World Cup 78 - Roleplay Thread

[Drawkland]

WORLD CUP 78 QUALIFIER PREVIEW
Written By: Walker Sun and Ellen Bolabore

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GROUP DRAW
GROUP 10:
Anthor (78)
Dutch Semarland (UR)
Cassadaigua (UR)
Drawkland (48)
Kaidō (234)
Republic of Kaboomlandia (104)
Greater Vakolicci Haven (192)
Red Blackiland (22)
Pasarga (15)

KICK CORPS FIXTURES:
Drawkland vs Greater Vakolicci Haven @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
Red Blackiland vs Drawkland @ Red Blackiland
Drawkland vs Pasarga @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
Anthor vs Drawkland @ Anthor
Drawkland vs Dutch Semarland @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
Cassadaigua vs Drawkland @ Concord Heights Stadium (72,000); Cassadaigua
BYE
Drawkland vs Kaidō @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
Republic of Kaboomlandia vs Drawkland @ Republic of Kaboomlandia

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Greater Vakolicci Haven vs Drawkland @ GVH
Drawkland vs Red Blackiland @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
Pasarga vs Drawkland @ Stade de Torgos (90,000); Pasarga
Drawkland vs Anthor @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
Dutch Semarland vs Drawkland @ Dutch Semarland
Drawkland vs Cassadaigua @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland
BYE
Kaidō vs Drawkland @ Kaidō
Drawkland vs Republic of Kaboomlandia @ Drawk City Stadium (175,000); Drawkland

After such a long and yet short time, the World Cup is back! After what we consider a mildly successful Cycle 77 campaign, the ladies of the Kick Corps are back at it and hoping to recapture the glory of qualifying on their first go by qualifying on their second go. Wouldn't that just be great? Well, just like last cycle, they're going to have to play their asses off to get there, but at least the road will be better-paved, considering that they're ranked 48th rather than 127th or whatever ungodly rank they were after Baptism of Fire 64. Speaking of the road to World Cup 78 proper, held this time in Bonesea and Cosumar, let's see who populates that road and stands between us and another whipping at the hands of much more talented teams.

QUALIFYING PREVIEW
Before we start anything regarding the schedule, let's just do a quick overview of each of these teams, shall we?

Anthor is a team which is pretty mediocre on most levels. They're decent at hockey and beat the Grid Corps once. Once. They will not defeat the Kick Corps though.
Dutch Semarland is like Semarland but ... Dutch? They missed on the Baptism of Fire this cycle for letting their membership lapse, or something. Easy.
Cassadaigua kinda spanked the Elite Eleven in the WBC. They've won the Cup twice, actually they've won everything of note, but we'll see how their ladies do against ours.
Kaidō was just in Drawkland for BoF 65! I'm sure they'd love to return, despite the fact that they missed out of the playoffs. Unfortunately, we won't be showing them much hospitality.
Republic of Kaboomlandia is like Kaboomlandia but ... a Republic? They're not even in the Top 100, so we're just gonna not worry about them. They've never been very good.
Greater Vakolicci Haven is a name that any true Grid Corps fan will curse till their dying day. They may've beaten us in the World Bowl XXXII semis, but they won't be getting away easy here.
Red Blackiland is ranked 22nd in the world and is famous for being red, and black, and having the craziest, most raving fans out there, the Infamous Ultras. We'll be sure to give them a show.
Pasarga are former World Cup Champions and still a powerhouse. However, they're one of the lowest Pot 1 teams, ranked 15th. I'd say we have a shot on them.

This was in the order officially given by the host nations, but it's not the order that we'll be facing them. That's probably one of the most crucial elements to our qualification goals, and hence we're gonna walk you through that as well.

Day one, we'll be going against the despised Greater Vakolicci Haven, at home, no less. We expect our ladies to do their job and start the campaign with a bang by smashing those pesky Vakolicci. 3 points to start would be absolutely wonderful. However, it'll have to go from 0 to 60 from there, as the Kick Corps will have to travel out to Red Blackiland to face the Pot 2 opponent, and one of the biggest teams standing in our way of World Cup 78 qualification. Facing them Away and on matchday 2 is going to be a really tough one to pull. We predict a very hard and semi-high-scoring bout, which we hope to God ends up in a draw. After that, we have to face off against the hardest opponent, Pasarga. Now, they are indeed a Pot 1 team, and a former champion. But they're only ranked 15th, and with us being at home for this match, I think we can pull off a draw to keep our hopes alive. They go on the road again for the next match, this time against Anthor, who we've become quite well-acquainted with as of late, what with our Ice Corps getting embarrassed on their turf (er, ice) in the WCoH and the back-and-forth action we experienced playing them in the World Bowl XXXII Group Stage. However, Anthor is not a powerhouse in soccer, and thus we expect to get a win or at least a draw, even when playing in their home stadium. Then Drawkland's ladies travels back home to the capital and takes on Dutch Semarland. We don't know much about them, mainly due to the fact that they're new and missed the Baptism, but we can assume they won't put up much of a challenge, especially when the Kick Corps plays with the home crowd advantage. Then another road trip as the ladies take on the other ladies, this being Cassadaigua's national team, the two-time champions now returning from a long hiatus. In the past they might've been a force to be reckoned with, but now they're unranked and unknown again. And while the Dagans might think of the Elite Eleven when they think of Drawkland (which is tbh a mistake they should be burned at the stake), they don't seem to know about our other eleven. That being the Kick Corps. And the Kick Corps takes no prisoners. Good luck, Cass. Right after that 3 points, the Corps will have their bye, a good time to relax, before taking on another 2 easy opponents, this being Kaidō, who were recently in Drawkland for the Baptism of Fire, but will now be in Drawkland to face our national team. Another win for the Corps, and to cap off the first half, they'll hit the road to the Republic of Kaboomlandia, where they'll take on Kaboomlandia's less cool little brother and probably spank them around a little bit. All in all, after the first half, we'd ideally have 20 out of a possible 24 points, which we hope would get us in a top group spot. However, realistically, we'll peg it at 17 points, due to untimely losses or draws which will inevitably occur.

The second half is the same but reversed, of course. This time the half starts off with Drawkland facing Greater Vakolicci Haven at their house, but honestly, it won't make much of a difference. We expect a win here to keep momentum rolling for the Corps. Next up is a match versus our red and black friends, Red Blackiland. This time they'll be playing in Drawkland, however, so it'll instead be our ravaging fans giving us the advantage rather than the tough Infamous Ultras (although we still expect a presence from them even on the road). By this point in the season, with the nerves settled, we expect the Drawkians to be able to pull off a slim win, although a draw or a loss are certainly not off the table. Unfortunately, this brings us to the next game, likely the hardest of the campaign, where the Kick Corps will take on Pasarga in the venerable Stade de Torgos, which has played host to a multitude of matches that many have watched. We know many will watch this match. We highly doubt the Corps will even pull off a draw, although it's not off the table. Still, a win or a draw here we think could clench qualification for the Corps, assuming they keep everything else in check for the rest of the matches. Don't bank on points coming out of this one, though. Then Anthor comes to visit, which we think could be a win, or maybe a draw in a worse-case scenario. Ultimately though, after this it should be smooth sailing. Taking on Dutch Semarland in their home field will be slightly tough but ultimately should be 3 points. Same with Cassadaigua, unless they really hit the qualifiers hard, we think our ladies can best theirs in Drawkland, no problem. A bye day to rest the nerves, and hopefully by now the Corps will just need to stay above water and qualification will be on the table. Kaidō will be the destination after the rest, but we still know we'll pull off the win. Finally, to cap the campaign, the Corps gets a wonderful home matchup against the mediocre Republic of Kaboomlandia to wow the fans and keep spirits up, qualification on the table or not. Our most generous realistic guess pegs the Kick Corps at around 39 out of 48 points. We don't know if this'll be enough to have Drawkland into World Cup proper. After all, they will have to outplay both Red Blackiland and Pasarga, although honestly we can't say we can't do it. After all, Pasarga is only one rank slot higher than Barunia was last cycle, and we managed to slip past them to travel the QUE&SJG. Ultimately it'll come down to how clutch the girls can play, and we think that ultimately they can pull it off.

AFTER QUALIFYING
So what happens if we do qualify? We'll travel to Cosumar and Bonesea. By our probably extremely incorrect math and our wildly generous guesses at our qualifying record, we think the Corps will be sitting pretty at around 40th in the rankings. This isn't much better than they were last cycle, and we all know what happened then. Ultimately, we'd be lucky to get a single point as we did last time, but we could honestly care less if it meant we still qualified. If we do qualify, we will likely get fourth in the group again, only garnering a point or two. However, if we do get said points, we estimate our ranking will be about in the #30-#33 range once the cycle is done and accounted for, and thus the Corps will be sitting quite pretty for the next cycle, and qualification would certainly be a very sure bet, especially in a 15-group format that we've experienced these last 2 cycles. If we qualify, we think we'll be set for a long time.

What if we don't qualify, though? It's certainly a possibility. After all, mathematically, we shouldn't qualify. So what happens then? Well, we assume that hopefully we get a berth to the Cup of Harmony. After an expected great effort all qualification, we'd honestly be pretty disappointed if we didn't make it to the World Cup Cycle's consolation prize. So, even with a less-than-ideal qualifying performance, it looks like Drawkland will still be sitting around 40th or 41st in the world due to a small drop in the rankings after 40. Of course, it's hard to predict the rank movement of other nations, but we can still expect to be at least 5 or 6 ranks higher in the ladder by the time this campaign is over. We don't know how many nations will end up being in the Cup of Harmony, but if we end up falling to the Cup, we'd hope to be favorites to make it to the playoffs. At that point it will all be the luck of the draw, but making it to the semifinals would be the ultimate goal. If we can make it to the semis, with a decent group stage record, and make it to the final or win 3rd place, we can expect our rank to still get up to the mid-30s by the end of the cycle, but most likely not as high as it would've been if we qualified. Thus, our goal is to either qualify or make it to the semifinals of Cup of Harmony 70. This will set us up for future success and luck further down the road.

But before we can even think about all that, we have to make it through this campaign. So be sure to cheer on our girls on the Kick Corps! We know they have the toughness in them to qualify, and so we know they can do it again. So let's do it! On Corps!

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

OOC - The Mammoth Compendium of World Cup Lies lives up to its name; you're free to believe it IC'ly, but please don't believe a word of these RPs OOC'ly. They're a compendium of lies.

THE MAMMOTH COMPENDIUM OF WORLD CUP LIES
World Cup 78 Qualification

Three Buttocks!

The Holy Empire astounded the Multiverse this evening when HEFA announced that its squad for World Cup 78 included a player with three buttocks.

Photographs of stylish ball-playing defender Basil Bardaso - also famous for only being able to run backwards - clearly reveal him to have a bit of extra in the botty department, leading to amazed reaction from Mundy media. We print a small selection of that reaction here:

'We are amazed'
Starblaydia Purple Haze

'Amazing news'
Audioslavia Bulls Bollocks

'This is not just amazing; it is also astounding'
Apox Asphyxiator

'There's nothing that amazes us sexy gals more than the sight of three pert buttocks on a hot masculine bod'
Dagan Daily Sexist

'Even Laborious Hawk has professed his amazement'
Valanora Elven Elucidator

'Blimey, that's amazing'
Cosumar Consumer

'I dare say we're amazed'
Jeruselem National Orgy Listings

HEFA refused to confirm or deny whether Mr Bardaso also has two anuses.

The stunned reaction to Bardaso's callipygian excesses overshadowed the news that the Imperial football team for World Cup 78 also features a 110-metre tall goalkeeper, a midfielder whose superpowers include the ability to shoot fire from his platinum-clad penis, and a forward who scores goals via the medium of experimental multimedia performance art.

Reaction from Group 13 - the Holy Empire's qualifying group for this campaign - has so far been somewhat more muted, though this may be to ongoing confusion on HEFA's part as to whether Oontaz Dert Li Ng is a nation or a legendary wizard of luminous and uncertain power. However, when asked for a direct comment on whether Bardaso's multiple mudflaps would impact his team's strategy in Match Day 4, Eshan national manager Alexio del Nieran announced his intention to help form a National Bottom Inspection Unit 'to keep out those bastards with extra arseholes'.

[Brigantii]

The Ancient Creatures of Wyrmgore
And Where They Can Be Located

Episode 1


Wyrmgore can be considered a relatively small continent, when compared to some others in the multiverse. However, this medium-sized landmass and the islands that comprise the region are­ home to a multitude of peoples and with it a rich variety of cultures. From the western portion we have the nations of Cusco and Osmio and the islands of Palacios and Rodallega and Lua Vamoa. Heading east, Dansak Minor, Superior Volta, Pays de Horreur and Tiburtina, while further east Al Ittijab, Hsien-Ko, Jahat Debu and the largest national of all, Gebranskia (which itself is more a union of nations and made up of seven smaller countries). Their neighbours, and the most easterly of all Wyrmgore countries is Dystermark and we must not forget the United Kingdom of Bretangion; Brigantii, Ang Grung and Flynn's Isle.

From these cultures, religions, myths, legends and stories of creatures abound and over the course of this series we will be exploring the evidence and looking to shed some light on these creatures and where you can locate them.

Our first “Ancient Creature of Wyrmgore” is the Tamarou, a legendary animal that is said to live in the mountainous region of San Saturnino, north Tiburtina. The beast closely resembles a mountain goat and includes the general characteristics associated – short tail, beard and horns, however is described as being “at least twice the size” and is said to have six legs. The wool of the Tamarou is black in colour, and it's eyes deep red. San Saturnino folklore states the Tamarou doesn't require all six legs to walk up the mountain and can stand on it's hind legs and “walk like a man” up the mountain side. The first time the Tamarou is mentioned in writing dates back to the 18th Century where a six-legged goat is said to have charged sheep herders working in the mountains.

According to legend, the Tamarou is herbivorous and eats leaves and twigs, grasses, moss and ferns that grow in the region, although this is based purely on speculation, given the lack of food stuffs in the mountains. However some of the mythology surrounding the creature suggests it feasts on the people who get lost in the mountains and this is used as warning for children not to wander off alone.

With the rise of tourism in San Saturnino the legend of Tamarou spread beyond the north of Tiburtina as mountaineers working in the region capitalised on the cryptid, offering hunts, for the legendary bounty. Although none were ever successful, tourists can visit the Museo di Tamarou in San Saturnino and see the collection of dubious evidence of the creature's existence. The museum includes photographs, supposedly showing the beast, black wool found on the mountain side and a plaster cast of an unusually large hoof print. The curator of the museum Bruno Nardi claims to have seen the animal twice, the first time when he was only seven years old while visiting family.

“When I was only a small boy, my grandparents lived in San Saturnino, we would visit every summer during the holidays for two weeks. One day I was walking with my grandfather in the Monte Pinerolo when I heard a sound, like hooves on rock, but louder, I turned to look and when I did I saw a beast, nearly 4 metres tall. It's body was all black and there were four sets of arms and two huge horns. It stood there, still, just staring, before dropping to it's six legs and running off up the mountain side. My grandfather and I ran home and when we told everybody what we saw they just laughed and said it must be the Tamarou.”

Bruno now spends his days in search of the Tamarou and to prove it's existence while gathering information from others who have sought the beast.

“I have seen the creature once more, when I returned as an adult. I think it recognised me. I also have photographs from other visitors to the area that show the Tamarou.”

As is typical in cases like this the photographic evidence is blurry and speculative at best and no genuine evidence of the Tamarou's existence exists. The myth of the Tamarou in the region however is so popular, the local football team displays the animal on their crest and are casually known as the “Capre Nere” or “Black Goats”.

*Jesus Christ, I need a synonym for mountains...

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Back here in the real world, it's nearly time for some football!

[Sulsuland]

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WhEN suLsu gEt To builDing WiTh evEn moRe FanCY pEoplE sulSu gOt boReD, ApPareNtly plAcE nOt plAcE wiTh FisH. but sulSu Think fanCy frIeNdS lyInG, So SulSU go To fiNd fiSh In baCk RoOm. SulSu fiNd whaT He thiNk iS a fiSh, But it Was WeiRd blUe ThinG sulSu finD In whiTe BowL. LotS oF bUBleS ComE oUt Of SuLSU'S Mouth WheN suLsU EAT iT.

[Darmen]

Pressure mounts on Nur al Din Lambert to deliver results

50 year old Nur al Din Lambert, manager of the All Greens for the past 26 matches, has been, according to unverified reports, given an ultimatum from the higher ups of the Darmeni Football Association to "fight like hell" through a tough World Cup Qualifying group. The group includes Rushmori rivals Nephara and Sargossa, as well as Starblaydia and Mercedini, giving Darmen eight tough matches and al Din Lambert a massive headache.

With a 7-8-11 record, and only a single victory in the last 13 matches, al Din Lambert is not only feeling the pressure from his bosses, but also from the fans. Groups of fans calling for al Din Lambert's replacement have gathered outside the All Green's training camp in Scott City. It is even reported that one fan was arrested after attempting to gain access to al Din Lambert's hotel room.

While the DFA and fans have been vocal about their displeasure in al Din Lambert's managerial record, both al Din Lambert himself and the players he coaches have yet to make any statements about the developing situation. Captain Center-back Randell Haenraets is reported to have a very close relationship with the Manager, and the team appears to be in high spirits ahead of Darmen's opening match against unranked Yuezhou in Chuckio.

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DFA announces sites for Darmeni home matches

MD Opponent     Rank Match Location Stadium & Capacity
 1 Yuezhou       UR  Chuckio        Olympic Stadium (28,000)
 4 St. Saratoga 179  Darmen City    Tyger Stadium (39,000)
 6 Mercedini     31  Johnho         Stadio Rushmore (70,000)
 8 Bape-Supreme  UR  Tilden         El Mutiny Stadium (25,000)
11 Nephara        9  Scott City     Thomas Stadium (76,000 70,000)
14 Tveidalen    244  Liverpool      Wolves Park (29,500)
16 Sargossa     127  Brham          Brham Stadium (54,000)
18 Starblaydia   46  Romanopolis    Colosus Romanopolis (65,000)

It is reported that this will be the final time an All Green's match is held at Thomas Stadium in the capital, as the stadium is slated for demolition following the conclusion of the 2039-40 domestic football season. 6,000 of its seats, located in the upper tier across from the press box, will be blocked off from fans, reducing the stadium's capacity to 70,000.

The DFA has announced that 10% of seats will be reserved for away fans, 15% for the Nepharans and Sargossans, with tickets for away fans ranging between $30 and $45 dollars. Home fans will be paying between $25 and $80 dollars depending on the location of the match and demand for tickets. This represents a $5 increase in ticket prices, which many suspect is in response to the expected high demand for tickets to the matches against Nephara, Sargossa and Starblaydia.

[Ceni]

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Social Democrats leadership election 2056: Goleidas receives challengers from both wings of her party

Campaigning has begun for Social Democratic party leader, as three candidates, including the current leader and incumbent Prime Minister Audrey Goleidas, face off for the right to lead the largest Cenian party into the upcoming 2056 general election. She faces two challengers, one from the left wing of the Social Democrats, Joshua Swiftflight of Cenial North, and one from the moderate grouping within them, Jarik Atar of Whitehaven. As the election heats up, the Social Democrats will be facing tough choices over issues such as globalization, the role of corporations in society, and measures affecting the day to day lives of Cenians like housing and transportation.

Members of the Social Democrats will have the opportunity to cast a ballot with range voting, rating each candidate on a scale of 1 to 10, in April of this year; the candidate with the highest average becomes the winner. The winner is likely to become the next Prime Minister of Ceni, considering that the Social Democrats are traditionally the largest party within the Cenian Assembly, which has the right to form a coalition under Cenian electoral law; the general election takes place in September over the period of four days (Friday through Monday) with voters rating candidates within their particular district on a scale from 1 to 10; the candidates with the highest average, the number of which varies by district, are elected to the Cenian Assembly, which has 225 members, and voters have the option of giving the same rating to each candidate of a specific party if they so choose. [Footnote 1]

Originally a government and political economy professor at the University of New Oxford, Goleidas ran for First Minister of New Oxford on a moderately liberal but progressive ticket within the Social Democratic party in the 2048 elections eight years ago, but lost out to young gun Luke Talonspyre due to the rising socialist and anti-corporatist sentiment of that election. However, four years later, she won election to the Cenian Assembly from New Oxford on that same progressive platform, and in the 2052 Social Democrats leadership election, unseated incumbent Prime Minister Masnol Binnill by focusing on moderate but still progressive measures to rein in corporations while still maintaining the pace of globalization and progress on the environment, becoming Prime Minister when the Social Democrats entered into a coalition with the Greens.

As Prime Minister, Goleidas has governed with a mix of progressive and globalist policies, combining the two to create a moderately liberal administration that has proved popular with many Cenians all over the country. Among her accomplishments on the international scene are the signing of a free trade deal with Electrum, the Isles of Avon, and New Gelderland, and the Cenian accession to the Rushmori Union. On the domestic side, Goleidas has accomplished many of her goals, from reining in large corporations and facilitating employee-owned businesses and labor unions to improving Cenian education, transportation, and affordable housing. She has also focused on women's rights throughout her term, expanding access to health care, contraceptives, and abortion for low-income women.

Despite Goleidas' popularity within the party and the nation at large, however, the two challengers for her position believe they can lead the party to victory better and do better for the nation, but they have two totally different ways of going about it. Swiftflight believes that the party should move to the left of the political spectrum, with a return to the policies of Masnol Binnill, while Atar advocates for a more centrist, less progressive party platform that calls for a more business-oriented governmental policy.

Born in a lower-income neighborhood in the north of Cenial, Swiftflight had to work his way through high school and college, and he has been involved in politics ever since his college days, where he organized an activist group protesting a corporation's failure to give its foreign workers proper benefits, basically running foreign sweatshops. He parlayed the media exposure that the campaign gave him into a career in politics, first picking up a seat on the Cenian North City Council from one of the areas closer to the Port of Cenial, one of the working class areas in Cenial North, where he fought for workers' rights, consumers' rights, and limits on corporations. He also focused on measures to reduce income inequality by increasing the minimum wage, expanding affordable housing, and working to end segregation by income. As leader of the Social Democrats, Swiftflight has pledged to fight for the working class - through Binnill-like policies to decrease income inequality, constrain large corporations, and promote labor unions. On the subject of trade and globalization, Swiftflight believes that the nation has to reconsider its multilateral and bilateral trade policies and renegotiate them if they don't benefit Cenian workers.

Jarik Atar could not contrast more with Swiftflight, both in background and in policies. Unlike Swiftflight, who was born and raised in the wards of North Cenial, Atar was born in the well-off suburbs of Whitehaven to two well-off parents, his mother a Social Democrat and his father a Moderate. He adopted some of the political views of both of his parents, the best of both worlds, so to speak, which he believes makes him a good cross-party candidate: a moderate who can appeal to both the leftist wing of the Social Democrats and Moderates throughout the country. Atar got a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Oxford after getting his bachelor's degree at the Endemian College at Whitehaven and found employment at a medium-sized business in City Centre that worked on research and development, helping to design and test green technology. After several decades of working his way up through the company, Atar was appointed as its CEO and from there, he entered politics, leveraging his background in science by running in City Centre for a seat in the Cenian Assembly, winning election in 2052 on a platform emphasizing science research and support for small and medium business while still emphasizing environmentalism, social justice, globalization, expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and job training programs to help people find new skills in a globalized world.

Atar's campaign theme has been "Encouraging Responsible Business," as he declared in his speech announcing his candidacy. "We will make Ceni a better place for small and medium sized businesses - but we will continue to make sure that our workers are supported, so that everyone benefits when business expands." Swiftflight, on the other hand, declared that his campaign would be "by the workers, for the workers, and of the workers" as he sought to "empower the working people all over Ceni and reduce income inequality across the nation." Goleidas encouraged voters to keep the party true to its left-wing roots while not going too far to the left. "I have charted a middle path throughout my administration, and we will continue to do that in my next one - we will fight for everyone who lives in Ceni so that it is a better place for everyone to live, in many areas, from the environment to housing and transportation. Ceni will continue to move forward under my watch."

Political analyst Gil Korova, with the Cenian Public Radio, believes that Goleidas has the best chance to win the election. "To be completely honest, I don't think that either of Goleidas's two challengers have the experience necessary to run the party, and as a result, I see SD voters sticking with the status quo and the incumbent. Goleidas has done a good job charting a middle road between the socialist and moderate wings of her party, and has had good electoral and legislative successes to show for it, so I think that voters will stick with the known quantity." Korova also believes that some of the challengers' ideas will make it into the party platform, but they won't be the main focus. "The Social Democrats are a big tent party, and that means that they'll take in a diverse range of ideas - I think they will incorporate some of Swiftflight and Atar's ideas, but Goleidas and the status quo will remain at the front and center."

[Footnote 1] Voters can also choose to give a blank score to a candidate, which indicates that a voter doesn't know enough about a candidate to rate them; a candidate can have no more than 40% of the ballots cast for him/her be blank votes.

[Jeruselem]

Jeruselem coach and his assistent Elsa looking at their designated qualification group

Electrum (21)
Kosovakia (105)
Cosneolta (134)
New Lusitania and the Algarves (284)
Valladares (8)
Union of Socialist Alpine Republics (87)
Kecrazia (217)
Scottopian Isles (UR)
Jeruselem (41)

James: I don't recognise any of them other than Valladares and Electrum
Elsa: I think we've never faced the others either
James: Not a lot of short names there either
Elsa: Yeah the shortest names are Jeruselem and Electrum
James: I'm glad I don't need to go say those on TV
Elsa: God knows how you actually say Cosneolta

James: What you have there?
Elsa: Just a new toy
James: It's a gun
Elsa: Hubby says I have to learn how to protect myself, you know. I guess he's a military guy and all. I guess he likes guns.
James: But why a Nazi style military pistol.
Elsa: I like Lugers. Actually, this one is like Nazi but anyway.

James: Got a license?
Elsa: Of course, I can carry it legally here in Jeruselem.
James: You know how to use it I assume
Elsa: Of course, I still need more practice though
James: You can't take overseas
Elsa: Yeah I know that, well yeah.

James: Speaking of guns, I hear your husband has a cannon
Elsa: Cannons
James: Oh
Elsa: He collects old ship cannons
James: Do they work?
Elsa: He only shoots the new ones, old ones tend to explode in your face

James: What do the kids think
Elsa: Chloe doesn't like big explosions but young Cassie does. She likes blowing stuff up.
James: Kind of obvious who's joining the military when she grows up
Elsa: Yeah I know but I can't tell her what to do when she grows up
James: Your dad is a military guy too
Elsa: Him? Don't let him near guns.

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
UNPRECEDENTED FORTY-SIX INVITED TO NEPHARA TRAINING CAMP IN PREPARATION FOR QUALIFIERS
Geneva Schwarzer

Amethyst Fegelein has called up close to fifty players for a training camp before the World Cup qualifiers, anticipating a need to cast the net as wide as possible.

After a chastening failure last cycle that cost Reinhard Shale his job, Fegelein is directly aiming for the title, stating that "Nephara is a world-class side and our fans rightly have high expectations for us."

"Qualifying is an opportunity for us to find the strongest players available for us, and failing to use this window as an opportunity to blood new talent has cost us in the past."

On the whole, Fegelein has gone for a mixture of youth and experience, and while she insists that nobody's place is safe there is no serious risk that, for instance, the likes of established number 1 Fletcher, captain Rainsford or talisman Szalai are in any risk of missing out.

THE STATS THAT MATTER
6 uncapped players - Fanaiyan, Marlowe, Misidjan, Rathskeller, Strongbow and Vicelich
21 players based abroad, from;
13 nations - Audioslavia, Bonesea, Ceni, Cosumar, the Eastfield Lodge, Eura, Farfadillis, Osarius, Pasarga, Semarland, Schottia, Valladares and Vilita
8 players from AFC Treason - Cantor, Fletcher, Katskalidis, Misidjan, Tarashaj, Vesper, Vyntra and Woodspur
19 - the age of the youngest players, Ishtar Fanaiyan and Rowena Strongbow
32 - the age of the oldest, Kieran Ritter and Justinian Hargrave
116 caps for Tanith Rainsford, the most experienced player in the squad and its captain - one of four players to hold that exact number.
56 goals for Penumbra Amokachi, the highest goalscorer in the squad - one less than record-holder Gerhard Thunder.
25.3 - the average age of the pool
28.5 - the average number of caps
12 World Cup champions

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Nephara's qualification group is considered one of the strongest in the cycle, with ascendant Mercedini as second seed while Starblaydia, Sargossa and first opponents Darmen offer a more established threat. Mercedini are a strong, solid and ascendant middle power, and will be fancying themselves to retain ahold of second place - and surely to harbour ambitions of taking top spot for themselves.

But those ambitions pale compared to Starblaydia's stated aim - a record sixth World Cup title. They'll be pressing Mercedini hard for qualification, and are a tough prospect for Nephara. Sargossa in particular aren't to be underestimated either, despite a misleadingly low rank of 127th. Most of the leading sides in the group practice a very physical, uncompromising and above all honest style of play, and while it may not be the purists' group, there is plenty to like about it.

The NFA has decided to continue their policy of spreading the matches across the nation, with key games against the second and third seeds in Sabrefell, and controversially bookending the campaign with two trips to the relatively modest Phoenix Rise in Corvistone. The 28,000-capacity Rise has already sold out in anticipation of the clash against Darmen to come, but for now, the Cormorants must wait for the first-day bye to pass, and see where the points fall.

NEPHARIM NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Gideon Fletcher (AFC Treason), 12 - Justinian Hargrave (Starling), 20 - Jason Petratos (RGS Athletic, EFL)
Defenders: 2 - Leona Rafford (Crisisbless), 3 - Sieglinde Lohengrin (Crisisbless), 5 - Dieter Konoval (KT Moreazerua, AUD), 6 - Malachite Scharner (Jungle Strike, VIL), 18 - Mirko Koehler (Starling), 19 - Lux Vicelich (Sabrefell Moths), 22 - Sigrun Rathskeller (AC Holmenkollen, COS)
Midfielders: 4 - Tanith Rainsford (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD, c), 7 - Adnan Szalai (Ulsa), 8 - Vedran Tarashaj (AFC Treason), 11 - Raquel Naeher (Cartagena Desert Foxes, OSR), 13 - Ishtar Fanaiyan (AFC Serpentine), 14 - Ursula Rowan (Cassandra City, COS), 16 - Rowena Strongbow (Cranequin Wanderers), 23 - Marijana Kuralay (Brinemouth)
Forwards: 9 - Estrella Hawke (Starling), 10 - Theodora Covenant (Shanak FC, OSR), 15 - Erik Marlowe (Florence Boldclub, BSE), 17 - Dragan Stavanger (Tannenberg FC, VLD), 21 - Penumbra Amokachi (Eastweald, COS)

SCHEDULE
Bye
Nephara vs. Darmen @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
St. Saratoga vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Tveidalen @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Mercedini vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Sargossa @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Bape-Supreme vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Starblaydia @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Yuezhou vs. Nephara
Bye
Darmen vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. St. Saratoga @ Godswatch (Crisisbless)
Tveidalen vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Mercedini @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Sargossa vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Bape-Supreme @ Portsgate (Brinemouth)
Starblaydia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Yuezhou @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Marauders Set Sail

Despite the heartbreaking nature of the VSC's inability to bring the the World Cup to the Eternal Realm, the world still must turn on and instead of preparing the infrastructure for hosting over the next two years, the VSC instead now tasks the VFA with getting the Marauders once more into the Finals. It is not an overly difficult task on paper, given the longevity of the careers of the players that compose the roster as well as the Marauders' current place inside the game, though if games were played on paper there would be little reason for the matches to begin with. One can not though but to feel a renewed since of vigor among the players as the prepare for their first match of qualifying, which begins on Friday. While there has always been a very professional approach to the way that the Marauders haven taken on the game, sometimes with a mechanical sort of efficiency such as the way they were perceived during the 40s, the passion has waxed and waned at times. That waning was none more evident than when the Marauders failed to qualify for the first time in nearly a hundred years a decade ago and ever since, lead by the personification of the undying pursuit of perfection in the form of Laborious Hawk, the Marauders have climbed back and regain such passion and tenacity that now there is a firm belief that the time to win the record breaking sixth World Cup is on the cards.

Qualifying itself sees the largest threats loom just over the shoulder in the Calanian outfit of Semarland, though the side from Bigantii is definitely nothing to look past, while Avon has been known across the footballing circles to be quite apt in pulling off an upset or two to steer the way the group is going into a completely different other direction. It begins though in Capri where the squad from Mytannion, or the Mytanar region as it is currently being called for some reason we are not entirely sure or clear about, who is fresh off of their DBC win in our nation this past summer will be looking to replicate their unexpected success from the youth level at the senior level. There was once a time where Mytannion were thought to be Rushmore's next best hope of an international player in the game, after the fall of C&M and before the rise of Eura, Valladares, and Pasarga a decade or so later. That however is a time long since passed and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would make such a claim as their team is currently composed, though if their exploits at the DBC are any indication, this once great power might just be coming out of a restless slumber with a sense of resolve that might be truly terrifying to all those who dare cross their paths.

The campaign's most difficult hurdle is definitely what comes in the midweek with a trip north to Semarland in match that has a surprising amount of meaning despite it being only the second fixture in the group. It is another test of resolve and might and of whom will be doing the leading and who will be chasing the group, especially with the Marauders having a bye on the next international date. Defeating the Semars in Calania would be a good way to have the side raise their spirits and morale, if such a needed, and give the group a fair notice that the Marauders are here to compete and chasing the group title. It does matter of your history, of the stature of your program and players, or what sort of other miscellaneous factors might tie in, that the Marauders are task and goal orientated. This needs to be the mindset and that match against Semarland will be a very difficult test but it was always going to be there regardless of where it might have fallen on the schedule, that it comes early is just a matter of being ready.

Sarrbia could prove an interesting side, as the Rushmori tropical island has seen their fair share of World Cups but have never quite been a side that has come close to being a true power within the game. It is a bit of a shame, as trips to the island are often quite enjoyable, even if the football result might go against the team that you are supporting. The rest of the group is filled with new or relatively newcomers to the scene who the Marauders have a noted history of not taking any prisoners of, one merely needs to look up the history of Keyne Island to see that ruthless, efficent, professional approach that the Marauders are known for in action against those lesser known sides. A resolute focus and some leadership from the captain should be enough to grab the points and results needed off those sides as well as steer the side into top two contention. Qualifying may prove difficult at times but it is expected of side chasing records the way that this national team is known for. It has been far too long since the Navy Wave have had reason to sing songs of glory and triumph on the last day of the tournament, and that needs to be switched now, with the match against the DBC champions all the opportunity needed to begin the process.

Schedule
MD1: Valanora v Mytanar Region
MD2: Semarland v Valanora
MD3: Bye
MD4: Valanora v Thesi Erevnah
MD5: Sarrbia v Valanora
MD6: Valanora v Karelo-Finland
MD7: Brigantii v Valanora
MD8: Valanora v Aggrey-Fynn Land
MD9: The Isles of Avon v Valanora
Mid Qual Break & Friendlies
MD10: Mytanar Region v Valanora
MD11: Valanora v Semarland
MD12: Bye
MD13: Thesi Erevnah v Valanora
MD14: Valanora v Sarrbia
MD15: Karelo-Finland v Valanora
MD16: Valanora v Brigantii
MD17: Aggrey-Fynn Land v Valanora
MD18: Valanora v The Isles of Avon

[Brenecia]

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Bardsley optimistic of Patriot qualification and future
Laura Mulholland

"We're fortunate to be a first seed after last cycle," Catherine Bardsley admitted to the press, "but it's not an opportunity we're about to pass up." Such was the tone as Bardsley announced her first squad for qualifying. Last cycle ended in disaster, but Bardsley has a regional triumph under her belt, so this is not a side that lends itself to straightforward predictions.

In any case, by contrast to the seasoned squad that Bardsley took to the regional champions, she's picked six uncapped players - Alweather, Quill, Hartsdown, Riordan, Macbeth and Calhoun - in a conscious move to try and freshen up a squad that the commentariat accepts is aging. But there has also been a recall for 34-year old Geneva Urquhart to add some stability as a backup goalkeeper, and it's likely that some more proven players will be shuffled in against the top sides.

Brenecia first has to take on Yesopalitha and Goluta with this squad. Yesopalitha are the stronger of the two, a nation with a strong footballing tradition, though it has lain dormant for a few years. It struggled to regain its feet at the Copa Rushmori, but its young, aggressive squad is the sort of side that Bardsley crafted in her first era with the Patriots. Rostyn Calhoun is tipped to win his first appearance against them, probably because they ironically also have a goalkeeper called Calhoun. Goluta are next, and technically went through the Baptism of Fire undefeated... by scraping three draws (one a 4-4) and crashing out in the group stage.

The next international break sees Nephara host Savojarna and then visit Qasden, a real crunch time. Savojarna were one of the few teams Brenecia managed to beat twice last cycle, and their fans and players are believed to have something of an axe to grind with the Patriots as a result. The match between the two is expected to be something of a mirror match, with two very strong, solid, defensively-minded sides, and Savojarna will definitely see themselves as being within striking range of qualification.

Qasden host Brenecia next, and will also be looking to disrupt the Patriots' plans, licking their lips at the way the first seeds capitulated last time. Their side is chiefly based domestically, but Xandreas and Onyx Foster offer serious bite going forward. It's a young side, as well, and only likely to improve in the future - an ominous sign, considering they're the reigning Cup of Harmony champions and will be hoping to do one better this time around. Their issue may be leading themselves too open at the back, and Brenecia's pace up front may be their undoing.

Things don't get easier from there, either. Another young, aggressive side in Tobiasia which has made it around the block a few times will be hoping to give Brenecia a few bruises, and they'll be reliant on their young forward and captain Fraser Phillips to make a break through. Their light grey goalkeeper kit with green trim and their white home kit with green trim may also lend a confusing element to their defence. That said, Brenecia will still consider themselves favourites - but Tobiasia are not to be taken lightly.

Port Christopher away, however, is the real fixture to circle on the calendar in a fat red marker. It took extra time to seperate the sides on neutral ground in the last Campionato Esportiva and that is reflective of where the two sides stand right now - Brenecia is probably the better side, but Port Christopher are breathing right down our necks, as the rankings reflect. And the sides are, in many ways, parallel - both managers are considered undisputed legends in their respective nations, both sides play solid and defensive football in 4-2-3-1 formations, each has fought hard to escape the shadow of culturally similar and once-dominant neighbours... and both those neighbours wear green while the two nations themselves wear blue and white. In another group, perhaps the two nations could be lovers - for now, they are rivals, and the Patriots will consider getting any result a crucial step to qualification.

Brenecia ends the round-robin on a relatively breezy run. The EEC, an enigmatic organisation, are rumoured to have approached a variety of aging foreign journeymen to represent their nation, while unranked Poggers, the last nation believed to have registered for qualifying, will host the Patriots before a bye rounds off the cycle. It will give the Patriots a chance to hopefully sit back and be content at having their points on the board early - the nightmare scenario, of course, would be needing to rely on other results to qualify.

But this is a side that should qualify on paper. Bardsley has shown that with a bit of old-fashioned grit and physicality, the technical skill of Gryphon, Keohane and Balliol and a world-class shot-stopper in Mathis Woodgate, the Patriots can dream not only of survival, not just of qualification... but of success. After all, it worked for Audioslavia thirty years ago, didn't it?

BRENECIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Mathis Woodgate (Myrmidon, CEN), 12 - Geneva Urquhart (Olympia FC, EFL), 20 - Rostyn Calhoun (Cenial United, CEN)
Defenders: 2 - Czeslawa Szukala (Phalanx AF, CEN), 3 - Ophelia Lovelock (Sabrefell Athletic, NPH), 5 - Anaximander Scrivener (Brigham, EUR), 6 - Niko Szubanski (Rozelle), 18 - Brun Carrack (Lotus Park), 19 - Gethin Quill (Revolutionaries, EUR), 22 - Rostyn Bradden (Lajuno, EUR)
Midfielders: 4 - Catherine Gryphon (Starling, NPH, c), 7 - Squire Trevelyan (FC Jansberg, SEM), 8 - Aleksandra Skorupska (Trothwands Evolution, OSR), 10 - Roisin Carroll (Violence Chariots, NPH), 11 - Sander Balliol (Tanrisal, PAS), 13 - Keohane (Ramusok United, COS), 15 - Adelina Macbeth (Club Stein-los, PAS), 16 - Elsie Drover (OAS Royal FC, COS), 21 - Meghan Hartsdown (Kings Park, SCT), 23 - Catsidhe Alweather (Marque)
Forwards: 9 - Ursula Rankin (Tanrisal, PAS), 14 - Fionn Lynch (SC Rinaldi, VAL), 17 - Griffin Riordan (Northern Stallions)

SCHEDULE
Brenecia vs. Yesopalitha
Goluta vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Savojarna
Qasden vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Tobiasia
Port Christopher vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. EEC
Poggers vs. Brenecia
Bye

[Kel Assuk]

Baptism of Fire
Chapter 7: Return to Kel Assuk and Celebration (Part 1)

It was an exhausting flight back from Spaam to Kel Assuk - across the world and back again as the team traversed several regions to get from Paatukar, their home for the past two weeks, to Kel Assuk, their home for years and decades. The jet lag was still bad, thanks to the multiple time zone changes, of course, but at least the team didn't have to play a match two days after they landed after such a long jet trip. Eric was happy that he could plop down in his own bed, which would be much better than the not-great bed back in Paatukar, and indeed, as soon as he got home, he flopped down into his bed and fell fast asleep in just a couple of minutes. The campaign in Spaam had exhausted him, especially since they had stayed for the entire time. Plus, they had to carry their heavy trophy back with them... or so they thought initially. Eric finally gave up on always keeping the trophy in his sight and had it shipped to the Kel Assuk Board of Sport for display, although Eric didn't know if it had arrived in Marandet in one piece. At this point, he didn't care that much about it; all he wanted to do was sleep in his own bed.

The next day, Eric received an interesting piece of mail. It was a check, for a quite substantial sum of money. In the envelope was a letter of congratulations explaining that the check was a bonus for his team's successful performance in Spaam. Eric fistpumped himself and decided to go out to one of the fanciest restaurants in Marandet, Izegraz, which served both French and Amalen classics, with their own twist. Eric treated himself to a glass of fancy champagne; it ran him a little bit of money, but he really didn't care at that point. After all, he did just get quite a substantial bonus from his employers. At the restaurant, Eric ordered a lamb steak salad with kale and some interesting Amalen dressings, which really brought the whole thing together and added their own twist to the traditional salad. Eric sat there sipping his wine and enjoying the traditional Amalen music, pondering about how the team would do in the World Cup. It would be a hard slog; they would have to face some of the best teams in the world potentially, and Eric didn't know how the team was going to stack up against those teams. After about fifteen minutes of deliberation, he sat there, silent, listening to the music and just enjoying it for what it was. He knew he wasn't going to have a serene moment like this again for the next couple of months.

A couple of days later, the team assembled for a celebration hosted by the Kel Assuk Board of Sport for the team. It was a traditional Amalen festivity, and the team enjoyed the lively dance music, the wide selection of both traditional Amalen and international foods, and the adulation from the native people of Kel Assuk. Football wasn't the most popular sport in Kel Assuk, by far, especially considering that the Shalumites hadn't introduced it into the country until around 60 years ago, and even then, it was generally treated as a white man's sport, with not many resources given to the local Amalen people. They preferred traditional sports like camel racing and wrestling and Amalen sword fighting, not this sport which was pretty alien to most of them. However, with the national team going out in the world, the sport had began a bit of a rise in the nation, and the team's third place showing in the Baptism of Fire, an international tournament, had awakened a new outpouring of interest in the sport. A parade of well-wishers, youth players, and admirers had been going past the international team, murmuring their appreciation and congratulations to their national team. The team stood there a bit awkwardly, replying Thank You to every onlooker.

[Mriin]

"Huh. Really?" Zilia Hawsorn cocked an eyebrow while looking at her phone, on the south bench of Haven Stadium.

Don Mizzet looked back to her, giving the batch of players trying out for the NT's replacement squad a reprieve from his analytical gaze. "Something interesting? Did the Vidial Bazaar have another meltdown? Or perhaps some more inane political wrangling here in Maal?"

"No, nothing local. The group draw for the World Cup went up, and--" She was cut short by the fact that her phone was no longer in her hand. It took a moment of startled looking before she realized it was in Don's claws, squinting to scrutinize the tiny (to him) screen. "...you could have asked."

"A waste," he retorted, "I need as much time as I can get. The beauty of this game is that there's no end to the information you can process."

"I hope you've been 'processing' how Barunia beat us, then."

Dark steam fumed out of Don's nostrils. "Yes, I see that they are in our group, but need I remind you how extraordinarily unlikely it was for us to advance out of the Cup of Harmony group stage even with a win against them?"

"Doesn't change the fact that they beat us. I'd think you'd be concerned with that more than anyone, with your statistics, and how go on about proving Mriin to the world. Every win matters for our world ranking, even if we mathematically can't make it out of the group." With a shrug, she got up and jumped (her impressive keeper verticals surprising Don, who's not used to seeing any non-Dragon anywhere close to his face) to snatch her phone back. "Not that it matters that much. They're still a very high-ranked side, and I doubt they'll throw us points for free like Flardania did. Farfadillis just came off a 3rd place finish, I'm not expecting much against them. But the rest of the group feels quite weak--the only real threat seems to be Juvencus, who we've already shown we can beat in the BoF."

The great dragon coughed, attempting to regain his composure; he couldn't remember the last time his personal space had been invaded like that, but he supposed it was deserved for snatching the phone in the first place. "You must keep in mind, those press releases can be deceiving. Polar Islandstates may be listed as unranked nowadays, but they were one of the world's premier sides some thirty years ago. Formidable both on the field, and in the office--Valhallan officials held much power in Rushmore and the World Cup Committee. They were undoubtedly at the top of the list of organizations I admired and wished to emulate when I started following football all those years ago. Oh, and Buyan also has some history of note; I don't expect much out of their new side, but don't be surprised if they prove surprisingly competent."

[Red Blackiland]

Red Blackiland Sports and Off-topic Chronicles

---

Whisper Down the Lane

Fans already buying tickets for the match against Cassadaigua

---

Author : Mathias Gërdorffen

---

- Did you see? The boss's wife came into his office and left in a hurry...
- She came out crying out loud...
- Looks like their son was caught smoking a cigarette...
- With marijuana in the car...
- They decided to take a month off...
- The boy's staying with an aunt...
- In a completely empty house...
- I'm so sorry for this family!

---

A sunday of derby isn't only a football day

---

Students from the mini-course of Introduction to Sport Anthropology at a Cestara University made an ethnographic raid on Joshua Eckhart Square and the Vaslui Arena to observe the practices and forms of sociability of the fans before the classic Athletic Cestara vs. Vaslui. After the raid, the students wrote and provided field reports on the experiences of that afternoon.
Observing and reporting the moments before a football match were my initial concerns for this text. But would the match be the biggest draw in the field on Sunday? Fans of a single team were heading to the Cestara stadium to celebrate the match with a big opponent. At the well-known Joshua Eckhart Square, on May 19, 2017, only Athletic supporters focused on the classic. The junction of those who share the same preference provokes new forms of socialization in a space marked by rivalries. So, is it possible that the decision to curb the presence of certain fans encourages the attendance of others? Is football always the only attraction in this case?
Parents accompanied by their children and wives surround the vicinity of the stadium. The family gains space to the detriment of the songs of the organized cheers, very common in the days of games. The calm and the lack of interaction between the present public marks a different form of coexistence in that area generally noticed by the rivalry. These family groups occupy this public space in an individualized way, that is, there is no proximity between them. Singing or cries of support do not exist, escaping from the traditional characteristic of a crowd. The distinction between these fans who are not accustomed to the bleachers reveals the variety of places of origin of these. From distant districts of Cestara and cities of the interior of the country, they moved that day especially moved by the departure. But the classic becomes an element of mobilization, not the only one. The importance of the game divides space with other forms of leisure present around the stadium. The trip, to know the stadium, the consumption in the street vendors - also coming from multiple corners of the city.
In two moments I came across people who had the intention of getting to know the beautiful stadium. Watching the classic was the choice that remained. In fact, viable possibility because the box office was open until the moment of the game. Increasingly, the purchase of tickets is done electronically through the fan partner programs. You can hardly find entry tickets on the same day and place of departure, especially when involving two large clubs. But in this classic there was the reverse. It reinforces the perception that the activities that precede departure in this case are superimposed, or equal in importance, to what will happen in the field. For example, a girl dressed in Vaslui's shirt signed by one of the attackers of the team had, however, underneath the clothes the shirt of Athletic, club by which it twists. And it was accompanied by a friend - especially from the interior of the country for the game - who was likewise not a Vaslui fan. His cheer was only for the same striker, his friend, who signed his colleague's shirt.
Another 18-year-old girl, accompanied by her mother and her aunt, has declared herself a fan of another team. Although she said that "the woman has no active voice in football," her going to the stadium was attributed to the admiration she feels for the cheerleading party, the atmosphere in the expectation of the classic. His aunt, on the other hand, a Vaslui fan, feels more participative than his niece. He says he follows various club disputes, go to Vaslui Quarter to cheer at Vaslui Arena. She invited her sister - the first time in a stadium - and the niece for believing it to be a "quieter, unique twisted game."
The absence of opponents, athletic supporters, encourages the idea of ​​security and peace for those who want to go to the stadium. The atypical situation generated in this game is responsible for the presence of groups other than the other games. However, security, spoken by many of those who felt more willing to go to the stadium, loses some sense, since the main organized crowd of the Vaslui was present despite their apparent withdrawal. Those considered part of the "spectacle" disorder remained in their usual place. Moments before the match started, the members of the organized crowd entered the stadium, while other fans were still trying to buy tickets, as if they had decided only at the last moment to turn straight from the stands. The realization of a match without opponents allowed the group to go there Which are not the most frequent in stadiums, especially in games involving two large clubs. The stadium was taken by couples, families and children.
Fans for whom the area of interest goes beyond the field. It often seems that the match is on the same level as other leisure practices before the game. Departure is a consequence, not a purpose. Little did I hear about the expectation regarding the outcome, player performance, provocation or concern with the opponent. This way of twisting will become more and more present, given the changes brought about by the new structures of several stages. In these, the profile of the audience you want is also selected. Therefore, thinking about other components that extrapolate the field becomes a fundamental condition to understand the relationship established between the supporter and other elements of an intricate political-sport game that has been changing the dynamics of appropriation of urban spaces, triggered in a urban scenario that makes of a Sunday in the stadium one day beyond the soccer.

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Drawkons Wise Warriors: The next game of Das SpielHaus

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Learn about the dragons in the land of Drawkland

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Mainstory Quest #1 - The Lost Souls in the Bowen Range

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The Montain Soul is the first quest mission in Drawkons game. Shows the Drakoner's role in a magic explosion in a temple between mountains in the Bowen Range region. The Drakoner is the charachter who's controlled by the player and you'll able to choose the character's name, voice style, class, race and such. You'll check out the following chaotic situation in the outskirts of the nearby village Bowen, and the first steps on a new era. Just reach the temple and see what can be done about it, by the fact, the place was at the heart of the blast, who could be watched from the sky.
The player-controlled charachter wakes up at the Drak, a place which is a realm filled by spirits. The charachter will try to escape and see a silver female magician with a crown in the head who stands her hand to them, then the player will be able to leave Drak but fall asleep right after. Then, the player-controlled charachter finds out that he was taken into prison. After it, two woman appears, Cvallach and Leilara, the first is a lay sister from a nearby village located in the Bowen Range location and have her contribution to Mecha'dah, and the second is the seeker of Mecha'dah, the most famous religion in the world of Aekras, the universe which the landscapes of Drawkland are reported in-game, and a Sitaran royal family member, one of the most powerful regions in Drawkland. After being asked, it's clearly apparent that the player-controlled charachter is the only one who survived a huge cataclysmic explosion in the Bower Range Mountains, where a peace ritual like a summit was brokered by Celestial Nagallah, the leader of the Drawklandian Mecha'dah, between the Knights and the Revoluionaries (who are mages that not participate in the Legion of Souls, the standard organization that do the trainings of mages in the universe of Drawkland and Aekras) was taking place.
This huge blast also opened cracks in the veil between the different worlds (the physical and spiritual) and starts to be a threat to the world of Aekras for launching devils in large scales. Cvallach and Leilara thinks that the player-controlled charachter is responsible for that explosion and the succeeding death of Celestial Nagallah, and they think the mark allows the player to control, close and manage rifts. The chance to close the generated crack is too high to be ignored, then the two womans leave the suspicions aside and asks if the player can help them to close it. Also, Leilara wants to test the effects of the mark on the player's hand at a nearby rift.

Drawkons - Deaths of Soldiers who faced the demons

At the end of the dialogue the player gains control of the charachter, in the remaining half of the mission a couple of tutorials and lessons will appear in the screen. Go to the gate on the bridge and then climb up the hill towards northwest, after reaching the top of it, the mark will start to pulse which makes the player fall to the bottom ground, opening a new cutscene. When you tries to cross the bridge in the top of the hill, it will break and you'll fall in the first fight of the game, against a Shenikkan, form of devils who appears in the world of Aekras without a host, the player also receives the first classic-specific weapon. After the fight, Cvallach will head on the player and request to turn down the weapons, doesn't mattering the response, she realizes that can't defend the player alone and let's them keep the weapons. Cvallach will give you potions, in the giant stone near the ice a lootable demon drop containing essences can be found, and it's a research item who starts another quest mission, in this scene you can find body containing specific weapons, helmets and such.
Climb up the hill and find more Shenikkans as well as gold, spreading along the place, multiple iron, precious stones and plants can be found and explored. Continue to go towards northweast at the river, and more Shenikkans and spirits, introducing new enemies. Search the rest of the river, then climb the stairs to go around the blockage in the path of the river. On the way, more Shenikkans and spirits will be encountered. In the upper floor, the player and Cvallach finds Menech'lech and Seratas (dwarf and elven respectively) faced against a huge amount of Shenikkans from nearby. After defeating the Shenikkans, a cutscene shows Menech'lech holding the player's hand to close up the rift, using the mark. Seratas explains that he doesn't believe that the player is responsible for the opening of the crack but that the mark may nevertheless be the key to closing it. Menech'lech and Seratas join the party after the conversation. In this area is a lootable body and some gold.
Jump over the destroyed wall and head down the hill to the river again. In the river is some iron deposits and a body which contains a valuabule item that can be sold for merchants to gain gold. Ahead the terrain opens up Shenikkans again, but greater ones surrounded by smaller ones and spirits. After defeating them, return to the open area, take the stairs to the north and climb the hill. More Shenikkans and spirits along and in the top of the hill. Defeat the enemies and use the mark to close the nearby rift in order to gain entry to the Hill Camp. A conversation triggers between Leilara, and the Gedrick Ge'els, the Chancellor of Mecha'dah. The group must then decide which path to take to reach the Bowen Range temple area. They need to choose between charging with the soldiers or take the mountain path.
In the first way with the soldiers, will introduce to you a new charachter earlier than expected, he's Gerward Evallen, a Bowerian templar and will act as your military counselor in the near future. This path has fewer enemies and creatures to face but less experience points. Go towards the hill and you'll find the small encampment where soldiers are preparing to battle. Ahead is another rift, which can be closed after killing Shenikkans, spirits and demons. After closing the rift, the player meets Gerward, former templar general, he says that the way to the temple should now be clear and retreats with the remaining soldiers. In the second way at the mountains, will enable the player to save what remains of the scouting party as well as additional conversations, climb the three sets or ladders and stairs Just inside the door a great Shenikkan and spirits waits for you. Further along the path is a small room with a torch that can be used through the darkness and to reveal a place with some gold and a chest to loot. More Shenikkans and spirits wait ahead until arriving at the opposite opening of the mine. Outside the mine the remaining part is to defeat another couple of Shenikkand and spirits in front of another rift. With those enemies killed, two small Vallash Demons (weaker variety of based demons, who was greater and smaller forms) will spawn which needs to be defeat before closing the rift. A small cutscene triggers, after which the scouts depart back through the mine. Ahead the way is clear to the temple. In both ways, the group reaches the temple.

Drawkons -The Gnatan Demon appears

Right after entering Bowen Range Temple area, the player can watch the massive rift that has been opened by the huge explosion. The player checks briefly with Leilara and Cvallach, who has joined with a group of soldiers. The soldiers disperse to cover the area and prepare for Vallash Demons to appear. Seratas will confirm that this rift must indeed be closed. While the group makes their way around the temple to the stairs leading down to the rift they hear a strong, loud voice, which triggers some reactions. Menech'lech will also comment on the Refined Likitia (dangerous mineral-like substance) in the area.
Upon reaching the rift there is a vision of the player and a dark powerful figure using magic to restrain the Celestial Nagallah. The figure calls the player an intruder, the Celestial calls the player to run and the vision fades. After it, Cvallach fills the player with questions, but he's unable to remember anything about what the vision showed. Seratas says that the rift is closed but not sealed. In order to seal it, the player must reopen the rift which may allow more Vallash Demons to spawn temporarily. Cvallach orders her soldiers to prepare to fight off the demons that are sure to cross through the veil once the rift has been opened. Almost immediately after this a Gnatan Demon (incredible powerful form of demons, practically corrupted spirits) appears, starting the first boss fight of the game. The demon must be killed before the rift can be sealed. A final cutscene triggers, after which the quest is completed. The main strategy to defeat this boss is to immediately disrupt the rift after the demon starts powering up its guard, becoming virtually invulnerable to damage. The demon spends a great deal of time posturing and laughing at the very beginning of battle, providing a perfect window of opportunity to disrupt the rift.

[Kalumba]

The Great Attractions of Kalumba

Published by the Tourist Bureau of Kalumba

Number One
Umboto Gorge

Located in the northern plain of Kalumba lies one of the finest natural attractions in all of Southern Afrosia, if not indeed the entire world. Almost invisible until one is on top of it, piercing through the earth is Umboto Gorge, a canyon torn in the heart of mother earth by a great glaciar in the last ice age. In places the gorge is over thirty metres deep and at one point spans over one hundred metres.

First discovered, by non-native people, in 1899 by Augustus Bearfield on his epic safari of that year and named after the local tribes people Umboto Gorge quickly became a central attraction to the growing number of tourists visiting Kalumba and was sorn depicted on local currency not only due to it's unique status in the world but also to firmly assert the area as Kalumban land, during the period of border skirmishes with neighbouring Lydenburg.

While the Gorge itself is worth visiting simply for it's stately majesty it is also a complete holiday in a single location. As a long standing national icon the Gorge and it's surrounding area have never been exploited for mineral wealth or as farming land and as such it remains perhaps one of the most unspoiled examples of wild Afrosia. During a visit tourists will not only take in the Gorge but will be able to observe a wide variety of the native wildlife, and for those interested the local fauna is diverse and rich making for a rewarding trip for either research or for pleasure.

And while the wild beauty of our country is on show for tourists in the Gorge region they are not limited to simply those devices formed by nature. It is possible to take game safaris during the season to indulge passions for big game hunting, but also to take part in abseiling and ziplining within the Gorge itself. On top of this thrill seeking visitors can go white water rafting on the Bechuane River and when the weather is fine it is also possible to go hang gliding over the Gorge and take in it's beauty from a unique perspective.

With both a large hotel, and a number of smaller establishments including game lodges and camping sites Umboto Gorge is easily accessible by both road and the local airstrip and is full of accommodation to suit all visitors. You will find the locals friendly and pleasant company, as well as being skilled guides for those wishing to explore the wild Afrosia which you may have believed only to exist in fiction.

Don't Delay, Visit Kalumba Today!

[Cassadaigua]

Group by Group Ramblings, when you haven’t done this in a long time,
by 100-year old Superfan Dorothy Miller

The World Cup is back, I have been told. That is pretty cool, I remember following it religiously back in the day. I remember World Cup 67 like it was only yesterday. That was such a great Cup that we were able to host, and I admit I hoped when they said the World Cup was back, that it would be back here. But that is not the case, the only games will be the home qualifiers that we get to watch on our homeland. Eventually, it will be done and the World Cup will be played while we do not qualify for it. Though, we can have a little fun, right? I am very interested in watching these games, and will watch as many as I can. That’s the glory of being retired! So, what does a Cassadagan think that has no idea what happened in these recent World Cups, other then searching up results online? Well, here I go.

Group 1:

In this group we see #3-ranked San Jose Guayabal. They have good a long time and surely have a World Cup or two by now. This group should be easily won by that team, with Abanhfelft in close pursuit. Abanhfleft did pretty good in the World Baseball Classic, and they have a good ranking here as well. This should be an easy group for the top two. Bongo Johnson sounds like a fun nation. I heard they hosted a World Bowl recently.

Group 2:

So, who do we have here? Gregoryisgodistan, who did not have a terribly good time in the World Baseball Classic, so Lord Almighty Gregory must be pissed now. The soccer team better step up. This is a nation that I remember well from our past, but I haven’t heard many press releases from them as I would used to hear back in the day. They are ranked #17, with long time fixture Krytenia being #30. Spaam is here? I don’t remember playing against them, but remembered reading about them way back in the past. See, even I’m not that old.

Group 3:

The group has a couple of World Baseball Classic 40 qualifying bottom-feeders, so you know that they will be just as bad in this. Ok, well United States of Devonta did play a little better over the second half of qualifying. They, and a few others here will be who Audioslavia crushes into oblivion during the campaign.


Group 4:

The mighty top seeded team from Eura, wait nevermind, they are #16, now? Used to them being much better. Anyway, they are still the best team in the group and better watch out for New Danican who somehow went 3-3 against #1-ranked Schiltzberg in World Baseball Classic. The problem for New Danican is that they did not beat others. Wait, is that Taeshan, I see? Really? You’re still around? Don’t know many of these other countries.

Group 5:

Our co-hosts are here! World Cup 67 co-hosts Equestrian States are not ranked very well, I see, so do not expect them to do much. It will be Free Republics then. What a great sporting nation that is, and they will surely crush the gro..., what? They are ranked #179? Maybe we could even beat them in a friendly right now. Top seed in here is Chromatika. I’ll look forward to watching them and seeing what they can do.

Group 6:

Polar Islandstates, baby! It’s going to be a long couple weeks for the rest of the teams in this group when they take on the Polar Is.... What? They are unranked? What is this, first you tell me Free Republics is #179, and now Polar Islandstates is not even ranked? Heck, they should throw us three in a throwback group and see who wins. Farfadillis is the #2-ranked team in the world? I remember the nation name a bit, but they were not what they are today.

Group 7:

Valanora is the #5-ranked team world. Good to see some things stay the same. I like this team because their average age of the roster makes me feel young! I was wondering how many more World Cups that they have won lately, and see they still have not won one since #61. They are still ranked well, so they have still been consistent, but Laborious Hawk needs to lift that World Cup again, he misses it! They win this group easily, I don’t even know who these other top seeds are in this one.

Group 8:

Jeruselem is still around, yes! We need to get that Pink Cup friendly going! Come on, CASE, get that set up! Tough rank there, though, they have been better. Valladares is continuing to roll well, and they should win this group, and its good to see Electrum still performing well. They were just getting started when we were leaving, so job well done there! The World Bowl champions from Union of Socialist Alpine Republics have to redeem themselves from losing out on World Baseball Classic qualification on the last day via a tiebreaker. That could be some motivation for them.

Group 9:

Nova Anglicana, the #2-ranked team in baseball had a disappointing exit in the World Baseball Classic, and they look to take their #37 rank to new heights here. Figuratively speaking, that’s one of the better rankings for a nation that is also a baseball power. The dominant teams here, however, will be Turori and Astograth. Or so I thought, now they tell me that Astograth is unranked, too. What’s with all these returning powers? Oh wait, we’re one of them, too. A nation named Ceni is the one getting the attention here. I remember that nation name, and associate them with volleyball, and not soccer.

Group 10:

Well, as you know this is our group. But like Polar Islandstates, we can only intimidate others with what we used too, as opposed to what we currently are. Pasarga is the top team here, and we should all remember them. They have been very successful over the years, and should continue to be here. Red Blackiland is a nation I have been hearing about over the last few days, but don’t really know much about them. I guess we will figure that out soon. Drawkland is probably better in soccer then they are in baseball.

Group 11:

Vilita is prepared to destroy everyone. Have fun, people. The World Baseball Classic 39 champions from Ethane are here, and have a pretty good rank, and could get a qualification spot. Unranked Apox is yet another returning power. I guess something was in the water this year to make us come back.

Group 12:

I’m surprised to see Starblaydia at #46. What would Simeone DiBrandini, oops, I mean Di Bradini, think about that? Time for them to get higher in the rankings, and I see they have a female manager. That’s a great first step in accomplishing that goal! This is actually a pretty good group, as you got Darmen and the great Sargossa in here, too. Sargossa is another that needs to be ranked higher. As impressive as those names are, it’s Nephara who’s the top seed. This is probably the best soccer nation out there that we really don’t know, at all.

Group 13:

The Holy Empire continues to go at it. Happy to see that, I would expect nothing less then that. I am not really sure what I should I believe out of them, this year. Some interesting gossip I have been hearing about some of their players. Expect them and Eastfield Lodge to run away this. Eastfield Lodge has been going at it a while now, too.

Group 14:

Based on the rankings, this looks like a pretty good group, but I have to be honest with you that I don’t know anything about these countries, except for Yesopalitha. I remember them pretty well, but it’s not really soccer that I associate with them, and I think its basketball that I do. Brenecia and Port Christopher are the ones to watch here, given the rankings, so maybe they will entertain us pretty well.

Group 15:

There are a bunch of Super-Llamaland fans in Concord Heights right now, so I better be nice to them here. The World Baseball Classic 40 semifinalist is the best-ranked regular World Baseball Classic nation within the World Cup rankings, and that gets me thinking. We really are still, the only nation to win all five of the top championships in soccer, football, baseball, hockey, and basketball. Is there really another nation on the verge of that? Not that I see. Really puts what we did in perspective. I remember Schottia a little. Safe to say they have really come a long way.


Ok, so there is the ramblings of the old lady. How will Cassadaigua finish? I would say that they should shoot for fourth in the group. That would still take a lot, but it’s the highest goal to set. More then likely they will finish 5th or 6th, and play a little spoiler with the top teams.

[Damukuni]

W C 7 8
C o v e r a g e
D S N

---

Welcome to DSN's coverage of the 78th World Cup, the group stage of which will be held in the Fiefdom of Cosumar and the ... uh ... Bonesea. Our apologies, the editors simply refused to write Bonesea's full legal name on our teleprompters. Here's a quick rundown of what to expect in the front eight games of the Qualifiers for Damukuni's Football Legends:

GAME 1: @ FREE REPUBLICS
MilaneseDome®, Wortana, Keronama, Free Republics
The Free Republics are veterans in the World Cup, but this will be the first Damukunian matchup against this team in their history. We understand that, uncharacteristic of the World Cup teams, the entire organisation is a subsidiary of one of the Free Republics' largest corporations.

GAME 2: vs. ABISA
The Shinzoba-zayu, Shinzoba, Nasutani, Damukuni
The Damukuni FA were not able to supply information on this team at press time, other than they finished third in Group E of the 65th Baptism of Fire.

GAME 3: @ CHAILANKA
Chailanka topped Group E in the 65th Baptism of Fire, losing a 1-0 away game to Soltsteed in the first round of the knockouts.

GAME 4: vs. WEST ANGOLA
The Shinzoba-zayu, Shinzoba, Nasutani, Damukuni
West Angola are veterans to the World Cup, but little else is known of them other than that they have yet to qualify for the group stage.

GAME 5: @ LEOPIAN
No information on this team was available at press time.

GAME 6: vs. JECKLAND
The Shinzoba-zayu, Shinzoba, Nasutani, Damukuni
Yes. That Jeckland. The same one that tries and fails to get into the knockouts every World Cup. We play our home game against them first.

GAME 7: @ CHROMATIKA
Chromatika are World Cup contenders as of late. They've qualified once or twice - or maybe more. It's an honour to play them in qualifiers.

GAME 8: vs. EQUESTRIAN STATES
The Shinzoba-zayu, Shinzoba, Nasutani, Damukuni
Of course, the World Cup selectors chuckled, saying, "Let's match up human beings against sentient ponies in a game of kicking balls around with hooves." Surprisingly, the pony-ites are actually a good team, in spite of their hooves not making terribly good appendages with which to kick a football.

[Tinhampton]

TIN PARK - 18th June 2017, 1830 - friendly vs Bonesea
Broadcast in Tinhampton exclusively live via TBS - the Tinhampton Broadcasting Service
Commentary by Peter Ford (PF), analysis by George Piratin (GP)

---

Start time -5 minutes:

• PF: It's a gloriously hot and sweltering afternoon in Tinhampton, the mercury's hitting slightly over 27 degrees Celsius, and I'd like to welcome every Tinhamptonian - sunburnt or not - to our second friendly matchup before our first qualifier against unranked Gim. Our campaign will be won and lost on the battle grounds of United Valhaven and COCANEFA - that's north-eastern Atlantian Oceania to you and me - but we're starting the campaign with a few toss-ups against the likes of Gim and Atchoosneeze, or whatever they're called these days. So, let's look at the lineups...
  You could probably recite our lineup from memory, for all I know - Smith, Potter, Phillips, Daniels, James and Peter Wright, Young, Jones, Jackson, Evans, Graham. Meanwhile, the Sailors of Bonesea carry on with the 1-2-7 Arganger that has served them so well since bursting onto the world football stage a couple of cycles back, but we're talking our bad A team versus their decent B team.
  Bonesea is dominated by the twentysomething - I say twentysomething, they'd still be in nursery if they were Tinhamptonians, apparently due to unusual time conventions - twentysomething post-Purple Generationers mostly forced onto the bench in the Independents' Cup, but a couple of typically wonderfully-named arrivals from the Sporting World Cup are also here - Snorri Jones in the starting lineup, with Turk Whetter and Aidan Laughingull on the bench.
• GP: I wouldn't rule out an attendance of about 200-odd. Now, if this factfile I recieved from the visitors' government serves me correctly, the nation's - quote - 3,000 miles from any other civilisation beyond the Boreal Islands. I'm sure it's more from Tinhampton. Regardless, except a couple of Boneseaers---
• PF: Actually, it says "Bonesfolk" here.
• GP: ---sorry. A couple of Bonesfolk and about four or five dozen Miners here. Or maybe we should really call our fans "Canaries", given mining traditions. According to this other factfile I have from our government. Neither of us, I assume would be surprised if we lost this one by a few goals...

GAME TIME 00:00 -- TINHAMPTON 0-0 BONESEA:
PF: Aaaaaaand we're off! Tinhampton start first, and the situation here... let's just say, is a situation of timewasting. Nothing to see here but a bunch of passes.

GAME TIME 01:53 -- TINHAMPTON 0-0 BONESEA:

• PF: Bonesea have been mainly deprived of the ball so far. Graham, back to Jackson, over to--- and Bonesea finally have a true attacking chance here! Yuval-Wise looping it over to Hugus, and he can't make it! Tinhampton back again, with Peter Wright aiming to go down the... Would you look at that? I don't think many of us would easily believe that the challenge could be made by a striker.
• GP: You're dealing with seven men up front here, and a tradition of wrestling in football. What did you expect?
• PF: Well, definitely a red-card for Huddy Hugus, that's for certain. And incredible - another man down! Proper, proper man-to-man action, good for Bonesea but not for general football, and both of them are OFF! Off, off, off! That's three red cards we've seen in the first 150 seconds, and probably more to come. Or maybe not. The... erm, Bonesfolk have certainly been taught a lesson today. I hope they'll heed it back home next month.

GAME TIME 04:33 -- TINHAMPTON 0-0 BONESEA:

• PF: Mulfra Raven tries to get the ball up... and taken down by... I think it was Simon Phillips, yes, it was him, he's on thin ice now - blame our lacklustre kitmen - and a freekick from 25 yards out.
• GP: A rash, rash, rash challenge, and I'm honestly surprised that he wasn't wearing some wavy-striped shirt as well.
• PF: Ove Jacobsen is taking responsibility for this one, for reasons unknown, at least to us. The stadium remains on edge, not least due to this. Jacobsen takes it... AND OH MY WORD, WHAT A GOAL, BONESEA ARE INTO THE LEAD IN THE MOST SPECTACULAR WAY POSSIBLE! Can you even BELIEVE IT?????
• GP: Well, he's certainly shown himself to be adept at the art, even if against our awful goalie. It curves and hits Smith's right post, then his left, and then he just about takes it over the line before anything can be done about it.
• PF: And, that, my friends, is Tinhampton 0, Bonesea 1. Tinhampton need two goals... and mark my word, they ain't getting two goals.

TINHAMPTON 0-1 BONESEA
GAME TIME 11:22 -- TINHAMPTON 0-1 BONESEA:
PF: The Bonesfolk - now I get it - seem to have improved their ways since the events of about ten minutes ago, which you should be familiar with - player wrestles other player, player gets sent off, two others get sent off for fighting, and then a goal for Bonesea, and then it could be another one, thwonked into the box for Badger Rule, surely it has to be a goal, and yes, yes, it is a goal! I don't know how many spectators can believe their eyes, but... well, let's just say we're two-nil down already! Tinhampton 0, Bonesea 2!


TINHAMPTON 0-2 BONESEA
GAME TIME 23:42 -- TINHAMPTON 0-2 BONESEA:
PF: Tinhampton have held back for a quarter of the game already, it's not working, they're attacking now. One of those good-old smashes from down back, basically to and fro here between the teams, it goes stray but hit out by Jones, over to the center now, Evans wins her aerial battle, over to strike partner Graham, and he aims for goal... saved! To say the least, it would have been a great goal, but we've seen it go out now...

GAME TIME 38:10 -- TINHAMPTON 0-2 BONESEA:

• PF: And Pound sees it out to the strike force. I have to say, quick interpassing we've seen, and what we are literally seeing. They approach the penalty area, Jacobsen tees it again for Mawla, open goal, ten yards out, surely going in, and it is in! Yet another goal - more tap-in than classic, but, as my colleague George would say, a goal is a goal is a goal. Tinhampton now trail 3-0.
• GP: The worst may well have come for us, or it might be just up our street. We'll have to wait and see. But regardless, further excellence from the Sailors, undoubtedly speedy on their day... and speedy even when it's not their day. Such is life...

TINHAMPTON 0-3 BONESEA
GAME TIME 44:53 -- TINHAMPTON 0-3 BONESEA:
[*]GP: The ref's indicated a minute of added time. In my view, a bad performance, could have been better, could have been worse, but honestly and - for some reason - thankfully a middling performance from our lot.


HALF TIME: TINHAMPTON 0-3 BONESEA

• PF: Well, we go into the break... dismally, not to say the least. We're 3-0 down, and I won't be surprised if that increases - substantially or not - in the second half.
• GP: Well, we're only 3-0 down against who would be considered top seeds. Not entirely sure you can call it dismal. Good practice for our Atlantian Oceanian away days, mind you, but we must do better right now...

GAME TIME 57:46 -- TINHAMPTON 0-3 BONESEA:

• PF: Tinhampton finally have a chance now - Jackson over the wing to Jones (our Jones), then he goes up, surely another chance, surely? No, it gets passed along, but intercepted again, past the virtually non-existent midfield up to Evans, who tries from 30 metres out and smacks it against the side netting!
• GP: You literally have to feel for her after that, it could have been a little glimmer of hope but that disappeared as soon as everyone that's anyone saw it clearly wasn't going in. We'll be facing an uphill task now, but I fear that the smallest gradient has barely been encountered.

GAME TIME 69:29 -- TINHAMPTON 0-3 BONESEA:

• PF: Yes, this is the squillionth setpiece of the day - but no penalties, surprisingly. This time, they're hedging their bets on Snorri Jones to help it make it four. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
• GP: You never know, that's what I say...
• PF: And Jones swings it in, Jacobsen with the header... and what a goal that has been! The game is, for all intents and purposes, and even despite our hard work in trying to do something about it - done and dusted!
• GP: I have to say that was an excellent header. The replays certainly don't lie - swung in from a good 30 yards out, and then a header to outfox no less than five - five! - of ours. An impressive way to compound an impressive scoreline, if I say so myself.

TINHAMPTON 0-4 BONESEA

GAME TIME 78:42 -- TINHAMPTON 0-4 BONESEA:
PF: There has been, in the last ten minutes, nothing remarkable to speak of. Except maybe the Bonesfolk hitting the post, but other than that, nothing. If you've gone to the toilet or been boiling some tea, then you've at least spent these last ten minutes more efficiently than I have.

GAME TIME 86:28 -- TINHAMPTON 0-4 BONESEA:

• PF: And Mawla passes it to Riviera, hoping for a good one... not again! I'm sure you can understand what's happening here, but if you don't, Simon Phillips has his second yellow card, and he is off! We already have two red cards on each team, and nobody seems too impressed!
• GP: Simon's been lacklustre, to say the least, today. This challenge was just the very tip of the iceberg. You really should have seen some of his other moments.
• PF: It should surprise none of you that Ove Jacobsen, who is now on a hat-trick, will take, hoping for good news. The ball goes on the spot, and he takes it... And that, my friends, is what we in the business call "high, wide and the wrong time". The ball appeared so distant by the end of it all that ballboys are probably being called out to investigate the car park for any traces of a football.
• GP: You seem to forget that our FA always has a tradition of bringing a few balls to any given home game. The FAs of the places we visit are more reliable, so we don't. Anyway, completely with you on that point.

FULL TIME: TINHAMPTON 0-4 BONESEA

• PF: And that is that. Bonesea tank Tinhampton 4-0, but it could have been much worse if two of their players hadn't been given their marching orders.
• GP: Absolutely. Still, this should be good match practice for the days ahead. I have to admit, long and hard days. Don't worry - we should do well there...

[Free Republics]

Sporting World

World Cup 78: Qualifying Preview
by: Angelina Zito

In a blast from the past, Soccer General Rule Theriault has re-launched Republican National Soccer Team, LLC and entered a team in the World Cup. While the official National Soccer Team of the Federation of Free Republics participates in the Global Cup of Soccer, Soc. Gen. Theriault's team is a privately owned limited liability corporation that represents the Federation of Free Republics in the World Cup and other international soccer tournaments that our official national team refuses to participate in.

The elected hosts of this World Cup elected for a 15 groups of 9 format, which is a refreshing change from the old 20 group formats where Soc. Gen. Theriault's team regularly ended up in the playoffs, where they were routinely robbed of a spot in the World Cup with unfair draws, crooked officiating and the like. For a short time, they actually broke down the glass ceiling and dominated the soccer world but then that ceiling fell over them. Then, Consul O'Reilly's isolationist policies threatened to disband the team. Fortunately, they had fled to Falatulu, which seceded from the FFR, but they did so at the expense of their talent pipeline. While they won a Cup of Harmony representing Falatulu, the team whittled away and slowly died as its performances became worse and worse and Soc. Gen. Theriault could no longer afford the costly trips around the multiverse to every third-rate shithole of a nation that can't even provide their rosters in a timely manner.

Over the past few years, Soc. Gen. Theriault found employment as the manager for Ilyseum, a nation located in another Realm where gods walk amongst the mortals. The connection between Ilyseum and this multiverse was severed by the gods for various complicated reasons that we may never fully comprehend. Following that, Soc. Gen. Theriualt took a job managing Nordernious, which he took all the way to the finals of the Baptism of Fire before ultimately falling short at the last hurdle. Unfortunately, the Nordernian squad did not hold up under the rigor of World Cup qualifying and their nationalistic government decided that international sports competition wasn't for them. Then, in a miraculous event, Kyle Bolton, the former captain of Republican National Soccer Team, LLC, was elected Consul of the Free Republics and he appointed his old coach to the position of Soccer General and assisted him in securing the financial resources necessary to rebuild his fallen army.

Initially, Soc. Gen. Theriault considered bringing the old team back together but after a conversation with Consul Bolton he decided that he'd be better off rebuilding from scratch with a new team comprised of promising teenagers. In the interest of team cohesion, Soc. Gen. Theriault decided that the team would be entirely comprised of teenage boys and that the team would be supported by a cheerleading squad consisting of 68 of the most talented and beautiful teenage girls in the Federation. As in the past, the number of spots on the cheer squad was set in stone at 68, in honor of World Cup 68 where Soc. Gen. Theriault's squad shocked the world by going undefeated at home and reaching the final of the World Cup. Officials from Legalese controversially refused to move the match to the FFR as communications between the co-hosting parties had broken down (OOC: ICly-only, of course) at that time. The Legalites were particularly unhappy with the memorable World Cup Concert and there were also complaints about a controversial Sporting World article by journalist and Seeding Committee co-chair Nova Hellstrom (now Nova Hellstrom-Hancock after her marriage to former Republican National Soccer Team, LLC player Kieran Hancock). Hellstrom criticized many national teams that, she felt, were resting on their laurels and hoping that their past accomplishments would save them (OOC: I remember that RP being pretty controversial at the time). The success of Republican National Soccer Team, LLC at World Cup 68 came as a shock to the soccer world, as many disapproved of Soc. Gen. Theriault's tactics, of the then Miss Helstrom's articles and of the team's private sex lives off of the pitch.

Indeed, there was quite a bit of controversy when a drunken foreign girl had consensual sex with Sir Koby Theodore and decided to cry rape because consensual drunken sex was bizarrely considered rape in her country. Many nations that were jealous of the FFR attempted to arrest players and, at one point, Republica's Navy had to be called in to rescue them from an illegal and unjust arrest. Soc. Gen Theriault eventually decided that his team would travel with a full military escort at all times, a tradition that he has decided to bring back. In addition, most players and coaches on the Republican National Team are trained in the use of firearms and do not hesitate to exercise their fundamental natural right to keep and bear arms. Under Consul Nicholls and Consul Bolton, the FFR has recently begun programs to spread freedom throughout the multiverse by offering foreign aid money to nations if they will protect, in an ironclad manner, the fundamental natural rights of freedom of speech, self-defense, due process and the right of all post-pubescent individuals to have consensual sex. Today, the new FFR is committed to being a good international citizen that seeks peace and friendship with nations but will not compromise on the fundamental values that are the foundation of all decent societies.

The FFR was drawn into Group 5, a group where the only other team that has revealed their roster is Damukuni. Rumors that Cheerleader Squad coach Nova Hellstrom-Hancock slept with a Cosumarite official to get such a favorable draw for the FFR are spreading throughout the Internet, particularly on foreign web sites, but Mrs. Hellstrom-Hancock has promised to sue each and other person who spreads these libelous falsehoods in the Republic of Jolarus, a place where judges are famously unsympathetic to those who impugn the virtue of a lady, to their credit. I mean, just because girls like to have fun doesn't mean that we're sluts who sleep around with everything that moves and besides, a true gentleman would never screw and tell. Personally, I urge Mrs. Hellstrom-Hancock to sue those foreign scumbags and teach them a lesson for spreading those horrible lies about her private sex life.

But returning to the subject of World Cup Qualifying, Soc. Gen. Theriault's team will debut by hosting Damukuni, also known as I nuk u mad! spelled backwards (OOC: Not one of Moderation's finest hours, imo), in the MilaneseDome, which has seen many international matches over the years. Damukuni is currently ranked 27th and are considered one of the most promising rising teams in the World Cup. They are the only other team in the group that has actually released a roster as I am writing this and thus probably the most difficult opponent Soc. Gen Theriault's team will face. After that, the next opponent is Abisa, ranked 265th. Abisa is one of those BoF teams that is likely to be forgotten about once qualifying concludes. On the return leg, Abisa will play at Organic Solar Stadium in El Fierro, Malifornia on the 11th matchday of Qualifying. This is the first time that El Fierro or any other city in the Republic of Malifornia, infamous for its insane Progressive politics and its frequent political violence against what the rest of us call normal people. Malifornia is a place that we've tried to hide from the rest of the multiverse in the past because it is such a shithole of a Republic.

On the 3rd matchday, Chilanka will visit the AllMartDome in Reco, Jolarus. Chilank is slightly higher ranked than Abisa at 217th but they are equally unlikely to accomplish anything besides competing for last place. The 4th opponent is West Angola who have played Soc. Gen. Theriault's sides many times. At present, West Angola are ranked 56th and don't appear to have a particularly promising squad this year. Its just a down period for them, just like the one Cosumar went through 10-15 years ago. West Angola's visit to the FFR will take place at Gem of the Oceans Stadium in the legendary capital city of Republica. The 5th opponent for Soc. Gen. Theriault's team is Leopian, a team that didn't even bother to enter the BoF or send in a roster. They will be visiting Nejan Stadium, which will hopefully be packed with 122 thousand screaming Nejans who will enjoy watching them get dismembered. Sixth on the list of opponents is Jeckland, who will play in the IslandDome during the second half of qualifying. The seventh opponent is the 10th ranked team from Chromatika, a side that appears to be ripe for an upset at the moment. They will visit the awe-inspiring Soccer Palace in the home base of Republican National Soccer Team, LLC: Petrograd, Plymouth.

Finally, the last team to visit the FFR during World Cup Qualifying and the final opponent for Mr. Theriault's team will be the Talking Horses from the Equestrian States! These Talking Horses are currently ranked 60th and remain one of the most hated rivals of Republican sports teams. Who will ever forget the legendary article by Nova Hellstrom-Hancock entitled Talking Horses put in their place by [Soccer General] Rule Theriault's Republicans? Who will ever forget how they stole a Cup of Harmony title from us using dishonest tactics? Who will ever forget when they assaulted the King of West Saintland because they were upset about the condition of the field? They will visit the Olympic Stadium on the 17th matchday, where they will be booed out of Baseton by 107,432 fans. Finally, Soccer General Theriault's teams will have byes on the 9th and 18th matchdays.

According to a prominent Cassadagan newspaper, the FFR is a "great sporting nation that will surely crush the group". According to DSN, a media outlet in Damukuni, this team of teenagers are "veterans". Beyond that, it is hard to find international media coverage of this group because most of the nations in this group don't seem to give a single shit about the World Cup. Hell, their officials don't even care about sending in a freaking roster so I can't even figure out who their damned players are! I hope Soccer General Theriault's team shocks the soccer world, but that might be too much to ask for when the team is so young and so lacking in experience. While it would be wonderful if our teenagers were to do what the previous generation never did and humiliate 136 other nations en route to winning the World Cup but that is probably too much to ask for. To paraphrase the words of a legendary athlete (OOC: Actually, I'm paraphrasing a translation of something that Tanahashi said to Okada when Okada unexpectedly challenged him for the IWGP Title): [Qualifying for the World Cup] is [probably] too far for [Soc. Gen. Theriault's team].

Angelina Zito is a graduate of the University of Nejax School of Journalism and our international soccer correspondent. A former high school soccer player at Yellow Bay High School in Yellow Bay, Vorita, Angelina attended the University of Nejax on a scholarship but was unable to participate in college soccer due to the sexist policies of the Holy Party. Focusing on her studies, she graduated with a 4.0 grade point average in her journalism courses and served as the Secretary of the Student Government for 3 academic years. Like a true blue-blooded Republican girl, Angelina loves partying, having fun and getting wasted every night![/quote]

[Flardania]

OOC: Messed this up with my MD 2 RP (rushing during break), found an archive without formatting so do forgive me for the less than spectacular repost.

I have decided to try my hand on a spinoff of the PokeCard series developed by Northern Sunrise Islands as a way to add some more fun to my writing and I fell in love with the character that was made for me last World Cup. I believe I'm in the clear but just in case thought I would leave a disclaimer that I do have the blessing to rp it.

Background: A schoolgirl named Kirishima, wants to be among the greats and makes a one-time appearance in PokeCards. In her first and only appearance, she had a tournament match against the legendary repeating champion Sunrise. While she tried her best and earned the respect of her schoolmates, she was utterly routed. Taking Sunrise's words to heart she decided to remake her image and instead of using Pokemon she thought were strong, she decided to use those she had fun using and had bonded with. Oh, she wanted to be among the greats still but she was going to be herself and have fun doing it as well. This is her story. This is Project K.

---

Main Character: Kirishima also known as Kiri, Angaeseom, An-Gae, Flardania and Dani; Is a young schoolgirl who strives to one day be great like Sunrise, the man who helped her when she was at a low point. She is related to her step-father Acronius but they have been living separately ever since she gained independence from him. Nonetheless, she gets along with him and often hangs out with her friend Mellburg and Zamunda. She often tries to recruit them to battle but they currently feel more comfortable cheering for Kiri and don't want to be a distraction.

Main Pokemon: Gardevoir(Shiny), Primarina, Tsareena, Vulpix (Aloha), Sylveon, Pikachu.
Kiri had a fresh outlook on competing but the losses they strung and for some peculiar reason draws hurt more than losses especially when it's someone she should beat. True it was just one battle but every tournament that begins this way, is nothing but a bad omen usually. Kiri tightly gripped her Pokeball with her Gardevoir knocked out inside. She did not get it. Sure she did not use her Gardevoir since it was a Kirlia when she first began her career, but everything seemed so fine. Her Gardevoir seemed so happy to be with her again but during the battle. Her Gardevoir looked angry and frustrated not at the flow of the battle but......with her.

Flashback:

Flashback (Tune):

Kiri needed this win badly, it was hard enough to qualify but whenever she would qualify she would lose key matches even to trainers ranked below her and never escape from her group. Of all the people she had to face currently, it just had to be the Champ Sunrise himself. It was no longer enough for her to be simply better than Devonta or Acronius. She wanted to win it all someday but Sunrise was humiliating her. She was down to just one Pokemon and Sunrise still had his Leafeon out.
"Damn it Manectric use Thunder Fang!"
Kirishima practically begged, reeking of desperation. She wanted to knock out at least the Leafeon to give her some hope in her final group match. Sunrise would have none of that. A champion of his caliber would never hold back. Sunrise's Leafeon expertly dodged the maneuver and with her Manectric being so close could nothing but get wrecked. It was over and she lost and probably any chance of escaping the group stages for once. "What was even the point of qualifying." Kirishima thought as she felt her eyes get wet before feeling anger and frustration from her constant failures. It was so bad it spilled out and she couldn't leave with grace as she had done so many times in the past.
"GRRRR!"
Kirishima exclaimed as she pulled at her hair and slumped to the ground.
"Calm down, miss."
Sunrise stated as he walked up to her.
"My Leafeon's been with me for years now. Don't be upset about losing to him."
"Th-they're going to laugh at me!"
"Doesn't seem like it very much."
Kirishima joined Sunrise at observing her classmates as well as other students cheering for her despite her failure.
Sunrise laughed, patting her on the head before leaving.
"Good luck next time."
Kirishima eyes shot open with a start and she sat up with a start. She had that same dream again, almost like it haunted her. It was at that moment that she felt tears run down her pale cheeks.
"Next time huh......you liar...."
Kirishima stated softly aloud as she clenched her fists and looked at the framed Newspaper clipping on the wall. End of an Era! Sunrise steps away.



She hated that dream so much. While she was much happier these days and enjoyed battling as well as bonding with her Pokemon and not those that she had handed down from Acronius. However, whenever she would have that dream, she would be reminded of her insecurities, her failures, her bad luck and most of all the man she was determined to beat stepping away from the game. She knew better but still couldn't help but feel that Sunrise abandoned her, gave her a goal to strive for and then took it all away. All she could do now was place her focus on the original goal. Make it past the group stages. She looked up at tv screen as they announced the qualifying groups.
"What!!, 135 people are trying to qualify. That can't be right. "
"Of course it is Mellburg. In fact, I've read that there used to be even more people competing in the past."
"So what Zamunda? If I remember there is no guarantee that there will be an instant qualification for second place. Kiri is pot 2 and is probably going to have some legend like Valanora to face.... "
"Hey uh you two are my best friends and I love ya. But can we please quiet down so we can see what group I'm in?"

One hour later...

Qualification group announcements had just finished and Kiri sat pinching the bridge of her nose while her Gardevoir looked on worriedly for her master.
"It's not fair! Why is Eura even ranked that low!! It's already bad enough that Kiri is low tier pot two but a former multi-time champion! "
"If there was ever someone who would fit the word Jugunaut, it would be Mister Eura. How are you feeling Kiri? "
"I'm actually quite fine"
"Ehhhhhhh! "
"Come again? "
"The way I look at it, I could've had a much more difficult opponent. Also since Sunrise is gone, it leaves Eura as the next person to get revenge on and show my improvements. Right Gardevoir!"
Gardevoir! Gardevoir replied happy to see her master's optimism. She was going to fight just as hard as she could in her first tournament for Kiri's sake.
"But before Eura, I need to focus on Soltsteed first. I don't want to underestimate anyone. I know first hand both from winning and losing that anything is possible in qualification...anything."

Opening Theme

---

Bonjour et Ohayōgozaimasu Kirishima. Welcome ladies and gentleman back to another edition of the Kitsune Report, brought to you by the Nagatomo Sports Network (NSN) and sponsored by Air Pacifica, and Pocari Surge. Here at the Kitsune Report it's all about Kirishinan sports however there comes a time when the Namesake takes center stage. That's right ladies and gentleman, the World Cup qualifiers are upon us, where 100+ teams, I believe it's 135 this time around, try and fill in a measly 30 spots whether it be by instant qualification or a playoff spot. I'm your host, the fan you can count on to bring you Kitsune news Keitaaaaaaa Woo! Without any further delay let's get http://i.imgur.com/YxNVHrt.gifvgrooving to some world cup football yet again!

The Kitsunes will try and repeat their World Cup 77 performance where they qualified for World Cup 77 but will try and must try to avoid a scare that comes down to the last game. It was the improbable 2-2 draw between Ancharmunn and Brigantii and Kirishima's late 2-1 win over Tomikosan that allowed for Kirishima to qualify in the first place. After exhausting all their effort in trying to make it to the World Cup, the Kitsunes not only lost to Mercedini for the first time but also once again were knocked out of tournament play without a single point for the Kitsunes. It seems that a strong Cup of Harmony run would bye preferable to a showing like that, with the Kitsune Rank slump continuing. Even that is becoming a more difficult thing to request. One must think that KFA chairwoman, Sakura Katsuragi is not too happy about this. In her two years of leading the KFA, the Kitsunes have managed to qualify twice but amassed zero pts in the last two World Cups. However, she is probably not going to make any staff changes as this Kitsunes team mainly struggles due to upset draws or upset losses due to one play. Simply put it seems to be a case of bad luck.

Heading into qualification as low tier pot 2 team decreases the amount of favorable pot 1 teams to face and the amount of favorable pot 3 teams. When you're in a position like Kirishima especially when you have a tendency of dropping points to very low ranked teams, you want to make sure that the team in the pot ahead of you is as close as possible and the teams in the pots after you are all as low as possible at least for pot 3 and 4 in our case. Considering how barely in pot 2 the Kitsunes were they could only afford to be in a Group with Gregoryisgodistan, The Holy Empire, or Brenecia. Maybe 2 time champs Eura but nothing higher as whether they are in form or not would affect little in a match with the slumping Kitsunes. Kirishima joined Eura in Group 4 and while it was not what you may have wanted, I actually love it. Eura was considered the last of the tolerable pot 1 teams by many analysts. While they are two-time champs they are not four-time champs like the Holy Empire and they arguably have the worse long term form out of the four not that it will matter much considering the Kirishima's best shot would probably be at home but unfortunately the Kitsunes face Eura early at home on MD 2, where form means pretty much nothing.

For pot 3 the Kitsunes really needed rivals United States of Devonta, West Angola, Kaboomlandia or Boring Paradise (not Spaam) to join them in Group 4. Taeshan and Spaam were tolerable. Spaam is a historic squad that has been in a hurry to rise to the top including hosting the latest edition of the BOF. Spaam is a team that has a lot of upside and will have quality form. A dark horse for any group unlucky enough to have them. Taeshan has a good squad but at least it'snot Sameba again and I would love to listen to a Kirishima v Taeshan match on Taeshani Sports. In pot 4, however, the Kitsunes got stuck with the third worst possibility of that pot in Kalumba. Kalumba is a squad that won the 43rd BOF and while the Kitsunes beat them twice in World Cup 76, Eura is still a strong and dangerous side with a lot of potential. Sulsuland, Soltsteed, Frejo, New Danican and Heif round out the group.
Now let's take a look at the schedule.

MATCHDAY	TEAM		VENUE
1 	@ Soltsteed	        TBD                          
2	v Eura	                Ostianae Magnaem Centre|Heiwa
3	@ Sulsuland		 TBD                         
4           BYE
5	v Kalumba	        Dreamscape Arena|Kairaku     
6	@ Heif                  TBD                          
7	v Taeshan	        Aincrad Stadium|Akihabara    
8	@ Frejo	                      TBD                    
9	v New Danican	        Dayangseong Stadium|Imgeum   

	             -MIDQUALIFICATION BREAK-

10	v Soltsteed	        Mori Park|Hyuga              
11       @ Eura	                TBD                          
12	v Sulsuland	        Dayangseong Stadium|Imgeum   
13            BYE
14	@ Kalumba		TBD                          
15 	v Heif		        Aincrad Stadium|Akihabara    
16	@ Taeshan	        TBD                          
17 	v Frejo		        Dreamscape Arena|Kairaku     
18	@ New Danican		TBD

The first thing that stands out about this schedule is that the match difficulties are fair and balance in its locations. The two negatives are that the Kitsunes are on the road for 2 out of the three first matches before a bye and that one home match is against Eura. What this means is that Kirishima will not really have schedule as an obstacle this time around and while they have a greater room for mistakes, ought to avoid them at all costs.

Soltseed v Kirishima Preview:

Kirishima will kick off its World Cup 78 Qualification series on the road against Soltseed. This squad is the winners of the most recent edition of the Baptism of Fire and have a defense first mentality and seek to get their goals off of counter-attacks, a historical weakness for Kirishima. As BOF winners they technically have the potential to surpass Kirishima one day on paper due to Kirishima finishing 4th in BOF 58. Nonetheless as unorthodox as it may be for starting GK, Miyoko Hojo to not start the very first match. Matches against defensive teams like Soltseed tend to go better with Takagawa in goal. Ball control will be important for the Kitsunes and so will scoring on set pieces like free kicks which can limit the damage and chance of a counter attack. Key Factors for this match: Ai Takagawa, Ako Izumi, Defense


Post by: Keita Woo

[Eura]

OOC: Continued from here.

There could be no second guesses now. Brown and the troops were going ahead with his plan, while leaving the journalists alone with young Private Jones out on the perimeter. After scouting the temporary Sameban base out, they'd realised that to succeed they would need to mount a two pronged offensive. Of all the things the Sameban's were expecting, a random attack by infantry on this isolated point of the supply chain hundreds of miles behind their own lines was pretty low on the list. This meant there were plenty of potential entry points. Brown would move with the disillusioned Green, plus Private's Knight and Neerall, into the main industrial building on which the base had been assembled as there was one route which remained relatively exposed. They would gather whatever intelligence they could, blow the CO's office with some explosives that had been held on to since the outbreak of the war, and try to radio some sort of intelligence back to Euran Army communications. Mack, Bray and the last of the three soldiers they picked up from another unit would go for the fuel dump, torching it at the first opportunity, and then try to cause as much havoc as possible before withdrawing. Stein would try to cause further distraction by going in first, alone, and taking up a sniper position in an apparently empty prefab guard tower. First Section's mood had been grim leading up to the assault as they knew that this would probably be the end, but there was nothing else to be done now.

A kilometer or so away, the three journalists and Jones waited with baited breath. Monty didn't want to wait. 'They're good lads, but they won't come back. That camp has a couple of hundred Sameban's in it. We've seen enough, and we need to survive if anyone is going to hear their story. Let's walk south and be done with it.' He was met with grim silence. Kat answered him eventually. 'We're only getting home with armed protection probably. Let's at least give them a chance to succeed. If they don't come back when the shooting stops, we go. You can join us obviously, Jonesy.' Private Jones looked like he was barely out of school, he was by far the youngest person in the unit. 'I'll help you guys, yeah. But I don't want to leave my squad.'
'That's understandable. Just saying, you want an out? We're it. You've been told to look after us either way.' Sitting quietly a few metres away was Rowan, looking pensive. Monty walked over crouching, making sure to minimise his profile in the off chance that some Sameban sentry spotted them through the mist. 'Hey, hows things over here?' Rowan continued to stare ahead in stony silence. 'If you don't tell me I'll keep bugging you, kid.'
'I want to fight.'
'What?'
'I want to fight. Jones, we got any more weapons?' Kat and Monty were shocked and unsure as to how to respond to Rowan's sudden soldierly passions. The latter intervened strongly. 'Listen, you're coming home with us whether they make it or not. What the hell do you think you're doing?' Rowan pushed Monty out of the way, and grabbed a spare rifle from the kit pile.

Vain attempts were made over the next few minutes to convince Rowan, who simply refused to respond. Finally Kat grabbed him by the shoulder out of exasperation. 'You can't do this, you'll be killed! Rowan please don't go!' It took this to make him actually reveal any reasoning for the sudden bout of madness. 'These lads have been fighting and dying for us. And what for? So we could film them or whatever? The documentary is going to be great but these boys need our help, you get me? I know how to shoot, I was a reservist when I was younger. I'm doing this. You guys can stay here.' Jones tried to hold Rowan back as he jogged toward the camp quietly and in a crouching stance, with a loosely fitted body armour set, a rifle and some flares. Eventually he got to the edge, and caught up with Mack's group just in time. They couldn't believe it, especially Bray. 'What the fuck are you doing? Get back to Jones and your buddies now!'
'No way mate, I'm in it with you boys, let's give these wankers a shafting!' None of the soldiers had any real reason to complain so they simply nodded and accepted him into the group. The signal hadn't come yet so they waited for a while as the minutes ticked by. Then it came. A single flash of a torch from a hundred metres or so away, at the other entrance point, barely noticeable to any of the camp's residents who wouldn't pick up on an irregular flash of light nearby if it wasn't followed by a bang or a crack. 'Alright, here we go. On me!' The four of them charged forward with bayonets fixed to the end of their weapons, meeting no resistance except for a half asleep Sameban sentry. Bray dispatched him with a driving thrust and no difficulty. Massive fuel tanks greeted them once they reached where they needed to go, on the periphery of the camp boundaries. 'Bray and George, get out the fireworks. You can come with me Rowan.'

Over where the signal had come from Stein was already moving into position, having neutralised two sentries before reaching a twenty foot high prefabricated guard tower. No-one was around by the foot of it so she climbed the ladder as soon as the commencement signal had been sent. When she got to the top everything was quiet for a moment. There had been no gunfire yet, indeed most of the Sameban soldiers were probably still asleep in the large tents at the front of the camp. Mack planned to leave them some treats to make their lives difficult once they were out of their beauty sleep. Stein on the other hand had to work out how best to deploy her marksmanship from this isolated but well protected position. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a figure behind her. It was one of the conscripts, a mug in his left hand and a freshly sharpened knife in his right, staring at her like he'd seen a ghost. Stein reacted the only way she knew how, kicking up a waste paper bin in the guard tower to obstruct him before drawing her own knife, scenting blood. While her struggle played out Brown was unknowingly on the verge of a firefight. Neerall and Knight were sweeping the communications room which was surprisingly empty but Brown and Green had the critical task of finding the CO's office. It turned out to be a converted Healthy and Safety instruction room in the old facility. 'Barely enough space to fit a desk in here, Private. Let's find what we need and plant the charges.' They thought they would have a few minutes yet as Stein and the others got into their positions. Those hopes were quickly shattered by a scream and two thundering gunshots in quick succession. They were committed now and had only a few minutes to succeed or die. Green went to the window with baited breath, for he did not know how to get out of this situation. All he knew was that when things heated up he'd need to hit anything that moved from this very spot.

[Natanians and Nosts]

-The World Cup.Natanians and Nosts will for the first time in history play at the qualifiers for two world cups in a row.The team is expecting a good qualification this year.
-They hope to do better and also to qualify to the Cup of Harmony again,and if they do so to obtain a win.
-The coach has stated that the team will play even harder and focus more.
-Now we're going to talk to Gheorghe Márcus Álvares,hey Gheorghe.
-Hi Ion,hi Mihaela!
-Hey Gheorghe,so do you have any comments on our group?
-Wel,yes Mihaela I do have,we will have the honour,again,of being at the same group as the current World Cup champions,it's really good that our players have this opportunity to play against the best team that exists.Our group also have Ethane and Apox,two great teams,although Apox has not appeared at the World Cup for some time,but they did participate at the 19th CE.There's also another nation from Esportiva in our group:Mattijana,but they're not so known in the football world.There are some newer ations such as Suize and Legatorum,and Garifunya that is a long-standing nation.And completing the group there's Sameba,that's some random nation from Rushmore.
-Good,Gheorghe anything that was not expected?
-Apparently not Ion,the team will start using the usual formation with the same players,but the coach has given interviews stating that the team will fight hard this time,or as he said:"We'll not give up and we will honour our kecks!"
-Good!Good bye Gheorghe.
-Good bye Ion,good bye Mihaela!
-Good bye Gheorghe.
-After the break,the government plans on announcing soon an Environmental-protection plan.

[San Jose Guayabal]

CHAOS
Part 1: The dawn of a generation.

IC Note: This RP series shall help in order to cover the hole left by a bunch of old players in the NT.

“The game is tied 2-2, seven minutes left until we reach the penalty kicks, La Selecta seems in great shape at the last minutes of the match and shall this be our time? Marco” One of the narrators of Nación Deportiva said, Marco answered and said “I hope God, this should be our fucking time!” said Xavier while kissing a picture of a saint, then taking the mic to continue with the commentary “Amos has done wonders with this team, and this should be the long-awaited promise for the fans, we are closer than never before, the stadium is pushing out for the team!” While Marco said “Oh no, the counterattack, it’s three Vilitans against Passarelli, a series of triangulations, now one is in the area, Terrazas goes to cut down the chance, no….” And that’s how the situation began, one of the Vilitan players chipped the ball to Terrazas, the Guayabalense goalkeeper was unable to do anything but then Passarelli appeared, he wanted to send the ball away, but it was late, it was in, Vilita killed the Guayabalense fans mood, La Selecta was lying on the floor and crying… Xavier said “Mierda, mierda, mierda, mierda, mierda, mierda mierdaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, no puede ser, Terrazas, la puta que te parió.” Marco said “Unbelievable, how can you commit a childish attempt to save a ball on a damn fucking World Cup final?! Are you dead while living?”

The fans started to boo and leave the stadium, it seemed as normal shame and sadness for losing a game like a World Cup final, but everything changed dramatically when the game finished and the Vilitans on their so deserved World Championship, the Guayabalense fans were devastated but incredibly angry after said happenings, especially Alianza fans with Rodolfo Zelaya, who by then was the flamboyant new signing of CD FAS, the emblem of the national team turned suddenly into a public enemy, hated by everybody and victim of a lot of threats against his life, like card-bombs or even a bomb in his flat, his mediocre participation in the World Cup was the cherry on the cake, the top of the crown, the ultimate shame that broke the camel. If people thought that the quite inflammatory chant of “Shame on you, Zelaya, you dirty pig” was a lot, they were wrong, and in that night, it was clearly proven in a wild and unexpected fashion. The thing was not only against Zelaya, it was a grudge against everybody in the national team, they were basically dead for all the fans, who turned their sadness into a thirst of blood, nobody and nothing was going to stop them at the moment, police was joining to the riots, something totally unexpected in a civilised country with high life standards like San José Guayabal, the army joined too, that was a snowball effect, from a little ball to a huge and powerful avalanche.

“What do you feel about today’s game?” Said a news reporter to a fan “How you fucking dare to ask, are you Guayabalense?” said the fan angry to the reporter, he said “I’m” The fan replied wildly “So, you’re feeling he same I’m feeling, I’m feeling betrayed, it’s time to kill those mediocre, those beasts without heart that have polluted the glorious shirt of La Selecta, they should be executed on sight.” The reporter said, after nodding “I thought I’d never promote violence but it’s our duty to clean the team, seek for the best for your country, clean the team and do your job!” the people saw the desperate message on live TV, they were angry after said game, it seemed like a narrow defeat but it was an humiliation, an exhibition for the Guayabalense fans, that only wanted a purge into the national team, but not a bloodless purge, a bloody one. People from San Salvador gather around with torches and weapons, suddenly, people walking with AK-47 rifles was seen as a normal sight, nobody said anything, everybody seemed to be on the same channel, they were going to the stadium, awaiting at the entrance to do a random plan, the armed forces would stop the bus of La Selecta and the police distract the driver, while any foreign staff (even Lina Amos) of the national team was sent apart in safe transport in order to avoid a bigger crisis, people would act wildly at the moment since that was at least the minimum thing to be expected.

Zelaya was interviewed by media and one of them said “Are you aware of the mediocre game you did?” Zelaya nodded and said “I’m aware, I’m aware that I have wasted my time while playing for this team, to see only a bunch of people that doesn’t appreciates my hard work for this team, I’m retiring from football and I’m leaving this shithole.” People saw that interview, and suddenly rocks were thrown to Zelaya, forcing him to enter to the changing room, while some people was chasing him with rocks and seats taken out from the stadium stands, it seemed like nobody into the NT would leave the stadium unharmed, it was the beginning of a nightmare for all the nation. “Holy shit, we are not leaving this place alive” Said Zelaya to the rest of the players, some of them were surprised and said “What the hell you say?” Zelaya replied “Yes, as you heard, the people outside is crazy” “Woah there” said Núñez while returning to the bathroom, a fan tried to stab him but he closed the door on time, then players called the logistics department to prepare the bus, they would escape on the ventilation ducts, that’d be good for them, since they would leave without being noticed, they thought…” the fans were not so close of the bus, they were on the entrance awaiting with the army and police together.

The players managed to reach the bus with safety, the FGF logistic staff was protecting the bus, everybody was into the bus after a minute and there was even standees in it, because everybody wanted their skin to be complete after leaving the stadium, which was going to be their goal, if they leave the stadium, they would be safe and sound. The bus driver started and drove towards the exit, the police crossed a car and asked for a revision of the truck, they agreed but they saw how some pick-ups arrived and took everybody to the main square of San Salvador, under suspicions of illegal weapon carriage, the players said “What’s going on?” Terrazas said “I don’t know, I don’t have idea on what’s going on, I don’t want to even imagine what will happen to us, I hope we aren’t done.” “Shut the fuck up” said Zelaya, they continued to talk and pray while advancing to the main square, where people moved and gathered, since main square isn’t too far away from stadium, a five minutes’ walk, Núñez, Coco and Moreira saw a chance while on a stop and jumped away, they took the subway and robbed a clothes shop, in order to change their apparel and look completely different, they shaved and bought some artificial hair, they managed to do it according to some witness but it’s unknown where are they now.

The cars arrived to the main square, people with AK-47s and machetes were awaiting, they gathered near the cars and let the police took them down of the pick-ups, they were like bulls while watching blood in the bullfighter, they took them down and started to kick them, some to attack them with machetes, the first one to be killed was Terrazas, after he tried to stole a gun, a military police officer saw him and shoot him straight on his head, he was dead immediately, then Vaarisiemi was killed too, Valencia managed to survive since he was the most decent player of the team, his life was spared and could appear on a national team roster someday, if he manages to get rid of the trauma of what he saw. Some fans with Alianza shirts took Zelaya apart and started to sing “Zelaya, you dirty mercenary” and proceeded to kick him on groins or hitting him with the ammunition cartridge on his head, then a well-known leader of the Alianza ultras took a rifle and shoot him twenty times, symbolising the trophies that Alianza has won in its history, then before dying, Zelaya managed to say “Hijos de puta” and showed the middle finger to the fans, who sprayed gas and set him on fire immediately, causing the death of the most important player of Guayabalense history, in an totally unexpected public lynching, that caused the death of all the national team except for the trio that escaped miraculously and Valencia, who was spared.

---

During the WC 78 match against Abanhfleft.

A memorial minute of silence was being held at the Estadio Cuscatlán, the people crowded the stadium as normal but this time, was with the intention to be there and force the players to give their best, to win the game, and also be a real threat for the new generation of players, who were aware of the fate of his players in that fatidic night of World Cup finals, that might be remembered multiversally as the “Purge of San Salvador” since it was the first time that something like that happened on a World Cup final game in the immediate aftermath of it, the FGF and NSWC asked for a minute of silence and memorial of the players before every game (Arguably not in Gregoryisgodistan) due to the magnitude of the happenings, people on Estadio Cuscatlán was awaiting for the moment and it happened, the minute started and people chanted “We won’t miss you all, rot in hell, burn in hell, fuck off there and never return, mediocre bastards” while some were booing and showing a giant tifo saying “Respect the shirt and everything will be OK!” while displaying a fan with a gun near and doing warning gestures. The players were somewhat scared for that thing, but Agramonte calmed them and said “Do your job and you’ll be alive, otherwise, I’ll be the first to kick you out of the team.” The players were decided to honor the colors, they were also pissed at said show, now it was their turn to clean the table, the National Anthem was heard and the players were crying of emotion, it was the beginning of a new generation that sworn to defend the passion of Guayabalense fans.

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Venue for the match against Abanhfleft.

[align=center]Estadio Cuscatlán



Location: San Salvador
Capacity: 121,000
Altitude: 786 meters above sea level
Tenants: Sporting Stadiums of San José Guayabal S.A.
The Estadio Cuscatlán is undoubtedly the cathedral of football in the nation, home to the national team, Atletico Militar Marte and the iconic team Alianza FC. Near the center of the Government and the big residential cores, with a capacity of 121,000 spectators is not the largest in capacity but certainly this stage is characterized by his painting of blue and white in some parts, with a roof that covers part of the western sector of the stadium. A stadium where the national team of San José Guayabal usually shows his most offensive version. This stadium has hosted games and group phase of the Champions' Cup, the Baptism of Fire 56 (Group stage and semifinals) the World Cup 70 and Cup of Harmony 65 3PPO and the Cup of Harmony 63 Final, also has hosted the Final of the Campionato Esportivano di Campeones in the editions 18 and 19 respectivel, apart of hosting the fatidic WC 77 final.

[Soltsteed]

|national football | club football | basketball | rugby | volleyball | sevenball|

stallions quietly optimistic as soltsteed prepares for its first world cup qualifying campaign
domestic controversy erupts high-ranking football administrator passes out at the world cup qualifying draw

KALDUKOSIC, Cosumar — With the Stallions preparing for their World Cup qualifying début after a successful Baptism of Fire, a Royal Soltsteedish Football Federation Executive Committee landed himself in scandal after showing up to the qualifying draw under the influence of drugs.

Unusual and unfortunate events across the multiverse are shaping the 78th edition to be one of the most wide-open World Cups in recent memory: depending on who you ask, anywhere from six to sixteen nations could be plausible winners. With the top-ranked Unified Sunrise Islands gone from the international football scene, Farfadillis are the de facto number one side in the world and likely favourites, though San José Guayabal, Vilita, Valanora, Audioslavia and Valladares are just behind to provide a difficult challenge. And if the field weren’t crowded enough with them, ten other nations could be in with an outside shot—Nephara, Chromatika, Schottia, Bonesea, Cosumar, Ceni, Pasarga, Eura, Gregoryisgodistan and the Holy Empire.

Soltsteed, however, will start off in the humble depths of Pot 6 out of a possible 9, ranked joint 154th with Kel Assuk after winning the 65th Baptism of Fire in Spaam and Drawkland. Qualifying is projected to be a long shot for the Stallions, even if they had drawn a particularly favourable group.

But at the qualifying draw, the appropriately-named Christian Cocaine—a member of the Royal Soltsteedish Football Federation’s Executive Committee—was seen openly smoking marijuana, putting it away after the announcement of the first qualifying group. Later on in the ceremony, Cocaine reportedly spiked a bottle of blotwine, an infamous Bonesean alcoholic beverage, with LSD before downing it in one take. According to doctors, the laced alcohol was the immediate cause of Cocaine’s collapse after the announcement of Group 7, which recent Baptism of Fire runners-up Aggrey-Fynn Land and fellow former Soltsteedish opponents Finland had just been drawn into. Cocaine was replaced as Soltsteed’s representative at the draw by fellow RSFB Executive Committee member Nicolas Rosencrants.

Soltsteed’s qualifying schedule
MD1: v Flardania
MD2: @ Kalumba
MD3: v Heif
MD4: @ Taeshan
MD5: v Frejo
MD6: @ New Danican
MD7: (bye)
MD8: v Eura
MD9: @ Sulsuland

Soltsteed had been drawn three groups prior, being placed in Group 4 alongside Eura, Flardania, Taeshan, fellow Baptism of Fire winners Kalumba, Sulsuland, Frejo, New Danican and Heif, whom the Stallions had previously played in the SPAWK group stage, winning the critical group stage match that would decide whether they would advance to the knockout stage 2–0.

“For us to be joint-third in Pot 6 for our first qualifying draw is a good thing,” Rosencrants said after the draw. “It’s a great starting position for Soltsteed. Qualifying will be a long shot, but we’re optimistic. We got some of the weaker teams from the top pots, so we’ve got better chances than we might have otherwise had.”

However, more attention was focused on Cocaine than the draw, with #FireCocaine trending Soltsteedish social media not long after the video footage leaked. “This man is a disgrace to the Commonwealth,” posted County Castlewald resident Jan-Lucas van Martin. County Ely resident Maria Smith was more inquisitive in her post: “The King is President of the RSFB? Maybe he should fire Cocaine’s arse.”

When pressed for comment on the Cocaine controversy, Rosencrants simply stated “we’ll look into it. We can’t say what will happen or whether he’ll still be on the ExCom, but we will look into it.”

Cocaine is currently in a Kaldukosic hospital in critical condition. Soltsteed start their first World Cup qualifying campaign hosting Flardania in Port Michael’s Meerpark. •

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In other news:
Football: Wallanders achieve greatness in SPAWK, as Soltsteeders at-large are “amused” to be unknown
World Cup: Former SIS captain: “Soltsteed will fail immediately and spectacularly”
#SoltPoli: SDLP leader Claudie Michälssen on the attack after Environment Ministry graft scandal
Offbeat: Unorthodox naked bank robbery in County Castlefort leaves locals bemused

[Cosumar]

If you love the World Cup... If you love the Game...
The Moment is Now and This is the One Place to Be!

---

Matchday 1 RP Cutoff
Scores

[New Gazi]

Group 15. The Last Group. New Gazi would be looking to make a run. Based on interviews before the game, the coaches had hoped to hit the ground running.

"This first match is one we need to win. It's a close matchup with a slight edge in our favor", said Head Coach Oliver Hausta. "it's a long season and we need to get these wins."

The game got off to a fast paced start. There was a lot of movement on both sides as New Gazi(82) faced off against Gumusservi (103). The ball moved up and down the field as the teams all focused on passing and battling for possession. Neither team was giving up too much. There were a few runs and a few shots, but things were mostly contained.

New Gazi drew first blood in a fast break situation. A runner found space because of one defender's choice to pull off on a tackle. That was in part because the original defender was barely falling behind the Gazilian left winger, Uffe Diya.

Diya was able to juke and dodge the slide, kicking the ball just out of range and jumping over the challenge. He landed and sent a low, skipping cross. It was met with Jamuike's one-touch to Jarlsdottir whose own one-touch was in the form of a well timed kick.

The shot hit the top crossbar, just past the keeper's outstretched arms, and rolled into the back of the net. She put her arms out in the classic airplane stance as her teammates ran and embraced her.

Anita Jarlsdottir is New Gazi's most scouted rookie. She falls into the category of players from Vangaziland playing for New Gazi. Jarlsdottir has lived in the African ally to her home nation since she was 12. She played association football in youth clubs and at school. She also played pickup games in the more Gazilian and Vangazi style of football. Usually she played against boys her age, or even older.

One popular sport was Panna. Others would call it freestyle. It was all about dribbling, technical skills, and rhythm. Anita really became obsessed with putting on shows. She joined a Panna league and put freestyle videos up online.

She gained the attention of scouts for her handling ability and for her resiliency. She could use certain kinds of handles to outmaneuver stronger opponents. She was also quick. Others might be faster, but with her handle, she could change direction and take off in a way that would give space.

Anita took her women's team to the National University Championships 4 years in a row. After graduation, she played in the pro-amateur leagues where the African nation's scouts noticed her.

She was fairly strong, but could be pushed off the ball. She was quick to pass. It was just the matter of those two or three times she decided she would make a run. Her shot was fairly accurate, but not the most powerful. That didn't stop her from scoring New Gazi's first goal of the season on the 36th minute.

In the years since New Gazi first started in the World Cup and allowed Vannish born citizens to compete, many thought dozens of Vangazi would flood the African country to try to get on the national team. Vangaziland doesn't currently field a national team, due to funding.

Vangaziland focuses on basketball, where they are ranked 4th in the IBC and hold the Gold in Men's Basketball. "Smaller team, more funds for said team", said a Vannish sports minister.

Lefisse and Jarlsdottir are the only Vangazi to start. Vinny Vinsson sits on the bench and is known more for his bright red beard and sunglasses.

For the most part, New Gazi has stayed true to those born and raised in New Gazi. Even Lefisse has a father born in New Gazi.

The Gazilian defense fought hard to keep the ball away from their side of the field. There was a lot of passing. Thao Yeboah picked up a yellow card for being a bit too aggressive with a shove. He argued with the ref just a bit and earned a warning.

This meant he had to lay off, just a bit. In that spirit of hesitation, one of his marks found enough space to get a shot off. The Gazilians looked devastated when it scorched the net. There was still a little time left. The Gazilians failed to respond though and the game finished in a 1-1 draw.

"This could hurt us if we end up in a close run", said Forward Amare Contee. "There are some really tough teams. We need to win these close matches, especially when we're favored."

"It just shows us how close the spots are between places 80 and 100 or so", said Coach Hausta. "A draw isn't the best morale booster. But we need to make sure we win these sort of games. If we lose certain games, we may as well kiss our playoff chances goodbye."

Uffe Diya looked slightly agitated in his locker room interview. Some Vannish reporter kept shoving a rather outdated looking microphone in his face.

"It's just motivation. Now we'll have to go out and play harder" Diya said. "If we can pull a win against one of the strong teams, a draw won't be bad.

The Group 15 game between Coraspia and Lisander also ended in a draw with a score of 2-2. New Gazi had not fallen too deep into an early hole. There is a long way to go and a dramatically steep hill in the way of playoff advancement. Still, the people of New Gazi, some in Vangaziland and others around the world would tune in to see if this was the year that New Gazi could make a run.