amongst them selves a bit longer. It was nearing dark when the last of them returned to their homes. They were excited and scared at the same time, for they did not know what to make of all this. They knew the Greats would not lead them to something bad and that only good things could come of this.

What more will the Greats tell the villagers before setting out to the other regions? Will we learn of their master plan? Or what is to become of this TimberHeart? Hopefully we will soon learn these details.

Hardwood’s Matches
MD1: vs Sargossa (0-1)
MD2: @ Yids
MD3: vs United Commonweath of Ayrshire
MD4: @ Electrum
MD5: vs Lymantatia
MD6: @ Mangolana
MD7: vs Farfadillis
Day of Rest
MD8: @ Sargossa
MD9: vs Yids
MD10: @ United Commonweath of Ayrshire
MD11: vs Electrum
MD12: @ Lymantatia
MD13: vs Mangolana
MD14: @ Farfadillis
Win | Draw | Loss

Group 2 Table
1 – Mangolana
2 – Farfadillis
3 – Lymantatia
4 – Sargossa
5 – Timbermunich
6 – Electrum
7 – United Commonweath of Ayrshire
8 – Yids
Eliminated|Advanced

Match 2
Yids* Lineup	  	   | Timbermunich Lineup
GK: Robert Richardson	   |GK  Great Hatchet Hank	01
CB: John Hughes		   |RB  Great Norman		04
CB: James Barnes	   |CB  Great Battle		05*
RB: Richard Davis	   |CB  Great Battle Axe	03
LB: William Lopez	   |LB  Great Tomahawk Tommy	06
CDM: Robert Murphy	   |RM  Great Dead-Eye Darrin	07
CM: David Richardson 	   |LM  Great Dirty Doug	08
CM: Richard Garcia	   |RW  Great Dagger Dan	09
CAM: Richard Walker	   |CM  Great Wicked Warren	10
ST: William Thompson	   |CF  Great One-Arm Willy	11
ST: Richard Watson	   |LW  Great Kyle Slater	17 
*pulled from BOF roster – didn’t find a new one for WC

by **Kinitaria** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:20 am

MI'ATO (Kinitaria) - For Kinitar football fans, long and fruitless struggles to qualify for the World Cup are not a new occurrence. But now, doubts were raised over the possibility of Kinitaria competing in World Cup qualification before the tournament even begun.

The former leader of Kinitaria, Irin Kucinič, was assassinated recently by an unknown perpetrator while on a diplomatic visit to Mizuyuki. Since then, the Kinitar government has promised a hard line against Kirayuki, which it seems to blame for the killing, but in the face of official denials from the Mizuyukian government and mixed communication from their Kinitar counterparts, the international community has largely tried not to get involved in this dispute, unwilling to provoke an already tense situation.

The reaction on Kinitar society has been swift and chaotic. However one may choose to criticise his style of leadership, he was often commended for being able to keep a lid on the tense inter-community tensions that have existed in the secretive nation for decades. Kucinič was a fierce proponent of national unity, and he had ways of achieving that, some of which have been condemned by Atlantian Oceania's human rights activists. In the days since his death, however, hard-line elements running the length of the political spectrum have been able to operate with impunity in Kinitaria.

A key flashpoint is the region of Chyr, which has long since hosted sporadic self-determination movements advocating independence from Kinitaria. Upon the news of Kucinič's death, an irregular separatist volunteer militia began to occupy certain key locations in the region, which the increasingly disordered and disgruntled government forces were unable to prevent them from doing so. Although the official capital of the region lies in the city of the same name, this city at least is heavily fortified by the Kinitar army. Separatists have therefore convened in the city of Paravači, in northern Chyr, and proclaimed the independence of one "Chyri Republic", which they have called upon the international community to recognise. For its own part, Mi'ato has issued a statement dismissing the separatists as "vandals, barbarians and opportunists... who want to disrupt the functioning of our nation for their own selfish purposes," and has itself urged its neighbours to reject the Chyri declaration.

But the Kinitar government has its own problems a bit closer to its power base in Mi'ato. The heavily industrialised east of the country was a source of discontent even during Kucinič's leadership, especially after strikes and protests by workers in the crucial shipyards in the port of Damaciu were violently suppressed, and with the government forces now in disarray, serious attempts have been made by armed units representing "the people of Damaciu" to wrest control of the area from the regional government. This movement has occasionally seen running battles in the streets between forces loyal to the rebels and those individuals thought to support the government. Similar, albeit smaller, movements have appeared in other towns and cities in the area, most notably Inovita and Litora. With information so heavily restricted, the true picture in Kinitaria's east remains hard to clarify.

High up in the mountainous north of the country, another critical issue faces Rosa Lisineva's embattled government. A group that has dubbed itself the Kinitar Patriotic Front has seized control of a few small towns and villages in the mountains, and claims Osaniča as its current base of operations. This group holds as its ideology a sort of 'ultra-nationalism' which would involve, should they gain any sort of power, the promotion of the Kinitar language and culture, a move to establish technological superiority over Kinitaria's neighbours, and heavy restrictions on immigration (which some see as somewhat pointless, given that immigrants currently make up less than half a percent of the Kinitar population). This group's detractors have assigned them the label korvidaša, or "Corvidae-ite", making the claim that they can't suppose to be the guardians of Kinitar culture while their ideology is inspired by a foreign party. Nevertheless, their ideas seem popular in a region of Kinitaria that has long since seen itself as cut off by the Mi'ato administration, and the government seems unwilling to pursue its agents through the mountains.

Not all is lost for the Mi'ato government. The capital remains firmly under its control, despite sporadic protests, as do large areas of the predominantly agricultural south that have benefited from Kucinič's land redistribution policies. But some international observers give the government only a matter of weeks based on the current evidence. Others say it won't even last that long.

And the relevance to football? World Cup committee chiefs have attempted to contact the Football Federation of Kinitaria (FFK), seeking assurances that (i) Kinitaria would be able to fulfil their programme of fixtures for this tournament, and (ii) the safety of visiting fans and players could be guaranteed. The FFK has been unable to provide such assurances, therefore casting their participation in the tournament into doubt. Despite these doubts, it is known that the team flew from Mi'ato International Airport to Vilita for their opening match, where they were defeated 2-1 by the reigning world champions. It is also known that, with most carriers now refusing to fly over Kinitar airspace, the squad boarded a plane from Alikka-Corra bound for Torisakia, from where they will presumably complete their journey home.

"Welcome to Tokai, where the local time is 19:30 exactly, that's one hour ahead of Vilitan time, and it's cloudy with a chance of a spot of rain later. We'll shortly be opening the doors of the aircraft, so on behalf of all of the crew, we'd like to thank you for flying with us..."

It's the same thing everyone had heard hundreds of times before. They were international footballers who travelled around the world representing their country. Thing is, they might say that some things were more important than football, but when you're being threatened with being kicked out of the World Cup qualifiers owing to a little bit of violence in your country, your priorities suddenly shift.

Vilita. Again. They'd already denied Kinitaria's World Cup ambitions twice - once, most recently, most painfully, in the playoffs, and once by virtue of one single, solitary, agonising goal. Not to mention having dumped Kinitaria out of their own AOCAF Cup on home soil, even if they did have help from Turori at the time. But there would be plenty of time to reflect on this latest defeat later, for they had more important matters to deal with now.

Their cover story checked out. It would have been impossible to fly directly from Vilita to Kinitaria, with airlines one by one refusing to fly into the dangerous and volatile situation that Kinitaria had became. It wasn't their nation any more, it wasn't a place where over a hundred and forty million people lived, it was simply a situation, to be pored over at length by foreign diplomats who eventually decided to do nothing except possibly restrict the sale of luxury goods to a few elites.

Most airports in the multiverse could have been designed by the same architect, who had a fondness for potted plants and lots of glass. The one in Tokai was fairly similar, although not many other airports would have carried so many ominous posters urging visitors to worship a mysterious shadowy figure who was apparently called "Kira". And that was before you even got to baggage reclaim. There was a green door up ahead, upon which was a sign in a few different languages - including, helpfully, English, which most of the squad knew at least a little - reading "Nothing to declare". There was a red one off to the side, and the sign on this one said "Goods to declare". There was no sign anywhere that said "People to declare".

If the entire squad burst into the customs office, they could possibly alarm the staff on duty. Alarming people in an airport was rarely a good idea. With an order to her side to "wait here", Melody Pond strode through the red door to be confronted with a Torisakian official.

"There are..." she did a quick count in her head, "thirty-one of us, and we'd like to request temporary political asylum in Torisakia. We're the Kinitar football squad."

by **HopNation** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:04 am

HopNation Hops
National Fußball Team News
Game One
World Cup 69 – the Cup for Chaps

Group 1
Plc Nation	Pts  +/-
1   Jecatria	3    +2
2   Mizuyuki	3    +1
3   Thatius	3    +1
4   HopNation	1     0
-   NSI		1     0
6   Jeckland	0    -1
7   Evraim	0    -1
8   Tryienne	0    -2

Matches
MD1:  vs NSI
MD2:  @ Evraim
MD3:  vs Jeckland
MD4:  @ Jecatria
MD5:  vs Mizuyuki
MD6:  @ Thatius
MD7:  vs Tryienne
Break
MD8:  @ NSI
MD9:  vs Evraim
MD10: @ Jeckland
MD11: vs Jecatria
MD12: @ Mizuyuki
MD13: vs Thatius
MD14: @ Tryienne
Win | Draw | Loss

Well the World Cup Qualifiers are under way and in our group there really weren’t to many surprises. Well maybe a couple, okay. We have Jecatria sitting in first place, what the hell is that all about anyway. Wait, it’s only day one and they played Tryienne so it wasn’t unexpected that they would win. But to have them sitting in first place is rather odd. Perhaps after another day’s games we’ll see a new first place team. As for the other surprise, at least it was to Northern Sunrise Islands, was our tie which, by the way was the only tie in our group, one of sixteen ties on the day. At least we weren’t like group 10 where out of the four games they had three ties. As for the game it was a good game from our perspective but with reserves being picked from the Sunrisian side they felt it was an underestimate of our talent that they came away with this draw. Schytaing opened things up with a nice goal, placing it well and making new keeper Joseph Jolly, well, look silly standing there. He even had to comment in a post match interview that he “didn’t throw it up”….whatever he means by that statement as he was clearly beaten by the shot and had little to no chance at it. NSI would score two goals to answer this opener by Schytaing, the first a self given showboating bicycle as Pietra Carvlho dribbled past just one defender after an exceptional centering pass was made. Their news feeds made it sound like he beat each and every one of our defenders, which he did not. Next was Sanui Shizuka who scored off of a corner kick, which was clearly a lack of picking up marks by our Hops. The last goal was scored by none other than Pheir, Pheir Droimpol who looked to be at top form again in this game, regulating the midfield play, serving balls wide to the attacking outside mids and even getting the ball to Schytaing for his goal. This one was a 35 yard rip after a poor clearance by a so called reserve defender from NSI. It was a one time volley that lifted then dipped under the bar with perfection at that range.

Our opponent may claim estimates were off, but we’ll have to see how this one point effects things during the second half of qualifying as we know it’s a well earned point and could very well be needed when final standings come around. Next up we visit Evriam who held their own versus a decent Thatius side. The game will be held at the Shimshon H Kedar Stadium and we fully expect a packed house for this one as Evraim is surely looking to take advantage of playing at home after their close game with Thatius on the road. Hopefully our Hops are ready and can play well away from the clang and noise of all the brew pots they are accustomed to at home. Either way I fully expect a great game by both sides.

Until next time Brew On! Brew Well Hoptonians!

Ringwald Griffensmith
HopNation Sports Writer

by **The Icemark** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:41 am

Odin's Hall, Frostmarris (Attendance: 30,000)
Two teams squared off at Odin's Hall both with points to prove. Just four years ago Boring Paradise had successfully qualified for the World Cup Finals while the Icemark were still in a period of international exile. Fast forward to the present day, and we see two nation's in the process of rebuilding their footballing reputations. In Boring Paradise's case it's the case of needing to improve from their worst qualifying campaign since World Cup 64, and for the Icemark it's the case of proving they can compete with the best after so long away.
The Icemark's return to international football two years ago went barely noticed with them finishing in a respectable mid-table position in their qualifying group, and only a surprise victory over Sargossa raising any eyebrows at all. In some respects the group they've been drawn into this time round is even tougher. current World Champions, Vilita, former Baptism Of Fire winners, Kinitaria, and the always dangerous, Boring Paradise all lie in wait.
It was Boring Paradise up first in a packed stadium. The Icemark fans were in fine voice, bouncing up and down creating an intimidating atmosphere which seemed to affect the opposition early on.
The Icemark made a fine opening, getting some joy down the right hand side in the early moments and only brilliant defending from John Alklani who laid his body on the line to excellently block Kol Lindenshield's 12-yard shot prevented the first shot on target. It was clear the Icemark had settled quicker and bar a couple of snap-shots remained in control and unthreatened.
They were refusing to allow Boring Paradise time and space to get their passing game going. There was no real end product yet though. There was plenty of sweat and effort from the home side, but their winger's crosses were failing to hit their targets in very blustery conditions.
On the half-hour mark Boring Paradise had a real let-off after their goalkeeper flapped at a cross which afforded Drakon Stagapoulous a pot-shot at goal. Unfortunately his effort flew high over the bar.
The game had really opened up as the half went on, and a few minutes before the referee put whistle to mouth the Icemark broke the deadlock.The ball was fed to Kol Lindenshield, bursting from midfield, who took a touch before drilling an unstoppable shot into the corner from 20 yards.

Group 3                                                  GD   Pts 
1 Novach                                                 +3     3
2 Vettrera                                               +2     3
3 Vilita                                                 +1     3
4 The Icemark                                            +1     3
5 Kinitaria                                              −1     0
6 Boring Paradise                                        −1     0
7 Gregoryisgodistan Special Administrative Zone          −2     0
8 Melthing                                               −3     0

Boring Paradise must have received a rollicking during the interval because they started the second half with fire in their bellies. Their strikers were causing all kinds of problems for the Icemark's back-line. One fine ball made it's way over the defence and their striker Shooby Armours found himself one-on-one with the keeper, but his tame effort was scrambled away. It was a real let-off for the hosts though.
Another near-miss came for the visitors soon after when Haider Williams bounced on a poor clearance but slammed his shot into the side-netting. The Icemark did manage one effort in the second half when Kallias Erresos superb dipping effort had the keeper beaten if not the post.
It was a relief when full-time came. It wasn't always pretty but few will argue that the Icemark deserved the victory. After a dominant first-half display, they showed resolve and determination to hang on that their opponents were unable to counter.

by **Raussland** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:46 am

Before the QPeMA game

"She's bringing who?!" Nathan spluttered over his cup of strange foreign juice.
"Her boyfriend, I think" Ari replied, nonchalantly "she's gone off to the airport. She was talking about last night but I wasn't really listening"

The pair, Nathan Buck and Ari Morgan, were sat in a park of sorts (more just a patch of grubby brown grass with a dried up fountain in the middle) in the centre of the desert, several hours before the kick-off of the match between Raussland and the newly returned Queer Poco el Mono Ara. It was expected to be an actually decent affair considering both the sides found themselves at the bottom of the world footballing ladder. Despite the fact that the actual team were playing, and most of the back room staff could probably find something more productive to do, Nathan and Ari had bunked off for a drink, or as Ari had put it: 'listening to Nathan whine on about a girl who's dating someone else with a cold drink on the side'.

"I don't see why you're so bummed out Bucky, he's a great guy. And Lucy adores him."
"Oh stop rubbing it in!"
Ari once again stared nonchalantly ahead "Step off Bucky, it's true. You'll love him as well. I certainly do, and you know, I hate everything!"
"That is true. And yeah, perhaps I'll like him. Perhaps he'll be great, and I'll forget all about Lucy"

Another dusty wind blew off the desert, littering the purple surface of Nathan's juice with red and black specs of sand. He picked them out and threw them away with haste. Nathan looked around; there were very few people around, and even fewer recognisable Rausslandic faces, despite the fact that supposedly 8,000 were supposed to have travelled to the country for the team's inaugural World Cup game. They'd probably stuck to their hotels for security reasons.

Half time of the game

The game so far had been far less entertaining than everyone had been expecting. The poor quality of both of the sides had shone through, with numerous errors on both sides, most notably a quite fantastic miss from Pocoan midfielder Ken Anyon, skying over the crossbar from as far away as 2 yards. Nathan was idly tapping away on his laptop when he was tapped on the shoulder. It was Lucy, and she was beaming.

"Hey Bucky, I want you to meet Jeremy, my boyfriend. He's just flown in from home."

Nathan offered a token smile before standing up and following. He supposed he should at least meet his competition for Lucy. Lucy led him across the bench and up into the stands above, where Jeremy and her were seated.

"Well, Jeremy, this is Nathan, and Nathan, this in Jeremy" she said, both arms wrapped around his torso. The man was a good deal taller than Nathan, whose 5ft 8" frame was nothing compared to Jeremy's surfer's physique. Nathan reluctantly met the offered handshake and exchanged pleasantries.

"So you're the stats nerd, eh? Keepin' track of all the records? Must be a really complicated job?"
"Well, yeah, it is a bit, lots of data, coming in all the time. But I reckon I've got a handle on it most of the time. Mark, have you met Mark?"
Jeremy shook his head.
"Well, Mark's a tech intern, and he helps me about. What do you do Jeremy?"
"I work at the Vet's surgery in Golden Palms, in Sunset Bay, sorta like a nurse-slash-trainee vet person. I'm studying part-time at the University to become an actual vet." Of course, he's a fucking vet as well
"Wow, sounds great." Nathan replied, feigning interest.
"Well, I've got a bit more work to do, so I'll leave you two alone. Enjoy the rest of the game Luce, nice meeting you Jeremy"

Nathan walked back down the steps to the bench, and took a seat next to Ari.

"Well, how was he?" Ari asked.
"Charming, just like you said. Lucy can't keep her hands off of him."
"Too right."

The whistle blew back on the field. Perhaps the action could increase to a level where Nathan could actually start enjoying it.

by **McKleigh** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:53 am

In the Gingers opening match of the qualifying round they saw their largets victory to date winning Francilie 5 to nil. Team captain Donovan McNeil had the nations first hat trick scoring at '23, '27, and '44. In his first match with the national team Deron Mcsands scored in the 2nd minute and both McSands and MacGrough were subed at the half by Willard Bruce and Ryan McStreya as McKleigh enjoyed a 4-0 lead. Nathan Barthalamew came in for Terry McIntrye at the '67 mark after Jonah MacGrough scored goal 5. McKleigh currently is tied with Hutt River for the largest goal differential in the cup, likely won't last long, but lets enjoy this prestigious position of success for the day shall we McKleighvians!

More in depth coverage as the WC progresses.

In other news, the already large population of McKleigh has recently increased by one!

by **Kandorith** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:57 am

The Golden Start

A complete victory, a milestone in Kandorese sports, these were the words muttered on the live broadcasts, blogs and even social media across the nation. The public was left stunned before they could even cheer when Kandorith finished their first game in an impressive win. With Social media in Kandorith completely exploding just after the first goal, it shows the success of the hashtag communication. This match marked the first time the Kandorese team got off to a start this well, before Kandorith normally started badly to just get in or just miss out of the World Cup. With the spirits high again this time, the fans are already sure Kandorith will make it trough the qualifiers. Tough opponents await the national team, but nothing they can not overcome according to experts

The first match in the World Cup qualifiers shows the legacy of the fresh coach, Yúan Genshí, is about to begin. He was approached by the press the morning after the match.

"Amazing work from the team, I expected much from them and they have shown me what they are made off." The obviously happy Yúan told the press. "The opening match is one of the most important matches as you need to build up morale throughout the whole campaign and settle in for an absolute unbeatable iron will to win and advance. I think we can keep up this level of football and I am certain we will surpass the previous achievements of the national team, to become the most celebrated and the most successful sports team of the nation and perhaps even the region." He continued.

"I knew this team was made up from winners, the best players our nation has to offer. I am almost inclined to call this team the 'golden generation' of Kandorith. We will get in there, we will play great football and we will win. Football is not always beautiful, in the end it's about scoring more goals than your opponent and putting the other team under pressure. That is exactly what we are going to do. We are going to play possessive football, conquer the midfield and put all our opponents under pressure. We will show the whole world exactly what our nation is made off. All the spot lights are on the 23 men in this team, the whole nation is praying for them and we will deliver!" Yúan expressed loudly, nearly banging his fist on the table in front of him.

Yúan is without a doubt the most eccentric coach the Kandorese football has ever seen, not another 'old bat' as most coaches were nicknamed in the media, but a young almost pop-star like in appearance. It is without doubt and not odd he is one of the favorites of this team for the ladies. Although his appearance deceives, he is known to be somewhat short tempered when it comes to coaching. Yúan was send off the field twice in the recent national championships for defying the referee and fourth officials; a rarity in the Kandorese football. Although he already informed the press he will keep his temper under control during the World Cup, because of the stakes.

When asked which match he was looking forward too the most he answered Kiryu-shi. "It would be the perfect match. A clash of cultures." he explained. "Kiryu-shi has similarities with our culture, our style of football and perhaps even some similarities in food." he said chuckling slightly. "I am absolutely looking forward to that match the most, I am sure it will be a great experience for the team and I am sure it will be one of the most entertaining matches this team will play." he concluded.

A preferred match, a record opening match and a very high morale among the coaching staff and the team, it looks like the Red Dragons are going to breathe fire or even transform into golden dragons.

by **Bears Armed** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 10:01 am

It is a busy day in the Council Groves headquarters of newspaper ‘The Bear Necessities’, and the people in the offices of that journal’s ‘Sport’s department might even be busier than those elsewhere in the building. Marrath Gray, the department’s chief editor walks from his private office out into their main ‘bullpen’ and begins a series of conversations with other staff members who were already there.

(Marrath) “Hrrombarth, you got that piece about how the FieldBall rresults from yesterday compare to those for the same point last season all written-up and ready for final editing?”

(Hrrombarth) “Ayyuh, guv’nor, it’s done and I’ve just given it to Marrhrrunh for checking. I'll be going over to Wimbley Arena for the boxing in a few momemts.”

(Marrath) “Hokay.
“Jharrge, the details of the other would-be ‘World Cup’ teams who’ve been drawn into the same groups as our girls?”

(Jharrge) “Some of them, guv’nor, but not all: Sorry, but with the World Cup Committee insisting on only sending out the information online, and the whatever-it-might-be scrambling international electronic communications getting hold of the facts has been trickier than usual. I’ve asked BAAAS, of course, but apparently even they don’t yet have as much information as they’d rreally prefer.” *

(Marrath) “Haven’t they been able to get the news back by raven, instead?”

(Jharrge) “Not so, neither, it seems. Something about

‘Red sky all day.
At home we stay.’ ”

(Marrath) “Urrgah!
“So, so far, hwhat have you managed to hunt-out for urrs?”

(Jharrge) “All of the Belles’ schedule for the qyulaifiers, first and second halves of the series, in terms of hwhom they’re playing against and hwhere each of their ‘home’ games will be; NSWCC rratings for the two teams that are seeded higher than urrs; and a few notes about some of the sides.”

(Marrath) “Show!”

(Jharrge) “Here.”
He hands over a sheet of paper…

Qualifiers
First series

BA versus Gonzalez Isle _ home, @ Wimbley; opponents Human, rroster available, style = ‘attacking’ but less so than the Belles; first ever game between the two teams.
WIN (3-to-0)

Bears Armed versus Jeru FC _ away _ opponents ranked fiveEights-and-seven’th, seeded second in the group; roster available, players apparently of various differing natures; this is likely to be at least third-hardest qualifying game for the Belles in this Cup, maybeso even second-hardest.
We have a long history with Jeru FC, even longer than the ‘Pink Cup’ rivalry with their civilian counterparts Jeruselem: An earlier line-up of theirs was actually the first ‘ranked’ team against hwhom the Belles ever played, a friendly match that took place when they responded to an open invitation that BAAS issued after our girls’ Baptism of Fire triumph but before the opening of qualifiers for the Belles’ first-ever World Cup campaign (for World Cup numbered FiveEights-and-four’th…) … Jeru then ranked at twoEights-and-seven’th, urrs at one-EightSquared, twoEights-and-four’th (jointly with Peisandros, the team hwhom our girls beat to win the BoF, the only team who’d beaten our girls earlier on during that same tournament…), match played at PlumTrees Park**, and the Belles managed to hold the visitors to a draw (2 goals each).

BA versus Cata Larga _ home game, @ Northport; opponents made their international debut in latest BoF, came second in their group, won in R-of-twoEights, eliminated in quarter-finals.
Cl just lost none-two against group’s first seeds, should be a fairrly easy win for our girls too.

BA versus New North Aqmuland _ away _
NNA just held Jeru FC to a draw, four-to-four, and I’m fairly sure that they’ve already been around for a Cup or three: This is a match for hwhich the Belles should take care not to get overconfident…

BA versus Paradystopia _ home game, @ Wimbley; opponents ranked twoEights-and-five’th, and seeded first in this group because of that… but current team mostly new to international play; rroster available, mostly Humans but also at least one Cat, style verry defensive, some of their players apparently favour trying to intimidate their opponents: Hah! They’ll see how little that works against urrs… ^_^
This is the other match that’ll probably be either the second-toughest or third-toughest challenge for our girls during these qualifiers, with the ‘away’ game against that same side being of course the the trickiest of all…

BA versus Wolfenia _ home game, @ Wimbley; opponents another side straight out of the latest Bof, came fourth in their group there but then didn’t get past the R-of-twoEights, and lost their opening qualifier [at home] by none-to-one against

Beaverriver: They’ve been around for a while, I know that they have, could maybeso be a little bit tricky, hopefully we’ll be able to get more information about them well before that game.

Second series
Same opponents, same order, ‘home’ for ‘away’ and vice-versa.

(Marrath) “Hr’rmm...
"Florise, match-report for yesterday’s game all rready, ayyuh?”

(Florise) “Ayyuh, guvv, doen and edited and ready to print.”

(Marrath) “Hokay. And did I hear it hrright, that newcomer Stephanie Bruin*** managed to score two of our girls’ three goals even though she was posted as a midfielder rather than as an actual forward?!”

(Florise) “Ayyuh, guvv, she did that, for true. First goal just seven moments into the game, hwhen she took the ball away from one of the other side’s forwards and seemed to get a bit carried-away about counterattacking, and then another around the middle of the second half — with Marra sunDaughter having already scored by then, too, just before the break — by getting lucky with a long shot that she used to clear the ball away from a hwhole bunch of the islanders…
“If she can keep that up then it smells to me that her chance arrival here was a fortunate event for urrs, that she was verry fortunate find, for true!”

(Marrath) “Ur’rmm..”

The room is suddenly filed by a flash of white light, temporarily blinding everybody there. They hear a thud, as though something moderately heavy had just dropped from a height, and then muttered cursing. As their eyes clear again they see a stranger standing in the middle of the room, using his left hand to feel his right leg in a way that suggested he was checking to discover how seriously it was hurt: He is a male Ursine, gingery-furred, and at the sort of age where he might be counted either as an adolescent or as a young adult. Three separate cameras of different types are hanging from straps around his neck, with a white bow-tie just visible behind those, and he is wearing a checked green jacket.

“Urrgah! he exclaims. “This definitely isn’t back home at the ‘Daily Urrth’. Hwhere have I been dropped this time?”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OOC

* Unfortunately the computer-system that I’m using seems not to have had its software updated as recently as would be desirable, because —I presume because of ‘compatibility’-based issues — it can’t look beyond the first page of the rankings table…

Fortunately [although to a lesser extent], however, my main RP theme for this Cup actually already contained elements that can be used to “justify” the idea of long-distance communications around the Bears being messed up by circumstances beyond their control.

** PlumTrees Park was the Belles’ original ‘home’ ground. Situated even closer to Council Groves than Wimbley is, borrowed & subsequently bought from National University, it served as the team’s base for around seven or eight World Cup cycles until demonic influence extending in our direction from the destroyed nation of Dancougar — managing to leak through the Bears’ defences against such threats by way of the display case in which a trophy that the Belles had been competing for against Danncougar’s national team was kept — jinxed the place. (OOC; The Belles had a really bad qualifying campaign…) After that the stadium was ritually cleansed and demolished, its materials (cleansed again) were shipped away for careful disposal, its soil (also cleansed again) ditto, and the site itself had part of a major river re-directed through it so that the ‘running’ water would help to keep it ‘clean’…

*** The irrepressible Miss Stephanie Bruin is another of my ursinified “borrowings” from DC Comics…

by **West Angola** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 10:05 am

Ministry of Sports, Namibe, West Angola
The match against Saintland had been a disappointment. While West Angola was certainly not projected to win, especially given their dismal international performance over the last nine years, they had managed to hold Saintland to a nil-nil sheet until the 89th minute, when a goal from Prince Andreas, the brother of the Sanctii King, Petrus XX, had gifted the top seeds a win to open their qualifying campaign. The match was somewhat overshadowed, however, by an unexpected protest outside the stadium by members of the Feministvs Sanctvsterra, a team of women who had stood in for Saintland’s team on multiple occasions when the notoriously conservative and paranoid Sanctii government refused to allow their team to play for some reason or another, most notably for the entirety of World Cup 67. While many passed them by, doing their absolute best to ignore the chanting group of women, some few, mostly female fans, stopped to listen, and left with a vastly increased knowledge as to Saintland’s oppressive policies towards women. Two attendees, however, saw something more, although they each saw different things.

After the match, the Minister of Sport, Blake Verderame, had requested the Queen come to his office for a meeting at the same time she had summoned him to the Palace. After a little confusion, the Queen had elected to go to the Ministry, not out of deference, but out of a desire to consult with additional members of it regarding her idea. The Minister, realizing that the Queen’s summons likely meant she was thinking along the same lines as he, already had his staff drafting the necessary letters, press dispatches, and communiques by the time Anna arrived, but out of deference to her station, he allowed her to speak first.

“Minister Verderame, the female protesters from Saintland present us with an opportunity to perhaps turn today’s defeat into a victory. I presume from your request that I visit that you have drawn a similar conclusion?”

“I have, my Queen, and I’ve taken the liberty of beginning to work out a course of action with the help of my staff. We will issue a formal condemnation of King Petrus’ misogynistic practices and declare that we no longer recognize any football team sanctioned by him as representing the nation of Saintland. Then, we will announce our full support for Feministvs Sanctvsterra and recognize them as Saintland’s representative at the World Cup. Accordingly, our match against Saintland did not involve their true football team, will be void in our eyes. We will demand that the World Cup Committee declare the match a forfeit and award us three points.”

“Ambitious. Will it work?”

“If you mean will the WCC declare the match a forfeit? Most likely not. But it will establish our support for the mistreated and oppressed women of Saintland, and give us a reason to enact the next step?”

“The next step? I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the first step, we don’t accomplish anything long-term except to make Petrus rather upset with us. He may even take it out on our team when we travel there in the second leg.”

“That’s the beauty of it, your highness, our team won’t go to Saintland.”

“You mean-”

“Yes. We will announce that, for the first time in history, West Angola will field an all-female football team for one match in solidarity with the women of Saintland.”

“How does that help? There’s plenty of excellent female footballers in this country, but they didn’t make the national team. Mary White and Anna Williams are certainly as good if not better than their male counterparts, but anyone else would certainly be a drop in quality.”

“If our best couldn’t beat Saintland at home, they won’t do it on the road. On the other hand, if Saintland has these sorts of policies towards women in place, an all-female team will likely make them nervous, or at least affect their focus. Our best chance at beating them is to follow my proposed course of action. If we can’t outplay them, we’ll rattle them. As an added bonus, if we do win, seeing a team of women beat their vaunted all-male group might do something for the feminist movement there, you never know.”

Anna was quiet for a few seconds, “It has merit, to be sure, but I was thinking of something different. Along the same lines as your plan, but with a different goal in mind. Thinking about it, I believe we can mesh my plan with yours to accomplish both goals with one stroke. We do all that you have said, now that you’ve explained it I particularly like the part about sending the all-female team to Saintland, and about a month from now we announce that we have discovered similar abuses occurring among some of the more “progressive” partisan factions in Cabinda, the ones with the best chance of taking control and instituting something akin to a liberal government. The main obstacle to our moving in is the perception among the people that one or more of these groups, especially Blevit, is going to stabilize the country without our intervention, and we need to ensure that the idea of those groups leading Cabinda is no longer a good thing in the public mind. To that end, we need to establish them as misogynistic groups who abuse women and will do worse if they gain more power. That will allow us to finally justify an invasion.”

Verderame was confused, “That’s not a goal my Ministry is largely concerned with, your highness, so why come to me?”

“You’re correct, Minister, but those involved in accomplishing it are or have been your people. As Minister of Sports, you have the most direct contact with Saintland out of any of us, which will make you the spokesman of our campaign against their misogyny. In addition, you will produce documents and affidavits from members of your staff from when John Blevit was still a player for the national team attesting to his anti-female sentiment. You will release a letter he wrote to you personally begging you to remove Anna Williams from the team on the grounds that women are unfit to play football, with at least one rambling paragraph about the inherent superiority of men. Once that is done, you will announce that Blevit once sought to have female observers removed from a private practice session and had to be restrained by security from attacking them. All this will lend credence to our case against him, and also increase the public’s attention to the cause of women’s rights here and abroad.”

The Queen’s self-justifications didn’t fool Verderame, but her morality was legendary in West Angola, and it was widely known among members of the government that she spent a lot of time lying to herself to justify actions she took in the name of improving West Angola that were of slightly dubious morality. All the same, he was fully on board with the plan, it would help the football team in the return leg against Saintland, and it might even get the first match’s result overturned, although he doubted it. Additionally, John Blevit’s defection had been a massive black eye to the Ministry, and he was eager for a chance to get back at the Cabindan-midfielder-turned-partisan.

NAMIBE CHRONICLE

WEST ANGOLA CONDEMNS SAINTLAND, DEMANDS FORFEIT OF MATCH

Queen Anna addresses reporters and gathered citizens outside the Palace yesterday as she issues a formal condemnation of Saintland's King, Petrus XX

NAMIBE- In the aftermath of West Angola’s 1-nil defeat at the hands of Saintland earlier this week, the Sporting Ministry and Queen Anna have jointly issued a condemnation of Saintland’s policies towards women. As previously reported, attendees to the opening match first had to navigate through a crowd of female protesters from Saintland, known as Feministvs Sanctvsterra. This group has previously represented Saintland in international football matches when the main team was unable or was not permitted to play, and apparently expected to play the match against West Angola before being informed that the male team was slated to play. Not to be deterred, Feministvs Sanctvsterra proceeded to protest the misogynistic practices of Saintland’s government prior to and following the match, and apparently their message was heard by the government.

In the condemnation, the Queen calls King Petrus XX’s domestic policy on females “shameful and disgusting…unfit for a modern, civilized society.” She goes on to say that neither she nor the Sporting Ministry “recognizes the group of misogynists, including the King’s own brother, to be the true footballing representatives of Saintland.” In a separate press release, also submitted to the World Cup Committee, the Sporting Ministry requested that since the “true Sanctii team did not participate in the most recent qualifying match, said match be declared a forfeit and the win be awarded to West Angola, and all future Sanctii matches not involving Feministvs Sanctvsterra also be declared forfeit in the eyes of the World Cup Committee.”

While undoubtedly motivated at least in part by a desire to see West Angola given a win by any means necessary, women’s groups with West Angola have already expressed support for the announcement, with Whitney Veral, the President of the National Association for Women’s Advancement (NAWA), said it represented a “historic step forward for the government to take a stand on women’s rights on an international scale. This is an advancement of the status of women in this country not seen since Anna was elected Queen.” Additionally, Nicole Adams, Director of Press Relations at the West Angolan Women’s Empowerment Committee (WAWEC) declared “the full support of all West Angola’s women for those in Saintland, and all over the world who feel themselves oppressed by male regimes.”

by **Alexanderburn** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 10:52 am

0-1 loss to Gregoryisgodistan begins World Cup 69 qualifying bid

Alexanderburn fell behind the 29th minute and was never able to make up the difference in score against its opposition last night as they lost their opening match 0-1 against Gregoryisgodistan. Each team had a relatively slow game, and notably Mathiassen was criticized for having a boring and possessing midfield. Though Alexanderburn possessed the ball for 61% of the game, they only had 7 shots compared to their opponent's 14. A clogged up midfield yield little result for the ANFT, and in fact left them exposed defensively when the stronger Gregorian team was able to collect the ball in a failed passing attempt in the attacking midfield and put the ball in the net with a burst of shear speed from their two strikers and two midfielders against three defenders. Simply put, Collett, Holierhoek, and Fiedler do not work together, as noted in an Op-Ed piece from the Norfolk Journal in today's edition. Three defensive midfielders will yield to a slow paced game, and with the ages of 28, 30, and 31, also lead to a slow rebuttal to a fast offense that results in a three man defense being easily penetrated on the counter.

Today against Alundas in Portsmouth, the Blue and White are looking for a win to neutralize last night's results. The lineup for the match was sent to the press by the coach himself earlier today, and he noted that he wanted to produce a more offensive team than the 3-4-2-1 formation that he employed last night, and likely due to pressure from the ANFT board, he has changed his tactics to a 4-3-2-1, which in theory would simply mean adding a defender and dropping a midfielder to create a seemingly more defensive lineup. However, this all works to the contrary, and it seems as if the stubbornness of Mathiassen has been temporarily broken by choosing to go with a more aggressive group of individuals that complements the equally more offensive formation. The 4-3-2-1 being used for today can easily be converted to a 4-3-3 in times of offense, in comparison to the 3-4-3 that could have evolved under the former tactic. Unlike the altered 3-6-1 the coach employed in the last game, the defense would not have to rely as much on a defensive midfielder to run in from a more attacking position to supplement the defense, rather an additional defender used will help to provide a strong support in the form of a center back. Mathiassen has decided to give Doyle this new position, while replacing him on the left back position with the debuting Krönenberger, a young and speedy defender who can provided support for the attack through the flanks while still structurally being a part of an equipped defense, and replacing Hooper with the more able Ebersberger, who plays naturally as a right back and thus has the speed to switch between aiding those upfield and completing his task as a defender.

Furthermore, the midfield is strengthened in terms of offense by employing van der Rafael instead of Fiedler, now 31; this helps to add eleven extra years worth of speed, agility, and strength in assisting counterattacking plays and helping to move the ball more quickly up the field. Collett was dropped due to a lack of a need for him in a defensive midfielder position, as the captain Holierhoek was favored to play a more supporting role for the midfield in his natural position, in addition to his substance as a key playmaker from the back of the midfield as opposed to Collett's more defensive mindset. Schroeder was moved to the left side to make way for the aforementioned van der Rafael, who only plays right winger, and Frederiksen, Jameson, and van der Pol all retain their natural roles as the backbone of goal scoring, despite the former two of the three being midfielders.

"We want to create a strong midfield, because that's where the game is won - in the middle," noted Mathiassen to the Alexanderburnese press. "The team doesn't normally lose the ball in their own defense, and it is normally not the biggest problem to turn over the ball in the opponent's third as well after taking a shot. The biggest problem nowadays is team's losing the ball in dangerous positions in the midfield, and I want my team to be able to exploit the weaknesses of other teams by quickly being able to collect lost balls and converting them to goals. That is true modern soccer." However, it seems as if Mathiassen will have to abandon his redesign of the team into a so-called modern team in favor of a winning approach. And that is the reason behind today's 4-3-2-1 lineup, although the flanks are strongly emphasized in comparison to a traditional 4-3-2-1 formation.

Alundas lineup:

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