Copa Rushmori XXVII (27) Everything Thread

[Nephara]

Amethyst Fegelein couldn't help but chuckle.
It wasn't the response the gathered press expected. They knew Fegelein was an energetic, entertaining presence in the press box (like Shale before her, and decidedly unlike the hostile Ramsey and the dour Mortlock) and that she enjoyed the time in the spotlight. But this... wasn't that kind of chuckle.
"You know... literally like, six months ago, all of you were calling me the dream appointment."
Michael Brandon's eyes flicked from Fegelein to the press and back. Reluctantly, he had to admit; she wasn't measuring up to his standards. Three matches, and she was already showing cracks? A few more and she'd melt under the pressure, at this rate.
"And, you know, you don't make it fucking easy! These articles about some 'malaise', after... a fluke defeat, these things happen, and now here we were beaten by a very strong Valladares side. Obviously we'd prefer to have won both fixtures - that's, you know, that's hardly worth fucking mentioning here. But there's plenty of bright spots-"
A couple of derisive snorts from the press. Fegelein glared back. "It's fucking true! Three goals - two from Dragan Stavanger, who half of you were saying couldn't produce in a green shirt - goal of the tournament contender from Andrea, she's rebounded brilliantly from that first match, and I think defensively, well, we found out we could use work-"
"Do you think the red card was a fair decision?" said an eager foreign journalist. There had been many Spicy takes to key decisions in the last World Cup. Fegelein just shrugged, however.
"Look, from where I was standing, it wasn't the best of challenges from Ursula, but she's really not that kind of player. We looked a good bet to get the 4-3 at that stage that would've put us ahead, Hawke missed a good chance... it didn't work out for us, we got caught out at the back with the reduced numbers a couple of times from a very good team, you know, we are talking about one of the favourites to win the tournament."
"Aren't we meant to be among the favourites?" said someone else.
"Not at this early phase of the reconstruction project," sidestepped Fegelein, the diplomat. And as she opened her mouth to expand on that, Brandon glanced across to the press officer and nodded subtly.
The woman cleared her throat on cue. "Right, it's been a long day, and we need to get to work, ah, sorting out the aftermath here. Last questions, please feel free to direct them to our captain..."
The captain, Gideon Fletcher, who'd just seen his main contender for the goalkeeping job in Tsattalios ship five goals, looked a little less than devastated by the result. "Ahh, yeah, well, what is there even to say, really..."
And the aides, and Brandon, hustled Fegelein away from the spotlight.

"Alright. I'll bite. Why the gag?"
It was twenty minutes later, twenty minutes that had been close to silent. The two of them, manager and assistant, were in an office, sharing a bottle of scotch. Brandon poured out Fegelein's glass and slid it at her.
"It's the press."
"Yeah, I'm aware it's the press. I know what-"
Brandon snorted. "You're aware of the press after a positive relationship with the press. You were the darling of Nephara, the toast of the country."
Fegelein snorted. "Damn right. I've earned it."
"Yeah, sure. With Starling, the tiny club from fuckoff nowhere inexplicably winning leagues and UICA silverware, representing everything great about the country."
"Now I am representing the country."
"Right. And the whole paradigm's changed."
Fegelein opens her mouth, shuts it, and sighs. "It's like they don't want us to succeed, you know? You'd think the press would want success. Success sells papers."
"And crisis storylines sell twice as many." Brandon sipped, calmly. "Reinhard Shale was like this, you know. A manager with a lot more experience than you. Rovers, Treason, Buyan, Crisisbless. And he did the exact same thing, you know. Always the media's friend, always quick with a quote. He'd been placed at the crest of a wave and felt- hell, he knew he was the man to take Nephara forward. Dynasty, is what he called it. Press lapped it up. And then, well... he slipped, and fell. And they fucking ate him alive."
Another long silence fell.
Eventually, Fegelein cleared out her glass of scotch, and shuddered.
"Christ, Mick. This job hasn't half fucked you up, eh... ?"

[Polar Islandstates]

What on earth had happened? Morten Rasmussen sat underneath the bright lights of the television studio and tuned out to the discussion around him, fully aware that at some point, he was going to be the answer. The subject of the pointed finger. He shifted slightly uncomfortably in his seat and awaited the inevitable.

The assembled guests were analysing the most recent humiliating result for the Terns - this one a three-nil defeat at the hands of an Eastern Sunrise Islands side that looked for the most part wholly disinterested, almost as if they were planning on getting out of there and going somewhere else as soon as the match had finished. It had been three games now, and the Terns had failed to score a single goal yet. And now, with only two games left in the group stages, progression was probably impossible and the chances of exiting at the group stage without having scored even once was entirely possible. For the all-time most successful side to have ever graced the Copa, that would be unthinkable. And yet, it was the very prospect they were discussing now.

Rasmussen had a lot of time for the host, Patrick Ackermann-Finn, a former national team striker for the Terns and comfortably one of the most popular figures in sports broadcasting throughout Greater Valhalla. Ackermann-Finn's old international striker partner Timo Skye was also on the panel. He was being somewhat quieter than usual for some reason, but it was the final member of the panel who was really beginning to irk Rasmussen: Espen Kubrick.

Kubrick dined out on his two substitute appearances in central midfield for SK Franz Josef City during the third of their threepeat way back in FPIFA Season VIII. He wasn't great, and was swiftly dismissed the next season to FKRA Norregaard. Nonetheless, he'd become one of the better known correspondents in the world of Valhallan football, and even though his television appearances were rare, his ability and desire to stick to the more ridiculous and unfathomable opinions had made him rather notorious. His willingness to fly in the face of logic and argue the toss was, in short, a pain in the arse, and now he was taking great delight in dominating the post-mortem.

"...and that's the problem with the Terns we see before us at the moment. When I won the league," droned Kubrick, to a tremendous roll of the eyes from Rasmussen - the man hadn't even qualified for a winners' medal, "there was a sense of great togetherness within the side. We looked like a team, and we played like a squad. I just don't see that here. Morten, do you think it possible perhaps that your disruption of the national side has led to a fractured identity today?"

Rasmussen considered his response. One the one hand, clipping Kubrick around the ear would be tremendously satisfying. On the other hand, he was wrong, and explaining as such might be more productive. This, he noted internally with a raised eyebrow, wasn't technically a negative in the 'should I clip him round the ear' column, but nonetheless he obliged to give a more verbal response.

"Well, you call it disruption, Espen, I would say it was a prudent manoeuvre on my part. Sides rarely work well during the transition from one manager to another. I was blessed with the opportunity to make my ambitions to retire known at the start of my final Copa Rushmori, and so I chose to blood some youngsters. Whoever it was that came in after me, and it ended up being Guus, was sure to benefit from a greater pool of talented players with national team experience. And we came fourth in that Copa, so you can't tell me it wasn't a success."

"Ah, yes, but then what of the World Cup after it?" pressed Kubrick, "For the first time ever, the Terns were knocked out in the group stages of a World Cup. Under your watch, Morten."

Rasmussen glared at Ackermann-Finn, who was looking a little sheepish in his presenter's chair for having let a guest dominate the discussion like this, and then directed his ire at himself. It was true. That three-two defeat to Farfadillis had been tremendous disappointing. It wasn't how he'd wanted to bow out, and it had almost cost Iulian Finnibaturinn his assistant's position. In the end, Tuulari had argued successfully that he'd need continuity in the management positions, but even so, ruining someone else's job was hardly what Rasmussen wanted, or deserved, to be remembered for.

"That was unfortunate," sighed Rasmussen at last, "but should hardly exert undue influence upon this group of players however many years later."

"So, what do you think happened in the meantime?" asked Ackermann-Finn of Kubrick.

"I, err, well. There was disappointment, and then Rasmussen retired, and then there were some leagues, and then we arrived at this point." responded Kubrick, not quite sure.

"So, our performances in the tournaments between then and now was...?" trailed off Ackermann-Finn.

"Well, it was... were we even there?"

"Well we must have been there. I just can't seem to recall how we did," interrupted Rasmussen, "...I think."

"Were we?"

"I mean, I guess so. I can't think of anywhere else we would have been?"

There was a large, heavy, and confused pause.

"How about you, Timo," asked Ackermann-Finn, trying to get the conversation back on track, "what do you think happened?"

"Happened?" answered Skye with wild eyes.

"To the Terns."

"Oh. Errmmm..." Skye trailed off, searching for a satisfactory answer.

"But anyway, this is precisely what I'm talking about," interrupted Kubrick, much to the relief of the increasingly uncomfortable and skittish Skye, "the Terns have become predictable, forgettable, uncoordinated. There has, I'm sorry to say, been a long history of complacency in the management of the Terns, and it started under the directorship of the man sitting opposite me today."

Rasmussen frowned, partially at the unwarranted accusation from the journalist, and partially at the hive of activity that had suddenly broken out in the studio behind the cameras. Aides, runners, and production managers were suddenly walking to and fro with distinct urgency, pointing fingers, and waving their arms at each other.

"That may be your opinion, Espen," said Ackermann-Finn, "but I'm going to have to stop you there because there is a voice in my ear asking me to announce some breaking news that I simply am not comfortable with announcing until we have all the facts in front of us. Let's play a highlight reel please, Sally?"

He looked behind the camera and received a thumbs up. After a slightly awkward pause, the red light on the camera went off and Ackermann-Finn swung round on his chair. The assembled guests looked around, confused, and the stream of activity continued behind the cameras.

"What is it, Patrick?" asked Rasmussen, as Kubrick frowned and whisked out his phone from his inside pocket.

Ackermann-Finn, his cheeks flush and his eyes beginning to prickle with tears, didn't respond immediately, but instead looked around and caught the eye of Timo Skye.

"Timo," he said after a slight pause, "it's the news coming out of Severny. It's Sol."

"Sol?" asked Timo, leaning forwards.

"He's died. Sol Kirkkegaard is dead."

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojarna on the verge of reaching first Copa Quarterfinals

Stilinkeep, PAS - Following a massive upset over group favourites Eura, who have been unbeaten and on four points like Savojarna, the boys are now close to a surprise qualification for the quarterfinals of the Copa, which would be their first qualification for an international KO-phase on the highest footballing level after they had already managed to qualify in DBC once before. The game in Stilinkeep last night was a wonderful example of Savojarna playing their qualities to the max, reflected in the very Savojar result of 1-0. Remember how this team has always been more about fight and struggle ratehr than glory and technique, and you can easily see why yesterday's game went down the way it did. It took Savojarna quite some time to get their first shot onto the goal of the Euran team, and it was captain Perttu Karjanen who eventually found the way after a bit over 15 minutes. His shot was the end of a very swift counter attack, initiated by Andersson and Mortensson, followed by a wonderful pass into the box and a shot by Karjanen to the bottom left corner that just hit the outside of the post. Yet it did wake up the team. The next chance came just a bit later when Mitrovic had joined an attack and managed a cross to Nyborg whose volley shot was saved by the goalkeeper. These were the two best chances in the first half, thanks to the Savojar defense completely shutting down Eura and keeping them from reaching the penalty area most of the time.

This was a pattern that was continued in the second half, and Savojarna kept their cool knowing that Eura was the favourite in this match. The team's goal was coming first half of their group, a fate that was still in reach even with a draw, so they could easily relax a bit and wait. This was equally reflected in the substitutions of Pedersen, who made a very neutral midfielder sub (Gustafsson for Andersen, 56') as his only change until the leading goal came. And this proved to be a very good decision based on what came: Eura attempted to crack the tight Savojar defense through the wing and crossed the ball into the middle, where Metanov cleared the ball to Orlov. The midfielder sent Gustafsson down the line, who wonderfully dribbled his way past the opponent and then proceeded to make his way into the corner. When Eura prepared for a cross, he didn't try to send the rather short Karjanen into a difficult aerial duel. Instead, Gustafsson laid the ball back for Marcus Nyborg, and Number Ten scored with a wonderful shot from roughly 15 metres to the top right corner! This magnificent goal was the golden one for Savojarna, as a brilliant Anders Jarnström and a strong defence kept Eura out of the Savojar goal until the final whistle.

Thanks to Taeshan beating Kitsai, which could be expected, and Parodys beating the Southeastern Sunrise Islands (which could also be somewhat expected, but potentially less), there are now three teams tied for first with seven points. Because Savojarna's goal difference is the worst of the three, we are currently only ranked third, however, there is one advantage for Savojarna over Taeshan and Parodys. This advantage is the easier program from this point on. Our remaining opponent in the potential final round is unranked Kitsai, while Parodys and Taeshan need to play each other in the final round. However, it should not be forgot that Eura is all but eliminated and may very well return to the action with victories over Parodys and the Southeastern Sunrise Islands. Another factor that we are not allowed to forget is that our very own next opponent is Taeshan. If we win this game against the seventh seed, Savojarna would be as good as qualified (and actually qualified if Eura and Parodys draw their second-last match against each other). However, if we lose as suggested by the ranking, it all depends on what Parodys and Eura do and everything can happen, which is pretty much true as well if we draw against Taeshan. You can watch the game on STV 2 tomorrow at 19:30, or follow it on SavojarSports.sj!

SAVOJARNA 1-0 Eura (0-0)

GOALS: 64' Nyborg 1-0 (Gustafsson).
YELLOW CARDS: 28' Metanov, 33' Butler, 59' Nurkanen, 86' Nemanyev (all foul).
RED CARDS: --
REMARKS: Nemanyev misses next match (second yellow card). 16' Karjanen hits post.

SAVOJARNA: Jarnström - Mitrovic, Samuelsson, Metanov (76' Nemanyev), Nurkanen - Andersen (56' Gustafsson), Andersson, Orlov, Mortensson (81' Bengtsson) - Nyborg - Karjanen.
EURA: Douglas - Conway, Ainsworth, Butler, Hancock (58' Cook) - Rose, Hunter (76' Spartan) - Sutton, Coltrane, Sinclair - Campbell (61' Jones).

[Astograth]

Continued from here.

By midnight, Grand Duke Gaxan was almost certain there would not be a coup.

Almost. The risk would persist for so long as the Ministry of Interior remained out of his control; until then, Lord Minister Tauregi remained in independent command of the state police, secret police, and extensive surveillance apparatus. Gaxan's position rested upon the Army's loyalty, which he had secured in the last few hours after several years of carefully maneuvering his appointees into high ranks. As far as his agents could tell, the Air Force were aligning with Tauregi, while discussions with the Navy were ongoing; regardless, the Ministry of Interior alone was a gargantuan adversary. It would be civil war if either side took action, and Gaxan judged that Tauregi would not be so stupid. The stalemate was not comfortable, but it was space enough to breathe and survive.

Lord Protector Gaskon Ugarte was not dead, after all. He had suffered a life-threatening stroke in his Blue Mountains estate, but previous health scares had already necessitated the construction of adequate medical installations - which this time were enough to stabilise him before being flown to Echegoyan. The dictator was alive, and his supporters were making themselves heard across the country. Or in the parts where they were concentrated, at least: the central river valleys, as well as the Echegoyan and Antiguoko provinces.

By his hand, Astograth had become a different beast; once a leader in the service industry, flying in tourists from around the multiverse, it now belched the black smoke of ceaseless industry. Cheap coal and iron from Echegoyan powered the production of cheap steel for export; when that was no longer enough, Ugarte had turned to the production of textiles and plastics. Factories dotted the land, while illegal sweatshops multiplied below the uncaring eye of the Lord Protector's bloated bureaucracy.

In the wake of the annexation of the Free Republic of Iturributa, which to the Grand Duchy was merely the clearing of an illegal occupation, all foreigners had been expelled along with their investments, blamed for bringing about the terrorist Republic and the nation's moral decay. Law enforcement and the military were made budget priorities, to the detriment of health, education and welfare, while the country's generous international aid was slashed to nothing. In the eyes of many, Ugarte had come through as the strongman that the Grand Dukes since Aitor IV had failed to be.

A helpless Gaxan had been there for all of it. A boy, 16 years old and heir to the throne as nephew of Grand Duke Lastur. He was now a man, and his House would be pawns no longer.

His hands gripped the railing of the balcony. It jutted out from the side of Castle Hill, the historic centre of Rumiatzi, over a broad avenue packed with expectant citizens. It was where his ancestors had reviewed the troops and given their speeches. It was where Ugarte had declared war on Iturributa, and set into motion a wheel of stone and knives. It now came to Gaxan to begin setting his hands upon the wheel, that it be slowly brought to a stop. The stalemate with Tauregi was not ideal, but so long as Ugarte remained in coma it would allow the Grand Duke to push back against this regime of shadows and misery.

Spotlights and cameras trained on Gaxan's face, as he inched closer to the microphone. It was in his veins, not Ugarte's, that ran the blood of the old Kingdom, and his right to rule would no longer be questioned.

***

It was also not the blood of royalty that watered the streets of Iturributa, or the docks of Ituraitz, or the parks of Basabe. Through the cobblestone cracks of Rumiatzi, even, the blood ran thick and red before being washed into the gutters. Away from Castle Hill and the Grand Duke's balcony, cries unheard and pleas unanswered had long since been silenced and vanished. From Kala to Urbitzo, Yungoitio to Irtzu, bodies had been beaten, handled, and pulverised. Some to ash, others to bone meal.

Names became irrelevant long before they were erased. There was no space for them in books or newspapers.

Red trails of sorrow painted a path down from the mountains, into the plains and the mud of Lake Anzar, where all the refuse of Astograth goes to rest and be judged. The pain of the present met and mingled with past crimes forgotten: the border skirmishes denied, the factory strikes crushed. The famished, the slaves, the failed experiments; the weaponless, the limbless, the hopeless. All bubbled like tar upon the water.

Thus always to the expendable.

[Anglatia]

Rogue State

Chapter Seven: Growing Storm

In the hills of northern Nuevo Constancia, near the city of San Marcos and the suburban oil town of Chivacurita, trouble was brewing and it looked like the conflict would grow even hotter. Operation Aether, the one with the goal of using Imperial black budget special forces to destabilize the Constancian government that was a threat to them, and to recover the research that the enemy was using to create a super weapon, was something of a success at this point in the plan. They had cut deals with two powerful allies: the Salvador Cartel, experts of smuggling and of fighting, and the regionalist and secessionist movement behind the Republic of Eastern Constancia. Those allies had helped them to their major success in the north, in the form of helping both of those anti government groups gain some territory that was actually valuable to them.

Specifically, they had attacked and taken the oil fields around Chivacurita, which had been scheduled to be closed by the government, taking away many jobs from the local people. The Blue Faction, the armed wing of the eastern regionalist movement, and the main capitalist rebellion in the socialist country, had suggested to the Imperial unit known as the Vikings, which the majority of the rebels only knew as foreign volunteers, a plan that would involve them capturing the oil fields and operating them for their own profits, which would also give jobs back to the town and raise support for them.

And so the Salvador Cartel’s fierce fighters had spearheaded the assault with trucks and the majority of the men, while the Blue Faction attacked from the other side. The Vikings, however, wanted something different from this operation. While the others attacked, they looked for high ranking officials that could lead them to more information about the super weapon or about the foreign policy plans that threatened Anglatia and its security. They would find more than they expected, with Monroe Dyrssen spotting an officer staying in the Chivacurita camp that was the highest ranking one in the San Marcos region.

Now, it was the aftermath of that battle, and the rebels had rolled from the oil fields and the government camp to the actual town, announcing their victory and giving the local authorities there a chance to surrender and join those who were fighting under the banner of the Blue Faction, which was beginning to be nationwide despite specializing in activities in the east. Soon, the Vikings would interrogate the officer that they had found, looking for more leads that would help them with their true goal, but for now, the camp outside of town was busy with rebel fighters preparing to announce their gains.

The local police force had surrendered and turned on the government that had been willing to kill their local economy, and that would definitely be a big morale hit to that government and its supporters. It was one of the things that they were about to stress in their video, which was about to be recorded. “Remember this one thing. Say it like you mean it… Speak with confidence, because if you don't sound like you believe in what you're saying, nobody else will,” said Darya Zharkov, the Nordskanian counterrevolutionary that had left politics behind to work with the Blue Faction in their fight. To her, it was better to fight for different causes with guns than with the legal system, and despite her father once again being the leader of a country in Nordskania, she wasn't going to follow his footsteps. “Don't be afraid of showing passion, either, but make sure that it's not exaggerated. Let the viewer focus on your message, and not on you.”

The man who she was talking to was Javier Melo, the closest thing that the Blue Faction had to a leader. They were standing in the middle of tents and in front of a row of captured Constancian military vehicles, including the tank that had been taken from the garage back at the oil field camp. Those vehicles were a symbol of their victory, and they would be visible to the camera that was being set up in front of Melo and Zharkov. “Understood, Darya. If that's what you think I need to do, I'll try my best, because I know that this kind of thing is your specialty.”

“Meh, sometimes I wish it wasn't. It's always better to be able to walk the walk than talk the talk, but when you can do both, you become practically unbeatable,” she shrugged, moving out of view of the camera. “We already know that we can win in the jungles and the mountains in combat, but the real challenge for us is going to be getting around all of the censorship on the part of the government to spread our message to the people.”

“I'm ready to film, just give me the word,” said the man behind the camera, and Javier adjusted his shoulder length hair slightly before looking at the camera and giving a thumbs up.

“Let’s get it over with…”

“Okay, I'm recording in four… Three… Two… One.”

Javier took a deep breath, still looking into the camera, and began the speech that had been pre planned. “My name is Javier Melo, and I am speaking on behalf of Faccion Azul, the movement of the people, the defenders of the Republic of Eastern Constancia and the main foes of the Teixeira regime. Specifically, I am speaking to issue a warning to that regime, a warning that their days are numbered if they continue on their current path.

“The will of the people has long been disregarded in this country, with the Socialist Party dominating elections not through their popularity but through corruption, and every international source that has looked at the country has come to the same conclusion. Those who speak out have been silenced, and those who dared to stand against such a government have been put down. Taken away, with their possessions seized by the state and their names erased from public records. Entire families have disappeared under this government, and the people have had enough of being subjugated by an organization that claims to serve them.

“The people have been pushing back for years, and the rise of the big three cartels as political players can be traced back to the government being unpopular in the outer edges of the country and people turning to regionalist groups for guidance, for protection, and for community. Those cartels, however, know that there is a balance of power that must remain in place for them to work effectively. None of them have went after this government, but other organizations have. The Blue Faction was founded in the Republic of East Constancia, our unrecognized state in the east of the nation that might not have independence but does have a real population and governance, but with recent actions, our movement is spreading beyond that section of the country.

“With the government taking away thousands of jobs from its people by shutting down the oil fields in Chivacurita, we saw a chance to strike in the north and show them what the people of that region really think of them. We seized the oil fields for the people, and the town’s police forces willingly supported us when we moved in to take over. Both the fields and the town, and all the villages around it, belong to us now, and nobody outside of the military has opposed us. Our movement is no longer constrained to the east, but is a nation wide one that encompasses anyone who wishes to see capitalism instead of socialism, and who wants to see greater power for the regions.

“Our message to the Teixeira regime? Beware. Do not attempt to take back Chivacurita, or the action will be met with severe consequences. The people of the north have chosen to reclaim the area for themselves… And the right to take it back does not belong to you. We the people are finally rising, and you cannot stop us. You can only negotiate with us, and attempt to get out of this with some power left. But, as always, that choice lies with you. We will await your response.”

The video would end there, and the man behind the camera held up a hand to show that he had just finished recording. “Alright, that's it, the editing team just has to do a couple of edits and then this will be uploaded onto every video site in the country and sent to every news outlet. It's going to be censored, and that's a given, but the goal is to get it copied and circulated as much as possible before that happens. If we can get it to reach foreign nations, we might also be able to bring some attention and support to our cause.”

“Perfect, then,” said Javier, giving a thumbs up sign and moving towards one of the tents, where the Vikings were believed to be. “Now, since we’re done with that… I believe there's a prisoner that our friends from abroad have a keen interest in.”

~

“He's ready to talk, finally,” said Justin Dellinger, stepping out of the tent and looking to Emma Karrey and Chester Lynch, the unit translator and the unit leader. “Who knew that Constancia was decent at training their men not to talk? But, there's not many people who have resisted our methods successfully, and you can add him to the list of ones who haven't.”

“What did you have to do?” asked Chester, who was in civilian dress right now just like the rest of the Vikings. “You said finally, that implies that you had to try and fail a bunch of times before it worked.”

“I dipped his head in one of the oil barrels a bunch of times until he finally came around and decided that he would tell us what he knows about the project that Constancia is working on. But, he said that he didn't know that much, and I'm sure that he's not lying. I tried to get more out of him, but he's still sticking to the promise that he doesn't know much.”

“Right, I'll talk to him then. I have the best Spanish, so I'll be the one to do it,” Emma said, nodding towards Justin and stepping into the tent, where the worn out looking man who had a head covered in oil was sitting, with his hands tied behind a chair. This man was, of course, Raul Gomez, one of the leading generals in the Constancian military and one of the ones who should have some knowledge of both the project and the policy.

“Good cop, bad cop…” she muttered to herself in English, before switching to Spanish and approaching Gomez. “Justin told me that you don't know much about the project that we're seeking information on. That's alright, though. Just tell me what you do know. And, maybe if you give some good answers that can help us get to the bottom of all of this, you can get out of here.”

“As if you would actually release me…”

“How can you say for sure that I won't? Look, Justin did things the hard way and I'm trying to do things the easy way, and I'm even offering you a reward for your help, but you need to give me something to work with here. I can't make an argument to let you go if you won't help me by giving me the answers that I need.”

“And if I do talk, you'll do what?”

“I'll talk with my allies and see what I can do to make sure that you survive this ordeal.”

There was some silence, and then Emma spoke again, telling that he was still distrustful of her. “I need you to tell me everything that you do know on the project, even if it's not a lot of information and even if you don't have a lot of detail. Start from the beginning, with the basics, and then move ahead with the more complicated parts that you know-”

“You want to know what our project is about, eh?” Gomez asked, with a sigh. “I can tell you a bit about it… But it probably isn't what your thinking. It's no missle, no gas, not that kind of thing… It's a biological weapon in the loosest sense of the word. I can't tell you much other than that, because I have no idea what it really is, other than the fact that it's in a form that has never been seen on the battlefield before. But you want to know what I can tell you? Where it's going to be deployed for the first time. I can tell you, rebel, but I promise you that if you actually head there, you're going to want to run far, far away after you see the effects.”

[Eastfield Lodge]

Copa Rushmori XXVII

Will we see a New World Order in this tournament?

(Belated) MD4 Cutoff for Groups Pargis and Peynol. (Sorry.)

Group Pargis
Astograth 1–0 Sarrbia
Pasarga 3–3 Darmen
Pridenestrovia 0–2 The Askari Union

Group Pargis            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Pasarga                 4    3   1   0    14    5   +9    10
2 The Askari Union        4    2   1   1     3    2   +1     7
3 Pridenestrovia          4    2   0   2    10    9   +1     6
4 Darmen                  4    1   2   1    11   10   +1     5
5 Astograth               4    1   1   2     7   14   −7     4
6 Sarrbia                 4    0   1   3     5   10   −5     1

Group Peynol
Kitsai 4–3 Southeastern Sunrise Islands
Eura 1–0 Parodys
Taeshan 1–0 Savojarna

Group Peynol                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Taeshan                         4    3   1   0     4    0   +4    10
2 Parodys                         4    2   1   1     9    6   +3     7
3 Savojarna                       4    2   1   1     4    3   +1     7
4 Eura                            4    2   1   1     3    2   +1     7
5 Kitsai                          4    1   0   3     6   10   −4     3
6 Southeastern Sunrise Islands    4    0   0   4     5   10   −5     0

Qualified for Quarter-Finals.
Eliminated.

[Trans-Dniesters]

ПРИДНЕСТРОВСКАЯ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНАЯ НОВОСТИ АГЕНЦИЯ
PRIDNESTROVSKAYA TSENTRALNAYA NOVOSTI AGENTSIYA
PRIDNESTROVIAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY

PRIDNESTROVIA RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS WITH DOMINANT WIN AGAINST ASTOGRATH IN 27TH COPA RUSHMORI
By Gustav Tyumenov


Wilfried Halberstam of the Pridnestrovian national football team celebrates after scoring his third goal against Astograth to complete his first ever hat trick in the Copa Rushmori.

TORGOS, PASARGA - The Pridnestrovian national football team returned to winning ways against Astograth as they triumphed over the nation just returning to the international stage with 5 goals to their opponents' 2, with three of those goals being scored by just one man: Wilfried Halberstam of CSKA Tiraspol.

Halberstam had been given Selim Tiryaki's place in the starting eleven by Werner Ceausescu after the Ixanian playing for Arsenal de Releinthi had been injured in the game against Sarrbia after a rough tackle by a Sarrbian player. Halberstam had managed to score a goal in his first start for Pridnestrovia in over four years but his goal only turned out to be a consolation as the Red Army's opponents at the time had been Pasarga, long considered as Pridnestrovia's bogey team in international competitions. Both Pridnestrovia and Halberstam had stated that they were looking to return to winning ways in the Copa Rushmori against Astograth, and they did this in stunning and stellar fashion.

The returning Astograth team was composed mostly of players on the wrong side of thirty, and their age showed when Demyan Pajari was able to steal the ball from the feet of Ixidor Bernales and made a run down the left flank where he crossed the ball into the box, where Boyan Radev was waiting to receive the ball. The Marinos Thimpodopoulos striker jumped highest over the Astograth defenders and he sent the bullet header straight into the top right corner of the net to give the Red Army a vital lead in the first 20 minutes of this Copa Rushmori game.

"Der Raumdeuter" Wilfried Halberstam then lived up to his name and reputation as he forced himself into a pocket of space just six minutes after Radev's goal and poked the ball into the back of the net with his toe to double Pridnestrovia's advantage over the returning veterans. But this two-goal lead would prove to be short-lived as Vladislav Bogomolov inadvertently ended up sending Frantz Ormache to the ground inside the penalty area in clear view of the referee. Bogomolov was shown the yellow card and designated penalty taker Ostadar Arambilet stepped up to the spot, took a deep breath, then shot the ball for the bottom left corner while sending Ferdinand Abbing to the completely opposite direction.

But Astograth's celebrations at halving the deficit would also prove short-lived as the Pridnestrovians ramped up their attack once again, and Wilfried Halberstam was once again in space to smack the ball into the roof of the net to score Pridnestrovia's third goal and his second in the game six minutes before the break, when Pridnestrovia went in as 3-1 leaders over Astograth.

Astograth was still not yet finished, however. The veteran team showed just how much they still had in their tanks when Eder Urrustoy was tripped outside the edge of the box by Demyan Wasylyk, earning the Astograth team the free kick. Designated taker Luar Dardan stood over the ball as the players assembled for offense and defense, depending on which team they were playing for, and then Dardan looped a shot over the Pridnestrovian wall which was caught by a fortunate gust of wind and sent right into the gap between Ferdinand Abbing's fingers and the near post, once again halving Pridnestrovia's advantage and putting Astograth right back into the game.

But Wilfried Halberstam was determined to kill off the game for the Red Army and prove his point and Pridnestrovia's that they were now a force to be reckoned with. In the 70th minute, Halberstam tackled the ball away from Nuxila Dezabaleta and went on a solo run in which he bypassed three Astograth defenders along with their keeper before finally walking the ball into the net to complete his hat trick. Ten minutes later, Halberstam flicked the ball with his heel into the danger zone, the six-yard box, and Mark Polzin, recently transferred to Newrook City of Nephara, hit it on the volley to well and truly kill the game for the Red Army.


Pridnestrovian national football team manager Werner Ceausescu: We have won but we are still not yet in the clear

Pridnestrovian national football team manager Werner Ceausescu: "Yes, this is an important victory for us, all of us, but we know that while we are in second place right now, there is still work to be done before we are able to consider ourselves through to the next stage. We face tough opposition next in The Askari Union and Darmen. They will be tough opponents, especially after they have seen how we dealt with Sarrbia and Astograth. They will look to copy Pasarga's example in trying to defeat us, but we are also prepared for them. I am confident we can still get something out of this competition, but we must focus and not lose sight of our immediate goals."

             PRIDNESTROVIA 5 - 2 ASTOGRATH
               RADEV (20')       ARAMBILET (35' pen)
HALBERSTAM (26', 39', 70')       DARDAN (56')
              POLZIN (80')

ASTOGRATH
GK: 1 Amiyategi
RB: 6 Dezabaleta
RCB: 5 Narke
LCB: 2 Senez
LB: 5 Bernales
RM: 10 Urrustoy (Larribe - 83')
CM: 14 Alaba
LM: 11 Bidigain
RAM: 21 Arambilet
LAM: 8 Dardan
CF: 7 Ormache (Lauragaray - 75')

PRIDNESTROVIA
GK: 13 Abbing
RB: 14 Tymoshenko (Kardashenko - 70')
CB: 3 Vasilyev
LB: 4 Budny
RM: 20 Polzin
RDM: 10 Wasylyk (Larionov - 70')
CDM: 7 Funar
LDM: 8 Bogomolov █ (Khvashchynski █ - 83')
LM: 6 Pajari
RS: 9 Radev
LS: 23 Halberstam

MATCH STATS
Possession
Pridnestrovia: 51%
Astograth: 49%
Shots
Pridnestrovia: 15 (7 on target)
Astograth: 10 (4 on target)
Corners
Pridnestrovia: 5
Astograth: 6
Fouls
Pridnestrovia: 13
Astograth: 14

[Taeshan]

One game now stands between the Purple Knights and a return to the knockout rounds of the Copa Rushmori after a few sad tournaments. 4 games into the tournament the team has 0 losses on their record and only one blemish, a tie against favorites Eura, on their record. The team has managed to keep their opponents scoreless in four games, and Miles Snavely managed to score 4 goals over the course of the four games keeping the Knights atop the group with their 3rd victory of the tournament against Savojarna with another rather unsurprising 1-0 victory. The Knights have continued to look strong in this tournament, much like the end of the last qualifiers where the team looked strong but ultimately failed to qualify.

To be fair the Knights have looked the strongest of their six team group, but the lone example of dropped points mean going into their final matchup with Paradys. The Knights have played their usual unattractive defensive game with a lot of counter attack play and a lot of hoping Miles Snavely would manage to score a lone goal, or in the first game a brace. Snavely hit his century cap mark in the last matchup scoring his 66th career international goal, as his teammate Enrique Fuegahita earned his half century cap. Going into the final game the Purple Knights need only a point, or at worst a one goal loss would likely see them move on. Any sort of good result in this game moves the Purple Knights on once again to the knockouts.

[Pasarga]

Copa Rushmori XXVII

Cutoff for Groups Imperial and Commonwealth.

Group Imperial
Tveidalen 3–4 Northern Natanians
Eastfield Lodge 0–1 Olastor
Sameba 0–1 Anglatia

P Group Imperial             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eastfield Lodge              4   3  0  1    7   3  +4    9
2 Anglatia                     4   2  1  1    6   3  +3    7
3 Olastor                      4   2  1  1    6   8  −2    7
4 Sameba                       4   2  0  2    5   5   0    6
5 Northern Natanians           4   1  2  1    8   8   0    5
6 Tveidalen                    4   0  0  4    9  14  −5    0

Group Commonwealth
Polar Islandstates 2–0 Yesopaltha
Valladares 4–2 The Great Pi
Eastern Sunrise Islands 0–1 Nephara

P Group Commonwealth         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Valladares                   4   4  0  0   17   6 +11   12
2 Eastern Sunrise Islands      4   2  0  2    6   6   0    6
3 Nephara                      4   2  0  2    6   7  −1    6
4 The Great Pi                 4   1  1  2    4   6  −2    4
5 Polar Islandstates           4   1  1  2    2   6  −4    4
6 Yesopaltha                   4   1  0  3    1   5  −4    3

[Polar Islandstates]

NB - Even though I ICly took part, I was absent from the forums for World Cup 73, and so the roster for the Terns was never worked out or posted. However, the players who would've been in the squad, and whose caps and goals I've just worked out and added to my record keeping, can be found here:

Leif Ulsletten
Moses Luc Bjerregaard
Olaf Strauss
Willem Otkupshchikov
Niels Kruse
Anders Holzhauser
Bjorn Konigstein
Eidur Gunnlaugsson
Rauno Bickermann
Sim Lefebvre
Finn Kirkkegaard
Gunnsteinn Moskowitz
Dimitar Brandt-Caledon
Boris Jenssen
Eirikur Sigurdsson
Teitur Ronkainen
Karsten Mannerheim
Jonas Hertzberg
Robin Geirsson
Victor Larsen
Alexsandr Kiriyenko
Victor Otkupshchikov
Iosef Miroshnichenko

THE GREATER VALHALLAN FEDERATION OF POLAR ISLANDSTATES ROSTER FOR COPA RUSHMORI XXVII
Nation Name: The Greater Valhallan Federation of Polar Islandstates
Demonym: Valhallans (or Polarians)
Team Nickname: The Terns
Official Supporters Group: The Twitchers

KIT COLOURS:
HOME - AWAY - KEEPER

HOME STADIUM:
Nasjonale Stadion - 67,481 (Franz Josef City)

HOME SUPPORT: The Ostkurven - Home of the Twitchers

STAFF:
Manager: Guus Tuulari, 61
Record in Charge: P 0, W 0, D 0, L 0, GF 0, GA 0, GD +0, WP 0%
So, he's finally got it. When he was appointed manager at FK Viipuri 56, he immediately made a name for himself and brought himself to the attention of Red Star Severny. From the day of his very first press conference in Severny he made it known that the Terns job was the one that he really wanted, but the length and success of Morten Rasmussen's reign in charge - despite the relative whimper it ended with - meant that the first World Cup winning manager in Terns history was entirely in control of his own exit. By the time Rasmussen finally hung up his FPIFA lanyard, Tuulari was at East Franz Athletic, but no chairperson in their right mind would block a Polarian from taking up the position of Terns manager, and so here, at last, is Tuulari. Rasmussen had a fearsome record, and Tuulari has a fearsome reputation. The Terns find themselves in a significantly different position to when Rasmussen left however, with nobody apparently to remember entering the most recent World Cups. Even though we must have done... didn't we? Where else would we have been? And where did all this sand between our toes come from? And why is the rest of the world a bit older than us? And why are there suddenly twice as many years between the Otkupshchikov brothers as their used to be? Ah well. It's entirely fair to say there's a lot of 'experience' in the starting line-up, but with some youngsters waiting to earn their first caps from the bench we're expecting plenty of enthusiasm in the squad. Heia Terns!

Assistant Manager: Iulian Finnibaturinn, 50
After the departure of Steffan Pekarik, Morten Rasmussen turned to Surtsey Island Gulls coach Finnibaturinn to fill the seat to the right of him in the dugout. Finnibaturinn played for the Terns a huge ninety-seven times, four times as captain, and scoring four goals in the process. Pekarik was a born winner, and a tough fighter, and although once thought of as down and out, he fought his way back into the Terns squad after having found himself at imploded league after imploded league, with a move back to Surtsey and a Champions' Cup medal at Urbizania Wanderers to show for his efforts. He never gave up as a player, and doesn't do so as a coach either. He will provide important continuity as the Terns move from one regime to the other, and as they seek to improve their international standing.

PLAYERS:
#1 - GK - Dimitar Brandt-Caledon - Age 33 - Holdenberg (EUR) - 4 Caps
Brandt-Caledon had to wait for his chance to get a call-up from the Euran league, and then he had to wait and wait and wait some more. Maybe it's just a long way for scouts to travel, I don't know. A relatively unknown figure in the Federation, Euran supporters will be able to tell you plenty about this rangy and talented shot-stopper, and Ulsletten's decision to retire from international football is Brandt-Caledon's good fortune. Time for Dimitar to get his chance and show just why he's rated abroad, as with only four caps so far, he's still relatively unknown to the Twitchers. How will he cope with the number one jersey at last?

#2 - DR - Moses Luc Bjerregaard - Age 36 - Blackfields (EUR) - 156 Caps, 42 Assists, 16 Goals
At just seventeen years of age, Bjerregaard was the youngest player to get a call-up to the Terns squad since Alexsandr van Sorensen, and it's not hard to see why. Lightning fast speed, fearlessness, a wicked control of a dead ball, and a willingness to run at players all mean Bjerregaard has the credentials required to be a fine right winger. However, when you add a tough tackle, the ability to read the game, and a keen positional sense into the equation, it's easy to see why Bjerregaard makes such a devastating wing-back. His strength in the air can leave something to be desired, but his other strengths and his natural height mean he usually gets away with it. Now the most experienced member of the Terns squad, Tuulari will be looking to Bjerregaard for leadership in what will probably be his final tournament.

#3 - DC - Olaf Strauss - Age 30 - Red Star Severny - 53 Caps, 2 Assists, 3 Goals
With a calm head and a mature reading of the game, it's not hard to see why Strauss broke into the Red Star first team so young. An absolute mountain of a man, even by Valhallan standards, he is incredibly tough to beat in the air, and few are the players who can find a way to outpace him and his ten-yard-strides. Or that's how they feel, anyway. A leader of men, he has a natural charisma and fearlessness that inspires others to play better around him, and many in the stands at Red star were happy when he was given the armband by the management there.

#4 - DC - Victor Otkupshchikov - Age 28- Northbrook Diamonds FK - 11 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
A long-term partner of Miroshnichenko for the u-21s, and a long-term partner of his older brother and Terns legend Willem, the younger Otkupshchikov it seems is adept at forming partnerships. For this Terns side, he'll have to do that quite quickly. We may have been denied the sight of the two Otkupshchikov's lining up next to other on a regular basis by... whatever that was, but we still have one of them active. Quick, strong, agile, and eager to impress, we're expecting big things.

#5 - DL - Eirikur Sigurdsson - Age 28 - East Franz Athletic - 21 Caps, 2 Assists
Fast, nimble, hotheaded and fond of playing a long way up the pitch - Sigurdsson is everything Bjerregaard is but skilled on the other foot. And younger. After so long behind Kruse in the depth chart, Sigurdsson will be itching to show that anything the Bjerregardk can do, he can do on the left, and his performances for East Franz in the league opposite Erevik have certainly shown he is capable of that. Tuulari drilled discipline and a strong positional sense of awareness into this pacy full-back whilst manager of East Franz, and that gives him the defensive edge to his game that being in the Terns will demand of him.

#6 - DMC - Anders Holzhauser - Age 34 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 112 Caps, 15 Assists, 10 Goals - Vice-Captain
It took two consecutive Copa appearances for Holzhauser to provide performances good enough to convince Rasmussen, but he's been along in every Terns squad ever since. Holzhauser is a strong and tough-tackling defensive midfielder, and has made quite an impact on the Terns. With a commanding presence, he quickly grabs the eye as he marshals the defence behind him, and though he is able to fill in at centre back should he be required to, Holzhauser has the urge and the ability to push forwards in possession of the ball and add a different dimension to the attack in the process.

#7 - MC - Robin Geirsson - Age 33 - Ramusok United (COS) - 42 Caps, 13 Assists, 5 Goals - CAPTAIN
Highly thought of in the Federation, it was something of a surprise to many when he turned down offers from Divisjon One clubs to move to Cosumar, but Robin Geirsson is showing just why he wanted to move away to prove himself. Independent, headstrong, and always looking to do something impressive with the ball. Not just adequate, but spectacular. The most wonderful thing about this is of course how frequently he achieves it. Geirsson moved back into the centre of the park from the more attacking position he started out at Torshavn with, and his new found freedom to be more physically imposing turned him into an entirely different prospect. A bundle of energy always looking to prove himself, it is nonetheless something of a surprise to see Tuulari making him his first captain. Perhaps however, this has something to do with the experience and knowledge he's gained from being abroad and picking up awards and medals whilst the domestically based players were... well, we're still not quite sure to be honest...

#8 - MC - Eidur Gunnlaugsson - Age 32 - Spartangrad (EUR) - 72 Caps, 27 Assists, 16 Goals
It takes a special kind of talent to get called up into the starting line-up of the Terns aged just twenty, but that is just what Eidur Gunnlaugsson did. Quick, combative, and with a visionary eye for a pass, Gunnlaugsson could have been one of the Multiverse's great deep lying playmakers if things had worked out slightly differently, but even so he still commands a lot of respect from all who play against him. It will be exciting to see what kind of partnership he forges with Geirsson.

#9 - ST - Rauno Bickermann - Age 33 - FC Jansberg (SEM) - 68 Caps, 9 Assists, 49 Goals
Rauno Bickermann's emergence in the Red Star starting eleven coincided neatly with their run up the table, and this is no coincidence. Powerful, strong on the ball, tough to shake off and with a knack of finding the right channels to run into at the right time, Bickermann's touch-to-shot ratio is impressive to say the least. Scoring goals is the first, second, and last thing on his mind, but even so he finds the time to play the supportive target man if he's asked to, holding onto the ball and releasing a team-mate through on goal at just the right moment. Bickermann possesses a unique talent, and with the vast experience he's already picked up playing alongside some of the other strikers to grace the national team, he has developed into a player of the highest calibre. Had the Terns played more matches whilst he was in his prime, who knows what heights he could have hit! Even so, it looks like he'll become only the sixth player to score fifty goals for the Terns. Lots of strikers retired with tallies in the high forties, Bickermann will surely get there before his impending retirement. Dat ratio.

#10 - AMC - Sim Lefebvre - Age 27 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - 26 Caps, 16 Assists, 6 Goals
Demarchelier, Villeneuve, Lefebvre. There used to be ellipsis and question marks in that sentence. Not anymore. The Rochefroides community of Ellismare is getting a reputation for producing strong technical players with a flair and gift for playing exciting attacking football, and Lefebvre looks for all the world like he's set to become the final part of a legendary Rochefroides triptych in the central attacking midfield position. Skilled, thoughtful, and with a deft touch with either boot, Lefebvre is the name on the back of all the replica shirts at the moment for his club, and who knows, perhaps a strong showing in the number ten shirt of the Terns at the Copa will see them flying off the shelf in the navy and white of his country, too. If he plays like he can, he has nothing to worry about.

#11 - ST - Finn Kirkkegaard - Age 29 - SK Franz Josef City - 16 Caps, 1 Assist, 3 Goals
Yes, his grandson. SK Nasjonale Hauker's first ever player called up to the Terns saw that particular achievement overshadowed a little by the identity of the player in question. With several seasons' worth of goals in Divisjon One and a handful of impressive performances for the u-21s, Kirkkegaard made it to the senior squad on his own merit rather than by the name on his shirt, and the nature of his performances from the bench led Rasmussen to conclude he'd make a better strike partner for Bickermann than Larsen. Praise indeed. He never looked back. It also led SK Franz Josef City to believe he'd be a better fit in their squad than Nasjonale's. Predictably, they got their man, and both club and country have a player and a half, here.

#12 - Gunnsteinn Moskowitz - Age 26 - FC1. Bjarnarey Flotilla - 6 Caps
It isn't all that often that a player goes so far abroad to launch their international Terns career like this, but that's exactly what Moskowitz did. And at the tender age of twenty-two as well. Young for a goalkeeper, ex-pat tongues were set wagging by the performances of this young man in the V-League, and young Gunnsteinn got a call-up from Rasmussen at the World Cup as a result. Surely one for the future rather than the present day, it is hoped that the experience will greatly benefit this young man in the future tournament he will surely be present at. A future number one for his country? Almost certainly, and Bjarnarey simply couldn't let the chance to sign him go begging.

#13 - GK - Valter Leimbach - Age 21 - RSK Longyearbyen Town - Uncapped
Tall, very tall, and a little bit taller than that. Leimbach is colossal, and at only twenty-one years old, surely has a bright future ahead of him. Despite his size he's surprisingly nimble at getting down to stop low shots, and if he works on his rushing from the goalline it won't be long before bigger clubs than RSK are taking a look at him.

#14 - AMC - Johannes Gauer - Age 22 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - Uncapped
Talented, swift, and always looking for that killer ball that will unlock the defence, Gauer marks the first FC Torshavn call-up to the Terns for many a year. With end product like this, it's not hard to see why either. Any free kick within range of goal will be grabbed eagerly by Gauer - he has been known to literally need dragging off the training pitches at the end of the day because he's so keen to practise his dead ball abilities. Keen and eager, he's a starburst of energy waiting to happen.

#15 - DL - Geir Belotserkovsky - Age 21 - RSK Longyearbyen Town - Uncapped
Another member of the impressing RSK backline to make an appearance in the Terns squad for the first time, Belotserkovsky has a range of passing that any midfielder would be proud of, and a willingness to tackle that the great KKV would have been proud of. His temperament still leaves a little to be desired - though this is perhaps to be expected of one so young - but if Tuulari can get the best of him here we could be seeing big things in the future.

#16 - DR - Teitur Ronkainen - Age 28 - RSK Longyearbyen Town - 13 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Assist
Teitur Ronkainen has been a long-admired part of RSK Longyearbyen's matchday squads, and I don't think it is any surprise whatsoever that his breakthrough season coincided with a year in which his club were actually leading Divisjon One at the half-way stage. It seemed improbable, and of course we all know they slipped down the table in the end, but it certainly wasn't due to any fault of Teitur's. Stacked, quick, and with a wicked eye for the timing of the tackle, Ronkainen is the kind of player who isn't afraid to make sacrificial tackles and take a yellow or red card if it means the other team don't score a crucial goal... but who then gets the tackle spot on and avoids a foul altogether. Sometimes, it's almost like he doesn't know how good he is.

#17 - DMC - Karl-Franz Klemmensen - Age 27 - Jan Mayen Islanders - 13 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
Impressive for a relatively poor Jan Mayen side, Klemmensen has certainly benefited from his club's poor squad decisions in recent years to gain the exposure required for a call-up. Which is only fair, because his club has benefited from his performances for them. Hard-headed, tough to beat, and fully capable of marking a dangerous attacker out of a match without touching the ball, Klemmensen has a lot to offer the Terns. Highly thought of by a lot of influential coaches in the game, it is thought his club could be tempted to cash in on his fierce talent should he shine on the international stage. So, clubs, watch out for this one. He may have something to prove.

#18 - ST - Arno Ziegenhagen - Age 20 - FC1. Bjarnarey Flotilla - Uncapped
Tuulari is making up for the age and experience in some parts of the squad - particularly the starting line-up, with youth and exuberance elsewhere, and Ziegenhagen marks just such a call-up. Bursting onto the scene with Bjarnarey last season (we think), Ziegenhagen's tall frame makes him the perfect target man, and when he gets into his stride he's like a freight train careering downhill. Physical, ambitious, and with a deadly left foot, Ziegenhagen is headed for the top. Bjarnarey fans already love him, we're sure you will too.

#19 - MC - Federico Aalto - Age 22 - SC Kiel - Uncapped
One of those players whose first thought is always to control, turn, and move the ball forwards, Aalto has an unerring eye for the pass and is constantly looking to play the fast ball and move it around the pitch. Not the largest player, his Kulmsaari heritage marks him out as one for whom attacking football is in the blood, and he would make something of a departure from the usual Terns central midfielder should he get on the pitch. SC Kiel have a potential star on their hands here.

#20 - ST - Erik Zhamaletdinov - Age 23 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - Uncapped
Busily beavering away for Surtsey for several seasons now, Zhamaletdinov is a dynamo of energy when he plays upfront - constantly drifting between lines and searching for runs beyond the last defender. He'll get caught offside a frustrating number of times, but if he can just curtail that instinct to run for a split second longer, he'll be a formidable foe for opposition defences. Just ask the Divisjon One defenders who've been trying to mark him out of games unsuccessfully for years.

#21 - MC - Alexsandr Kiriyenko - Age 27 - Northbrook Diamonds FK - 112 Caps, 15 Assists, 10 Goals
Without a doubt, Kiriyenko is one of the most controversial players of the last few years. Born and raised in the capital, he was brought up a Young Boys fan, but was brought through the ranks by East Franz and was already in the first team and highly thought of by Tuulari when Northbrook Diamonds turned his head and made public bid after public bid to unsettle him. After getting their man, they turned him into a dynamic utility midfielder, and poor East Franz were left seeing ghosts when he scored against them on the last day of the season to clinch the title for Northbrook. He celebrated, too. He's not out to make friends, is Kiriyenko, he's out there for one reason and one reason only... to win. Presumably that's the only reason Tuulari is speaking to him again. Though, it is interesting to note he only makes the bench in this squad, despite arguably being a better player than Gunnlaugsson these days...

#22 - DC - Marten Ortendahl - Age 30 - FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls - 11 Caps
There are literally tens of players out there at the moment who make a good case for their inclusion in a Terns squad at centre-back, and so it's a little bit of a surprise to see Tuulari go back to Ortendahl. Calm, motivated, and a decisive tackler of the ball who doesn't take many risks on it, Tuulari will be hoping his experience will be more valuable off the bench than any tempestuous youngsters' contributions would be, and Ortendahl certainly has plenty of that. A legend for Surtsey, can he translate that into eye-catching performances at international level at last? He might, but he'll have to get off the bench first.

#23 - DC - Iosef Miroshnichenko - Age 27 - East Franz Athletic - 20 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
The second member of East Franz Athletic's starting defence to receive a call-up to the Terns bench, Miroshnichenko is another in the increasing line of powerful defenders coming out of the Spires' academy. He perhaps has some things to learn in terms of his timing in the tackle and when to spring the offside trap, but the talent here is huge, and Tuulari knows how to use it. At twenty-seven this cycle, he may be running out of time to stake a claim to being an all-time great, but what an option he is to have off the bench.

TACTICS: "The Pythagorean" 2-3-3-2
The Polarian game is methodical, abrasive, technical, and physical. They won't give you a second on the ball to think, and they won't hold back in the tackle. In the centre of the park they will play a possession based midfield game of triangles, though a defence splitting pass could come at any moment towards the fast and direct attack. Tuulari has noted the need for continuity in these turbulent times, and so hasn't changed the Terns setup since taking over from Rasmussen. Accordingly, he plays a narrow, modified version of the diamond formation dubbed the Pythagorean by the sporting press. It is reliant upon two key triangular sets of players that transcend the normal "rows" of player in conventional formation layouts. Strauss, Otkupshchikov, and Holzhauser will act as the defensive triangle, and Lefebvre, Bickermann, and Kirkkegaard will counter at the other end as the offensive triangle. Holzhauser and Lefebvre's roles in this scheme are absolutely crucial, as their job is to support and unlock the other two players in their respective triangles, providing outlets and creativity in abundance. Geirsson and Gunnlaugsson are part of a compact and creative midfield that will supply steel or style whenever the situation demands it, as well as partnering up with their respective full backs to form a kind of "bumper" that sweeps the flanks in attack or folds in to protect the penalty area in defence. Fitness of all players will therefore be key to the success of this plan; not just the constant positional changing demanded of Holzhauser and Lefebvre, but the athleticism of Bjerregaard and Sigurdsson in particular will also be tested to the limit as their roles require frequent attacking. It's not quite a 4-3-3, it's not quite a 4-1-2-1-2, and it's not quite a W-M... well okay, alright, it's more or less a W-M with a focus on two specific trios of players. It's the Pythagorean.

Penalty Taker: Rauno Bickermann/Finn Kirkkegaard/Robin Geirsson
Free Kick Taker: Moses Luc Bjerregaard/Sim Lefebvre/Finn Kirkkegaard
Corner Taker: Sim Lefebvre/Eidur Gunnlaugsson/Robin Geirsson

Starting line-up

Modification: -1


Record going into Copa Rushmori XXVII:
Played 614, Won 417, Drawn 102, Lost 95, Scored 1283, Conceded 576, Goal Difference +707, Win Percentage 67.9%
Top Goalscorers:
Timo Skye - 117
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 107
Gustaf Kolehmainen - 100
Felix Saarinen - 60
Patrick Ackermann-Finn - 57
Most Assists:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 117
Jean-Eric Villeneuve - 94
Luc Demarchelier - 73
Ole van Jendrisen - 68
Marten Cornelius - 48
Most Caps:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 268
Kohev Küngas-Vaga - 264
Jorgen Hauge - 215
Timo Skye - 168
Zacharias Juul - 166
Asterisks indicate player is in the current Terns squad

THE OPPONENT CAN
Choose my goalscorers? Yes.
Godmod scoring events? Yes.
RP injuries to my players? Yes, within reason, and I reserve the right to change the severity in a follow-up RP.
Godmod injuries to my players? Yes, as above.
Hand out yellow cards to my players? Yes.
Hand out red cards to my players? Yes, but only 2 per match maximum, and never to my captain or vice-captain.
Godmod other events? TG me first, but I'm always open to ideas.

[Astograth]

Stade de Torgos beat to the rhythm of the crowd: a lively grouping of locals, Sarrbians, and a generous smattering of tourists from other nations, come to enjoy the weather and the football. The Astograthians numbered no more than a couple hundred, each carefully examined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before being issued a passport, but Eriz Bakaikoa could not begin to point them out in a stadium that seated 90 thousands.

On the sideline for only his fourth time as senior manager, he had more pressing matters to attend to than the number of travelling fans. Predictions for the Copa Rushmori had not been stellar to begin with, and even so Olibondeka's performance had been embarrassing. In their first match, Pasarga had dealt a 6-1 beating that equalled their 5-0 win - 20 editions ago! - as the worst loss that Astograth had suffered. Their next encounter, against Darmen, had ended in a frustrating draw to three goals each, but which revived the national team's hopes in the face of a strong adversary. Then had come the heavy loss to Pridnestrovia, complete with amateur mistakes by Bernales and Dezabaleta, to once more bury the team's standing with the domestic press. Though not as savage as they could be - surely mellowed by an order from above - the media had gone from questioning Bakaikoa's choices of players and tactics to questioning whether he should be manager at all.

Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. Being perfectly honest, he would not be too bothered if he was sacked. It would not end his managerial career. He hardly needed the money, and there were plenty of other things he could do.

Bakaikoa wasn't in this for himself. His heart pounded like a drum because Astograth needed a win to stay alive in this Copa Rushmori, and fifteen minutes into the second half there were still no goals in this match against Sarrbia. Sarrbia! Of all teams to be eliminating them from the Copa... Sarrbia. Nobodies, really, matched up against a side with the pride and the history of Olibondeka.

Pride and history had counted for very little, however. In truth, what claim to glory did they have? An old Cup of Harmony – faded golden jubile – and an old Copa Rushmori to pair it with. Anything else was bluster, blather, or the sort of memories that are held close to the heart. Of these latter sort, Bakaikoa held many throughout these career, even if his time with the national team had not been the sunniest. He'd taken the field at two World Cups: 62, held on Astograthian soil, and 67, the last they had qualified for. He'd won the Copa, though not really - still relatively new to the squad, he only appeared in a single group stage match. His club career was illustrious, unquestionable – world champion in his own right – but the doubts regarding his national generation would not go away. Could not.

Yet he'd been there, where so many had faltered and withered. He'd been number 8, the country's playmaker, a badge of high honour passed down from Estebe Bularte, through the likes of Otz Lasuen and Aintza Lekea, and from Bakaikoa to Dardan. Wearing the olive green, he'd felt the eyes of the world on his neck and held his chin high.

Years later, if only occasionally, he still felt that chill of the wind at his back: the dreams of so many millions balanced on his efforts and failures.

Now was his chance to set things right. Not for him, but that he might set gilded laurels upon the brows of the old and the new, at the dusk of an era - and the blinding dawn of a future thought improbable.

Yokin Arizmande, his old teammate and de facto assistant manager now that he'd retired for good, leaned in.

“Albiza and Churin are ready for the substitution.”

Bakaikoa nodded, pleased at the efficiency. “Good. Tell the fourth ref”.

He looked down the sideline, to where the two players were emerging from their warmup. Albiza, the young Astograth Uni winger, had been in talks with Nepharim representatives lately, and could seemingly only go up. Churin, that tumbling mountain of a man, had repeatedly suffered headaches and dizziness since his return to time and space, but his were the most experienced boots on this squad. Old strike partner of that phenom Kiriano, Churin had come into the squad to fill the enormous shoes left behind by Hurko Atristain – and done as well as could be expected. Bakaikoa had played alongside and against him for years, and knew what the man was capable of.

They took to the pitch one after the other, replacing Urrustoy and Ormache – two illustrious names, incidentally. It was a matter of minutes before Urtsua broke down a Sarrbian attack at the back, and moved the ball up to Alaba, who passed it onto Arambilet. The vice-captain, briefed on what the recent substitutions entailed, drove to the left while Dardan crossed right, defenders scrambling to block any passes that way. On the left wing now sat Albiza, however – the more experienced Bidigain had swapped right. And Albiza, if there was one thing he could be relied upon, was to deliver a good high cross. The ball was in the air before the Sarrbian full-back's outstretched foot could reach it.

Bakaikoa and Arizmande had figured that, if the short passing game would not bear fruit, they always had the high ball on their side.

After all, there were not many better headers of the ball than Oskarbi Churin on any other team in this competition. The man who'd scored his way out of the back alleys of Antiguoko met Albiza's curving cross with a running leap, and drove a bullet past the helpless keeper.

Astograth stirred, and remembered the taste of victory. Past and future, which together were present, huddled in brotherhood and pledged their loyalty to the impossible.

[Nephara]

Gideon Fletcher had to admit that this was faintly surreal.
It had been eerie last match, too - in a different way, though. He'd been restored to the starting lineup, with some satisfaction - many of the other positions had rotated out, too, largely in defence. Fegelein was unapologetically still finding her best XI of this crippled squad, and while Fletcher couldn't see the point, well...
... whatever. They'd done it. Against a team of, well... apparently not all the Islanders had left the world. And they'd scraped together a few decent teams to compensate, one representing the East, each determined to give themselves a great send-off.
Yeah, well, Nephara ruined that particular fairytale. Ursula Rowan practically shattered the crossbar with a devastating drive from outside the box, well-deserved, and Fletcher's saves at the other end had retained the clean sheet. He could be satisfied with that, too.
They were probably still fucked, annoyingly. Valladares had crushed them and that fucking abomination of a result had happened to those weirdly flaky guys from the first match. So they needed the Sunrise Islands to slip against the flaky guys or, failing that, to just beat the living shit out of the next team and get goal difference in their favour.
And the next team were unranked, you know? That favoured Nephara. Just pump 'em. Stick the boot in.
And there was one- you know, just ONE fucking tiny fucking problem with that fucking theory of it being a walk in the fucking park.
That problem was the MINOR GODDAMN DETAIL that the captain of this unranked nation walking out of the tunnel with him was Robin fucking Geirsson.
Yeah, it had been a weird offseason. The Islanders had walked off into the sea, Nephara had redrawn its boundaries, the Guayabalense had vanished, the Quebecois had withdrawn from the WCC, they'd let some consortium join the Campionato like it was a proper nation...
... and the Valhallans were back.
He was happy with that, like... you know, basically the entire world was. Nepharim and Valhallans had gotten along well together, on the whole - before the Big Freeze. It'd taken Logan Murdoch with it, for a bit, and Murdoch had later been a teammate of Fletcher's at Treason. It was good to see the Valhallans back, wherever they'd got to in the meantime. The mantle of 'dominant seabirds wearing cool colours' was one too heavy for the Cormorants to bear alone, after all.
And the Valhallans had played an important part in Nepharim history. Vice was definitely not versa - 3-1 and 1-0 wins in the World Cup were footnotes in an era of Tern dominance - but they represented Nephara's first two World Cup eliminations. Just edged out by a team cut from the same cloth but just... bigger, stronger, faster, better. And more experienced. Victory was beyond the Cormorants' capabilities at that stage, but at least the fans could nod sagely. "Ahhh, but we gave 'em a hell of a fight." Ultimate victory would come in time.
The Terns had given the Cormorants a blueprint, and left them to fulfil it in their mysterious but thankfully temporary absence. And they were set, of course, to immediately start to dominate the world again. They were not 'just another unranked side', and they had the players to match - Geirsson was an inspirational captain, Bjerregard was somehow still going, Gunnlaugson and Bickermann had kept the flag flying abroad. 'Unranked sides' did not traditionally count like a thousand caps across the squad. And, hell, while they'd suffered a slow start, they'd just beaten Yesopalitha - no pushovers themselves - 2-0. The Twitchers had taken root in their traditional full colour and voice, and most likely the bulk of the neutrals were supporting them too.
Also their return probably also held some sort of geopolitical importance outside of football or whatever. That was also, most likely, a thing.
Well, whatever.
That was all well and good.
But here and now, they were standing in Nephara's way.
So, that fairytale return to glory would just have to wait another fucking year, wouldn't it?

[Darmen]

Darmen requires victory against Pridnestrovia to advance
The Askari Union must lose as well

Despite a 3-3 draw against Pasarga, the All Greens' destiny has been removed from their control and placed in the hands of the Askari Union, following their surprising 2-0 victory over Darmen's next opponents, Pridnestrovia. The two results have established a clear path for Darmen to advance to the Quarterfinals, but unfortunately Darmen can only control half of the necessary requirements. While victory against Pridnestrovia was always going to be necessary, Darmen must now rely on the help of Astograth to defeat the Askari Union and deny their own advancement to the knockout stages. Below are listed the possible outcomes of the group:

• If Darmen defeats Pridnestrovia and the Askari Union and Astograth draw, Darmen would finished tied with the Askari Union on points but would be ahead in Goal Difference, advancing to the Quarterfinals.
• If Darmen defeats Pridnestrovia and Astrograth defeats the Askari Union, Darmen would finish with eight points, the Askari Union and Astograth on seven, and Pridnestrovia stuck on eight. Such a situation would also see the All Greens through to a Quarterfinal berth.
• If the Askari Union wins their match against Astograth, the Darmen vs. Pridnestrovia match is meaningless.
• If Darmen draws with Pridnestrovia, the Darmeni Football Association will be returning home and begin prepping for World Cup Qualifying.

So in other words... Up the Olives!

---

The Cabinet Room. Pictures of past Darmeni leaders hung on the green walls. The chairs surrounding the large table sat on top of a rather bland beige carpet. And the windows along the North wall desperately needed to be replaced, they were exceptionally grimy. Or was that the difference in the humidity outside and inside that was simply causing them to fog up?

Chief of Staff Mitchell Hellewege circled around the table making sure that each of the folders containing the briefing for the Executive Cabinet was in its correct place. Within a matter of minutes, the seventeen members of the Executive Cabinet would be holding their weekly meeting, discussing all sorts of things related to the governing of a nation. One member had decided to show up early, and he sat at the head of the table. Mitchell wasn't entirely certain what he was doing, his hands seemed to be shielding his mouth and his fingers seemed to be in constant motion.

"What are you doing?" asked Mitchell.

"I'm ripping the skin of my lips," came the reply.

"Why?" asked Mitchell, slightly shocked.

"If I knew why I did this, I probably wouldn't continue to do it," answered the man as he lowered his hands, shoving them into his pants pockets.

"You can't be nervous, can you? It's not like this is your first Cabinet meeting," said Mitchell as he leaned against the table next to the President of the Republic, folding his arms across his chest as he did.

"No, no, of course not," replied Tor Tong Lee. "Like I said, I've no idea why I do it. If I am nervous, it must be on a subconscious level. I tend to sweat pretty bad if I'm consciously nervous. Not to mention my stomach gets all in knots, and I get this weird... um, floaty feeling I guess you could say. It can get pretty bad, but so far in my presidency I've only had those moments when addressing the Parliament. They really should install a podium for me to lean against when I deliver those speeches, the whole open floor design of the Chamber is quite strange."

"It's most likely unique to Darmen," said Mitchell, "I've never seen another Parliamentary Chamber designed like it. Besides, you just want the podium to be installed so you have something to hide behind. Why'd you want to be President anyways?"

Lee looked up at Mitchell. The Chief of Staff looked genuinely interested to know. "Mitchell," he responded, "You've been with me this entire time, ever since I gave up managing the All Greens and began my campaign to reunify Darmen. If you had paid attention, I'm sure you would've have heard me give a thousand reasons why I wanted to be President."

"Well, yes," said Mitchell, letting his arms fall to his side as he looked at a picture of the former Prime Minister Scat Peari, the first man he had served under as a Darmeni civil servant. "But you must admit, you're the most un-presidential person I know. You hate to give speeches, you hate arguing, you hate making backdoor deals, you hate political maneuvering..."

"For everything I hate, there is something else I love," interjected Lee. "And I love my country. For years it had torn itself apart. The violence, poor economy, disease and countless other things were absolutely destroying it. I was not about to watch it completely disappear, either from the map or in the hearts and minds of its own people. I had to rescue it, and rescue it I have."

"I see. So, Mr. Rademacher's response to your internal memo regarding the Common Rushmori Community..."

Lee's head shot up, his eyes filled with a sense of anger. Mitchell, not knowing that he did so, fearfully leaned away from the President. "That... that..." Lee was struggling to conjure up a term to level at his Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Exasperated, Lee continued, seemingly disapointed in himself that he couldn't think of a good insult, "That fool wants to sell our country out from under us and create some sore of common Rushmori identity, complete with its own language and culture. Not to mention he wants a common currency! He's no Darmeni..."

Lee stopped his rant as the door to the Cabinet Room opened and the first member of the Executive Cabinet to arrive other than Lee walked in. It was Joshua Rademacher.

"Hello Lee, how are you this fine autumn morning?" asked Rademacher.

Lee ignored his Foreign Affairs man and turned to Mitchell instead. "Mitchell," he began, "please grab me some aspirin. I've just acquired a headache."

"Of course Mr. President," said Mitchell as he turned to leave the room and locate some aspirin for the President. Rademacher meanwhile seemed oblivious that he was the 'headache' Lee spoke of.

"And Mitchell..."

"Yes?"

"The liquid kind," requested Lee. "I can't swallow pills."

As he left the room, vanishing down the hallway, Mitchell replied, "Yes, Mr. President."

[Trans-Dniesters]

ПРИДНЕСТРОВСКАЯ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНАЯ НОВОСТИ АГЕНЦИЯ
PRIDNESTROVSKAYA TSENTRALNAYA NOVOSTI AGENTSIYA
PRIDNESTROVIAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY

PRIDNESTROVIA EMBARRASSED IN THE COPA RUSHMORI BY THE ASKARI UNION, LOSES 2-0
By Gustav Tyumenov


Ferdinand Abbing of the Pridnestrovian national football team saves a shot from an Askarian player even as Pridnestrovia succumbed to their second defeat in the 27th Copa Rushmori.

STEIN-LOS, PASARGA - The Pridnestrovian national football team embarrassed themselves on the regional stage when they allowed the lowly and unranked Askari Union to humiliate them in front of 72,000 people in the Kilmonarch in Stein-los, Pasarga and put Pridnestrovia’s hopes for qualifying for the round of 16 of the Copa Rushmori in grave jeopardy. There was simply no excuse for the national team to capitulate as they did, and to their credit, the team offered none. Both the players and the manager accepted the blame for what Werner Ceausescu himself has called a “spineless performance, one without any guts or bravery involved at all.” Those were damning words coming from a manager who is not known to lash out at his players whatever the circumstances, and it surely gives insight into what exactly he thought of his players’ performances tonight.

There was nothing worthy of mention from the Pridnestrovian national team except for a few attempts at goal spearheaded by Wilfried Halberstam, and even then it was Boyan Radev who had the best chance of the game for the Red Army as he headed the free kick from Vladislav Bogomolov straight at the crossbar. This disorganization in the Red Army's ranks could be said to be the work of the early 15th-minute goal from Maganti Quaranta which was the result of Valentin Funar falling asleep in the defense and allowed Quaranta to get past him and slam the ball past Ferdinand Abbing. Abbing's protestations about the goal and Funar's defensive mistakes earned him a booking from the referee.

Wilfried Halberstam once again attempted to liven up Pridnestrovia in the second half by creating almost every chance which fell to the Red Army in this period. "Der Raumdeuter" had a goal chalked off for offside in the 47th minute, a decision with which Halberstam loudly and vocally disagreed with, the result of his disagreement being joining Ferdinand Abbing on the referee's notebook. Pridnestrovia would eventually rue this decision as the Askari Union essentially put the game to bed in the 53rd minute with a cannon of a shot from Lethe Cirvante and effectively end the chances of a Pridnestrovian comeback.

Wilfried Halberstam was the only player who appeared interested in salvaging something for the Red Army out of this contest, and even then he was unsuccessful as his teammates simply caved in to the pressure and allowed the Askarians to run rings around them. This defeat ensures that Pridnestrovia must win against Darmen to have a chance of making it to the knockout stage.


Pridnestrovian national football team manager Werner Ceausescu: We expected better of ourselves but we couldn't live up to expectations

Pridnestrovian national football team manager Werner Ceausescu: "This is not the standard in which we play, and this is not the standard we want to set for the future. It was a spineless performance by a cowardly team. We did not fight for the result, plain and simple. We allowed the opponents to walk all over us without so much as a whimper. At this moment, I am ashamed to call myself a Pridnestrovian, and I believe that our fans feel the same way as well. We expected better of ourselves and yet we disappointed everyone. That is not good."

PRIDNESTROVIA 0 - 2 THE ASKARI UNION
                    QUARANTA (15')
                    CIRVANTE (53')

THE ASKARI UNION
GK: 1 Cevenni
RB: 17 Valeri
RCB: 4 Leone
LCB: 5 Tamboure (Pentangeli - 78')
LB: 3 Quaglia
RM: 8 Ansaldi
CM: 6 Auciello
LM: 19 Bisset
CAM: 14 Cirvante
RS: 7 Quaranta
LS: 22 Martinet (Sabbadin - 53')

PRIDNESTROVIA
GK: 13 Abbing █
RB: 14 Tymoshenko (Kardashenko - 79')
CB: 3 Vasilyev (Nochevski - 72')
LB: 4 Budny
RM: 20 Polzin
RDM: 10 Wasylyk
CDM: 7 Funar (Antonescu - 61')
LDM: 8 Bogomolov
LM: 6 Pajari
RS: 9 Radev
LS: 23 Halberstam █

MATCH STATS
Possession
Pridnestrovia: 54%
The Askari Union: 46%
Shots
Pridnestrovia: 16 (9 on target)
The Askari Union: 12 (6 on target)
Corners
Pridnestrovia: 3
The Askari Union: 3
Fouls
Pridnestrovia: 20
The Askari Union: 12

[Pasarga]

Torgos Tribune ~ Show of Depth

It is no secret that the side that was called up for the Copa Rushmori was not necessarily the best squad that the Wanderers' could have fielded, that squad was obviously the 23 that played in the World Cup. Normally the same group of players would be the ones who would play in the Copa but after the Wanderers' poor showing at the tournament, Möller obviously felt the need to shake things up a little and show the players that no ones spot should be taken for granted. Considering that the majority of the starting eleven that played in Quebec-San Jose Guayabal are about to be the wrong side of thirty also likely played into the factor of over half of the squad being different from the one that was called up for the Finals of the World Cup last month.

However despite dipping into the depths of the national team pool for the Copa, the Wanderers' have played as well as one might have hoped and then some. This of course is in thanks in large part due to the prowess of the young Ingþór Auðbjörnsson, as the Zozi striker has six goals through four games played. Having been given the number nine shirt for his club team as well, the striker is living up to all the billing he had as a young prospect, but he is not the only player living up to their potential. The offense for the Wanderers' has been quite superb, with fourteen goals through four games, a four goal a game clip and though Auðbjörnsson has taken his chances and set up others, he is not the only one. Eva Tomić and Fjóla Sigurjónsdóttir both have played extremely well in the starting lineup while Eisenhower, Feierabend, and Kárpáty have all looked quite dangerous when coming off the bench.

All that said, the backline does need a bit of work after the Darmen attack was able to blitz them for three goals in the last match, showing the lack of experience in playing with one another. It will be an area that the manager will be able to criticize his team for despite qualifying for the Quarterfinals with a game in hand, something managers are always looking for. While the team is playing quite well, with the home crowds showing great support for the team throughout the tournament regardless of what city the team has been playing in, managers are always looking for rooms to improve to keep their teams from becoming overconfident and complacent. This side is likely not at risk for that, given what happened at the World Cup, all the same, Möller has to be pleased there will be teachable moments from the match moving forward to the last group game and the knockouts.

Elsewhere in the competition, Group Peynol seems a bit upside down as Eura sits in fourth place in the group and would currently miss out on the knockouts as they sit tied on seven points with Parodys and Savojarna, while Taeshan tops the table at ten. It would be a huge upset if the powerhouse of the region is unable to get the victory needed on the last matchday in order to advance out of the group, and a bit of a surprise should the Purple Knights be the ones to win the group. The current holders have looked quite explosive in their attempt to retain the title, having won four of four with seventeen goals, though the rest of the group is wide open that even debut aunts Nephara have a chance to advance. Group Imperial is the most wide open though, with five of the six sides still in contention to advance out of the group, with our cohosts needing just a point to advance after their slip up against Olastor last match. Our bet is on Eastfield Lodge and Sameba but Anglatia has proven resilient and may just well nick the advancement instead.

[Polar Islandstates]

The relief that poured out of Robin Geirsson chose to do so in a stream of unintelligible noise from his mouth at an incredible volume. If his teammates were expecting their captain to say something rather more inspiring upon the moment of the Terns' first international goal since... whatever that was, then they had just been sorely disappointed.

Truth was, he'd been feeling the pressure. They all had. The nation was only just getting out of its post Big Freeze slump, when some weird technical error by a minor deity sent them tumbling through time and space, and now they were back, they were once again caught in a cycle of trying to get back on their feet. Which, in this multiverse, was easier said than done. Particularly on the football pitch.

As one of the lucky/unlucky (delete as appropriate) few who'd been abroad at the time it happened, Robin had spent the past seven years wandering around in a sort of daze. Happy to play football and hold a regular conversation, but whenever talk turned to when he was next going home or if he was hoping for an international call-up, he'd felt compelled to keep his head down and mumble something non-committal. It was disorientating. He knew he was missing something, some crucial part of his knowledge, but he didn't know what. Until the other month, anyway.

And then, what a rush! From there to here, and wearing the captain's armband for the Terns.

And a goal, too! It should have been a joyous occasion!

But instead, all eyes were on the armband he was wearing on his other arm. A big, solid, black one. For Sol Kirkkegaard.

Geirsson had looked up in the stands after he'd scored the rifled shot from the edge of the box to see row upon row of Twitchers waving flags, scarves, and replica shirts above their heads in a dignified show of celebration. The paraphernalia being spun around in the air was all customised in one way or another with a thick black line. The noise from the stands was one of defiance, not joy. The noise from Geirsson's mouth had been positively wretched. More animal than man.

For, Sol Kirkkegaard was a father figure in Valhallan footballer. Hell, he was a father figure for the nation. The Federation had barely reached it's initial WA joining strength when the idea of a football team was announced, and so the first steps of the Terns on the international stage became a decent metaphor and a barometer for how the Federation would get on. With every win for Kirkkegaard's boys, the nation grew in confidence. When they qualified for the World Cup at the second time of asking, the mood in the sub-region became buoyant. Kirkkegaard wasn't the father of the Federation, or even the father of Valhallan football, but he was as good a proxy as you were likely to get. Whichever way you looked at it, his passing was a watershed for the Federation.

Even out here, disconnected from the mourning and the shock despite his age, Geirsson and the rest of the players felt keenly the loss the nation was experiencing. You didn't have to be plugged into the commemorative television shows and highlight reels 24/7 to feel that. For the players in the squad from RSK Longyearbyen Town and FC Torshavn in particular, Kirkkegaard's name was legendary. Geirsson had only met him twice back when he was at the Kittiwakes, but he was everyone's idol. He was the model of personality and professionalism. He was admired by all. Svalbard had lost a great son, and Geirsson had noted that the trio of the lads in the squad from Longyearbyen were nearly in tears at the news.

There was one member of the squad whom they had rallied around even more, however, a member of the squad who'd had the option to return home offered to him by Tuulari. An offer that was roundly rejected.

It simply wouldn't have been what his granddad would have wanted.

And so, when Finn Kirkkegaard thumped, no, annihilated the ball into the top corner from six yards out for the Terns' second goal in a matter of minutes, Geirsson was the second on the scene to wrap his arms around the freely crying striker. All eleven players gathered in a huddle in the Yesopalitha penalty area, receiving adoring applause from the stands. Kirkkegaard was the name on their lips, but Finn knew it wasn't for him.

Turning as the Terns began to jog back into their own half again, Finn raised a defiant fist at the stands as he looked into the sky.

A goal, and three points.

It's what he would have wanted.

[Pasarga]

Copa Rushmori XXVII

Who will rise up like Swedish Pagans and take destiny into their own hands?

Cutoff for Groups Imperial and Commonwealth.

Group Imperial
Anglatia 1–0 Tveidalen
Olastor 1–1 Sameba
Northern Natanians 2–2 Eastfield Lodge

P Group Imperial             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eastfield Lodge              5   3  1  1    9   5  +4   10
2 Anglatia                     5   3  1  1    7   3  +4   10
3 Olastor                      5   2  2  1    7   9  −2    8
4 Sameba                       5   2  1  2    6   6   0    7
5 Northern Natanians           5   1  3  1   10  10   0    6
6 Tveidalen                    5   0  0  5    9  15  −6    0

Group Commonwealth
Nephara 2–0 Polar Islandstates
The Great Pi 3–4 Eastern Sunrise Islands
Yesopaltha 0–2 Valladares

P Group Commonwealth         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Valladares                   5   5  0  0   19   6 +13   15
2 Nephara                      5   3  0  2    8   7  +1    9
3 Eastern Sunrise Islands      5   3  0  2   10   9  +1    9
4 The Great Pi                 5   1  1  3    7  10  −3    4
5 Polar Islandstates           5   1  1  3    2   8  −6    4
6 Yesopaltha                   5   1  0  4    1   7  −6    3

Quarterfinal Fixtures
Eastfield Lodge v Nephara @ King Iqbal II Stadium, New Lodger City
Valladares v Anglatia @ Vorgan Park, New Lodger City

[Eura]

OOC: Continued from here.

Memories of the not so distant past were echoing all around as First Section sank into desperation. Men were muttering about their home life in their sleep, crying and rocking back and forth when it was too quiet. Kat, her ever alert journalistic instincts still intact, had snapped some footage of Bray sharpening a bayonet for over an hour, staring off into the distance. It had been a week and a half and they were still not home. The Sameban prisoner hadn't talked, dragged along between skirmishes like an unwanted dog. After the death of Mace, morale had simply gone through the floor, made worse by the simultaneous death of Private Hartson and mortal wounding of Private Bistow, who had since succumbed to his wounds. Now things were even worse. Two of the three Fourth Section hangers on had gone missing and Private Neerall was barely able to walk, having been brought low by some sort of illness with no treatment available. Day thirteen was suspiciously lucky contrary to the popular superstition - no-one bought it that day. But as they hit two weeks of being exposed to the open, with next to no supplies left, their luck dipped once again. 'Monty.' The reporter gazed around in the haze, dehydrated and underfed, before catching a glimpse of Lance Corporal Barton. 'Hey, Barton.'
'Where's the rest of the line gone? We're not going south, this is west. Wrong way. Bad.' No-one could speak in complete sentences anymore due to the severity of their exhaustion. Monty whistled halfheartedly, summoning the hastily promoted Sergeant Mack. 'Barton, you moving or what?'
'This is the wrong way sarge, it must be. Maps wrong.'
'How can you even tell? No visible landmarks mate.'
'Right. Yeah.' Both men stood staring at each other despite the painfully low visibility, unsure of what to do next.

The subsequent arrival of Lieutenant Brown did nothing to help as a painfully tense argument erupted. Before anyone could reach an agreement, Barton let out an audibly panicked squeak of sorts. 'Oh god, oh fuck. Fuck, fucking help me!' Monty turned around, curious, and moved to help. He quickly found himself torn back by the forceful pull of Brown's arm. 'Stand back.'
'What, why? He needs help.'
'What kind of mine is it?' In all the fuss about what direction they were headed, only Brown had heard Barton's foot land on the pressure plate of a land mine with a release based trigger. 'I don't know. Fuck me, I don't know, its green I think. Round.' There was silence. Nobody could move, not even an inch. Barton was trying to hold his leg still but he couldn't help his nerves kicking in, his body shaking like a leaf. Mack and Brown took a few steps back before consulting one another. 'Listen, Lieutenant, if one of us could get a closer look we can nip it. This can't be a minefield location, not here. Must be scattered from a shellburst further away. Its just bad luck.'
'I'm well aware its bad luck. We can't let it become bad luck for all of us though.' A shiver went down the spine of everyone who heard it. 'Sir?'
'Mack. Tell him to fall down the incline he's on. The shrapnel will mostly go up.'
'What if its HE?'
'Then he won't know he made the wrong call, will he?' It was potentially a death sentence. Time didn't quite stand still, more stuttered, as everyone got down and Mack got down on his haunches about ten feet from Barton. 'Barts, mate, I'm sorry but we can't risk it. You'll have to take your chances.'
'Are you fucking kidding me? Help me!'
'Just spring off down the incline, take the leg away as late as possible, let the body move. We're sorry, we are.' No-one could quite see Barton's face in the mist but you could hear him hyperventilating. 'We're all here buddy. All with you. Whenever you're ready, we are.' Seconds passed. Then tens of seconds. Minutes. Brown rather callously checked his watch.

First Section had mostly closed their eyes or to look away, but they wouldn't have seen it in the mist anyway. There was a loud, dull bang and a smattering of dust and dirt, and that was all there was to it. No scream or last words. Mack was up first. 'Barts? You there? I'm coming out for you!'
'No you're fucking not, Corporal.' Brown was the only one standing now. There was no sound at all, not even a whimper. Brown crept over a few feet, moving slowly and deliberately, before getting a good enough view. He turned after a few moments of mournful consideration. 'Barton's gone.' Brown was not usually emotional about his soldiers, so Monty and Kat's exchange of glances reflected a mutual confusion when he took off his helmet and held it to his chest respecfully. Mack reacted differently. 'Where is that little Sammie piece of filth?' He marched through the reeds before coming to a halt at the Sameban kneeling on the ground between Green and Stein. 'Green, has he talked yet?'
'No, sarge. Well, I mean, he told us some stuff. Family stuff.'
'Really? Fill me in!'
'We're not sure. Kid or two, maybe, and someone called Cella?' Green stopped when it occurred to him that Mack was not just being sarcastic, but lacing that sarcasm with feelings of deep seated hatred. He took off his belt, wrapped it around the Sameban conscripts neck, and tugged him along the floor, dragging him several feet without protest from the surrounding soldiers. Kat's lower lip trembled as she heard the young man wheeze and choke as his windpipe struggled to stay open. Mack relieved him, but not for long. 'Listen you little shite, we're not stupid, we know you speak English. What's the deal? Give us some intel or I'll cut you up, bit by bit, you get me?' Out of nowhere, Bray joined in, smacking the ragged prisoner across the face with the butt of a rifle. Monty simply sighed and accepted a reality of war that had confronted him on more than one occasion previously. Kat on the other hand was not having it.

When the Syndicatian journalist marched formidably between the two men, they stared at her like she was one of the enemy herself. 'You're going to move out of the way lass, and let us do our job.'
'This isn't your job, this is torture. You're the Euran Army for heaven's sake, not street thugs. Get your act together!'
'Get our act together? Who the hell do you think you are? We're fucking dying out here, you dumb bitch. Move it!' Mack tried to push Kat out of the way quite forcefully, only for Green to storm over and get in the way. 'Push off, she's right.' Stein had him backed up too. 'Leave it out Mack, this isn't bringing Barts back.'
'I'm not stupid, am I? Look, this little scumbag has been sat here for days, eating our rations, not talking, and we're holding on to him for what? Our bloody mates are dying around us and he sits there all smug, holding us down. Probably signalling to the enemy too, all these little coughing fits he's having. He talks or I start peeling bits off!' They were on the verge of exchanging blows when Rowan of all people stepped up to the plate. The Nepharim cameraman had been sheepishly hiding away this entire time, having spent the best part of two weeks in a trance while lugging ammo and basic camera equipment about like it was still needed somehow. 'Listen, alright, I'm not some intellectual heavyweight alright, but this is wrong yeah? We've got to be better than these guys, right? Give him another chance.' Mack and Bray backed down for the moment, allowing Green to talk to the Sameban one on one. 'Look, you've got to talk ok? We can't keep you alive too if you're going to hinder us. You're the enemy after all.' The Sameban shook his head, not shifting. 'I am sorry. No talking. I was told, no talking, no talking to Eurans. I just want to go home. I'm surrendered, you understand?' His English wasn't good, indicating he was from a poor background and most likely the north or east of Sameba. Most likely then brought up a loyalist, and nothing about their progress interrogating him suggested otherwise.

In a moment of relative quiet, a handgun clicked as the hammer was slid back. Lieutenant Brown stood over the Sameban with his service pistol suggestively swaying back and forth in his grasp. 'Green, Mack. Off.' Green tried to be brave. 'Sir, I object.'
'This isn't a game. Off.' Green withdrew several feet reluctantly. Brown had the prisoner all to himself. 'Fancy a smoke lad?' The Sameban didn't really know how to react to the offer. He looked left and right, noticing the entire squad was staring at him in anticipation of whatever Brown might do next. 'Ok. Ok, thanks, ok.' Brown drew a cigarrette, carefully lodging it within the chapped lips of the captured soul and igniting it with his flip lighter. He then sunk into a crouching position at eye level. 'You know, there's millions of you. And sooner or later, either the rest will end up like you, or dead. Its your choice which group you want to be part of when this is all over.'
'No, we will win. The General has said it.'
'Your General, our Prime Minister, who cares what they say? Be realistic son. You know we're going to win. But you don't have to go the same way, do you? You don't owe these people anything. Cella, the one in the photo my private showed me. Dead?'
'Dead.'
'How?' The Sameban shuffled about uncomfortably. 'I don't know.'
'You do though, don't you? Purged. You might be a northerner, but you're not here by choice. Give yourself a chance and tell me something useful.' A long pause followed. Remarkably, the Sameban chose to speak, breaking a silence that had lasted days. Perhaps it was exhaustion, or perhaps something about what Brown had said chimed with him.

The captured conscript didn't reveal everything exactly, but he did give away that a Sameban firebase was a matter of a few miles away, and that from there a supply route had been opened through the wasteland south to the frontlines. His squad had been trying to go there and he'd tried to desert to run north, but hadn't got the chance. 'I've told you things. I can go? Please, I can go?' Brown stood up with a cold look on his face, looking over at Green. 'Looks like he opened up. Good work, Private.'
'Thank you, sir. Let's let him go then.'
'Let him go. Right.' Brown looked down at the Sameban, emotionless. 'How many of us are there?' The conscript looked relieved to apparently be getting away with his life, but shook his head nervously here. 'I don't know, not care. I will run, far away.' Green, satisfied as Brown indicated that Mack and Bray should return to their duties, checked his weapon. The serenity of justice being delivered, apparently without question, was broken by a thunderclap. Another son of Sameba lay dead in the scorched earth, and Brown began to walk away. Green felt a deep lying fury burning within him, and it boiled over. 'You fucking bastard, what the hell!' Stein gently held his shoulder. 'Green, mate, he'd talk.'
'Get off! Lieutenant, you get back here! Hey, I'm talking to you!' Green marched up by Brown expecting some sort of dramatic confrontation but instead the officer spun around and smacked Green like a child, before grabbing him by the label. 'Hear me now, boy. Why do you think I did that?' Green was paralysed with fear, but he was not weak of character like he used to be. He would stand up for himself. 'Fuck you, sir. You murdered that man. Mace said we had to do it right sir. I want to do it right.'
'Right? There is no right here. There's no wrong either. Just us and them. Organisation, equipment, training and chance. They've come here to murder us, kill our daughters and our wives, our sons. There is no middle ground. There is no putting one foot backwards. Mace was a good man, but a weak one. The only rule out here is survival, and we must survive, just as Eura must. Either you get with the program or you're on your own.' Brown dramatically threw the private to the floor with a grunt. 'You're on point, Private.' Monty and Kat stood as bystanders, but now they knew they were deeply involved in a way that most journalists never experienced. This wasn't just a war of politics or territory. It was an impure, unadulterated and savage struggle for something resembling victory, however long it would take to obtain it. First Section got on its feet again and began to march south.
'

[Eastfield Lodge]

Copa Rushmori XXVII

If you can get the fans behind you, you'll have the Strength of a Thousand Men.

MD5 Cutoff for Groups Pargis and Peynol.

Group Pargis
The Askari Union 2–4 Astograth
Darmen 1–2 Pridenestrovia
Sarrbia 2–6 Pasarga

Group Pargis            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Pasarga                 5    4   1   0    20    7  +13    13
2 Pridenestrovia          5    3   0   2    12   10   +2     9
3 The Askari Union        5    2   1   2     5    6   −1     7
4 Astograth               5    2   1   2    11   16   −5     7
5 Darmen                  5    1   2   2    12   12    0     5
6 Sarrbia                 5    0   1   4     7   16   −9     1

Group Peynol
Savojarna 2–2 Kitsai
Parodys 0–1 Taeshan
Southeastern Sunrise Islands 0–3 Eura

Group Peynol                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Taeshan                         5    4   1   0     5    0   +5    13
2 Eura                            5    3   1   1     6    2   +4    10
3 Savojarna                       5    2   2   1     6    5   +1     8
4 Parodys                         5    2   1   2     9    7   +2     7
5 Kitsai                          5    1   1   3     8   12   −4     4
6 Southeastern Sunrise Islands    5    0   0   5     5   13   −8     0

Quarter-Final Fixtures

Pasarga vs Eura @ San Daros, Paulinthal
Taeshan vs Pridenestrovia @ Fire Park, Troubalose

[Anglatia]

Rogue State

Chapter Eight: The Beast

The conflict in Nuevo Constancia wasn't something simple, it wasn't a war being fought between one sides on a traditional field of battle. No, in this war, secrecy was key. Each side was trying to hide their full deck of cards, with the Constancian government keeping their in development superweapon a closely guarded secret and the Imperial government keeping their involvement in inciting unrest an even bigger secret, and the rebels were acting not as one front but as a loosely organized patchwork of different smaller factions that had their own goals and their own territories.

Of course, these factions each had their own secrets too, not wanting to reveal everything to each other for fear that it would interfere with the power balance and give rival groups an edge over them. The north wanted their mining economy to be revitalized, the east wanted to break away entirely, and the west… Well, the west was one of the most confusing places for a foreign intelligence agent to do recon in, because nobody knew what the west wanted. The west was home to the most mysterious and secretive of all the rebel movements, because unlike the others, this group had no online wing. They didn't communicate using modern technologies, and they didn't promote themselves actively.

But they were there, and they were feared, in the mountains of the west and the valleys that were slightly to the east of them, around the Los Blancos Valley region. They said that if you went in the valley areas and you went beyond the towns and into the smaller villages and into the woods, you would find a red flag with a black star that flew over the buildings, and you would find signs of a resistance that was stronger than it appeared from the outside. An army that was powerful but that didn't let anyone else see how strong it was, because it was too early for that.

And while other groups opposed the government because they wanted a free market, the west opposed it for a completely different reason. This group, the one known for their red and black flag, stood for a different kind of communism, a communism of the anarchist kind that would have no state entirely and that would rely on local leadership to run the country. In other words, this army was looking to put the power into the hands of the villages that dotted the country, and they were looking to dismantle the major cities and spread the wealth more evenly across the country. According to them, cities like Monteverde and Salvador shouldn't have all of the riches, and they were nearly ready to rise up and take what they wanted.

It was just a matter of finding the right time and waiting for the instability in the rest of the country to allow them to attack while nobody else was looking or expecting them. If they could strike while the government was busy with the cartels and the eastern rebellion, the resources would be diverted everywhere except for the west, and that was when they would claim their province as their own and plant their flag not just in the villages, but in Los Blancos.

This was the movement known as the Red Path, and they were the kings of the western jungles. Founded and led by a group of shadowy men and women who were just as unknown to their own supporters as they were to foreign and local intelligence agencies, their strength was in the very fact that not many had much knowledge in them and that their operations remained a secret, their strength level staying hidden to the public and to the authorities. That ensured that when they did get their strength up enough, their strike would come as a surprise.

They were preparing for that, preparing for when they would take advantage of the chaos in other parts of the country, but that was when their plans would fail. That was when they would become the first targets of the Constancian regime with their new policy, and their new weapon. The Red Path had long been believed to be invincible on their own turf, as masters of guerilla tactics and masters of hiding out where nobody would find them, but those perceptions were shattered as soon as they started their first engagement with the new tool that the regime was using.

It was an engagement that would leave no survivors, only a violent aftermath. That aftermath would be discovered by two of their members, who ironically had been heading to their central Los Blancos Valley camp to help supply them for the uprising that had been planned in some of the local towns. “We’re just about here… Grab the supply list, you know that the officers are going to want to nitpick and make sure that everything is here,” said the driver, as the man next to him absentmindedly scrolled on his phone.

The other man put his phone down and reached into the bag that was at his feet in front of him, pulling out a clipboard and looking it over quickly. “Everything is right, they need to chill,” he replied. “Hopefully this time, they don't stop us and run a full search, as if we aren't members of this army already. These officers seem to treat everyone that isn't from their camp as an outsider, as a government spy…”

“With things heating up in the fights between the regionalist groups and the government, there very well may be some government spies trying to get inside information,” the driver shrugged, slowing as they turned onto a narrow road and then started down the final path towards the camp. “Fortunately, they're more concerned with the east and with the cartels than they are with us.”

“We’re all hoping that the Los Blancos Cartel doesn't get associated with us and lead to more crackdowns around these parts, eh? I never had a good feeling about putting a main camp in this region, because of them. They've been here longer than we have, and we're only here because they decided to tolerate it. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I suppose.”

“They shouldn't get confused with us… They're all in it for the cash and the power, and we're looking at tearing that power structure down entirely. Under normal circumstances, we would be natural enemies, but like you said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That's how it usually works, anyway,” the driver said, and then he parked the truck at the edge of the camp and cut the engine, jumping out and looking around to see where the guards were. Most times, there would be two or three guards by the road that would talk to anyone entering with cargo, but they were nowhere to be found this time.

There was a sign planted at the edge of camp too that warned that this place was Red Path territory and that unwanted visitors from the government or from the right wing rebel groups would be shot on sight, but there weren't any guards around to enforce that rule. There wasn't anyone around, really. At least, that was what the driver of the truck thought until he walked further into the camp, towards the center of it, the part that had been created from a large man made forest clearing, and found the signs of a battle.

Bodies were everywhere. There was blood soaking the dirt, turning the dust that made up the ground around here into a reddish color instead of its natural tan. It didn't look like bullets had done the killing here, because there was carnage everywhere. As if a wild animal had come through and torn the camp occupants apart, but that was impossible, because there was no way for an armed militant group to take this many losses to an animal attack. The smell wasn't yet strong, indicating that the attack had been very recent, and it didn't look like there were any survivors in the camp, just bloodied and torn up bodies that looked like they'd been in states of struggle when they died.

“Antonio! Antonio, you need to come see this!” the driver shouted, before turning back towards the truck and starting to run for it, in case whatever had caused this was still lurking around the camp. He ran, as fast as he could, and that was when he heard the trees rustling behind him and the sound of movement. Of something behind him, approaching rapidly, chasing him down. Was he destined to end up like the others at this camp, or would he be able to reach the truck in time to get to safety?

Antonio was reaching for a rifle and taking aim at the thing behind him, whatever it was, but the man in the passenger’s seat didn't realize that getting its attention wouldn't be a good thing. No, firing that gunshot did nothing, and it only made matters worse for the two Path members. But at the time, they didn't realize it, and that was what would cost them both their lives.

[Trans-Dniesters]

ПРИДНЕСТРОВСКАЯ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНАЯ НОВОСТИ АГЕНЦИЯ
PRIDNESTROVSKAYA TSENTRALNAYA NOVOSTI AGENTSIYA
PRIDNESTROVIAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY

PRIDNESTROVIA SECURES QUARTERFINALS BERTH AFTER VITAL 2-1 VICTORY OVER DARMEN IN THE 27TH COPA RUSHMORI
By Gustav Tyumenov


Vladislav Bogomolov of the Pridnestrovian national football team celebrates his goal as Pridnestrovia secured their quarterfinals berth in the 27th Copa Rushmori after a vital victory over Darmen.

TARGAS, PASARGA - The Pridnestrovian national football team succeeded in securing their quarterfinals berth after a vital victory against Darmen saw the Red Army take second place in their group below Pasarga. Despite two defeats against the group leaders and The Askari Union, goals from Vladislav Bogomolov and Boyan Radev canceled out Felix Lucanus' opener and secure all three points for the Red Army in this contest.

The Darmeni were nearly untouchable in the first thirty minutes of the game as Alberich Goldschmidt performed his duties in front of the defense with a doglike tenacity which saw chances from Boyan Radev, Demyan Pajari, and Wilfried Halberstam fail to make an impact against the Darmeni in those opening thirty minutes. Having had the lion's share of possession up until that time, Pridnestrovia were then given a sucker punch by Darmen when they went on a counterattack which ended with Felix Lucanus finding the back of the net.

Pridnestrovia struggled in the second half but truly came alive near the hour mark when Vladislav Bogomolov was finally able to evade his marker and strike home from just outside the box. Boyan Radev then nipped in the winning goal when he was quickest to react to the Darmen keeper dropping the ball after Wilfried Halberstam had attempted a shot, and it was the simplest of tap-ins for the Marinos Thimpodopoulos striker to win the game.


Pridnestrovian national football team manager Werner Ceausescu: We left it late, let it go down the wire but we did it

Pridnestrovian national football team manager Werner Ceausescu: "It is not our thing to leave things like qualification to the knockout stages late like this, but it is a testament to the strength of our team that we were still able to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Cops Rushmori despite our two losses. We are a great team and therefore great things are expected of us. We have confidence that we can achieve great things with this team in this tournament."

       DARMEN 1 - 2 PRIDNESTROVIA
LUCANUS (20')       BOGOMOLOV (54')
                    RADEV (57')

PRIDNESTROVIA
GK: 13 Abbing
RB: 14 Tymoshenko (Kardashenko - 81')
CB: 3 Vasilyev
LB: 4 Budny
RM: 20 Polzin
RDM: 10 Wasylyk
CDM: 7 Funar
LDM: 8 Bogomolov █ (Larionov - 62')
LM: 6 Pajari (Antonescu - 71')
RS: 9 Radev
LS: 23 Halberstam

DARMEN
GK: 1 Ahenobarbus
RB: 2 Porsche
CB: 3 Haenraets (Abbey - 59')
LB: 4 Messer (Maddox - 74')
CDM: 5 Goldschmidt
RW: 6 Gordon (Stafford - 67')
RAM: 7 Visscher
LAM: 8 Benbow
LW: 10 Natale
RS: 11 Norton
LS: 9 Lucanus

MATCH STATS
Possession
Carmen: 50%
Pridnestrovia: 50%
Shots
Darmen: 14 (5 on target)
Pridnestrovia: 11 (4 on target)
Corners
Darmen: 6
Pridnestrovia: 5
Fouls
Darmen: 18
Pridnestrovia: 18

[Pasarga]

Torgos Tribune ~ The Best of Rivals

To say that there is a special relationship between Pasarga and Eura would be like saying that water is wet or that the sky is blue, it is something that everyone simply knows to be true because that is all they have known. Long before there was the formal alliance between the two and the Eurans began to invest heavily in the modernization of Pasarga's infrastructure, military, and economy, Eura had a tendency to find the best Pasargan youth players and snap them up, groom them, and then see them produce for our national team. Though that sort of relationship is over now that the world is more aware of how well Pasargans do play the game, with a World Cup under our belt and multiple regional championships, that was the beginning of the special bond between the two sides.

It is a bond that becomes quite strained though when the two sides meet up in the sporting arena, as these match ups typically come in the more important rounds of competition, given that the two teams have met multiple times in the Final of a tournament. That is the case again as the two sides meet in Paulinthal at San Daros, the legendary stadium of CA Paulinthal, an arena fit for this size of a match. Where the Wanderers have come into the knockout stage on the best of forms, winning four of their five group stage matches with a blistering scoring record, including six in their last match, Eura had to back their way into the knockout phase of the competition after they sputtered quite heavily during the group stage.

However that should not detract at all from the quality of player that Eura is known to produce, their club Ulsa is not known the world round for being the best club in the world currently for nothing. Eura produces a quality of player that will go toe to toe with you over ninety or even a hundred twenty minutes if needs be, that has a tactical know how of the great generals who wage successful wars. These players are a product of both extreme physical prowess as well as a mental acumen that belies their age for most parts, with a certain rugged feel about them that makes playing against the Eura teams something most other teams dread. With the way their physical presence projects such strength, it is easy to see why this is the case.

That being said, it is the type of players that Pasarga produces that seems to give Eurans fits, with our own brand of strength and a resiliency that is second to none, for determination may as well be every Pasargan's middle name. Pasargan's rarely give up on a match no matter how dire the situation may look, physically most are a little taller and stronger than some of the other teams in the top tier of the footballing world, though they do not lack for skill. The biggest key though is the sort of sentiment of togetherness that Pasargans have, with the history of the Pariis being that which had each other rely on another for the safety and survival through the most desperate of times. Even hundreds of years later with new lands, new culture, and a new history, Pasargans still seem to innately get along well with one another and those who are willing to help one another strive towards common goal.

So as these two teams descend upon San Daros where the stadium will no doubt be painted in the black and gold, with the Wanderers' choosing to wear their away kits for this fixture, these two friendly rivals come to clash once more. Eura does have the historical and more recent upper hand in the match up but history is not substitute for form and that is where the Wanderers' are on the high note. With burgeoning stars in the attack, calm and composed defenders in the back, and a midfield that will get stuck in, the Wanderers' are keen on this battle. The side knows that the biggest hurdle to another regional championship is in this tie, as they take on the best and most prolific of their rivals, looking to grasp success that lies beyond them and the sweet taste of victory that comes when one defeats those with such a special relationship.

[Eastfield Lodge]

Copa Rushmori XXVII

Quarter Final Cutoff in Pasarga

Pasarga 2-3 Eura @ San Daros, Paulinthal
Taeshan 1–1 Pridenestrovia (2–2 AET) (4–5 pen) @ Fire Park, Troubalose

Semi-Final Fixtures
Eura vs Pridenestrovia @ Taltron Park, Torgos

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
MITROGLOU CONFIRMS NEPHARIM INTEREST IN CRC
Catheline Aspenwood

As expected, the Margravine Alexa Mitroglou confirmed today that she hopes Nephara will take a "leading role" in CRC talks with a view to becoming a core member of the group.

Mitroglou has always held firm with a platform of assertive foreign policy, and was a leading voice in the call for an Esportivan Community. With that falling through, and Nephara now within the Rushmori sphere, it was always likely that Nephara would support any such regional union.

Involvement in the CRC would at the very least mean open borders, free movement and a single, prosperous regional market. There is also discussion for a single currency to be put into place. There are also early plans for a Rushmori Parliament, but the specific form it will take is as yet unknown.

However, there are some concerns both at home and abroad that Nephara's swooping in at seemingly the right place at the right time is unabashedly opportunistic.

The Margravine reacted strongly to the suggestion in Question Time, slamming her fist on the table. "If we were not committed to our current course of action, shedding Nepharim blood on Sameban-occupied soil for three years would be a strange way of showing it."

Nephara is the most prominent third-party involved in the war between Eura and Sameba, and the only other nation to have fought willingly. Having already liberated the offshore territory of Iskandervale, Nepharim forces are engaged in fierce fighting along small Endemian islands, as well as the occupied nation of Pravenna.

Euran officials believe that Nephara's involvement in the war is proof of their commitment to a strong, stable Rushmore, and will prove an influential political ally in the talks.

Leader of the Opposition Athena Matheson confirmed later that Nepharim involvement had bipartisan involvement. "The time for insularity is long past. Nephara has a lot to offer and even more to gain from any such Community, and I wish the best for the talks."

[Eastfield Lodge]

The Lodger Online Gazette

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Sport >>> Football >>> Copa Rushmori 27

Copa Rushmori 27: Review and Preview

It’s been just over two weeks of fast and frenetic football here at the 27th edition of Rushmore’s premier footballing competition, the Copa Rushmori, held across both the Imperial Commonwealth and Pasarga. Ahead of the competition’s knockout stage, here’s a look back at how the group stage unfolded.

Pargis Group
Home to co-hosts and second-ranked Pasarga, this group also featured Pridenestrovia, The Askari Union, Darmen, Sarrbia and a returning face in Astograth, back from self-induced footballing exile. The first round of matches saw Pasarga show why they are one of the favourites of competition, as they recorded a record-equalling 6-1 win over the unranked and ageing Astograth side. Pridenestrovia and Askari Union also recorded wins as expected. Astograth got their first point the following match, as they held Darmen to a determined 3-3 draw, whilst Pasarga saw off Pridenestrovia’s challenge, with The Askari Union following suit the next match.Pridenestrovia stayed in second, with Darmen and The Askari Union following shortly behind. Pasarga secured qualification with a game to spare, as they were held to a surprise draw by Darmen, whilst The Askari Union registered a surprise win to move into second with a game to go. Astograth kept themselves with an outside chance after their first win against Sarrbia. But in the end, Askari Union failed to hold their advantage as they lost to Astograth, whilst Pridenestrovia beat Darmen to secure second place and qualification.

Peynol Group
Third ranked Eura headlined this group, alongside one-time winners and 7th ranked Taeshan. They were joined by Savojarna, Parodys, Southeastern Sunrise Islands and Kitsai. The top two won their opening matches, before drawing a blank against each other in the second match, leaving 4 teams on 4 points after two games. It went downhill for Eura from there, as they were surprisingly upset by Savojarna, with Parodys, Taeshan and Savojarna all winning to move onto 7 points. Eura would register a vital victory over Parodys, and with Savojarna losing to Taeshan, left three teams on 7 with Taeshan on 10 points all but through.They confirmed a surprise first place finish with a victory against Parodys, whilst Savojarna could only draw against the unranked Kitsai, leaving Eura to chance to finish second with a win, which they gladly took against Southeastern Sunrise Islands.

Imperial Group
Home to ourselves, the lowest ranked first pot team, we were drawn alongside Sameba, ranked one place below us, as the second pot team. High-flying Anglatia also featured in this group, alongside Olastor and unranked sides Northern Natanians and Tveidalen. The top three seeds all won their opening matches, albeit narrowly from Sameba, before Eastfield Lodge took control of the group with a narrow late victory against Sameba, with Anglatia only drawing against Northern Natanians. The cohosts almost sealed qualification in the next match, as they beat Anglatia comfortably to move five points clear of third with 6 to play for; Sameba moved into second with a narrow win over Tveidalen. However, Olastor came and mixed the group up, beating the cohosts to move level with Anglatia, who beat Sameba, onto two points behind the group leaders. In the end, a hard-fought draw in the final match saw Eastfield Lodge finish top of the group on head-to-head results, with Anglatia’s win moving them level on points and goal difference.

Commonwealth Group
Certainly the best group of the tournament, in prestige, if nothing else. Featuring Rushmore’s best side and defending Copa Rushmori champions Valldares, the group also contained 4th ranked side Eastern Sunrise Islands, the highest-ranked second pot team, alongside ex-Esportivan giants Nephara. Two returning teams added to the prestige, as Yesopalitha and record CR and one-time World Cup champions Polar Islandstates entered as the unranked teams. The Great Pi filled out the group’s roster. But it was the sentient pie minnows that scored the first wave as they beat Nephara in the opening match, whilst Valladares and Eastern Sunrise Islands won their matches. Valladares would then dominate the second seed team, whilst Nephara bounced back with a win, and Polar Islandstates scored a point against The Great Pi. Valladares would underline their domination with a high-scoring 5-3 win against Nephara, whilst Eastern Sunrise Islands rebounded against Polar Islandstates. Yesopalitha scored their first points with a win. Into the penultimate matches, Valladares qualified with a game to spare as they won against The Great Pi, notching up their 17th goal in 4 games. Nephara beat Eastern Sunrise Islands to draw level on points in the race for second, with the rest of the group still in contention as well. Valladares went on to become the only team with a 100% record in the group, whilst Nephara managed to overhaul Eastern Sunrise’s goal difference advantage, moving into second on head-to-head as the Sunrisians were held to a single goal in 7 victory by The Great Pi.

Quarter-Final Fixtures
Pasarga vs Eura @ San Daros, Paulinthal
Taeshan vs Pridenestrovia @ Fire Park, Troubalose
Eastfield Lodge v Nephara @ King Iqbal II Stadium, New Lodger City
Valladares v Anglatia @ Vorgan Park, New Lodger City

What a mouth-watering quarter-final lineup we have in store in this Copa Rushmori. All eyes will be on Paulinthal, as Eura face off against the cohosts Pasarga in a surprising matchup at this stage of the competition. Even though Eura will be looking to recover from a poor group stage showing, home advantage should spur Pasarga on to the semifinals. Their, they should be joined by Taeshan, who did remarkably well to win their group without losing a game, as they face off against a resilient Pridenestrovia side. Over in Eastfield Lodge, the hosts will be playing Nephara in a replay of the recent World Cup group stage match, with Eastfield Lodge looking for revenge for the 2-0 loss in the WC Finals. It’ll be a tough match, but one would think that despite their group stage troubles, this transitional Nephara side will edge the hosts in this match. The final quarter-final sees the powerhouses of Valladares take on the up and coming side of Anglatia, but the only 100% team in the group stage should see off any competition at this point.

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MD1: Eastfield Lodge 4-2 Tveidalen
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Puppy - W. Martin (Bacon 64’), Towers, Rehman, Siddique - Abdalla, Wallis-Iqbal (Soria 73’), The Doctor - Asif (Wadimu 73’), Quazin, Drenas
Goals (Assists): Drenas (23’ - Quazin; 73’ - Rehman), Quazin (43’), The Doctor (58’ - Drenas)

MD2: Eastfield Lodge 1-0 Sameba
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, Bacon, Rehman, Siddique - Abdalla, The Doctor, Soria (King 69’) - Asif (Wadimu 83’), Quazin, Drenas (Rowlinson 69’)
Goals (Assists): Rowlinson (75’ - King)

MD3: Anglatia 0-2 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, W. Martin, Rehman (Gauthier 73’), Siddique - Abdalla (Keeble 65’), The Doctor, King - Wadimu, Rathun, Drenas (Rowlinson 73’)
Goals (Assists): Drenas (41’ - Rathun), King (74’ - Rathun)

MD4: Eastfield Lodge 0-1 Olastor
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Puppy - Bacon, Fretwell, Gauthier, Siddique - Onatish, Soria, King (The Doctor 77’) - Asif, Berretti (Quazin 69’), Rowlinson (Drenas 64’)
Goals (Assists): NIL

MD5: Northern Natanians 2-2 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, W. Martin, Rehman, Siddique - Abdalla (Onatish 78’), The Doctor, King - Wadimu (Asif 65’), Rathun, Drenas (Rowlinson 65’)
Goals (Assists): Drenas (32’ - Wadimu); Onatish (84’ - The Doctor)

Line-up to play Nephara (4-1-2-3)
Harvey - Towers, Bacon, Rehman, Siddique - Abdalla, The Doctor, Soria - Asif, Quazin, Drenas