Di Bradini Cup 41/U21WC62 (Everything Thread)

[Valanora]

Who shall be the smoking snakes after this matchday?

Matchday 4

Group A
Eastfield Lodge 2–0 Taeshan
Flindostan 0–2 Alpine Union

P Group A                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eastfield Lodge               3   2  1  0    6   3  +3    7
2 Alpine Union                  4   2  0  2    4   6  −2    6
3 Cosumar                       3   1  2  0    5   1  +4    5
4 Flindostan                    3   0  2  1    3   5  −2    2
5 Taeshan                       3   0  1  2    0   3  −3    1

Group B
Pasarga 3–3 Schottia
Bojikstan 3–2 Starblaydia

P Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Schottia                      3   2  1  0    8   3  +5    7
2 Bojikstan                     3   2  0  1   13  10  +3    6
3 Pasarga                       3   1  2  0   10   9  +1    5
4 Starblaydia                   4   1  1  2    7   9  −2    4
5 Juvencus                      3   0  0  3    4  11  −7    0

Group C
Kecrazia 1–2 Eshan
Damukuni 1–1 Romaian

P  Group C                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natanians and Nosts           3   3  0  0    5   1  +4    9
2 Kecrazia                      3   2  0  1    4   3  +1    6
3 Eshan                         3   2  0  1    5   5   0    6
4 Damukuni                      3   0  1  2    2   4  −2    1
5 Romaian                       4   0  1  3    2   5  −3    1

Group D
The Warbler 0–0 Mattijana
Equestrian States 0–3 Northern Sunrise Islands

P Group D                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Northern Sunrise Islands      4   4  0  0   12   1 +11   12
2 Equestrian States             3   2  0  1    6   6   0    6
3 Mattijana                     3   0  2  1    3   5  −2    2
4 The Warbler                   3   0  1  2    1   5  −4    1
5 Abanhfleft                    3   0  1  2    6  11  −5    1

Group E
Farfadillis 0–5 Mercedini
Chromatika 4–0 Albaie

P Group E                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mercedini                     3   3  0  0   12   1 +11    9
2 Albaie                        4   2  0  2    4   8  −4    6
3 Chromatika                    3   1  2  0    7   3  +4    5
4 Furellem                      3   0  1  2    3   7  −4    1
5 Farfadillis                   3   0  1  2    2   9  −7    1

Group F
Coldfield 3–2 Eura
Buyan 2–0 Savojarna

P Group F                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Buyan                         3   3  0  0    7   1  +6    9
2 Coldfield                     3   2  0  1    5   6  −1    6
3 Eura                          3   1  1  1    6   6   0    4
4 Savojarna                     4   1  1  2    5   7  −2    4
5 Devonta                       3   0  0  3    5   8  −3    0

Group G
Soltsteed 0–2 Ceni
Qasden 0–1 Super-Llamaland

P Group G                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ceni                          3   3  0  0   12   4  +8    9
2 Super-Llamaland               4   2  1  1    9   9   0    7
3 Qasden                        3   1  1  1    7   4  +3    4
4 Spaam                         3   0  1  2    4   9  −5    1
5 Soltsteed                     3   0  1  2    3   9  −6    1

Group H
Cassadaigua 3–1 Darmen
Kebec 4–0 Venganzza

P Group H                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kebec                         3   2  1  0   10   5  +5    7
2 Cassadaigua                   3   2  1  0    9   4  +5    7
3 Darmen                        3   2  0  1    7   5  +2    6
4 Dainer                        3   1  0  2    8   9  −1    3
5 Venganzza                     4   0  0  4    3  14 −11    0

[Cassadaigua]

We take things off of Spacebook today and to the practice field.

A practice session for the match against Dainer had just been completed. Overall, coach Stephanie Sweeney was very pleased with how the team had performed to this point, and enjoyed the way the team executed in the 3-1 win over Darmen. It was a complete match, and their most impressive so far. The 5-2 win over Venganzza was nice but it didn’t have the glamour of beating a nation of Darmen’s caliber. The Dagans played clean, and Lupe Enriquez lived up to her word of not punching anyone, or doing any other questionable activity. Lupe was right, though, about the Darmenis thinking about what she had done in the prior games. In the 13th minute, Darmeni forward Craig Blackwood took an obvious dive when he and Lupe collided going for the ball. It was clean contact, even the Kebecois media would agree to that, but Blackwood wanted to see if he could get the referee to throw out a card. He succeeded. On getting a yellow himself for the dive. From there it was a normal match, and the Dagans continue to share the top spot in the group with their budding rivals from Kebec.

Coach Sweeney had no problem with Lupe’s antics. Erica Lambert’s #15 is retired for good reason. This is the way she played, but she was not a complete goon out there, either, she was tactically brilliant. It is no surprise that Lambert was a key cog of two title teams, and after her retirement, the Dagans gradually dropped in the rankings. They held tough for a while, but there was never a new Erica for the team. As long as Lupe did it the smart way, and so far, she was.

Caitlin Mayer was your typical young forward with big dreams. She did not grow up idolizing a player like Lambert. She knew who she was, but Caitlin would have had posters of Jessica Schanke or Stacie Kerrigan-Fraser on her walls as a young girl. Scoring goals was her job. Every day she would play in the backyard and take shots are her little toy net. She would have her big brother out there be a goalie, whether he wanted to be or not. Caitlin’s parents proudly watched her practice her shot, and could see that it would get better and better. Throughout school, Caitlin thrived, and she loved to succeed. Greatly motivated, there was nothing she liked more then scoring goals, or setting them up. She knew soccer was a physical game, but that wasn’t her. She didn’t have the physique, she was about speed and accuracy. In school, she hung out with players like her. While she respected those who preferred the physical style, she wanted to talk about goals, and technique. Caitlin knew players like Lupe Enriquez existed, she just never got close to any such player before.

Lupe sought out Caitlin after the practice,

“You know I meant what I said, Cait. I think you should punch Bravvo!” Lupe said.

Mayer grinned. She thought that Lupe was just kidding around, so she did not really acknowledge the statement all that much. All she wanted to do was hit the shower and then go get some lunch.

“Seriously, Cait. Do it!” Lupe exclaimed, getting far more serious.

Caitlin knew she was going to have to respond somehow. So she made it simple, so she hoped. “I don’t want to, Lupe. Sorry.”

Simple and to the point. That should have worked but Lupe was not having any of it.

“You know I read a scouting report about you from Rutland, Caitlin,” Lupe said, “It says: Caitlin Mayer. Good young talent, speedy with a great nose for the net. Projects as being a top goal scorer for many years to come. But that’s all she’ll be. She’s not going to do much else for your team.”

Mayer looked confused, as Lupe continued, “And how about this one, from Starksville: Caitlin Mayer is an exciting forward to watch. She can do great things with the ball and elude defenders with tactical skill. She’ll score a lot of goals, and set up goals for teammates. And, she’ll get pushed off the ball easily too, whenever someone gets in her face.”

Caitlin was about to say something, but Lupe continued, “Oh just one more. New Lakeland. Caitlin Mayer possesses good natural talent that you can’t teach. Hopefully she will have a long sustained career, but she is also quite soft, and word will get out on that very quickly. Draft her with caution, if you want, but you may want to sacrifice some of the goal potential you have with her for someone with more of a mean streak.” Lupe grinned. These are legitimate scouting reports from those three teams. Here, read them. I didn’t make any of it up.”

Caitlin read the reports and saw that they were real. She shook her head. “I am not soft! I just want to score goals! It’s soccer, that’s the object of the game!”

“Yes, Cait, it is,” Lupe replied, “But you aren’t going to score goals if you get hurt or if you don’t stand up for yourself. Look, I can crush you if I wanted too. You know why? Because you’re not going to hit back. I know it. I can see it in your eyes. We’re teammates now, and I’d love to be friends forever, but we’re gonna be opponents, too. And I am going to do what it takes. My job is to stop people like you from scoring, and I will do what I need to do. You’re not brave enough to stand up to someone like me, Cait. Don’t take it the wrong way. I want to make you brave. I want to toughen you up.”

Mayer sighed. She did not have a response to that. Deep down, she knew Lupe had a point. A very, very good point.

“You’ve trained hard, Cait.” Lupe continued, “You’re not weak physically. You just are, mentally. You want to score goals, that’s great. But you’ve played against girls your whole life. We’re all making the leap up now to bigger and better things. The Di Bradini Cup is just the start of it for all of us. I want you to push back, Cait. I want to see that you don’t take any crap. You don’t have to be a physical player, but you need to realize you physical play is a necessity for everyone who will have a longstanding career. You can’t back away from it. Push back, Cait.”

Caitlin still couldn’t respond. She hated what Lupe just said, because she knew it was true.

“You know what Bravvo looks like, right?” Lupe asked.

“Yeah... I do.” Caitlin said. “I don’t want to punch him though.”

“Ok. Don’t punch him. But push him. Shove him. Elbow him to the stomach or do something like that. Toughen up. An accidental elbow to the jaw can work too.”

“Why do I have to do that?”

“Because defenders need to know that they may have something coming if they get to close to you. Think about it. This is the big leagues now, Cait.”

[Schottia]

Gary Corsie

'So obviously looking for apartments is a strain on the limited time I already have. What between clients, and work at the courthouse, it's simply impossible to fit much of a social life into all that.' Marie Corsie stated, in her usual rapid tone, before sitting back and taking a sip from her wineglass. Time was money - or so she was fond of saying - and it was almost as if she had to get as many words out as quickly as possible to make conversation cost effective. 'I've actually got a meeting with another firm tomorrow, who are looking into overseas investment. I intend to get that contract tied up while I'm in the city.'

'Aye.' Don Corsie clapped his palms together loudly, the excess fat on his hands and wrists giving him a fearsome volume. 'Ye're doing well Marie! Yer mother and I are so proud of you.' He turned to his wife. 'Are we no' Janet?'

'Oh Aye, affy proud.' The wee, round woman beamed over the table. 'Our daughter, a practicing finance lawyer... Who would have though a pair of numpties like us fae North Handon could have brought up such an intelligent lassie?'

Marie Corsie smiled confidently; clearly she was in agreement. She was dressed immaculately - expressive dress, hair and makeup done with a level of qualified precision.

'And a professional footballer!' Janet turned to her son, sat quietly at far end of the table, who could not be more contesting; clad in a fisherman's rib jumper and handmade felt trousers, both several sizes too large. 'We're proud of you too Gary.' Don nodded his flabby head, while Marie simply rolled her eyes, crossed her legs, and took another sip of her wine.

'Well thank you mum, dad... Marie.' Gary took a mouthful from his own glass, as if it were a race between the two siblings to see which one could get drunk and ruin the family get-together this year. Gary and Marie had gotten the art of the family squabble down to a tee. Whether it was subtle digs at one and other, full-blown arguments, or actually physically fighting like three years ago, they always managed to ruin the evening. Still, it never put Mrs Corsie off; and the poor old woman tried every year to have just one nice family meal. (Even is she didn't bother with the flowers anymore, not since Gary had thrown Marie across the table and shattered her good vase.)

'I do my best you know...' He added with a trite tone, before topping up his glass. Marie had brought the wine of course. She always prided herself on being the Corise with the discerning taste. Gary's older sister had forever been that way, always thought she was too smart, too pretty, and too good to be Fishmonger Don Corsie's daughter.

'We know you do darling.' Mrs Corsie took a more modest sip from her own glass, just enough to wet the lips. 'Shall fetch another bottle? You two seem to be thirsty...' She already knew the answer as she waddled off towards the Corsie family wine cellar (i.e. the utility cupboard).

The Corsie's kitchen was small and cramped; and when the table had both wings extended, it required the occupants to shuffle past the kitchen cupboards to get out. Very little had changed over the last thirty years. The blue, flowery wall tiles were the same, the net curtains hung over the window were the same, and the four of them were sat in the exact same places they had done since Gary and Marie were in highchairs.

'So have ye met any nice lassies out there in Nephara?' Mr Corise asked his son hopefully, as his wife struggled with the cork in the second bottle Marie had brought. 'Strapping young lad like you, ye must be beating them away from the door of that hut with a stick?'

Marie snorted and gave a trademark roll of her eyes, as she drank down more wine. Gary didn't even bother to acknowledge her. Were big sisters not meant to look out for their younger siblings? Gary was sure he'd seen that written somewhere. Not Marie though. She's always been this way, consumed with self-interest, and with no time for anyone who couldn't keep up.

'No dad, I'm managing perfectly well by myself right now.' All eyes were on the Chatswood midfielder, so he was forced to continue. 'You know, haha, I've got my bees, my hens, my strawberries... what else does a young man need.' As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. He hadn't sounded convincing enough, and had left way too many openings for Marie to get her claws into. As if he were one of her suspects in the dock, she was now going to go after him.

'Tell me, Gary, what are you actually doing out there?' The lawyer drained off another glass of wine before proceeding to refill it. 'I honestly can't fathom it out for the life of me.' Everything she ever said was always followed by a sideways - look how fucking smart I am - smile from the corner of her mouth. It was an expression Gary remembered well from childhood, and one, which had haunted his dreams.

'I'm living my life Marie.' Gary emptied his own glass, trying to keep up with the pace she had set. 'I suggest you do the same.'

'Oh Gary.' She'd changed to a mocking tone. 'Can a big sister not look out for her younger brother?' The most annoying thing was that their parents always fell for this act. 'Look at yourself!' She pointed to his reflection in the windowpane opposite; an image Gary had been purposely avoiding. 'Actually stop and look at yourself. You're like a bloody hermit, and other than wondering around, reminding us all of our own mortality, I'm at a loss as to what you're actually doing. I mean it's preposterous! Really! The same man who goes on, lecturing to us all about consumerism, morality, and self reliance, is sitting over there in Rushmore amassing millions in his bulging bank account. You're no better than the rest of us... only you're so caught up in your own ideas, that you have assured yourself that you are.' She gave a wry smile, and looked him straight in the eye before she delivered next part. 'You're the only person I've ever met who has become fundamentalised by his own strawberry patch.'

'Marie.' Mrs Corsie tried to interject. Despite the fact that both her children were in their thirties, she knew that there was still every chance the lawyer and professional footballer could be rolling around the floor wrestling at any moment.

'The lassie's got a point Janet.' Mr Corsie conceded.

'You're not a fucking hippy. You're a millionaire footballer playing at being a fucking hippy.' The smile was back on Marie Corsie's lips, as she took another sip from her wineglass, all the times her eyes were fixed, sneeringly, on the dishevelled footballer.

'Marie, please try to watch you're language at the tea table darling.' Mrs Corsie tried in vane to be heard.

'So, that's how it is.' Gary's chair scraped across the beige, linoleum tiles as he got to his feet. 'Well I shan't be staying here to receive lectures on morality from a scheming, Machiavellian lawyer. One who has taken time off from helping her client's weasel their money away in off shore accounts and trust funds, to grace us with her company.'

'Oh Gary please sit down and finish your dinner...'

'No mum, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to sit here and be offended.'

'At least eat the fish then...' Mrs Corsie had an obsession with seeing her children eat.

'Aye, that whiting was fresh off the ship this morning.' Added Mr Corsie, who was equally obsessed with the consumption of fish in general.

'No, mum, I'll find somewhere else to stay tonight. The quicker I'm out of here the better.' He really hoped Marie wouldn't find out he was planning to stay in a hotel.

'Which hotel are you going to be staying in then?' His sister was now enjoying this. It was that same looking of cruelty Gary remembered seeing when they were kids, the time she left him stuck up a tree over night.

'I'll sleep under the fucking stars, okay!' He snapped at her, with genuine anger.

Shit, was he actually going to sleep rough? Was he actually going to sleep rough just to spite her? Talk about cutting of your nose.

'Well say a little wish for me then.' Marie chuckled, as she sat back drinking her wine.

'Oh I'll be making a wish all right! I'll wish I didn't have a sister.'

'GARY DONALD CORSIE!!!' His mother snapped. 'That's enough. I really wish you would just sit down.' She scraped the leftovers into a freezer bag and handed it to him. 'Here, at least take this, it's cold outside.'

Gary nodded and placed the bag in his pocket. Well... that was well and truly that then. Could he not just come back to Schottia, once, without it ending in his humiliation and utter disaster? He had a good mind to set fire to his passport when he got back to Nephara. On the way to the door Gary grabbed the bottle of wine he had brought with him; it was unopened, and he was dammed if Marie was going to get to sit there drinking it.

'Delicious fish Dad.'

He heard Marie comment as he headed to the door. Her work for the evening was done, and she would now be quite happy with herself. Victory was hers this year; it would be another twelve months before Gary had a chance to get even.

[Mercedini]

Talking Points
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium - Zoloroni, Mercedini

Hello and welcome to Mercedini Sports Daily and the Zoloroni Sports City Stadium. We are back with another edition of Talking Points, where we discuss pressing questions and trending topics of the day, Mercedini's U21 National Team are storming their group in the 41st Di Bradini Cup with star strikers Ben Chillotov and Daniel Dostalok scoring (with help from the rest of the team) a combined twelve goals in three games against fairly decent opponents, the highlight of the tournament so far much be hitting five past Farfadillis to secure top spot with one game to go against Chromatika tomorrow. New Mercedinian National Team manager Elidyr Lyndainium has a dilemma on his hands with a slew of Mercedinian players performing well at both domestic and international level. Finding two players to start as the Mercedinian front line will be tough, and with newcomers challenging the position of the old guard, we thought we would discuss the likely options he has for the upcoming World Cup campaign and whether any decision can be made as two who gets the lucrative spot upfront.

The $42,000,000 Conundrum

---

STRIKERS 
Ben Chillotov              19              1860 Azoth              $17,000,000
Sgt. Sam Billic            30              Myrmidon                $15,000,000
Charlie Alotic             24              Pelethas United         $ 6,000,000
Daniel Dostalok            20              Handon United           $ 4,000,000

Goals, goals, goals. That's been the name of the game ever since Mercedini debuted on the international stage way back in their Baptism of Fire. Many critics of Mercedinian football have always mentioned the fact that Mercedini relied on simply scoring more than their opponents to win games, rather than outplaying their opponents across the whole length of the field. Our strikers have been in demand for quite some time, with our main four strikers moving abroad to seek greener pastures away from their home league, the MPL. They were sold for a combined value of NS$ 42,000,000, with the main front two, Chillotov and Billic, both being sold to Cenian clubs for $32,000,000. So, with youth prospects emerging through the system and plenty of prime-age players beginning to challenge the main two for a starting spot, we thought we would go through the main challengers and see whether they would be fit to represent their nation on the world's biggest stage.

Ben Chillotov is known by many in Mercedini and abroad as the golden boy who is the next generation of Mercedinian football. The nation's youngest ever scorer in a senior game rarely needs any introduction, he has guided his hometown club to league consolidation and played a significant part in the successful WC77 Qualification campaign which saw Mercedini make it's debut at the World Cup and win it's opening game, only to lose the next two and go out at the group stage. Despite featuring heavily in senior matches, Chillotov remains the marquee name for both the U18 and U21 youth teams when rosters are posted for said tournaments. He captained his team in his final U18 tournament and finished in a respectable third place, a good result considering it was the nation's debut in this classification of tournament. Since then, it has been mainly the U21 and the Senior that he has been focusing on with limited success. Chillotov is likely to take the crown from Billic when he retires from international football, it will be exciting to see how this young starlet develops as familiar teammates come and go in the squad.

Up next is the talismanic striker Sgt. Sam Billic. Since moving abroad from his occupational club to Myrmidon in Ceni, he has become Mercedini's top military diplomat and is regularly used as Mercedini's ambassador to foreign nations abroad. Aside from that, he has held the position of captain of the senior team ever since the side's inception, which means he is a real team leader on and off the pitch. What can be said about him that hasn't been said already, Mercedini's top goal scorer, ever-present in the starting line-up and performing well after multiple seasons in the Terranean League East with Myrmidon, he has it all as a player and was the main piece of the puzzle when it came to Mercedini's successful qualification to the World Cup a couple of editions ago. His main concern will be his age and how long he will able to continue at this level before old-age syndrome sets in and he is replaced by someone else waiting in the wings, he will be 31 by the time the next World Cup rolls around, so he's beginning to enter the dinosaur stage of his career. He has put in an amazing shift as Mercedini's main man and he still has plenty of life left in his career, it's just a question of when he calls it a day and gives up his throne to someone else.

Daniel Dostalok may be a name familiar to only a handful of nations, however, his performance in front of goal for the senior is something many Mercedinian football fans should be very excited about. His 27 goals in 26 games means he is the only Mercedinian player to currently have a goals to games ratio of more than one. Sufficed to say, he has plenty of fans in Handon, Schottia, where he is part of the front line that lead Handon United to a high placing finish and subsequent Champion's Cup spot for next season where he aims to lead the front line for his domestic team in Schottia. The young striker from Shebchetsik has managed to make a name for himself and get noticed by many top names at the MFA, with many predicting that he will accompany his good friend Chillotov upfront in the coming editions, something which is already happening as U21 level where the two are combining well to produce good results for the youth team, whether that will transfer over to senior level is a totally different kettle of fish. Dostalok has already picked up a plethora of different accolades, including MFA's Mercedinian Player of the Season for his heroics in picking up a silver medal and guiding his nation to their first ever competitive final at the most recent Independents' Cup held in Kel Assuk and Spaam. He is definitely one to watch, and to think Handon picked him for $4,000,000, bargain!

Completing our round up of Mercedini's version of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is Humber Valley-native, Charlie Alotic. He has gone relatively unnoticed in the realm of Mercedinian football despite picking up 7 goals in 14 caps for his national side. He moved on a fairly cheap transfer West Gundar FC, taking him to Cosumar to escape the third-tier football of his native club and to experience more competitive football in a more advanced league. He played generally decent football but saw his team relegated to the second-tier of Cosumarite football. There, he fell off the radar of David Bjarnasson and his management team and was subsequently dropped from the national team roster, to be replaced by more home-based talent who were putting in better performances and were more suited to make the jump from domestic to international football. Frustrations grew in the second-tier, but his fortunes changed when he managed to force a transfer within Cosumar. After handing in a transfer request to West Gundar, he was snapped up by Pelethas United for an estimated fee of $6,000,000 to return Alotic back to the Cosumarite Premier League. That breathed a new lease of life into the striker, who picked up an IAC silver medal of his own, narrowly being beaten 2-1 in the final to Schottia. Alotic is now seen as a safe pair of hands and a great player to fall back on should players be injured or be rested and a player is needed to see the game out. Whether he will become a regular starter for the national team is a big question mark, although a reserve/substitute spot definitely has his name on it.

There we have it, four players competing for the two spots at the top of the pitch. We will know who Lyndainium has chosen by the time the next World Cup comes around, although plenty of experimentation may be afoot as the Cenian manager attempts to find his best starting XI via friendlies and training. The next time you see us, we will be in Valanora to give you live coverage of Mercedini's final group game against Chromatika. Some Chromatik fans have requested we cover the match live because for some reason they like how we broadcast, whatever floats your boat! From Zoloroni, goodnight!

[Chromatika]

One. Tenth minute. Mimi Kuzami takes the ball from an opposing player, using deft footwork. Finds Cierra Prim streaking down the left. Prim takes it, jukes around a defender, pokes the ball into a double-teamed Victoriane. The Lammerton striker somehow outmuscles both, followed by a deft pass to Whitney Kelly. Diagonal shot, five yards out. Money. 1-0 Chromatika.

Two. Thirty-third minute. Cierra Anderson heads away a would-be-dangerous attempt. Molly Thorben pounces on the ball, and using her size and speed, gallops down to the right end. Hermaeus Mora is left unchecked. After faking a pass to Victoriane, Thorben back-heels it to Mora. Left footed shot, medium range. Dips at the last second, directly over the goalkeeper's outstretched hands. 2-0 Chromatika.

Three. Fifty-first minute. Albaie playing with far more urgency. Long pass goes awry, intercepted by Ga-yeong Han. One step, a second, and then a direct, long cross over the heads of the Albaieans. Rowena Sierra, fresh off the bench for Victoriane, makes sure she is not offside before heading it past a diving keeper. 3-0 Chromatika.

Four. Eighty-third minute. Game a foregone conclusion. Long cross - more of a clearance than an attempt to score - by Will hits the head of an Albaiean player before going out of bounds. Armageddon, in for Kuzami, takes it. Eagle-eye kicks it short across to Thorben. Cannon shot. No chance by the keeper. 4-0 Chromatika.

For one game, the team looked crisp. For one game, there was absolute cohesion. Was it just a fluke or a move in the right direction?

Mercedini, perfect twelve for twelve in points, awaits to answer that question. Mercedini, with its twelve goals scored and just one allowed. Mercedini. A draw would do it, with Albaie suffering a massive -4 in goals differential and losing to Chromatika head-to-head. There is no way for Chromatika to overcome Mercedini in points, but getting a win over the Mercedinians would show that it's the start of a new norm, not just a blip on the radar.

That being said, though? The young Chromatiks showed they aren't here to just mess around. Now, it's time to prove that it is a trend.

[i]Note: Goalscorers against Albaie: Victoriane '10 assisted by Prim, Mora '33 assisted by Thorben, Sierra '51 assisted by Han, Thorben '83 assisted by Armageddon. Subs: Sierra -> Victoriane ('50), Armageddon -> Kuzami ('63), Weishaar -> Prim ('82)
Starting Lineup vs. Mercedini: Ria; Nordman - Will - Anderson; Thorben - Kuzami - Mora - Han; Kelly - Victoriane(C) - Prim.

[Ceni]

Avi lay on his bed in the hotel room with only a pair of blue boxers on, lying down and playing with this cool little wind-up toy. Piles of wrapping paper lay around the hotel room floor. A couple of gift cards were stacked on the dresser next to his wallet, and the remainder of the presents were scattered around the floor. He had to admit, it was pretty fun to rip off the wrapping paper and rip open all those envelopes. He got some cool stuff, like the toy he was playing with and a book with some holographic images. Then again, he got some of the boring stuff too, like giftcards to online stores and such. He really did appreciate how much the team thought of him

He heard a knock at the door, hurriedly jumping off his bed and throwing on a plain white T-shirt to meet the visitor at his door. After looking through the peephole and ascertaining it was not Sean Seafire (thank god), he opened it a crack. "What is it, Sahara?" he asked the defender standing at his door.

She gave him a smile and a wink, revealing some of her intentions. Avi, of course, didn't really catch her drift. "Happy birthday, Avi. Can I come in?" Her voice had a sweet-talking edge to it, and Avi could smell the perfume wafting up from her armpits.

"Well, I don't think we're supposed to be in the room together, Sahara... That's just a bit inappropriate."

"Come on, we'll be fine." She gave Avi a seductive smile. "I know just the trick to make your birthday even better. I notice you're about halfway there..."

"Look, Sahara, don't you think that we should have a bit of propriety here? Besides, you know that Coach Arathilion will be pissed at us."

Sahara was getting a bit impatient at this point; Avi noticed her voice rising a bit, and she seemed somewhat exasperated. "Come on! It's your birthday!"

"Look, Sahara, I'm not just not interested in that right now, OK?" He heard her start to protest as he gently closed the door on her and her attempts to flirt with him. Frankly, at this point, he wasn't interested in any of that type of stuff. She was a good football player and all, but she really just wasn't mature and all. Although he couldn't see him and Sahara together, he could definitely see her and Sean. They made the perfect couple, in his opinion. Avi heard another knock at the door and began to lift himself off his bed, groaning as he did so. Suddenly, he heard a click of a hotel room key as Asher opened the door.

"Sorry about that. I thought I had left my key in the room. Guess I didn't..." Asher laughed a bit, and Avi chuckled a little bit as well. He noticed Asher was wearing black joggers and a black hoodie - he had definitely gone out.

"Where'd you go, Asher?" Avi enquired. "You missed me and my big present-opening session."

"Oh, I just went on a walk around the hotel. It was a nice night, and I also wanted to give you a bit of personal space while you were opening your presents."

"That's nice of you, Asher - you know, even though it's only been a couple of weeks together, I've really felt that we've grown closer."

"Rooming together and travelling together will definitely do that, Avi." The two of them chuckled again. "I've seemed to get to know you a little better, too. I think we've really hit it off. Did you get anything cool?"

Avi showed Asher the cool metal toy he got, as well as the usual gift cards and what not.

"Damn, that's pretty cool. Who gave it to you?"

"I think this was Josh's gift," he said, referring to the Cenian goalkeeper. "My favorite one was yours - this tiny little owl really made my day. I must have told you I really like owls."

Asher smiled. "Glad I could do something. You know, you really are part of our family now. We'll support you in everything you do, wherever you are, whether in Lexington or in Ceni or beyond."

"I really feel loved now. It's definitely a contrast from where I felt before, detached and lonely... This feels good. It's been a good experience for me so far, even if we haven't played a match yet."

"Well, we'll get to soon," said Asher, patting Avi on the back. "We'll first play against Super-Llamaland in two days - you'll get your chances then, I'm sure of it."

Avi smiled confidently. "I hope it'll turn out well. I really do."

[Bojikstan]

Crazy Youth

Chapter Five

The older Andrade sister stepped into the coffee shop, after finally finding the address that had been given to her by Will Sorokin. Will had told her that his sister was going to check the place out, and now that Nadine had left to look for coffee after training, Liv decided to follow her and see if they could talk. It was nostalgic, at least, and she felt that when she stepped inside. In the past, she and Nadine had often visited coffee shops in the cities that they played in on the road, and Nadine had been the one to introduce her to the places. Nadine had introduced her to many of the things she liked after moving to Bojikstan, really.

She looked over the room, and searched for the familiar brunette. In a country full of elves, picking out the lone human in the room shouldn’t be a hard task. She eventually spotted Nadine sitting by the window, sipping at a flat white and eating what looked like a gigantic cinnamon roll. She gave a wave when Liv approached, gesturing for her former friend to sit down across from her. “Will told me that you were going to stop by to straighten some things out,” she said, handing Liv a fork. “I bought something big enough for both of us, because, well, I feel bad some of the things I said.”

The voices in Liv’s head go crazy. She just closed her eyes and tried to not show that it was getting to her. The problem was that Nadine was one of the very few who knew about her schizophrenia, meaning she could tell what was going on.

Don’t believe the lying bitch.

She’s just trying to pull you in to disappoint you again.

What are you doing? Get out of there!

That cinnamon roll is most likely poisoned.

Get far away from that girl.

“I know that I also said some things to you, and I know that some of those things were… I said those things when I wasn’t at my best, I suppose,” Liv said, shrugging. “Look, Nadine. I’m not going to beat around the bush. There was a time when you were closer to me than my own blood relatives, and I want that back. I hate it that we’re enemies because of some petty shit about my sister and a boy. And well, I came to apologize and ask for you to be my sis again, before we drift too far apart to fix our problems.”

“The past is the past, Liv. I was waiting for you to say that-”

“But I also have to tell you that I can’t just let my sister get picked on and not do anything. I really want to be your best friend again. I really want to be like a sister to you. But if you’re going to keep telling your friends to pick on Catia, I’m going to have to defend her. I’m not afraid to start a brawl on the training ground if that’s what I have to do to get them to leave her alone. She’s just a kid, Nat. You’re twenty, I’m twenty one, Dimitar is twenty one. She’s sixteen. She can’t handle this-”

“Then why did she start it by busting into my room with a gun and threatening to kill me and my boyfriend?”

“Because you stole that boyfriend from her and then rubbed it in her face until she thought that she had no other options. She’s always been lonely and she finally had one person who cared about her, that she really liked, and you just had to seduce him to your side behind her back. Why did you do that, Nat?”

“I’m a rising star, Bentley is a rising star. We make a good couple. We’re going towards the same places. What does it even matter? Bentley liked me more, it’s not like I forced him to date me-”

“Those are your reasons? That’s pretty fucking shallow to date someone because you both have the same career path. Fuck you…” Liv started, before catching herself and making herself take some deep breaths. “Why the fuck…” she was going to say, but she once again caught herself. “Why are you so heartless, Nadine? My sister had something real with Bentley and you broke it up because you two will become some celebrity couple if you stay together down the line. Why would you do that to her?”

“Livia, calm down-”

“When did you become like this? What happened to the Nadine that cared about everybody else, who was willing to befriend a couple of immigrant girls who had reputations as loners? What happened to the Nadine that brought me on her family’s trip because she knew I wouldn’t have the chance to do something like that on my own? Or the one who always gave me loans that I never paid back, out of the kindness of your heart? Where have you gone, Nadine? This isn’t you. This isn’t you!”

Nadine just sighed and looked down, finishing off her coffee. “That Nadine died the day that my own mother berated me for not being ruthless enough. You wouldn’t know what that’s like, Liv. Your parents always push you to go for a normal life. You want to know what my parents are like? My dad only gives a shit about Will and Fedor, and my mother is always pushing me to do better and better. Always. There’s no break. Being a world class keeper came effortlessly for her, and she doesn’t fucking realize that everyone else isn’t the same as her. She thinks I’m not ruthless enough and that I cared too much about my teammates and friends. She told me I’d have more success if I played selfishly. Said that it would solve my scoring problems. And she told me to take that idea into my personal life, and to put myself first. To take what I want. Because unless I do, I’m just going to be a nobody in a family that’s full of superstars.”

Liv fell silent, looking at the tears that were welling in Nadine’s eyes. “You could have told me. We could have talked about this, I could have helped you score more. You know I can find goals for you when I try hard enough. You didn’t have to throw away one the best friendship that you had-”

“Would talking about this have helped? Would it really have done anything?” Nadine sighed, looking away. “I’m sorry about this, Liv. I really am. But I’m not backing down. I’ve already went too far for approval to give up now that I’m finally starting to get it. And while you’re as close as a sister, you’ll never be one of us. You’ll never know what it’s like to have Esfir Sorokin as a mother, or Will and Fedor as brothers.”

“But I can help you-”

“No. You have your own problems. Like the voices. And your move from Vorsji. Sort that out, and come find me later,” Nadine said, and with that, she stood up and went to pay. Liv was left watching, and while she stood up, she wouldn’t move in time to stop her friend before she left. The talk had helped a bit, but if anything, it had caused Nadine to double down instead of putting her past problems with Catia in the background. At the same time, Liv realized what Nadine was going through, and as she sat back down, she could only hope that the Sorokin family problems were sorted out soon.

[Valanora]

Who can resist and bite to get their way out of the group on the last matchday?

Matchday 5

Group A
Taeshan 0–1 Flindostan
Cosumar 3–2 Eastfield Lodge

P Group A                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                       4   2  2  0    8   3  +5    8
2 Eastfield Lodge               4   2  1  1    8   6  +2    7
3 Alpine Union                  4   2  0  2    4   6  −2    6
4 Flindostan                    4   1  2  1    4   5  −1    5
5 Taeshan                       4   0  1  3    0   4  −4    1

Group B
Schottia 1–3 Bojikstan
Juvencus 3–4 Pasarga

P Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bojikstan                     4   3  0  1   16  11  +5    9
2 Pasarga                       4   2  2  0   14  12  +2    8
3 Schottia                      4   2  1  1    9   6  +3    7
4 Starblaydia                   4   1  1  2    7   9  −2    4
5 Juvencus                      4   0  0  4    7  15  −8    0

Group C
Eshan 2–1 Damukuni
Natanians and Nosts 1–1 Kecrazia

P Group C                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natanians and Nosts           4   3  1  0    6   2  +4   10
2 Eshan                         4   3  0  1    7   6  +1    9
3 Kecrazia                      4   2  1  1    5   4  +1    7
4 Damukuni                      4   0  1  3    3   6  −3    1
5 Romaian                       4   0  1  3    2   5  −3    1

Group D
Mattijana 0–2 Equestrian States
Abanhfleft 1–0 The Warbler

P Group D                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Northern Sunrise Islands      4   4  0  0   12   1 +11   12
2 Equestrian States             4   3  0  1    8   6  +2    9
3 Abanhfleft                    4   1  1  2    7  11  −4    4
4 Mattijana                     4   0  2  2    3   7  −4    2
5 The Warbler                   4   0  1  3    1   6  −5    1

Group E
Mercedini 5–2 Chromatika
Furellem 2–2 Farfadillis

P Group E                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mercedini                     4   4  0  0   17   3 +14   12
2 Albaie                        4   2  0  2    4   8  −4    6
3 Chromatika                    4   1  2  1    9   8  +1    5
4 Furellem                      4   0  2  2    5   9  −4    2
5 Farfadillis                   4   0  2  2    4  11  −7    2

Group F
Eura 0–4 Buyan
Devonta 3–2 Coldfield

P Group F                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Buyan                         4   4  0  0   11   1 +10   12
2 Coldfield                     4   2  0  2    7   9  −2    6
3 Savojarna                     4   1  1  2    5   7  −2    4
4 Eura                          4   1  1  2    6  10  −4    4
5 Devonta                       4   1  0  3    8  10  −2    3

Group G
Ceni 6–1 Qasden
Spaam 2–2 Soltsteed

P Group G                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ceni                          4   4  0  0   18   5 +13   12
2 Super-Llamaland               4   2  1  1    9   9   0    7
3 Qasden                        4   1  1  2    8  10  −2    4
4 Spaam                         4   0  2  2    6  11  −5    2
5 Soltsteed                     4   0  2  2    5  11  −6    2

Group H
Darmen 2–5 Kebec
Dainer 1–2 Cassadaigua

P Group H                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kebec                         4   3  1  0   15   7  +8   10
2 Cassadaigua                   4   3  1  0   11   5  +6   10
3 Darmen                        4   2  0  2    9  10  −1    6
4 Dainer                        4   1  0  3    9  11  −2    3
5 Venganzza                     4   0  0  4    3  14 −11    0

Round of Sixteen Fixtures
Cosumar v Equestrian States @ Hatire Memorial, Capri
Bojikstan v Eshan @ Hellgate, Raynor City
Natanians and Nosts v Pasarga @ Rose Gardens, Kareen
Northern Sunrise Islands v Eastfield Lodge @ Turmondale Grounds, Turmondale
Mercedini v Cassadaigua @ Metropolis, Ibini
Buyan v Super-Llamaland @ Miner's Haven, Goldsan
Ceni v Coldfield @ Castle de Mot, Wexax
Kebec v Albaie @ Lathal, Ianisle

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

CHAPTER CUATRO
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

I'm gonna be honest with whoever is reading this.
There is something amazing in traveling between dimensions and every time I do it, I grow more and more fond of this style of life.
The day I created Daisy was the greatest day of my life.
I still remember it whenever I'm waiting before making a trip.

I used to live at Daiyawayasu, a pretty important city of the Somei-Yoshino state.
My research used to be funded by the Zeppelin Institution, owners of the university I attended but they weren't exactly fond of dimension traveling and sure enough made me do all sorts of things.
Those things, of course, were towards improving our technological appliances like fans, televisions, radios and whatnot.
I also wrote a theory over how to send information between our cell at the border of Sweden and Denmark all the way from the mainland via satellite.
Except we didn't really have satellites, I took it from the old records of the Northern Sunrisians.
I was briefly employed by the revived Pokémon League, got into the job of making new Pokéballs and all sorts of equipment for trainers.
At last, around the time I came up with the concept for Daisy, I had been unemployed for two months.

That's where the Society of Diamonds came in.
They were all younger than me, a bunch of role-playing enthusiasts that apparently started out as a group of History students.
You have to understand that living at the empire can be pretty boring to the youth.
But one of them had this crazy idea.
His name was Kenichi Asai.
The Asai were owners of the city's main hotel, the Épinal and as such, hosted all sorts of people.
One of them, a man named Nikolai Thorben, had apparently changed Kenichi's life after the meeting.
After listening to reports of how the other dimension was, he was certain he'd find a way there.

He would fund a prototype of the Daisy, a system that was able to contact with the other dimension.
While it was only restricted to computers, it was a success and soon enough one of the kids was able to re-emerge the nation's page.
His name was Mitchi Atamanito, I've heard he got a job at Mido-Hinode.
Good for him, that boy was as smart as a fox.
Thing is, we needed the money to build an actual transportation method so he could fulfill his dream.
Kenichi, however, refused to fund it.
He said it was too expensive.

While we did try to raise money, it was still far from reaching the costs.
And then he brought this lady.
A lady of fair skin, hair dark as the night.
She went by the name Lady Snowblood and said that she'd pay for the entire operation.
All I needed to bother with was constructing my machine.
I spent three days working on it without sleep or food.
The only thing I swallowed was cider.
It's a mystery how it worked out so well.

We still don't know why we chose that event to participate at.
Mitchi had found news about it on the Daisy's prototype and figured it'd be fun.
We couldn't refuse.
I think in general, the trip was fun.
But football-wise, we weren't good.
Lady Snowblood mentioned that we probably were put in the wrong pot by the administration, but given how it was a surprise a team by that name was playing, they probably didn't expect it.

The day after we got eliminated, we were at home.
And I didn't know what to do.
I did learn where I wold go to, though.
Jail.

Lady Snowblood was Princess Yuko Asakawa.
She had a thing for Kenichi, but beyond that, she was a royal...
And to break through the dimensions was against royal law.
I spent an entire year in jail.
We managed to work out a deal.
The blueprints would be seized by the Royal Family, but I was allowed to keep Daisy.

She didn't want me inside the mainland, however.
And soon I was forced to relocate to Mido-Hinode.
I joined the recently founded city of Garonegawa, working as the local chemist.
I still do my trips alone, visiting the other dimension at different times.
Usually, I solve little disputes, help poor souls in need of a good day.
I can't change their future, but a single day is, sometimes, all they need.

And then I got a request.
Koji Kagoname, local sports professor of the Mido-Hinode University.
I've been a bit shriveled recently.
No kids, no nothing.
Each day hurts more than the last one.
I have no one to leave Daisy to, I fear.
No one to continue my... legacy.

Still, we had another tip to make.
I once again would watch a team play football against the people from the other dimension.
Like a Divine Comedy.

[Cassadaigua]

It was the 73rd minute, and the game was tied at 1. Cassadaigua had played well against Dainer, a nation playing for nothing other then pride at this point. The dominance showed in all the major categories, except for the scoreboard. The Dagans had their opportunities, but young 16-year old Gicognito was stealing the show. Certainly, everyone with his club team, Eclipse, was thrilled with how he was playing. No one was going to fault him for the Shelby Martin goal that came very early, in just the 10th minute. Dainer tied the match late in the first half, and was happy to see that there was a stalemate so far for the second half.

Cassadaigua had several corner kick opportunities. In the 72nd minute, Shelby Martin delivered yet another into the box, but only to see Bravvo win the battle against Caitlin Mayer for the header. Time for another corner.

Caitlin had her hands on her hips, wondering what could be different. Closeby, Lupe Enriquez, who had again played a clean match, told Caitlin, “Do it. NOW!” Caitlin looked at Lupe and took a deep breath. Lupe went to Shelby Martin and whispered something in her ear as Caitlin went back to assume her position. She softly bit her lower lip as she saw Bravvo come back to her for the coverage. She thought about those scouting reports, saying she was soft, and that she could offer nothing in regards to physical play. This was the type of situation where such a weakness really would stand out. Caitlin did not want to punch Bravvo. She didn’t have too, but she thought about those other things that were suggested. “Now, or never!”, she thought.

Moments after Martin made contact to deliver the corner into play, Caitlin did something she had never done before. The accidental elbow. Hard into the stomach of Bravvo. It all happened in a flash for Mayer. Caitlin timed her leap perfectly, knowing Bravvo would be unable to challenge. Instinctively, she played the ball, and fired the shot. Nothing, but the back of the net! GOAL! 2-1, Cassadaigua! Caitlin didn’t celebrate right away, as she saw Bravvo climbing to his knees and pleading for a card. Surely, there was a whistle coming, right? A card? Or the ref disallowing the goal? I mean, that’s what she was told would happen if she cheated in such a situation as she was growing up. There was none of that. It was counting just like all her other ones, and as she began to cheer with her teammates, she overheard the ref responding to Bravvo’s plea by saying, “Incidental contact! Good play.”

Mayer could not believe this had just happened. For this moment, she had never had a more exciting goal that she scored. Lupe Enriquez was elated and had the widest smile on her face, as she knew that her pupil had taken her lesson, and learned well. Coach Sweeney gave huge encouragement as the Dagan fans in attendance cheered that the team had taken the lead. Dagan scouts in attendance had astonished stares on their face, at what they just witnessed.

For this moment, the maturation of a player took center stage, and it couldn’t have been more sweet.

[Bojikstan]

Crazy Youth

Chapter Six

Many people were already penciling in Schottia for the round of sixteen, with Bojikstan having a shaky status as only a win would definitely secure their qualification into the next round. When the players arrived at the stadium and went to the meeting room after one of their prematch walkthroughs, manager Bogdan Sorokin had made sure to print out all the articles that predicted the Schottians going into the next round. Bogdan also gave them an early speech that was different from the later one, reminding them what was on the line and what the odds really were.

“You’ve seen these articles that I printed out. You get the point. Schottia is the favorite, and they’re favorites by a decent margin. You wanna know what I have to say about that?” Bodgan asked, letting his voice trail and looking across the room. “I think that those oddsmakers and those talking heads aren’t wrong about this one. Don’t get me wrong. Our last win kept us alive and it was quite the exciting finish. The winner, of course, came from a player that has only scored eight goals for his last club, Will Sorokin. He picked a good time to start scoring, with his first goal in international play. But let’s be real with ourselves, we shouldn’t have been in the position where we needed to rely on someone stepping up for their first international goal. That’s not sustainable.”

He paused for effect. “Starblaydia are giants but their youth program isn’t what it was in past years. Schottia, on the other hand, is about as close to the top as you can get in football right now, and their youth program isn’t too far behind the senior team. Just look at their damn squad and look at some of the clubs that they’ve sent players to. Kingsgrove, Whitehaven, Blue Coast 1981, Cranequin City. I’m not saying we don’t have players moving to high places, but just the Schottian league itself is one of the top ones in the multiverse. If I said we were favored against these guys, I would be giving you false hope. Anyone that says we’re the favorite has been listening to too much BSN propaganda. We can’t compete with them in training because their program is better funded than our own. Their clubs can offer more developmentally than ours, because most of our own clubs just don’t have the cash from UICA success. We’re underdogs here.”

The team wondered where their coach was going with this. “But technically, Starblaydia was favored on us too. Pasarga was favorite, too, and we took them to the last seconds and we should have gotten a draw. Juvencus was the one team that we were favored over, and we did our jobs and handled them. We’ve got some dogs on this team. Some real hard workers. Hustlers. I admit that we aren’t favorites, but anyone that thinks we’re going to go down with no fight is a fucking idiot. I don’t know if we win on the final scorecard, but we’re going to win the night, I’ll tell you that. We’re going to walk out of this stadium as legends, whether it’s because we’re moving on or because we were the better team. That’s a promise. A motherfucking promise. I can already see it, but I need you to make it happen.”

The players thought the speech was over, but it wasn’t. “Play like one team. Put your problems with each other and your regional differences to the side. We have one shot to shock the world here, and everything else can be figured out later. Let’s take advantage of this chance and prove that it’s not about how many reporters favor you, and that it’s not about how much money you can afford to put into your youth program. It’s about which team is more willing to get down and dirty and fight for these points, and that’s what we’re going to do. Dismissed.”

“Dad’s feeling real anxious about this one if we’re having our speech this early,” Will remarked to his sister, Nadine, who was sitting next to him. They both stood up and grabbed their bags, following after the others who would be filing out and heading to either the dressing room or the pitch. “Is your head right for this one?”

“You’re right, and what’s it to you?” Nadine asked sharply, heading in the direction of the dressing room.

“You seem like you had another fight with Liv. I guess it didn’t go well when she tried to make things better.”

“No shit.”

“You going to be fine out there on the pitch?”

“I’ll make do,” Nadine said, pulling her headphones out of her bag and pulling them on. “Now if you want to leave me in peace, I’m about to relax and let go of some of this tension before we have to play. I’d rather not talk about the thing that’s bringing me stress. You want to talk to someone, go talk to dad about the gameplan.”

“Right,” Will said, stopping in the hallway and watching her leave. “Do whatever you have to do, Nat. I’m here for you, though, if you ever feel like talking,” he said, but that didn’t stop her from leaving silently, her hands stuffed in her pockets and her head lowered. Sometimes, Will felt that they were becoming less like siblings every day, and sometimes, he wondered if any of that was his fault.

***

Livia Andrade looked uncomfortable sitting in front of the psychologist, Lucy Alameda. Lucy was working with the national teams after proving herself on the club level with 1898 Odena, and Bogdan Sorokin had told Liv that she wouldn’t start the Schottia match unless she finally agreed to sit down and talk with Lucy. She expected to see some older woman who would ask her all the typical questions, but her discomfort came from the fact that this psychologist was different, asking her questions that forced her to really open up. And Lucy was in her early thirties at most, making her closer to a peer than an authority figure.

“So you came to Bojikstan after living in Rushmori Bojikstan for most of your early life?” Lucy asked.

“Why does it matter?”

“I’m just interested in why you’ve always identified with Sameba instead of the country that you’ve spent most of your life in. After all, you aren’t exactly close to your parents from what I’ve heard-”

“They hate Sameba, so it makes sense that I’d identify with it,” Liv shrugged. “Look, I’m not saying I’m a political expert and that I know everything about the conflicts there and all that shit but… Sameba is my blood. I wouldn’t have to explain where I’m from if I went there. Wouldn’t have to deal with learning a culture or multiple languages-”

“But you didn’t grow up there, no?”

“Not really. I don’t remember it. I remember being in the refugee camp in Rushmori Bojikstan and hearing about it, but we came over when I was young. I just want to know why we’re wasting time talking about my personal life when we’re supposed to be talking about my mental health. You’re talking more like a journalist than a psychiatrist.”

Lucy chuckled, setting down her notepad for a moment. “Believe it or not, I’m asking questions to get to the source of the problem. You know that schizophrenia can be linked to events in your childhood, right? You’re about three times more likely to suffer from psychotic disorders if you went through some kind of trauma before the age of sixteen. So tell me, Livia. What was your childhood like?”

Liv paused, considering the question. “I guess some parts of it were rough. I… Got into some fights when people were talking about my home country, when I was younger. When we came to Bojikstan, I won no acceptance with anybody. I felt alone, most of the time. We were in Cordona, before I went to Strasburg at eighteen for football. Both cities are pretty liberal. They let us immigrants live in Cordona because that fit the goals of the party that was in power… The party that still is in power, the Liberal Democrats. They wanted a more international Bojikstan, but at the same time, their peace and unity spiel didn’t sit well with me. After all, if they believe in bringing about one united world eventually, then what happens to our identities? I don’t want everyone under one leader. I want there to be a Sameba and I want there to be a Bojikstan, and I don’t want to forget that I’m Sameban through and through. But on the other hand, you have the more conservative east, and they don’t trust outsiders. So even though I agreed with them on a lot of things, not too many easterners wanted to be my friends. They thought I was just like everyone else in Cordona. Someone that was just here because the LibDems let in alot of immigrants so the country would be more international.”

“Are you saying you didn’t have many friends growing up?”

“I didn’t have any friends outside of my family until I moved to Strasburg and met Nadine. And I got into fights in the streets a lot, with people who I disagreed with about this stuff and life in general. I don’t think it was necessarily traumatic, though. Just a rough time.”

“Noted. Look, I know you don’t want to go back to this, but I’m curious about the reason why you care as much as you do about being Sameban, when you’ve said that you don’t remember living there. I understand your point about preserving your culture, but wouldn’t your culture be Bojikstani, since you’ve spent most of your life here or in Goldtown?”

“You know, maybe I identify so much with Sameba because of what could have been. Maybe if I never moved there and I was surrounded by my own people, I wouldn’t be such a fucking screwup who talks to herself and can’t keep friends,” Liv blurted out, raising her voice in frustration. “And honestly, this talking is stupid. It’s fucking stupid. You haven’t even talked about my condition yet, you’re just prying into my personal life and then judging me for my answers.”

“That’s a very useful reply, Livia, whether you realize it or not.”

Liv scrunched her face up in disinterest. “How?”

“Because I think that you’re judging yourself and projecting it onto me. I haven’t said anything judgemental-”

“But you’re looking at me like everyone else does, like I’m a fucking failure.”

“Maybe you’re the one that thinks that you’re a failure.”

“I’m done with this talk. I gave you enough time, and we didn’t get anywhere. Tell Bogdan to give me someone else next time he forces me to talk with someone,” Liv replied quickly, and with that, she picked up her bag and walked out of the room. “Oh, and by the way. Nothing I said leaves this room. You aren’t going to talk about it to the staff, the other players, anybody.”

“Of course. I hope you feel better, Livia.”

***

During the warmups for the Schottia match, Liv looked for Nadine and caught up with her as she was running sprints. She ran right behind her, and tried to strike up a conversation. “You doing okay since we talked? I feel bad for how I raised my voice at you and stuff. I’m just protective of my little sister, which I’m sure you’d understand as someone that comes from a big family,” she started, before Nadine stopped and cut her off.

“Liv. Stop it.”

“Stop what, Nadine?”

“Just stop it, alright?” Nadine shouted, before starting to run off on another sprint. Liv grabbed her by the shoulder, however, as a couple of other players watched on. “What did I just say to you?”

“What do you want me to stop? All I did was talk to you and ask how you were doing, like a good friend is supposed to do!”

“Well, maybe you aren’t my good friend-”

“Then why did you apologize to me before?”

“Because I misjudged-”

“You misjudged being my friend?” Liv asked, her voice trailing off.

“Please, just leave me alone and let me figure out my own problems. We’re only going to fight if we’re around each other, because frankly, I can’t just let things slide with Catia. There’s a small war going on right now between us, and you’re either on my side or hers. I know that you would never do anything to hurt her, so I’m not even going to ask that you make the choice,” Nadine said eventually. “I know we have to play together, but give me distance. Stop trying to help me and focus on your own life.”

Liv tried to hug her friend and tell her that things wouldn’t be this rough forever, but Nadine threw a straight right punch that hit the older girl in the jaw and caused her to drop to the ground in surprise, holding her mouth. “I told you to stop it-” Nadine said, before they were immediately surrounded by other players who were coming to break up the commotion.

“Let’s not fight,” said Jose Estay, and the strong defender put himself in between them.

“We weren’t fighting-”

Nadine was cut off when her father stepped in the middle of the growing circle of players, looking over the scene. “Nadine, that’s enough. I understand that you’re going through something, and whatever it is, I hope it passes quickly, but this… You can’t let things like this happen. You can’t let your anger hurt the team. You’re out of the lineup tonight, and I doubt you’ll make an appearance off the bench. Spend the time there thinking about what you did and how you can improve,” he said, before starting to walk away.

By now, Liv was getting up, still holding her mouth. “But boss, I’m the one that started it, I wouldn’t get out of her face-” she managed to say, but Bogdan waved away her claims.

“I don’t want to hear it. That’s no excuse.”

And so Liv turned around and looked at Nadine, to see that her sad expression from earlier had been replaced by one full of hatred. Whatever progress had been made towards making up was gone, after Nadine had been pulled out of the biggest match of her life because of Liv. She had her fists clenched and she looked like she was ready to murder someone. And frankly, Liv didn’t blame her. She turned, and walked away from the scene as fast as she could.

[Mercedini]

Di Bradini Cup MD4 LIVE
Mercedini vs. Chromatika
@ Rose Gardens - Kareen, Valanora

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Rose Gardens Stadium, where Mercedini are in action for their final game of the group stages against Chromatika. While we were making our way to Valanora, Mercedini have had a whale of a time in the group stages, locking up top spot in the group before today's match even kicks off. The front two of Dostalok and Chillotov have been combining well to score twelve goals in their opening three games, the defence has followed that up with two clean sheets and only one goal against. Chromatika come into the match needing to avoid defeat if they want to advance to the knockout stages, with a fairly decent turnout from their fans hoping to see their team go deep in the run-up to the next World Cup. From a Mercedinian perspective, all eyes will now be on Group H as their next opponents will come from that group. A dangerous Cassadaigua side currently sit in second spot, but anything can change as we enter the final moments of this edition's group stages. The teams are emerging out of the tunnel and receive a huge fanfare from the fans scattered across the stadium, only one of these teams have anything to play for, so let's see if that's reflected in the action on the pitch.

---

0' - The players look out into the stands in front of them as the national anthems of both nations play out within the stadium. The pressure is off Mercedini and that is reflected in the team sheet with a number of defensive and midfield changes making it's way into the team. The two marquee names of Chillotov and Dostalok remain in the side to see out the group stages, however many pundits I have spoken to expect to see substitutes replace the pairing at some point in the match. Meanwhile, Chromatika have it all to do, they need a point in their final game have played a strong, match-fit squad to try and do that. I can't see anything that separates the two teams other than their recent form. Will Mercedini make it a clean sweep of victories and sail through to the knockout phases?, or will Chromatika force the initiative and steal the second qualifying spot away from Albaie? In about two hours time, we will know the answers to all of those questions

8' - (MRC 0-0 CMT) - A decent start to the match has seen plenty of opportunities for both teams at either end. Chromatika have had the lion's share of chances in the opening ten minutes or so, going close on two separate occasions. The first came from Cierra Prim who played a cute one-two with Mimi Kazumi before the Chromatik striker fired wide of the mark on the edge of the box. Shortly after, Kaytlyn Victoriane had a golden opportunity to open he scoring as a nice move from Whitney Kelly opened up some space in the box, she worked her way to the by-line before squaring the ball to the Lammerton player, her scuffed shot hit her standing leg which allowed the oncoming Mercedinian goalkeeper to collect the ball as it bobbled around in the box. Mercedini have had a couple of half-chances which haven't been taken by either striker just yet. It's goalless as we advance through the early stages of the match

16' - (MRC 0-1 CMT) - It's been coming, but Chromatika have got the lead they wanted in this match with a goal from Kaytlyn Victoriane. She has made up for her earlier error with a fierce strike on the edge of the box which, for now, send her nation into the knockout stages. It was Thorben who did most of the legwork in the opening advances, she dribbled her way into the box, the chance seemed to have gone when she was faced with two players hustling in front of her. However, she had excellent vision to see Victoriane on the edge of the box, one simple pass later and Victoriane was on the ball and in plenty of space. She fired into the bottom-right corner to give Chromatika a precious 1-0 lead.

22' - (MRC 0-1 CMT) - It looks like that earlier goal was the kick that was needed to get Mercedini into gear. They've finally woken up after a fairly absent first twenty minutes of this match. The midfield has started to gel more, with Jackic, Markus and Crasic beginning to command the midfield a bit more than in previous portions of the match. Chromatika are holding their own in defence thus far, although I would think they will need another goal or two if they want to hold onto their lead. It remains 1-0 to Chromatika, with two highly touted youth teams, we may be seeing some great moments in this match.

25' - (MRC 1-1 CMT) - GOAL! Mercedini are off the mark in this match which means they scored in every group stage match in this edition's Di Bradini Cup. It's come from Handon united striker Dostalok who finished well to find the Golden Eaglets' equaliser midway through the first half. A long ball from Ogdenagorv's Ruslan Kavlan found it's way to Crasic who was tight to the far side of the pitch. He worked his way inside and moved the ball forward to Chillotov, he passed the ball first time and laid the ball on for a sprinting Dostalok. There were suspicions of offside but he was given the benefit of the doubt as he beat his marker with pace and strength. It was just him, the defender and the goalkeeper at the very top of the pitch, the goalkeeper made themselves big but a neat finish saw Dotalok slide the ball under the goalie's legs and into the net, continuing his own and his team's scoring record, one-all!

31' - (MRC 1-1 CMT) - The match is beginning to cool down a little after the red hot action in the past quarter of an hour. The midfielders and defenders are ruling the day now, with both sides disrupting the other when they try to move forward and commence an attack. It's been evenly matched in this match so far, Chromatika are holding firm and look more than capable of getting the point they need to advance from the group stages. Apart from the earlier goal, Chromatika have done well to keep the Mercedinian front two at bay, limiting them to half chances when they move forward. We have about fifteen minutes left in the half with the match still tied a one goal a-piece.

40' - (MRC 1-1 CMT) - The Golden Eaglets are knocking on the door but they just cant break through and take the lead in this match. A Mercedinian corner which was half-cleared resulted in a scrappy goalmouth scramble which saw three Mercedinian shots blocked in the box. It was heart-in-the-mouth stuff as Chromatika held on and eventually cleared the danger, giving the crowd a chance to catch their breath. It was a golden chance for Mercedini to take the lead just minutes before half-time, but it came to nothing and Chromatika let off the hook for the first time in the match. Still 1-1.

44' - (MRC 1-1 CMT) - This may be the turning point in the match, Mercedini have been awarded a penalty after a Chromatik defender controlled the ball with their hand, giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty for the infringement. Neither the Chromatik players or fans are happy with that decision with the fans booing and hissing while the players in their white and black shirts are surrounding the referee and pleading for him to change his mind. However, he's made his decision and it looks as if Dostalok has a chance to claim his and Mercedini's second from the penalty spot

45+1' - (MRC 2-1 CMT) - It's taking a short while for the referee to clear the players, it's taken a couple of bookings to do so. Dostalok stares down the goalkeeper as they both attempt to psyche out the other. The referee blows his whistle, he steps up... and... GOAL! He smashes the ball down the centre, sending the several thousand or so fans in the stadium into raptures. The comeback is complete from a Mercedinian perspective, but Chromatika have it all to do. They'll need to score twice to advance, something which the previous three teams combined haven't done. It's a tall order, but as the first half comes to a close, Mercedini find themselves a goal to the good, 2-1!

45+4' - (MRC 2-1 CMT) - Hosset kicks the ball up field which gives the referee plenty of time to blow his whistle for the end of the first half. It's been a back and forth half to say the least, with three goals, two lead changes, and more action than you can shake a cat around a room with, or however you say it. A Dostalok-double sees Mercedini go into the half with the lead, Chromatika are facing a group stage elimination despite taking the lead with a sweet Victoriane strike. At the end of the first half, it's Mercedini 2, Chromatika 1.

HALF TIME
Mercedini U21 2 - 1 Chromatika U21
Dostalok 25', 45+1' (P) • Victoriane 16'

Welcome back to the Rose Gardens Stadium, if you've just joined then you've missed a stonker of a first half, with Mercedini currently leading 2-1 after coming back from a goal down. As it stands, Mercedini are heading into the knockout phases with a perfect 4-0-0 record, while at the other end of the spectrum, Chromatika are staring at a group stage exit square in the face, they need a draw or better if the want to claim that second qualification spot to face the winner of Group H. The team are coming out now, with no noticeable changes from the first half which means we are as we were regarding the teams. Let's see whether those half-time team talks were effective, the second half is starting round about now. Conteffe OFF, Domacenti ON

49' - (MRC 2-1 CMT) - We're about five minutes into the second half and it has already become apparent that Mercedini are turning the screw against their opponent. Chillotov and Dotalok are coming into their own with plenty of intricate passing play between them. Fatigue is beginning to play a part in this game as the match ticks on. Chromatika will need to find a goal from somewhere if they are to snatch a draw, at the moment, that doesn't look like it's gonna happen. It remains 2-1.

59' - (MRC 3-1 CMT) - Goal for Mercedini and that may very well be the dagger that goes into the heart of Chromatika's Di Bradini Cup campaign. It's starlet Ben Chillotov who has his first and Mercedini's third of the game, Markus came forward with Jackic and Dawsell in support with the two strikers waiting for their moment to pounce. He laid off the ball to Jackic who fed Dawsell down the wing. Dawsell then ran down the wing and created plenty of space to run into. He sent in a quick cross which was flicked on at the near post by Chillotov, it evaded the grasp of the Chromatik goalkeeper and nestled into the back of the net. Chillotov celebrates with Dawsell, with Mercedini now establishing clear daylight between themselves and their opponents. It's now 3-1

63' - (MRC 4-1 CMT) - It's beginning to go from bad to wrse for the Chromatiks, which is a real shame. Chillotov scores his second in four minutes to all but secure a perfect run for Mercedini and send Chromatika home at the same time. It all came from a rather dreadful backpass from one of the defenders which allowed Chillotov to race forward and claim the ball with only the keeper to beat. The oncoming goalkeeper posed a problem for the young 1860 Azoth striker but Chillotov rounded him with composure and slotted the ball into the net to put a fourth on the board for the boys in blue and black. 4-1 Mercedini, surely it's all over now.

70' - (MRC 4-1 CMT) - Twenty minutes left in the match and it seems those two recent goals has sucked all the intensity out of the match. A comeback is slim and getting slimmer as the second tick by, Chromatika are still putting up a good fight, moving forward and trying to make the score line seem more respectable. Four-one seems a bit harsh on a team that has played comparably well when compared to the rest of the teams in the group, it's just that certain errors have been punished by their opposition which has cost them in big games. Kebec and Cassadaigua are both winning in their games, which means we are playing Cassadaigua in the Round of 16 as it stands. Still 4-1.

79' - (MRC 5-1 CMT) - The cherry has been added to the proverbial cake as Matthias Dawsell conjures a delicious finish to put a fifth on the board for Mercedini and pretty much finish the Chromatikan side. It's the second consecutive match that Mercedini have hit five past their opposition, after beating Farfadillis 5-0 in their previous match. The goal came from a corner whipped in by Crasic and originally headed out of danger by the defence. The ball flew out to Dawsell who struck it on the half-volley, it flew effortless into the top corner which got nearly the whole crowd on their feet. Chromatika are beaten, and that may be the best goal Dawsell will ever score, not that he cares. 5-1 Mercedini! Markus OFF, Ytandev ON; Chillotov OFF, Denjamic ON.

85' - (MRC 5-1 CMT) - The match is coming to a close and some of the fans are already beginning to file out of the stadium, the result is all but confirmed but that isn't stopping the Mercedinian fans in the crowd from soaking up the occasion at the Rose Gardens. Denjamic as come on for his international debut for the U21 team, he was chosen after he impressed the youth management during the last two seasons as part of the Mercedini Armed Forces FC. The Golden Eaglets are happy to see out the game by passing it round the back and waiting for the Chromatik players to come to them, they have had a tremendous showing at the Di Bradini Cup so far, who knows how far they can go from here. It's remains 5-1.

90+2' - (MRC 5-2 CMT) - Chromatika have finished off their campaign on a positive as they score a consolation goal at the death. Mimi Kazumi nets a second for her team with a strong header from a corner, which in the long run is meaningless, but it will certainly help her personal record. It was sent in by Hermaeus Mora with pace, there were plenty of players jostling for position in the box but Kazumi rose highest and planted the ball in the net to get a second for her nation. With the performance they put in, they definitely deserve a lot more from the match, but sport is sport and it rarely has a happy ending for most. Hardly any celebration from the players, Kazumi picks up the ball and waves to the crowd as she runs back to the halfway line, which is almost certainly a farewell wave to their fans. 5-2 to Mercedini, the match is long since over.

90+5' - (MRC 5-2 CMT) - There we have it, the referee blows his whistle for the end of what was a near complete performance by Mercedini. Five goals scored, twelve points out of twelve for the campaign, the Golden Eagles are riding on some sort of sporting wave after the nation hosted the Mercedinian Open, with the junior hockey team going well at the WJHC in Kebec. Braces for Chillotov and Dostalok plus a sublime strike from Dawsell meant Mercedini overcame an early scare from Chromatika to eventually run away with the match. For the Chromatiks, it's the end of the road, they bow out after a decent set of respectable results but they couldn't get the point they needed to advance, so lose out to Albaie for the second qualification spot. At the end of the match, it's Mercedini 5, Chromatika 2.

FULL TIME
Mercedini U21 5 - 2 Chromatika U21
Dostalok 25', 45+1' (P), Chillotov 59', 63', Dawsell 79' • Victoriane 16', Kazumi 90+2'

That's it from us, Mercedini qualify top of the group which means they will face whoever finished second in Group H. We are just receiving news that it will be Cassadaigua who the Golden Eagles face tomorrow, after both Cassadaigua and Kebec won their final matches to keep the table in that group as it was. We hope you will be able to join us for that match as Mercedini aim to make it deeper in the DBC than they ever have before. We hope you have a safe journey home, from Kareen, goodnight!

[Ceni]

Avi stuck his headphones in his ears and popped a mint in his mouth as the team stepped off the train in front of the Turmondale Grounds for their first match in the Di Bradini Cup. Wearing a simple red-and-white practice output, he tapped his hand to the beat of the music as the team trooped into the stadium's locker room. As the team changed into their mostly white kits, which featured the diagonal crossed bars of the Cenian national flag, Avi felt the twinges of a couple of emotions. On one hand, he felt nervous inside, queasy in the stomach. Doubts kept invading his mind like a swarm of locusts. How could he possibly live up to the expectations of his team? How could he possibly repay the faith his team had placed in him? How could he possibly perform well, at all?

On the other hand, Avi felt proud of himself. His coach, his team had shown faith in him and let him take the starting spot, over more experienced players. That had to be a good sign, right? He looked down at his chest and saw the red and orange bars of the Cenian national flag. He was representing his country, wearing the red and orange and white. He had to admit, that felt good, to wear the same uniform that players like Kira Koromin and Adrian del Toro and Andrew Arrowsword - yes, Andrew Arrowsword himself - had worn. He had overcome at least some of his doubts as he tightened up his shorts, pulled up his socks, and double-knotted his shoelaces. As he was standing up, he felt a touch on his back and turned around to find Asher Koromin standing there, changed as well.

"You'll do fine, Avi," he said. "I know what it feels like, suiting up for your first match for the national team. It can be overwhelming, can't it?" Asher patted Avi on the back again as Avi nodded. "Come on, let's go."

Avi pulled up his socks before running to his locker to grab something. "Forgot to put on deodorant," he said sheepishly, before finally applying it. Asher smiled.

"It happens to us all," he said simply. Asher and Avi held hands as they walked into the conference room immediately adjoining the stadium. Asher whispered something to Avi, and Avi laughed. That comment definitely lightened the mood, in some respect, and the two entered the room in good humor. The rest of the team was there, waiting for them.

"There you guys are," said Coach Arathilion. "Let's go over some strategy for the match. Super-Llamaland is going to be nipping at our heels trying to get the ball, so we're going to have to be smart with this. The key to cracking their defense will be the counterattack: as we get them to move forward, the defense is going to be vulnerable." He nodded in the Avi's direction. "That's where Avi comes in - we're relying on you to read that ball, figure out where it's going, and get it to our attackers. Got it?" Avi nodded as there were a couple of murmurs in the room. "Great. Let's get em!" Avi and Asher walked out together, holding hands even through the Cenian national anthem, humming the bars as he went along. Avi giggled as Asher made another whispered comment. The ref blew his whistle and the game had begun.

---

The team filed back into the dressing room after ninety minutes of play in buoyant spirits. Avi still noticed the grass stains on his white socks and the imprints of sweaty fingertips where his teammates had joyously hugged him. Once well manicured, his hair now looked like a sweaty morass. Asher came by, dripping sweat like a leaky faucet, and raised his hand to hi-five Avi. "Avi! You were a magician out there on the field, setting up and scoring goals like nobody's business."

Avi demurred. "Come on, I wasn't playing that great out there. I don't think that I deserve your showers of praise, to be quite honest."

Asher ignored Avi's protests. "You scored, like, two goals out there and set up at least two more. You made it seem so easy. Those Llamaneans looked like little seven-year-olds out there!"

"I thought you looked much better than me. You were always in the right place at the right time to receive my passes - that takes some skill. And I only scored one goal, didn't I?"

Asher waved him off. "Whatever the number, you were brilliant!" By then, a crowd of their fellow teammates had gathered around them, echoing Asher's heaping praise. It came, not separately, but as a cacophony of loud voices, each adding to the din of the locker room. A chorus of "You were great out there, Avi!" and the like rang out, and Avi felt overwhelmed. He felt his cheeks grow hotter and hotter, and he realized that they were growing as red as roses. He mumbled words of thanks and quickly moved to open his locker, changing into his old clothes and adding a red jacket on top of it. Putting his headphones back into his ears, he lay down on the locker room bench and started to drift away into the world of his music... Despite what he had done on the pitch, which was exhilarating, he still needed a bit of a respite from all that. It was overwhelming - never before had he had so much support; never before had he felt so loved, so wanted.

Still, that was a good problem to have.

[Pasarga]

"So much for this being one of the best defenses that the Young Wanderers have produced, giving up twelve goals in their four matches in the group stage. They are quite fortunate to even have progressed through to the knockout rounds, they can be thankful that the attacking talent managed to live up to the billing even if they did not."

"Well let's not be too hasty to condemn the squad, you have to remember that half of those goals came in a single game that was so wide open that you would be very hard pressed to have found a defensive unit that would have looked good in that game. Besides, when you look at the scoring output from the entirety of the group, you can tell that the entire group was on the acceleration and not looking very much on the defensive side of things. While conceding ten or fewer goals in the group stage would have been far more preferred, the squad was going against teams that were intent to go out on the attack from the outset and have performed slightly below expectations."

"You may have a point, though it still stings to read that that description the media guide to the squad and then see twelve goals in the conceded column of the group table, even if the offensive talent of every squad was quite formidable, especially the Bojikstan team. Can you believe that they managed to score sixteen times in just four matches? It makes their outpouring against our side look like the norm instead of an exception, that in of itself is truly a mind boggling thought. One will need to keep an eye on that nation and those players for awhile after the end of the tournament, they very well may being going places and quite sooner rather than later."

"That is quite true, though it is perhaps better that they finished ahead of us in the group and got the far more dangerous draw in the round of sixteen with Eshan where we got Natanians and Nosts, who look an easier matchup despite their undefeated record in the group. When you look at the group that the Natanians and Eshan sides emerged from, it hardly seems to compare with the "Group of Death" that ourselves and Bojikstan have emerged from, though that is the risk you take in tournaments like these. I fully expect that Bojikstan to continue to perform well and would not be surprised at all if they manage to make it all the way to the Semifinals, with the road ahead of them. For our own squad though? I think they have enough to see off the Natanians and Nosts side in this first knockout round, but I am quite unsure if they have the firepower to make it beyond that if that defensive unit has lost its confidence. I am hoping to be proved wrong but history does not favor squads who have a crisis of confidence heading into the knockouts, one merely need look back at the World Cup to see just how that plays out."

"In sackings."

"Exactly."

[Valanora]

Who will make their last stand in the first knockout round?

Round of Sixteen
Cosumar 2–4 Equestrian States
Bojikstan 4–0 Eshan
Natanians and Nosts 0–2 Pasarga
Northern Sunrise Islands 5–1 Eastfield Lodge
Mercedini 3–4 Cassadaigua
Buyan 5–2 Super-Llamaland
Ceni 6–2 Coldfield
Kebec 3–0 Albaie

Quarterfinal Fixtures
Equestrain States v Bojikstan @ Duran Palace, Valanari
Pasarga v Northern Sunrise Islands @ Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara
Cassadaigua v Buyan @ Angelotic Temple, Longview
Ceni v Kebec @ Aranfield Bridge, Everlin

[Cassadaigua]

There were a lot of Cassadagan fans that made the trip to Ibini for the round of sixteen match against Mercedini. It was a little unexpected, but very much appreciated. Back at home, the nation was getting excited about this tournament. When the nation returned for World Cup 78, it always felt like there was something missing. CASE tried to hype up the return as much they could, and to a point, they did a decent job but it seemed like it should have been better, especially to the players wearing the uniform. Coach Sweeney was a part of that, and was at times, a little critical of CASE not doing more for the team. The Di Bradini Cup was never a huge draw for our traveling fans, even in our heyday. So this was surprising.

There were also a lot of fans from Mercedini in attendance. This was not as much of a surprise, given that they are becoming a soccer power. It still might be in the aspiration stage, but there is no question that they are on the track and their powers that be are not going to let anything get in their way of accomplishing that. Their young players have the glamour of World Cup glory in their eyes like we once experienced. They had cruised through qualifying, and scored a lot of goals on the way.

“I hate teams like that, because they are tough to play against.” Lupe Enriquez said in a pre-game interview concerning Mercedini’s scoring ability, “Though, I look at what they did in qualifying, and while they are impressive statistics, that’s all they mean now. Numbers on a computer.” When Enriquez was further prodded about her approach for the game, she replied, “I think you know the answer. I am not going to tell anyone, but I assure you, this game is going to be a little different for them.”

The fanbases did not interact all that much. They didn’t know each other all that well, but there was a cautious respect between each of them. They know what we had done before, and we know where they are trying to go. Different eras, so to speak, were clashing, and everyone knew there was one thing that neither of these teams had done in the tournament so far: Lose. Mercedini cruised through their group stage with no difficulty, while the Dagans drew on the opening match to a, as much we don’t want to admit it, a talented young team from Kebec, before putting away established powers like Darmen and Dainer.

Usually a game like this starts off with a feeling out process as the two teams try to get to know each other. Not today! Instead, both teams looked to establish themselves immediately and get the early lead, and the Golden Eagles struck immediately in the 5th, to go up 1-0. The fans were beginning chant and do whatever it is like to do, and it’s likely they may have missed how quickly the game became 1-1. Just two minutes later, Hannah Shanley delivered a perfect ball in close to the net for Caitlin Mayer, and the defense clearly expected a shot on net and forgot all about Chelsea Monroe. Caitlin didn’t, and Chelsea essentially had an uncontested shot, equalizing the game in the 7th minute. The Dagan fans erupted in the cheer, as the Golden Eagles fans had to cut their chant short. This game, was going to be a whole lot different then what they saw in the group stage.

Things settled down on the scoreboard from that point, as each team had their chances, and in the 35th minute, Cassadaigua went up 2-1 on a surprising Ashley Crocker goal, that was really just meant to be a pass. The ball was badly misplayed by keeper Daniel Hosset from Zoloroni City, leaving his fans stunned on what they just saw, and providing strong fodder for his team’s rival, Dynamo Shebchetsik, to use in a pre-match hype down the road. Fans of that club team in Mercedini will be further motivated because after all, it was their own Matthias Dawsell who provided the pick-me-up for Hosset just minutes before the halftime whistle blew.

Kelsey Morgan was a little frustrated at the coverage for the game-tying and the Dagan keeper spoke up at halftime, telling her team that they needed to improve in front of her. Everyone knew that, and everyone was trying, but when your keeper comes out and says it themselves it always carries a little extra weight. Morgan went to Lupe Enriquez,

“Lupe, you haven’t punched anyone since the second game. Don’t you think its time, again?” Morgan asked.

“It is. But this flippin’ ref, he’s on to me. He just flippin’ knows.” she replied.

“He won’t see anything, and I can’t stand number 19, Chillotov or whatever. He needs the Bassot special.” Morgan continued.

“If I were to get someone, that’s who you want then?” Lupe asked and Morgan nodded. Enriquez continued though, “This game goes downhill if I get carded, red or yellow. I am just not confident that I can pull it off with this ref, he’s very attentive to what I am doing. I can’t stand him.”

“Someone scared?” Asked an unknown voice.

Lupe looked around and saw that Caitlin Mayer was on the other side of her. “Lupe, you told me that I had to pick up my game, you really helped me realize that I might have to make adjustments to the way I play. That goal against Dainer was incredible and fun. After the game my parents called and weren’t that happy about it at first but then even they admitted that they loved what I did. I overcame my fear of being penalized. Lupe, you can do it. We can distract him.”

Morgan interjected, “This Mercedini team is all about goals. They can’t play physically, I can just see it. It’s been 2 ½ games now, Lupe, they aren’t going to fear it if they think its stopped.”

Lupe could only nod as the team walked back to the field for the second half. There was still a ton of energy in the stadium with this deadlocked score with both fanbases feeling that this game was going to be theirs. She began to get more physical with the Golden Eagles forwards, and would get a warning in the 53nd minute about the way she was playing. After the warning, she looked at Chillotov, and could see him grinning. At that moment, Enriquez knew that this forward was not going to have the best of her. The warning became encouragement for her, and in the 57th minute, she tossed an elbow to Chillotov’s jaw, knocking the player off-balance, but he recovered well. He responded with a two handed shove, which the ref did see, and showed a yellow to Chillotov. As it was displayed, Lupe walked by with a grin of her own, saying so only Chillotov could hear. “$17,000,000 for just what, exactly?”

Knowing Lupe was up to something, captain Hannah Shanley, also a defender, also ran by, and said, “You’re teammates are getting ticked that moneybags isn’t scoring in this game.” Shanley grinned and went to her responsibility, Daniel Dostalok, and said to him, “Man, I can’t believe he’s blaming you. Sucks to have prima donna on the team, I know.” Dostalok tried to brush it off, but it was clear that it had an affect when he was step offside for a great chance in the 62nd. That seemed to turn the momentum of the game around as well. For the next fifteen minutes, it was all Cassadaigua, and the scoreboard would reflect. In minute 68, Caitlin Mayer didn’t need to physical for a pretty individual display to make it 3-2, and then a Chelsea Monroe goal off a corner in the 75th make it 4-2. The fans wearing the pink and black were going crazy, while the great group stage of Mercedini appeared to be wasted.

Mercedini tried to recover, and got a garbage goal a minute into extra time, to be able to say they only lost by one, and not two.


(Elsewhere...)

Concord Heights team president Jillian Schanke made her way to Valanari to meet up with Nadine Sorokin. It was difficult, as Bogdan Sorokin had his team under tight surveillance, that any kind of interaction with another nation may raise an eyebrow. But, the timing was good, given Bojikstan’s match with Equestrian States, who is also hosting the World Baseball Classic. Schanke was able to use this cover as if she was offering baseball tickets.

“Nadine, do you know that Ben Chillotov just got $17,000,000.” Schanke began. “Talk about someone who benefits from their system. You have it harder. You have to put up with people who think you have only got here because of your family name, and some players on your team, that I am not sure are the best people for you to show your true excellence. I’ll give you that same $17,000,000. Come to Concord Heights!”

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

CHAPTER CINQ
ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID

I can't sleep.
It's two-twenty in the morning.
I can't sleep.
It's cold out in the balcony.
I can't sleep.
It's dark outside.
I really can't sleep.
Thoughts cloud my mind.
I really can't grasp at the concept of sleeping.
It has been at least a year, yet I keep thinking about what Princess Yuko told me.

If she wasn't lying, Justin Robertson, sports reporter of Northern Sunrisian nationality lived a somber tale.
In Monday, he had a fairly decent family, a couple of friends, many colleagues and some fantastic memories.
In Tuesday, he had memories.
Everyone he loved had long since passed on, having lived their lives at another dimension.
And yet, he couldn't do the same.
He was stuck here.
In a world he no longer felt a part of.
Even if he still worked through and through, there was this feeling of dread.
He knew nobody, he felt nothing.
He suffered for weeks.
Even now, he was still feeling awful.

And then to top it all off, once again, there was a Northern Sunrise Islands team playing.
This time, a Di Bradini Cup side.
He figured he'd find Princess Yuko around.
She had to be around.
As a member of the press he arranged a meeting with the Sunrisian squad.
There, he figured he'd get to talk with that Princess whose hair looked like the night.
Instead, he found a grumpy man.
His looks resembled a cross between someone from Flardania and a Semar.
The old man was pissed.
Mostly because it was three in the morning.
The rest of his team was nowhere to be found, probably sleeping by now.

Justin had a lot to ask and Koji had way less to answer.
He quickly figured out Justin was very aware of their situation, he knew up to the point where Mido-Hinode had been acquired.
What was only a mere year for Justin, had been decades of expansion for the Empire.
That young Lady Snowblood, Princess Yuko had been promoted to Queen.
Her favored striker, Awakening, had turned into one of her most prized Ministers, one Takashi Daitana that was later responsible for the establishment of several culture protection laws.
Olcadan, a trusty offensive mid, was now Aino Fukuro, the headmother of the Fukuro ninja clan.
The Boss was now Riri Murasakino, head of the Murasaki Zaibatsu, an upstart group of companies in Mainland Hinode.
And maybe more impressive of all, the on that went by Sunrise the Trainer, would later end up becoming Yuko's husband.
Their daughter, Taki, was now the Queen and had been so for the last eight years.
At least to make up for it, Justin brought with him a tape with some of the Sunrisians' fantastic games.

It was no surprise to Justin Robertson as the Sunrisians ran over Eastfield Lodge by five to one.
To him, it was Sunrisians playing like Sunrisians.
Should've happened, for once.

[Ceni]

Avi stared into the mirror, desperately wanting to pop the pimple that had developed near his upper lip. Still, though, it resisted his efforts to get rid of it, continuing to mar Avi's face, which was otherwise clean-shaven and smooth.

"Admiring your hair again, Avi?" He saw Asher's face pop into the bathroom.

"No, just trying to get rid of this stupid pimple. It's annoying me right now."

"Relax, Avi, you look fine - I can barely notice it. Now, if you don't mind..." He indicated his behind.

"Oh, sorry, I'll get right out of the way." The Lexington midfielder moved out of the bathroom and plopped down on his back on the bed. He felt tired from the match against Super-Llamaland, even though it was a smashing success. Strangely, though, he felt a little anxious at the back of his head. They had absolutely crushed Super-Llamaland, yet he still felt a bit worried about Spaam, for some reason. Avi heard a flush and saw Asher come out of the bathroom. "Wanna take a walk?" Avi asked. That idea randomly popped into his head, but he felt that it would help him relax.

"How hot is it outside?" Asher asked, consulting his phone to find the answer. "Oh, it's actually not that bad. Sure, I'll go. I could use some distraction from this boring hotel room."

Avi suddenly realized that his current outfit wouldn't be presentable for a public audience, so he ducked inside the bathroom and changed from his hotel-room attire of a white workshirt and blue boxers into something more suitable for outside, donning a red pullover, black shorts, long socks, and tennis shoes. "Alright, let's do this."

Asher was ready to talk about anything except football. It seemed that he, too, wanted to escape the world of football - which, admittedly, could be soul-crushing at some points. Eventually, the conversation turned to, what else, romance. That conversation turned awkward quite quickly.

"So, what happened between you and Sahara?" asked Asher in a suggestive tone.

The line of questioning startled Avi. He did manage to stammer out a response. "Um, nothing, absolutely nothing."

"Of course something happened! If nothing happened, then why would the whole team be gossiping about it behind your back?"

Avi became livid, and he barely noticed his hands balling up into fists. "Sahara, what a rumor-monger. She must have said some nasty things about me, then." He also didn't notice his voice becoming a loud growl, even though he knew that thinking of Sahara would trigger his heavy emotions. At this point, he didn't care too much about that.

"Whoa, Avi, calm down there! You look as red as a beet there."

"Well, she wanted to, you know, do something intimate, and I didn't want to. That was not great - and now she's spreading bad rumors about me! You can understand why I'm angry here."

Asher raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? Sahara is going around telling people that you slapped her about it!"

"I'm gonna slap you if you actually believe her lies." At this point, Avi's face was entirely flushed, his balled fists were shaking, sweat was visibly pouring out all over his body.

Asher held out his hands in front of him. "Avi, I totally believe you! You don't need to take out your anger on me - it's Sahara you're after."

"Damn right I'm after her, I'm going to track her down-"

"Just calm down for a bit, Avi." He touched Avi on the shoulder. "Take a moment and breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Take a couple of deep breaths and let your brain take over your body. Right now, it's your heart that's in control."

Avi tried to follow Asher's advice, but for a while, it was too much to take in. His breaths still remained quick and shallow, and his face was still flushed with red. Asher started walking towards a bench and sat down; Avi followed suit. Once there, he closed his eyes and tried to follow Asher's advice. After a couple of minutes, his breathing had slowed, and his face returned to normal. His brain had taken back control from his heart, which had seized control of his train of thought and almost made it derail. "Look, I'm sorry about overreacting," he said, after a few minutes of thought, "but I really am upset that she would do something like that."

Asher patted Avi on the shoulder. "I believe you, I really do. I like you as a person, I trust you, I know you wouldn't be a total jerk about anything. You know better than that."

"I don't know why she was expecting anything out of me, though. I thought I had made it abundantly clear that I wasn't attracted to her in any way, and that I wasn't on the lookout for a date or romantic companionship. Why wouldn't she listen to me?"

"Sometimes people are just like that, Avi. That's the way life turns out, and you just have to deal with those people. Here's a good trick." Asher fished out a pen from his pocket and held it out in his hand. "Pretend your grudge with Sahara is this pen." He dropped the pen. "Let it go just like I let go of the pen. Now you try it." He handed the pen to Avi.

Avi dropped it. He smiled a bit. "Let's move on from this. I don't want to think about her any more..." The two laughed, and walked farther into the park. "Now, what about your love life, Asher? You have any?"

"Not at the moment, Avi, not at the moment. I wish, though."

"Well, wish that you don't get Sahara coming after you!" The two footballers laughed, and continued walking through the park. It was clear that the relationship between the two was growing: Asher was serving as a mentor to Avi, and Avi was taking a liking to Asher. As it turned out, though, their walk in the park - and their experience in that first tournament together - was the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

[Bojikstan]

Crazy Youth

Chapter Seven

“The golden boy finally arrives,” said Dimitar Kovalov, as Will Sorokin arrived in his room. There was also Jose Estay, and senior national team midfielder Ricardo Hale, but they were all there waiting for one person. Will. The one who had finally agreed to talk about a daring project that he’d been informed of by Dimitar awhile ago, back when the winger first got involved with this before his transfer to Scaffield. “Only took you, what, three weeks to finally agree to sit down to talk. Have a seat. Feel free to get a drink if you want.”

“Nice job getting ready,” Will mumbled, surprised that they were putting this much effort into swaying him. The room was cleaned up, which was a big deal by Dimitar’s usual standards, and there were different drinks on the coffee table. A couple of beers, a bottle of wine, some whiskey. Will decided to hold off on the drinking until they were done with business, but he did pick up a can of bottle of soda and pop the cap off before sipping it. “And yes. You finally get to sell me on this crazy… Whatever it is, of yours. The way you talk to me about it, I can’t tell if it’s a secret society or a pyramid scheme.”

Dimitar chuckled, as did Ricardo Hale. “We’re neither,” Ricardo said. “This is a society, but not secret. We’re just a group of young stars who want to help each other be the best that we can be. And we kind of want to get famous, but that’s second to self improvement. Katya does a lot for us and our careers, and like she says, she likes to help us help ourselves-”

“Alright, who the fuck is Katya? I keep hearing about her. Dimitar’s brought her up to me too. Is she you guys’ agent or something? Or some rich benefactor?”

“He’s talking about Katya Komarova, the one who started Familia. She’s a player but she’s also an agent, and she’s the older sister of Niko Komarov. You know, one of the starting strikers for the senior team. She’s really business savvy and she’s good at growing reputations. If you have her as your agent, and you play well, people are going to notice you. That’s her specialty, getting people noticed. She promised to turn all of us into stars. The kind of players that are celebrities off of the pitch, not just on it,” explained Dimitar. “She does a good job with it. She’s already gotten me enough attention to join Scaffield.”

“So how do the others come into this? You said it’s a group. Katya helps all of you, but what kind of stuff do you do with each other?”

“Most of us live in the Familia house in Lindon when we aren’t busy playing. Some of us just live there for the offseason, some of us go back and forth during the season, but like I said, we’re basically celebrities when we’re there. Reality TV stars, but Katya realized that the internet is the new TV. We record videos all the time and we live like kings over there. It’s not like we can’t afford stuff, but Katya doesn’t care about that. She gives us a lot of stuff for free anyway, and it’s like having a party every day. You could come over one time if you want, to see what it’s like when something is going on.”

Will takes a sip of the soda, before setting the empty bottle down. “What does Katya get out of this?”

“What do you mean?”

“How does she benefit from giving a free ride to a bunch of celebrity footballers? Sounds like a lot of work for her, what does she get in return?”

Dimitar shrugged. “I think she just likes the achievement. She likes being able to say that she turned us into stars. She doesn’t charge us agent fees if we’re part of the group, but she still makes some cash off of us, also. With stuff like our contracts.”

“Also, let me let you in on a secret,” Ricardo said. “Don’t tell her that I told you this, but Katya’s career has never gone the way that she’s wanted. She’s playing for Southwest Lindon now as an all around wide player, and well, they’re one of the worst clubs in Gallia. They’re dysfunctional in just about every way, but the rumor is that they were the only ones that wanted her. It doesn’t sit well with her, because her brother Niko is obviously having a lot more success, and they had some problems with each other about that. So she surrounds herself with these jocks like you and me because she wants to feel like she’s part of the group, even though at this point, she probably won’t get in as a player.”

“And you say you actually have fun with this?”

“Let me flip the question on you and ask you something, Will. What do you want? Like, what do you really want? Are you playing to become the next huge name in your family? Is it because you want to make a lot of money and take care of a family of you own? Do you want to attract beautiful women, or party all the time with some of the most exclusive groups? Is it cool things that you want?”

“I don’t know, I think I’m actually playing for pride more than anything, to be completely honest. But all of that does sound nice. I’ve thought about what I want in my career, and that’s part of why I went to Samotath. The lights are just brighter in a big league compared to Liga B, even though I had a spot waiting for me in Strasburg.”

“So what do you say about a visit?” asked Dimitar. “You could come over when there’s a party, and you can meet Katya. You can meet the others, too. Hell, we could even bring the others here.”

“I’ll think about it-”

The meeting was interrupted when someone else knocked on the door, and Will went to open it. The person standing there was Bentley Loken, who he knew as both his teammate and Nadine’s controversial boyfriend. “Will, come here. Your sister needs you right now. Come quickly-”

“What’s going on?”

“Come quickly,” Bentley repeated, before taking off down the hall. And though he was confused, Will was left chasing after him.

***

Nadine Sorokin felt high when she woke up. And not a good kind of high. She felt like she was floating, and she felt like her heart was barely beating at all. She wasn’t breathing much, and that was the first thing that came to her mind when she opened her eyes. She needed air… She coughed a bit and sat up, looking around the room with blurred vision. She didn’t even know what she was seeing, really, because of her mind not clearing up yet. It was like she was caught between the waking world and sleep.

And then she heard the voice coming from the edge of the room. “Nadine!” the voice shouted, and she realized that it was her brother, Will. He came over and embraced her, but she was too out of it to return the embrace. “What happened to her?” Will asked someone else, and Nadine looked around again to see that her room was filled with staff members and others from the team.

“Livia Andrade believes that she overdosed on opiates, but we’re not sure,” said one of the team doctors, who had his bag set up next to the bed that Nadine was sitting on. Apparently, they hadn’t went to the hospital. That was probably for the better, considering the public status of the Sorokin family. If Nadine showed up at a hospital, even in a foreign country, it would get in the papers back home. “We just gave her a Naloxone injection, which is why she woke up. She appears stable, but-”

“I didn’t overdose on opiates,” Nadine lied, knowing full and well that there was no other way for her to have ended up in this situation. “Liv doesn’t know what she’s talking about-”

“She’s the one that found you,” said Bogdan Sorokin, who was also in the room. Great. So her father knew all about this. How many others realized what she had done before she realized it herself? “She went to your room to talk to you. When you didn’t open or answer her texts, she broke into your room by climbing across the balconies. Since your rooms are right next to each other. It looks like she made the right choice, too.”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen, okay? I’m just under a lot of stress right now, and it’s not like I had someone to talk to. I didn’t want to bother Bentley with my problems again, I have the feeling that he doesn’t like it when I do that-”

“I’m just happy that you’re okay, babe,” said Bentley, moving bedside and kissing her. “Should have told me what was going on, at the very least I would have came over and made sure that you didn’t OD.”

“Does everyone know?”

“Word spreads fast for the Sorokin family. Sorry. I’d say all of the team does, because Catia posted it in the group chat.”

“That bitch,” Nadine muttered, before sighing and laying back. “So Livia is the one who found me. I’m surprised she went through that much effort to get in after I told her off before. Maybe I owe her an apology. Actually, I probably do… I basically told her to get lost, but she still ended up helping me. She’s persistent, at least.”

“We’re all just happy that you’re alright, Nadine. And I have to admit that I should have paid more attention to what was… What is, going on with you. It’s easy for all of us to get wrapped up in our own problems, in a famous family like this,” said Bogdan. “For me, the management just took too much of my attention. More of it than it should have.”

“You’d do better if you actually split your time with all of your kids, and not just Will,” Nadine snapped, before rolling out of bed and standing despite needing to put a hand on the wall to stay up. She was shaky, but she didn’t intend to stay here to get a speech from her father. “But you know, I’m going to be someone else’s problem real soon. I’m not going to be in Strasburg for much longer after this tournament, because I’m handing in my transfer request and I already have my next destination decided.”

“Where are you going to go?” asked Will.

Nadine looked back at him as she went for the door before the doctors could complain. “I’m going to take my chance to cash in and join Concord Heights, in Cassadaigua. And if you guys don’t want me to go and leave Strasburg, maybe you should have cared more about me for all of the years when I was playing there. Too late, now, Will. Too late now, father.”

“If that’s what you want to do,” Will started as Nadine left. “I won’t try to keep you in Strasburg. After all, I left home too. I just hope you’re making the right choice-”

“I know I am.”

[Valanora]

Which squads will learn the price of a mile?

Quaterfinals
Equestrian States 2–3 Bojikstan
Pasarga 2–2(2–2 AET)[2–3 PKs] Northern Sunrise Islands
Cassadaigua 1–1(2–1 AET) Buyan
Ceni 6–4 Kebec

Semfinal Fixtures
Bojikstan v Northern Sunrise Islands @ Artani, Mar Sara
Cassadaigua v Ceni @ The White Fortress, Gladerial

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

CHAPTER SEIS
THE GREATEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED

Forgiveness.
The ability to forgive.
It's the mark of those that are bigger than life.
Bigger than the mere existence of differences that drift us all apart from a singe goal.
To be a Hinodejin from the one land that they hated the most.
My name is Li Jianhong.
My family fled from the middle of China, under the Ming Dynasty to the blooming ports of Mikashu, Hinode's second territory in Chinese land.
Originally, the state of Mikashu consisted of three provinces: Kiyushi, Shakira and Yasho.
Their goal was to cripple their rivals' economical power via taking down their ports and so these three provinces were considered the foundation for something bigger.
A couple of years later, they would annex a larger portion of land, including the big ports of Kaito and Maku.
My family moved around that time, their hometown having been ravaged by Mongolian Separatists.
They were merchants and the Hinodejin society surprisingly opened up for them.

As a kid, I couldn't help but study all about it.
The rivalry was old, having started with the death of a single life.
Except that life was a very important child.
Princess Mia Asakawa earned her own memorial day.
Weird when you consider she was only two when she died, but it was true.
Legend has it that, had she not died, the Hinodejin would've remained at their small plot of land.
So in a way, had they not expanded, I'd be working at a farm, without electricity or anything of the like.
And in a way, had she not died, way more people wouldn't have died as well because of the single undoing of an assassin hired by the Ming.

Yet, I forgive them.
I'm aware it's heartless.
I'm aware it's messed up.
But you, the person reading this, has to realize that sometimes, people take decisions that are based out of the atmosphere of the moment.
I'm not saying they should do this.
I would disagree if I was there, live.
But now? Decades later?
I can't really argue.
It'd be hypocrisy.

My parents never took interest on renaming themselves.
Worse off, when they named me, they insisted I kept their naming pattern.
They made it clear that they moved in for safety and money.
And yet, the Hinodejin forgave them.
...And then, here I am, forgiving their enemies.
It's hard to explain.
It's hard to justify.
But some things just are.
You can't really explain.
You can't really justify.
Maybe inside, I do consider their old home as mine.
It's still there.
It crumbled noticeably the past few years.

Maybe the moment people realized that the Ming were no longer a threat was back in 2128.
Six years ago, the Hinodejin started another war against their lifelong rivals.
Both sides had specific claims.
Queen Taki had just recently taken up the mantle as her mother retired to a peaceful life at Soshiki and as she rose up, she made sure to continue the family's oath of destroying those that killed Princess Mia.
The formerly glorious China had been in a process of decay thanks to the Hinodejin after the two first locked horns.
Rebellions sprung up and down. Some financed by the Hinodejin, others not.
Rulers were often discredited, money had been on the low following the first Embargo the country suffered by the hands of Queen Tomoyo the day after her daughter died and in general, people weren't safe inside what was left of the Celestial Empire.
Former warlords started to voice their discontent by suggesting the Hinodejin Queen should also lead China.
After doing away with several of the warlords, the Ming officially declared war against the Hinodejin Threat.
Taki, at the time, was overlooking advances at India but wisely chose to delegate the War efforts to her council of Ministers behind the walls of Kanshiro.

The war was short.
Rebellions did their trick, one of the remaining Warlords managing to separate his land from the Ming's domains during the conflict.
Additionally, it had been a while since both sides faced each other.
For the first time, the Hinodejin had a number advantage as well as technology.
It was really all just short.
Reparation came and the Hinodejin chose to have their enemies release two other Warlord territories while the Hinodejin got deeper and deeper into the Chinese interior.
Taki's final insult came into the nation's new capital.
She took the castle of Beijing and turned it into a shining place, now under the name of Tentai.
There, she promised to the citizens that they wouldn't be oppressed under her rule.
And they weren't. They had full rights as by Hinodejin tradition.
They'd see a Shining City.
And they have seen a Shining City ever since.
Their city.
Our city.

Li Jianhong was the final kicker.
A son of their fiercest rival had the one shot that could put them through to the final four.
The Vaporeons had previously won the Di Bradini Cup, but it wasn't something that these folks knew of.
He took a deep breath before running towards the ball.
The ball took a swerve on the way to the net.
Szalay dived.
She dove to the wrong side.
The left side.
Li Jianhong scored the Sunrisians' fifth and final penalty shot.
They were through to the semi-finals against Bojikstan.
Not bad for a bunch of university kids.
Nobody told the other teams they were just a bunch of university kids, come to think of it.

Wonder how they'd react to that.

[Cassadaigua]

Concord Heights Makes Stunning Acquisition

Cassadagan soccer was caught off guard this week when Concord Heights announced the transfer of Nadine Sorokin, from Bojikstan, for $17,000,000. Where did this even come from? This is not very Cassadagan, traditionally, but the move is just odd for more reasons then just the signing. Is this a bigger omen for more signings to come? It’s been reported that there have been a lot of scouts from Cassadagan teams at the Di Bradini Cup in Valanora, but it was just assumed that they were watching our own youngsters, who are actually having a strong tournament.

From the Concord Heights standpoint, the acquisition makes sense. Our own players are subject to the draft or waiver priority rules which makes a team like Concord Heights not able to pick up the top young talent unless they trade for it. These rules do not apply to international players, mainly because CASE (Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence) has not felt that it was necessary too. When our clubs made domestic signings from other nations before, it has been for players that did not have a big role in their homeland. Nadine Sorokin has a very big role. Bojikstan is an up and coming nation to the international scene, and her family has been among the elite. Pretend Stacie Kerrigan-Fraser had a superstar granddaughter. That’s what Nadine Sorokin is in Bojikstan. She had some critics because she is not a playmaker, and often needs to rely on being in the right place in the right time. She’s aggressive and physical. Cassadagan soccer fits that type of player, perfectly. If you’re looking at the Bojikstan roster now, and thinking that Concord Heights could have pursued someone else, I disagree with you. Sorokin is what this team wants, and she’ll fit in.

Team President Jillian Schanke, herself part of a great family legacy confirms that Sorokin is just what they want, but told us in an interview that she had a hunch about Nadine. “I was watching her on our bye day out in Valanora,” Schanke stated, “She intrigued me. I know what its like to have the pressure of the family name, and I was not certain that she had great chemistry there with a couple players. There were some other hunches I had, which I will not elaborate on, that made me feel she would come over. And I am so happy that she has decided to do so.”

Sorokin has two games left with her Bojikstan squad in this Di Bradini Cup, just like our team does. Both team are in the semifinals, so they could meet in the championship, or in the third place game. Can you just imagine how surreal it would be for her to play us, in the finals? The third place game doesn’t have the same excitement. Our team plays Ceni next in what has been one of our best runs ever in the Di Bradini Cup, even when considering the glory days. It could have been Kebec, but they couldn’t see their way past Ceni.

[Bojikstan]

Crazy Youth

Chapter Eight

After rolling past their last two opponents and having an easier time than expected, the Azules were in an absolue dogfight with the Equestrian States. They’d went down 1-0 early, equalized before the half, conceded again in the second half, but Tyson Marcial had rescued them with a timely header that came off of the end of Dimitar Kovalov’s cross. Now, they were seventy five minutes in and the score was still locked at 2-2, with the Bojikstani crowd baying for a winner. After all, it would be a shame if their great run ended up coming down to penalties, and just about nobody was comfortable with playing for extra time. They were also playing without Nadine, with the striker being left off of the squad becas

“Find Liv, find Liv!” shouted Will Sorokin, from the defensive midfield as Bentley Loken took control of the ball and looked around him for someone to pass to. He was panicking a bit, but Will’s words forced him to focus on one thing, and he lofted the ball forward to the attacking midfielder spot where Liv was lurking. Will also pushed up the pitch, getting in position to take advantage of deflections if someone took a shot. A move that left them open to the counter attack, but one that had also scored them several goals. Will was also there to relieve the pressure, but Liv didn’t look like she was going to need the help.

This was the moment she was waiting for. She had the ball between two defenders, but she flicked it forward and gave chase, putting her into open space. She then dribbled back and to the side, looking for other players in the box. Dimitar was also making a run, but she was just using that as bait. She feinted a pass and then kicked the ball towards goal, once again catching up with it and lining up her shot. Her one shot that would be a realization of everything she worked for. She could already see it.

The ball would hit the back of the net, the crowd would scream, and her teammates would gather around her. She could see herself in the headlines the next day, but for the right reasons this time. She could see herself being the story of the day, and not because she was the crazy girl who talked to herself and fought with teammates. She just had to make it happen, and the chance was directly in front of her.

Liv kept running towards the near post and then fired a left footed shot towards the opposite one. The shot was weaker, but the angle was better, and the ball hit the post before rolling backwards across the line. It wasn’t the prettiest goal, but it worked. The next moments were just like she had imagined. The crowd roared, finally embracing her after calling her a mercenary during her first matches. Her teammates ran after her. The sideline went wild. And she ran in front of the TV cameras and the photographers by the sideline, whipping her shirt off and belly dancing. She didn’t know where the idea for the celebration came from, and she knew she was going to pick up a yellow card for it, but for some reason she felt the urge to do it. She felt the urge to do something that was going to leave an impression with everyone.

She lifted her arms overhead and shook her hips in front of the cameras, moving as if she was water. In a way, it was a representation of the way that she moved on the pitch. She wasn’t the fastest, or the strongest, but she was the one who moved like the waves, finding gaps between even the hardest rocks and breaking down impenetrable walls with just an inch of space. By the time she finished her celebration, many had noticed something else, also. The fact that there was an eastern Bojikstan flag tattooed above the right part of her hip. Of course, she’d grown up a westerner, but the notably eastern city of East Vorsji had been where she proved herself as a player and also stabilized herself as a person.

Liv owed something to the east of Bojikstan for sure, and she was finally coming out and embracing it. The crowd was singing her name again, but this time, they were singing her praises instead of singing about how she didn’t belong. “Liv… Liv will tear you apart again… Liv, Liv will tear you apart again,” they chanted, and finally, she felt like she was at home with this team. It was something that she wasn’t sure she was ever going to feel, and it made her feel emotional for more reasons than just scoring a potential winner in this quarterfinals match. She wiped her face with her shirt so her teammates wouldn’t see her cry.

***

While most of the other players were out enjoying themselves after their victory, Catia Andrade was spending another night by herself in her room, sitting on her bed and screaming at her laptop. “You guys are fucking awful,” she said into her headset, as she rapidly flicked the sticks of her controller, her eyes wide with attention as she looked at the video game. “Seriously. I’m never going to rank up if this is who I get matched up with every damn time.”

Someone said something back to her, and she rolled her eyes and continued her rapid movements. “Talk to me when you can last one minute in the game,” she fired back, sighing when another one of her teammates died on screen. “Let’s just forfeit. And maybe I can get matched up with a better team next time.”

“Why so mad?” asked one of her teammates, and that was a good question.

“Because I’m stuck with shitty luck around me in real life, and in the game, too. My sister is no help to me, my circle of friends hates me now, and my boss doesn’t like me because his daughter is my enemy. And then I come on here to relax and we get our shit kicked because everyone is trying to be the damn hero,” Catia finally said, venting all of her problems. The round finally ended, and she set the controller down and sighed, wiping the sweat from her face with her shirt. It was just a game to some, maybe, but it was extremely intense for someone as competitive as her.

“Your sister… Wait a minute, your username is xKittyAndrade, who’s your sister? Liv Andrade, the footballer? I knew I recognized the voice from somewhere.”

“Yeah, that’s my sister, so what?”

“I just think it’s cool-”

“Well, you aren’t the one that has to deal with her,” said Cat, frustrated with the way that her sister was so protective of her. It wasn’t helping for Liv and Nadine to feud with each other over Cat, even if Liv thought it would help. Cat was the kind of person that wanted to handle things herself, and she was watching her sister get worse and worse as she lost her best friend because of the conflict. “We want the best for each other, but we don’t agree on everything.”

“Does she really hate Nadine Sorokin now?” someone else asked.

Cat didn’t know where the news had come from about that, but she wasn’t surprised that some of the team’s problems had reached the press. Too many people within the team were talking about it. “She doesn’t hate Nadine, they’re just fighting because she thinks I can’t handle Nadine getting upset with me over a couple of things. Nadine stole my boyfriend and we’ve been enemies ever since, Liv is just protecting me. Well, giving me protection that I never asked for or wanted.”

The next round starts, and Cat picks her controller back up and puts her focus on the game again. She’s about to bark some orders to the team, when she looks up after hearing a knock on the door. She mutes the microphone. “The door is unlocked, just come in!” she shouts, and she’s expecting her sister. She’s surprised when she sees Tyson Marcial, instead.

“I thought I’d stop by,” he says. “Liv told me that you weren’t out with the others, and honestly, I’ve wanted to hang out for awhile now. Hey, I didn’t know you were a gamer… What game is that?”

“Oh, it’s just some stupid shooter game that some of the team played back in Strasburg-”

“No, you don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s cool. Can I try it?” Tyson asks, and for once, Catia smiles genuinely. It’s more a smirk than a smile, but still, it’s the first time in awhile that she hasn’t felt as alone as she has recently. It’s also been a long time since she had interest from someone outside of her sister, and the feeling is foreign but good. Warm, even.

“Yeah. I’m in the middle of a ranked match right now, but there’s another controller in my bag over there. Another headset, too. Lynn Ivanova used to play with me, but she kind of hates me now because Nadine does.”

“Then Lynn was never a real friend in the first place.”

“No. We were always friends because of politics. Social politics, that is. Just like she’s friends with Nadine because Nadine gives her nice things and boosts her social status. I’m done with that shit, though. I don’t care if everyone dislikes me and thinks I’m in the wrong about Bentley. I’m just going to keep doing what I do, and if I have no friends on this team, I’ll just keep gaming by myself instead of partying with the others.”

“That’s what I like about you.”

Catia stared at him for a moment before laughing. “Right, then. Better get that controller and mic and see if you have the skills to hang with me.”

***

Liv Andrade was distinctly drunk. As the players returned to Jose Estay’s room after their trip to town, celebrating their quarterfinals win, she found herself barely being able to walk in a straight line without holding onto the wall. But it was fine, because she wasn’t feeling the voices right now. Somehow, the only time her mind was straight was when she wasn’t thinking at all, because of being impaired by the alcohol. She was ready to find somewhere to sleep, even if that wasn’t her room, but she was told that she should stay up because they had someone special coming to see the team because of their success.

She didn’t even know who that was, but she’d promised Dimitar to stay up and now she was following part of the group to Jose’s room, where she crashed to the floor once she got inside and closed the door. “Jeez, you feeling okay?” asked Bentley, and she made her best attempt at rolling her eyes.

“What does it look like?” she asked, her words slurred.

“Um, shit. Let me run out and get some ibuprofen for you,” Dimitar said, and he started towards the door. Great. So the captain was leaving and Liv was left with Jose’s mates. Namely, Hayden Rinde and Bentley. Oh, and Nadine. Nadine was with them even though she hadn’t played in the quarterfinals. Liv didn’t quite trust Nadine to look out for her, especially when she was in front of her boyfriend who definitely wasn’t going to help her out if Jose or Hayden decided to mess with her.

Nodding and figuring that there weren’t any other options, Liv sat up and shrugged. “I feel like I should sleep this one off-”

“Nah, you’re going to want to stay up. I’ve got a big time player coming by-”

“Who is this player, anyway?”

“Don’t know. I didn’t ask. My agent just told me that we’d have someone coming to celebrate with us. Supposedly someone that’s a national team member.”

“Well, I already met Artem and Rain, so hopefully it’s not one of them. Not that I’d mind seeing them again, though. They’re cool. Just not worth staying up while being drunk off my ass for.”

Dimitar nodded. “I’ll go get the ibuprofen, then. And Nadine, can you get her some water?”

“Sure,” Nadine said, but she was obviously annoyed at being asked. She moved to the kitchen, and that was when Hayden Rinde slid next to Liv and got a bit closer than she would have liked. That was the thing about Hayden… He was always on the brink of doing something that would piss someone off, no matter what that thing was. Sometimes it was saying the wrong thing, other times it was dismissing his internal filter and doing something that was just stupid from a social point of view.

“So,” Hayden started, somewhat awkwardly. “How have you been doing lately? Have you gotten the thing with you and your friends and your sister sorted out?”

“Does everyone know that something is up with all of us?” Liv asked, raising an eyebrow as Nadine handed her the water. She nodded in silent thanks, taking two large gulps.

“You’re dealing with someone from a famous family. It’s hard to keep stuff quiet.”

“You don’t say.”

Hayden shrugged. “I just wanted to say that maybe tomorrow we could get something to eat after the match, and then we can chill in my room afterwards. I wanted to ask you for awhile, and I know you’re hungover right now and you probably won’t feel good tomorrow morning, but…”

“But what?”

“I still wanted to ask.”

Liv raised an eyebrow, taking another gulp of the water. “I don’t know. I might want to hang out with my sister afterwards, we’ll see-”

“So no?”

“Not no, we’ll see.”

“We’ll see always means no,” complained Hayden. “I was hoping I could at least get a probably, because honestly… Honestly-”

“Honestly what?” asked Liv, wondering where this was heading.

“Honestly, I think we’re more alike than anyone will know and I wish you were my girlfriend. But if you say no, I guess I understand. I wouldn’t want to be with someone with my reputation, either. Just saying.”

Liv paused, looking for the right words for the situation. Because she definitely didn’t hate Hayden, even if she was unsure about dating him. “Can we talk when I’m not about to pass out?” she asked, her voice still slurred.

“Uh… Right, that’s why you told me we’ll see. Sorry.”

It was an awkward moment, but fortunately it was broken up when someone stepped in. She looked up and she expected Dimitar, but it wasn’t him. It was someone else that she knew, who turned out to be the person that Dimitar had promised. Particularly, Niko Komarov, one of the two strikers in the senior team starting lineup. “Niko?” she muttered upon seeing him, surprised. It was the first time that they’d seen each other since the trip to Blackmont, where there had been some… Awkwardness and friction, to say the least. Mainly because Niko sent her mixed signals on a number of subjects, and it was impossible to pin down exactly how he felt.

“Liv. It’s good to see you again,” Niko replied, and she knew that she wasn’t seeing things wrong. If Niko Komarov was showing up, she knew it was going to be an awkward night, and probably an awkward gameday if he was indeed staying to help out the staff before the semifinals matchup. “I wasn’t sure we’d talk to each other again after the Blackmont trip.”

“I didn’t think we were going to.”

“Yeah? Well good thing my agent knows some people on the staff.”

[Ceni]

That friendship only seemed to grow and develop as the team racked up their hotel bill in Valanora. After that first victory against Super-Llamaland, the team racked up a long streak of wins - a close one against Spaam, a moderate victory against Soltsteed, blowouts against Qasden in the last group stage match and Coldfield in the octofinals, a thrilling win against Kebec with ten goals scored in total. Nobody in the international community seemed to like Kebec, so it seemed like the international media breathed a sigh of relief when Ceni advanced to the semifinals. Nobody on the team, however, was breathing much - everyone was nervous about the upcoming semifinal match with Cassadaigua, none more so than Avi Renning.

After suiting up in the locker room in Gladerial, Avi paced the room, watching his fellow teammates put the last touches on their own efforts. The Lexington midfielder, with jet-black hair, a face that looked like it was carved out of marble, bright blue eyes that shimmered in the light, cut quite a figure in the traditional red, orange, and white kits that seemed to accentuate his physical features. He crossed his arms behind his back, locking his hands together and fidgeting as he walked around. After a little while, Asher joined him. The slightly taller Cenian put his hand on Avi's shoulder, as he was prone to do, and the shorter footballer stopped, looking into Asher's eyes. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

"Not as much as you'd think I'd be. I feel calm, tranquil, like I've been here before. It's the calm before the storm, but I'm trying to treat it just like another match here. Hard to think about, I know, but try to think about it like that."

"I'm trying to get over this nervousness, Asher. I really am, I'm really trying. But this process - it's all been so new for me, and I'm not sure I really know what I'm doing still. I didn't know when we got here, and I don't think I know now."

"Come, let's go walk out on the pitch for a little bit. I think it'll be a little calmer for us out there." The two egressed from the locker room, trying to find their way through a maze of hallways to get out onto the pitch without being noticed. They finally emerged from the warren of hallways and tunnels onto the pitch, which still had the smell of freshly cut grass. With the sun shining through the steel exoskeleton and the breeze blowing slightly through blue skies, it was a nice day. Clasping their hands, the two walked out onto the pitch, feeling the dew make their cleats wet. Asher started humming a tune that Avi wasn't familiar with.

"What's that song? I don't think I've ever heard it before."

"Oh, it's called Sweet Caroline. It's from maybe eighty years ago, which probably explains why you haven't heard it before. I have weird tastes in music."

"I have no issues with that. Myself, I prefer the modern electronic music that they're pumping out these days." Avi kicked at the grass, watching the dew glisten in the sunlight.

"I can't stand that stuff, especially in times like this. Sweet Caroline is catchy, and I find that it calms me down in big moments like this one." He looked up into the cloudless sky and the sun's rays reflecting off the beams of the ceiling. "I like times like this as well... The air, the sun, the breeze. When I'm nervous, they help me to meditate. I can imagine myself floating away, humming my music... That's how I forget where I am, and move to another place."

Avi nodded and watched hilariously as Asher tripped over an uneven patch of grass. "And that's how I remember I am," Asher said with a smile and a chuckle. The two heard a whistle and some commotion coming from the locker rooms. "I think we'd better get back. Coach Arathilion sounds like he's getting ready to give us a pep talk."

Avi groaned. "Not another pep talk..."

"You'll learn to like them, believe me," said Asher as the two jogged back to the locker room. "Believe me, you will..."

[Valanora]

Who can be the masters of the man of war?

Semfinals
Bojikstan 0–2 Northern Sunrise Islands
Cassadaigua 2–3 Ceni

3PPo
Bojikstan v Cassadaigua @ The White Fortress, Gladerial

Final
Northern Sunrise Islands v Ceni @ The Battleground, Raynor City