Di Bradini Cup 32/U21WC53 RP/Roster/Scores Thread

[Zenic]

“Here we are again. We’re going to have to do some impressive things to avoid a repeat,” spoke Brutus Cremona, assistant manager of the U21 Zenic squad.

Beside him stood the team medic, Dr. Wandal Oceanus. Oceanus had been the doctor for Real Old Maiz for many years, during which the team became well known for having the healthiest team every season. He doubled as one of the team’s trainers, specifically being the fitness trainer. It helped give him more control over the health of the players since he could help them prepare their bodies better to lessen the chance of getting an injury in the first place. Tying into that, he was a bit of a control freak and was strict with the fitness regimen and healing regimen but controlled it well enough when it came to understanding the fear, anger and anxiety people felt concerning medicine and the healing process.

The two walked through the hallways of the hotel in Manechester that the team was resting in. They had just come off of a difficult win over Supr-Llamaland where they clinched their spot in the playoff and a slightly disappointing draw against Cosumar where Assendorp decided to play many of their bench players to give the starters a rest. However, even though Assendorp was furious, since USI has clobbered Jeckland, Brutus was aware that they would have finished second in the group anyways. Plus, they had no time to dwell on what could have been as they had made it to the second round for the second straight year. Now, they face off against Felix, one of the stronger nations in Esportiva and one that was similar to Zenic in their talent across the age groups.

In somewhat stressful times like these, Cremona enjoying walking around and letting his mind think in silence while every so often spurting out thoughts to others. This is why he would walk around at night with Oceanus for an hour and a half whenever the team participated in events. Oceanus’ strict regimen demand applied to himself as well so he dedicated an hour and a half of walking every night before he went to bed. Despite the calculated and seemingly ever knowing nature that Oceanus exuded, he had a terrible sense of direction and almost always had some kind of guide or set of detailed directions with him. This arrangement worked out for both of them: Oceanus would have a guide so he could stay on his strict regimen while Cremona had a companion that he could bounce thoughts and ideas off of.

Tonight was a particularly quiet night as both realized what was at stake: something more than a spot in the quarterfinals. Both the U15 and senior side had won a tournament as well as done very well in subsequent events. You could tell it was affecting the U21 players since they were the only ones to not win something so far. Most of the players were distracted during the Cosumar game as they kept track of the Copa Rushmori third place playoff in which the senior side emerged victorious over Taeshan. A win here in the second round against Felix could help give the team enough momentum to finally be as successful as the national teams on the other levels. ‘Maybe this was the year; Maybe it wasn’t,’ thought Cremona as the two silent companions reacted their rooms right on schedule.

“I hope it is,” Cremona whispered as each entered their rooms and shut the door behind them.

[Schottia]

Daily Worker Sport

Schottia 1 -0 95X
Derby Field in Manehattan

---

It seems like little can dampen the Schottic youngsters march in this year’s Di Bradini Cup. The team who had to come through an initial qualification group now stand eight games unbeaten notching up four wins and scoring fifteen goals in the process.

The team’s latest victory, a 1-0 win over 95X has guaranteed that they top the group on ten points, hopefully earning them an easier draw against Nephara in the last sixteen. At the start of the tournament few would have predicted that the White and Greens could have done this well, picking up wins against nations who’s senior sides are rated much higher in the ranking tables.

Schottia took the match to 95X from the offset, and Eoin Killanen tested the keeper in the second minute with a low, stinging drive which was turned wide for a corner. The resulting set-piece was headed just wide by Handon United striker Glen Stephens.

By mid-way through the first half Schottia were in complete control with players like Theo Crillin and Till Umann stroking the ball around the park at leisure. The Schotts had their second clear cut chance on 25 minutes when Killanen this time turned provider, threading Umann through on goal. However the defender did just enough to put the eighteen year old of, and all he could do was watch on as this shot was easily picked up by the keeper.

Schottic tensions were lifted in the 39th minute when they finally broke the deadlock, much to the relief of their traveling fans. Killanen, who was at the heart of everything Schottia did well in the match, was again at the centre of it. The young FC Zurich midfielder managed to break free from his marker and cut inside the box. From there he was able to wrong-foot another two 95X players before slotting the ball home to score the game’s only goal. This did a lot to settle the Schottic support who had become frustrated at the lack of clear-cut chances on goal.

The game seemed to fizzle out as a contest after this, 95X had already been eliminated before a ball had even been kicked, and Schottia were more than content to hold on to their lead. Their best chance to double their tally came twelve minutes before the end when substitutes Fred Dawson and Kim Coultan combined to good effect. Dawson did extremely well to hold the ball up on the left hand side to allow the little midfielder to overlap. Coultan was able to ride a strong challenge making her way into the box, however the Dundee midfielder just managed to pull her shot wide of the target.

The game finished 1-0 and although Schottia had already qualified, it will come as some sort of achievement finishing top of the group. Manager Jock Sonny later said he was “delighted with the performance” and was “eagerly anticipating the next match.”

The nation once again will have their hearts in their mouths as Schottia take on Nephara at Sky-High Coliseum in Cloudsdale. Sonny is believed to be set to go with an unchanged starting line-up.

[Tumbra]

Quentin Robin had arrived in the Equestrian States.
Sure, Peter would be leaving the next day, so that Godric Wexler fellow might have just flew straight to Tumbra.
But Peter...Peter was a special case.
He was a product of the Karanooga Jet-Setters youth system, and had quickly risen through the ranks to become second-choice striker in the National Team, and starting striker for the Jet-Setters.
Heck, he was the reason why the Jet-Setters made it to the TFL Final, only to lose on penalties.
Admittedly he always felt that the boy was underpaid, but the new contract he was going to offer would increase his pay from 40,000 pounds to 70,000 in order to counter whatever that Godric Wexler was prepared to pay.
It was a high price, but it was worth anything to re-sign the boy who scored twelve goals in seven games, and nine in the first three to boot.
Silently, he also cursed himself. He should have offered a new contract before the Di Bradini Cup.
Was it too late?

[The Inevitable Syndicate]

Of course I didn’t go directly to you when I attempted to find out the truth - I wouldn’t have got anywhere with you guys. No, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and head to the source of these calls - the telephone exchange. At least, everything I’d found pointed to the telephone exchange, and I assumed that I’d find more answers when I got there. What I did find, however, was a little different. I didn’t take the usual approach here. After all, you were looking for me now, and I didn’t want you to know quite what I was up to yet. So, I simply walked into the exchange, with a gun in my coat just in case, and asked if I could look through their computer system. When they declined, I punched the lovely man at reception in the face and took the lift up to the sixth floor. Seemed like a good place to start, as that was where the Central Management office was.

I walked into the office, and it was empty. Filled to the brim with things, but completely devoid of people. I figured the computer on the desk would be the best place to start, so I cracked on and saw what I could find on who exactly had been calling my house. It took a while, as I’m no way versed in whatever computer system they’re using down at the exchange. I did eventually find my phone records, after barring the door to the office with a broom that someone had left around, as I was sick of knocking people out as they came in and throwing them out the room.
Anyway, I discovered that the calls were coming from a building not too far from where I lived, and I made plans to visit it during that evening. I would have done, if not for the spanner that was thrown in the works. Upon closing down the computer, I noticed that the broom handle I’d wedged the door with broke off, in quite a sharpish manner. And through the doors stepped a man, I think, wearing a tank top and jeans. On his face was a mask, this one a lion. Big Cat, sent to take me, the rat, out. Whoever the phone callers were, they had a sense of poetry, I’ll give them that. He had a baseball bat in his hand, and it looked like he was wearing knuckledusters. I flinched as a potted plant was thrown towards my face. The bat looked bloodied. I hoped he hadn’t slain anyone important.

He charged at me, bat raised above his head, and took a swing at the desk. He cleaved it in two, but I was deft enough to step out the way and try to make a mad dash for the exit. I didn’t want to kill him, and tried to reason with the guy, but I knew in my heart that there was no chance I was going to reason with anyone who had received the phone calls. I’d had plenty of people offer me things in return for their lives, but each and every time I had refused out of fear. I didn’t know what the consequences were back then, but as I ran through the telephone exchange to get to the car, I finally realised that once I had outlived my usefulness, they would send another to snuff me out. I wondered if that’s what I was supposed to be doing to Eagleface on that night in the club. I also wondered if I would make it out of this alive.

Luckily, the guy with the lion mask was rather bulky, unlike me, who preferred to slink about the place, much like the rat whose head I wore when doing my job, I escaped out of the building and floored it before I could see where LionBar was, and when I got home I sat on a chair, in front of the door, gun in hand, waiting for someone to come in. I thought of everything I’d done. I thought of the girl, and how my situation mirrored hers.

But nobody came. Nobody left a message, either. And I didn’t get messages for a week. But then, I received one, from a rather unpredictable source...

[Furellum]

Chapter 1:The Arrival
Chapter 2: War Plans
Chapter 3:Into War
Chapter 4: Out of the Fire, into the Cauldron

Into Darkness
Dobroslav Anghelescu was lost somewhere underneath Rodenia, above the fighting seemed to have died down; Dobroslav wondered who was winning. He guessed the Corvidae -after all, they had a proper army, and guns too. Dobroslav's rifle was somewhere in the Rode river, where he would be too if had not been for the otter private behind him. Private Yakim Gavrilyuk, he'd introduced himself as, while the wolf beside him was private Andrei Kozlov. The three soldiers walked through the dark tunnels, working more by feel then anything. Dobroslav wished one of them had been a cat; their eyesight would have been a boon in this darkness. There was too much odour here for his nose to be of any help, and his canine eyes couldn't cut through the gloom. So the three men wandered through the dark tunnel as it wound under the city. A fork, and Dobrosalv tried to stay on the main tunnel, as he tried to get a reference on their location. He knew the river was behind them somewhere, but the path had twisted and turned so much he'd completely lost track. Then the tunnel ended, and he was faced with a choice, left or right. For no reason whatsoever, he chose right, and they moved on once again into darkness.

Iron bars, a rusted lock. A sharp retort into the door, a smoking gun, a broken lock. Yakim shouldered his rifle once more as Dobrosalv swung the gate open. Oddly, it made no sound, and he examined the hinges. Although the gate was rusty, the hinges looked like they'd been oiled recently. Had someone come down here of late? Perhaps they were near an exit. Another door, this time wood. Again, Yakim shot at the lock, and it too swung open noiselessly. Dobroslav stepped into a dark room. That is to say, it was not dark in the sense that he could not see, for there were oil lamps burning brightly away in their holders on the four pillars in the corners. Rather, it was dark in the sense that the walls, the floor, the ceiling, every stone and brick, were covered in black paint. Over the top of the black were white lines, surrounding a stone pillar, like an altar, in the centre of the room. As Dobroslav examined the lines, he realised that they were forming large birds, flying around the altar. They looked to him like the crow on the Corvidae flag. Was this a Corvidae cult, some sort of strange ritual chamber to a secret society. He'd heard terrible tales of the Hoodcrows, Special Administrator Kedzierski's mage spies and assassins. Tales of necromancy and dark, forbidden powers, of missing people and terrifying experiments.

Andrei shouted that he'd found another exit, and Dobroslav hurried over. He had no idea what this place was for, but he knew he didn't want to stay here a minute longer. As he was about to leave, he felt his foot strike something. Looking down, he saw it was a pair of dice. It was s tarnge thing to find in such a place. Were they connected with some sort of ritual, perhaps, whose meaning was unclear to him? Or had the place been used by underground gamblers? He didn't know, and he also didn't know why he reached down and picked the dice up and put them in his pocket. Then, with a last glance around, he left the dark room and never looked back.

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

ESTENIA VS. ABANHFLEFT: AS IT HAPPENED
By Luke Edwards

HOOFSTON, EQUESTRIAN STATES - Luke Edwards here, still sitting in for the homebound Noburo Paulsky, and still sitting beside Martin Tyler and Alan Smith. Today is Abanhfleft's last game in the group stages, and it's a must-win game. A draw is a little bit okay, but the three points are very preferable from the 1 point of a draw or the no points of a loss. Meanwhile, Estenia's already at the bottom of the table now, so they're most probably just playing for pride and country now. Estenia is wearing their blue kit, and therefore we are once again playing in our red-and-yellow kit. The last time we played in our white-and-blue kit, I think, was against Farfadillis, which is actually just one game ago. Here are the starting lineups.

ESTENIA - STARTING LINEUP
GK: Yuri Alekseyevich
RB: Yuri Jakobson
RCB: Yuri Makareshi
LCB: Filipp Kuuto
LB: Feliks Andreev
CDM: Ali Murimov
RW: Grigory Aslamovich
LW: Ilya Arnautov
CAM: Yuri Astamov
RS: Marko Mistrevich
LS: Filipp Orgonov
Formation: 4-1-3-2 (?)

ABANHFLEFT - STARTING LINEUP
GK: Ikenna Obama
RB: Florence Patterson
RCB: Ainsley Gibson
LCB: Melisizwe Afolayan
LB: Catarina Soler
RDM: Cedric Pearson
CDM: Lea Choi
LDM: Valery Zolnerov
CAM: Rory Edwards (captain)
RS: Zsofia Dolan
LS: Karen Villegas
Formation: 4-3-1-2

Here's the coin toss. We've won the toss. Rory Edwards chooses the goal next to the Fleftic fans, which is also where the sun is shining right now. Estenia will have a hard time aiming shots against all that light.

00:01 - And we're off! Abanhfleft will start the kickoff, and here's Zsofia and Karen probing the Estenian midfield.

6 minutes: Bit of a slow first five minutes of the match; no one really making anything that could be reasonably called "shots." Hang on a minute, though. Zolnerov with the ball. Probing, probing. Dolan's broken free of the defender! Valery will pass. Zsofia will take the shot! Yuri Alekseyevich clears it with no problem.

12 minutes: Oh, my God. Estenia on the counterattack. Murimov has the ball. Aslamovich calls for it, and he gets it. Arnautov making a run into the penalty box. The offside trap doesn't work! Ikenna Obama is all alone against Ilya Arnautov! This has got to be the opening goal! And it is! GOAL!!! ESTENIA 1-0 ABANHFLEFT

13 minutes: Abanhfleft will restart the game by kicking off.

17 minutes: Abanhfleft on the counterattack. Edwards with the ball. He sees Dolan open on the wings. It's onside. Zsofia's been forced into the wings. She will cross. Not her best skill. The ball lands right in the keeper's hands.

21 minutes: Now it's Estenia's turn to counterattack. Arnautov with the ball. He finds Orgonov in some space! But the linesman's raised his flag. This time, the offside trap has worked.

26 minutes: Abanhfleft with the direct free kick. Karen Villegas in a very dangerous position at just 27 yards from goal. No other kick takers; this is all Karen's show. She will kick hard. Over the crossbar. Wasted chance. Too much power behind that shot.

30 minutes: Abanhfleft still on the attack. Zolnerov once again setting up the play. Rory's open! Valery will cross. Rory's head is there... but so is Yuri Alekseyevich's fist! Oh! What a jarring collision! Little brother is dazed! But he's up and about after just maybe thirty seconds. The ref sees no malicious intent, so it's just a warning to the Estenian keeper. Rory says he's still fit to play.

35 minutes: Estenia now finally on the attack again after fifteen minutes of pure Fleftic action. Aslamovich setting up the play. He finds an open Mistrevich! Marko Mistrevich takes a shot from outside the box! Oh, it's just wide of the left post!

41 minutes: Abanhfleft with another free kick. This time we've got three players surrounding the ball, just 30 yards from goal. Valery Zolnerov... is a fake. Rory Edwards... shoots! Yuri Alekseyevich clears it... right into Cedric Pearson's feet! He takes the shot! Cleared by Alekseyevich once again! And this time no Fleftic player is on hand to become a threat to the Estenian keeper now.

44 minutes: Cedric Pearson running down the pitch. Rory Edwards is free! Cedric obliges! Rory takes a shot just inside the box! GOAL!!! ESTENIA 1-1 ABANHFLEFT And Abanhfleft is finally on the scoreboard!

45 minutes: Estenia will restart play, just as the ref announces that we will be having three minutes of added time.

45 minutes + 3: And the first half is over! Estenia and Abanhfleft are currently equal at 1-1. Rory Edwards is holding his head though; probably an aftereffect from that collision with Yuri Alekseyevich's fist. Whether he'll be coming back for the second half remains to be seen, though.

As the two teams step back onto the pitch for the start of the second half, Karen Villegas is now wearing the captain's armband, and she has been moved to the CAM position, and Marguerite Chambers is in Karen's usual left striker position. Rory Edwards is now on the bench, with an ice pack to his head. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): RORY EDWARDS OUT, MARGUERITE CHAMBERS IN

45:01 - Estenia will begin this second half.

49 minutes: Abanhfleft once again on the attack. Lea Choi is looking for someone to feed the ball to. Karen Villegas is open. Lea will chip the ball to Karen. Karen is in prime position for a shot. She kicks! Oh, Alekseyevich's got his hand on it! He throws it back into the box, and Zsofia Dolan makes another attempt, but it's wide. But hang on a minute. The ref says a goal's been scored! How in the bloody hell did that happen? There's lots of boos from the Estenian fans, and lots of cheers from the Fleftic fans. The ref asks for a goal-line replay. Here it is. Well, Karen's onside when she made the shot. Here's Alekseyevich's hand reaching out to catch the ball. Wait, it's beyond the goal line when he got his hand on it! It was indeed a goal! And now the Fleftics are really celebrating now! From the men to the women to the gays to the lesbians to the genderqueers, everyone's in a state of bedlam! GOAL! ESTENIA 1-2 ABANHFLEFT And Karen's being mobbed by her teammates for giving their country the lead.

50 minutes: Estenia will restart play.

53 minutes: Corner kick for Estenia. Murimov will take the corner. That's a nice curve on the ball there. Jakobson's head finds the ball! Over the crossbar.

59 minutes: What's this, the twentieth Fleftic counterattack in this game? Cedric Pearson running into the Estenian half. Lots of options in there. He chooses Zsofia Dolan. Oh, my God; it bounces right off of the post! At least it's right back into Zsofia's feet, and she kicks once again! Now it's just shamefully wide. And Radoslaw Montwill has decided that Zsofia's day is over. Garrett Krantz will now take over for the right striker position. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): ZSOFIA DOLAN IN, GARRETT KRANTZ OUT

65 minutes: Free kick for Estenia. Four Estenian midfielders surround the ball. Yuri Astamov... is a fake. Ilya Arnautov... is a fake. Ali Murimov... kicks! Oh, right on goal! But Ikenna Obama's caught it, and he's curling up like a hedgehog and won't let go of the ball now.

68 minutes:: Andrei Stampov will bring in some fresh attacking blood for his team now. SUBSTITUTION (ESTENIA): YURI ASTAMOV OUT, GEORGIY MAKUROV IN

71 minutes: Never let it be said that this game was boring. Corner kick for Abanhfleft. Valery Zolnerov will take the corner. Why he's taking it, I don't know. He's not the regular corner taker, and it's immediately obvious in this kick. Oh, my God, right at Yuri Makareshi's feet. The Estenian clears it with ease.

76 minutes: Catarina Soler making an absurd run deep into the opponent's half. How and why a back like her is making such a run is beyond me. Darned work rates, man. Oh, Zolnerov's in the box. Catarina crosses. Valery Zolnerov jumps higher than the defenders! GOAL!!! ESTENIA 1-3 ABANHFLEFT Abanhfleft is building a bigger and bigger lead now.

77 minutes: Estenia will restart play for the third time, but not before Andrei Stampov goes for a defensive option. SUBSTITUTION (ESTENIA): FILIPP KUUTO OUT, ANDRIY LEMUROV IN

82 minutes: Garrett Krantz has managed to outrun the defenders, and now only the keeper is in his way! He shoots! And he scores! GOAL!!! ESTENIA 1-4 ABANHFLEFT

83 minutes: Estenia will restart play for the fourth time. Radoslaw Montwill will use his final substitution for more manpower in the back four. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): CATARINA SOLER OUT, SHELLY MURRAY IN

89 minutes: Quite possibly the last attack for Estenia now, as the 89th minute is winding down. Yuri Astamov penetrating deep into the Fleftic half. He finds Marko Mistrevich open. Mistrevich shoots! Obama clears the ball. Quite a disappointment for Estenia, this is.

90 minutes: Just one minute of added time. It's all over now, even if it isn't.

90 minutes + 1: And it's over. Abanhfleft gets three points, and the automatic qualification into the round of 16.

(Author's note: Abanhfleft will be facing Furellum in the round of 16.)

            ESTENIA 1 - 4 ABANHFLEFT
ILYA ARNAUTOV (12')       RORY EDWARDS (44')
                          KAREN VILLEGAS (49')
                          VALERY ZOLNEROV (76')
                          GARRETT KRANTZ (82')

SUBSTITUTIONS
ESTENIA
Yuri Astamov ↓, Georgiy Makurov (68')
Filipp Kuuto ↓, Andriy Lemurov (77')

ABANHFLEFT
Rory Edwards ↓, Marguerite Chambers (45')
Zsofia Dolan ↓, Garrett Krantz (59')
Catarina Soler ↓, Shelly Murray (83')

MORE NEWS: ARSENAL DE RELEINTHI CONFIRM PETER JONES TALKS • RIUWIEE UNITED SEEKS SERVICES OF JOHANNES MEDICI • LUDOGORETS MARKOVSKY CONFIRM INTEREST IN LIAM FREDERICKS

[United States of Devonta]

United States of Devonta Passes Through Group F!
_{Hard work brings success, the undefeated move on}

United States of Devonta 5-2 Lymantatia

United States of Devonta (4-4-2 Diamond): Vanburen, Styles, Benton, Rice, Martin, Hernandez, Crox, Edwards, Tallahassee, Adams, Madrid


Quick Stats:
57% Possessions, 16 Shots, 12 on goal
43% Possessions, 11 Shots, 5 on goal

Goals: Adams (3', 65') Madrid (45+2'), Martin (29"), Edwards (83')

CAUTIONED: Benton (34'), Edwards (61'), Adams (90+3')
EJECTED: --NONE--

Schedule:
MD1: Bye
MD2: United States of Devonta 3-3 Kiryu-shi
MD3: United States of Devonta 2-0 Nassau Hessen
MD4: United States of Devonta 1-1 Polar Islandstates
MD5: United States of Devonta 5-2 Lymantatia

---

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

"And our opponent..."

Her eyes rolled through the website page, staring with a bit of worry about it. As much as the team did incredibly well on the first part of the Cup, getting the closest thing to perfection any team got to in this Under-21 World Cup (or Di Bradini Cup, if you really feel like it); they were still rather imperfect and the game against the Zenic team clearly shown that up. Other players were around the boy, all wondering who they got on their way. Eventually, Cleo found it, taking a deep breath.

"The Royal Kingdom of Quebec."

"Psh." said C. P. Money. "That's on our bag. A bunch of losers that forgot their way to the hockey field.". The Southern Sunrisian opened a grin, only to be stopped thanks to the voice of June Gardot. "Actually, the Quebécois have been an uprising force at football these days. Therefore, it'd be best for our interests if we do not take them anyhow lightly.". Money stared at the North Edenian, angrily; before feeling a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. and anyone." started Leona Bonecrusher, applying a surprising amount of pressure to Money's shoulder. "Regardless of their favorite sport, should be taken lightly at the Round of 16 of a Di Bradini Cup. Are we clear?"

"I wonder what we'll do against them." pondered Henrietta. "No offense, but these guys seem like trouble. Specially this Kontiola guy.". Remus Othniel-Ľubomir shrugged, giving a brief yawn afterwards. "I think we can pass that guy out." said Tyson Nilo, before pulling out a lightbulb that somehow was lit without even being connected to any source of electric power. "With Science." Felipe Hogan, sitting at a chair while reading a book named "Legdropping to the Targets", ended up muttering something.

"They're not ready, brother jack dude."

[Nephara]

Tess Riether never got directly involved in training.
That was what assistants were for. Delegation. She was big on that sort of thing. Not that she wasted the time, of course - it was important to take some time to relax. Reflect.
Chiata had come out aiming to keep solid at the back, and, well... they'd been annihilated. Serpentine's Sheila Maddon, making her first start rotated in for Matheson, had wreaked havoc just by running at the Chiatan defence and letting her control do the rest - she scored once, a low strike across Spooner, and hit the post five minutes later. Kellard, as usual, popped up for the second, while Ritter headed home a corner at the near post and Brigid Kestrel fired home from twenty yards. It was simply a superior, sensational performance all around the pitch, and the Chiatans never came close to scoring themselves.
More of that, please.
The team was clicking on the pitch, and that made all the difference. Against Oakland they'd been... dominant and decisive, but a little clumsy, sometimes not quite on the same wavelength. They'd at least defended as a unit against the States, but it had only been since Taeshan they'd managed to truly show their chemistry, with quick, fluid, forward passing in attack and physical pressing all along the pitch in defence. If they played every match like they'd done against Chiata, this tournament was in the bag.
It helped that a couple of the favourites were already out. Audioslavia had failed to progress, the Polar Islandstates had crashed out winless, including a 4-0 defeat to Lymantatia, as had Farfadillis. And they'd gotten a relatively easy draw against Schottia, whose senior team ranked 146th in the world. Surely they couldn't stumble there, right?
Maybe, maybe not. The Di Bradini Cup was nothing if not unpredictable. But as Riether watched her squad from the hill - they were small in the distance, but Riether could barely make them out. They'd set up an 11v11 match, and here was Morgan Ashdown, with a neat one-two with Kellard opening space for Maddon, the hot-headed striker given the perfect chance to shoot but choosing unselfishly to lay it off for Tarrant drifting in from the midfield, the Project +90 midfielder sidefooting into an open net...
With the squad she had, playing the way they were? This tournament, like so many others, was theirs to lose.

[Felix]

Previously

Cato, Felix

"So what should we do..?" "What do you mean what should we do?" the young man cleared his throat before answering the question, "I mean what should we do with all this information about this Mendoya colony we apparently have?" General Förstner scratched his head, "We tell the government of course." "And do what?" asked the young man, "Invade it and liberate it?" the general chuckled before realizing the young man was serious, "Marcus, you do know we finished a civil war right" the young man, now identified as Marcus sighed, "Yes, I know. Look, what if this Mendoya colony has weapons of mass destruction we need to do something about this, right?" Förstner shrugged, "You're right there... I'll call Tamara. What really annoys me about this is the political ramifications this might have." "Since when did you become a Politian?" Förstner ignored him and dialed the number.

Santa Maria, Felix

"Edward! I'm home!" shouted Marcus as he entered the apartment in downtown Santa Maria. A exhausted Marcus Townshend closed the door and shouted again, "Edward, my dear, I am home." Marcus sighed, "I hate it when he ignores me." Marcus began to walk towards the office and saw Edward engaged in something, he didn't know exactly what was going on so he kept quiet and observed. "Edward Sullivan, you have to be reasonable, finding guns are very hard... Especially if we are pulling off something like this right after a civil war..." Marcus cocked his eyebrow and thought, "What are they talking about?" he then heard Ed respond, "I don't care! This is our golden opportunity we need to pounce on it now or else!" "Or else what!?" responded the computer. Marcus was now genuinely concerned on what was going on but kept his silence to uncover more information from what seemed to be a heated conversation between his boyfriend Ed and some mysterious man.

"Or else you are out of the group!" shouted Ed. The man quickly responded, "Maybe I don't want to be a part of this coup! You can have your little group and you guys can go fuck yourselves! I am out!" and the line in the computer went dead. Edward sighed and leaned back on his chair thinking what the hell he was going to do without Alfonso Vaccaro the man in charge of getting weapons. "How am I suppose to find a suitable replacement especially at this stage of the plan..." Seconds after he leaned back and said those words his boyfriend, Marcus knocked on the door and let himself in with a smile, "I guess being a florist must be terrible." Edward was surprised but maintained his cool, "Yeah, some employee quit on me now home am I suppose to expand the business..." Marcus chuckled and kissed him in the cheek, "You'll find a way." and Marcus was off.

Edward was a bit worried it seemed Marcus might've heard some of the conversation but he shrugged it off, even if he did find out he surely won't betray him for this weak country, right? He was wrong. Marcus looked around and attached some elite spying devices around the apartment without Edward noticing and began to theorize what he heard when he felt like he got enough information he would contact his bosses in the government and report him for attempted... Whatever the hell Ed was talking about. Then again, Marcus loved Ed a lot, he couldn't mistrust him so soon, right? I mean, they've been going out since the end of the civil war. So... 6 months. Anyways, Marcus, unlike Ed, was right about his secondary thoughts. He decided to put away the listening devices, he must've been paranoid he thought.

Somewhere Else in Santa Maria, Felix

Takumi Kato angrily slammed the desk, "That's it. If that bastard is going to pull a terrible coup I might as well stop him. I am calling the police. But first I gotta save those guns, I am not going to let quality Mizuyuki-jin guns go to waste." Takumi got his phone and called some other men in the conspiracy warning what was going to happen.

To be continued...

[Equestrian States]

DI BRADINI CUP 32
ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
(Scorinated by Yttribia)
Equestrian States 3-0 Darvale
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

Unified Sunrise Islands 3-1 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

Schottia 1-2 Nephara
at Sky-High Coliseum in Cloudsdale

Felix 0-0 Zenic
(0-0 AET) (4-3 pen.)
at Pony Lands Park in Manechester

Mizuyuki 0-0 United States of Devonta
(0-0 AET) (6-5 pen.)
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Furellum 0-1 Abanhfleft
at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

Nassau Hessen 1-1 Holy Republican Empire
(2-2 AET) (4-5 pen.)
at Apple Orchard Park in Appleoosa

The Calanian Union 3-1 Wolfbenz
at HarmonyLink Field in Seaddle

---

DI BRADINI CUP 32
QUARTERFINAL FIXTURES

Equestrian States vs. Unified Sunrise Islands
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

Nephara vs. Felix
at Apple Orchard Park in Appleoosa

Mizuyuki vs. Abanhfleft
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Holy Republican Empire vs. The Calanian Union
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

[The Inevitable Syndicate]

So, that final phone call? It was from a guy I’d never met. But, he told me he was also a guy that wanted out. He had been getting the calls too, and he also told me that someone had gone after him. I didn’t have time to find out if he was legitimate or not, so I trusted him, out of fear that I had nobody else in the world left to trust. He suggested meeting up. I agreed. He told me he knew a coffee shop, and that nobody would bat an eyelid if we met in the middle of the day.

I left the house for the first time in a week, and made my way across the city to the shop. The bell rang as I entered. I thought it was odd that a coffee shop would have a bell, when I imagined it must get quite a lot of business in the morning, and it would have driven the staff mad. The shop was indeed busy, and I spotted a man sat alone on a table in plain view of the window. I paused for a second, before realising that the shady man sat in the corner had a much higher chance of being my contact - he wasn’t stupid enough to remain in plain sight if people wanted him dead.

I sat at the shady table, and said hello to my phone friend. He replied, we made small talk, before getting down to business. He’d also found the address at which these calls were coming from, but didn’t want to tackle the place alone, as he was scared of what he would find. I agreed with him, but didn’t fancy storming the place anyway. I’d done some preliminary research on Keyhole Maps, and the place seemed like a normal office building. But then again, I’d ran into traps before.

We discussed how I had ran into traps before when it happened. I imagine you’ve been told already by one of your lackeys at the station how he captured ‘The Rat Attacker’, and that he’d devised a brilliant ruse involving an actor that had been involved in the same situations as me, in order to try and win me over. I felt the gun press against the back on my head. I shivered, and put my hands up, before being politely escorted to the station. You know why? Because here, in this interrogation room, I’m safe from whatever group is trying to off me for the mistakes I’ve made.

I’ve told you everything you wanted to know, as I’m not responsible for these killings. I did it out of fear, and now that fear is right on my doorstep. You’ll find the address in my coat pocket. Just, please, after you’ve dealt with them… Let me go. I don’t deserve this.

---

The building was just like he’d mentioned. An office building, plain and simple. Looking at it from the outside, I initially thought that I’d bought too many men to deal with this supposed threat. There were two entrances to the building. One in the front, one in the back. A storm cellar. That storm cellar…

I sent the men for a sweep of the building, ground floor upwards, and they were met with some resistance. This building was, in fact, a hideout for some Farf drug dealers, and two of our officers did get shot. We reached the top without too many casualties on either side, but didn’t find anything related to the phone calls up there, just a short guy in a chair with a knife in his chest, and a note sticking out of it.

“Too late. Storm’s coming.”, it said. I did for a moment think about what that meant, but I immediately knew when one of the officers alerted me to the presence of an open door by the side of the building, and the ever alarming smell of smoke…

I made my way down the tight stairs, to find that the ground floor was beginning to be set ablaze. Running out the building, I moved around to the side with the storm cellar on, to find the doors thrown open, and smoke pouring out of the dark hole that led down to the basement. Coughing, and using my scarf as a mask, I peered down into the misty blackness below. I could just make out some desks, and there were things on them, various shapes and sizes, mostly black and grey. They looked a little bit like phones, but I couldn’t tell in the time I had in there before it got too hot to stay. Moving back towards my car, I waited for the fire brigade to arrive, and wondered if whoever was really behind the operation would ever be found. Hell, I didn’t even know if they’d escaped, but the later reports found no bodies in the charred basement remains of the building.

Our rat friend was right. Something was going on at that address. But we didn’t have enough evidence to prove it. I believed his story, I really did, so it was doubly painful when the higher-ups told me I had to prosecute him for the killings. I didn’t want to do that, not after all I’d heard and seen, but I also didn’t want to lose my job.

He seemed to take it well. I reckon he knew, to be honest. He knew as soon as he entered this place, that he would most likely end up in jail. It’s always the way, here. Makes Centralis look good to the public. Makes them want to live here.

But at least I know the truth. And I think the truth will haunt me for a long time yet. I also think that- wait, hold on a second.

There's someone on the other line.

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FURELLUM VS. ABANHFLEFT: AS IT HAPPENED
By Luke Edwards

MANEHATTAN, EQUESTRIAN STATES - Luke Edwards, reporting once again our Democratic Republic's first ever match in the round of 16 of the U21 World Cup. Today, we'll be going up against Furellum, currently the reigning champions of the Di Bradini Cup. This will be our boys and girls' biggest test ever; the defending champions, right at the first game of the knockout stages. Let it never be said that everyone involved with the national team was looking forward to this match. Furellum will be a very strange match for us; all their players are anthropomorphic animals. Yes, dear readers, you read that right. Anthropomorphic animals. No one has any idea how we'll be playing this game, but we are already here, so we're most probably winging it. Furellum is noted for their very defensive style of play, but their attacking players are nothing to scoff at too. Meanwhile, our attacking style will be complemented by a shored-up defensive four.

As the teams step onto the field, here are the starting lineups. Furellum are wearing their black kits, and therefore we will be wearing our white kits. Oh, and some good news: Joe Warren has finally recovered from his injury, and he's been cleared for play, but it looks like Radoslaw Montwill will be sitting him in the bench for this game, with the possibility of seeing some late-game action. Rory Edwards also on the bench, after that jarring collision with the Estenian keeper's fist from a few days ago. Radoslaw Montwill is definitely not risking one of his most important players today.

FURELLUM - STARTING LINEUP
GK: Mihails Gavrilovic
RB: Mladen Gabor
RCB: Ragnar Asbjorn
LCB: Lievin Zaboulon
LB: Vidarr Stefanovich
CDM: Levi Kolar
RW: Stepjan Albescu
CAM: Volund Dragos
LW: Zhenya Polzin
RS: Ezra Szczelaszczyk
RS: Sorin Dubreski
Formation: 4-1-3-2

ABANHFLEFT - STARTING LINEUP
GK: Carlos Cohen
RB: Florence Patterson
RCB: Ainsley Gibson
LCB: Melisizwe Afolayan
LB: Shelly Murray
RDM: Cedric Pearson
CDM: Lea Choi
LDM: Tomas Walters
CAM: Karen Villegas (captain)
RS: Yoshinobu Mori
LS: Marguerite Chambers
Formation: 4-3-1-2

The coin has been tossed, and Furellum has won. They will take the goal nearest to our fans, which is also the goal from which the sun is shining. It will be a difficult first half for us.

00:00 - And the game is afoot! Furellum will start the game by kicking off. Already they're demonstrating their defensive style of play by keeping the ball within their own half, not really making attacks into our half. Boy, that's gonna frustrate some of our players, who love trying to challenge other players for the ball.

16 minutes: Wow. It actually took us 16 minutes to finally see some football action. Zhenya Polzin finally decided to get into our half, but then got immediately dispossessed by Tomas Walters. Three Fleftic players are looking to make an attack. Tomas passes to Karen. Karen will take the shot! Gavrilovic swats it out with his long arms.

23 minutes: Abanhfleft on the attack once again. Tomas Walters once again directing his teammates. Yoshinobu Mori is open. Walters will cross. Oh, Ragnar Asbjorn's beaten him to it.

29 minutes: First free kick of the game, and of course it's to Abanhfleft. Mori and Chambers on the ball. Yoshinobu Mori... shoots! Mihails Gavrilovic gets his baboon arms to it and tips it over the crossbar.

36 minutes: Another free kick for Abanhfleft. Now it's just a Marguerite Chambers show. She will kick. Nice curve on the ball there. Oh, Mladen Gabor's foot (paw?) takes the ball wide, and it's a corner kick for Abanhfleft now.

37 minutes: Marguerite Chambers will take the corner. She will kick. Right into Gavrilovic's hands.

43 minutes: We are now witnessing a rare Furellum attack. Volund Dragos with the ball. He sees a lonely Sorin Dubreski deep in the Fleftic half. Ooh, nice work in controlling that pass. He slots the ball towards goal. Carlos Cohen is too high to make a difference! GOAL!!! Hang on, though. The linesman's raised his flag. Offside. Really? Here's the slow-mo video. Oh, Dubreski was definitely offside. That probably wasn't even an intentional offside trap by our defenders; but no, when they saw Dragos make the pass, Ainsley and Shelly immediately moved forward. Phew. We dodged a bullet there. NO GOAL Oh, Dubreski's protesting the decision with the ref. The official's having none of it, though.

45 minutes: We will have two minutes of added time.

45 minutes + 2: And that's the first half. Quite a quiet first half, if you ask me. No real action until the sixteenth minute, and only Abanhfleft's giving us the action. Once the ball gets to Furellum, it's a sleep-a-thon, until a Fleftic player gets lucky and tackles the ball away. Looking at the statistics, we've had more shots at goal than Furellum. Surely one of these shots will finally find the back of the net?

No visible changes to both teams at the start of the second half. </yawn> If this doesn't pick up soon, one of these teams will score and goal, and no one will notice.

45:01 - Abanhfleft will start this second half with the kickoff. And immediately you will notice the very different styles of play of these two teams, as the Fleftic players are pushing deep into the Furellum half.

47 minutes: Finally, some suspense in this game. That Furellum half is crowded with black and white shirts. Lea Choi will cross. Karen Villegas will head it in! Mihails Gavrilovic punts it out! Right onto Yoshinobu Mori's feet! He shoots! Thwarted by Gavrilovic once again! Now it's Cedric Pearson's turn to test the baboon. Gavrilovic punches it out! Ainsley Gibson's head is there to put it into the net! Mihails catches it for the fourth time, and this time he's not letting go! Bloody hell! That was like a pinball game back there! The ball was just bouncing around everywhere!

48 minutes: Just realized that I sounded very much like MGH back there.

55 minutes: Hawt Fleftic footie fan down there by the right Furellum corner. Fatima please don't kill me

60 minutes: Another rare Furellum attack. Once again the penalty box is filled with black and white shirts. Stepjan Albescu will take a shot from beyond the box. Carlos Cohen pushes it away. Right into Sorin Dubreski's feet! (paws?) The wolf will kick! Cohen saves it once again! This time Florence Patterson gets it! She doesn't have the best of first touches, though. Get it out! Get it out! Bloody hell!

65 minutes: This game is finally settling down again after those mad twelve minutes.

68 minutes: </yawn>

70 minutes: Radoslaw Montwill will use his first substitution of the game. And it will be to bring in the just-recovered Joe Warren. Not really the decision I would have made, but our Polack's paid to make these decisions. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): LEA CHOI OUT, JOE WARREN IN

71 minutes: Claudiu Frey will now also use up his first substitution. Now he will look to add more attacking options for his team. SUBSTITUTION (FURELLUM): VOLUND DRAGOS OUT, MIKHAIL NOVAK IN

73 minutes: Already, we can see a change in tempo for both teams. With Joe Warren's return to the team, our lads and lasses seem more, well, motivated, to play. Now he's leading the attack. Three black shirts are converging on him. No breathing room for Joe here, so he backs off a little... just in time to feed Karen Villegas the ball! Karen goes for a cheeky chip into the top right corner of the goal! Gavrilovic's fingers lightly tap it wide at the last second. Damn it, she must probably be thinking.

78 minutes: Last twelve minutes of this game, and Radoslaw Montwill uses his second sub to send little brother back onto the field. His head must not be pounding like drums now. Karen Villegas will pass on the captain's armband to Carlos Cohen for the final stretch of this second half, and quite possibly, into extra time. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): KAREN VILLEGAS OUT, RORY EDWARDS IN

81 minutes: Furellum now on the attack. Sorin Dubreski has been pushed into a difficult position now. Surprisingly, he's not doing any of his Robben-esque theatrics this time around. Ezra Szczesny is in an unguarded position right in front of goal; a defensive mistake for Abanhfleft! But it looks like Dubreski's ego's getting the better of him once again. He chips a shot at a very tight angle. Melisizwe Afolayan slides to try to dispossess the wolf! Oh, Dubreski's down! Of course. Dubreski's always down. And the Oscar goes to... Sorin Dubreski! Oh, no, wait a minute. I think this is for real. Hamengkubuwono's just like this feller, in that they both go down at just the slightest breath, but when Hameng K got knocked down during that game in the FireStorm Cup, I just knew that it was a real injury. And I'm getting the same vibe here. Yep, the medical team's now running towards Dubreski. Looks like a twisted ankle or a broken toe, but he's definitely making it look like it hurts more than it actually does. I should know, as I've suffered both a twisted ankle and a broken toe during my playing career for both Riuwiee United and the national team. Anyway, it was inside the box, so that's a penalty for Furellum, and a yellow card for Melisizwe.

82 minutes: Claudiu Frey has to replace his injured striker. Looks like it will be another wolf. SUBSTITUTION (FURELLUM): SORIN DUBRESKI OUT, HAN KASPAR IN Ezra Szczelaszczyk will take the penalty for his injured comrade. Carlos Cohen once again trying to mess with the opponent with his antics. Ezra will aim for... the top right corner! But it's an easy save for Carlos Cohen. The scoreline is still blank at this point. Extra time seems more and more like a real possibility.

86 minutes: Abanhfleft on the attack once again. Marguerite Chambers with the ball. Forced into the sides of the box. She will cross. A very ugly cross, if you ask me. But it finds Joe Warren's head! And Mihails Gavrilovic has misjudged his jump! GOAL!!! FURELLUM 0-1 ABANHFLEFT And Joe Warren, the recently returned from injury central defensive midfielder, has given the Democratic Republic the lead with just four minutes and however-much injury time left in this second half! The Fleftic crowd is absolutely wild! If this had happened in one of our own stadiums, flares would have been thrown onto the pitch, and guns could be heard being fired from outside the stadium! It's a madhouse! Joe Warren has been dogpiled!

87 minutes: Furellum will restart play.

90 minutes: The ref will give us five minutes of injury time.

90 minutes + 3: Corner for Furellum. Quite possibly the last attack of the game, even if we still have two minutes of added time still to go. Han Kaspar will take the kick. The ball finds Vidarr Stefanovich's hippo snout! Ooh! Over the crossbar! Wasted chance, and one that they will most probably regret.

90 minutes + 5: And it's all over! Abanhfleft is through to the quarterfinals! Blue, orange, and green are the colors of the day, as flags of the Democratic Republic soar high and proud over Manehattan!

For the quarterfinals, we will be facing Mizuyuki. This country is renowned for sending over all-female teams to international football tournaments, and this U21 World Cup will be no exception. Because of this, Radoslaw Montwill has announced that he will be fielding all of our team's female players for this tournament. Luĉjo Kleinmann will be the only boy in the starting lineup, mostly because he's fourteen years old, and because this is probably the first and only time he will see some pitch action in this tournament. This is the starting lineup that Radoslaw Montwill has released following the announcement of Abanhfleft facing Mizuyuki in the quarterfinals. Montwill has said that this is to give both teams an equal playing field, and sexism has no bearing whatsoever in his decision to field an all-female (mostly) lineup against Mizuyuki.

ABANHFLEFT: STARTING LINEUP VS. MIZUYUKI
GK: Stephanie Bryan
RB: Florence Patterson
RCB: Kristin Pittmann
LCB: Connie Anderson
LB: Catarina Soler
RDM: Sarita Cairo
CDM: Lea Choi
LDM: Luĉjo Kleinmann
CAM: Karen Villegas (captain)
RS: Zsofia Dolan
LS: Marguerite Chambers

FINAL SCORE

FURELLUM 0 - 1 ABANHFLEFT
               JOE WARREN (86')

YELLOW CARDS
FURELLUM
None
ABANHFLEFT
Melisizwe Afolayan (81')

SUBSTITUTIONS
FURELLUM
Volund Dragos ↓, Mikhail Novak (71')
Sorin Dubreski ↓, Han Kaspar (82')
ABANHFLEFT
Lea Choi ↓, Joe Warren (70')
Karen Villegas ↓, Rory Edwards (78')

MORE NEWS: MONTWILL: NO SEXISM IN LINEUP DECISION • WEXLER: ONE STEP CLOSER TO GETTING PETER JONES • ROSENPFELBLATZ CITY LADIES REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN KOEDA SAKURANAMI

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

The Sunrisians nailed another team in the head. Now the Quebécois didn't stand a chance against the Unified Sunrise Islands, and besides a late goal by Angelo Gelinas, Arceus' Eleven ran over the opposition. However, one player felt like the whole situation was missing something.

"I am the best in the world."

A flash from the old days snapped. Dressed on black and white with a raven motif, the kid dashed. Pushing forward. Rolling the ball from side to side. Pushing forward. Leaping. Pushing forward. Smacking the keeper in the head with a shot. Pushing forward. Hit the net. The Raven University's Flock is one of the most decorated sides that the Northern Sunrise Islands College Association sides will have to deal with next season.

"You are aware that Miss Sparx is on the hospital after that hit to the head?"
"That's what she gets."

Regularly, they weren't taken as a Fair Play team. Then again, it is Southern Sunrise, a place that never deemed mercy too high. At one point, it became a pain to have an University tournament, since it was too hard to distance the spirit of dispute and the simple niceness from each squad. No one was sure if C.P. Money would be allowed into a football field after that incident.

"I forgive you. It was on the heat of the field."

He felt bad for it, but then again. Football is a game about wins and losses. Conquer or be conquered. Slaughter or be slaughtered. Maybe he was wrong, but no one taught him better. Two National Championships out of Two. Two Conference Championships out of Two. A Perfect record throughout two different seasons. Sportshow Conference, Strong Conference, NeXT Conference, Jericho Conference, Pride Village Conference, AMAC. All meant the same for Money, his stomping grounds.

"Forgiveness, Sparx... is for miserable competitors. But thank you."

Gold was something his eye would often catch.

"Hey, C.P. You're on the line-up against Equestrian States."

And the hosts would figure it out soon.

[Nephara]

"Brilliant, Tana. Thanks again."
Daniel Kruse lowered his phone, and hung up.
That had been Tana Roeder, his agent. A tall, languid, rather dapper woman, as much friend and colleague as ruthless negotiator. Apparently the deal had been all but done - Kruse headed to Firewood City in Osarius, eleven million pounds headed the other way. All it needed was his signature upon his return to Nephara.
He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, he was only the latest in a string of defenders to leave Athletic. And he was happy to stay. Even if, it's true, he was probably a step up from the sort of club Athletic was these days. But, at the end of the day, this was how football worked. Little room for sentimentality, even for the Nepharim.
There was a theory that, by and large, most foreign players chased the money. Nepharim, by contrast, chased glory and prestige. Now that was probably cutting it a bit simply - another Nepharim U21, Daniel Cromwell, was being showered in oil money down in Guayabal, and Michael Brandon never made a secret of his mercenary nature - but it still broadly struck the mark. Kruse... never really felt he was the kind to chase anything. Quiet, unambitious, loyal. A hard, steady drinker, a poor gambler. He'd liked being part of the setup in Sabrefell. He'd liked the fans, and the fans had liked him. "DANNY, DANNY KROOOOOOS," they'd belted out vaguely to the tune of very camp, vaguely erotic music. He knew he was going to be part of the national team someday, but he'd always, privately, hoped to stay with his home club. Hadn't Cathy Stokes done the same?
But at the end of the day, everyone has to leave the nest.
Alex Beckett walked into the room. "I, uh... am I interruptin' something?"
Daniel slipped the phone into his pocket. "Nah, it's fine, mate. Just... gettin' something done."

[Felix]

Previously

Free Media In Unfree Felix

Politics: Legislature Elections
By: Steven Smith

In 99% of districts the results are in and for many the fact that there are elections in Felix in the first place mean that the country is another step away from fully recovering from the brutal three year civil war. As for the results themselves we saw the National Unity Coalition which consisted of Socialists, Centrists, Social Democrats, Liberals, Communists and Conservatives, win against well... No one but some independents that were either once time Nationalists or just politically isolated. So the Senate and House contain NUC politicians and a few aforementioned independents which is likely change. Why, you might ask? Simple...

Santa Maria, Felix

"I admired Steven Smith during the civil war but he sometimes annoys me." Tamara pauses to look at one of her advisors, "This is one of those times. We don't need someone from the press blabbing on how the NUC might ccrumble due to ideological differences. It is dangerous not only for the coalition but for overall unity. Plus, it doesn't help I have that on top of Mendoya or whatever the hell that colony is. They still think the Nationalists are holding out in Cato correct?"

"I believe so." "Good," replied Tamara, "Because I think we'll pay a visit to Mendoya very soon." As soon as Tamara said those words a national security chief stepped in the room without knocking and said, "Tamara we have uncovered a conspiracy ring lead by a former FIA agent. For safety precautions we need to put you in a more secure place. Follow me."

To be continued...

(OOC: Clicked post rather than preview. Whoops.)

[Equestrian States]

BREAKING: Manechester City Smashes Records with Kylx Signing
by Steve McNotapony

MANECHESTER - Though the Di Bradini Cup may be commanding most of the hoofball headlines throughout the multiverse as the tournament reaches the quarterfinals with the hosts still in the competition and set to face the Sunrisians this evening in Everfree, the tabloids and papers will be ablaze with news tomorrow fresh out of the Equestrian States, but it won't be about the Di Bradini Cup quarterfinals. Instead, the headlines will likely be dominated by the name of one man who has become an absolute legend in the hoofball world, though not always for the best reasons: Val Kylx, the First-Minute Wonder, the Slembanan Sensation, or as some call him that idiot from Esportiva. In a move which caught virtually every Equestrian hoofball fan by complete surprise, Second League club Manechester City demolished virtually every transfer record possible with their signing of the polarizing ex-Slembanan striker for a mind-boggling fee of $91.69 million NSD from Yttribian giants Fontvieille FC.

Recently bought by the suspicious, shady, and extremely-secretive Guayabalense oil tycoon Teymuraz Samedov, the second-largest club in the northern Equestrian city was expected to make a few bigger moves during the transfer window to strengthen their club and continue to seek a return to the United League, but nobody could have possibly predicted this. Samedov, who is apparently one of Kylx's biggest fans, contacted Fontvieille FC a few days ago with an offer to purchase Kylx from the Yttribian club where he had been managing the past couple seasons. After a few hours of negotiations, which according to unconfirmed sources were dominated by Fontvieille who sought to drive up the fee as much as possible, the clubs settled for the $91.69 million fee and Samedov was allowed to offer Kylx a contract. Despite the lingering effects of a horrifying leg injury which forced the Slembanan to take up managing, Samedov reportedly demanded that Kylx agree to taking a player-manager role with the Equestrian club and after a couple days of ironing out the details, the two sides reached an agreement and the paperwork was submitted to the Hoofball Association.

Although the HA initially rejected the transfer, claiming that there must have been a mistake with the paperwork as there was no way any sane owner would spend so much money on a single player, the move was eventually processed and a giddy Samedov proudly unveiled Kylx to the stunned Equestrian media a few short hours later. Among the records broken (according to ESPN sources) by the transfer are the following:

- Highest transfer fee paid by Manechester City HC
- Highest transfer fee paid by a Second League club
- Highest transfer fee paid by an Equestrian club
- Highest transfer fee paid by a second tier club (World Record)
- Highest transfer fee paid for a manager (World Record)
- Highest transfer fee paid during a designated "International Transfer Window" (World Record)

Will Val Kylx regain the form he once boasted as free-scoring teenage prodigy? Will Manechester City return to the United League under Kylx's management? Will Teymuraz Samedov's deep pockets spell an end for Equestrian hoofball as we know it? Will Manechester City be devastated financially by such an absurd transfer fee?

Hell if I know. At least we all got a laugh out of seeing Samedov groveling at the feet of a confused Kylx proclaiming that "[he wasn't] worthy" of the former Slembanan wonderkid.

[Equestrian States]

DI BRADINI CUP 32
QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
(Scorinated by The Royal Kingdom of Quebec)
Equestrian States 1-2 Unified Sunrise Islands
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

Nephara 7-4 Felix
at Apple Orchard Park in Appleoosa

Mizuyuki 1-0 Abanhfleft
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Holy Republican Empire 1-5 The Calanian Union
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

---

DI BRADINI CUP 32
SEMIFINAL FIXTURES

Unified Sunrise Islands vs. Nephara
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Mizuyuki vs. The Calanian Union
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

[The Inevitable Syndicate]

Sports :: Di Bradini Cup 32
Tags: Equestrian States, Di Bradini Cup, Starblaydia, Holy Republican Empire, Youth Sports
Calanian Union Show World Youths Still Shine
A Quarter-Final Domination Shows The Former Syndicate's Still Got It

16th July 2191

by Harvey Harding

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Canterlot, EQUESTRIAN STATES---- The quarter-final stage of the Di Bradini Cup saw many surprising scorelines, and the Calanian Union’s game against the Holy Republican Empire (formerly known as the Free Republics) was only the second most shocking result of the weekend. Personally, I think the Nephara - Felix game, which was nail biting up until it’s final minutes, was far more interesting, but this game was a fantastic display of Calanian dominance against a rival nation.

The Holy Republican Empire, a fiercely proud nation that has as much right at calling themselves an empire as the Calanian Union does, has long been a foil to the multiversal sporting world. They have, like us, waned in recent times concerning youth football, and didn’t compete in the last Di Bradini Cup. Technically, neither did the FMF, but our more experienced squad managed to play an impressive game, which the Union won 5-1.

Initially, play was dominated by the HRE, as they won the coin toss, and many attacking shots were made at our net within the first fifteen minutes. Vandero Seltzassi, the youth squad manager, had chosen to field ninteen year old Lester Fiero, of FC Oberyn’s Shield, into the net for this half of the game. He did an amicable job at deflecting a lot of the shots from the Republican team, and managed to clear the ball over to our midfield shortly after the fifteen minute mark. The ball was eventually worked up to Miles Rindali, who put a clean shot past twenty-one year old Marius Christoffersen to score the first goal of the match.

Retaliation was swift from the Republican team as Vincent Branch weaved his way through our defence, leaving Gus Merrv visibly shocked as the ball made its way past him and into the goal. The score, now tied up, was leaving the Calanian team in a bit of a pinch, as they were determined to make it to the finals of this Di Bradini Cup, to show that they were in fact the best that the Union had to offer.

A corner taken by Crespo was the key that unlocked the door to victory, as Miles Rinaldi once again found himself in the right place at the right time, and scored his and the Union’s second goal just after the half-hour mark. This edged the Union ahead, and play was centered around the Republican half of the pitch for the next ten minutes, the play waxing and waning between both sides. Louis Crespo saw an opportunity just before the end of the first half, however, and practically dived into a shot from Smitt that he thought was going to go wide. The resultant curve managed to get past Christoffersen once more, and this sealed the scoreline at 3-1 for the end of the first half.
Switching to a more defensive play in the second half, Johannes Medici was brought onto the pitch in goal, giving Fiero a hard earned rest. Merrv fell back, as did Smitt and Firoensi, leaving just two players on the attack. The team didn’t need any more goals, but Alderesi felt he needed to impress as a free kick saw him score his first actual goal of the tournament. While he’s been the triggerman for many assists, this was his first boot into the goal, and was met with much celebration from the few Calanian fans that had made the trek to the Equestrian States to watch the match.

Met with much more resistance now they were 4-1 up, the Calanian team found themselves under attack from the strikers of the Republican team, with Koby Theodore proving to be the spearhead of the opposing side. A few shots on target made their way through, but all were deflected by Medici, whose performance continued to be stellar all the way until the end of the match. One goal let in was called offside in the 75th minute, which saw the Calanian team breath a sigh of relief that their large goal margin remained. Just to be sure, and probably to make himself heard, Antony Sixton scored a final goal in the last ten minutes of the match, as a final nail in the coffin of the Holy Republican Empire, and to ensure that victory was inevitable.

A dejected Republican team, plus sixty-eight cheerleaders, departed the pitch with a sigh as the Calanians held their heads high. They will continue to hold high hopes in the competition as they face Mizuyuki, and will hopefull go on to face either the Unified Sunrise Islands (a scary threat indeed) or Nephara, a nation that has a bitter rivalry with the senior team after the events of a previous world cup. Either way, we’re playing one of them, win or lose, so the conclusion to this cup should be one of the most exciting in years!

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

The storm grew. Game authorities were rather confused whether the game should even be started until the weather calmed down. Everfree Forest's ground could feel the rain falling down, but nonetheless, the game was on its' way to start. The pitch was soaked, hard to run at, even for the ponies. The Sunrisians felt like it was a war, something enticing the Southerns even more than it would regularly. As the players walked down the corridor, one of the starter strikers felt a nudge to his shoulder.

"OK. Now listen carefully. Don't pull anything stupid out there." said Gardot, angry. "Just because the coach decided to rest Remus, that doesn't mean you have to act like an ass.". Money sighed, looking at the whole set up made for the Unified Sunrise Islands flag. The Unified one on top of all with its' participants under them, Western to the left, Eastern to the right, Northern a bit under Unified, Southern just a bit under that and the flag for all colonies under all. All colorfully shaking thanks to the wind. "Don't worry. I'm playing to win, nothing unexpected will happen." muttered the Southern forward as he walked behind Daví to the field. The players slowly positioned themselves on a line, black shirts with two yellow diagonal lines and Arceus' Wheel: June Gardot, C.P. Money, Tyson Nilo, Akaho Sugiura, Felipe Hogan, Leona Bonecrusher, Redd Banner, Guilherme Radókzi, Renata Apucarana, Fionnuala Keith-Nieshmedsen, Daví.

The Unified Sunrise Islands' anthem (previously Northern Sunrise Islands' anthem) started to play as the squad representing Arceus' Chosen Lands prepared for the quarter-finals. A spot on the semi-finals was what was behind a win over the hosts. Rain, wind, mud. Nothing seemed to be in the slightest condition to stop the Sunrisians on their way to a possible win. Not even the opposition, more experienced to some extent than the actual Sunrisians, couldn't scare them.

(...)

C.P. Money would go on to play the match of his life against the Little Ponies. Scoring twice under heavy rain from both the efforts of the defenders of the Purple-and-Orange clad side and the actual rain that fell until the very end of the game. Rough playing was a staple, but Money kept it to the point where the referee couldn't give him a yellow card under the rulebook. The crowd was shocked by such a surprisingly good display out of the considered bad boy of the Arceusian side. Gardot, impressed, followed him after the match, before he headed to the bus.

"Hey, C.P." yelled Gardot.
"Yeah?" asked the forward, putting his jacket on.
"Great match." answered her, with a smile.
"...Whatever." he replied, walking to the bus.

One thing was certain, the Nepharim would face Money and the Sunrise Islands on the field next match for a spot at the final. But what C.P. Money would be there?

[Nephara]

Tess Riether sighed. She hated journalists, and their inane questions. Was she happy, after a win? A win like this - a 7-4 bloodbath?
"Happy? No. Don't suppose I am, really."
There was an audible gasp from some of the journalists. "But... you scored seven goals! You won!"
"I'm happy with the seven goals and the victory. But we gave up four at the back that we shouldn't've done," said Riether firmly. "Open ourselves up like that to the Equestrians or the Islanders... hey, anyone know who won that match?"
"Islanders, 2-1."
"Right, cheers... yeah, they'll carve us up the same way without being so generous at their own end. If we keep defending like we did this match, anyway."
"Any standout performances?"
Riether smirked. "I'm quite happy with Kellard's four goals, assist and won penalty."
"... Yeah, okay, I guess that was a stupid ques-"
"Think before you speak next time, mate, yeah? Right, anyone else? Only I need to head back to the hotel soonish."
"Last question," said a nervous Equestrian human. "How do you feel your chances are against the Islanders?"
Riether clicked her tongue. "What kind of manager doesn't back themselves to win? Oh, the game's ours for the taking... if we keep sharp at the back. Now if you'll excuse me..."

It's a well-known fact that Nepharim don't drink shots.
Nor schooners, or, for that matter, half-pints, but that opposition was more cultural, less philosophical. Getting drunk was a slow, gradual, deeply enjoyable process, not to be hurried or undertaken alone. What was the point in accelerated it?
So it was that Daniel Kruse nursed a pint of hard cider - Equestrian lager, he'd found out earlier, generally tasted like piss - a small way off from the rest of the group and looking gloomily at the television. It was showing highlights of the Nephara-Felix match.
He'd... well. He'd had a mare, and not in the sense of frequenting local brothels. He'd been directly culpable for the second goal, and left horribly exposed throughout - doing about as well as he could, but not quite well enough. The only consolation was that the Felixan defence was faring just as poorly, and by the time he was substituted at half-time for Becky Larkland, the score was three-all. They'd sharpened up in the second half, on both sides of the pitch - Kellard felled by Lyon defender Rachel Fabron in the area, a penalty easily slotted home by Elaine Ashdown, before Kellard scored three of his own. Fiacre Bellerose netted the final goal of the game, beating Ritter and rounding Corren before slotting into an empty net at a tight angle, a goal almost identical to how he'd scored the game's first. But at the end of the day... they'd won, but Kruse hadn't been good enough.
The Athletic thing still depressed him. He couldn't help but feel a little like a traitor. Had that affected him on the pitch? Well... something had.
There was the shuffling of a stool next to him - the shorter, stocky, industrious-looking Kieran Ritter hauled himself up onto it. "Oi, mate. How's tricks?"
Kruse shrugged.
"Ah, c'mon. One bad showing's hardly the end of the world. We won, didn't we?"
"Tess had it right in the post-match interview. We can do better."
"Yeah, well. On that day, we didn't. ... Look, I dunno who your coaches were in the Athletic academy, but me in the Project? Basically saved my career. Now, Kurt Pallister told us something the day after a bad loss. 'You got twenty four hours,' he said, 'then I want you fresh and ready for the next challenge'. Wise words, y'know?"
"... Twenty-four hours to what?"
"To reflect and shit, after a defeat. To dwell on it. If it doesn't hurt, you don't care enough, but if you let it stick with you it'll impact on future performances, y'know?" Ritter swung an arm around Kruse's shoulder. "You and me, mate? We'll be 'right."
"Yeah, well..." Kruse allowed himself a smile. "I'll keep it in mind. Cheers."
"Ahh, 's no problem, china. Now c'mon - Alex just challenged Russ to darts, and they're both pissed an' spectac'larly shit. Good for a laugh, eh? Chin up - 's all uphill from here."

[Mizuyuki]

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DBC 32 - Mizuyuki 1-0 Abanhfleft
Little Nova edge past Montwill's girls to secure semifinal meeting with the Calanian Union

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Before their quarterfinal match against Mizuyuki at Elements Stadium, Ponyville, Abanhfleft's Radoslaw Montwill made his play. And what a play it was. In a move described by independent observers as 'baffling', the Fleftic manager announced that he would be shaking up his team for their next match - a dramatic overhaul that would see no less than ten female players take to the field. Fervently denying that sexism played a role in his team selections, Montwill argued that his intention was to 'give both teams an equal playing field'.

His comments were greeted with a scathing reply by Mizuyuki's Shirazaka Kaede, who branded the Fleftic manager a 'disgrace' and his comments 'disrespectful' to the Little Nova's starting XI. When pressed for her opinion on Montwill's decision to match the Little Nova at their own game by fielding a starting XI almost entirely comprised of female players, Shirazaka didn't hold back on her ripostes, firing a couple of trademark powerful broadsides at her counterpart -

"To be honest, I think it's an absolute disgrace, an utterly ridiculous statement which frankly reeks of disrespect. I'd like to believe that sexism doesn't come into play here, really I would, but the nature and timing of Montwill's decision leave me unable to discount the possibility. You want to implement a rotation policy - fine, go ahead and have your rotation policy. But I'm not buying it when you rotate all your female players in for a match against us and try to pass it off as an attempt to 'give both teams an equal playing field'."

"By saying what he did in that press conference, the implication is that Montwill doesn't think our girls are a match for his regular starting XI. I'm getting a distinctly arrogant vibe - 'oh, they're just a bunch of girls; reckon we don't need to go all out on them'. It's not behaviour fitting for a manager, and it's certainly not a good example to set his own players. It's bordering on being patronising. Despite our starting XI being 100% female, I have every confidence that they can more than match the Fleftic regulars over the course of ninety minutes."

Coming off the back of a gruelling, nerve-shredding penalty shootout victory against the United States of Devonta in which the Little Nova looked less than entirely convincing against a technically inferior side, Shirazaka's words didn't carry as much weight as they might have. It was clear that the Little Nova were far from being the finished article. However, against the Fleftic girls, the Little Nova turned on the style for the occasion, and their dominance was reflected in every aspect of the match but the final scoreline.

Perhaps deciding that the best gameplan against Abanhfleft was to blow them away right from the start, Shirazaka had tinkered with the team's formation; switching from her preferred defensive formation to one with a distinctly aggressive feel to it. Players were shifted into more attacking positions all over the pitch; Ryūsaki and Tachibana, the solid central defensive partnership, played as ersatz defensive midfielders while their counterparts on the flanks, Iseya and Kasugano, bombed forward in support of the attacking quartet at every opportunity, leaving Kashiwagi to take on sweeper duties. Montwill, perhaps anticipating a more cautious setup in light of the magnitude of the match, was caught out tactically - Abanhfleft had arrived expecting to dominate against a counter-attacking Mizuyuki side - they ended up being mauled by the dormant tiger.

The first real opportunity of the match arrived barely half a minute after play commenced. In a moment of distraction, Fleftic left back Catarina Soler pinged the ball back to her 'keeper under no pressure; but her 'keeper was immediately put into a spot of bother by the careless backpass, barely managing to nick the ball off an onrushing Samukawa's boot to prevent the speedy striker from notching an early goal. Steiner swept the resultant corner high into the box, and the Little Nova's tallest outfield player, Tachibana, clambered above a static Anderson to connect firmly with the ball, sending it against the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Barely a minute into the game, the Little Nova had already served notice of their footballing prowess - they weren't going to let Abanhfleft have an easy time of it out there on the pitch.

For the following ten minutes, Mizuyuki's attacking players wreaked havoc amongst the opposition defence. Due in no small part to Samukawa's selfless link-up play and relentless pressing high up the pitch, enormous holes were opened up in the Fleftic defensive line, so much so that one fan was heard to comment, somewhat coarsely, it has to be said, that you could drive a 'fucking huge bus' through. The next happening of note, in the fifth minute, saw Sakuranami taking over set piece duty from fellow midfielder Kihara. Taking a long run-up thirty yards from Stephanie Bryan's goal, Sakuranami sent a long range scorcher sailing over the defensive wall and towards goal; Bryan was well positioned to make the save but barely got anything behind the ball thanks to the sheer power, only just managing to tip it wide of her post. Abanhfleft were by now looking thoroughly discomfited by the speedy start that the Little Nova had made to the game; and their defence was having their work cut out in trying to absorb the overbearing Mizuyukian pressure.

It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Little Nova though, as Abanfleft managed to fashion several early chances on goal which might well have been decisive in setting the tone of the match. Shirazaka's risky gambit in pushing her defensive line high up the pitch meant that the attackers received ample support, but it also meant that Abanhfleft could potentially profit from a quick counterattack. In the seventeenth minute, scores of Mizuyuki players bombed into the opposition half for a corner. However, they were sold short by a rare poor delivery from Steiner; picking the ball up on the edge of the area after a hasty shank of a clearance, Sarita Cairo delivered a pinpoint through ball to Zsofia Dolan, sending her through on goal with only Kashiwagi to beat. Had she been more composed in front of goal, Dolan would likely have been able to fire her side ahead against the run of play, but as it was Kashiwagi managed to make herself an imposing figure in goal, and duly saw the ball roll harmlessly wide of goal as Dolan tried to place it low into the corner.

The game continued at a swift pace, with the Little Nova dictating play as the opposition retreated into their own half under the pressure. Shirazaka's pressing tactics really came into their own here; with the Fleftic defenders perhaps not as composed as some of their more experienced counterparts in the tournament, the Mizuyukian attack, defending from the front of the pitch, was able to harass them to great effect. Another chance, served up on a golden platter, was missed in the twenty-seventh minute - under pressure from a determined Uryū, Florence Patterson attempted to shepherd the ball out of play, but was nudged off the ball by the winger, who showed excellent physical play to dispossess her opponent. With the rest of the Fleftic midfield already halfway up the pitch in anticipation of an attack, the change in possession surprised everybody except the effervescent Uryū - dashing past Pittman, the winger bore down on Bryan's goal, only to be halted by a last-ditch challenge by the retreating Anderson. The tackle was a hard one, leaving Uryū lying on the pitch in agony for the better part of five minutes, but was ultimately adjudged to be legal by the referee after some consultation with his assistant.

With half-time rapidly approaching on the horizon, the Little Nova pushed hard for a goal to bring into the fifteen minute break, but their efforts were ultimately foiled by a creaking Fleftic defence which nonetheless managed to repel the overwhelming waves of coruscating attack. The Little Nova only managed a further two shots on target after the fortieth minute, both coming from the enterprising Kihara and both easily smothered by Bryan. Mizuyukian 'keeper Kashiwagi, virtually a spectator thanks to some top notch defending from her defence and profligate finishing on the part of their opponents on the day, ended the first half with only one save to her name, while attackers Samukawa and Uryū had a combined total of two hundred and seven touches in the first half alone, underlining the degree to which the pair were involved in the game.

It would be the two who combined to devastating effect early in the second half to give Fleftic'keeper Bryan a thing or two to think about; first, a cute Uryū stepover left Soler for dead down the right flank, and a perfectly weighted low cross gave Samukawa all the time to pick her girl and send a reverse pass into the area, only for Sakuranami to make an absolute hash of finishing the chance, slicing the ball well wide of Bryan's goal as the onlooking Fleftic defenders heaved a sigh of relief. On the second occassion, Abanhfleft did not get off quite as easily - a cushioned header by Samukawa at the near post from a Steiner corner saw the ball fall to Uryū at the edge of the area, and the diminutive winger let rip with a ferocious half volley into the top left corner that left Bryan with absolutely no chance. Shirazaka and Kiriyama, who had until then been largely emotionless on the sidelines, allowed the mask to slip from their faces as they embraced each other in triumphant joy, while Montwill looked on glumly from his technical area as he contemplated his options.

Play resumed at a frenzied pace as Abanhfleft began to pile men forward in search of an equaliser. The Little Nova, by now sitting pretty in the driving seat, were content to drop deep and allow their opponents to bang on the door, as it were, and lie in wait for an opportunity to break at speed. However, the most committed defending in the multiverse could not have stopped Abanhfleft from snatching an equaliser had it not been for the timely intervention of the referee; Karen Villegas, picking the ball up in the middle of the park, leisurely evaded a half-hearted challenge from Samukawa before letting fly with her right foot. The ball looked destined for goal, spinning with tremendous velocity as it covered the twenty five yards to goal in less than a second, but a opportune deflection off the referee saw the ball trickle to Iseya, who made no mistake in hoofing clear. The referee looked suitably embarrassed by his role in proceedings, and was seen offering his apologies to the frustrated Villegas soon afterwards.

The next stoppage of play, called for a cynical trip on Fleftic captain Villegas by Kasugano, saw no less than three players substituted - for Abanhfleft, forward Yoshinobu Mori and left back Shelly Murray came on for the largely ineffectual duo of Zsofia Dolan and Connie Anderson, while Mizuyuki opted to shore up their defence by bringing on Nakamura Chika for the more adventurous Sakuranami Koeda. Without their key playmaker on the pitch, Mizuyuki's attack suddenly looked slightly lacking of drive, with the defensive Nakamura offering far less in attack than Sakuranami, but by then there could be no mistaking Shirazaka's intention - to lock up the game and get rid of the key. Without the more error-prone Sakuranami, coupled with a pragmatic reversal in tactics, Mizuyuki looked a lot more compact than they had been at the start of the match; the central midfield coupling of Miyashiro and Nakamura, sitting deep in the pivot, provided the necessary steel to nullify Abanhfleft's attacking play.

With Mizuyuki now intent upon securing their slender one-goal lead, sapping the energy and momentum from the game with aimless, time-wasting sideways passes, Abanhfleft could not come close to creating a wondrous last minute equaliser save for one occasion in the second minute of stoppage time. This time, a hasty pass by Tachibana, played under pressure, led to an interception by Villegas; the Fleftic captain, leading by example, charged straight up the pitch to the other end. The sheer pace at which Abanhfleft broke left the Mizuyukian defenders scrambling to recover, but not a single defender would be able to catch up with the breaking attack, of which Villegas was the focal point. Deftly playing a one-two with Mori, the Fleftic captain shaped up to shoot from just outside the area, but the ball was nudged out of the way by a sliding Iseya; the loose ball was subsequently blasted just wide of Kashiwagi's right hand post by Mori. The frustration of missing a glorious late chance to equalise summed up Abanhfleft's day. They had a hatful of chances to win the game; had their finishing been up to scratch, had they had just a little more luck, they would no doubt have emerged winners at the end of a bruising match. However, it is fair to say that Mizuyuki emerged as deserving winners. Their desire and hunger, on display throughout the match, was simply second to none, and they could well have been on the right end of a comprehensive thrashing had their shooting boots been on.

As the referee blew his whistle to end the match, the Mizuyukian bench rushed onto the pitch in glorious abandon, celebrating their progress to the semifinals, as the Fleftic players trudged morosely off the pitch. Not for the first time, the Little Nova tasted the sweet, sweet nectar of victory in the Di Bradini Cup - made all the more enjoyable by Shirazaka's masterminding of a victory against Montwill. However, Shirazaka will be aware that this is not the time to be resting on her laurels - after having overseen such a comprehensive win in all but the scoreline against Abanhfleft, the onus will now be on her to extract yet another mature, commanding performance against the heavily fancied Calanian Union in the semifinals.

The next match for the Little Nova promises to be the true acid test of their credentials. Beat the Calanian Union and she, along with her partner Kiriyama, will be the first ever Mizuyukian manager to reach the final of a Di Bradini Cup, on the cusp of a famous victory. Secure a second win, against either Nephara or the Unified Sunrise Islands, and they will be able to hoist the trophy aloft. Can Mizuyuki's very own managerial dream team pull off yet another stunning masterclass, upstaging truly world class teams in the process?

[Equestrian States]

DI BRADINI CUP 32
SEMIFINAL RESULTS

Unified Sunrise Islands 1-1 Nephara
(1-1 AET) (4-5 pen.)
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Mizuyuki 1-0 The Calanian Union
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

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DI BRADINI CUP 32
THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

Unified Sunrise Islands vs. The Calanian Union
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

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DI BRADINI CUP 32
FINAL

Nephara vs. Mizuyuki
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

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Host Note: A reminder that the 3PPO will be scorinated tomorrow at around this time, with the Final being scored the following day.

[Equestrian States]

DI BRADINI CUP 32
THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

Unified Sunrise Islands 2-3 The Calanian Union
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

---

Congratulations to The Calanian Union for their 3rd place finish here at the 32nd Di Bradini Cup, their best finish to-date in the competition. And - of course - commiserations to Unified Sunrise Islands who, despite reaching the tournament's semifinals for the fifth-straight time, were unable to end the remarkable run of first-time winners that will extend to 14 regardless of the result of this year's Di Bradini Cup Final.

Again, a reminder that the Final will be scorinated in roughly 24 hours.

[Nephara]

There was something Tess Riether loved about watching penalties.
Oh, to be sure, she hated the tension, the stress, the amount that rode on success here. But this was where children became adults - where you learned who had the guts to succeed and who, well, did not. Steed Corren in goal removed his gloves and cracked his knuckles - he, at least, was ready. He'd had a good match, too - twice bravely denying CP Money in one-on-ones. The Islander press had wondered what Money would turn up today. Apparently the one that made a lot of chances, but couldn't finish them. And got kicked in the shins by Kieran Ritter, a lot. Gardot could, though - she'd netted sweetly from fifteen yards to open the scoring. It had been a substitute, Sheila Maddon, who'd equalised within two minutes of coming on. A good player, Riether reflected, but a hot-head. Hers was to be the third penalty, and hopefully under the crossbar.

Sugiura stepped up first. Could an 18-year old midfielder strike true from the spot? Well, apparently so, though she did try to be fancy about it - chipped it. The Nepharim were unappreciative of such showboating, a low growling coming from the green and black line, Steed Corren spitting on the ground as he lay there, irritated. But Canjica couldn't do better against Michael Kellard, diving low to her left as Kellard fired low to her right. Coolly taken - Riether approved.
CP Money was next up. Again, the Islanders played with fire - it was a poor penalty, but Corren betrayed himself by diving early, the wrong way - he did get a hand to the penalty as it went slow and straight down the middle, but couldn't actually stop it, and collapsed in frustrated pain. Still, Riether had faith in Elsa Layland - and it paid off, Canjica went the right way, but didn't get her hands high enough.
Gardot next, the goalscorer - and she proved it, this time with a proper penalty, top right corner, unsavable even if Corren had gone the right way. As for the Magpies, well... hearts were in mouths as Sheila Maddon fired down but far too close to the centre, Canjica gathering it with grateful ease. But Maddon immediately charged the referee, demanding justice - Canjica had practically leapt off her line. The referee struggled to inform her he knew that, and please to lay off. Either way, Maddon struck true at the second time of asking, locking the scores at three-all.
The superbly-named Felipe Hogan next, then - just fifteen years old. Riether, quietly, wondered whether or not he was up for it at that age. Corren, who hadn't exactly covered himself with glory in the shootout, seemed eager to be a hero - and Hogan was clearly hesitating as he walked away from the spot. Even Riether in the technical area could see him telegraphing his spot-kick. Corren, evidently, saw the same, and palmed the ball away firmly with both hands.
Even as Corren was mobbed by his teammates, he tried to get them back in line - after all, it was hardly done, and yet again Canjica went the right way in response to Elaine Ashdown's penalty. Might have gotten fingers to it, but... it wasn't enough, at any rate, and now they were just one set away. Ratamary stood to take the fifth, and smashed it home well and hard, getting it out of the way very quickly to put all the pressure on the slim shoulders of Brigid Kestrel.
Riether knew Kestrel. And she knew Kestrel was exactly the sort of person who only felt right in the spotlight. That was why she was fifth - mightn't be the cleanest striker of the ball, necessarily, but she had the guts to stare a tough moment right in the eyes. She took the ball, she planted it, she took a couple steps back...
Nepharim don't stutter-step. They step back and they run forward and they hammer it. And Canjica's hesitation cost her dearly, as she dove late and saw the ball head over her face, over her hands, glancing under the crossbar...
And with that, the Nepharim were through to the DBC final, for the first time in their history. And as players dove into the melee, and substitutes invaded the field, and a couple people actually remembered to swap shirts, Riether remained in the technical area, presenting the cameras with what would be her defining image - standing in profile, crossed arms, as those around her go mad, with the smuggest, most self-satisfied smirk plastered over her face.