World Cup 78 - Roleplay Thread

[Yesopalitha]

Unknown Facts about Yesopalitha

Part 3

The Yesopalithan Government is still tribal, even to this day. The Dark Council is made of Councilors who come from each Tribe, or each Species. There is one Councilor that represent all of the Bidden (non-Unbidden), and then one per each major Unbidden species: Vampire, Werewolf, Skeleton, Zombie, Mummy, Shade, Wraith, and the like. The only reason that Nirdasil is the leader is because she is a combination of many of them. That being said, Zaiden remains the supreme leader, if he should return.

Any and all political ascending is done per species. There have been movements to make it more of an even playing field instead of one per species, especially because some species have more of a population than others, and it is a bit unfair for the Shade representative representing tens of thousands to have the same representative power as the Vampire representative representing millions. That being said, it's the way things were decreed by Zaiden, and without the God's intervention, it's the way that things will likely remain in the future.

Each species does run their own version of elections to decide on their Councilors, and then the Councilors vote on matters of the state. That is why Yesopalitha is deemed an Unbidden Free Republic.

[Mriin]

Aldo came down hard on Hugo Grec, the aggressive challenge backing the ball handler back once more. The game was fifteen minutes in and a large amount of nothing had happened, as under Don's orders the Mriin side was playing extremely bullishly--they had beaten Juvencus' squad before, in last cycle's Baptism of Fire, and quite solidly.

"Their passing game is atrocious," he had said, "make sure they're never comfortable in their cleats and they'll serve our opportunities to us." Grec hopped off the ball and to simply let Oriol Vives trot up and take it off to the left, but he didn't make it far before Wanny got up in his grill, determined to not embarrass herself the way that'd gotten her pulled at half time every game thus far (barring the Polar Islandstates match, which hardly qualified as a game). The calculated challenge did throw Vives off, who attempted to boot it back to Nino Russo and continue the passive passing. But Joren was far too seasoned against this coward's play, cutting the pass off and almost walking through the Juven back line. Nicolò Bassi, the youngest Juven on their starting eleven, did attempt a challenge but was simply no match for Joren, who sidestepped past without breaking a sweat and slamming a low line-drive into the bottom-right corner.

Strolling back towards midfield, Joren fell into stride next to Solara. "It can't be that easy, can it?"

"I heard they're trying to be more aggressive," she shrugged, "which falls apart if they don't make a drive, I guess?"

Joaquim Martell kicked off to Vives, who immediately backpedaled and passed it back to Filipe Rodrigues, who proceeded to eat the ball.

I guess we're doing this again? thought Joren as he strode forward, flanked by Aldo who broke off the cover Martell and Wanny who slowed down by Vives, effectively cutting off any path forward the Juven had. Solara was already running circles around the backs as if Mriin had possession. Joren just kept a steady pace, heading directly at Rodrigues, head slightly tilted down as if baring his horns. Rodrigues shunted it sideways to Russo, and Joren just slightly shifted his course to aim at him. Russo did a little fancy footwork in place as though he was getting ready to dash past, but as Joren kept bearing in he predictably just bumped it back to Rodrigues. But by this point even the Mriin backs had pushed well up, freeing the midfield to collapse in and break up that farce; Wanny ended up only just being short of beating Rodrigues to the ball, and the latter tried to shovel it yet further back but only found Solara's waiting hoof. She wasted no time turning on the ball and pelting it from just outside the box while the Juven backs were nowhere to be found; Taddeo Bulgari had no chance of laying a hand on it as it rattled into the top of the net.

August Toset, the Juven gaffer, all but stormed onto the field as he called time. Nearly half the bench was jogging onto the field as Toset yelled out the names they'd be replacing; Rodrigues, Vives, Bassi, Russo, Scarpa, Grec--he was having none of this.

And as play resumed, it seemed to be paying off--Julio Ramires sprung off the line alongside Santo Silvestri, and it seemed the youthful pair were putting some energy back in their side. They took a much more aggressive stance, finally spending more time with the ball in the Mriinian half and putting pressure on. Uhlon backed up for a moment to make sure Zilia was still awake, which was met with a cheerful "fuck off" as he got back into position.

A couple of nifty passes between Silvestri, Ramires, and Elio Provenzano actually put Juvencus in position for a solid chance, and Silvestri took it; Zilia had to dive for it, but managed to snag it and hang on. She popped up with it quickly, and made quick note that it seemed the Juven were lingering about a little too long, perhaps enraptured with the fact that they'd actually made a strong play, not noticing Solara being her usual overeager self sprinting back towards their half. With a hop and a heave Zilia chucked a long airball that bounced once in open ground before getting to the striker, who popped it over her head with the back of her hoof without as much as looking.

Dudu Madeiros was the only one who was anywhere near in position to contest her, and made a valiant effort of it, taking a neat slide--knowing he couldn't contest the 7'4" Satyr in a straight challenge or race--that very nearly knocked the ball loose, but she managed to maintain control without losing too much momentum and streaked down the remainder of the pitch before blasting it directly center, much to the chagrin of a diving Bulgari.

If being down three-naught rattled Silvestri, he certainly didn't show it. With just a minute plus two of added time left in the half as they kicked off, he led another aggressive assault and attempted to feed Martell a shot on the left wing. The shot ultimately went high enough that Zilia didn't even bother to jump for it, but the home crowd seemed to be staving off the depression one might expect being down three-oh at halftime.

And indeed, just a scant few minutes into the second half, the Juvens found themselves deep in the Mriinian half once again, and this time Martell found a much tighter shot that Zilia was forced to palm over the bar. Angelino Alberighi readied at the left corner, and delivered a smooth inbound to Jaumet Albert at the corner of the box; it seemed they acknowledged they couldn't win an aerial fight with the towering defenders, so they merely used Silvestri and Martell's aggressive post jockeying to pull attention, as Albert reared back and cleaved it through the split defense. Zilia was just able to get in front of it but couldn't get a grip, as the ball dribbled back out; Silvestri just slid in ahead Mari, and tipped the ball back over the line and just out of Zilia's reach.

1-3. It still didn't look great for the home team, but hell if they were giving up that easily. Most of the players on the pitch for them hadn't even been a part of the Baptism squad that had been booted out by Mriin, but they were still playing with the vigor of a team that had something to prove.

Which made it all the more unfortunate when Artur Bernat made a clumsy challenge that knocked Aldo off his feet. Bernat was visibly disturbed from the moment their hips made contact--it hadn't even been a particularly good drive, Aldo just seemed to be taking a wild charge into a defended box and an alert keeper, looking to capture some glory in what he felt was already a won game. Even barring the rough day Bulgari was having it would have been a routine stop, but there was Joren lining up for the penalty.

An awkward silence fell over the stadium as he carefully studied Bulgari. The sweat on his brow, the pace at which he was bouncing on his toes... how heavily Bulgari was landing took his attention. That fatigue of the long, losing game was clearing getting to him. So Joren took a very quick and short stride to the ball, the kick times to catch Bulgari flat-footed, who couldn't do more than awkwardly jerk over as the ball rattled far to his left.

[Eshan]

Echani Presidential candidate Senator Revan Fitzgerald Bernat was pacing the length of his hotel suite, muttering to himself while a small army of his closest aides, political strategists, and personal advisors surrounded him; a never ending cacophony of advice on who to mention in speeches, what recent polls were saying, how could he break down the competition without being too aggressive and coming off as a total prick.

It was exhausting. Countless hours crisscrossing the isles of Eshan, meeting so many different Echani citizens and hearing their stories, connecting with them, giving speeches and late night talk show appearances and daily radio spots and countless more, all of it on repeat. Crushing expectations, constant media attention, always being on the move and having to moderate every single sentence and tightly control his body language.

But all the stress and work and sheer drudgery would be worth it. He did love campaigning, he did love giving speeches and connecting with the public, but most of all he coveted the Presidency and a chance to bring Eshan towards the light. One of the best nations in Atlantian Oceania and it was being so severely limited by the idiocy of the current conservative administration it killed him. Revan Bernat sighed to himself. If he lost out to Octavian Salazaar or fucking Makélélé or one of the others, not only would the nation be doomed, but his political career would also be done and he'd fade away into obscurity.

An aide walked up to him offering the latest draft of a policy white sheet on his stance on Eshan's military. He waved it away, massaging his temples; his stance on the military could be boiled down to a single word, bigger. He didn't want to deal with anymore political matters, even for a Presidential candidate some time off is needed. Senator Bernat called out to the office as large, telling them he was going to take an hour off to decompress and get his head straight. The assorted suits nodded their collective heads and went right back to work as their boss retreated into his room and flopped onto his bed before turning on the tv.

He idly flipped through the channels before stopping on a sports chan that was playing the highlights of the Eshan-Eastfield Lodge game. He hadn't gotten a chance to watch it; the biggest drawback of being a Presidential candidate was not getting to see the brilliance of the Echani national team. He found himself drifting in and out of sleep punctuated by the explosive reactions of the fans when one of the four goals was scored. Eastfield Lodge got the scoring going in the 27th minute before Marco van Ciavatinni equalized in the 43rd minute with a sweetly struck free kick. Revan fell asleep before being woken up by crowd cheering Anthony Baudelio's 61st minute goal, before EFL tied it up in the 82nd; a 2-2 scoreline that held until final time and keeps Eshan in second place of the group.

Senator Bernat got to his feet, yawning and stretching his muscles as he stood up and smoothed out his suit and shirt before stepping out into the madness of political Eshan.

[New Gazi]

Coraspia squared off with the New Gazi FC National Cannoneers. The Gazilians are holding onto slim playoff hopes. From their perspective, this was a game they needed to win against a lower ranked team. This meant they wouldn't underestimate Coraspia.

The early battle for possession was heavily contested. It was a 49%/51% split, with neither team gaining much of an advantage on the ball. Several shots were launched on both sides, but none found their mark.

The Gazilians would not score until the 60th minute. A series of passes on a fast break led to an opportunity for Uffe Diya from a cross. His shot lifted up and into the corner of the goal. Anita Jarlsdottir was the first teammate to embrace him. The others soon joined in, including Amare Contee.

The Gazilians did not want to lose this one.

Diya moved from Left Winger to Left Midfielder, this season, with the formation change to two up front.

"There is a lot more defense", Diya said after the game. "There's a bit more running, but the wing has lots of sprinting, so it evens out." Diya brings a lot of that sprinting to Midfield regardless.

Anita Jarlsdottir took a hard tackle and landed awkwardly on a trip. She was out with an undisclosed leg injury. She was going to miss the next 1-2 games.

"Anita brings a certain level of finesse our offense needs in the middle", said Coach Hausta right after the injury. "We'll adapt. Our team will be bigger. Lefisse still carries that style."

The coach didn't want to say it, but there would also be more passing. The style would shift more towards New Gazi's style and less like Vangaziland's. This started happening right after Ayotunde Ibori subbed in. He is more of a defensive midfielder. He's a holding midfielder on runs, as he doesn't have much of a shot. He has scored in previous editions of the World Cup, but not often.

He found himself benched for Anita Jarlsdottir this season. Ibori called it "surreal", early in the season. "I've done so much for this team."

In truth, it wasn't a one for one swap because of the formation change. But Ibori found himself on the bench with this new Vangazi starting. The Gaziians could have went with another Vangazi with a similar style to Jarlsdottir, Vinsson. He's more of a late game sub than a fullatch starter. He may get a chance to start if things didn't work out with Ibori.

The second goal came on a header from a corner. Alfonso Niang is another new addition for World Cup 78. The six footer connected off a diving leap. He didn't get up before he was swamped by his team.

The Cannoneers would take the win, but the next game would be against Schottia. The 11th ranked team will be the toughest opponent the Gazilian program has faced in its three seasons of World Cup competition.

"One strategy will be fighting to keep the score close", said Assistant Coach Sayra Junta. "From there, we'll try to pull what we need to flip it. It's going to be a learning experience. We'll take something from it and gameplan. It'll be very tough."

"We'll show up", said Thao Yeboah. "I mean... We'll be aggressive. We'll be physical. They're good, they're used to that. Even if they score, we'll fight."

Yeboah has caused controversy in previous editions of the World Cup by calling out his forwards for not scoring enough. Back then, a series of close loses drew the center back's attention. He's known for being an "enforcer" of sorts. In New Gazi's domestic league, Yeboah has fought two times.

One fight was against a new addition to the team, Striker Obasea Kofrey. Punches were thrown and connected. Both players were suspended and treated for concussions. That was only six months before the start of WC78. The two have made an effort to move on from the past. They've been seen marking each other in practice and joking around.

"Things seem a bit more calm in the locker room this year", said Imari Lefisse. "Better chemistry. Thao has been cool, we all went out the other day for lunch and the movies. Our program feels more established. The rookies are awesome too."

"The good thing about the early wins is that it's helped the team bond", said Coach Hausta. "We've got some tough battles ahead though."

News came out that a VIP out of Vangaziland would be flying in to see the game against Schottia. A group of several hundred Vangazi were getting together through a promotion between a travel company, a radio station and an airline company. At least 24,000 citizens from New Gazi were expected to attend, along with thousands of Vangazi and others from within the Empire's spectrum.

"If our team has to fight, we want to fight with them", said a random elderly fan. "This may be an ugly battle, but hey. War is hell."

[Soltsteed]

This is obviously very, very non-canonical…

---

The Beet

---

The Day Soltsteed Forgot to Be Defensive: Soltsteed 6–1 Frejo
The Commonwealth does a collective spit take after the Stallions pull off an unprecedentedly domineering performance

Some foreign bloke looking on in surprise as Soltteed Soltsteed bag six goals
(Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Oliver Hassanal)

Port Michael, Solsteed Soltsteed — After losing in Taeshan, most Soltsteeders had given up hope of doing anything worthwhile in World Cup qualifying, but a voodoo incantation from manager Jan-Peter Wietdal resulted in one of the most surprising results in qualifying thus far.

The mysterious Frejo were the visitors to Port Michael’s Meerpark. Unlike Solsteed and Drawkaland, Frejo is definitively known to exist; however, the existence of their national football team is in serious question. They participated in the last Baptism of Fire in Spaam and Drawkaland Drawkland, where they were knocked out by hearty Acapais in the Round of 16, but have been mysteriously absent from their subsequent World Cup qualifying matches.

Soltseed Soltsteed, however, have just sucked, winning only one match in their first four weeks. Despite the protests of Wietdal that the Stallions’ schedule had been “hard”, Sotsteed Soltsteed were still sitting near the bottom of Group 4, with goal doctor Emma Gryndhout having scored only twice for Soltsted Soltsteed.

But when the match started, Soltstead Soltsteed started off the scoring quickly, when the ball bounced off the head of substitute goalie Julian Lyksdal and landed in the Frejoan net within five minutes. Ten minutes later, living fossil Marie-Ann Änderssen kicked the ball through a seventy metre open space and scored for Saltsteed Soltsteed yet again. Naught but fifteen minutes later, Emma Gryndhout, realising what her job was, dove in the box with no one around, drawing a penalty that she subsequently converted to put Sautsteed Soltsteed up by three.

Feeling content that they had a secure lead, Oltsteed Soltsteed started kicking the ball all over the place with little regard for who got to it until the end of the first half.

The second half kick-off furthered Söltsteed’s Soltsteed’s lead, thanks to Emma Gryndhout playing pinball with the opposing players and bouncing the ball into the net. A rain of chocolate syrup would start up soon after, but not before Emma Gryndhout unwittingly bagged her third goal by doing absolutely nothing but standing in the middle of the pitch, her stationary head providing the bouncing point the ball needed to go back into the goal.

Frustrated by the unintentional goals that Såltsteed Soltsteed were racking up, Frejo attempted to do something, but were stopped by Lily Webb, who used a teleportation spell to move herself and the ball into the goal defended by Frejo, putting Soltsteed up by six. After multiple futile attempts by Frejo, Søltsteed Soltsteed goalkeeper Emmet Ferdinand, feeling bad for his opposition, opted to give Frejo a consolation goal by taking a goal kick that Frejo ceded in the 89th minute and kicking it directly into the net behind him.

“When I said we were going to kick Frejoan arse, I didn’t think we would do it quite so decisively,” a cocoa-drenched Jan-Peter told press after the match. All in all, decisive it was for Soltßteed Soltsteed.

Soltsteed Solsteed now travel to the Grand Stadium in New Danican, who are currently exactly level with the Stallions, for next week’s match before heading to a cave somewhere in the Dreamed Realm for their Week 7 break. —TB

[Vilita]

Vilita have a long history of selecting players from its National Talent Pool throughout a qualification campaign, instead of re-using the same lineup over and over. The belief has always been to spread the experience around so that more players are able to step up when needed, and that the younger players are prepared for the occasion earlier in their career.

Set out to understand what factors directly contributed to the Jungle Cats success in World Cup 77 - and what factors were perhaps at best red herrings, or, at worst, detrimental to either World Cup 77 or continued success in future events, The Football Association of Vilita convened the Football Association of Vilita 'Generation of Champions Analysis Team' (GoCat) who began a detailed analysis of World Cup 77 itself, starting with the World Cup 77 Qualification phase.

Did this theory work in practice? Of course, in the isolated case of World Cup 77, Vilita were triumphant. But the GoCAT needed to determine exactly how much of that experience has been spread across which players - then compare that with the experience of the players used during the World Cup 77 Finals - just to begin to paint the beginning of a picture of whether or not the implementation of player selection policies is a help, a hinderance, or a non-factor in the Jungle Cats success.

Football Association of Vilita, Tivali Ring Stadium, Alikki-Corra, Vilita :: There has always been an internal battle between the Midfielders and the Forwards in the Vilitan National Team - with the Forwards naturally tasked with responsibility of scoring the goals for the National Team; but the midfielders have a habit of rising up and stealing the glory in Vilita's biggest moments. World Cup 20. The biggest title in the Golden Era. The age of the Boots of Banda. But it wasn't Vilita's most famous goalscorer that was the Bull-slayer... the slave-slayer... the one who joined the exclusive club... well, the club... well more the long, long, long, super long list of Players who have scored a game winning goal against Audioslavia to deny them a major sporting accomplishment. It was a midfielder. Tanner Nerni. Midfielders stole the show again during World Cup 68. While Sirkii Moliaudo became the first Vilitan forward to score a goal in a World Cup final... and his goal did actually put the Jungle Cats in the lead, it was not the game winner. In fact, three of Vilitas four goals in the World Cup 68 final came from midfielders, including Riksa Valjariia's game winner.

Of Course, GoCAT wasn't looking to solve long-standing battles from within the Vilitan National Team... but they would look to see if the data could potentially explain it. Over an 18 match qualification campaign... particularly an 18 match qualification campaign on the road to the World Cup Final... would the Midfielders outpace the Strikers?

The GoCAT had already finished their analysis of the Midfielders and saw that the Turoki Tide's attacking midfield threat Poloax Torerun was on form throughout the qualifiers scoring on average once in every two games he participated in for a total of 5 goals in Qualification.

It was the Yeaddin Owls Kiliko Riazen who had the most opportunity to put the 'biscuit in the basket' though the former Alikki-Corra trainee wasn't able to make the most of the opportunities presented to them. The 12 Appearances Riazen made throughout Qualifying did match the mark set by Eastal Lunar's Tripate Falcon and Riazen's Yeaddin Owls teammates Westii Yahaya for most appearances amongst all Vilitan Players in World Cup 77 Qualifying.

As was the case with the midfielders, there were four Vilitan forwards who played in 10 or more qualifying matches and their goalscoring production was almost identical to that of their midfield counterparts - probably not the analysis that aspiring Vilitan forwards were looking for.

Vilitan Forward Appearances
World Cup 77 Qualification
Appearances [Goals]

12 [2] - Kiliko Riazen :: Yeaddin Owls
10 [5] - Sipke Tarala :: Lonngeylin Coast
10 [4] - Kaivel Illatara :: Rammsissil
10 [3] - Fishtii Blikala :: Makosile
7 [2] - Tenziki Kulakao :: Yeaddin Owls
7 [1] - Nuola Brenzil :: Mliona-Lpaka AFC
6 [3] - Berali Tzufarei :: Eastal Lunar
5 [0] - Linvoi Warazil :: Jungle Strike FC
1 [0] - Lboaisa Akarelm :: Makosile
1 [0] - Perran Adlani ::

One thing that World Cup 77 Qualifying certainly did mark, however, was a return to prominence for players of the Yeaddin Owls. Once Vilita's most storied franchise, the Owls all-time championship mark in the Tropics has since been passed over by rivals Jungle Strike FC. But as Strike continues to be a popular destination for foreign talent looking to compete in the UICA international competitions, the Owls have undergone a re-birth from within as they have used local Vilitan talent to climb back up the league table and back into Stellar Division relevance. With two of the three players who led the Vilita National Team with 12 appearances during qualifying boasting themselves as Owls players, it was clear the influence the Yeaddin club had on the Jungle Cats.

In perhaps another ironic strike against Vilita's biggest club, it was Jungle Strike FC's local rival Lonngeylin Coast who produced the Vilita National Teams most prolific goalscoring forward during the qualification campaign - Sipke Tarala.

Goals during Qualifying
5 - Sipke Tarala
4 - Kaivel Illatara
3 - Fishtii Blikala
3 - Berali Tzufarei
2 - Kiliko Riazen
2 - Tenziki Kulakao
1 - Nuola Brenzil

Like the Turoki Tide's Polaox Torerun, Sipke Tarala netted 5 goals in 10 matches during the Qualification - ending up joint top with Torerun amongst the Jungle Cats for goals in qualification. From the perspective of the Forwards - at least they didn't get outpaced by their midfield counterparts. However, considering it is the duty of the forwards to score the goals, and there wasn't a single Jungle Cat forward who scored more goals - or, scored goals at a more efficient rate than their midfield counterparts, they could possibly still be discouraged by the results of the analysis.

There were 7 different forwards who made their way onto the scoresheet for the Jungle Cats during World Cup 77 Qualifying - the same amount of Unique goalscorers that the Midfielders produced.

There were at least four Forwards who scored at least 3 goals. Once again, just like the midfielders. There were four midfielders who scored at least 3 goals as well. There were two forwards who scored two goals each - both of whom spend their time domestically playing at the Lirai Asku Castle for the Yeaddin Owls, Kiliko Riazen and Tenziki Kulakao. Likewise, there were two midfielders who scored two goals each - Westii Yahaya and Ikala Mravedii - one of which, Yahaya, also plays domestically for the Yeaddin Owls. Both Groups also had a single player who netted a single goal. Jyuola Mtalata of Eastal Lunar for the midfielders and Nuola Brenzil of Mliona-Lpaka for the forwards.

Nearly identical production in all facets of the game. With one exception. Kaivel Illatara scored four goals. There were no midfielders with four tallies during the qualification. Technically though, it was Sipke Tarala who broke the deadlock. After 17 games unbeaten to start the qualifying campaign, the Jungle Cats finally came back down to earth in their final game of qualification against the improbably named Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. Despite the defeat, the Jungle Cats got a late consolation goal from the Lonngeylin Coast striker. While Tarala's goal didn't mean much on the night - it meant a lot to the GoCAT analysis. It meant that there was at least one forward - Sipke Tarala, on the Vilita National Team that was able to at least match both the number of goals scored by the most prolific goalscoring midfielder, and the rate of goalscoring - one goal in every two games played.

Perhaps more importantly to the forward crop, however, it meant that the Forwards as a group had scored more goals than the midfielders over the 18 match stretch. Only barely. The four goals by Kaivel Illatara compared to the second best midfield goalscorer having three was the difference. A total of 20 goals by Vilitan Forwards. 19 by Vilitan Midfielders and 8 by Vilitan Defenders. Well balanced, perhaps. Was that the Vilitan formula? Was that the formula that would bring World Cup success? Was that the key? Was that what the Jungle Cats had always done?

With every answer, more questions. Perhaps it was a way of ensuring job security, or perhaps it was just a way of being thorough. But one thing was for sure, there was plenty of analysis left for the GoCAT to produce.

Champions Tour Series
1. Celebration & Reflection
2. GoCat 77Q: Goalkeepers
3. GoCat 77Q: Defenders
4. GoCat 77Q: Midfielders

[Aggrey-Fynn Land]

LANDER SPORTS NETWORK

Your plug for all things sport.

---

AGGREY-FYNN LAND TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS WITH A SHUTOUT

GOAL: Tracy (44')
GOAL: Whitlick (79')

(Sunnyside, AGGREY-FYNN LAND) Aggrey-Fynn Land took on the Isles of Avon in their previous match. The Isles of Avon are ranked somewhat higher than the Wavy Ones (88th place). As a result, Aggrey-Fynn Land was coming into yet another game where they were the underdog. "It's taken a bit of getting used to, but personally, I like the fact that we are considered an inferior team on paper compared to some of our group mates," Jahseh Twins commented when asked him how it feels to be playing a top 100 team. "It's a challenge for us, and we've proven that we can rise to the occasion." The game was scheduled at Sunrise Stadium, located in Sunnyside. This was the first international ever played there, so many local fans came out in force to support the Superstars. "This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity, to watch the boys in my hometown, so I'm gonna take it," were the words of one ecstatic fan entering the stadium. "I even got front-row tickets so I would have the best seat in the house when the action unfolds!" This game is crucial to Aggrey-Fynn Land's chance at qualifying, as with every game in the qualifying cycle, so the Wavy Ones were really hoping to get the ball rolling here.

Superstars take back control

The game did not start very well for Aggrey-Fynn Land. The Eagles did a stellar job of controlling and distributing the ball. Whenever they touched the ball, they made the most of it, pushing forward with numbers and creating space and chances. They got many shots on goal, but Jahseh Twins was able to get his hands on most of them. Aggrey-Fynn Land's chances appeared very bleak as the Isles of Avon controlled the flow of play and possession. Any time Aggrey-Fynn Land got the ball, they were smothered by the Eagles' formidable defensive line, and they did not get many chances on goal. However, at the end of the half, the Eagles began to slip. More balls got through, and the half ended up culminating with the first goal. RJ Duval let go a shot that hit the goalkeeper and went out of bounds. This resulted in a corner. The ball was masterfully swung into the box, and Quintavius Tracy met it with his head; Aggrey-Fynn had the lead now 1-0! The Wavy Ones were able to keep the lead going into halftime.

Wavy Ones gain steam

Going into the second half, Aggrey-Fynn Land was propelled by their success late in the first half. They started being more aggressive, and were making bolder passes in an attempt to get another goal. Their efforts were somewhat successful, and led to more shots on goal for the Superstars. By now, the game had completely flipped in Aggrey-Fynn Land's favor. They controlled the flow of play, had a higher passing percentage, and had more possession in the second half. The Isles of Avon attempted to get back into the game, but at this point, it was too little too late. Aggrey-Fynn Land was in the driver's seat, and the fans were loving every second of it. The day was only going to get better. In the 79th minute, Gordon Whitlick had a breakaway chance, which he buried in the bottom left corner. This was the icing on the cake for Aggrey-Fynn Land, and the game ended in a decisive 2-0 win for Aggrey-Fynn Land.

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
ABANHFLEFT • PRIDNESTROVIA • OONTAZ DERT LI NG • COPPER CUPRUM • TRENDSTART • FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA

WORLD CUP 78 QUALIFIERS: ABANHFLEFT VS HUELAVIA
By Malik Qazizadah


Abanhfleft women's national team players celebrate their win against HUElavia at the Aeroflot Stadium in Rosenpfelblatz. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

ROSENPFELBLATZ, MARKOVSKY - Abanhfleft appeared to have gotten their World Cup qualification campaign back on track with a vital win over HUElavia at the Aeroflot Stadium in Rosenpfelblatz.

Bella Maynard drew first blood for the Lady Revolutionaries when her rasping strike from 28 meters curved past the wall and into the near post after fooling the opposing keeper with a swerving curve.

Chelsea Stuart then doubled the Fleftics' advantage at the hour mark when she looped the ball over the HUElavian keeper before Allison Torres added a third following a neat finish from a very tight angle.

Substitute Zsofia Dolan then made sure of the victory by slotting home Jordana Valentine's long ball after evading two HUElavian defenders and skipping past the keeper before own goals from Patricia Foulke and Miriam Hannibal almost gave HUElavia a way back into the game.

Goals (and own goals) galore
At this point in the Abanhfleft women's team's last qualification campaign, the Lady Revolutionaries had scored six goals and conceded three, with none of those goals conceded being from Fleftic players. Now, Abanhfleft has scored fourteen goals in four games but have also conceded twelve, five of those goals being own goals. What, then, does this mean for Abanhfleft's defensive solidity?

Holly Jonasson was once criticized for her decision to shift from a back three to a back four formation for the World Cup 76 qualifiers following medical concerns over striker Alexandra Rousseau, but while Abanhfleft didn't score as many goals back then as they are doing now, the Lady Revolutionaries also didn't concede as many goals (and as many own goals) as they are doing now, and now some are calling for Jonasson to return to the back four formation just to shore up the Fleftics' defense.

Jonasson has admitted that she is thinking about the effects that the new formation has on her team and their style of play but whether she will actively change formations once again or stick to what works is still up in the air.

Abanhfleft women's team manager Holly Jonasson: "Yes, it's a win, and a win is always a win, but we have to stop conceding a ludicrous amount of own goals. If we could find a way to get our players to send the ball into the right goal then I would be honestly a much happier woman. But sometimes things don't go your way, and sometimes you just have to accept that.

"These are difficult times, yes, but I am confident that we will be able to overcome it. I am that proud of my players. We will claw our way back into contention."

Abanhfleft will face Tumbra at their country for the Lady Revolutionaries' fifth game of the World Cup 78 qualifiers.

  ABANHFLEFT 4 - 2 HUELAVIA
MAYNARD (8')       FOULKE (67' og)
STUART (30')       HANNIBAL (89' og)
TORRES (37')
 DOLAN (61')

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 13 Foulke █
RB: 2 Osgood
CB: 4 Jackson (Hannibal - 81' █)
LB: 3 Valentine (Heaton - 73')
RM: 5 Maynard
LM: 6 Choi
RW: 7 Prescott
CAM: 10 Torres
LW: 8 Singh
RS: 9 Stuart
LS: 11 Rousseau (Dolan - 55')

STATISTICS
Possession
Abanhfleft: 56%
HUElavia: 44%
Shots
Abanhfleft: 14 (8 on target)
HUElavia: 6 (2 on target)
Corners
Abanhfleft: 7
HUElavia: 3
Fouls
Abanhfleft: 14
HUElavia: 17

[Cosumar]

And, CUT!!!

With that, we reach the point in the campaign where some teams' hopes of qualifying are already slippin' away...

...Does yours have the strength to keep fighting to the mid-qual break?

---

Matchday 6 RP Cutoff
Scores

[Flardania]

Opening Theme

---

Bonjour et Ohayōgozaimasu Kirishima. Welcome ladies and gentleman back to another World Cup 78 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 matchday five of World Cup qualifiers have been completed, 135 teams, 30 spots and 13 matchdays to go, I'm your host, the fan you can count on to bring you Kitsune news Keitaaaaaaa Woo! Without any further delay let's get grooving to some world cup football once more!

The Kitsunes have been playing very well as of late starting with their win over Eura and their following win against Sulsuland the very next matchday. Now while it is quite early in the qualification cycle. For comparison sake, the Kitsunes with an old style to boot finished in the top of their group over Quebec in World Cup 76 and won their first three games. Furthermore, Kirishima had matched their effort from World Cup 77 where they were standing with two wins and one draw after their first three games before the infamous stretch of four consecutive draws that ultimately resulted in a qualification cycle where The Kitsunes had to win their last game and the Stags of Brigantii shockingly drew with Ancharmunn. Now frankly there isn't much separating these two performances at this point despite how improbable it is for a four-match draw streak to occur.

The real differences here this time around is that the one draw the Kitsunes have to their name came in Matchday one and not matchday three, and that draw came following Kirishima shocking defeat in a pre-cup friendly with San Regada. The same rank 234th squad that defeated rank 59th Acronius on their first matchday on matchday two before dropping points to unranked Oontaz Dert Li Ng on matchday four. That form of inconsistency in their first World Cup qualifiers reminding many of Kirishima and talks have already begun on talks of a potential new rival in San Regada. Not only that but that draw came before the early but seemingly at this time needed an emergency meeting between Seong, Kyosuke, and Katsuragi. The main reason things feel different is that World Cup 77 frankly felt too much like a heart attack that the Kitsunes exerted all energy lucking into before being kicked out of the tournament pointless. Not only that not only the Kitsunes get their match against their pot one companion out of the way, much like the World Cup 76 qualifiers, Kirishima got a needed win over a pot one team which will affect the group down the line as opposed to when they lost twice to Valanora in the World Cup 77 qualifiers. Wins against pot one teams provide a cushion in case a disaster happens against a much lower ranked team down the line.

Kirishima 1 - 0 Kalumba Review:

After enjoying their matchday 4 bye, the Kitsunes turned up to the Dreamscape Arena in Kairaku located in Koyanagi Prefecture on the second largest island of Kirishima known as Zipangu. Kalumba and Kirishima both had Sulsuland as their previous opponents with Kalumba winning their matchup 3-1 at home and Kirishima winning their matchup on the road 4-2. Kalumba came into the match seeking to maintain their momentum with a win over Kirishima, while the Kitsunes tried to ensure the bye did not cool off the high from stringing two consecutive wins including the one over Eura on matchday two. Also, this would be the third time the two teams meet with Kirishima winning the previous two matchups in World Cup 76 qualifiers.

What can happen when you have two teams with similar offensive styles and are not two far apart in talent? You manage to get a defensive game and that is what we were awarded. Kalumba tried to strike fast with a shot in the 4' minute but it was saved by Miyoko Hojo. It was then Kirishima's turn to try and strike early with a shot by Yabuta off-target in the 6' minute and a corner by Guidice saved by Ulusu Mtanda. Kalumba would swing right back around with two shot attempts in the 9' and 12' but both of them were saved by Hojo. At this point, the game would slow down as both teams saw that a quick goal was not an option in that game and realized they needed a more precise set up to beat either Hojo or Mtanda.

Josuke Ichikawa would miss an attempt on goal in the 21' minute and Mtanda would save a free kick by Ako Izumi, the first saved free kick by Izumi in her goldilocks zone in a very long time. Joseph Yabuta would try again in the 32' but it was deflected by the opposition captain, Duncan Edward. The opposition would try one more time to score in the 38' but the shot was off-target. Both teams entered the half with the game tied 0-0 with the shot attempts reading 5-4 in favor of Kirishima.

In the second half both sets of fans present in Kairaku were becoming restless as both offensives seemed evenly match. Kirishima would not let their fans down long as Rin Mizoguchi scored in the 49' from close to top of the box after an excellent pass from Pandazi Papadopulos. Yabuta tried to make it a more comfortable lead in the 61' minute but it was saved by Mtanda. Kalumba tried to tie the game in the 64 were energetic knowing that if they could hold on for 45 minutes, they could win the game. Eura tried to make it a one-point game really quickly with a shot attempt in the 50' that was saved by Hojo. Kirishima would have two more off-target shots in the 58' and 63' minute but it was saved by Hojo and the resulting corner was off-target. Kirishima tried to push the offense in the 71', 72', and 77' minute but all three attempts were saved by the opposition and the resulting counter attack was saved by Hojo who earned another clean sheet/ Final score Kirishima 1, Kalumba 0.

Following the match, Seong Mi-Soo, had this to say. "We went into the break hot and it was important if not crucial to emerge from the break with another win and keep up the momentum that we have. The more we win now the less we have to sweat about qualification later. This is important as rest and confidence is important for the team as opposed to the close calls we've had in the past. We plan to take our next opponets very seriously as we want to amass as many wins as possible."

Kirishima 1-0 Kalumba 
R.Mizoguchi(49)

Heif v Kirishima Match Preview

Not much is known about Heif as they are pretty new to the scene, are low ranked, and it is difficult to find information on their players. While the low rank is a sigh of relief, the limited data on the team is quite dangerous. If the Kitsunes are not careful, they can be taken by surprise. The Kitsunes need to play cautious and take their opponets seriously but still play their style of game. While Heif is ranked 28th, they will be home and that homefield advantage can make the situation even more dangerous. The Kitsunes must not look past their opponents if they want to add another 3ptsto their tally. Until next time, Lets Go Kitsunes!

Post by: Keita Woo

[Buyan]

To lighten up the mood, a small tribute to an often underestimated opponent. I'ld be surprised if I were the first to work on this theme - maybe Barunia knows?

For those looking for some tune

There come the Suns, there come the Suns
And I say, we’re lost right?

From the kick-off, the game seemed like a one-way highway,
From the kick-off, no pass or ball seemed to go our way

There come the Suns, the scoring Suns
And I say one-nil, right?

In possession, continued pressure now on the ball
In possession, they kept us far away from the goal

There come the Suns, the shooting Suns
And I say two-nil, right?

Suns, Suns, Suns, kick and score
Suns, Suns, Suns, more and more
Suns, Suns, Suns, their fans roar
Suns, Suns, Suns, underscore
Suns, Suns, Suns, we look poor

After the break, a change in tactic got us on our feet
After the break, it felt like ice-cream after their heat

There come the Suns, the mighty Suns
And I say, keep this right?

Feel the power, that shot almost made the nets tremble
Feel the power, with some more luck Eklund makes them humble

There come the Suns, hesitant Suns
And I say, could go right

Get a free kick, rarely seen Stepaniak that strong, mate
Get a free kick, the dives from Hook never are too late

There come the Suns, resisting Suns
And I say, that’s not right

We get tired, our passing starts to get quite sub-par
We get tired, that Kennedy shot ripped us apar’

There come the Suns, the winning Suns
And I say, we’ve lost right

[Nephara]

Nephara 4-0 Sargossa
(4-4-2) 1 - Fletcher; 19 - Vyntra (2 - Koehler 79'), 5 - Konoval, 6 - Scharner, 3 - Lohengrin; 7 - Szalai, 4 - Rainsford (c), 8 - Tarashaj (23 - Kuralay 71'), 16 - Strongbow; 17 - Stavanger, 10 - Wardenier (21 - Amokachi 55')
Goals: Amokachi 59', 78', 93', Strongbow 66'

Michael Brandon had wanted to send her home - so had elements of the press. But Amethyst Fegelein had simply said; "Everyone deserves a chance at redemption."
"So send her home! Let her stew in it a bit!" Brandon had argued. "Then she can return in time and be grateful just to have a second chance-"
"No. We decided we'd go with what works, didn't we? And going with the sure thing doesn't mean ditching our best striker who, let's face it, everyone knows is a fucking egomaniac, for being an egomaniac!"
Brandon took a deep, deep breath.
Fegelein seized her chance. "Look, I'm not saying she'll start - because she won't. Avila will start, probably. But say things go wrong... and she'll be there, alright? And I think keen to prove herself."
Brandon relented. She was the boss, after all - even when she was wrong.

Avila Wardenier wasn't the sort to take things personally. Most of the rest of the squad wasn't talking to Pen, but that just struck her as kind of childish? Sure, she made a mistake, but everyone would've forgotten if she'd just... not missed it, and not also taken it in a crucial game that they'd then not won. Life was short - and the qualification circuit was long. Why bother panicking?
Anyway, she was starting, and she was happy to do her unenviable part - stretch and wear out the Sargossan defence, ping in a few shots here and there. But it was hard work. Sargossa were really, really up for this. They'd clashed memorably twenty-four years ago, but it was well beyond her memory. She'd seen a few video clips, occasionally heard people mention it, that was about it. Apparently it had dashed Nephara's chances of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, which... felt strange. Nephara had been, at the very least, a force in world football as long as she could remember.
She'd seen highlights of that match - the home leg, the one Nephara won. A guy called Barry Kearney she'd literally never heard of had scored twice, either end of a Lucia Oakwood penalty. Names long past, and rather awkwardly ones who would almost definitely be nowhere near the current Cormorants, but legends regardless. Maybe, Avila reflected, she should look further into that in her own time.
Time flew, she supposed. But this Sargossa side was clearly determined to live up to its history, to claw its way back into legitimacy and the World Cup, and a win here? With Nephara seemingly reeling? Well, that would set them well on the way. They were battling hard, tackling hard, fighting to win - a neutral might mistake them as fighting for the stalemate but with any misplaced Nepharim pass, some Corsair jumped on it in a flash and immediately tried to get it either down the line to the wingbacks or to the roving, dangerous Marcellan. Good thing they had Dieter breathing down his neck, with Scharner prowling to clean up.
But Avila... her job had been thankless. Dragan alongside her threw himself into the Corsairs' back line with gusto while Avila herself did her best just to use her pace and cunning to try and be in the right place at the right time, and wherever that happened to be usually was a spare Sargossan defender. The most she'd managed to do in practical terms was draw a couple of yellow cards.
Truth be told? Not too disappointed to be taken off for Penumbra! Wished her, sincerely, all the best, and got a grunt in return, and didn't comment further.
Because Penumbra Amokachi had That Look in her eyes.
The effect was immediate, and Avila had a front-row seat from the dugout. The crowd had been uncharacteristically sullen and muted, and managed some voice in a mixture of jeers and cheers at the new arrival - Penumbra was a legend, but she'd definitely fucked up lately. Whatever. She'd win 'em back over in time. Crowds were just fickle, right?
Avila was proven right four minutes later with Penumbra's first touch. Rowena Strongbow, intense and more than a little dirty - she had a yellow to her name already for a 'careless' arm thrown behind her into Gamboa's throat - dashed into space and cut in a deadly diagonal cross. Avila could only watch as Penumbra made exactly the run she herself wouldn't, dashing through the middle of the Sargossan centre-halves and sliding in front of the blindsided Duarte, throwing out a boot to sweep the ball past Vega's near post.
"Oh, she's done it!" Avila realised aloud. "She's equalled the record!"
Gerhard Thunder's 57 goals, that had stood more or less forever. The original star Nepharim striker from the Baptism of Fire champion squad. Now, at last, Penumbra was equal.
And she used the momentum from her slide to get back to her feet, grab the ball and take it back to the halfway line. No time to celebrate.
Sargossa fatally slowed the tempo. Their legs had just given out, and the final scoreline was a cruel reflection on how they'd fought Nephara hard on hostile ground for an hour. But Strongbow put Nephara two to the good not long after - Stavanger flicked on a fine diagonal ball from Szalai to the far post, Strongbow was waiting to sidefoot it home - and then Tanith Rainsford split the tiring Sargossan defence apart with an inch-perfect pass, and Amokachi was there yet again to strike it across Vega with a sweep of her right boot.
Fifty-eight.
She'd beaten the record.
And yet again, she went for the ball, cleared it to the halfway line. No celebration. Avila was enraptured. She'd only scored two goals for Nephara in her career, and they'd been the best moments of her life. Was it soured for Penumbra, after the trials of the last few days? Was it just cheapened with time? How could this not mean everything to her?
But then, in injury time, a sloppy, tired pass from Vecino was swept up by Kuralay, who hit it over the top of Sargossa's valiant high press. Amokachi was waiting, and as Vega desperately came out to try and intercept it, she fired it smoothly into the bottom corner. Chips weren't really her style.
And she had a hat-trick to show for it. And now - now that the stadium was truly on her side again, basking in her brilliance, now that she'd proven herself again, with practically the last kick of the game, now she could afford to bask in the moment.
And four minutes later, someone edited the Comorants' entry on Wikipedia. Now it read 'Top scorer - Penumbra Amokachi (59)'.
She checked it in the dressing room on her phone, just to make sure she'd done the maths right - she knew she had, but some things you needed to see for yourself - and she smiled. The name? The name was good. It looked right there.
The number, though? That could still use some further work...

NEPHARIM NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 3
Goalkeepers: 1 - Gideon Fletcher (AFC Treason), 12 - Justinian Hargrave (Starling), 20 - Apostolos Tsattalios (Phalanx AF, CEN)
Defenders: 2 - Leona Rafford (Crisisbless), 3 - Sieglinde Lohengrin (Crisisbless), 5 - Dieter Konoval (KT Moreazerua, AUD), 6 - Malachite Scharner (Jungle Strike, VIL), 18 - Diedrich Frostmarris (Molsbik Arkjet, SEM), 19 - Hyacinth Surman (Starling), 22 - Trajan Bruyne (Mallox, COS)
Midfielders: 4 - Tanith Rainsford (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD, c), 7 - Adnan Szalai (Ulsa, EUR), 8 - Vedran Tarashaj (AFC Treason), 11 - Raquel Naeher (Cartagena Desert Foxes, OSR), 13 - Andrea Bereveskos (Sabrefell Athletic), 14 - Konrad Gosforth (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD), 16 - Rowena Strongbow (Cranequin Wanderers), 23 - Helmut Chilmark (Duke of the North, PAS)
Forwards: 9 - Estrella Hawke (Starling), 10 - Avila Wardenier (Sabrefell Athletic), 15 - Nevaeh Cathar (Sabrefell Moths), 17 - Dragan Stavanger (Tannenberg FC, VLD), 21 - Penumbra Amokachi (Eastweald, COS)

SCHEDULE
Bye
Nephara 1-1 Darmen @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
St. Saratoga 0-4 Nephara
Nephara 2-3 Tveidalen @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Mercedini 0-0 Nephara
Nephara 4-0 Sargossa @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Makongo vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Starblaydia @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Yuezhou vs. Nephara
Friendly: Cosumar vs. Nephara
Darmen vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. St. Saratoga @ Godswatch (Crisisbless)
Tveidalen vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Mercedini @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Sargossa vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Makongo @ Portsgate (Brinemouth)
Starblaydia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Yuezhou @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)

[Brenecia]

Port Christopher 0-0 Brenecia
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Woodgate; 2 - Szukala, 5 - Scrivener (c), 22 - Bradden, 3 - Lovelock; 4 - Gryphon (c), 16 - Drover (8 - Skorupska 60'); 7 - Trevelyan, 11 - Balliol, 13 - Keohane (10 - Macbeth 65'); 9 - Rankin (17 - Charnwood 79')

Some matches are rapid-fire end-to-end affairs. Both sides get their punches in, both defences are reduced to rubble by the end of it.
Some matches are more balanced affairs. Two sides clearly trying to win it, but not at the expense of leaving themselves exposed. Plenty of strong, measured and occasionally decisive thrusts and parries.
Sometimes, one side does everything to win and the other side does everything to get a scoreless draw. That can be fascinating, as one side valiantly holds out trying to make up for inferior quality with guts and muscle.
Some are diplomatically referred to as 'tactical battles', in which the ball bogs down in the centre of the park for ninety minutes, and occasionally an opening shows up out of nowhere and, if the stars align, someone finds the pass and someone's on the end of it.
And then there was Port Christopher 0-0 Brenecia, which may go down as one of the dullest matches in the history of World Cup qualifying. Neither side was entirely Karelan, precisely, but the two sides just clanked into one another like old boxers going in for the clinch and never letting go. Campbell stood on Rankin. Bradden stood on Uist. Nazario-Silva stood on Balliol. Drover and Sanchez stood on each other. And Torrance and Woodgate wearily gathered anything that floated at them. For ninety. Long. Minutes.
A point, at the end of the day, would probably do them both alright. Jim Reid's boys in blue could start to put some polish on a poor run of form, Brenecia remained unbeaten at the top. Bardsley took the opportunity to switch up her next selection and drop a lot of players, resting a number of key personnel for the next international break. But if any neutrals were watching, it served as a stark reminder - don't let first- vs. second-seed billing fool you. Always do your research before committing to watch a match!

BRENECIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 4
Goalkeepers: 1 - Geneva Urquhart (Olympia FC, EFL), 12 - Melissa Cleves (Willox Street Pirates, PCR), 20 - Rostyn Calhoun (Cenial United, CEN)
Defenders: 2 - Czeslawa Szukala (Phalanx AF, CEN), 3 - Brigid Levein (Rosbank Town), 5 - Anaximander Scrivener (Brigham, EUR), 6 - Niko Szubanski (Rozelle), 18 - Brun Carrack (Lotus Park), 19 - Gethin Quill (Revolutionaries, EUR), 22 - Cheney Heneghan (Gallant Cross)
Midfielders: 4 - Catsidhe Alweather (Marque), 7 - Squire Trevelyan (FC Jansberg, SEM), 8 - Mathew Evans (Kingsgrove), 10 - Roisin Carroll (Violence Chariots, NPH), 11 - Sander Balliol (Tanrisal, PAS), 13 - Tiferet Ashbrown (AFC Swanbridge), 15 - Caitriona Hamilton (Westpike United), 16 - Elsie Drover (OAS Royal FC, COS), 21 - Meghan Hartsdown (Kings Park, SCT), 23 - Matt Ruffan (Halholzer United, MBT)
Forwards: 9 - Ursula Rankin (Tanrisal, PAS), 14 - Fionn Lynch (SC Rinaldi, VAL), 17 - Fox Charnwood (Hellinic-Rouge, PAS)

[size=75]SCHEDULE
Brenecia 2-1 Yesopalitha
Goluta 0-1 Brenecia
Brenecia 2-0 Savojarna
Qasden 1-3 Brenecia
Brenecia 1-1 Tobiasia
Port Christopher 0-0 Brenecia
Brenecia vs. EEC
Poggers vs. Brenecia
Friendly: Brenecia vs. the Askari Union
Yesopalitha vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Goluta
Savojarna vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Qasden
Tobiasia vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Port Christopher
EEC vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Poggers
Bye

[Schottia]

The Tale of Paul Thompson

Part seven.

Laughing

The Fiddlers Bar, Greater Handon, Schottia. (WC78 Qualifiers)

'Come on, who should we talk to first? You're my "in“ remember.' Ross said from somewhere around Evelyn's coat tails. He had this irritating propensity to become star struck, which wasn't a helpful characteristic in a footballer. In so many ways he was like some young fan who simply clammed up in the presence of his heroes. Having played his entire career in the dreamlike footballing bubble that was Port Christopher, clearly hadn't helped.

'Okay keep your hair on.' Evelyn hissed out the corner her mouth, so as none of the others could hear. 'How many times did I tell you on the plane to just relax!' Despite his miraculous performances in the Di Bradini Cup, there had been many sections of the Schottic media who thought Ross' call-up had come too soon: Evelyn tended to agree with them.

Despite its dismal interior, The Fiddlers Bar had managed to pass into folklore as the favoured haunt of the national team. Its close proximity to the national training complex had made it an invaluable teambuilding resource, as well as place for players to wind down (or wind up) when on international duty. It was a monument to the policy of subsidizing the nation's pub culture that this heap of bricks was able to survive. Several kilometres from the nearest house, the Fiddlers would have died on its arse in a capitalist society. The remote location, combined with unfriendly staff, a poor selection of beverages, and the most unimaginative pub-grub on the market, made the place a commercial back hole. However, it was a perfect place for footballers to slip by under the radar.

'I'm relaxed I'm relaxed, I'm relaxed.' Ross stuttered, sounding not one bit relaxed. 'I just want to make a good impression ahead of training tomorrow.'

Evelyn had been happily tucked up in bed, headphones in, watching a documentary about geese, when Ross had come knocking on her hotel room door. You need to take me to the Fiddlers! had been the demand she was greeted by as she pulled the door open ajar. The fact that she was now stood in the middle of the bar, thirty minutes later, was testament to the fact that she need to learn to stick to her guns. It was only three more sleeps before their crunch opener with Kaboomlandia - a potential six-pointer straight of the bat. The Phoenix were third seeds in the group, and if they Schottia wanted to qualify, getting one over on their rivals was going to be a must.

The bar was populated by the usual suspects, the lets say, "less professional" section of the playing squad. The social drinkers, the not-so-social drinkers, the problem drinkers. The ones who insisted upon a night cap, and those who would vehemently argue that they trained better with a wee drink in them. Eoin Killanen was propping up the bar as usual, most likely on his third or fourth pint. He had his usual hangers on, his entourage, hanging on his every word, trying for all the world to look like they were his friends. In the far corner next to the fruit machine, their Physio, Claire Hanson-Conavacio, sipped a glass of read wine, a book open on the table in front of her. It struck Evelyn that the young mother must have relished these small moments of serenity. The sound of laughter carried in from the beer garden, the sound of happy young voices. Chloe, Esther, Molly, Bella, Anna. Evelyn always referred to them, in her head, as the popular girls - not because they were particularly popular, but they reminded her of some folk she went to school with. Evelyn almost gave an involuntary apology as she realised she was standing right next to Gary's Seat, almost expecting to see the Chatswood midfielder there nursing a pint of real ale. To find it empty was a physical reminder of his omission from the squad.

'Okay lets get some drinks, then we can go socialise a bit.' Ross was looking around, businesslike, trying to plot his attack. 'What do you want? I'm buying.' Evelyn had never really found her place in all of this - certainly not in a social sense - and she was unsure as to how much help Ross expected her to be.

'I don't want anything.' She shook her head, looking around apprehensively. Suddenly the prospect of returning to the migratory cycles of the crested Tyranian Goose was an appealing one indeed. 'Oh..! Just a sparkling water, maybe.' At least it would look like a gin and tonic from a distance.

'Righty-oh,' Ross clasped his hands together and headed for the bar, with all the vivacity of a child leaving for his first day at school. 'Sparkling water coming up.'

'Eveyln.'

It was Anna Kurovski, sat on the table part of the picnic bench, with her feet on the seat. The gangly goalie looked more like a festival-goer with her long blonde hair tied back, a pair of shorts, and loose tank top hanging off her lanky frame. Evelyn tried to mouth that she was with someone, smiling politely and pointing in the direction of Ross at the bar. She watched as Anna gave her a thumbs-up, before returning to her conversation with the others. It was a lovely warm summer's night, there were conceivably a few players outside making the most a rare moment of good Schottic weather.

She held onto the back of 'Gary's chair' taking the weight off her legs as she watched Ross place the order. He was hanging too close to Eoin and the Killanenites for comfort, trying to lean in as he waited for the barman to assemble his order. He was laughing at their jokes, but always a couple of seconds too late. The only thing saving his (and her) blushes, was the fact that they weren't playing a blind bit of notice.

'There you go.' Ross handed Evelyn her water upon his return, and did his best to look unphased. 'Friendly bunch,' he nodded in the direction of the same group of players who had just completely blanked him. 'Eoin I mean, hey, what a guy.' It would take more than a little rejection to extinguish his blazing enthusiasm, as he sipped from his beer, while taking in his surroundings. In some ways Ross was the very personification of youthful optimism. He hadn't experienced enough hardship yet to realise the world was one massive, spinning ball of shite. This was perhaps what frightened Evelyn, the fact that their respective outlooks could be so contrasting.

There was an awkward moment that followed as they stood there with their drinks. Ross' face was still fixed with the same polite smile, and he was doing his best to ensure that no signs of doubt crept into the corners of his mouth. He was like a kid lost; enough enthusiasm to float a hot air balloon, but no clue where to direct it.

At that same moment, both of them picked out Corinne Martel-Burns, sat alone at one of the window booths. 'Look, Connie's alone!' Ross nudged Evelyn with his elbow, pointing to the slouched figure, staring blankly out of the window.

'NO! Eh, I mean, no.' Evelyn grabbed him by the arm and yanked him from what would have clearly been a calamitous decision. 'Hey, there's Anna, and the others outside. Do you feel like a bit of fresh air? I feel like some fresh air.' She moved them rapidly in the direction of the back exit, at a pace that made their drinks slosh around in there respective vessels. This must have been how it felt bringing your younger brother to a party. The only difference was, Evelyn wasn't entirely sure how well she knew her teammates on a social level. At least the popular girls were nice, if nothing else, so the damage that could be done was limited. Guys like Killanen and Gareth Souter were rather of the opinion that respect had to be earned, to a certain extent. Evelyn had paid her dues, and a starting role in the first team afforded her a fair amount of respect. And as for Connie... well anyone who had spent a second in her company knew exactly what kind of a mind-fuck a conversation with her could be. It was too much for Ross to handle, he was far too fragile.

'Hey, squish along.' Anna said as they approached, asking her companions to make some room. It was probably to do with her height, but the Olympic Nassau Bay keeper always looked like she was folded up. She was one of the tallest women Evelyn had ever met, and as a result, she always looked a little out of proportion wherever she sat. 'Sorry Evelyn, I didn't realise you were coming along, otherwise we could have given you a shout.'

Evelyn shrugged. 'It was a nice night, and we felt like a bit of a walk.' She decided to spare Ross the pressure of the whole thing being on his shoulders. Anna was right though, she never really socialised off the pitch, not with Schottia or Coast. Evelyn had always told herself it was because she was taking her career seriously, but maybe that was an easy excuse.

The players tried to hastily rearrange, so as the new additions could find some room to sit down. It didn't take long to do, but somehow it was far more awkward than it needed to be, with Esther and Bella changing sides several times before they were completely happy. It didn't seem awkward for Ross however, and to be fair, it may have been Evelyn who was blowing it out of proportion. He seemed like he was enjoying himself, exactly where he wanted to be, sandwiched between two established internationalists.

'Congratulations of the call-up, it's Ross, isn't it?' One thing you could say about Chloe Rudden, she could carry a conversation. She always seemed to know the right amount to say, and to whom.

'Yeah, It's absolutely amazing.' He beamed from ear to ear. 'I mean, I honestly never expected it, I just feel so humbled to be sat next to you guys... I mean, like, you guys are my heroes.' Ross laughed, as his cheeks reddened.

Oh no, he better not start flirting.

There was a chorus of Awwws, and Molly Killanen ruffled his hair the way a parent might do to their child. He probably deserved that.

'I don't know if you should be all that 'humbled,' you gave us a bloody nose in the Globe Cup.' Chloe smiled, gently punching him on the arm. 'I'll need to get you back for that one.' She added narrowing her eyes into a mock scowl.

Evelyn could barely look as Ross pretended to rub the top of his arm. 'I thought it was a close game Chloe,' she put in, trying to steer the conversation. 'We had to defend hard in that second leg.'

'Meh...' Chloe shrugged, swinging back playfully on the bench. 'You win some, you lose some.'

'You're starting to sound like your ex.' Esther Abner put in, smiling as she took a sip from her drink, which in fairness was most likely a juice. The way she said it hinted at the fact that Gary Corsie - and no doubt his omission from the squad - had been an earlier topic of conversation.

Chloe laughed this off. 'I'll tell you what, though. He actually had a good second half to the season. I think dropping down a division really helped him. He just gets himself into such a flap. I've seen him close to tears because he left his teabag in too long.' This got the intended ripple of laughter, with Ross, of course, trying a little too hard, using it as an excuse to pat Chloe on the back.

'Me and Mark Allen are teammates at Olympic,' Anna added. 'And he was part of the same team as Corsie at Port Sebastian. He always says that the twenty-year-old Corsie was the best midfielder he has ever played with.' This comment inadvertently turned the mood a little sombre.

'Yeah, he actually has over fifty caps for Schottia,' Chloe added in an equally solemn tone. 'He was the golden boy of Schottic football all the way through his early twenties. It just all went wrong for him, it's sad.'

'Ha! Now at least we know what you actually saw him.' Bella Thompson put in. The Mallox wingback could always be counted upon for a cynical comment or two, but Chloe simply met with a sideways look.

'Heh heh.' Ross pulled himself upright before adding his own - not so carefully thought through - comment. 'I read this ridiculous article... stumbled across it really... It's eh, haha, really funny, but it said that I was the new golden boy of Schottic football.'

Evelyn was now hoping the ground would open up beneath him on Ross' behalf. At least the girls seemed to see the novelty in him, it was more than would get from some of the others in the team. It had maybe all been too much too soon for Ross; but then again, couldn't that be said for most of the team. Footballers weren't superheroes, they were just normal people, and that was something that fans forgot. The people in the crowd saw the polished article on the park - one of the rising stars of Schottic football. However off the park, he had his own flaws and insecurities, just like the rest of them. That was the thing with the Schottia squad - with almost any squad - when you removed the strips, names, and numbers, they were just thirty-five individuals, all with their own cross' to bear.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

From the Desk of Lord Almighty Gregory

To: Robert Nicholls, Consul, Free Republics
Level: Highly Classified

Dear Consul Nicholls,

Your proposal seems reasonable. Our agents will depart for Sudernius at once to acquire the nuclear weapons. Once we do so, I will give a speech announcing exactly where we acquired them. We will even throw in a threat to your regional neighbor Frenline Delpha, and time the speech to correspond with the daily Ten Minutes of Hate, which will be focused on Frenline. This should hopefully help gather you the support you need to take military action.

At that point we can proceed with the military operation in the slave islands. I agree with you that providing staged video and an actual flight would be beneficial. I am attaching a copy of our military uniform specifications to ensure the actors' costumes are prepared realistically. As our military uniforms are custom-made to fit each soldier perfectly, using surplus military uniforms is not an option without the non-perfect fit being a revealing clue that something is amiss.

Please let me know when you wish to commence with this operation, and we will do so. In the meantime, we will acquire the nuclear warheads from Sudernius.

Lord Almighty Gregory's Speech to the people

Lord Almighty Gregory's face appears on the telescreens all across Gregoryisgodistan. The people bow to him and then he begins speaking.

"Good morning, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. I speak to you today with great news! We have acquired 200 more nuclear warheads of the highest quality, this time from a private company in Sudernius. This private company graciously agreed to sell us 200 nuclear warheads for a reasonable sum, and we can now use these nuclear warheads to nuke any nation we want into oblivion, especially the Land of the Devil, San Jose Guayabal. Yes, someday we will destroy those wicked Guaya Beans, the most wicked there are. And someday we will destroy Ceni, and Cosumar, and Bonesea, and Frenline Delpha, and Taeshan, and Apox, and Nephara, and every other heathen infidel nation on the Enemy List. Oh yes, we will nuke them all. Yeah, baby!

"We will nuke these other nations into oblivion for it is our destiny. It is the will of the Lord, which is to say it is my will. I alone am God, throughout the Multiverse. And we will destroy all the heathen nations who dare to threaten us, who dare to deny my divinity. And one day the world will know I am God and recognize me as Lord. Until then, we will nuke them all!

"Thank you, and me bless Gregoryisgodistan. Oh fancy that, it's time for the Ten Minutes of Hate - today's target is Frenline Delpha."

Ten Minutes of Hate

Video shows up on all the telescreens of Frenljne Delphi citizens raping, murdering, and eating babies to show that they are savages. Meanwhile, angry background music plays as crowds all across Gregoryisgodistan chant "DEATH TO FRENLINE!" More propaganda displaying the Frenlinians as savage heathens plays, before the footage cuts to a shot of the flag of Frenline Delphi ablaze. This whips the crowd into even more of a frenzy, as they chant "DEATH TO FRENLINE!" At the top of their lungs.

The video then cuts to a control room whwith re Lord Almighty Gregory gives the orders to launch nuclear weapons. The footage then shows simulated footage of Gregoryisgodistan nuking Frenline Delpha into oblivion, although this simply represents the vision of all Gregoryisgodistanis and no nuclear attack is imminent. The crowd whips into even more of a frenzy, chanting shouts of hate towards Frenline Delpha, which the footage shows now having been totally destroyed and replaced by a gaping hole, before Lord Almighty Gregory's face appears on the telescreens and he says, in his loving voice, "Someday, our dream will be reality. Someday."

The crowds all across Gregoryisgodistan go nuts with admiration for Lord Almighty Gregory, chanting "L-A-G! L-A-G!" at the top of their lungs long after the Ten Minutes of Hate ends, before returning to work.

[Spaam]

Friendly Demolition

Over 200 years since they first played in a World Cup qualifier, Starblaydia hosted Spaam at the glorious Stadii Di Bradini in Jhanna. As both teams had a bye round in the current qualifiers, and as part of Spaam's 300th anniversary of their first World Cup campaign, the S.F.A. managed to organise the away friendly. It was much anticipated matchup for a couple of reasons - Spaam was on an unheralded five game winning streak, and it was the return of the great Urk to Starblaydian soil, who had developed a cult following in the football-mad nation. The game was preceded by the singing of an ancient song that was apparently performed after their first match, though it had a mixed reception with the fans.

Come and listen to a story about a man named Goss,
A poor Spaamanian striker facing a loss,
Then one minute he was kicking at the ball,
And into the net it seemed to fall...

Goal that is, Spaam one, Starblaydia nil.

Well the first thing you know ol' Goss is in heaven,
Fans said he put one over the world number seven,
Starblaydia put Menecrates up front,
But Merwetha Jelbert was being a right c...

Of a keeper that is, world class, match winner.

The Spaamanian Waffles!

Well now time was running out for the Purple Perils,
And they were attacking like a bunch o' ferals,
But the game was lost so when the time was done,
OMG Starblaydia lost and Spaam had won!

One nil. Goss in the 60th. We play Wentland next. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

The match started with the Spaamanians uncharacteristically pushing, putting the Purple Perils onto the back foot. As star forward Merlara Sehelin was being rested, along with a number of their regular players, Urk was pushed into support striker position, and it paid off early. The Giant Zucchini muscled his way in front of goal off a Kian Rose cross, and was able to head it past Starblaydian keeper John Higgins. The Orange and Black bloc was well perfectly placed to see the goal, and were incredibly vocal in their celebration, as Spaam leapt to a one-nil lead after ten minutes.

This was to be the loudest the Spaamanian fans would get, however, as the lead was short-lived. The five-thousand year old Carnophin Narquelie made a break just two minutes later, and with the midfield support, capped of the run by scoring past Spaam's veteran keeper Eletha Gilhana, who was unable to move far enough to block the strike. That goal changed the mood of the game, with Starblaydia moving back into a more attacking formation and Spaam putting more emphasis on their midfield game. There subsequent battle in the middle of the ground was entertaining for the fans, and the scores stayed tied until the half hour mark, when the dwarven Anra Kolmkal got under the defense of the much taller Rawesin Holamora. Gilhana again dived the right way, but it was too late to prevent the home side gaining the lead.

Spaam looked like they would go into the break with only a one goal deficit, but a mistake from the Under-21 player Takilia Mialee during injury time saw a loose pass pounced on by the ancient Soronúmë, who got a long-range strike in over the keeper's head. By this time the home crowd had found their voice and the sea of purple and white almost drowned out the whistle that came to end the half. With a three goal to one lead, it seemed that the Orange and Black's lucky streak was finally coming to an end, as the Purple Peril demonstrated why they were five-time world champions.

The second half saw renewed vigour from Spaam's midfield and backline, with the experienced attack of the Starblaydians unable to make much headway into their oppositions goal square. The match was consequently slowed down as the visitors attempted to control the midfield, but the stronger attack repeatedly sent them back into their defensive half. With a half hour of no shots from Spaam and a few half-hearted attempts from Starblaydia, it looked like the second half would finish with the same score-line as the first. But Kolmkal finally broke the deadlock when she managed to display some dazzling footwork that got herself close to goal, and support from Narquelie combined to overwhelm Norsianna Ilirith and Gilhana, and the dwarf scored her double.

There were a number of other shots-on-goal in the last fifteen minutes of the game, but with Spaam's keeper able to defuse them all, the match finished with Starblaydia comprehensive four goals to one winners over their visitors. Fans left the game hoping that the loss used up all their bad luck as they host the veteran football nation of Quakmybush in their next qualifying round. Meanwhile, the win was a boost for the Purple Perils, as they go into a must-win match against the unranked Yuezhou.

             Starblaydia 4-1 Spaam
 (Narquelie 12', Kolmkal 30', 76', Soronúmë 45')          (Urk 10')

Two-Hundred Year Reunion: Starblaydia

As part of our celebration of the 200 years anniversary of World Cup 28, we now have a look at one of the greatest football nations ever, Starblaydia. By this time, they had already won a World Cup (25) and were ranked as they third-best team in the multiverse (behind Bedistan and Liverpool England, the previous two cups' champions and runner-ups), so there was a lot of anticipation into how the former champions would fair. Drawn into Group 3, it was widely considered an easy run for the Purple Perils, with their closest rivals Praying2God, but no-could have predicted the dominance they showed. Apart from a shock loss to the third-seeded Harlesburg, Starblaydia would win 11 of their 12 games, easily the best record of qualifying, and go into the World Cup proper as favourites.

It would have seemed on paper that Starblaydia would dominate their World Cup group, as their Group 4 opponents were Spruitland, the Islands of Qutar and Tadjikistan. However, they started the tournament off in the worst possible way, going down to Spruitland 2-1. They defeated the Islands of Qutar in their next game, but then faced a must-win game against Tadjikistan, who had dominated their opponents. Starblaydia held their nerve, and just managed to get ahead of their opponents with a single goal, and go through to the next round in second position.

The Round of 16 saw a high scoring game against Casari (who would go on to win the following World Cup). With the Starblaydians down 2-3 with ten minutes remaining, it was a young striker by the name of Dasha Tolkacheva who scored two late goals and send her team into the quarters. Luckily, the next match was not as tough, despite facing the veteran Total n Utter Insanity, and the Purple Perils came out as two goal victors. This saw an exciting semi-final situation, with Starblaydia facing the two-time world champion Liverpool England, and three-time world champion Bedistan taking on Spaam's bogey team Hockey Canada in the other matchup.

Despite conceding an early goal, Starblaydia was not as troubled by Liverpool England as most thought they would, winning 3-1, while Bedistan scored two goals to set up the most exciting World Cup final. The champion of the past two cups taking on one of the strongest teams in the competition. The match did not disappoint, as it finished in regular (and extra time) in a nil-all draw, though possibly the most exciting goalless game in World Cup history. With the game into penalty kicks, twenty shots on goal went by, yet the two teams were unable to be separated, the score still at six-all.

Finally, a midfielder by the name of Durum Rage sent the Purple Peril ahead, and their keeper David Bedford saved the next shot to give them their second World Cup title. Starblaydia would go on to win the title three more times and finish runner-up twice, to be immortally known as one of the best nations ever. And yet, we still beat them one-nil in our first meeting. Vale, Starblaydia

Newspaper clipping of their semi-final win.

[Abanhfleft]

*Warning: All statements made by persons within this series are theirs and theirs alone, and do not reflect the views of the Fleftic Football Federations, its staff, coaches, players, and other affiliated personnel.

The Games of Their Lives, World Cup Edition (Part One)

Abanhfleft v Barunia, Cup of Harmony 63, Krytenia (Part Two)

Malik Qazizadah, chief football pundit for Crescent News Network interviewing

So Abanhfleft had managed to pull back Barunia and are now drawing 1-1. It's barely even fifteen minutes and already you can tell that this was going to be a very good match. Unless of course both teams decided that 1-1 at fifteen minutes was a good enough result and that they would try to tire each other out until extra time (actual extra time, not just stoppage time) rolled around. That wouldn't make for a very good game. But the thing about Abanhfleft and Barunia is that they're both not satisfied with letting things stay at 1-1 with over 75 minutes left to play. The only way this is going to happen to either team is if they both somehow can't convert the numerous chances which they will surely get for the next 75 minutes. And, as we've seen with the abilities of the 22 players on the pitch during that memorable and fateful game, that doesn't seem to even be a remote possibility. This game will have a lot more goals in it.

"We're barely even past fifteen minutes and Abanhfleft are already back on level terms with Barunia. Chelsea Stuart the goalscorer for the Lady Revolutionaries, goalkeeper Victoria Carter providing the assist with a goal kick-cum-long ball. Somehow, you get the feeling that this is only the beginning of a very exciting game, especially when you've got two sides who aren't afraid to score goals playing against each other."

"Kasper was shouting at us to just keep calm and keep playing the way we were playing," Chelsea Stuart said to me as she described the match. "We stuck to short passes and probed the Barunian defense. They were tough as hell, I'll tell you that much. I don't think I was really able to get into the box for as much as I'd like but doesn't that just mean that the opponents are good at defending?"

"Oh, I think this was the moment when I had my first chance of the game," Alexandra Rousseau said as we watched the chance unfolding on the screen. "It wasn't much, to be honest. I just saw the ball coming towards me and I decided to take a whack at it. As you can see, it's an easy save for the keeper. Didn't even bother him at all, I think."

In terms of chances, Rousseau's first-touch strike was the most noteworthy one in a period of the game in which the frenzied tempo earlier established by the two quickfire goals from Verity Michel and Chelsea Stuart seemed to have died down, replaced by a more sedate passing game between the two sides. Of course, this being Abanhfleft vs Barunia, this couldn't last. And indeed shots were fired once again by Miguel Manzana's fizzing rocket which smacked the top of the crossbar with a resounding thud, and Barunia had gotten into gear once again.

There could only be one outcome from such a strong attacking display from Barunia, and the inevitable happened at around 23 minutes into the game. Once again, Xemlice Rovers teammates Victoria Carter and Jordana Valentine were the principal Fleftic players in this particular scene of the drama. "Oh, no," both of them groaned at the same time as I produced the clip for them. "This isn't going to be good," Valentine said.

The aforementioned clip begins to play. Thomas Marsh, Barunia's number 33, surges up the wing after some buildup play. Jordana Valentine is shadowing him, marking him, doing everything she can to stop Marsh from sending in a cross into the six-yard box. Marsh holds up the ball and appears to let the Fleftic defense organize itself even as sky-blue shirts begin arriving into the box. Marsh then taps the ball forward, leaving Valentine behind even as he runs towards goal. The angle is tight, perhaps too tight even for someone like Thomas Marsh, but Victoria Carter is taking no chances. She spreads her body to create as big of a block as possible in front of goal. Marsh then decides to shoot. Carter raises up her arms to block the ball's path, but the sound of the ringing crossbar and the cheering of the Barunian fans tells her that she has failed in keeping the ball out of the back of the net again.

"God, Vicky, I have to be honest with you," Valentine said as she and Carter watched the clip. "You look really, really funny the way you're holding up your arms even though the ball's already gone in."

"At least I actually tried to do something about the goal that time," Carter said in her own defense. "I didn't just think about letting it in for one second and then try to reach for it the next."

"Yeah, you're right," Valentine agreed. "That one was even funnier than this one. That first goal from Barunia was like you were doing the ultimate delayed reaction or something."

"Well, a strong strike from Thomas Marsh has broken the deadlock once again. Barunia lead Abanhfleft 2 to 1, but as always, you can't rule Abanhfleft out, not unless Barunia go on the rampage here and score more goals, which, you think, they can definitely do at the moment. The fans are crying out for more goals, and with the Fleftics as shaken up as they are now, it looks like now is the perfect time to strike."

2-1 down. Not the best of circumstances for our Lady Revolutionaries, but certainly not the worst as well. They've come back from 2-1 down, and they've certainly climbed higher mountains than that. Still, everyone was feeling quite vulnerable at that moment, most particularly the fans. But the fans always feel vulnerable. It's the team'a job to take away that vulnerable feeling from them and, if possible, even actually turn it into something more positive.

That positivity came in the 38th minute. Miguel Manzana had just clattered himself into the back of Lillian Prescott, conceding a free kick from a good position 30 meters away from goal. Isabella Maynard of Ludogorets Markovsky Ladies, more commonly known by her shorter name Bella, is well known for her free kicks both for club and country. You would need a YouTube compilation with non-copyrighted electro-pop music just to watch all of her free kick goals. That doesn't mean that she can't score from open play as well, but it just so happens that she is very good at free kicks that that's almost all that everyone remembers of her. Not to diminish her legacy or anything but it's a fact that whenever anyone hears the name "Bella Maynard," they are immediately reminded of magnificent and wonderful curling free kicks that seem to be flying away from goal but then suddenly shoot themselves into the gap between the unsuspecting goalie and the post.

"Oh, yeah, I remember this free kick," Maynard said as I showed her the clip. "It was the first of, what was it, five free kicks I took that game. The others handled some of the rest. Yeah, this was the free kick which everyone said was our best chance of equalizing after Barunia put us under a lot of pressure. I think I even managed to get away from a booking after I barged into Verity Michel, was it? Anyway, everyone says that the setup was ripe for a classic Bella Maynard free kick. Well, as you see, it wasn't quite as good as you would expect."

The clip of Maynard's first free kick in the game begins to play. Maynard is standing over the ball alongside Allison Torres. Four Barunian players have decided to form a wall to defend the free kick. Maynard and Torres are having a conversation, as if discussing who would take the free kick. The girls then nod their heads, and the referee blows his whistle. Torres runs up to the ball and then skips over it just as Maynard makes her own run and then hits the ball with the instep of her right boot. The ball flies over the wall and towards the goal, but then it turns out that there isn't enough curve in Maynard's strike and the ball eventually sails harmlessly away from the far post.

"Well, that was embarrassing," Maynard said as she watched back the clip. "But then again, I didn't really get a very good contact with the ball, what with the whole routine with Sonny and all... But then again, I'm probably just making excuses. Anyway, that was the quintessential Bella Maynard kick, and I didn't make it."

But what would follow five minutes later was something that no one was expecting, not even the girl who would end up being Abanhfleft's second goalscorer for the day, none other than Bella Maynard herself.

"It's no exaggeration, Malik; no one really was expecting me, or anyone else for the matter, to score a second goal after I, what is it that the commentators say, fluffed my lines with the first free kick," Maynard admitted as I prepared to show her the clip of the second goal. "This was nowhere near being the quintessential Bella Maynard goal. It wasn't straight at the goal or at least had a straight line at the goal; it was off to the side. I remember that it was Alex Rousseau who got clattered by one of the Barunians, now I can't remember who the guy was, but the free kick was a ways off from the corner of the box. It's not the best angle for me but they wanted me to do it anyway. And I did it."

The clip of Maynard's second free kick attempt plays. Like she says, the free kick has to be taken from an angle to the goal. Usually from this position Maynard would just cross into the box and perhaps aim at the blonde hair of Chelsea Stuart or the black hair of Allison Torres, and this is what she does. Unlike the first free kick, though, she stands over the ball alone. No routines like the last time because obviously that didn't work. Maynard takes a deep breath, and then the referee blows his whistle. Maynard runs up to the ball and kicks it into the box. Sky blue and red shirts run for the ball but even as everyone tracks the flight of the ball and then, to everyone's surprise, the ball strikes the inside of the far post and rolls into the back of the net. Maynard is so surprised that she doesn't even manage to celebrate the goal until her teammates have mobbed her.

"Yeah, that sums it up all right," Maynard said as she watched herself being surrounded by her jubilant teammates. "Without meaning to, and despite all the odds against it being the setup for a Bella Maynard free kick, it becomes a Bella Maynard free kick through sheer force of will. Amazing, isn't it?"

So that was how the Round of 16 game between Abanhfleft and Barunia in the 64th Cup of Harmony ended, 2-2. Verity Michel and Thomas Marsh scored for the Suns, the nominal home side, while Chelsea Stuart and Bella Maynard netted for the Lady Revolutionaries. After the break, we will see how Abanhfleft managed to get the lead for the first time in this game and the miss that broke all of Abanhfleft's hearts. This is The Games of Their Lives.

---

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
ABANHFLEFT • PRIDNESTROVIA • OONTAZ DERT LI NG • COPPER CUPRUM • TRENDSTART • FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA

WORLD CUP 78 QUALIFIERS: TUMBRA VS ABANHFLEFT
By Malik Qazizadah


Abanhfleft's Alexandra Rousseau celebrates her goal against Tumbra. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

GOLDLION CITY, TUMBRA - Abanhfleft recorded their first away win in the current World Cup qualifying campaign with a convincing and decisive victory over Tumbra at Wembley National Stadium in Goldlion City.

Alexandra Rousseau stroked home the first goal of the game after stealing the ball from Cecil Reyes and beating keeper Ryan Hughes, but the Blue Lions put themselves back on level terms when Bella Maynard hauled down John Rhys-Stevens inside the box; John Krajewski calmly slotting home the penalty.

Lillian Prescott then gave the lead back to the Lady Revolutionaries with a sublime curler after cutting in from the right and keeping the Tumbran defense on edge before Chelsea Stuart finally opened the floodgates in terms of goals scored as she completed a hat trick in 26 minutes; the first goal was a simple chip over Hughes after being released by Maynard, the second goal came from Stuart firing from a tight angle into the far post, and the third goal saw Stuart beat the Blue Lions' offside trap before slotting home almost contemptuously.

Young Oliver Ganson scored a consolation for Tumbra deep in injury time, leaping highest over the Fleftic defense to head home from Almar Hussein's cross.

Holly's compromise works... for now
Holly Jonasson has promised after the game against HUElavia that she would find a way to stop the Lady Revolutionaries' defense from leaking goals (as well as own goals) left and right, and for the moment, it appears as if the compromise between a back four and keeping the Mythical Five worked.

One of the primary criticisms of Jonasson's last World Cup qualifying campaign was that the fans felt that Abanhfleft had lost some of its attacking verve after Jonasson shifted to a back four to compensate for Alexandra Rousseau's medical issues.

But Jonasson's new formation with her stalwart back four of Amanda Warren, Miriam Hannibal, Claudine Samaniego, and Tonya Heaton, combined with the wealth of attacking talent in Stuart, Rousseau, Allison Torres, Prescott, and Adelaide Singh, seemed to be the perfect recipe for victory for the Lady Revolutionaries.

Of course, Tumbra was able to use the size mismatch between Oliver Ganson and Hannibal and Heaton for the Rosenpfelblatz City forward to leap tall over the Marinos Thimpodopoulos Women defenders and apply the finishing touch to Almar Hussein's looping cross.

Abanhfleft women's team manager Holly Jonasson: "It feels good to finally win a game away from home, and it also feels good to win two games in a row. We all expected the game against Tumbra to be a tough matchup, possibly even on the level of a qualification decider. But then Chelsea [Stuart] got into gear and it turned into a dominating and emphatic win for us. It's almost a refreshing feeling, even. The winning feeling is so good that you just want to feel it again and again. That's why winning feels so good, and why we all strive to win."

Abanhfleft will face Bongo Johnson at the Monsanto Stadium in Releinthi for game six of the World Cup 78 qualifiers.

             TUMBRA 2 - 5 ABANHFLEFT
KRAJEWSKI (27' pen)       ROUSSEAU (16')
     GANSON (90+2')       PRESCOTT (31')
                          STUART (51', 55' 77')

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 13 Foulke
RB: 14 Warren (Osgood - 60')
RCB: 15 Hannibal
LCB: 18 Samaniego
LB: 16 Heaton
CM: 5 Maynard █
RW: 7 Prescott (Johnson - 77')
CAM: 10 Torres
LW: 8 Singh
RS: 9 Stuart
LS: 11 Rousseau (Dolan - 57')

TUMBRA
GK: 1 Hughes
RB: 5 Reyes
RCB: 4 Nelson
LCB: 3 Brooks (Keum - 62')
LB: 2 Paterson
RM: 6 Butler (Monaghan - 79')
LM: 7 Rhys-Stevens
RW: 10 Foster
CAM: 9 Alexander
LW: 8 Hussein
ST: 11 Krajewski (Ganson - 84')

STATISTICS
Possession
Tumbra: 51%
Abanhfleft: 49%
Shots
Tumbra: 11 (6 on target)
Abanhfleft: 17 (9 on target)
Corners
Tumbra: 5
Abanhfleft: 5
Fouls
Tumbra: 13
Abanhfleft: 15

[Mercedini]

Can the hosts please increase my style modifier to +5, thanks.

Newsdesk: 29/06/17
@ Stadio Rushmore - Johnho, Darmen

Good evening, welcome to Newsdesk, broadcasting in Mercedini and nations across the multiverse. We come to you from Darmen where the match between themselves and Mercedini as just finished here in Scott City. The Golden Eagles haven't had the best of times to it was important for Mercedini to get the three points away at Darmen, the current table toppers. With the players under mounting pressure and Bjarnasson's job at risk, it was more important than ever that the lads put in a decent performance for the fans and for any critics who have been ever more vocal in recent weeks. Let's see how the two teams got on and how that effects the standings of the nine teams into Group 12.

World Cup Qualification: WhAt ThE fUcK iS tHiS iM TrIgGgGgGgGgGeEeEeErRrRrReEeEdDdD

---

FINAL SCORE

WCQ | MD6

---

DARMEN 3
Lucanus 14', Norton 43', 77'
MERCEDINI 2
Nymark 67' (P), 83' (P)

---

Johnho, Darmen

What on earth has happened to Mercedini? After six matches they have one win, one! Tonight, their misery was compounded as group-toppers Darmen inflicted a first loss on the Pot 2 side, dropping their record to 1-4-1 and pushing the team who, on paper should be second, down into fifth place and still with their bye match to play, the situation has turned from precarious to dire in the space of an hour and a half with no end in sight for the nation who have more than pulled their weight in the three previous cycles they have participated in so far.

Not much was known about Darmen going into this match as Mercedini hadn't played them in any other match. However, a quick Google search should tell you the prowess of the team who were once high up the pecking order, but has since fallen due to inactivity on their part. Now that they have returned to the footballing stage they have taken no time in asserting themselves in the group as a team to watch, this would be their fourth win out of five with a clear margin of three point over their next closest rival, Starblaydia. As for the match, it was a frantic start for both teams as the home crowd got behind their team to spur them on, they got their reward with not even a quarter-hour on the clock as Lucanus was fed through to curl it over Hosset for the opening goal. It was all too easy for Darmen as they eased into a 1-0 lead at the expense of the nation who were drawn out of the second highest pot, although you wouldn't expect it with the way they were playing. That early goal deflated the Mercedinians and it didn't help that the Darmen players kept peppering their goal with shots and crosses after shots and crosses. The team in green were playing in style and composure against a young Mercedinian side who, for the first time, were feeling the pressure of an expectant nation looking to qualify for the second successive time after their valiant appearance in Quebec and San Jose Guayabal. Unfortunately for Mercedinian football fans, they weren't dealing with that pressure well and after two morale boosting results against Yuezhou and Nephara, many helpless onlookers would feel like their team were back at square on when, with just minutes left in the half, Darmen doubled their lead thanks to a well worked move which resulted in a Norton goal. The Darmen winger Odran Gordan made a piercing run down the wing before sending in a low cross and finding Lucanus. Many were expecting his to shoot but he controlled it well to square it to Norton who took the chance and slammed the ball into the gaping net to give Darmen an unexpected 2-0 lead and gave Mercedini a headache and a rather big mountain to climb. With hardly any more action in the half, the teams went in at half-time with Darmen two goals to the good, something unexpected but ultimately deserved. Some disappointed and angry faces on some of the Mercedinian fans.

When the teams came out for the second half, it was clear that the young players had had quite the grilling from the manager, so it was up to them to save this match and produce another comeback similar to those completed against the likes of Makongo and Starblaydia. Much like the first half, it was a frantic start but this time it was Mercedini who looked to go forward and challenge the back line of Darmen, with mixed results. Chillotov and Billic were mostly isolated at the front and any long passes from the midfield were capably cut out by the midfield, which meant Mercedini had to go forward on the ground to defeat players via short, tiki-taka style passing or by going straight at the heart of the matter and dribbling past opposition players. After about ten minutes of pressure, Mercedini finally got their reward via a penalty decision coming from a clear handball from one of the Darmen defenders. Nymark stepped up and converted the penalty, slotting coolly down the middle while the goalkeeper leapt to his right. That gave Mercedini a way back into this game but the pressure didn't let up as Mercedini went in search of a vital second goal. They went close on multiple occasions with the two front men looking good, however they just couldn't get the ball in the net thanks to heroic defending and goalkeeping from the Darmen players on the field. They built a brick wall on their goal line which gave for some thrilling action for the fans watching in the stadium and at home. Mercedini went close with a header from Billic but the body blow from Darmen came just a couple of minutes later when they went up the other end of the pitch and punted the ball in the net, re-establishing their two goal advantage and sending the fans into ecstasy. A crushing blow for the young players on the pitch, a first loss looked on the cards as Darmen were set of establish a massive six point gap between themselves and their opposition, with a game in hand. The Mercedinians went forward again and looked like a beaten team after that third goal, Chillotov was the bright spark and his dangerous dribbling move bought Mercedini back into the match with another penalty after a opportunistic trip was classed as enough contact to warrant the referee to award the spot kick, and it was Nymark yet again who stood over the ball to halve the deficit. He called the goalkeeper's bluff and went down the middle yet again. No smiles on the faces on the Mercedinians as they quickly ran back to the halfway line with the ball to get the match restarted ASAP. Time ticked on and Mercedini huffed and puffed to get yet another goal but the clock eventually ran out, which gave Darmen a potentially qualification earning match against a team many were expecting to be beaten by. It finished in Scott City; Darmen 3, Mercedini 2.

   Group 12                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Darmen                                 5    4   1   0    12    3   +9    13
 2 Starblaydia                            5    3   1   1    10    4   +6    10
 3 Nephara                                5    2   2   1    11    4   +7     8
 4 Sargossa                               5    2   2   1     5    7   −2     8
 5 Mercedini                              6    1   4   1    10    9   +1     7   :/
 6 Yuezhou                                6    2   1   3     4   10   −6     7
 7 Tveidalen                              6    2   0   4     5    9   −4     6
 8 St. Saratoga                           5    2   0   3     4    8   −4     6
 9 Makongo                                5    0   1   4     6   13   −7     1

It may well be a qualification to forget in the eyes of Mercedini, six matches played and only one win to their name was never scheduled during Mercedini's first qualification campaign since their World Cup debut, but the realisation that they sit three points behind the top two with one game less to play will sit heavily on the minds of the players, the fans and many of the top dogs inside the MFA. There are two more matches to go in this first half of qualifying, it's St. Saratoga followed by Tveidalen to finish the first half of qualifying. A two day break then ensues for the Mercedinians but all eyes will be on MD9, which Mercedini aren't participating in, to see how big the margin will be that the golden eagles will need to bridge if they want any chance of making it to their second successive World Cup. To finish, I would tell you not to have any nightmares, but it's abundantly clear that the Mercedinian National Team are having a very real nightmare of their own. Goodnight!

[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

Matchday 6 – The Vile Scourge of Bye Days

Bye days
Good God, y’all
What are they good for?
Absolutely nothing!

So begins a magical incantation popular with some of the more primitive tribes of Vilita and Turori. For many mundy nations have – with, we have to admit, good reason – come to fear and dread the vile scourge of bye days. Surely the time has come for this terrible practice to end?

What are ‘bye days’ anyway?

To some, they’re merely a chance for a football team to rest as a consequence of a qualifying group containing an odd number of teams, requiring at least one team each match day to have a ‘bye’. It sounds innocent enough, but the true origins of this pernicious practice are, perhaps understandably, lost in the mists of mundy history. This in turn obscures just how dangerous bye days are.

The following story may sound outlandish, but it reveals the terrible danger that all of Ordinary Reality is under so long as bye days persist…

In the dawn times, before time and history had truly come to form, the Basileus and the Oneiromancer did battle over the form of time and matter. This foundational conflict that came to define the multiverse as we know it was a both literal and metaphorical battle between the forces of free will as embodied by the Basileus) that sought to allow each reality to choose its own path, and the forces of totalitarian control (as embodied by the Oneiromancer) that sought to subsume each and every reality to the eternal service of the Dark Wizard of Dreams. As everyone knows, the Basileus eventually triumphed over the Oneiromancer, and cast him out into the uttermost void beyond time, matter, and space.

But though the Oneiromancer was defeated, his legacy lived on. One of his many weapons in the epic struggle with the Basileus was the ‘bye day’, a temporary stoppage of time that allowed the Oneiromancer to work his plans outside of time. The first few times this was attempted, the consequences were terrible. The reaction of the Imperial forces to the resulting attack from the Oneiromancer was a full day behind, allowing the Dark Wizard a sequence of victories that put the outcome of the conflict in doubt. The solution from the Basileus was to take the formative Dreamed Realm outside of linear time, allowing the Imperials to bypass the bye days. This maneouvre was core to the Realm’s eventual triumph, but cost much more in blood and horror than this brief summary might suggest.

Yet even after the Oneiromancer’s defeat, he still had followers who seek to invite him back from the Void. One of the core roles of the Imperial Panopticon is to follow this misguided mundies who are wholly unaware of the terrible consequences of the Oneiromancer’s return. No entity would be safe; all of Ordinary Reality would be enslaved to his will.

(Editor’s Note: At least some – though by no means all – portions of the preceding three paragraphs are [allegedly] true; or are at least independently confirmed by some obscure myths and legends recorded in the Codex Frosticus).

One of the many tools of the followers of the Oneiromancer is the subtle manipulation of time in order to speed the Dark Wizard’s return. If time can be sufficiently warped, then the gates to the Uttermost Void might crack, freeing the Oneiromancer. And while the World Cup Committee is no doubt innocent of the danger, one way to warp time is to introduce ‘bye days’ to international sporting tournaments, so that not all nations are experiencing the tournament simultaneously. These ‘bye days’ lack the awful power of the Oneiromancer’s original, are but a pale shadow of those suspended moments from the dawn times, but if they can – in time – become common enough that they eventually combine to harness even the tiniest portion of the original, then the apocalyptic consequences could be beyond mere mundy comprehension.

Look, we’re sorry if that doesn’t sound entirely logical. Why does it need to be? This is the Dreamed Realm. Just roll with it. ‘Bye days are bad’ is the core message here. You can at least grasp that much, right?

So join us now in signing the Mammoth Compendium of World Cup Lies petition to the World Cup Committee on behalf of The Trans-Cultural Multiverse Sporting Consortium For The Total Abolition of The Vile Scourge of Bye Days, or BOB for short.

Join us – Save Civilisation – Sign the petition – Join BOB – Abolish Bye Days.

[Pasarga]

Torgos Tribune ~ Rolling the Dice

Despite the lowly stature of their opponents and being in the friendly confines of the Stade de Torgos, the Wanderers failed to live up to expectations in a very nervy victory against Greater Vakolicci Haven, a sign of the continued mentaly frailty of the squad in being unable to handle either the pressure of being a top tier side or being lulled into a false sense of confidence. Whatever is the case, the Wanderers are now looking at a do or die match against Red Blackiland that may very well have their entire qualification chances as the point of contention between the two squads which will be contested in the hostile venue for the Wanderers. It is hard to believe that a match in the first half of Qualifying can truly have such a dire amount of circumstances, however when the side has been upset in three of their first six matches and not looked very convincing in two of their victories, then the situation is truly as dire as it being made out to be, given that the side finishes its first half of the qualification campaign against the squads that are currently first and second in the table and have a game in hand on the squad.

Were this any other manager but Tobias Möller, the managerial position would probably be vacant at this point due to the nature of the results in this first half of qualification. However Möller's success both as a player and a manager, especially given the way he has made the youth team quite formidable in his tenure as the manager, has given him some leeway. Despite that success and leeway though, the patience is definitely starting to wear quite thin with the supporters and with the association itself and anything besides a top two finish in the group will most likely see the former national team striker absent of his post before any potential invite to the Cup of Harmony is received. Möller knew the risks of taking the job and he seemed to have done so well thriving under the extreme pressure that came with the position in the first four years of his tenure, yet now it seems to be slipping away from him. That or the qualify of the players he has to work with has somehow fallen off a little, though you would be hard to make that argument given the clubs these players play for and their success at the domestic level.

There is an argument to be made about the mentality of the players rather than their actual skills, as it is not exactly uncommon for great club players to not be able to produce the goods when it comes to slipping into the national team. There is something about wearing that national team kit that seems to added an extra amount of pressure and stress to a player that for some, they are simply unable to replicate the success that they have at the domestic level at the international arena. It would be very harsh to call the team mentally fragile, but that certainly seems to be an apt description based on the first six matches of this qualifying campaign and a major problem for the team right now and into the future. It is very evident in the way that the squad has been dropping their points and even in their victories, none by the first match against Dutch Semarland being anywhere near convincing or what you would expect from a top fifteen ranked side. When even the games that you expect to win and give the squad a bit of a bump in the morale turns into an edgy affair that nearly has more dropped points, it is clear indication that something is terrible wrong with the players.

Möller apparently is feeling the same thing as the squad that has been called up for the match against Red Blackiland is far from what one would expect from the normal twenty-three players you would take against the most difficult opponent and fixture in the entire qualifying campaign. At the back, Novosel and Ante Ivanec being left off the roster just goes to show how the poor form of even trusted players is having consequences. Sticking with the back Józef Grabowski and Teha Anić both not being included and a fifth striker shows that the manager has faith in Sommer that the rest of the coaching staff doesn't and the impetus that he has for the need to attack rather than try to grind out a result in this most pivotal of matches. With five strikers in the roster, there has been some speculation that the squad might even employ a three striker formation or have one of the strikers play in a shadow striker role in an attempt to link the midfield and attack better, though Feirabend would be the more natural selection if that is the case, which would likely mean Lebrun would lose his starting spot.

Not only is the roster changing for the match but in an attempt to shake out whatever poor factors are into play, the manager has dropped into the well of superstition and is going with the third kits in the match rather than the traditional green kits that would normally have been worn for the fixture. The white with blood red trim and stripes seems a fitting metaphor for the state of the match, one where bruises and blood may appear as the squad knows that falling eight points adrift of first with first having a game in hand a mountain too steep to climb in the second half of qualifying. It is all there to play for, for the glory and continued hopes of making it into Cosumar-Bonesea and tightening of a group that may otherwise be turned into a two team show. If that can not get the squad motivated for the match at hand, then they are indeed not meant for the national team shirt and perhaps Möller ought to be relieved of his duties. As a fan of the side and the manager, I have to hope that his gamble with these roll of the dice pays off and that when the qualifying campaign is over, this first half will only be looked back as tasks that humbled but made the squad better for the difficultlies that they faced.

Squad for Red Blackiland

Keepers: 1 - Shalhoub, 13 - Lemann, 23 - Alvarado
Defenders: 2 - Sommer, 3 - Gottschalk, 5 - Oddson, 6 - Weiss, 17 - Wefel, 19 - Fosse, 20 - Friedmann
Midfielders: 4 - Hunor, 7 - Sigurjónsdóttir, 8 - Lebrun, 11 - Hofstede, 13 - Mihaljević, 15 - Eisenhower, 16 - Jurkovic, 18 - Feirabend
Forwards: 9 - Ceballos, 10 - Audbjornsson, 14 - Harcourt, 17 - Romano, 21 - Karpaty

[Coldfield]

Crownsville

The Orangefish City incident did not draw attention from the media - it was considered just another chapter of the internal war between the Black Pigeon and the Organization. But it was the only case in which one of the members of the defeated side survived, and this fact put in question whether the confrontation was between the gangs or if it had involvement of the police; The police chief deny participation and insists that a vigilante was responsible for everything that happened. A lone wolf against crime attacked the elite neighborhood of Orangefish that night - the survivor confirmed that it was a single man who killed his accomplices.

As much as Murray left the city overnight, he arrived at the operations base only on Wednesday, as he was forced to take an alternative route due to works on road expansions. He slept in a decadent hotel on the edge of a dirt road, which also served as a gas station, where he took advantage of the presence of a doctor waiting for the storm to end.

"What in the hell did you get in?"
"An ugly brawl. A prick tried to steal my car and I taught him a lesson he'll never forget."
"I understand..."
"How's the skull, the jaw ...?"
"Well, the thief was not as strong as you, Agent Murray."
"What?" Dean was paralyzed and ready to attack, but he immediately calmed down when looking at the doctor's gray eyes - they were vaguely familiar.
"It's me, 015! Don't you remember me?" 015 had been Murray's instructor at the agent's Academy and was also his great-uncle
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Foul-mouthed as always... Answering your question, I followed you from Orangefish at the king's behest."
"What does he want?"
"He wants you to see one of our agents in the Central, Crownsville. Go straight there where Agent 046 will be waiting."
"Are not you coming along?"
"No, I have to work at a clinic in Oldmarket." Like almost every agent, he practiced another profession. He was a general practitioner graduated from the Crown University in Crownsville. "Good luck, Agent."

---

The Central was a modest, abandoned-looking building built in the Victorian era. It had eight stories and several gargoyles at the top, which seemed to be an extremely guarded place and also guarded its surroundings; And in fact, both were true. It was the home of the 02-COL supercomputer developed by national April Tech, Coldfield's pride - everyone knew it existed, but no one knew its exact location. Also the operations headquarters of the MNAP multiversal police in Coldfield - the Multiversal Non-aggression Pact organization operated on six different planets. The Coldfieldian supercomputer was used by both Coldfield and the multiversal police: the machine was storing data on economics, geography, records at the registry office, information on each country known to Coldfield, and a list of the most dangerous names in the country as well as in the entire MNAP. To enter the Central, Murray had to show his identity, passport, work permit and nevertheless scan his right eye on a scanner.

"Agent Murray? I need to talk to you." Murray barely entered the reception and was greeted by a ten-foot man, muscular and wearing a long white jacket, striding toward Murray.
"046?" Dean asked
"Yes, 074. Who sent you?" Said the other agent, raising his eyebrows and staring at Dean with his intimidating brown eyes.
"015 sent me."
"Well, then you were THE responsible for the attack on Mills Residential!"
"Yeah. They got me ..."
"There's nothing to explain." The big man turned on his toes and headed for the elevator.

The two went together to the tight and outdated elevator: no music, no air conditioning, nothing. The lack of decoration in the building bothered 74 and pleased 46.

"What a dull place. With these white walls it looks like a madhouse."
"It seems like your life as a football player abroad has changed you."
"Seriously, look at that! What a lifeless place it feels like I'm in a house for robots."
"This is a workplace, not a museum." And it was with this phrase that 046 entered a password on the panel of a huge iron door, white just as the walls. 8841 is the password. The door opened with a click and then a huge server popped up. It was the famous O2-COL computer that few had had the pleasure of personally contemplating. The duo walked over to the computer - a tight, cool cubicle, which, unlike the rest of the room, had gray, non-white walls. The cubicle was just the command center - the computer currently occupied two floors.

"Don't touch anything - I control everything."
"What are you going to do?" Murray questioned with apprehension
"I'm going to ask you a few questions first, then I want you to report everything you gave that night, yet before we get started I want to see the photos that you supposedly took.
"Yes, they're here." Dean Murray took a small camera out of his bag and handed it to 046.
"Good. Let's get started, whatever you say will be typed here and your photos will be digitized later."

074 remained calm and concentrated, remembering what happened on Saturday. He told all happenings in detail, sometimes even exaggerated in scenery detailing. An hour passed until the end of the report - everthing that had happened since the meeting in the brothel to the shooting in the square has been told to 046.

"So, with everything you said, let's locate Green and Palmer and bring them to court. We already have concrete evidence, and the survivor himself has confirmed certain facts - including a figure similar to yours."
"If they do not find what they're going to do?"
"We will give a reward to those who capture them. The amount is not certain, it can range from 100 to 250 thousand crowns."
"What was the last time Green and Palmer were seen?"
"In training this afternoon, it must have been over two hours ago - they should be leaving the country by now, and shouldn't you be with them?"
"I was dismissed by the king."
"Do you know when you will play again?"
"Maybe in the match against Kyrjasmark.Will not you need my help? I've been living with him for a long time ..."
"Trust me, if he escapes we have full assistance from the multiversal police.
"So that means I can enjoy my free time, right?"
"Certainly ... You may go, but the camera stays with me."

Dean Murray - Agent 074 - left the cubicle sweating cold. He'd come in there waiting prosecution and left free to do whatever he wanted for the next few days.

[Red Blackiland]

Red Blackiland Sports and Off-topic Chronicles

---

Invasion

Some rest as Red Blackiland have a BYE day before a important match against Pasarga

---

Author : Mathias Gërdorffen

---

Darkness swept over the sky, all at once. No one understood anything, no one explained it all. Armies around the world positioned themselves, cops hiding all the corners so they would not be called to a fight against anyone knew what.
These were days of uncertainty. Many looked up, waiting for Jesus to appear among the clouds with the moral of the history of mankind followed by the final credits. The metallic voice was echoed in every corner, in a universal language. There were no earplugs to hide from what frightened them all.
"Earthlings, we would come on a mission of peace, but this does not seem to be his vocation. We have been studying its species from afar for millennia, and we do not understand some things. Our hyper-advanced systems have not been able to explain how rational beings (we need a better explanation of where they got this absurd thesis) have strange customs. It makes no sense to fight for the sake of wearing shirts of different colors in that sport invented some time ago, football, for example. You kill yourself and create problems for others for something that should be a pleasure, but because of your blindness it becomes a business counter for those who steal them or earn with work millions of those roles that for you are worth while your life is put at risk . There is nothing organized when the crowd lends itself to firing shots, confronting authoritarian and unauthorized authorities, hiding bars of irons, and dripping blood from the asphalts of the streets or cement from the stands. Our super systems do not solve the equation in which your species kills millions out of hunger and violence and at the same time finances a business that is elitist, perverse, and massacring.
Screams, cries, mouths open, eyes closed. Necks hurting from looking so high, hallelujah shouted from one side to the other, some running here and others paralyzed as if they were taking root in the ground. From north to south, from east to west, the metallic voice was clear and insatiable in speech.
"All this because there are those who still define such football as sacred, Terran. If so, what causes them to allow malicious groups to seize a property never seen in other galaxies, with the power to unite so many, but with the worst possible intentions? Do you really think that your species is superior to all others in that giant and destroyed sphere that you live without any coherence? Do you think the center of the universe? We have heard all your attempts to be called by us in the same way that you have ignored the barking of dogs for centuries, celebrating your arrival at home after a day of useless and empty labor like yours.
Ladies cried, terrorists fainted, footballers slept or posted the best selfies to record the moments in their social networks.
- Do not worry: no one else will die from wearing a different shirt, getting into the wrong crowd or even disagreeing. All your earthly imbecilities were proof that you are not part of our future plans for the salvation of the universe, for you only know how to destroy. There is no possible evolution for such a backward species.
Silence in the world. A flash, a red color. And the general extermination as a stepping on the ant hill or fire in the nest of mounds.

---

Drawkons Wise Warriors: The next game of Das SpielHaus

---

Learn about the dragons in the land of Drawkland

---

Mainstory Quest #5 - Inside Burning

---

Inside Burning is a main storyline quest featuring the Henig and the player-controlled charachter closing the crack with the help of the new friends and allies, the operation seems like to be successfull, but out of nowhere Smallah'ch is attacked by unknown rival forces. In this mission, it's time to march with your new allies and to finally close the crack. This quest marks a major point of no return. After accepting this quest, certain quests and content, as well as access to Smallah'ch, will no longer be available.
Right at the start of the mission, a scene of the Henig closing the crack will be triggered, along with the new allies, elf-mages or templars, then the scene will then switch to Smallah'ch, as everyone celebrates the success of the Insection, however the celebrations are soon interrupted as an unknown force can be seen marching towards them in the distance, so before heading to the main gate, take a moment to note the location of some of Smallah'ch's village people, MacIll'Fhialain is in the front of the Insection guild quests table with supply boxes, MacGhearailt is located below a set of stairs, Gòrdanach will be in the front of the entrance of a little cave just behind MacGhearailt's location, and going behind the little cave, Fearghasdan and Labhrainn can also be found, then finally go towards the main gate, come down the stairs, turn to the right and see Cathbharra's location, and all of these people will need to be saved later.
Be ready and go to the main gate to trigger another cutscene, Catháin or Seratas will ask for the gate to be opened, Catháin explains that the elf-mages are now part of the Dhuinnia movement and led by a woman named Chathbhaidh (if you choose to approach the templars) or Seratas that the templars have been corrupted (if the new allies are the elf-mages). Doesn't matter the way, the Henig will see the Gensinkach for the first time ever, then your allies form a plan to use catapults to attack the invading force. If the elf-mages were recruited, the enemies will consist of corrupted templars led by Blàrach, a former Warrior-Templar Captain who turned into a poor beggar, and if the templars were recruited, the enemies will consist of Dhuinnians, with Chathbhaidh leading them.
There is a gauge in the lower left corner, the group will need to defend the catapult crew by defeating a total of four enemy waves, the group will increase by 25% after each wave is eliminated, with the final wave defeated, the catapult is fired and the group is told that the northern catapult isn't firing and they will need to investigate it. Be sure to grab any drops before proceeding to the next stage as there will be no going back to get them later. You can pick another supply box near a par of stairs, and there will be a group of enemies surrounding the catapult, another enemy group will approach from the northwest as soon as the first one is defeated, there's another supply box right behind of the catapult. The engine wheel on the base of the catapult must then be turned until the bar is full-filled, a cutscene shows the shot hitting the mountain, causing an avalanche that sweeps much of the rival force, but soon after, a big dragon overflies and destroys the catapult.

Drawkons - Gensinkach

Returning back to the gates, the captain Cailbhin will ask for help getting into the nearby building, this begins another smaller quest to evacuate Smallah'ch, then destroy the boxes that are blocking the door, that can be breaked by a warrior or a elf-mage with a magic blast technique, it is recommended to manually save the game before proceeding to the main gate to meet up with Gerward Evallen and after each rescue that follows, rescuing Smallah'ch people is optional, each person rescued gives you more 160 of experience and 110 of importance levels, and them will go to the Mecha'dah, it's recommended to save the game at this stage again to minimize the need to restart some work if something fails down the road, then move up the stairs and to the left to rescue Cathbharra, she will be fighting a couple enemies initially, but more will climb over the nearby wall. MacGhearailt to the right side of the stairs and turn right and reach near the burning building to hear MacGhearailt call out for help, even sticking to the right side, it's possible the nearby enemies will engage in combat, then consider ordering the group to hold position at the bottom of the stairs, there are a few potential ways to rescue him, the quickest way is to climb up the ladder right of the building, so go down the wall and jump into the house through the roof, rescue MacGhearailt and destroy the boxes blocking the door to escape, you can also climb onto the barrel at the right corner of the building, then onto the sacks of rice, jump to the top of them and after, in the building, by the way, it's possible to destroy the boxes from the outside if you have a warrior in your group. It's time to rescue Gòrdanach, go to encounter the next group of enemies, if they weren't already killed, this rescue will automatically be triggered if the group gets too near of the little cave, order the group to hold position and let the enemies come to them and another group will jump over the wall as your group gets close to the little cave main front entrance, take the command of an archer and use stealth resource to enter the little cave and perform the rescue, however don't let the fight or action gets too behind the cave or the rescue of Fearghasdan and Labhrainn will trigger sooner, engage enemies in combat inside the little cave if necessary. But, there is not a lot of time to do Fearghasdan and Labhrainn's rescue, run up the stairs and don't stairs, however the big dragon of before will attack with a huge fireball which'll put all the nearby buildings and towers into fire, Labhrainn will cry about the fire approaching the barrels, and if it reaches the barrels will cause an explosion and one or both will die, it's recommended to order the group to hold position on the stairs to make sure they don't get in the way or to send one member to stay near Fearghasdan to make her safe and so you can switch to them quickly once Labhrainn has been saved, we recommend you to save Labhrainn first, as he inevitably dies if he does not get away from the barrels when they explode. Then, now is the time to save MacIll'Fhialain, just move to the front of the Mecha'dah, kill all the enemies making sure she survived.
Enter in the Mecha'dah, a scene will start in which a wounded Chancellor Gedrick Ge'els run towards the group other survivors, after a bit of conversation, it is learned that the Henig is the target of the Gensinkach, and not the entire Insection. Ge'els will suggest that a secret path out of the Mecha'dah could be used by the Insection to escape, while the Henig wants to bury Smallah'ch using another catapult shot at the mountain. After it, a huge amount of enemies will approach the group, once they are defeated, move towards the place where Seratas and Menech'lech are meeting and eliminate another enemy group, as the group approaches the catapult, other groups of enemies will shows up, you can also find a supply box near the catapult. As soon as a group begins turning the wheel, the radar will show enemies approaching but they don't arrive all at once, the wheel can only be turned so much, and then a larger group of enemies will spawn who need to be eliminated before the catapult can be turned further, this pattern will repeat three times, in the fourth enemy group the Warrior-Captain Ionnghaile or Eretreah will shows up and they're both top elite level, after the fourth group has been defeated, the catapult can be fully aimed without further interruption. There are walls in front of the fences, which can be reached by a cluster of rocks near the catapult, and used for attacks of range, they can also cause enemies to run into the stronghold and cluster together outside the little cave, attacks of range spells are very effective from this position, it is a good idea to keep your group clustered together at the start of each wave until as many enemies as possible are close enough to be taunted into attacking your warriors. In the last wave, focus on the enemy spirits and save Ionnghaile or Eretreah for last, taking out any archers first as they can do significant damage with one shot.

Drawkons - Ceremony at Blárach

Right after the catapult is fully aimed a scene starts in which the Henig will speak to the Gensinkach and learn his true identity as Maol-Domhnuich Tolmach, it is discovered later that he's an ancient darkspawn who was trapped inside a Enskrik'en prison in the Gunnach Hills, then Henig fires the catapult, and an avalanche consumes Smallah'ch, Henig falls underground as the scene ends, continue moving forward and eventually a group of Vallash Demons spawns, the mark of the rift ability will be unlocked and automatically assigned to the quick bar, overwriting the first slot, the little cave's exit will soon be reached after the battle, move ahead slowly, possibly examining a couple of abandoned campfire pits, until lights can be seen on the horizon to trigger a huge amount of cutscenes, your counselors are arguing while the Henig speaks to Lady Aedara, the first set of choices do not have any impact, but the second set may affect the choices in the ceremony at Blàrach, and establish whether the Henig is considered "faithful" or "non-faithful" , however, it appears that the first cutscene conversation with Cvallach in Smallah'ch where she asks the Henig if they believe in the 'maker' has a huge impact on whether it is possible to establish the Henig as trustful or not-trustful. Only a faith-based Insection leader will be able to declare the Insection for faith in Blárach, conversely, only a non-faith based Insection leader will be able to declare the Insection for order or to do what is right.
Later, Seratas will ask the Henig for a word in private, and he will explain that Maol-Domhnuich Tolmach wields is of elf origins, the dialogue will differ and the conversation options will give different approvals if the Insector is Guairesh, the Guairesh people are nomadic elves that seek to recover, inherit and preserve the knowledge and sacred treasures of the two fallen elven kingdoms, Guairhoven and Reshellair. If the Henig is Guairesh, Seratas will say that they must find out how he (Maol-Domhnuich) survived, and must prepare for their reaction, when they learn that the orb is of his people, if you respond saying 'they'll blame us eventually', or ask 'how do you know this' Seratas will approve, but if Henig isn't Guairesh, Seratas will tell you that he do not yet know how Maol survived, and isn't certain how people will react when they learn of the orb's origin, if you again, ask 'how do you know this' or says that 'he's right to be worried', Seratas will approve too. Then, Seratas will tell Henig about of a place that the Insection can rebuild itself: Blárach. It's time to the ceremony in Blárach, a new scene starts in which Henig is named the Insection leader, the dialogue choices here can be affected by whether the Henig is trustful or not-trustful, as well as the choice made during the earlier conversation with Lady Aedara. You can show suprise saying that you're not the chosen one with Anna disapproving, or that you're honored and the faith is rewarded with Cvallach approving or confused asking if everyone agreed to this and that he's not even human (if you selected to be not a human) or if they will trust this to a mage (if you selected to be a mage or elf-mage). Cvallach will say that there would be no Insection without you, and that how it will serve and be leaded is entirely up to you. You can choose to fight for order (non-faithful; Menech'lech and Cvallach approves) or faith (faithful; Cvallach, Anna approves and Seratas disapproves). The mission ends as you, the Insection leader plans the next move.

---

Group Quests #3 - Witch Hunt (Cvallach)

---

Since the Gesechen strange absence, some of their high profile cases have been left unchecked, then you just need to help Cvallach hunt the targets. This side-mission quest is available after going to Blárach. The first target, Sir Mhaioran is encamped in the Drawklands, easiest to reach by travelling to the forest in the camp. The second is located in Klienein, more precisely in the Easbaig Valley, which also has a camp where the player can transport something, so in order to reach him, the southern part of Klienein needs to be unlocked first, this means that an extensive part of the main objective in the area has to be completed first by completing smaller side-quests at the region, but it won't take too long. The third target is Mr. Tormod located in Pheidearain Village, which needs to be unlocked through a mission at the war desk, the closest camp to his location is Gall's Base, he is very close to the puzzle room, so walking out the back exit will lead to him. The fourth one is Filib Talmhach, he is in the southernwest part of area, he is very close by to the entrance of Boidbheathaig, the final resting place of the Fhearghail Brigade, a old legendary Guairhoven brigade. Seonaidh Chaluim is the last one, he's located at a tower in Àaron Dubhach and reachable without needing to explore much of region.

---

Group Quests #4 - Corruptions: Betrayals Without Faces? (Cvallach)

---

Cvallach has reason to believe that Maol-Domhnuich Tolmach is behind the disappearance of the Gesechen, but she requires help to prove it. Complete the war desk mission which'll appear in the beginning of the mission, then speak to Cvallach, who will reveal she has tracked all the missing Gesechen she could to one location, that's Warg MacRìgh, a fortress in Drawkland. You as the insection leader, will then be able to select group members, with Cvallach locked in. After arriving at the outside path, go towards the main castle, enter the castle dungeon, where there will be some soldiers, loot the dungeon key on one of the soldier corpses and continue forward, right after exiting the dungeon and a fight outside, loot the mainyard key and a cutscene starts where Cvallach wonders how the Gesechen could fell prey to Maol-Domhnuich and The Bhàsa Unity (apparently the group which the soldiers of before belonged) so easily, then after entering the castle, there are some more soldiers to fight, head upstairs and the group will find Donnchadh, one of the Gesechen members, but he has been corrupted, another cutscene triggers, where Donnchadh tells Cvallach that Lord Tsaga'lah's is the brain behind the disappearance of the Gesechen as he has sold them to the The Bhàsa Unity. So, find the Lord Tsaga'lah outside the castle, he will explain his motives for the betrayal, and reveal some facts about the Gesechen, the lord also gives Cvallach a book of the The Bhása Unity secrets, after the cutscene, the final fight occurs, clear and search for items behind everything in the place. Talk with Cvallach back at Blárach after she has had time to read Lord Tsaga'lah's book, she will explain to the Insection leader some new facts about the Peucag and also about possibly rebuilding the Gesechen, the conversation also unlocks new Insection text entries.

---

Group Quests #5 - Books & Tales (Cvallach)

---

It seems Cvallach really likes Menech'lech's book Blood of a Warrior, she's caught up and the book's unfinished, now see Menech'lech about getting the last chapter for Cvallach. Cvallach reveals to the Insection leader that she is reading, and is a fan of, the novel series Blood of a Warrior written by none other than Seathan Menech'lech and she would like to have the next issue from him, without personally asking for it. After accepting this quest, the Insection leader need only go over and over to where Menech'lech stands, at the entrance to the main hall and request the book from him in conversation, Menech'lech will discuss the poor reception of the book series and his shock that someone actually likes it, and that Cvallach is one of those interested people, after agreeing to the stipulation that Menech'lech must be present when the book is given to Cvallach, the Insector then returns to Cvallach and starts a conversation. Menech'lech says that this book is easily the worst he ever writted, and that the last issue barely sold enough to pay for the ink, you can say that the book can't be that bad or that Cvallach seems to like it, both Menech'lech will approve or say that no wonder Cvallach was embarrassed, Menech'lech will disapprove your response. Before, Menech'lech will say that he must have heard that wrong and sounded like you just said that Cvallach read his books, if you say that she's a big fan, he'll approve. While meeting to Cvallach, she indicates that's the latest chapter, if you asks why she's waiting her time on it, she'll disapprove but if you tell that she doesn't need to hide it, she'll approve. Cvallach then tells you that doesn't matter what you do, just don't tell Menech'lech, you can say that could read it, and she'll like and approve. Remember that the disapprove or approve rating is important for quests and side-quests.

[Free Republics]

Republica Post

Its Time for the FFR to Do Something about Sudernius
by: Sue Reynolds

Today, the multiverse woke up to news that nuclear weapons are being sold on the black market in Sudernius. Gregoryisgodistan has announced the purchase of 200 nuclear warheads from Sudernius. While some expressed doubt about the validity of this claim at first, numerous reliable sources have since confirmed that Gregoryisgodistan did, indeed, purchase nuclear weapons in Sudernius, where the complete absence of laws permits anybody to sell anything on the free market, even weapons of mass destruction. If you don't believe me, I urge you to watch tonight's RSFBC Special Report on Sudernius. Yes, RSFBC actually sent a journalist undercover in Sudernius to discover what kind of things can be openly purchased in that stateless territory.

Yes, Gregoryisgodistan is on friendly terms with the FFR these days and there is no good reason for us to change that but the Free Republics has long been committed to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. We cannot afford to sit idly by as Sudernius chooses to make itself into an AllMart for nuclear weapons. To do so is to jeopardize our own efforts to prevent the spread of these evil weapons that are capable of destroying the entire multiverse in an instant. Such inaction would be morally unacceptable and flat out un-Republican!

While it is indeed true that the FFR does not seek monsters to destroy but rather seeks peace, trade and friendship with all of the nations of the multiverse, this is a serious problem that poses an existential threat to our national security and even to the existence of life itself. When nations choose to acquire nuclear weapons and utilize them in war, this becomes a threat not only to the parties that are actively involved in the war but also every surrounding nation and (potentially) every other nation in the multiverse. This is why the Federation of Free Republics has always opposed the spread and nuclear weapons and is also why we have never sought and we will never acquire or accept nuclear weapons, except for the express purpose of disabling and disassembling them.

Now that I've made the argument for intervention in Sudernius, let me provide some background into Sudernius for the benefit of those readers who are not familiar with that nation. Sudernius is not actually a nation per se but rather is a territory where anarcho-capitalizm is practiced. While Capitalizm is a fantastic thing that every nation in the multiverse ought to adopt, anarcho-capitalizm is a corrupted form of Capitalizm where government no longer exists and is replaced by competing firms that specialize in the production of law and order. Now, free competition in the production of goods is undeniably a good thing as everybody who actually paid attention in high school econ knows but law and order is not a commodity and treating it like it is one leads to some extremely grotesque results.

In Sudernius, the property owner has absolute power over his own property, so long as he can defend it against aggression or afford to hire somebody that will, and when I saw absolute power, I mean he literally has absolute power. While the law and order industry refuses to do business with property owners unless they adhere to certain basic standards of behavior, these standards do not prohibit the sale of weapons of mass destruction and they can be easily ignored by anybody who has sufficient firepower to defend his own property on his own. Thus, it is all too common in Sudernius for a teenage boy to get caught trying to rob a store and end up being shot and many Sudernian parents force their children into arranged marriages. Indeed, children are regarded as property in Sudernians unless and until they leave home and become fully independent.

In short, the total lack of a government in Sudernius is a threat to peace and stability in Lunia and across the multiverse. Gregoryisgodistan has already released a video threatening to nuke Frenline Delpha, an action that would likely have adverse consequences within our own territory. Should they choose to go through with these threats, I imagine this would have an adverse effect on our relationship with them but this is Gregoryisgodistan so of course they're bluffing. Still, though, if Sudernius is not dealt with, we will continue to have the multiverse's AllMart for nukes dangerously close to our territory. I urge Consul Nicholls to immediately take action to establish a friendly government in Sudernius that will restore actual law and order to that lawless land.

Finally, I want to point out that the situation in Sudernius illustrates why we need to have a State. While everybody loves to complain about the government and about how taxes are too damned high (even though they honestly aren't), most people never even bother to think about how miserable life would be without such an institution to protect us from those who would sell nuclear weapons on the sidewalk or shoot kids for stealing a candy bar. I think its about time that more people expressed gratitude for the fact that we have a government that keeps us safe on a daily basis. God Bless Government! God Bless the State!

Sue Reynolds is a former Assembly aide. After her boss lost his seat during the year that Consul Piazza was elected, she decided to seek out a new career as an opinion columnist. After working for a local paper in a small town in Malifornia for a few years, she was discovered by the Republica Post and hired to write a nationally syndicated opinion column.

[Eura]

OOC: Continued from here.

Aggression is as important to winning a sudden engagement as every factor, such as timing, preparation, training and of course chance. Some of the hundreds of thousands of Sameban conscripts that were being sent to the slaughterhouse were going to have to find this out the hard way. Private Gino Kolls, having climbed the guard tower ladder with just a coffee in hand, was subjected to a brutal assault by Stein as she took advantage of a moment of hesitation. She knocked him over by kicking a bin into the air and hitting him in the chest. Then she launched herself at him, knife lunging, while Gino desperately tried to reach his own that he'd dropped. On average men tend to be stronger than women but Gino was short, limber and underfed, and Stein was not your average woman. She left him wheezing and gasping for air with two quick punches into his abdomen. Her knife slammed down into the metal floor and got stuck just a couple of centimeters off target. This provided an opening for Gino who caught her with a deadly right hook, knocking the Euran on her back but not out cold. Gino tried to pounce but scolded his hand on the boiling coffee on the floor, giving Stein the crucial seconds she needed to grab a PW-42 standard issue Sameban handgun from a satchel hung on the wall. He tried to protect himself but Stein didn't mess about. Two loud shots, centre mass. Gino was dead. Now though the base was alive.

Realising that the element of surprise was now gone, Stein grabbed her rifle off the floor and immediately set her sights on the guard tower in the opposite corner of the base. Two sentries occupied that one. The first was easy, one shot against a naive NCO who was smacked off the top of the tower by the bullet as it struck his shoulder. The second was much closer to what one might call Sameba's finest, an experienced marksman relegated to defending a place like this during Sameba's mortal struggle in Oakstone but only by injury. He drilled three shots into the metal panel in front of Stein and so a deadly exchange of sniper fire began. On the other side of the base dozens of Sameban soldiers were awakened by the raid and rushed out in light kit. A series of explosions struck them before they could muster a response. Anti-personnel mines had been scattered by Mack and Rowan in the couple of minutes they'd had before Stein blew everyone's cover. The enemy suffered some pretty nasty casualties but most were unscathed and determined to find the infiltrators. An impressive looking officer going by the name of Lieutenant Massarone gathered together thirty men and led them through the dark with a torch and a sub machine gun. They were soon led to the smaller of the two fuel depot warehouses, having seen movement that way. Lieutenant Massarone wasn't taking any chances, instructing his men to put away weapons like grenades and fix their bayonets so that they didn't blow the place sky high. While they prepared to breach a glow suddenly appeared behind the metal gate that they were intending to use to access the depot.

On the other side of the gate Bray and George retreated out of the building and sprinted for a ditch about twenty feet away from it. Several sleepy Sameban's spotted them and opened fire. Bray kept running and flew into the ditch but George turned back to provide covering fire, twisting his way through the opposite doorway they had left under withering fire. 'Bray! Bray!' Despite the distance between them Bray could just about hear him as the Sameban men gathered around both doors, now forty or so of them in total. 'George, get out!'
'Nah man, I'm fucked. Have a good one!' Spared the trouble of facing gunfire for just a moment, Bray quietly saluted his comrade from his little hole in the ground. Heroic last words were rarely spoken so well. Massarone and his men breached the door to find George holding own the trigger on his rifle at the doorway. A fully automatic wave of bullets cut down several of the Lieutenant's men as he dived behind an empty oil barrel. He put an end to George's resistance with a well taken burst between a small gap in the barrel stack. It was much too late though to prevent the Euran's plan from coming to fruition. Massarone noticed that the orange glow had got bigger but by the time he was minded to tell his men to get out, chemistry had already sealed their fate. The warehouse evaporated in a massive explosion fueled by many gallons of fuel oil. Bray couldn't believe it had worked and had to be physically dragged from his cover by Mack and Rowan as they went to carry out the second part of their attack.

The main building was about to become a shooting gallery itself as the full garrison was now wide awake and ready to fight. Green peered through the gap from which he was supposed to be covering Brown and the two men with them. He'd noticed someone in the opposite guard tower was shooting at Stein's assigned target. Thinking quickly Green selected semi automatic fire on his rifle and took a few quick but accurate shots at the tower. Shortly after Stein took advantage of the situation as the enemy sniper made a stupid mistake, taking the bait and returning fire on Green's well protected position. The sniper involuntarily painted the wall of his tower bright red because of his mistake. Stein didn't usually miss. Neither her or Green could see or hear each other but both simultaneously felt like they knew who to thank for that particular bit of teamwork. Green was shaken out of his moment of satisfaction by the shattering of glass and pinging of bullets against corrugated iron a couple of rooms away. Knight and Neerall were engaged in a savage close range battle. Grenades were slung into the room held by the defenders which finished them off with a bang but more would come. More shots rang out from the CO's office. Green didn't want to go in unless he knew he wouldn't catch some lead the moment he turned the corner. 'Lieutenant Brown, you still there?'
'Some idiots were still in the offices way past lights out. Running about like headless chickens when they saw me.'
'Not any more though?'
'No. Get in here anyway.' Green entered the office to find Brown standing over a couple of corpses with his combat shotgun. 'The intel is good. I've captured most of it but I need you to rig the room for when we exfil. Can you do that?' Green nodded without a word. He loathed Brown for what he'd done in the last few days but they were professionals with a job to do right now.

The base was now in chaos with a major oil fire burning, dozens of troops lying dead and the main building apparently taken over by a handful of Euran infiltrators. Its defenders were now organising, unsure of the scale of the attack but confident that they outnumbered whichever group of Euran's had decided to give them a late night wake up call. A couple of platoons were tasked with trying to tame the fire in case it spread to the ammo dump or the primary fuel depot. While they attended to that a sizeable group advanced past the chaos into the back end of the base searching for the saboteurs. Mack saw them coming and knew exactly what to do, retreating with Bray and Rowan into a temporary generator building only two stories high, but overlooking a courtyard between the fuel and ammo depots. That's when they were joined by Jones, who had decided to join the fight while the journalists stayed at a safe distance. Mack had four men to count on once more and issued his instructions accordingly 'Alright, I'll stay here with the MG and cover the courtyard. Rowan, I need you in here with me covering my back. Jones, take those flare guns he brought and hit that larger fuel dump.'
'On my own?'
'You can do it kid, I believe in you. Bray, can you handle the big one?'
'Oh yeah baby. Let's bring the fireworks while we're still among the living.' The two of them hesitated for a moment, before sharing a very brief handshake. They had spent most of their young adulthood together and both were very aware that death may only be moments away.

For a few minutes there was relative silence as the Sameban forces deployed around the base, including getting several armoured vehicles up and running to close off the main roadway entrances. Jones used the relative quiet to move into the larger fuel depot with the flares at the ready. He dithered for a minute, looking for the ideal spot to light up. Pausing for thought would cost Jones dearly. Two Sameban conscripts came across him. He handled the first with an incredible reflexive shot using the flare gun, turning the Sameban's head into a magnesium lantern. His comrade couldn't be brushed aside so skillfully. Jones tried to bring his rifle around from being slung over his back but his opponent caught him in the side with a stab of the bayonet. Suffering from excruciating pain didn't stop Jones fighting back, swinging his rifle around and smacking the Sameban in the shoulder with the butt of the weapon. Another bayonet jab missed. Their third did not, leaving Jones mortally wounded. The young Euran collapsed in a heap. Seeing that he was in pain made no difference to his killer who didn't finish him off, choosing instead to kick his gun away and make sure he was disarmed of any remaining grenades or flares.

It wasn't fair on Jones, a loyal and caring boy who deserved better than this. Not a man, a boy. He was a microcosm of what Eura was suffering, the culling of a generation, the bleeding white of its innocent youth. Yet as his lifeforce drained away, his colleague Bray captured the spirit of what made Eura carry on through the madness. Bray had veered away from his objective when he heard shots in the fuel dump and found Jones with the Sameban looking over him. Enraged, he chose to shoot the assailant in the legs and leap on top of him, strangling the man rather than giving him the decency of a quick exit. After that was done he turned his attention to Jones. The boy was already gone. A moment of mourning had to give way to focus. Bray fired a couple of flares into the corner and kicked over several open oil drums before setting off for the ammo dump. Rowan and Mack waited without knowing the fate of either of their countrymen, instead waiting for the perfect moment to strike as the Sameban's reached the open space in front of them. Seconds became a minute, then two minutes. Finally they had gathered in a quite substantial group, searching tents and huts vigorously. 'Here we go Rowan. You wanted to fight? Here's your bloody fight.' Mack pushed his GPMG against his shoulder and aimed down the sights. Then he squeezed the trigger.

Intelligence gathering was just as crucial as wrecking this place. The information collected by Brown and Green was useful but increasingly it looked like they wouldn't get out of here with it. Knight seemed to lend credence to such pessimism by staggering into the office covered in blood. 'Sorry boss, Neerall's bought it. I think we got a dozen of them. They're all stacking up though. We've only got a few minutes.'
'Any idea what's going on outside?'
'Its all kicked off over the other side. No idea how Stein is doing.'
'Then it looks like we've only got one thing left to do. Knight, cover.' Knight left again to try and stall the gathering storm as much as a man who was only surviving on adrenaline could. Brown turned to Green with a notably calm expression on his face. 'Green, there's a pretty powerful radio here. Its going to be toast the moment we blow this place, but its also our only way of telling command we're even alive. Yet if we use it, every single Sameban with nothing better to do within fifty miles is going to descend on this place like an unholy green flood. You seem to think you're the moral arbiter of this unit and that I'm a total shit, so why don't you make the call for once? What now?' Green wasn't really sure whether he was being serious or if this was a test. There was no other option but to be honest in such a situation. 'We should just make the call. They're going to come down on us like a ton of bricks now anyway, so if we get the intel out on foot that's just a bonus.' Brown shook his head at Green with a look of disappointment in his eyes.

Neither of the men spoke for a moment. Green was a bit confused and Brown picked up on this, setting off with his explanation. 'You're close, but no. Here's the truth. The others outside are probably all going to get done bar Stein, and Knight is going down shooting. Some of the stuff here though needs to make it home. That means one of us stay's here to broadcast and detonate the charges once they breach to this level. One of us takes the dossier and runs for it with the journalists and Jones. That's going to be you. I'm staying.' Green was shocked by the offer given the level of animosity between the two. Brown could read his mind almost, sensing his unease. 'I know what you're thinking. You think I hate your guts don't you? Truth is I have to hate all of you. Its my job. I have to crush the weakness out of you, your basic humanity. Its the only way that a little weasel like you could survive this level of clusterfuck, you've probably realised that by now I would think.' Loud bangs perforated Brown's explanation. It was the sound of Knight making sure he cost their enemies much more than he was worth. 'All this time you've resented me for how I've treated you, but the fact is that to do my job you have to break people. You can't feel beyond a certain point, not really. Maybe some other officers do it another way, but this is what works.'
'And how would you know that?'
'Isn't it obvious? You're still alive. You've got the balls to be doing this, and the balls to stand up to me. People like me weed out the weak and shape the strong. You're one of the strong ones Green. More so than the others. For that reason you need to get out, and take as many with you as you can. I'll do my job, don't worry about it, you do yours.' There were a thousand possible responses running through Green's head as he hurriedly picked up his remaining kit and took the documentation. Only one thing seemed appropriate. 'What are your words? If I'm the last person to see you.' On this most remarkable of days, Brown broke with tradition and issued a rare smile. 'Tell them I made it count.' Green vacated the office leaving Brown with a gun, a detonator and a death wish. Now he had to find Stein, regroup with the others, and get the hell out of the forsaken hellhole that was this base.

[Eshan]

The buildup to the match with Acronius was going very well. The players on the Eshan national team were thoroughly dedicated and enthusiastic in their preparation, and each player knew that they could pull off a win against them. The Acroniun team sat one point in front of the Echani team, occupying 2nd with 12 points after five matches. They’d lost only once to The Holy Empire, and had scored 12 goals while only conceding a group-low five goals. It promised to be a great matchup, with Acronius coming in off a 4-2 win against Colonial Australia and Eshan a 1-niler against San Regada. The fixture would be a challenging one, with both teams joined by group leaders The Holy Empire in a two-point battle for first. Five games into the campaign and the margin for error was razor-thin. The 42nd ranked team in the world vs the 59th; anything could happen.

The Echani team was rolling into the match feeling relaxed and confident; they’d drew against the only teams ranked higher than them and were looking forward to a down-rank finish to the first half of qualifying. Several members of the team, Marco van Ciavatinni, Jean-Marie Bentacur, Artemis Montanari, Magnum Cerelius, and Steven Tadeo were joined together for a pre-match team cohesion and relaxation session at Jean-Marie Bentacur’s mansion in the hills outside of Rosaria. After a day spent swimming in the pool, playing the latest edition of the WCC video game for the Bsquare 720 (which lead to Marco van Ciavatinni lowkey giving his teammates shit about his higher ranking in the game), enjoying some of that herb, and then heading out for drinks and dinner in upscale Rosaria. Now back home after a relaxing day, the players found themselves drinking and discussing politics late into the night. With the Presidential election looming ahead of Eshan, it was impossible to find a citizen who wasn’t deeply invested in the race and held a solid opinion on their preferred candidate, and the six teammates were no different.

Jean-Marie Bentacur, a self-identified moderate conservative who was grounded on traditional conservative moral values, had just made a ill-received comment on LGBT rights.

“Not only is it moraless and sinful in the eyes of the creator, but it is also antithetical to natural order and how nature has intended us to populate. However, while I personally disagree with their manufactured feelings, I also appreciate that ours is a country where individuals have the freedoms to pursue life their own way and I respect that.”

Artemis Montanari, an avowed social democrat and intellectual that absorbed political literature, was quick to fire back, citing other animals homosexual tendencies as well as the same freedom to live their lives how they want. Steven Tadeo, who had so far kept his belief and prefered candidate quiet so far, cryptically said that if they were willing to serve their country than they should be afforded the same liberties to marriage as heterosexuals, but if they were not “willing to act in the best interests of the country as should be expected from all of us, than…well maybe living in Eshan isn’t in their best interests, nor in ours. Country first, personal second.” This sparked a response from Robby Stanford, a libertarian supporting Alexandre Hamilton.

“Are you serious Stevie? People should come before the state, that just makes sense. People are natural, the country that is Eshan is not, so it only makes sense that we should prioritize the rights that constitute total individual freedom against authority.”

“To a certain extent yes, but the survival of the state is now necessary to the survival of the individual, so we all bear a responsibility to the land that makes us great, whether it’s waving a flag, helping maintain a local park, or picking up arms in defense of our national survival.”

Marco van Ciavatinni took the opportunity to jump back into the conversation. “I think that’s only partly true, Stevie. How can you be free nowadays if you aren’t economically secure? I mean we are the luckiest people in the world, making bank for chasing around a ball for 90 minutes. There are people out there, our fellow Echani that are working 80 hours a week and still barely scrape by. That’s just stupid, our economy is fundamentally broken and only Caelius Makélélé can fix our economic system in a way that those in need benefit and those who don’t, still win.”

“Oh for the love of…listen Marco, you know I love you but that sort of idealistic ‘everyone and everything’ viewpoint is never going to actually succeed in the real world, it’s horseshit. People need to work for their share, I came from a shit heap and it was hard work that took me out of it. I know football and regular jobs aren’t necessarily comparable, but effort and sweat is effort and sweat,” sharply retorted conservative Magnum Cerelius. “Nobody deserves anything, we all have to work hard for our keep, and while we should certainly provide for those in desperate need, it needs to be on the condition that they are serving society or working in some capacity or another.”

“I agree,” said Steven Tadeo, “If nothing else they can work on public service projects, it’s important to keep our soil in the best possible condition as we can. A healthy nation and citizen population is essential to the fundamental vitality of a nation.”

“Steven, that little line there sounds inspired by a certain candidate running on a blood and soil platform. Got something you want to say?” asked Montanari, his tone joking but his eyes ice cold. “We’re all friends here, and you’re entitled to your own opinion, just like I’m entitled to tell you your opinion is wrong!”

“Well, I haven’t really done my due diligence on all the candidates so I’m not tally informed but I believe that the traditional strength of our nation and our ability to further grow in quality and territory is in grave danger and drastic action is needed. We are a diverse nation yes, yet we continue to take on so many immigrants and refugees and factions of people who leach away at our society and our finances and don’t contribute proportionally.”

“………just as long as you don’t support Sergius Domitian.”

“My mind will only be made up when I make my mark on the ballot.”

“Alright look, we’ve been beating to this to death and clearly there’s nothing else that can be said. Let’s move on. I, for one, am feeling great about our chances against Acronius,” said Marco van Ciavatinni, eager to change the topic.”

“So say we all,” said all of them.