World Cup LXXV - AK75 - The RP Thread

[Tobiasia]

OOC: Am I allowed to post a RP so long after the match? Oh well here goes.


KICK OFF FIRST HALF
3(mins)-Tobiasian Attackers moving forward
4-Wide shot from Lee Ryans
7-Heredonian Attackers moving forward
8-One Heredonian striker goes for a shot, but saved by the keeper
17-Flint Eastgate is moving in for a shot, but it comes off a defender
18-Tobiasia with a corner, Matthew Card smashes it overhead
28-Heredon with an attack
31-Paul Goldsmith denies the shot
45-HALF TIME
45 KICK OFF SECOND HALF
52-Heredon sprinting forward
56-A shot by Heredon, which goes wide to the left
67-Harry Lithgow sprinting with the ball
78-Heredonian attack
81-Denied by Paul Goldsmith
85-Harry Lithgow again with the ball
87-Pass to Fraser Philips
87-GOAL by Fraser Philips, straight over the goalkeeper! It's 1-0 to Tobiasia!
88-Attack by Heredon, hoping to make it 1-1
89-Shot towards goal, saved by the keeper
90-THREE MINUTES EXTRA TIME
91-Lee Ryans goes for a smashing shot! But it hits the bar
93-END OF MATCH

What a brilliant match! Tobiasia's FIRST EVER World Cup victory against Heredonia no less! Green and white fans all raise hands simultaneously as the result is declared, in pubs, in stadiums across the nation, the people cheer as one. They may not have qualified, but Tobiasia just been placed 155 in the world football rankings. A magnificent moment, bringing tears to citizens all across the island.

[Farfadillis]

Solala Authorizes Mobilization of 80% of the Armed Forces
Government says carpet bombing is "still in the cards"

In a press conference this morning, Gorgeo Solala announced that he had signed the necessary paperwork for Minister of Defense Turás Monganer to mobilize most of the Farf Armed Forces in an attempt to squash the RRA. In uncharacteristic lack of confidentiality, Monganer announced to the public that he "was going to blitzkrieg the fuck out of Ruland."

With the RRA reportedly failing to properly barricade strategically-important points like Ômên, it is expected the military will regain about a third of Rulandese territory within two days.

---

RRA Successfully Fends Off Initial Attack
Government insists carpet bombing is "still in the cards"

---

Military Forced to Retreat by the RRA
Government says carpet bombing is "beginning to look likely"

---

For a team representing a nation torn apart, Farfadillis were playing pretty convincingly. The game was always going to be a close one. Valladares roughly matched them in skill, after all.

On the one hand, the conflict back home was clearly affecting the chemistry of the Farf team. Nofzaleiné and Wínrôuge went as far as insulting each other when play stopped. The news of the government stepping up the effort to curb the RRA had only made sparks fly higher in the locker room. However, in this... rather dangerous environment, the team seemed to actually play better football.

The defense seemed more organized than ever before, though, admittedly, it had sucked against Savalen. The midfield was putting in the kilometres like never before, forcing the match to be extremely high tempo. And the strikeforce... well, you can't have everything.

The first half saw no goals, though both sides marred a few chances. "More organized than ever before" still doesn't mean that much, at the end of the day. Fuego and Nofzaleiné missed one rather clear chance each. Fuego, a supporter of the RRA despite not being Rulandese, was encouraged by his teammates after it. Nofzaleiné, he got verbally abused. Heavily.

God knows what Tíbürçìó said to the team during half time, but they began playing more aggressively. In every sense. Even more offensive style, rougher tackles, more hurling of personal insults at teammates.

It was under this spell of mutual aggression that Tíbürçìó had seemingly conjured onto the team that Farfadillis finally took the lead.

Röènôùjýâ recovered the ball and began sprinting towards the Valladar half. He dribbled one and then passed the ball to Tôr, who quickly stopped the ball and passed it across the pitch to Fôx, who was running like never before. Thirty-three years old, never truly physically-fit, yet there he was, chasing the ball more effortfully than ever before. He got to it just before the Valladar midfielder and lightly touched it to pull ahead. He then saw Wínrôuge running into the space and connected a perfect through pass. Through on goal, Fôrté cleverly protected the ball from the Valladar centre-back and chipped the ball, as he often did in those situations. The Valladar keeper had quick reflexes, though, and managed to slightly touch the ball, slowing it down enough to prevent the goal.

It had been a very, very smooth display of offensive football from all of the outfield Rulandese players, though. What happened next. Well, that wasn't as smooth.

"Röènôùjýâ to Tôr. Tôr passes it across the pitch towards Fôx. Fantastic effort from our captain to get the ball. He dribbled. WÍNRÔUGE'S THROUGH ON GOAL... NOFZALEINÉ'S THERE! GOOOL! GOOOOOOOOL! GOOOOOOOOL! FARFADILLIS TAKES THE LEAD!"

Nofzaleiné pounced on the rebound. The goal was almost a carbon copy of Dandalleion's winning goal against Osarius in the AOCAF Cup final a couple of years before. Yet, while that goal united the entire team, this one... this one could tear it apart.

"Nofzaleiné's pointing at Wínrôuge. He's now pounding his own ass in his direction. We're... not sure what that is supposed to mean. It is an unorthodox way to celebrate a goal, that's for sure. Anyway, twenty minutes to go, and we've pulled ahead of Valladares!"

As much as he tried, Tíbürçìó simply couldn't help but grin shit-eatingly.

[Ficiscia]

Ficiscian Team Hotel, Bretsaar, the night before the Ficiscia vs. Barunia match

Decimius Hector turned and looked at the clock on the nightstand, showing 04:32. The team's captain turned and sighed, quite happy that he could try to get another few hours of sleep. With the match being scheduled in the evening, the Ficiscians didn't have to get up too early. Nevertheless, Hector was a little nervous. Never before had Ficiscia faced such an opportunity - a victory in Bretsaar tomorrow against Barunia would mean no less than the nation's first qualification for the KO round in their first World Cup. The team's captain knew the deal exactly: A win against the last placed Barunia, and they were through. A draw, and it would depend on Pasarga winning over Ceni or drawing with no more goals than Ficiscia. A loss, and the adventure would be over. The pressure was obviously there for him, but he decided that he'd need to be calm. There was no reason to be ashamed even if they wouldn't make it - Ficiscia was already way further than they had expected, they had nothing to lose against the group's second seed. His thoughts went back to the last weeks.

Having qualified not too comfortably for the playoffs, the team was not very confident going into the first playoff game against the United States of Devonta. And it seemed so justified. In Decimius's dreams, he kept reviving the dreadful moments towards the end of the home game against Devonta. It was him that had made things so hard before the away match, when he first lost a ball in the attack that led to the Devontan go-ahead-goal and then shot a free kick to the post. The sound of the ball hitting the metal in front of the fanatic Ficiscian end would probably be haunting until the end of his life, especially if they hadn't been able to reverse the score in the away game.
This was a dream he liked to have over and over again, despite the bad start it took. He hardly ever remembered that - Devonta got a penalty early and went ahead 3-1 on aggregate, and the World Cup dream seemed gone - but what followed was one of Decimius Hector's fondest memories. It was his opening pass that sent Vero down into a one-on-one against the goalkeeper, and Sergius Vero isn't one to let it slip. In his dreams, he revived the free kick he took, the one that seemed like a miss until the Devontans realized it was indeed a pass to a fast approaching Rex. Petrus, as he crossed the ball back to the middle. Rectus, as he nodded it in. The moment when he felt the defender's shoulder against his, the tug on his shirt, the little contact to his thigh that made him stumble and fall. The anger when he couldn't hear a whistle by the referee - and the joy when he saw Sergi running into the area and shooting it into the net. The last few minutes after Devonta had equalized for the second time, when the score was 3-3 and they had to attack all out. The moment when he had to leave the pitch after a tackling made his leg hurt. And the moment when his replacement Parca could head the ball into the goal.

The last few weeks, when everything surrounding the team was bigger than ever before, kind of went through Decimius Hector's memory. He could remember the media conferences and interviews he had to give, the luxury of the team hotels and the amount of fans that made it to Mertagne, but in his dream, the next thing that came up was the opening match against Pasarga. Images of them getting through a hard fighting Ficiscian defense, where the defenders were running and tackling but he himself didn't see many opportunities to play the game he loved. Images of Balbus punching a ball away to the side. Images of a striker, tall and broad like a wall in his dream, stopping the clear and smashing the ball into the net. And then images of their counter attacks. Images of the pitch from high above. The eye of an eagle, they used to say. Everything seemed obvious to him. Back to Roskis. Cutting through the gap. He could feel the ball would switch sides, and so it did. Rex crossing it behind the Pasargan defense. Rectus heading it in, and the obvious block by the keeper that he had seen coming. He was positioned perfectly and could see that everyone expected a shot. But then he noticed where his teammate stood. Sergi had positioned himself perfectly. A pass - a shot - a goal. And then the defending started again, and then the whistle blew. That all became one in Hector's dream. What was important was the one point against the group's top seed that they got.

And then there was the game against Ceni, here in Bretsaar. The team was surely flying high after the surprising draw against Pasarga that felt like a victory, and they came into the game with a fighting spirit that may very well have been the biggest one ever displayed by this nation. An incredible fight it had been. Ficiscia stood as one team, attacking and defending ferociously. They had received a goal early on that still haunted Decimius a little, as he was the one who had not been watching his opponent closely enough, but in the end, it was offside and not a good goal. A similar thing had happened to the Ficiscians in the second half when they had been through, but there had been a whistle for a foul by Rectus when he had headed the ball to Alexandros. In the end, it had been a game where both teams had managed to get some chances but didn't get one past the keeper, at least not one that counted. A final whistle that sealed a 0-0 with which the Ficiscians surely could live better than Ceni.

Now, it was the moment where the Ficiscians had to show what they came to Mertagne for. Were they here to play a role in their first World Cup, to attack, to play to win and do a surprise in this game? Or would they be here to get a point or two and go home again? Decimius Hector knew what he was for. To make sure the world would remember his name and his team. To play among the best 16 of the world.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Roar of Dragons

It is often said that a sign of a great team is that it can not play at its best but still find a way to get a result. The Marauders will be hoping that is the case after the match against Krytenia, where they were far from their dominating best, but still managed to rescue a draw from the Aces before the final whistle was blown. Unlike the Semarland game where the Marauders used a possession game to eventually hem in the Semars in their own half, they were met by a stiff chessmatch of resistance from the Krytenia side that was quite intent on trying to snatch the full points from the match. However a late surge in the last half hour of the match saw the Marauders deny their foes and the cohosts of the tournament, though it left both needing something from the last match to ensure their progression into the knockouts, a place that both nations believed to be theirs for the taking.

Marauders fans are used to a great variety of tactics employed by the side in order to get the result, though they almost always are some form of an offensive game, even if it is a meticulous passing game. While some squads like to be in an all out offensive press against their opposition, we're looking at you Quebec and Farfadillis, and others prefer a more attrition and defensive outlook, Ko-oren we see you building an iron curtain in front of that net, the Marauders have been flexible. It matters not to the side if the game is an exhibition in offensive prowess or if it is the slow, meticulous and probing game that eventually exploits a weakness of the foe, it is the result that matters. The fans do quite enjoy the show, to see their side be superior and show it in a flash of offensive display, but for the squad it is just a matter of finding a way to get the result that is required of them.

So when the game began and the two sides were in a bit of a gridlock with the Marauders attempting to keep the Aces out of the game by holding on to the ball, it was probably only natural that the neutrals at the match began to root for the hosts. The Dragons, one of Krytenia's other monikers, were content to sit and guard their treasure in the form of their half, meeting each Marauder attack with an equally impressive defensive display that kept the Marauders at bay. Ultimately though, Krytenia found their way fully into the game and managed to get in some attacking of their own and it was a poor challenge that opened up space on the wing for Angelo to float in a ball for the dastardly bastard to get a head to it and send the Dragons soaring with the lead. The lead only made the Dragons put up shop even more and the frustration began to physically mount for the Marauders as the first half came to a close.

In a strange twist a fate, it was a rare bad touch from Laborious Hawk that sprung the next attack for the Aces, as they took took that heavy touch and hurried up the pitch, as the Marauders had been scored on once more before most of the squad had even realized what had transpired. Down a pair of goals to the cohosts, many Vanorians might have thought that the Marauders were out of the match, as the defense of the Dragons looked like it was going to be unbeatable on the day. With Krytenia clearly thinking of Valanora as a major rival, though we Vanorians do not feel the same about Krytenia, it was clear that they were bound and determined to emerge victorious from the engagement and secure their spot in the knockouts. The captain though, the captain remained calm and told his team to relax before the kickoff, there was still a half hour of football to be had and one only had to remember the match against Squornshelous in World Cup 39 to know what could happen in just a half hour.

The side moved into a full attacking formation as Soldarian was brought off in favor of a second attacking mid, with Héra Teltholsyr, a tactic that the Marauders have employed many times over the last six years if they find themselves trailing in the last thirty minutes of a match. It was not even ten minutes after the change that it paid dividends, was the super sub found va Drake on an overlap and the attacking winger cooly placed his shot from the edge of the box and past Heaton. That goal brought The Navy Wave to life as they started singing quite loudly and what had seemed like a pro Krytenia crowd just a few minutes before, now seemed as if it was completely behind the Marauders, though it might have been brought on by the negative attitude the Dragons had taken up with their lead.

In the end, it was non other than the captain who would find the equalizer and just before full time, redeeming himself for that poor touch that had allowed the Dragons to get the two goal lead in the first place. The woodwork had played the initial hero as Fresco had thought he had found the equalizer, yet the captain was there to send in that rebound on the half volley that was simply sublime and found the back of the net through a thicket of players as if it was a heat seeking missile. Unfortunately the goal came to late as there was controversially only a sole minute of added time at the end of the match and it was simply not enough for the Marauders to organize one last attack to try and win the match, as the game had truly turned on its head after the second goal from the Dragons. Krytenia perhaps felt like they should have won the match, while the Marauders probably feel if there was another five minutes they would have found a winner.

Vanorian focus now falls to Pridnestrovia, whom the Marauders will need to find at least a draw from in order to make it to the knockouts, while a victory will open up the opportunity to win the group. Advancement has to be the only concern though, as though winning the group might be a nice feather in the cap of the Marauders, it is not likely to make a difference in the quality of a potential second round opponent, with Farfadillis or Valladares looking equally likely. Pridnestrovia has yet to win a match in the group stage, though they did give the Semars quite a scare as they put three past the COCANEFA nation, though they found five of their own in the open ended match. This is quite the tricky match for the Marauders, as they have everything to play for while their opponents have absolutely nothing to lose and can play as freely as they like, an opportunity that has often seen such sides spring upsets. The Marauders will need to have the sort of focus they had against the Semars if they want to overcome this last hurdle between them and the knockouts, from which any event is possible.

[Ko-oren]

Day 18:
18:00: ice hockey | Thaulandi 4-3 Nine Sisters
20:00: handball | Polaris 25-22 Thaulandi

Day 19:
09:00: water polo | Milyu 9-8 Protea
11:00: volleyball | Six Saints Protea
13:00: rugby union| Protea 27-26 Waratah
15:00: baseball | Ko-oren 3-2 Nine Sisters
18:00: lacrosse | Thaulandi 16-10 Polaris
20:00: gridiron | Ko-oren 24-13 Thaulandi

Day 20:
09:00: Waratah rules | Waratah 120-99 Fern
11:00: bandy | Thaulandi 5-3 Polaris
13:00: field hockey | Santa Teresa 3-2 Ko-oren
15:00: rugby league | Ko-oren 30-22 Waratah
17:00: soccer | Ko-oren 3-1 Nine Sisters
19:00: basketball | Kang Rao 103-101 Santa Teresa
20:30: Ko-orenite FB | Ko-oren North 15-12 Ko-oren West

The last day of the Games of the Union. The last 7 finals to be decided. All the other medals have been handed out (and with a lack of third place games in the team sports, no medals will be tallied in the overall standing). It's just a couple teams left, in most cases at the beginning of the new season. In some cases it's a nice treat after the club final. In some cases it's an annoying intermission right in the middle of the season. It all started at 9 am, like the day before, but this time the agenda was even fuller.

The opener was Waratah Rules (*Australian Rules). It's fairly popular, especially in the Crux Islands, but only Waratah can get an allround competitive team. In fact, they could probably get two or three of those while the rest of us will have to do with a solid team and one or two gaps. It's David versus Goliath with Fern versus Waratah. In the less popular version of the story, it's an easy win for Goliath. Yeah, we all like an underdog win, but it's just not happening most of the times. A fairly easy win for Waratah, who were having a comfortable lead at half time (69-54) but never say 'comfortable lead' in this sport. With six points per goal, a fifteen point lead is three goals away. Waratah was never going to give this away though, and Fern was happy with the almost 100 points. An all over productive game, the Waratines got their expected victory.

Next up was the one sport that most people probably wouldn't expect in the middle of summer. Bandy. While ice hockey was a stretch, it at least was fairly popular everywhere and played in a lot of nations. Bandy was far smaller, but still has as many fans as sports like Waratah Rules, field hockey, lacrosse etcetera. So Bandy was played in Schemerdrecht, a city close by around the bay, but still hours away because you'll have to drive around the bay to get there, as close as it might be in absolute terms. It was a quickly done deal, with Thaulandi's stars taking care of Polaris. For both nations, this would be the last final. The Thaulandians scored early, scored again and again for a 3-0 lead before the Polarians would finally recover. It was a 3-2 close combated game for a while before two quick Thaulandian goals sealed the deal. Polaris would score one last time to give the impression of a close game.

Third off, just after lunch, was field hockey. While not a massive sport, there are fans of it in every single nation of the Union. This resulted in a huge bracket for a small market sport. It finally came down to Santa Teresa and Ko-oren. The Teresans qualified for two finals, and this would be their first one. The other was basketball, played around dinnertime later today. The Ko-orenites tried to slow down the game as much as possible, but the Teresans went with their own rhythm, pushed on and penetrated into the Ko-orenite circle a few times before forcing a penalty corner and scoring 1-0. It didn't take long for the Ko-orenites to retaliate and score a goal of their own from a counterattack and then tried to bog down the goal again. The Teresans were pushing, but didn't find a way into the circle. They did run into a counterattack again to concede 2-1. After that, the Teresans were a lot more accurate to score the 2-2 from the outside of a crowded circle, and then the decider from another penalty corner.

Right in the middle of the afternoon was rugby league, now going into the really popular sports. Waratah boasts some incredibly quick wingers, Ko-oren harbours a great pack of forwards. It was Waratah's goal to keep the forwards occupied in hitups, then strike over the sides from a long pass. The Ko-orenites were intent to not let this happen, and picked off some long passes. Macquarie was the main culprit in giving passes away and he played shorter distances from then on. Not really utilising the speed of Sean Harper and Russell Merritt, the Ko-orenites profited from this compact game to score via Alain Vincent (6-0). The ball was returned to the Ko-orenites and as often happens in League, this sparks a period of dominance from one team. Ko-oren scored two more tries for 16-0, until finally the Waratines struck. Sean Harper intercepted and immediately broke the line: 16-6. This cycle continued for 16-18. Nicolas Toussaint inspired the Ko-oren team with a spirited defence which led to the next points for his team (22-18). The Waratines would score their final points of the game after 71 minutes, 22-22, but the Ko-orenites weren't done yet. Germain scored for 28-22, and a penalty goal after the buzzer sealed the game 30-22.

Next up was the biggest sport in the Union, soccer. This bracket was heavily contested and both teams didn't make it to the final without a few bruises. Injuries on both sides limited the depth of the squads and the Ko-orenites entered the field without a good solution on midfield, while the Nine Sisters weren't 100% on defence. The Ko-orenites had a lot more international players anyway. The first goal was by Karina Ingram, who is trying to break into the national team, from a long range shot. The teams went for tea at 1-1 (corner and header for Hortensius). The second half featured an exhausted Nonosororitan side, and the Ko-orenites scored two goals after 81 and 87 minutes. Not exactly a shining example of a dominating side, but it got the job done, and what else would we expect from the green-and-blue team anyway? Maitland Colby, the next big thing in offence, scored both goals and made a case for her to be included in the national team down the line.

Kang Rao and Santa Teresa kept each other close in basketball. Lacking a clear star on their team, both teams managed to break through to the final in defensively solid play, a good tactical plan, and great team spirit. The Kang Raoese just have a little more individual skills, featuring internationals Shen, Mai and Liang, while the Sisters have just Vaughn as massive star. There were 18 lead changes this game, and a three decided it, elevating the Kang Raoese from 100 to 103 with 6 seconds to go. They kept their defence shut and were still celebrating the win when the screen cut to the last sport of the day, and the Games.

[Pasarga]

Torgos Tribune ~ The Unusual Suspect

The Wanderers did what they needed to do against Barunia, getting a clutch two to nil victory over the second seed in the group and have somehow managed to leap all the way up to the top of the table as Ficisia managed to hold Ceni to a draw just days after doing the same to the Wanderers. Ficisia is looking to be a side not to lose a match in the group stage but neither win one either and advance, as they get that chance with Ceni and the Wanderers playing one another on the last matchday while they get a reeling Barunia side that may have their heads hung low after that defeat. It sets up a very interesting last matchday for Group D, as not a single squad has secured their advancement though no one has been eliminated either, and Barunia could still find a way to advance out of the group, should they win and the match between ourselves and Ceni work out to their advantage.

It was the most unlikely of scorers for the Wanderers who have managed to save their World Cup, for the moment, Viviano Milani and Zdenek Moravec proved to be the heroes. It is not often that you see a centerback score in the run of play, that both of the Wanderers centerbacks did and in such a crucial match speaks volumes about the talent and the depths to which the Pasargan spirit goes. It was not just on the offensive end that they managed to be the heroes, as Milani cleared what looked to be a certain goal from Barunia just on the hour mark from the line after Lukacs missed his punch on the corner. Though given the stature of the two defenders and the clubs in which they ply their trade domestically, perhaps goals and heroics should not have been as surprising as they were. What remains though is a task of getting at least a point out of the match with Ceni and seeing their way into the Round of Sixteen.

It is strange how sometimes it is the most unlikely of people that turns out to be the most celebrated of them, who turns out to be the hero that the group of nation needs at that time. Such is the case when you look at the cultured striker legend, now turned manager, Tobias Möller. Möller was a less than impressive prospect as a youth, not seen as fit to be starting in the Di Bradini Cup, and most thought would wash out of the game by the time he turned twenty-five. The only attribute that the striker seemed to have to his name was that he was fairly pacy but he was so wildly inconsistent and could not seemingly direct a goal on target if his life relied on it.

However around the age of twenty-three the striker seemed to all of a sudden find his game and quickly began to light the league on fire at such a pace that the national team had to take notice and brought him into the pool and usual teams. On the national stage he became the face of the golden generation of Pasargan football despite the stigma he had as a young player and was banging in crucial goal after crucial goal as if it was easy to do. Eventually his talent would attract the Polarian scouts and he would move to the great icy north for a transfer fee that was at the time the largest recorded fee in the modern era. However, for all the flash and eruption of talent, Möller would never lift a major international trophy with the Marauders, though he helped groom a certain young playmaking center mid who would continue the golden generation of Pasargan football and take them to their World Cup title.

It is his tale in this celebration of sixty years of Pasargan football that should be spoken to all potential footballers in Pasarga, as it shows that you can become anything you set your mind to and not let labels and judgement weigh you down. No one thought Möller would amount to anything and yet he became renowned not just in Pasarga but across all of the world and a hero of the national team, with the records of most caps (103) and goals (53) for the national team. He is a testimony to the determination that Pasargans are known for, the tenacity that drives them forward even when all the signs show that they should not be anywhere near capable of what they are doing. It is a legacy that the players need reminded of as they set their sets on Ceni and trying to secure the knockout rounds beyond.

[Matthewsiania]

A loss and a draw, not that bad. I'd complain more but I had much more of an issue over my cousin and my sister.
My mind would always go back to the cherished moments I had with her. Did you know I helped her on learning how to write? Or how to read? Or how to ride a bicycle?
Yeah. All on me. Maybe I felt like I was a bit entitled to something.
Like after all those years, we'd spend some time together again, chatting, making jokes.
Maybe it was just me, but it didn't feel right.
Many things didn't. Like how just now I realized that Sunrise wasn't being polite when making those remarks.
"Well, y'know me. I like my women with brains. That think. No offense."
Did he really think I was an idiot? I mean, I'm not brilliant, but still.
What a jackass.
I treat him with respect.
Hospitality.
And what does he do?
He even left with my sister!
Why I'd oughta-
SLAM!

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, HILLYBILLY!"
"..."
"What? Did a cat eat your tongue? Or are you just that stupid?"
"Y-y-you look just like him!"
"Let me guess. Like Sunrise."
"How did you-"
"I'm a fan. You know... the kind of fan that would rip him apart just to make sure no one else gets him."
"Now that I think about it, you look familiar... Wouldn't you happen to be Hakifao, Sunrise's rival from years ago?"
"You're right! Hah, think this is the first time you ever hear that."
"Ah! I'm Matthewsiania, remember me? From school!"
"You mean the idiot that said Hello had six letters on our last field day?"
"...Y-yeah."
"Thought so. You're facing my friend next match, no? Audioslavia? The Rampaging Bull?"
"Well, uh... yeah."
"Do me a favor, then."
The petite girl grabbed him and deposited a sweet kiss on his lips.
"Kick his ass."
I could only nod. It was kinda funny, I mean, I never got a kiss from anyone.
Besides Mathilda. But we don't talk about it.
Cousin Sunrise said it was something only a farm idiot would do- Wait a second!

"You're simply not leaving this place, are you?"
Sunrise looked at Kitsunia, on pajamas, with a glass of ice cream and a spoon on hands.
"I mean, those are kinda expensive."
"You have a girl around walking on close to nothing. And your only worries are about ice cream?"
...kinda got me there.
"Fine. But maybe you should wear something more. Pretty sure Matthewsiania will arrive in a couple of minutes."
"So? He's my brother. Pretty sure he's used to this."
"Kinda creepy to be like that when your brother is on his way."
"Relax, he's not like that. Whenever he sees me, he thinks I'm the little princess that he needs to take care of before some rough, fancy guy crowns her."
Sunrise sat on the couch, rolling his eyes.
"So me? Great."
The girl sat to his side, smiling.
"Don't worry! If he had to beat you up, he'd have done this by now."
"Well, I'm not worried about people beating me up. They do it all the time!"
"Eh?"

When I arrived to this city, I was just this cute kid that decided to study Economy. So, the guys at the University figured out I'd need a room-mate, since I wasn't born here and all.
Turns out there was this other kid, named Apox, who had just arrived from some other place. I think it was named Wofford Village or something like that.
Still, he knew a bit more about the city, so we stuck together, figuring out the world outside our hometowns and getting smarter as well.
Granted this didn't mean we were exactly serious all the time.
"Sunrise, I'm pretty sure when they said Rocket Cake, they didn't meant placing a small cake over some fireworks."
"Does it look like I don't know what I'm doing?"
"Always does, mate."
"The mouth goes shhh while I try to light this Rocket Cake up."
"I'm just saying this is a bad idea and-"
Sunrise finishes lighting up the fireworks' end outside of the cake. The creation flies outside through the open window.
"Told you."
"That's all part of the plan! You'll witness the creation of Moon Cake!"
The two rushed to the window, watching the firework fly horizontally, eventually blowing up, causing cake to fly over a specific certain area, dirtying Valanora, the one passer-by on a very standout dress, now a mess due to a bunch of chocolate cake out of nowhere. She stared up, angrily, causing the two rookies to hide under the window.
"Eeeeeh... shit."
"Again. Told you."

"And she beat you up as a result?"
"Yup. And the worst part is, this was just the first time I ended up ruining a dress of hers."
"Heh."
"There was the one time we tried Rocket Pizza, then Rocket Chicken Soup, the one time we were painting the flat and I had to throw a bucket of dirty water out, New Years' Eve 2014..."
"What happened at New Years' Eve 2014?"
"I know it involved salmon casserole, three spicy meat Tacos, two bottles of Sprite with mate, a Strawberry with Chocolate cake, Dead or Alive and someone yelling Moving Himalaya for some reason. Don't remember the details."
"She's not a fan of You Spin Me 'Round, I take."
"Probably. Still, she's just an example on the "List of People That Beat Me Up For Something"."
"Funny that I didn't notice any marks."
"Is that an invitation to check it out again?"
The flat's door opened.
And he blocks it. 'Grats, cousin.
"Hey, cousin."
"...Hi."
"You're still pissed, ain't you?"
"A bit. And you should really wear some shorts."
She sighed, going to Sunrise's room for a spare.
"So, I hear you drew with Banguela. He's pretty tough, congrats."
"If that's what you say. I think I was just incompetent."
"Well, y'know..."
SLAP!
"OW! WHAT THE HELL, MAN?"
"Don't be a smart ass. I met your old rival."
"Dainer returned from St. Fut?"
"Your other old rival."
"I'm pretty sure they locked Lyman up."
"Don't know who that is."
"Understatement of the millennia."
SLAP!
"OW!"
"I'm speaking of Hakifao."
"You mean the stalker? The one that stole my clothes once? Pretty sure she's with the Anaia Club these days. Good riddance."
"She gave me a kiss, said to knock her friend out."
Kitsunia returned, laughing before giving a pat on Matthewsiania's back.
"If you're trying to outdo us, there's way more ground to catch up than that!"
"Not like that, sis!"
"Maybe he pissed her off. Then again, I can sympathize. She's insufferable and I beat him."
"You did?"
"Eh, y'know me. Always beating those who don't know better."
SLAP!
"OW! YOU BASTARD!"

[Chromatika]

Prelude, Book I Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Interlude Part VII Part VIII Part IX Part X Part XI Part XII Part XIII Part XIV

The Rainbow Revolution
Book I: The Sparks
Part XV: The News

"Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. - Sholom Aleichem

Before the game against Abanhfleft, @ the Home Team Locker Room, Silverlands, Corinth, Starblaydia

"So we understand the game plan, right?" stated the firm voice of Lisa Amos, the Manager of the Chromatik National Team. "Zolnerov is the key. Contain him, and Potter/Kelvin will be left alone to deal with the entirety of our defense by themselves, with the occasional blurb from Edwards and Turpentine. And Kéirâ? I want you to start today. No offense Nioli, but I want her to start the game and you to sub in, I think the Fleftics would not be expecting that. Now, before we go out there and start warming up, I have some news from back home concerning Franscesca..."

All the chattering between players stopped over the deployment of Andìsorì over Quren up front. They hadn't heard a word about Cortes, because they were purposefully avoiding all state sponsored news. Jordan Lawless was reportedly hiding somewhere in Atlantian Oceania, but not Cosumar; he had deemed it too dangerous for all of the fugitives of the Chromatik Party to all stay in one place, because then the government might consider it worth the risk of pissing off the Cosumarite government to stage a raid in Cosumarite territory.

"The latest news from the Shadow Writers, they don't want me to share with you before the game in the fear that it might distract you from the task at hand. But I've seen the emotional strength that you guys have, the resolve. I don't think it is right to withhold this news from you, not when it concerns the very woman who brought you to where you are today. The Chromatik Party has decided that instead of sentencing Cortes to a lifetime sentence in jail, they will actually execute her by lethal injection, to be televised not only nationwide but worldwide. They-"

There was such an angry outburst in the room that she couldn't be heard over the din. Meagan Kelly and Zlastica Ellen were screaming at the top of their lungs, at least half the squad with them. Luuk Aart was holding his head in his hands, and Aysu Damjana was actually crying. The scene was bedlam, and Amos was glad that she had called this meeting an hour earlier than they usually had pregame strategy sessions. Instead of speaking over them, she just let them let the emotion out. It mostly needed to be done, anyway. Containing would be dangerous.

After about five minutes, the players started to calm down, and turned their red eyes toward her. Kelly motioned for her to continue. "Yes, it is unjust. The higher-ups of the Shadow Writers actually think that the government is overstepping, that they are actually creating a martyr for their cause. Not that they want her to be a martyr, but that is what they are doing. This probably means that the government is trying to force the Shadow Writers out into the open. And it's not quite time for them to yet. The Chromatiks back home will not take to this news lightly, you can bet on that. But what we need to do is to put this back into the motivation pile and go out there. The country needs you to be the anchor through the storm. They actually announced it to the rest of Chromatika already, too. Emotions are running high. We need to be the stabilizer. Can you do that?"

A peal of nervous laughter broke from Ki Niro. "Well, we don't have a choice, do we? We can't go back home and rescue her, or Luuk will be absolutely arrested along with Kéirâ, and perhaps the rest of us as well. We can't fix the entire justice system of our absolutely corrupt culture, but what we can do is definitely go out there and play our best."

Grim nods echoed around the room. To despair was to give in, to throw away any hope. Instead, they would choose to fight.

---

Kéirâ Andìsorì made the most of her starting in place of Nioli Quren, a change in the Starting XI that caught the Fleftics completely off guard. The youngster from Letson town followed up her game-winner against Nephara with a brace against Abanhfleft to bring up her World Cup Proper goal total to three.

It was Abanhfleft that struck first, however, Marilungo finding Kelvin on a long cross that led to the Malabon SC man juking around Luuk Aart and beating Thorben by a hard ground ball to the left lower corner. The defensive four seemed to take some time afterward and communicate after that, however, and that was the closest Abanhfleft ever got for the rest of the match.

The first goal was of absolute individual skill by Andìsorì, who took the short pass from Hellion and dribbled the entirety of the final third of the pitch, leaving Turpentine, Edwards, and Riedewald in the dust to slide the ball neatly past Varamoninov. Just five minutes after that, Morningstar -> Liam -> Andìsorì turned out to be a deadly combination, her header slicing through two defenders and past the hands of Varamoninov.

After the game, all the Chromatik players knelt down in a moment of silence and prayer. And then they learned that Nephara had only defeated Saintland by a goal. This meant that they will have to win or draw to advance, or have the Fleftics defeat the Cormorants.

But that wasn't what was on the players' minds. Their minds were with a sickly woman in a solitary cell, knowing that her days were numbered.

[Vilita]

Jungle Cats prepare for Bonesea

The Cauldron, Firewood, Osarius :: The Vilita National Team returned to Firewood in advance of their critical winner-take-all Group G matchday 3 clash against Bonesea at The Cauldron to a large contingent of Vilitan supporters as well as some local supporters of the Osarius National Team, some of which have taken to supporting the Jungle Cats in lieu of their beloved Firebirds after the Atlantian Oceania regional champions failed to qualify for World Cup 75, denying the locals the opportunity to watch their own national team in person. It left Vilita as the 'de-facto' home side of the group with San Jose Guayabal, Electrum and Bonesea all travelling to Osarius from outside Atlantian Oceania.

Now, after two matchdays, San Jose Guayabal have already been eliminated leaving Vilita, Electrum and Bonesea remaining to battle over the two advancing slots to the Round of 16. Naturally, for all three teams the equation is very simple. Win and move on. Three points on the final matchday for any of the three contenders will assure them a place in the Knockout Rounds. Bonesea - currently atop the Group - have the best all-around odds of advancing as they could still advance even with a defeat at the hands of the #8 ranked Jungle Cats, so long as #2 ranked San Jose Guayabal takes care of business against Electrum and exits World Cup 75 with a consolation victory.

None of it really matters to the Jungle Cats though. Its a simple case of Win and move on, lose and go home early. It will be the first ever meeting between the Vilitan National Team and Bonesea who have only made their international debut in the current World Cup cycle.

There are still many questions about the lineup for Vilita despite the Jungle Cats coming off their best win of the campaign and their most important, emotional victory since defeating the Holy Empire in the World CUp 74 playoff. Once again, despite scoring 5 goals in their match against San Jose Guayabal, just one of those goals came from their attacking corps - a late goal from Berali Tzufarei, and the Jungle Cats also conceded three times - the most they've conceded in a match during all of the World Cup 75 campaign putting into question whether Cilamara Issah will retain his place between the sticks or if Vilita's expected #1 Zelkki Milake will re-claim the place he lost after the opening matchday defeat to Electrum.

Whomever is eventually selected in the starting 11 for the match against Bonesea will certainly have plenty of weight on their shoulders, knowing that failure to secure three points will put their generation one cycle further removed from the triumph of World Cup 68.

There will certainly be some players in the stands with plenty of interest in the outcome as well. Some of Vilita's best young prospects have made the trip to Firewood to take in the matchday 3 fixture and experience what it is like to be in the big stadium for the important match - win or lose, to experience the emotion - anguish or exultation.

Mileke Drokasorna, the 18 year old defender who played a major role in launching Colonial Sile to their best ever finish in the Stellar Division is one of those players. Drokasorna had a part to play in the Qualification but was not called upon in the final roster for the World Cup finals - despite the fact that the Jungle Cats roster does include three players under the age of 21; Polaox Torerun, Jurzen Devmiko - another Colonial Sile player, and the forward Sipke Tarala. Another youngster in attendance at the Cauldron will be Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, the Marine Coast United trainee who took on a starting role for the historic Crosaibi based club in the Declasse Division during Vilitan League season 50, and his teammate, attacking prodigy Fishtii Blikala. Many have compared the young Va'a-Rio Kiwavn to one of the players who defined what it means to be a midfielder in the Vilitan style of play, Yeaddin Owls great Jonathon Baledrokadroka.

Each of the youngsters will be scattered in amongst the crowd which is expected to be about 30% Vilitan amidst a large contingent of both Osarius and Atlantian Oceania regional sympathizers who will likely join in on the Vilitan chorus if the Jungle Cats need the boost during the second half. The un-supportive balance in the crowd is unlikely to be a deterrent to Bonesea who haven't let anything - even finishing in third place, outside of the advancing positions in their qualifying group - deter them yet.

While Bonesea and Vilita have never squared off before in international competition, there is at least one member of the so-called 'Purple Bruise' who has some Vilitan connection - KP Scrote. The self-proclaimed "Seventeenth Son" of a dockside worker, KP Scrote picked up his footballing skills during an extended layover in the Vilitan Cove - and even picked up his first wife along the way.

While KP Scrote has since moved on - reportedly even finding yet another wife upon arrival in Osarius for the World Cup Finals, the Vice Captain of the Purple Bruise will be high on the radar for the Vilitan tactical gameplan, that can be assured.

[Bonesea]

.

[Eura]

Every television camera, journalist or opportunistic viral video maker was currently gazing south in Eura. On the border with Electrum in just a few days, chaos had erupted. The passing of a single bill in Parliament had triggered a series of events that created a real problem on the nation's southern flank. Within a week, nearly two hundred thousand Euran's had made requests to the relevant government departments concerning emigration possibilities in the Euran Oceana Territories and places like Pasarga or even San Jose Guayabal. The new rules, or lack of rules rather, were not even due to come into force for several months. The greatest pressure point though was the southern border with Electrum, where local councils and the central government have refused to answer how many local residents have enquired about moving over the border. Even so just the hint of movement had set in motion a course in Electrum that the Liberal government in Bastion had not anticipated. There had been protests and counter protests in favour and against increased Euran immigration into Electrum or any sort of "freedom of movement" deal. Fights had been had, arrests made. Now Jim Connors, the notorious far right figure in Electrumite politics, had bitten a bullet more literally than he might have thought he could in such a disarmed country. No-one was really sure who was responsible or if this was a case of murder rather than just attempted murder, but it had created an atmosphere of panic.

Bearing the burden of such pressures is difficult for any government agency, but especially the intelligence services. In Blackhall, the Chairman of the OSI and his closest team had set up an investigation room into the subject which they had spent the last few days in. They had been hard at work identifying potential sources of violence or threats to border security, while trying to collect intelligence on what the mood was in Centralis. For now though, all of that work was on hold because something of even greater importance had come to the Chairman's attention. They were gathered in the main situation room, along with some military intelligence officers and a civil servant from the Foreign Office. The topic now concerned events to the north, not the south. Sameba had been hit by a spate of bombings by the communist insurgency from the north east, which was unusual but not unexpected. It was Sameba's response that provoked the need for further investigation. It was totally bizarre and the opposite of what the Chairman would expect from Gartanzo and his cronies, given that he held a deep suspicion of the man as being a secret hardliner. He had simply absorbed the shock, publicly urging calm and not taking any major military action in response. What made it all the more remarkable was that he was now winding down prematurely a massive military exercise which had begun with his second President's Day.

What was being discussed now was the rather peculiar military activity that had succeeded the exercise. 'What is their rough force distribution in naval terms then, overall?' The Euran Navy representative in the room who was working with the OSI on monitoring this, along with a well funded and well equipped team, was frustratingly devoid of answers. 'I'm sorry Chairman but we really can only make estimates at the moment. All we know is very little of their navy is actually in port at the moment. A lot of it is on transit to other locations, or based in foreign countries, or in the Endemian Ocean as part of this maneuvering. It seems poorly co-ordinated though.' The Chairman chuckled in a somewhat dejected state of amusement at that comment. 'You think it is anyway.'
'I think you'll have to explain that one, John?'
'Look, there is no way they can pull off such a thing with hundreds of warships without some sort of goal. The question is what is all this about?' At this moment Spader, his arch rival in intelligence circles, burst in flanked by her closest advisors. She was furious. 'What the bloody hell is this? Briefing on Sameba without my knowledge?' The Chairman was incensed himself by her arrival, getting out of his chair and walking straight up to her in the most reactive possible way. 'You're well out of line Spader, this is my jurisdiction and I am, technically, your boss. You are not authorised to be here.'
'Oh, am I not? The Prime Minister begs to differ.' She handed him a phone, which he reluctantly accepted. He walked away from the group, listening to a voice over it. 'Yes. Yes. Of course boss. Got it. I'd like to have a word with Amy though, when she's around. Alright.' He hung up and shoved the phone back into Spader's hands.

As a group they sat down to discuss what was going on in further detail, with Spader having asserted some authority and now taken control of the meeting, much to the Chairman's disgust. 'Now look you lot, I want to watch the last group match later and go out for a drink, not sit here entertaining this nonsense all evening. I want to make it clear to you that the conspiracy theories end here. If you have evidence of dangerous trends in Sameban activity then yes, continue to present it, but let's not keep jumping to conclusions just because you can't accept you're wrong. We have all had enough of the Chairman's investigation team and its confirmation bias based judgements. Now, we've got people on the ground, and we've found something.' The Chairman couldn't bear to watch this parade of smugness, but he had to. Spader instructed one of her subbordinates to set up a presentation, which she flicked through once the lights are turned off. 'These observation photographs and the timeline we have collated are based on information and evidence collected from hundreds of frontline sources. The indication is that Gartanzo's time to blow the lid on his reforms has come. Tomorrow morning, he is convening a meeting of his cabinet to discuss ways forward - including Gallo, Moretti, Rossi, Delluce, Morzo and all the others. Its expected that now he has strategic parity, or in other words enough force to feel comfortable about us being stronger than they are, he is going to follow through on the moderation programme we have been predicting for months.' There was a chorus of approval from most reacting in the room.

After a moments pause she continued. 'Key hardliners and difficult military figures have been sent off all over the country under the guise of taking part in the demobilisation of this exercise. The nuclear facility in the west has been closed up under guard with no sign of further activity. Meanwhile, we have it on good authority that the most reliable moderate junta members, mostly junior, have been assembled at a central location in Samebus to discuss their strategy, while his opponents in the cabinet are given a chance to convert. Its the perfect situation for us. What we need to do now is take advantage; we need to reach out to the leadership.' The Chairman shook his head and piped up once more. 'What do you suggest? Shall we hand over Oakstone and be done with it?'
'Don't be asinine, Chairman. Actually contribute something please, it is your job after all.' The Chairman got up to leave, giving Spader a bitter comment to think about as he left. 'Do you know something? I've fought, bled and killed for this country. Do you really think I'm driven by some petty grudge against you or something? This isn't student politics and I have no idea how you got anywhere near a senior intelligence position, because you're being childish and tribal. Can you please just ask yourself for a minute how a man like Gartanzo who cut down students for not being patriotic enough is going to ever be a moderate, or whatever you call Sameban leaders who have the honourable distinction of not being sociopaths? Why have they developed nuclear weapons? Why have they supercharged their warfighing stocks? Why have so many foreigners such as that Bardsley woman and the Austroslovakian doctors not been released? Maybe we are not the target, but someone is about to me. You only disagree because you haven't thought clearly about it for more than three damned seconds! Confirmation bias, Spader. That's confirmation bias.' He stormed out and took most of his people with him. Time was running out to vindicate those in Bastion who, in his view, still had some sanity in their system.

[COCANEFA]

CUT OFF


for Matchday Three, groups A to D

[Nephara]

Sheila Textor was a woman in a bind.
People had questioned her appointment. She was strict by A-League standards, but had a reputation for a sharp eye - still, she was just 32. So people domestically had questioned her appointment for this game. Brenecia was perceived as a country that liked to see a bit of rough-and-tumble, so foreigners didn't trust her to keep control of this match. Nepharim broadly didn't like Brenecians and thought she'd be biased against them, Saintlanders thought that as Brenecia had recently used to be within Nephara that she'd be biased in favour of them.
Textor had always liked the saying that the best compromises were the ones that left everyone unhappy, but now she was, in fact, that compromise.
She sighed, and lead the teams out into the dusk.

The tone of the match was set early, when Nasennius hacked down Ashdown just outside the box. As the Nepharim captain rose gingerly to her feet and rubbed her eyes, there was the usual smash of green and white-red shirts in the box-
"Aaargh, fuck!"
Textor blinked. Shit. She'd missed something.
She blew her whistle - that's what it was there for. Everyone stop while I try and figure this shit out.
"Baz, did you see anything?" she murmured into the headset.
"Looks like the green six caught one in the chops. Reckon the, eh, white three was flailing about with his arms a bit. No intent though, I don't think."
Green six, that was... yes, it was the hulking, ear-studded Nepharim centre-half. Scharner. Most of the notes she'd taken had revolved around 'watch for Scharner' - the sort of player a referee had to keep half an eye on.
"You alright?"
Theatrically, Scharner spat out a fair mouthful of blood on the ground. "Fuckin' fine, if fuckin' Octopus Boy keeps his fuckin' arms to himself next time."
"Just get on with it," someone sighed. Another Nepharim. She didn't know who.
"Right, well... just try to stay aware of your surroundings next time, yeah?" She trotted back, signalled to Ashdown to go for it and blew the whistle.
The ball flew over the top. Someone - no, Scafidis, goal-kick - glanced the ball over the bar.
And Scharner's elbows weirdly found their way into Plinius' windpipe.
Textor sighed. Oh, for fuck's sake... this is going to be a long night.

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Northern Rye - Your Trustworthy News Source of the Day

Gelinas confirms he could get suspended indefinitely if he wanted

Felipe Iniesta

A purpled Angelo Gelinas confirmed in the Grim Reapers' post-MD2 press conference last night that he had complete faith in his strengths and abilities and could easily beat Hazel van Robben and getting punished for shocking acts of on-turf embellishment.

The 29-year old Avenida Principal striker, who was expected to talk about the Grim Reapers' 3-2 win over the Cosumarite Vanquishers in 2nd matchday of the tournament, instead decided to launch a massive tirade, claiming he could out-infame his compatriot in finding better ways to get ejected after Hazel van Robben's infamous marijuana incident in which the 24-year old striker got ejected after smoking a gigantic joint she dug out of the goalpost.

"I'll set the turf on fire to prove y'all wrong," Gelinas remarked, in somewhat ironic situation with Farfadillis in middle of a civil strife, while slowly pouring gasoline over the carpet, "If you think I can get ejected or suspended by doing far less controversial stuff, you're wrong. Let's see how long I can get suspended for this," the Quebecois international confirmed with a deadly, stoned look in his eyes.

Gelinas, irked by the fans and media press claiming that Leonardo Conavacio and Hazel Van Robben are considered the craziest of footballers when it comes to celebrations and ejection antics, made references to a post-goal celebration that's now referred by many as the 'HVR' throughout his pouring of gasoline around worried looks of journalists present in the conference.

"Smoking weed after scoring a goal, even when it's a game winning goal, is a boring way to get suspended for next match. I don't know why so many people are talking about this as if it's end of the world." Gelinas explained, before outlining many ways he would destroy the Leviathan Stadium by setting the room on fire and destroying its foundation with many dynamites. Fortunately, Gelinas was restrained by security guards after losing control when he lit his joint the same time as the carpet.....

Ahead of World Cup MD3 : Marijuana Leaf Forever and other songs

Sandro Luciani

For those who know The Bubonic Plague, what they remember the most about the supporters' group is their chants. Chants, whether been around for many editions or debuting, are widely sung for their originality, entertainment and of course the singability. Fans of the Grim Reapers have already published the list of few chants to be sung in Matchday 3 ahead of schedule, with various Quebecois musicians very quick to produce some of them on spot.

Among them two of the pieces have become extreme favourites to sing along. Written and composed by famous musician, Jean-Jacques Nells, the first piece is what's considered an unofficial anthem of the Quebecois state. Given the dramatic rise to the top by the Grim Reapers as of late, this song was picked as a possible motivational anthem in reflecting with the Quebecois state. The second piece, written and composed by an unknown artist using the name "Paganfkboi" (who also happened to have gotten the entire city of Kingston IP-banned from Brexitopedia), the song about the opposing teams have been watched over 6.9 million times in last 12 hours. While it remains to be seen whether The Bubonic Plague will actually sing them, it is safe to say that these two are among the best chants to sing on a crucial match in COCANEFA.

For those who knows TBP chants, these chants are usually sung in Korean. For the benefit of our international audience, we have provided a translation of the two songs for you:

Marijuana Leaf Forever

First Verse:
O, land of azure never-ending skies,
Mountains strong and thundering snow,
Sweet Scent of victory in the air,
Killing the opponents below.

To thee we brought our hearts, our fury,
With thee we walk together,
Our glorious land, where our spirit flies,
The Marijuana Leaf forever.

Chorus:
Long may fly, and drape our hearts,
Cobalt skies and steel-hot hells,
From light to day, 'til we die,
The Marijuana Leaf Forever!

From north to south, our legends pave,
through bloody trenches and thick fumes,
Who conquered the snow, and ice, and waves,
And their ancient wisdom says:

Protect the land, save the people,
and lead their spirits together,
Guard the state which we live in,
And the Marijuana Leaf forever!

Chopped Away-Those Who Dare Defy Death Cannot Win

[Insert the opponents' denonym] dumbshit, dark like the night,
The Grim Reapers will f*** you!
No matter how much you try to run far,
All hell will break loose!
Grim Reapers will scythe you away,
While you'll be chopped into cutlets!"

"Those who dare escape the death will die
When the Grim Reapers come and kill them anyway
Your b**** and h** know it's too late,
'cause like an oily hand your life will slip away
Those who dare defy death cannot win
Like you who runs around with your life on hand!"

[COCANEFA]

CUT OFF


for Matchday Three, groups E to H.

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Frederic Beauchemin talks Marijuana's potential, globalisation with his new business

Alexander Han

QUEBEC CITY, CAPITALE-NATIONALE - If you are a sports fan and haven't found any reason to attend an upcoming marijuana business conference, you will find one very soon.

The 2024 Cannabis Quebec Conference, which takes place July 12 and 13 at the Palais des Congres in Quebec City, will host the former Montreal Koreana, Alianza FC and Grim Reapers legend Frederic Beauchemin. The former football superstar, dating all the way back to his 40s, has been a cannabis advocate and will address the expected crowd of 4,000 attendees.

The conference, which will be held annually for 57th year in a row, promises to introduce various business initiatives and help the Calanian nation's marijuana consumers, educators and businesspeople prepare for the internationalisation and distribution of marijuana, in light of the recent development of microplantations. It will also feature a career readiness event for the youth and immigrants, as well as a "marijuana investor summer boot camp".

But, most importantly to many present this year, it will serve as a not-so-surprising emergence of a longtime Quebecois footballing legend as an industry developer and developer. Beauchemin, who spent 43 years with Montreal Koreana, Luch Energiya Primoye and Alianza FC, is likely the highest-profile athlete ever to endorse and be involved in the world of cannabis (sorry Hazel, but you have yet to reach Beauchemin's level of consistency, longevity and success).

Along with a set of business partners, whom are rumoured to be experienced in the fields of agriculture and marijuana, Beauchemin plans to open a grow operation in Cuscatlan, San Jose Guayabal. With first harvest in mind, Beauchemin is hoping to have his new products ready by the next AOCAF, which should be in around a year's time.

With the conference, a new horizon will be up for Frederic Beauchemin - who recently retired from professional football as the oldest Quebecois to play professional sports in the age of 60 - with a brand new opportunity to promote and use his next interest.

"It's an opportunity for me to pursue and tell a bit about myself something other than football," Beauchemin said. "While you guys already know that I've been smoking for around 2 decades, I also am looking to continue this past the playing career and be able to not only give me a different job, but also a task to give as in distilling the stigma around the interconnectivity of cannabis and athletics abroad."

In many ways that is accurate : Beauchemin points out that those engaging in contact sports can often replace their prescription painkillers with cannabis, and get good results.

"Cannabis can certainly treat people better than pharmaceuticals we may have, whether you'd like to deny it or not," Beauchemin said. "The stuff we have here are natural and it came bring the results desired, whether it be for muscle tension, relaxation, preparedness or even insomnia. It can produce many different things that are beneficial for sure."

While Beauchemin wouldn't dare predict how many Quebecois football players consume marijuana, it's logical to assume the number is substantial.

"It's safe to assume that there are lots of players in professional level who have to handle significant mental and physical stress being a professional. It's safe to say that many of them take it due to its health benefits. We already have many guys in the national football team taking it, so that's one thing. I'm fine with it really."

With his new role, Beauchemin said he's always advocated for cannabis. He wants to spread the message abroad that marijuana isn't a gateway to harder materials, such as crack cocaine.

As such, he's also "a businessman trying to set up a new plantation, with a strong company." He has a business plan, but plans to slowly develop it with the product creation and development in mind.

The products created from his company, named FB10 Inc., at its grow operation in Cuscatlan would be used in medicinal and recreational items, which according to Beauchemin will be ready for sales very soon.

Beauchemin said the business would be based in San Salvador.

"While anybody and their mother would agree that Royal Kingdom of Quebec is the heart of marijuana production in this world, especially with the interesting times we have right now, we are interested in starting it at where Quebecois marijuana is not as strong." he said. "I am excited to be part of the team that's looking to make things more global and open."

[Matthewsiania]

I thought I could win. I mean, my cousin beat him.
...My cousin beat myself as well.
...And then beat the other guy that liked bicycles.
Starting to think I did not think this through.
"Did you legitimately think you could beat my Breloom with a Zigzagoon?"
"Grrr..."
"Seriously?"
"...Yes."
"Man. You're an idiot."

This was it.
Eliminated.
Well, at least the trip here was... fun.
Then again.
"It's kinda hard to have a Pokémon Battle with these people making fun of you, right?"
"So you did see what we were doing then?
"Man. You're an idiot."
The big city wasn't exactly as welcoming as I expected.
I lost my sister. Got made fun of. Mostly negatives.
Then again.
"And I am. Princess of Radio Esportiva. Still, shouldn't I be able to choose what I want?"
I should've thought about it better. Kitsunia isn't a little girl anymore.
"Yeah! I'll be rich! Thanks for everything, aunt!"
We should've realized Sunrise didn't like the farm. He never was from the farm, he always had that mindset.
So while I should be pissed, he did at least try not to be bad to ourselves.
And still...
"Kick his ass."
Maybe there was more to the city than bad things. Even if they came from the weirdest places.
Matthewsiania walked peacefully back to his cousin's flat.
It was time to say goodbye.
Maybe this whole thing was just a nightmare and I'll wake up at the barn again.
Hopefully, they didn't cook Mathilda.

"That guy was just out of my league!"
"You're really not used to not facing relatives, isn't it?"
"..."
"You were about to slap me, eh? Not feeling like it?"
"...I guess."
Finally packed all my stuff. Saint Futurnian, here I come!
"Anyway. I'm on my way home, cousin. Thanks for the..."
"Hospitality?"
"...Yeah. Hospitality."
"I try."
"Mom called, Matthew. She said she's waiting for you at home."
"Sis... Why?"
"We've been over this already."
"Well! Would you at least wear something over than your undies and a shirt while I'm still here?"
"I can choose by myself."
"...Bye."

The trip wasn't exactly refreshing.
It did give me some time to think.
That's when I realized that I needed it the most.
Time to think.
And most importantly, thinking.
I was kind of an automatic guy.
Did things by feeling, not by thought.
And while it helped on the farm to some extent, I was more-or-less lost at the city.
I still want to win a World Cup.
But I'm not going to get there if I stay like this forever.
It was time to think.

When I arrived home, my family was pretty proud of me.
Turns out two of my battles were on the television.
Mom said that they signed up a new cable deal after two of my sisters got a job at the local store.
More people leaving the nest?
She said no, but I know it'll happen.
Still, the table was loaded for my return dinner.
Mom cooked chicken!
...Chicken?
...Is that...
Mathilda?
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

I'm hardly one to complain of Kitsunia's presence.
Her music knowledge is vastly superior, what with her working on a radio station and whatnot.
It's also nice to have someone that can play video-games with me, spent quite a while alone since Apox left.
"And the Princess of Radio Esportiva wins again!"
Even if her level is vastly superior to what Apox ever did.
I mean, did you ever lose a round, Perfect, in around 40 seconds?
"...Must be a record."
And of course, it's much, much different to live with a girl instead of a guy.
Kinda obvious if you catch my drift.
But if there's anything... just anything that I wish would've improved.
"Why can't you cook for once? Wasn't me the one that qualified on first place?"

We had decided to celebrate my first-ever first place on a group with a party.
I didn't plan on cooking, of course, it's my celebration.
But then she showed up with a dozen of ramen packages, said it was the only thing she could cook.
So...
"I'd never be that good on cooking... I mean, chicken strogonoff, rice, feijoada, mashed potatoes..."
She took a breather over the oven, smiling afterwards.
"Leave it to the master!"
"Well, if only you paid a bit of attention at this!"
"Oh, please. My mind already has important things to deal with!"
"Like beating me on Furyfist?"
"Excellent!"
"Would you at least wear something? Our invitees will arrive soon!"
"If you don't like the view..."
"Pretty sure having you around on your undies will change the party's subject."
"Fine, got me there."

Kitsunia stood by the flat's door, wearing Sunrise's old trainer clothes, including a bright yellow cap.
"I'm thankful that you cleaned up the place but did you just not bring any clothes with you?"
"Had no time. Besides, wouldn't you want my smell over your clothes?"
"You're really playing this card more often than you should."
"Possibly. Still, haven't had time to drop by my place."
She then threw said cap towards the door, managing to lodge the cap over their first invitee, an unsuspecting Guayabal.
"..."
"Oops."
"Is this place meant to be this yellow?"
The invitee then fell flat over Sunrise's couch.
"Uh... Want help?"
"N-no. It's fine. I... I'd rather stay like this for a bit. Hides shame."

Finally, finished cooking.
Still, an almost empty house.
"So, where's the rest?"
"They had some stuff to settle. Except me. *sigh*"
"Eh, don't worry! There's always next time."
And here we go, a nice spot on the couch. After standing up cooking for so long!
"Congratulations on getting first place, Sunrise."
"Hah, thanks! Say, how's Manuella?"
"Wants you dead."
"Who?"
"My sister. The idiot here dated her once, then kept complaining the groups we drew screwed him."
"Kinda did."
"And you with my sister?"
"Didn't."
"Eh?"
"We just dated. Nothing more."
"And she's the attractive one."
"Well, yeah. I don't do serious stuff with my friends' sisters."
"Yeah, you just date them once, then keep teasing us about it while she ends up complaining that you're refusing to have another date. Not exactly all that pleasing."
"You don't consider Matthew your friend?"
"He's family. Different."
"...Did you two just-"
The bell rang.
"Oh, look. Here comes another one."
Leaping from the couch, he quickly answered the door. There were Brenecia and Nephara.
"So, this is the party?"
"Yup. Welcome, Brenecia."
Nephara prepared a cheeky grin.
"Nephara."
"'sup, loser."
"You'll never let it go, right."
"You're down on wins against me, so... Yeah!"
"Brother, please."
"Come in! We're just waiting for others to come around so we can have dinner."
"Hah, awesome. You brought Kitsunia as well?"
The two joined the rest on the room.
"Well, I've been here since the start of the week."
"...You really did-"
The bell rang again. This time, Llama had arrived, wearing what seemed to be a shirt two times his size, baggy shorts and a large, circular orange hat. He was also accompanied by a silent Rotschwarzland.
"Yooo..."
"Here, Artist. Brought him."
"Thanks. And you don't need to keep saying Artist. I'm Sunrise."
"I'm officially aware. Now, should I put him in place?"
"Yes."
Rotschwarzland proceeded to throw Llama at Guayabal.
"OI, PENDEJO!"
"Co... nfy..."
"Anything else?"
"Nah, relax."
"..."
"So, you're just gonna stay out?"
"I didn't know I was invited. I have some things to do. Maybe later."
"...OK, then."

"DAMN!"
"And that makes it the full table twice."
Did I mention Kitsunia was really good at video-games?
"You're next, Sunrise."
"Again?"
"And if you win, I might grant you something."
"You really d-"
The bell rang another time.
"Heeey... New... People..."
"Who did you invite?"
"The Anaia Club and Chromatika."
Silence.
"You guys don't like Chrom?"
"I thought you had enough of them by now, what with the whole flagetry stuff at the stadium and other things."
"Well, I thought about it. But y'know, it's a celebration."
The bell rang again.
"I'll get it!"
As she opened, the Anaians, on a row, entered the flat. Audioslavia had a cake on hands.
"And you totally didn't invite them because their club is near a bakery, right?"
"Shhh."

"So, let me get this straight. You punch with the square and the triangle, you kick with the cross and the circle?"
"Exactly, mon ami!"
After beating everyone for a third time, Kitsunia had to egg the Anaians on.
So the couch was now Kitsunia on one side while the Anaians tried to come up with some way to beat her on the game.
"These new age things just feel too complicated..."
"You're just coming up with excuses after she beat you the fastest, Legal.
"Well, excuse me if I didn't know you could side-step!"
"Wait, you can- HELL!"
And there's the last one.
"So let's see. Audioslavia, Starblaydia, Cosumar, Legalese, Osarius, Semarland, Quebec, Schiavonia, Mertagne. Did I beat you all?"
"You forgot me."
Hakifao sprung from the group, sitting at the couch.
"You look familiar!"
"I'm Hakifao. Remember?"
"...Who's this one again?"
"The one replacing Western Sunrise."
"...Who's Western Sunrise?"
"Let's get on with this already!"

"Uh... Sunrise."
"Yeah?"
"Is that your sister?"
I gave it a good look. Hakifao?
"That's... Hakifao. Old rival from high school."
"Any reason she's wearing the same you do with different colors?"
"Second-grade stalker, I guess."
"And... the other... uh..."
"Kitsunia is also wearing your old clothes, isn't she?"
"Y... Yeah..."
"You totally, certainly did-"
The bell rang again, Guayabal dashed to the door, angry.
"Oh, for Santa Luzia's sake!"
And there he was. Chromatika, dressed with what can only be described as an unique look, including eye make-up and red lips.
"...Huh."
"Hey, Chrom."
"Hi! I hope I'm not late!"
"...Hello?"
He pushed in a box with another cake.
"I wanted to bring something for the party, you know."
"I'm almost winning!"
"Boy George is distracting!"
"OK, now I can say it! You totally, certainly, without a doubt did-"
...Huh, the lights went out.
"ARCEUS DAMN IT!"
"Well, sliding in free, still beat you all!"
"Oh, a power shortage..."
"...I quit. I'm going home. Good Night all."
A door opening sound and then a slam. Power quickly returned.
"...OH, NOW WE'RE PLAYING IT AGAIN! TIME TO TAKE SUNRISE OUT OF YOU AND-"
...What.
"Nevermind, is there cake?"

The night skies were rather pretty tonight for some reason.
"But the human body doesn't work that way!"
"Eeh, mon ami. You clearly haven't been to a lot of parties."
"Still, It's impossible for someone to use their digestive system like that."
"You fear that the power that lights your tele happens to be someone sitting and-"
"Enough! I'm trying to have dinner!"
"...Who's this one again?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"Well, a friend of mine did that every night."
"...Why are you dressed as a girl?"
"I am one."
"You sound like a guy."
"I am one."
Suddenly, I feel a nudge. Banguela and Damukuni had dropped by somehow.
"Uh... Hi."
"Oh, hey. When did you guys come in?"
"Kitsunia opened the door. We were watching a movie with RB, but then the power went off."
"And then we met Guayabal cursing the people from the power company on the hallway as we were on our way home."
"She said you guys were having cake and all, but she was going home."
"I'll take her a slice later then. Feel free to take some cake as well."
I kept staring outside. Wonder how Matthewsiania is right now.
"You're worried about your cousin, right?"
"Nah, Kitsunia's fine as long as we-"
"I meant Matthewsiania."
"...Yeah, true. I wonder how he's doing. Don't think this trip gave him a good view of the big city."
"Honestly, sir. He might. Did you treat him well enough?"
...That was a good point. I kinda did steal his sister.
And made fun of him.
"...Eh, he'll overcome. It's not like they cooked Mathilda."
"Who's Mathilda?"
"It's his favorite chicken. You know, when we were younger, he-"
A loud yell of NO echoed from far away, somehow.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Sigh.
"Eeeh, crapbaskets."

[Cosumar]

All-Time Cosumar XI ::: Entry #8 ::: Brian Emerson (CM)

170 caps (6th)
16 goals
60 assists (3rd)
Played WC 51-57

After five consecutive entries from eras of recent memory, we return to the roots of Cosumarite soccer for the eighth selection and final midfield slot. With creative playmaker Irvinn Rincon and holding midfield stalwart Vareza Na'Noni already comprising two-thirds of the All-Time Midfield, the remaining spot called for a true box-to-box glue player to hold it all together. That's the role Brian Emerson played for the National Team in a nutshell, so it's fitting that he came out on top in our polls/models for this eighth spot. Along with Rincon and Rikki Varshney, Emerson was one of a legendary core of players from Cosumar's half-hearted World Cup 51 debut that made the team again for World Cup 52 (most didn't) and went on to launch the Fiefdom into a footballing golden age. Emerson's consistency throughout the 960s (170 caps) and iconic persona make him a quintessential Cosumarite great.

Playing Style: Emerson was a short little fireball of energy. Though only 5"7 and not particularly athletic at first glance, his deceptive diminutive quickness made him a handful all over the pitch. He was a heady player who knew where to be and how to get under opponents' skin. In defense, he made up for his size by tirelessly tracking back and being a general pest. When the ball came to him, he was never much of a dribbler or skill-man. He typically took a couple purposeful touches before linking up to the teammate in the most optimal position. Emerson often went unheralded, but in retrospect, an inordinate amount of Cosumar's scoring sequences began with him making the right split-second decisions to win and keep possession and set things in motion going forward. Basically, he was the ultimate link-up glue guy in midfield. He had an especially uncanny awareness of where the feet of captain and playmaker Irvinn Rincon were at all times. The All-Time Cosumarite midfield would be missing out if this telepathic connection honed over seven World Cups was not utilized. A mediocre shooter, Emerson was rarely in range to score goals himself, but his superb awareness and knack for opportunistic one-touch passes made him an asset in the final third, as evidenced by his surprisingly high international assist tally.

Early Life: Brian Jory Emerson was born on July 4, 940 in Ramusok to a father also named Brian Emerson and a mother named Kirstie Cochran, both from the tiny Isle of Jura off the northwestern coast of North Klyde. Brian's working-class parents had no real relationship and agreed to give him up for adoption shortly after his birth. The lad was fortunate to then spend the first five years of his life in the historic OAS capital district of Ramusok as an adopted member of the prominent Wagner family, which owned several restaurant chains and real estate properties in the area. The affluent Wagner couple, who could not conceive themselves, doted on young Brian as their own. He started training in football at eight years old at an exclusive OAS-area youth club. When he was nine years old, however, both Wagners were found guilty of white-collar business crimes (including fraud, theft and tax evasion) and sentenced to 10 years in prison. "Brian Wagner" ended up back in the orphanage/foster care system for several years. At age 11 he managed to reconnect with his birth father, who was working on a wind farm in Mallox, Gellano Fief. He soon changed his surname back to Emerson to distance himself from the disgraced Wagner couple, though he still secretly yearned to someday be widely respected like they once were. He returned to the custody of his father at age 13, joining two older half-sisters (Kim, Caitlin) and one younger half-brother (Wil) in his father's small apartment. He often had to sleep on the hard floors for lack of space and constantly battled physically and verbally with his close-quartered siblings, which toughened him up for his career in sport. Despite this, Brian was much happier with his blood family than with the Wagners or public care, which allowed him to buckle down and focus on his future.

Youth Career: After moving to Mallox, Brian shortly resumed training - with neighborhood club Marshall-Blue FC. Initially, his primary goal in soccer was simply to perform well enough to earn a university scholarship. He knew it was the only feasible financial route towards the successful business career that he dreamt of since idolizing his childhood foster parents. But though he aspired to be like them, he also resented the Wagners for their dishonesty and abandonment. Even though they would be out of prison by the time he was 18, there was no chance in hell Brian was gonna take their money. Too proud. So he made the Marshall-Blue first-team at age 15, which allowed him to alert college scouts and accomplish his scholarship goal. But after one collegiate season at the prestigious Slivelle Academy it became clear that his future lied on the pitch - not in the classroom or office. Emerson made the All-Collegiate First Team as a freshman but flunked his finance and geography classes. He grudgingly accepted that he was not a Wagner - and resolved to forge his own path. To make his Emerson name mean something of its own.

Club Career: Opting to forego his final three years at Slivelle, Emerson signed a professional contract with Dusk Athletic in Dusk Township, Gundar Fief at age 19 ahead of the 958 season. This, of course, was well before the organization of the Harlighet Ligan. Cosumarite domestic soccer still largely comprised of exhibition tours across the Fiefdom and one-off tournaments at the time. Because of the lack of a proper league, it is difficult to go back and measure the club success of these early-era players. But Emerson was by all accounts an immediate success at Dusk Athletic, leading the team in assists in his first season. He would play four seasons at the club, earning international status and refining his niche - a box-to-box water-carrier (he also played as a winger and #10 earlier in his career). The young star helped Dusk Athletic reach two tournament finals. At age 23, Emerson was transferred to Centus Serpents for a then-club-record $660,000 (early days indeed). He struggled to acclimate to the vastly different style of play utilized by the Serpents and was nagged by an achilles injury. After just a disappointing 962 season in Centus, he was released from his contract and allowed to move on. Their mistake. He moved on to Hvalsey 08, the club at which his legacy was truly cemented and where he spent the rest of his playing career. Though they've since drifted to the third and fourth tier, Hvalsey 08 were a fearsome team back in these days. Probably the best ever assembled in the tiny and oft-forgotten Hvalsey Fief. Emerson was an instant fit in Hvalsey, being given the nickname "Ginga Ninja" by supporters and earning the captaincy within three months. He would lead the team for eleven seasons (963-973) and was widely regarded as one of the most underrated players in Cosumar during that span for his quiet but effective midfield presence. As "the heart and soul of Hvalsey", he would win four tournament titles with the club and amass over 300 appearances. After progressing into his 30s, Emerson began to age noticeably and his career quickly spiraled out due to injuries and loss of stamina. Hvalsey 08's 973 season was Emerson's final one - he was forced to retire relatively early at age 33.

International Highlights: After his promising first season with Dusk Athletic, Emerson joined the young B-contingent of players hastily assembled to represent Cosumar in its first World Cup. As an immediate starter, he registered his first of 60 career assists in MD3 of WC 51 Qualifying against The Ursine Northlands, teeing up Rikki Varshney's 30-yard top-corner rocket. He would score his first international goal during that same cycle in a 1-0 mid-qual friendly win over HellHorn, catching the keeper out from near the midfield line with a soaring chip. He would follow it up with a massive booming goal to give the unranked Cosumar a jaw-dropping 3-2 lead over high-ranked Aguazul in the second half of Qualifying...though Aguazul would eventually equalize. Though he was never much of a shooter for club, Emerson developed a penchant for popping of these long-range stunners against high-profile opponents. He would do it again on MD1 of World Cup 52 Qualifying against Sargossa to steal a 2-2 draw. In World Cup 54, Emerson was 25 and entering his prime at Hvalsey 08. He played a key role in helping Cosumar qualify for its first World Cup proper. He was credited with an assist in the build-up to the 88th-minute winner against Arda in the Interzonal Phase that set the stage for the now-famous winner-take-all meeting with Haginonia a few days later. He would help lead Cosumar to the Round of 16 in World Cups 56 and 57 as a fixed starter at age 29 and 31, but injuries and aging would prevent him from returning for World Cup 58 or ever again. Brian Emerson started very competitive match for Cosumar in the WC 51-57 cycles. He was 2nd all-time in assists going into the current tournament but has since been supplanted by Anders Engström. Likewise, he was recently 4th all-time in caps but has been supplanted by Engström and Vareza Na'Noni in WC 75.

Personality: Emerson's scruffy appearance matched his direct, hard-nosed style of play and determination. But not his personality away from the realm of fierce competition. In his personal life, Emerson is a huge teddy-bear-marshmallow. Introverted but adorably affectionate towards his friends and family. Though he often tries (and fails) to hide how deeply he cares for those around him. As a player, he would be full of bravado on the pitch, as snarky towards opponents as anybody, but become flustered and sofyt-spoken in front of the cameras afterwards. In fact, he resented media time and developed a sort of phobia or anxiety of public speaking. He would eventually overcome it in his post-playing career during his extended sabbatical (read below).

Life After Soccer: Emerson has enjoyed a successful and varied post-playing career. After retiring at 33, Emerson diagnosed himself with depression and anxiety issues and took a two-year sabbatical to the Jagged Mountains of Morponte Fief for solitude and self-healing. Yep, he lived in a log cabin with a valley view and everything. He returned to society at 35 as a new man. He overcame his fear of public speaking and worked as a local sports radio personality in Hvalsey for 14 years until the age of 49. During this time, he married his wife Kaylee, who is also his third-cousin, and published a book entitled The Legends about his international career during Cosumar's footballing ascent. Now 67, Emerson lives in Versiaville, Versia Fief with Kaylee, 64 (distant incest is legal in Cosumar as long as the couple does not reproduce). Accordingly, Brian has no genetic children but maintains close relationships with his many nieces and nephews (from his half-siblings Kim, Caitlin and Wil) and their children. He also has a 25-year-old pet pig named Lenny. Brian and Kaylee raised one adopted son, Thomas Keenan Emerson (born Thomas Gacek), who died of a rare bone disease at age 16. After Emerson quit his radio job in Hvalsey, he attempted to create his own talk program, which he pitched to national broadcaster CSBN Radio. When that fell through, he decided to try his hand at coaching instead.

Coaching Career: Emerson spent eight years on the staff of the National Team (assistant tactical advisor, WCs 67-70), then landed his first full managerial position in charge of Hammerton FC in Florgania at age 58. After a moderately successful two seasons at Hammerton (pictured right speaking to his Florganian team in 999), Emerson shocked the Fiefdom by succeeding former Cosumar teammate Luke Crisalus in charge of Harlighet Ligan giant OAS Royal FC. Remember - Emerson spent the first years of his life in the OAS district of Ramusok. He quickly earned the favor of fans by passionately stating his goal of bringing a championship back to his the streets of his youth. Unfortunately, he failed, and the high expectations he set backfired on him. A promising 5th-place debut 1001 campaign (one point short of the Globe Cup) was followed by a disastrous second season in which Emerson was sacked after the club dropped to 9th with eight matches to play. He reportedly lost the locker room by ostracizing out-of-form talent and "over-tinkering" with players' positions. But Emerson would immediatley take the Versiaville job in the Sekundar Ligan. He succeeded in promoting them back to the Harlighet Ligan in 1003, then kept them up in 1004 and earned a shock top-half finish in 1005. His tenure in Versiaville has by all accounts been a success, though they took a bit of a step back last year by finishing 16th and having to scrape by in the relegation playoff. Overall, Emerson is not the blustery sort of manager. He is a quiet, shrewd tactician who is always seen with iPad in hand and the same facial expression after a goal scored or conceded. His approach did change when he left OAS Royal for Versiaville, however. In the peaceful northwest, he has gone to great lengths to avoid rocking the boat with risky transfers (or basically any transfers) and prioritized defense and organization over the idealistic soccer he strove for at the capital. Emerson is reportedly happily rooted in Versiaville, though he has also hinted that he is willing to listen to offers from bigger clubs to chase a first managerial championship in the twilight years of his career.


And there you have it. Brian Emerson at central midfield for the All-Time Cosumarite Dream Team. Many will decry the lack of wide midfielders in the given 4-3-3 setup, with current wingers Mauricio Sigler and Ole Öhman both being worthy options, but this 4-3-3 was necessary to fit three strikers (y'all would've rioted if only two could've made it) and a realistic playing style. For this particular CM position in the middle of the midfield between Na'Noni and Rincon, Brian Emerson fits perfectly. For those of us that have been around since the early days, it's hard to justify an All-Time XI without Emerson in it. He might not be as successful if placed into today's game, but he was the invisible lifeblood of our first three World Cup teams. Abel Scarloff and Henry Kueler received honorable mentions in our CM scoring. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to let us know how you feel about the fifth selection in the comments section or on social media with the hashtag #CosumarXI. Be sure to stay tuned over the next few weeks as we continue to fill in that image below.

#1: LB William Riley | #2: CM Irvinn Rincon | #3: ST Rikki Varshney | #4 ST Sur Arora | #5: DM Vareza Na'Noni | #6: CB Alexander Pearce | #7: RB Tae Woo Miyori | #8: CM Brian Emerson




In honor of Cosumar's 25th World Cup, The Cosumarite Courier is naming the best eleven Cosumarite players in history for the first time ever. If Cosumarite scientists unlocked time travel and we could assemble any combination of Cosumarite players from the last 50 years, who should we select to win a World Cup? Well, you voted and we did our nifty research...so now we're unveiling the aggregate results. One by one. Each matchday. You can read the biography of each selection or simply check the updated version of the above image each day to quickly see who made it and continue on with your life. By the time the World Cup 75 cycle is winding down, the countdown will be complete and a concrete Best XI finalized. We will be unveiling entries in order from most unanimous to most controversial, so the worst comment-section firestorms SHOULD be saved until the end!

---

WC MD3: "Ace Newman a World Cup hero again with late winner off the bench to advance Cosumar over West Angola"
Scorers: Senturk 63', Newman 90'+
Subs: Va'Goshal 58', Elam 58', Newman 76'

---

Cosumar Goal-Scorers Tally (55 GF)
Anders Engström (13)
Belarmin Worsaw (10)
Ole Öhman (7)
Mauricio Sigler (5)
Aziz Senturk (4)
Ace Newman (4)
Alexander Soarhaven (3)
Peter Svensson (3)
Bacary Na'Kale (1)
Sheldon Serra (1)
Matt Branch (1)
Frazan Va'Goshal (1)
Vareza Na'Noni (1)
Own Goal (1)

Cosumar Assists Tally
Belarmin Worsaw (8)
Ole Öhman (8)
Aziz Senturk (5)
Anders Engström (5)
Mauricio Sigler (4)
Vareza Na'Noni (3)
Augen Wittevrongel (1)
Sheldon Serra (1)
Tiffany Elam (1)
Alexander Soarhaven (1)
Ace Newman (1)
Tevin Lilley (1)
Bacary Na'Kale (1)

Substitute Appearances Tally
Matt Branch (11)
Tevin Lilley (9)
Frazan Va'Goshal (9)
Ace Newman (9)
Tiffany Elam (6)
Jo de Marisco (5)
Deirdre McNessa (4)
Augen Wittevrongel (4)
Esteban Hernandez (3)
Maynard Gorham (3)
Olaf Womack (3)
Torbjörn Jorgensen (2)
Tomasso Tenebrosa (1)

Cosumar's World Cup 75 Cycle
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 1-0 Flardania (@ The Wormhole, Ashen Point)
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 5-0 Azrea (@ Versiaville Pavilion, Versiaville)
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 3-1 Super-Llamaland (@ Orangi Stadium, Crawford)
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 3-1 Rotschwarzland (@ SweetHaven Stadium, Stoneshore)
Qualifying Matchday 1: Bye
Qualifying Matchday 2: Cosumar 4-2 Lons (@ Fire River Arena, Ramusok)
Qualifying Matchday 3: Pridnestrovia 2-2 Cosumar (@ Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol)
Qualifying Matchday 4: Cosumar 5-2 Acronius (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 5: Kaboomlandia 0-4 Cosumar (@ King Wulfric II Royal Stadium, Kolra)
Qualifying Matchday 6: Cosumar 3-1 Super-Llamaland (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 7: Nuevo Caracas 0-2 Cosumar
Mid-Qualifying Friendly: Ethane 0-1 Cosumar
Qualifying Matchday 8: Bye
Qualifying Matchday 9: Lons 1-2 Cosumar (@ Kêlik Den, Kêlik)
Qualifying Matchday 10: Cosumar 4-3 Pridnestrovia (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 11: Acronius 2-2 Cosumar
Qualifying Matchday 12: Cosumar 0-1 Kaboomlandia (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 13: Super-Llamaland 1-1 Cosumar
Qualifying Matchday 14: Cosumar 5-0 Nuevo Caracas (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
World Cup Matchday 1: Cosumar 4-3 San Llera (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
World Cup Matchday 2: Royal Kingdom of Quebec 4-2 Cosumar (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
World Cup Matchday 3: Cosumar 2-1 West Angola (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
World Cup Round of 16: Bonesea vs. Cosumar (@ Hygolje Arena, Oljestaden)
Green: Victory
Blue: Draw
Red: Defeat
Home team listed first

[Bonesea]

.

[Brenecia]

As Sienna Fallon warmed up, she sensed something was... wrong.
Most of the stadium was swathed in red, but... silent. A lot of them had gone. Many were checking their phones.
She glanced up to the executive boxes, and they looked almost abandoned.
The Brenecians had celebrated when their side - thought dead and buried - had pulled one back. They'd called for a second yellow when Rose, frustrated, hacked down Skorupska, and cheered when the referee produced it and sent one of the best defensive midfielders in the world to the showers. He barely even protested and that, too, was strange.
Something was wrong.
The crowd was quiet now. All of the crowd. That was wrong too.
But there was football to be played. She tried to focus on that. Brenecia, if they got a draw here... they were through, they only needed a point here. For the first time ever. That was huge. And it was two goals away... against ten men...
Ten men for whom things were not... right.
Something stirred in her. Last year, where she'd been watching the Campionato Esportiva final (from her room - breaking into the national team would take another season). Apox had beaten the Patriots in a tight fixture, their last international fixture, a final. Nobody was sad when Brenecia lost. It was only right.
And then Olim Benzari, on-camera, collapsed.
She saw a man die on the football pitch and none of the players who'd been there would talk about it. Did it feel like this?
She tried to focus.
She danced (too, too easily) past Hancock, rifled in a low cross cross which Trevelyan smashed home. He celebrated. Fallon envied him.
"Great fuckin' pass, Si!" she heard from Lovelock behind her. She smiled, bravely as she could muster.
More tussling. It felt like the Eurans were lashing out at the Brenecians because they were, well, there. Not that it was making a difference on the pitch. Two goals became one.
Fallon remembered a few years ago, when she'd been playing for North Hall's U21s. There were never more than a handful of guys watching, generally either absolute diehards or, alternatively, curious onlookers who were up for some cheap football. If you were lucky, maybe a couple of scouts. It was almost like that here, in a stadium that had sold out but now looked about three-quarters full, and that remaining 75% was just... a quiet, rolling murmur. Even in the youth games you'd hear individual murmurs, occasional chants.
She took possession. The Euran defenders were just... standing off her, so she accepted the invitation, fired... an equalising World Cup goal! Briefly, it overtook everything else, she went on a surging run to the corner flag, pumped her fists, was mobbed by her teammates. She was a hero! A legend!
And she cast her eyes around and all she saw were a smattering of defeated-looking Euran supporters. The taste of victory went to charcoal in her mouth. It wasn't that goal giving them that look.
The Eurans had collapsed by this point, and 3-3 quickly became 4-3. Then 5-3. This was maybe turning into the best result Brenecia had ever managed, a huge turnaround, and Fallon had... had... Cullen was criticising her work off the ball and she knew it was true, she was just drifting. Dwelling. But when it came down to it she was a professional, representing Brenecia on the world stage and when the ball got to her only the ball mattered. She harried and charged and battled, trying to carve out a sixth, almost letting the red mist of competition take her over. Paterson was brought on for Gryphon and almost immediately hacked Lewis Hughes down at the knees.
"Jesus, Lili!" she couldn't help but snap. Christ!
Paterson shrugged at her.
Hughes limped off. Steve Thompson had used all his substitutes. Eura were down to nine.
The game settled to a sort of equilibrium. Calm. Stagnant. Until, for Craig Sinclair, it got too much. Hancock tossed a throw-in, Sinclair took it on the chest, ruthlessly feinted past Lovelock's unnecessarily full-blooded challenge and he ran. He charged, almost hurling the diminutive substitute Drover aside when she dared try and contest it, ripped the ball away from Bradden and smashed it with close to supernatural fury past Woodgate, hooking into the inside of the upright and nestling in the back of the net.
The entire stadium clapped.
Slowly, at first, but it built and built into a crescendo echoing across the half-empty stadium, and all Fallon could do was wonder what happened? Why didn't they know?
The final whistle blew soon after, a late Euran surge countered almost guiltily by the solid Brenecian defence. People poured out of the stadium. The Euran players went immediately down the tunnel.
Fallon ran to one lingering red shirt, still holding a smartphone in two clammy hands. "Look, mate, what's wrong? What happened?"
Wordlessly, he handed the phone to her.
And time stood still.

[Krytenia]

A Dill(is) Pickle
by Rami Niblick in Avidia

SCHADENFREUDE. It's a beautiful Germanic word, and there are a few who will be engaging in it as we head towards the business end of the seventy-fifth World Cup. The last sixteen begins tomorrow, with Krytenia facing Farfadillis in the New City Stadium, but it's who isn't there that has suprised - and amused - many. The last sixteen will carry on without either of the world's supposed top two sides, and whilst the Eurans can feel rightly aggrieved to be going home early in a competitive group, San Jose Guayabal were, quite frankly, pathetic. Still, at least they're in good company, as Group G was turned pretty much exactly on its head, with the Vilitans also off back to the tropics.

Enough of who's gone, though. There are still sixteen sides left in this competition, and Krytenia will have their hands full if they want to win this thing. Their little quarter of the draw is probably the toughest of the lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if the eventual champions come out of this pocket of teams. We've already mentioned our next opponents, of course. Farfadillis are one on the most exciting sides to watch as a neutral, with their flowing attacking play often simply overwhelming their opponents. There are those who say that the Dragons' defence is weak, that they won't be able to stop the likes of JT Fuego and Elexhé Nofzaleiné...but they say this after Coker and Xousa kept the Semarland attack at bay. Let's not forget, either, that Jason Davis will be back in contention for playing in time for the game as well.

Krytenia's real prowess, though, is going forward. The Farves' cavalier approach will surely open holes at the back, and that's exactly what you don't need when your opponents have the likes of Valrauncion and Alex Sampson up front. Ronnie van Rijn, the former Krytenian international and Avenida Victoria cult hero, has been helping the Dragons in training this week, giving them the best of his insider knowledge to assist in this tricky tie. Armando Ortega, the lynchpin of the Krytenian attack, has said that the training sessions have been "a breath of fresh air", and that he can't wait to get stuck in to the Farfadillis defence tomorrow afternoon. If he can deliver as he has been doing, it might just be the difference between two otherwise closely-matched teams.

Should the Dragons conquer their foe, though, life won't get any easier. The winner of this game faces a tie either against the side ranked third in the world - though, admittedly, the Pasargans did stutter through the group stage - or reigning world champions Nephara. No matter which two sides get through the second round, that's going to be an absolut corker of a quarter-final. ONWARD!

[Nephara]

Michael Brandon had become steadily aware that underneath Reinhard Shale's breezy, all-well-in-hand exterior, there remained a bubbling cauldron of rage for him to call upon when he needed it.
And he knew, too, that his boss - and his friend - needed all that self-control to stop from running on the pitch and murdering Penumbra Amokachi.
Seventeenth minute - it was the seventeenth bloody minute! And the Farfadillis-based forward who'd had a quiet tournament to date and already played in Adnan Szalai for a chance that should have been finished, and managed to trouble Varamoninov once or twice. And besides, just two minutes earlier, Ashdown had swung in a fantastic corner and Malachite Scharner, drifting away from the pack, lashed a vicious header into the top corner.
Not the perfect time, then, for Nephara's star player to, say, put both studs through Edwards.
Shale's rage flickered. It was a senseless move for Amokachi to make - perhaps not every referee would have given it, but it wasn't the sort of decision that got overturned on appeal.
They held a 1-0 lead, 11 on 11. But there was a lot of time to play, and the impetus to win very much on Fleftic shoulders.
They were handed an opportunity not long later, a careless Hyacinth Surman pass finding itself in Zolnerov's feet. He, in turn, released the other Edwards, the attacking midfielder, who rifled it into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
1-1 became 2-1 not long afterwards and then, disastrously, a third followed on the stroke of halftime just as Shale thought the storm had been weathered. The team had been... Brandon hated to admit it, it was so stupid, but they'd been complacent. Largely dismissed by the press leading up to the match, it looked as though the players had bought into it. You never buy into the press.
So professional in qualifying, too...
Shale had only laughed when, in the last kick of the first half, Elaine Ashdown's corner swung out past the goalline and went out for a goal kick. "If even Elaine's doing that, what the fuck can a manager do?"

He can shout. He can yell. He opened, however, by the most direct method of kicking a crate of water bottles into the wall.
"You call that passion?" he snapped at the collective, daring any to speak up. None did. "What the fuck was that I saw out there? Was that a title defence? Eh? None of you wanted to go out there, to graft, to find a result even when things aren't going our way. When Pen shat the bed out there - don't fucking open your mouth, Pen, I won't fucking hear it, not after that - we kept our formation. 4-4-1. We aim for a second on the break down the wings, we hit it to Scaffi to hold up, we keep tight, totally fucking unchanged defensively. And you concede. Three. Fucking. Goals. In the most abject half an hour I've ever seen any Nepharim side play, and let me fucking tell you I've watched a lot of games. My career fucking predates Nephara's inclusion in the WCC."
Brandon watched and admired. Shale was relaxed, he was easy-going, he let people have a bit of time off if they gave a good reason. He'd almost never been angry before. And absolutely never had he been like this. Never been so... so incandescent.
Shale spat, and paced. He was testing the room, making sure his captive audience would remain silent. They did. "You know what I can't stand? The thought of those fucking white-shirts in that opposite fucking changeroom, laughing it the fuck up because they think they'll have the result of their lives. They're wondering why it's so easy! Why players like you and you and you and you," pointing for emphasis, "players they were collecting fucking stickers of last year, are so, fucking, easy. And I know why! It's because you didn't give a shit, did you!"
Andrea Cawdor, high-strung at the best of times, snapped at the bait. "We're trying our be- !"
"THEN FUCKING SHOW IT!"
Silence.
"Saintland-Chromatika is going down to the fucking wire. We need. A fucking. Result. We definitely cannot afford to lose by two. We need a fucking goal. They don't think they will. They think they're doing fine. They think they're the heroic underdogs. Well, they couldn't fucking shine our fucking boots. Go out there and ruin their fucking story, send them home in fucking tears, send them fucking home!" He punched a wall for emphasis. It splintered. "Now GO! SEND THEM HOME!"

Scaffi would not be part of the crew sending the Fleftics home. In fact, it was time to stop messing about. Michael Kellard, a player who absolutely loved to destroy peoples' dreams, came on in her stead - less incisive but bigger and more fearsome, far more of a bastard, that's what they needed. Kuralay, in her first start of the tournament, was pulled as well - for Gallagher, not Rainsford. Shale knew he'd be slaughtered if he got that wrong, but he thought the tiring veteran Ashdown could take the deeper-lying role and let Gallagher rove forward and cause problems. Besides, they needed a goal.
They found one. That was all they needed. It was an odd mixture of the ugly and the beautiful, and relied on their second-choice left wing pairing as Cawdor played in Surman behind the defence. The Starling fullback made up for her error at the start of the match by swinging in a good cross that Kellard - powerful, dirty, already on a yellow card - held back both Fleftic centre-halves to head back to the rushing Gallagher, who hit a first-time pass through the entire defence to the place where, at a dead sprint, Adnan Szalai barely got a foot to before Varamoninov smashed into him. The Ulsa winger had to come off... but his toepoke had scored.
Nephara didn't get an equaliser, despite pressing hard for one. Justinian Hargrave made some great saves at his own end. And yet, when the final whistle blew and people immediately consulted their phones and tried to do mathematics on the fly, it turned out that they'd edged through on a complicated series of tiebreakers. Concerned before the match about elimination with six points, the Cormorants had edged through with three.
And so Shale and Brandon turned to applaud the fans who'd come across the seas to celebrate their ailing national team, as was traditional. But while the fans, and players, were relieved, the managers were pensive, and only Shale bothered to try and hide it.
"We play like that next round, Pasarga will wipe the floor with us," Brandon murmured.
"Too fucking right," Shale replied coolly without letting the smile drop for a second. After all, the cameras were on him.

[Valladares]

(OOC: The person behind the nation Associated Godlands -San Llera- authorized the outcome of this RP)

Quayside, Kolberg, Semarland. A crucial World Cup match between Farfadillis and Associated Godlands was to be played there, and whilst the big majority of the fans in attendance were Farves and locals, some Valladar fans were also present for this match. Not that they mistakenly bought tickets for the wrong game, as the interest of those "fans" wasn't centered in the equally crucial game Valladares was going to play against Savalen at the other side of the border (in Quebec), no. In fact, they had another different focus in mind, or rather, around 30 other different focuses.

Both of the decisive Group B games kicked off at the same time. While in St. John's the Valladar squad (now commanded by Jayson Dhanda) was tearing Savalen apart with the sheer might of its artillery, in Kolberg Farfadillis and Associated Godlands were treating the crowd to an interesting game. The Valladars in attendance, who were actually DNS undercover agents, took their seats just behind the bench assigned to the Associated Godlands team, and watched the game and their targets with attention. One of them was keeping track at the manager and "Queen" of Associated Godlands, Shirley Phelps-Roper and following all of her moves, whether she sat in the bench or not, whether she yelled at her players, even how many sips of water she took from her bottle. Every single detail was being carefully followed. Phelps-Roper had recently been issued an international arrest warrant by the Royal Prosecutor of Valladares, charging her with heresy, crimes against humanity, libel, and promotion of hatred, and the fact that her country had just been wiped out of existance provided the perfect excuse to push for her arrest. Many countries wanted her for x or y reason, but the Royal Government wasn't willing to let her previously usual trash-talking against the rest of the multiverse (including Valladares) go unpunished.

As the games progressed and Valladares' win against Savalen was becoming a plausible fact, "Operation Cloud of Justice" was being improved. The plan was not difficult to understand: in case Associated Godlands defeated Farfadillis and qualified for the next round, the entire plan was to be aborted and reworked in a new scenario in either Audioslavia or Krytenia, but should Associated Godlands fail to win the game against the Farves and be eliminated from the World Cup as a result, they would be able to carry on with their plan as initially thought and arrest Phelps-Roper and the entire Associated Godlands team, and then with assistance from the Quebecois authorities, take them to Quebec and then, take Phelps-Roper aboard a flight bound for Metropolis, Valladares. The rest of the squad would be left to the Quebecois themselves, who would ultimately decide what to do with them. A strong option was extraditing them to Gregoryisgodistan, where Lord "Almighty" Gregory was waiting for them with "open arms"...

"At least the crown jewel will be safe from that lunatic"

And so, after 90 minutes of excitement, joy, frustration, sadness, and of course goals galore, Farfadillis and Associated Godlands drew 5-5, meanwhile, Pedrinho (x2), Abel Brücke (x2), Frank Rozenthal (x2), Yoan Gignac, and Cristian Arango helped Valladares obliterate Savalen 8-2 and advance along with the Farves to the next round, which meant that Associated Godlands were eliminated from the World Cup. Which also meant that Operation Cloud of Justice could be carried out right away. Then, the DNS agents proceeded with their plan: after showing to the logistics staff guarding the changing rooms area their DNS IDs and explaining the situation, they were allowed to enter and take their positions, they waited for the Associated Godlands delegation to pass on their way out of the stadium. As soon as Shirley Phelps-Roper appeared in the corridor, the leading agent approached her:

"Mrs. Phelps-Roper?"

"Yes"

"Mrs. Phelps-Roper, you and the rest of your group are now under arrest"

"What!? No! NO!"

Shirley Phelps-Roper, Jesus, and the rest of the delegation attempted to avoid the arrest, but were soon outnumbered by the security forces and around an hour later everyone was on a train heading for Quebec.

---

Some airport in Quebec
1:30 AM

With Shirley Phelps-Roper and the rest finally in custody of Valladar and Quebecois authorities, the second stage of Operation Cloud of Justice was about to get underway. For that purpose, an airplane owned by the Valladar Royal Air Force was grounded at an air base located close to the Semar-Quebecois border, in territory of the latter nation, waiting for the soon-to-be judged and effectively former leader of Associated Godlands. The Valladar agents who had stayed at the base were in constant communication with the ones who were sent to perform the operation and it didn't take them too long to get everything ready for the arrival of the convoy transporting the Asociated Godlands squad after receiving the good news.

Right next to the VRAF plane, there was a second aircraft on the tarmac. With Phelps-Roper already set to join the DNS agents in their return to Valladares and the Quebecois government not willing to do anything with the rest of the delegation, it was soon known that they decided to follow the easiest path...instead of just releasing them, they would be effectively handing them over to their ally Gregoryisgodistan and its psychotic leader, who would certainly be delighted to round up his punishment on yet another one of the countless nations included on his enemy list. That was what the second airplane was for.

At a quarter past two in the morning, the convoy entered the base. Phelps-Roper and the others got off one of the trucks and were kept in a room until it was time to have their paths separated, in the meantime, the agents were performing sort of a "handover ceremony" on the tarmac.

"We would like to thank the Quebecois police, military, and security services. Without your help, such a criminal would still be performing her wicked actions"

"For us it's always a pleasure to serve of help to you"

"As you know, the "queen" is going to accompany us in our long flight home within some minutes, but we're wondering what's going to become of the others. What are you planning to do with them?"

"The government of Quebec isn't interested in doing anything with them. We're sending them to Gregoryisgodistan, since his leader asked us for them. Our job will be finished as soon as that other steel bird lifts off with them on board"

"How unlucky they are"

"Certainly"

And so, everyone understood it was time to part ways when the clock marked 3 o'clock. Shirley Phelps-Roper was taken into the VRAF aircraft by the DNS agents, while Jesus and the rest of the Associated Godlands delegation boarded the other airplane. Soon after, both airplanes were on their way to their respective destinations in Rushmore and Esportiva.

"It's going to be a long flight, but the good thing is justice is going to be served soon enough...well, for some ones..."

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Stewart Faraday

No extraordinary people, just extraordinary circumstances

Whether by happenstance or otherwise, the unbelievable has to be believed and the lowest two seeds, Electrum and Bonesea, are advancing out of the group, despite what all the pundits, commentators and the latest predictive tools said. It has to be seen to be believed, but the only team Bonesea didn't defeat were the Electrumites (they escaped -- or rather, we escaped with a draw). Although we lost to San Jose Guayabal, at exactly the same time, the Vilitans were unexpectedly defeated by Bonesea. As a result, Electrum finds itself in second place of Group G and will now face the Royal Kingdom of Quebec in the Round of 16, Electrum's first appearance in the final rounds of the World Cup.

Jeffery Clark has to be commended. He's stepped up enormously since the World Cup qualifications, and it seems that after all, Electrum Football made the right choice in elevating the Centralis Heart manager, the manager that oversaw the Heart's run in last season's Champions' Cup, where they reached all the way to the semifinals, where they lost to the eventual Nepharan CC Starling. His job was on the line after infamously not being able to determine the Holy Phillipine Empire's strategy, losing all six points to them, and squandering Electrum's automatic qualification spot in the World Cup. Nonetheless, a close campaign against Omerica and a surprise victory over Vilita and a draw against Bonesea is enough, in my view, for his job to be secure for another season.

Anyways, as you've read above, we're facing the Quebecois next. The Quebecois like to take to the offensive and gain control of the possession and the ball. They are also a team that is very rough, probably a type of team that Electrumites have never faced before. They will score whenever they can, and no hold barred, throw themselves at the ball, getting violent, physical, etc. This is precisely the type of team Clark would have helmed whilst at Centralis Heart, however, its a very different place now. With the Electrumites team setting stuck permanently on defence, conservative ball use and the like, it's become difficult to break the habit. Old habits die hard. Indeed, Clark's momentarily given up on messing with that strategy too much, which has led to an improvement in general, on how the team's played so far.

On the Electrum side, things are looking good. The relatively young side have fresh legs and definitely have the stamina to take advantage of those rare opportunities and go on the counterattack swiftly. Possession is not our main game, smart ball play is. Having played each other so many times in the local Terranean League, there is a lot of team cohesion with eight players on the starting XI coming from the four top Electrumite teams in the TL. Lemona has a tall order on her plate, the goalkeeper needs to live up to Fenech's reputation (Last cycle, the Electrumite team conceded the least amount of goals during qualification, mainly due to Fenech's effort). She's done average so far, which really isn't going to cut it with Sam Kara in the wings, waiting for the opportunity to be called up. Fernando and Latham have a kind of synergy going on at the moment, which has led to them asking the right questions and scoring the decisive goals.

There's one last factor at play here: The Bubonic Plague. Yes, the so-called official 'ultras' of the Quebecois are an uncivilised, rude and feral bunch. Us Electrumites aren't used to such uncivilised play at all. No such flares or loud, raucous, drunken singing ever occurs in the Terranean League and all of those stringent checks at Electrumite arenas (including confiscation of instruments, flares, noisemakers, etc.) mean that this will be a very different atmosphere. For all we know, the Electrumites may be spooked. Perhaps it won't even be a factor at all. But it's there and cannot be ignored.

In essence, all we need to do is hopefully poke a hole through their defence at some point and score that decisive goal. Then just hope like hell that they don't score.