World Cup 79 • CREDRAWK • RP Thread

by **95X** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:32 pm

From the 95X Wire Service:

Six Goals Scored in Draw; World Cup Qualifying Group 'Anybody's Game'.

Oceanside, 95X, played host to a shootout between the 95Xers and Juvencus, leading to a 3-3 draw.

"Our side faced a hot-shooting and accurate side, and even though we earned a single point it's better than nothing," 95X National Team Head Coach General Failure said of the tie game.

Jaumet Albert set the tone early with the first goal of the match, however Larry Lewis equalized the score minutes later to tie the contest at 1-1 after only 21 minutes of play. Juvencus led 2-1 going into halftime on a Joaquim Martell goal.

A regrouped 95X side emerged for the second half, as General Failure used a substitution to bring Carrie Camassia into the game as a second attacking midfielder to Alyssa Yorkton while Sam Seventyfifth, rumored to be playing his last international competition for 95X, took a seat.

"Camassia's good enough to start," Failure said of her overall caliber.

The substitution worked in the favor of 95X, as Yorkton performed her four-leg-spin pass to Micah Morrison in the 61st, retying the match at two apiece.

Juvencus would reclaim the lead on a free kick with time winding down, but stoppage time would be kind to 95X as the team pressed. Yorkton sprinted her egg-shaped body diagionally, jumped a good meter off the ground, slammed the ball with her right front foot, and found the net. The crowd roared as 95X tied the match at 3-3 at 91 minutes.

95X has scored 7 goals in the last two games and early in qualification is only three points away from the top of the table.

by **Banija** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:33 pm

Things don't come together for Banija until their third match as team only obtains 3 points from first 3 matches

Banijans celebrate a goal in 4-0 route over Reuss-Lippe

ISTRIA- The Banijans hadn't competed in a tournament since World Cup Qualifying began for the 77th edition of this tournament. They didn't compete in that corresponding Cup of Harmony, and did not enter at all in World Cup Qualifying 78. And then, of course, controversy over the current managerial opponent Randolf Cherry- not because of his credentials, which are impeccable, but becasue of Chairman Sowe's efforts to appoint a woman for the position, which would be illegal under Banijan law. Of course, the nation was excited, the nation was ranked 121st in the world. A long shot for the World Cup Finals, but still in a decent spot to do some serious damage in this tournament. But still- first loomed an intimidating matchup with 60th ranked Boring Paradise.

The game was an intense back and forth affair. Boring Paradise was ranked 60th in the world for a reason, while Banija was 61 spots behind them, essentially half their rank. The two teams battled, back and forth, at the beautiful Hangaza Unified Stadium. Easily considered one of the brightest stadiums in Banija, the hosue was packed as the two teams battled, back and forth, in an intense atmosphere. There was a legitimate chance for Banija to pull off the upset. The atmosphere was extremely intense in this match. Boring Paradise took the lead three times, and each time, Banija found an answer.

Delbin Kasekende was beaten in the 3rd minute, the 36th minute, and the 57th minute. But the first equalizer came from none other than Isaac Georgiadis, who plays in the Fleftic Premier League, in the 15th minute. He hit a rocket from 25 yards into the upper corner, a stunning effort that tied the game at 1, and got the drums going. The second equalizer came right before the stroke of halftime, when Chibuzo Afolayan, who just sold for $5 million NSDs to AFC Corvistone of Nephara, giving him the Banijan record for a sale, scored on a simple tap in, to make the game level at 2 at halftime.

Kiggwe Mavuto scored for the team in the 66th minute on a free kick, to tie the game at 3, and make the tension dramatic. But a tragic moment occured for captain George Wangolo. In an attempt to clear a cross in the 86th, he tried to head the ball back over his own goal. But his aim was off, or it rang true, depending on who you were rooting for, and he headed the ball directly into the back of his own net, which saw Delbin Kasekende beat for a fourth time. A tragic own goal for the captain, which saw a Banijan loss where they were likely to walk away with at least a point against a team 60 places above them.

Then, of course, they took the ill-fated visit to Bostopia. With the Kabaka and the Bostopian Emperor on hand, tensions were high for both teams. Who didn't want to impress their monarch? The battle was fierce, but ultimately, the grizzled 41 year old veteran, Fletcher, scored in the late stages of the game to give the hosts a 2-1 victory, in their first home qualifier since World Cup 70. In World Cup 70, Banija had not yet participated in World Cup Qualifying. It was a shocking upset loss, but the theme persisted. Two late goals, in the 86th and 85th minutes respectively, had given Banija two late, crushing losses. They needed to come out firing on all cylinders against Reuss-Lippe, in what ended up turning out to be a must-win game on Matchday 3. Never a good thing to say 1/6th of your way through World Cup Qualifying.

The Kadongo Kamu, however, finally delievered. A 4-0 route, highlighted by two goals from Afolayan, one from Elias Abate, and another from Kiggwe Mavuto, all in the first half, meant Banija slammed the door shut early, and took care of business in Istria. This, however, is probably the easiest of their games. They have put themselves in an early hole by not finishing their first two games, and now have an intimidating visit to 42nd ranked Eastfield Lodge. It is likely Banija will try to pack it in, and do whatever it can to take the point.

Randolf Cherry, the manager, was happy with his team's progress. "We showed signs of life against both Boring Paradise and Bostopia, we simply were not able to put it together for the full 90." Said the manager. "Some mental errors at the end of those games cost us. But in this game, we finally put it all together. Our finishing was excellent in the first half, and we didn't let our visitors hang around. We stayed focused throughout the whole 90 minutes, even when the game got out of hand, and earned this clean sheet. We have an important trip to Eastfield Lodge upcoming, and I expect this squad to be on top of their game, as we go in as underdogs."

by **Mriin** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:45 pm

"Seriously?" Don glared down at the gate worker outside Haven.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we are under strict orders that you aren't allowed in. Even as a spectator. I'd suggest Nila's Pub on the boardwalk if you want to watch."

A dragon guard--probably the only one the stadium had on staff--lumbered up. "And don't think about doing any flyovers, buddy. Just take your lumps and move along; they'll be fine for one game without ya."

This is going about as smoothly as I could have hoped. Joren had taken over his mentor's spot as manager, conveniently timing it with a game he was already going to sit out. With a bit of pride in his chest he watched his on-field replacement--Lasser Rei, sudden star of surprise MNL champions Harbor--beat Laryan and Neil back-to-back before putting the insurance goal just out of Queenston's reach. Good to see when people actually listen to my scouting reports. Nobody ever thinks how tedious it is to watch random Baptism games for intel. And the intel had paid out: Maryloupe's right flank had lead to many more concessions than their left, and Lasser's strong left hoof was a perfect fit to punish that.

Meanwhile, Lasser's Harbor teammate was having the game of her life. Mr. Starburn must be an important man, Kalia Tolsii mused to herself, to be given the privilege of a first AND last name. Hopefully they don't take one from him for this. And then she slid through him, cleanly knocking the ball away and giving him a solid (but not, you know, aggressive) bump on the follow through. Again. He'd barely broken the point where he could even think of taking a shot, and the rest of the Maryloupins weren't fairing better for chances--only one shot on goal was scraped together in the first half, which Zilia reigned in at a trot.

The pundits were having a field day with this game in particular, pondering what the enigmatic Mizzet's absence meant for any of the goings-on. Was this unprecedented defensive showing thanks to Krueger's cool-headed analytics, a reprieve from the dragon who loses his complex plans in a mad goallust? Was it the new talent that hadn't gotten a proper chance to prove themselves at this stage? Or was it just an inexperienced side making them look good?

That was answered pretty definitively as the match drew to a close, Maryloupe finally getting a corner to properly threaten a consolation--and Rora scuffs it badly, managing to bang it off a zoned-out Mako Silanii who wasn't even attempting to defend it. We'll have to have a talk about that, Joren noted, as the shellshocked Mako didn't even react quick enough to recover the ball before Solara swooped in from the scrum and bolted downfield. Queenston made a valiant last stand, but she didn't balls up the chip shot, and it was three-oh.

"So gaffa," slurred a fellow pub patron, "you gon' do anytin' fancy for Pawt Chris?"

Don, a few potions deep himself, stroked his goatee. "I don't really know... maaaaaybe Lasser instead of Mari? Port likes to choke games out, Lasser's a better finisher..."

"Swurm is slowing too, me thinks, even if she don't look it. I like how I-ia--uh, that Dæmons mid plays, really roughs 'em up."

"Yeah... show some dominance, put the fear into them... maybe shut up their fans, too... I like that idea."

by **United States of Devonta** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:48 pm

Devontan Sports Central

Devontan's role pass World Cup opposition
Devontan National Team defeats 118th ranked Great Pie 2-0 in first away match
Terry R. Smith (@realterrysmith)
^{11/27/2017, 5:30 PM | Great Pie}

    United States of Devonta 2 - 0 Great Pie
         Adams (37')                     
         Crox (88')

Great Pie
2x

to unknowns (36', 69')

United States of Devonta
GK: Bradley Cooper
LD: Jose Alvarez

(Johnson Brooks - 65')
CD: Martin Benton
CD: Daniel Kindred

(78')
RD: Brayden Liam

(Mathew Creasmen - 90')
DM: Marco Hernandez
LM: Anthony Crox
RM: Julius Washington
OM: Tyrell Owens

(Salomon Bundy - 90')
ST: Gerald Johansen
ST: Lamar Adams

The Devontan's find themselves facing the 118th ranked Great Pie this afternoon, In just their second WC-79 WCQ match. The largely unknown team from Great Pie should be little problem for the experienced roster Devontan coach Tajo Mendez has called up. This game marks the first of many dreaded away games and the Devontan's are looking to come out of the match with three points.

1' - The Devontan's kickoff and instantly go on the attack. Great Pie's team seems to want to park the bus early on. Stay tuned!

4' - Young Devontan striker and U-21 captain Adams quickly crosses the ball from the right side of the field directly to fellow striker Johansen. The Devontan's captain quickly dribbles to the center of the penalty box and launches a cracker through traffic. Great Pie's goalkeeper manages to deflect the ball with two-hands.

8' - Devontan offensive midfielder Owens presses hard forward and shoots from distance. The ball screams for the right side of the net but is hit just wide by the diving goalkeeper of Great Pie. Corner kick, first of the game.

9' - Devontan midfielder Owens takes the right corner. The ball is lobbed into the box perfectly as a stamped of Devontan and Great Piean players rush forward. Giant Devontan defender Kindred manages to get his head on the ball but it easily falls into the awaiting hands of Great Pie's goalkeeper. A disappointing corner.

14' - The Great Pie team has set back and parked the bus till now. After a half-hearted pass to Owens from Devontan defender Alvarez a stocking Great Pie forward rushed through, taken the Devontan defense by surprise making them run back. The forward under pressure from Kindred quickly bombed the ball forward and a just wide of the right post. Devonta must watch out for the counter-attack.

15' - Shortly after the mistake the Devontans go on the attack again. Johansen manages to meg a Great Pie defender and shoots low for the left net but a tip from a defender causes the ball to go wide.

17' - An unknown Great Pie winger begins to push through the left side of the field and Devontan defender Liam gives chase. Despite, this the defender manages to cross the ball into the center and another player heads the ball, making Devontan goalkeeper Cooper dive for the ball. Luckily, its saved.

19' - The Devontan's early momentum seems to have been shaken off! Great Pie is now on the attack. Another push by Great Pie up the field results in a long shot that just misses the Devontan post up high. Cooper had to jump for it. Goal kick!

23' - Great Pie continues the attack the Devontan goal. Another shot from 10 meters scraps the ground but is easily gobbled up by Cooper.

27' - The Devontan's need a break. After a slide tackle from Benton and some nice tika-taka like passes in the Devontan midfield, the Devontans push up. Owens sees a opening and shoots a low shot from just outside the penalty box. The shot is saved as Great Pie's goalkeeper collapses on it.

32' - Adams quickly moves pass two Great Pie defenders and slots a through ball in for Washington. The hard shot goes off the outstretched foot of the goalkeeper before being rebounded and shot from distance by Owens. The resulting shot bings of the cross-bar and is cleared by defender. Disappointing for the Devontans.

36' - Adams continues to harass Great Pie's defense. After intercepting a lazy pass by Great Pie Adams rushes into the penalty box with no defenders in front of him. In desperation, Great Pie's goalkeeper slide tackles Adams, studs up and all. Adams flies forward to the ground and the blows a whistle. Yellow card for Great Pie's goalkeeper and penalty for Devonta!

37' - GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! Adams shoots the ball straight down the middle as Great Pie's goalkeeper dives to the right. Its the break Devonta needed! 1-0 Devonta!

43' - The Devontan's seem to have found new momentum after their goal! Devontan midfielder Washington quickly pushes up the field before passing it to Owens who awaited in the center. The ball then is passed quickly to Johansen and after one touch is shot for the right side of the goal, just in the box. The shot bounces of the post and is cleared by a defender.

45+1' - Great Pie makes a final first half push but it i quickly wasted by a Great Pie midfielder who shoots the ball over the crossbar into the crowd. A opportunity wasted.

45+2 - And it is halftime in Great Pie! Devonta will come into the second half with a one point lead.

46' - The half starts no changes to the starting eleven on both sides.

49' - A free-kick from Owens makes it over a defensive wall and almost knuckles it way in if it wasn't for the outstretched hand of Great Pie's goalkeeper!

55' - A fast attack takes the Devontan's by surprise. A quick attacker managed to get pass a sleeping Liam and Devontan goalkeeper makes a heroic slide tackle causing ball to go way ride. It will only be Great Pie's second corner of the game!

58' - Great Pie with a free-kick after a Devonta foul. The ball swore across the defensive wall but is easily grasped by Cooper.

63' - A short free-kick from Owens to Crox opens up a opportunity. Crox passes a through ball which is received by Adams who managed to beat Great Pie defenders to it. Adams then crossed the ball to Johansen who let a hot ripple through the middle. The Great Pie goalkeeper luckily hit the ball over the crossbar with his two hands.

65' - Johnson Brooks comes in for Jose Alvarez. What a good effort by the kid!

69' - Johansen is brought down by a push to his back as he manages to catch a pass through the Great Pie defensive line. Yellow card for Great Pie!

75' - Only 25 minutes plus extra-time remain in the match. Devonta continue to press for another point to seal the game. A shot by Hernandez in the box is cleared away by a header of a Great Pie defender on the goal line. So close!

78' - A forward from Great Pie manages to receive a long pass from his side of the field, which takes Devontan defender Kindred by surprise. As the forward begins to move forward; Kindred, grabs his shirt and pulls him down. Yellow card for Kindred! But necessary to stop the momentum.

87' - Another free-kick for Devonta! Owens this time lobs the ball into the center trying to find a Devontan head. The ball finds the head of Hernandez but just goes wide of goal after the goalkeeper got a hand on it. Devontan corner!

88' - Abdullah takes the corner and passes a short pass to Devontan defender Brooks, who crosses the ball into the box. The ball meets the head of Crox and flies well above the goalkeepers head, who seems to just watch. GOAL! GOAL! Devonta has sealed the deal in Great Pie.

90' - Great Pie finally presses a little to late. A long range shot down the middle is easily saved by Cooper.

90+3 - That's all folks! End of time! Devonta 2, Great Pie nil. A good convincing away win by the Devontan's.

Devonta will play 71st ranked Kel Assuk tomorrow at home. Tune in at 5 PM!

Match Statistics:
Possession
Devonta: 59%
Great Pie: 41%
Shots
Devonta: 13 shots (8 on target)
Great Pie: 7 shots (4 on target)
Pass Accuracy
Devonta: 87%
Great Pie: 81%
Corners
Devonta: 6
Great Pie: 3
Offsides
Devonta: 3
Great Pie: 1
Fouls
Devonta: 8
Great Pie: 9

Current Group 4 Standings:

 # Group 4                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 United States of Devonta          2    2   0   0     4    0   +4     6
 2 Pasarga                           2    1   1   0     4    1   +3     4
   Port Christopher                  2    1   1   0     3    0   +3     4
 4 Kel Assuk                         2    1   1   0     6    5   +1     4
   Mriin                             2    1   1   0     3    2   +1     4
 6 Maryloupe                         2    0   2   0     3    3    0     2
 7 Razenthuria                       2    0   1   1     1    2   −1     1
 8 Moorish Land                      2    0   1   1     2    5   −3     1
 9 The Great Pi                      2    0   0   2     3    6   −3     0
10 Darkmania                         2    0   0   2     1    6   −5     0

World Cup 76 Qualifying Schedule

Friendly Matches:
Devonta 1-0 Savojarna
Equestrian States 1-1 Devonta

World Cup Qualfying: Group 4
MD1: Devonta 2-0 Darkmania
MD2: Great Pie 0-2 Devonta
MD3: Devonta vs Kel Assuk
MD4: Devonta vs Pasarga
MD5: Moorish Land vs Devonta
MD6: Devonta vs Razenthuria
MD7: Mrinn vs Devonta
MD8: Devonta vs Maryloupe
MD9: Port Christopher vs Devonta

Mid-Qual Friendly: Devonta vs Flardania

MD10: Darkmania vs Devonta
MD11: Devonta vs Great Pie
MD12: Kel Assuk vs Devonta
MD13: Pasarga vs Devonta
MD14: Devonta vs Moorish Land
MD15: Razenthuria vs Devonta
MD16: Devonta vs Mrinn
MD17: Maryloupe vs Devonta
MD18: Devonta vs Port Christopher

Author: Terry R. Smith

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Comments [ --COMMENTS-- ] | E-mail

521 comments

Seth Monroe · 4 minutes ago
Guess the "new face" team wasn't everything they hyped it up to be, huh?
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Yannick Tremblay · 7 minutes ago
The thing about World Cup qualification is that there's always next time if you fail.

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Michel Ortiz · 9 minutes ago
Reucassel desperately needs to up his training game.
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by **Eshan** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:07 pm

Rosaria Daily Herald | Sporting Section
National Team Smashes Six Past Lambdasia

With the wind at their backs and confidence dripping from them like ambrosia, the Echani national football team looked past the 3-2 win against Eastfield Lodge to their next qualification match against Lambdasia. With their opponents ranked 285th in the world, it provided Alexio del Nieran with an opportunity to play with a little less pressure and feel more comfortable than they had in that first half against Eastfield Lodge. He made two changes from that team, with Magnum Cerelius starting on the left wing for Marshawn Mercury and Jean-Pol Roland in the midfield for Artemis Montanari; a little bit of rotation against a weaker opponent but not as it was only the third matchday, not too much to open the door for a disconnect between players. del Nieran and the team had to expect a win, I mean every single Echani alive did, and the team certainly held up to those expectations, producing a thrilling 6-2 win.

Right from the start of the match it was clear that the team was there to win, and that there was nothing Lambdasia could do about it. From the kickoff whistle the entire team played with an attacking mindset, shifting the ball from defense to offense in quick passing movements, overloading the half-spaces and attacking with the full team. Triangles, expressive and free dribbling, it really was a brilliant example of the beautiful game at its best, and the Echani were quickly rewarded for their skill with a goal right on the stroke of the tenth minute.

A long spell of Echani possession was started after the Lamdasian goalkeeper cleared the ball long and sweeper-keeper Aurélian Gautier…swept up the ball and played it to Bambic to Jean-Pol Roland to Samper to Tadeo and so on and so forth until Marco van Ciavatinni hit a line drive to Roland in the center who took a touch before chipping it over the defensive line to an onrushing Magnum Cerelius, who side footed it nicely past their goalkeeper into the right side of the net. 1-0 Eshan at 8:46’ into the match.

We had to wait a little bit longer, but 2-0 came just after the half hour mark. One of their players threw the ball in their on half and Magnum Cerelius was able to intercept it, nutmegging one of the Lamdasians before hitting a seemingly too-far hit cross, but Anthony Baudelio was able to stretch every last inch of his six foot two inch frame to reach out and poke it into the goal.

With two minutes until the halftime whistle, Eshan was awarded a corner kick. Jean-Pol Roland hit a curling ball into the center of the box that both teams played headed keepie uppie for a few seconds before Eric Bambic headed the ball out to the half-moon where Samper Markovic hit an absolute stunner of a volley into the bottom left corner of the goal to make it 3-0.

The whistle blew for halftime with Eshan firmly in control of possession, shots, chances created, it was a beautiful day for some football. 3-0. As the teams came back out, Alexio del Nieran had Dinko Spisic put on for Anthony Baudelio, and the second half got underway.

Unfortunately, it was Lambdasia who took the next goal when Samper Markovic hacked down one of their players 23 yards away from goal for both a free kick and a yellow card. A free kick that was curled in past Aurélian Gautier to make it 3-1 in the 52nd minute, and del Nieran responded by subbing out Markovic for the more defensive Varsaly Marenzo.

The men in white and red did themselves justice by bouncing back quickly with a 61st minute goal. Varsaly did well to slide tackle the ball back to Bambic to hit a one-touch pass out to Marco van Ciavatinni. The dude cooly glided up the right wing and cut into the center before sliding a ball to Dinko Spisic’s feet before he blasted it into the corner to make it 4-1, but Lambdasia made it 4-2 when they pulled another one back just three minutes later with a header from a corner.

Our second substitution came in the 69th minute, when attacking midfielder Adnan Cynac, who played for Holdenberg in Eura, came on for Jean-Pol Roland. It was a move that proved to be inspired when Cynac’s long shot in the 72nd minute smacked against the woodwork out to Magnum Cerelius, who took a touch to stabilize the ball before cracking it in to make it 4-2.

5-2 came in the 79th minute when Varsaly hit a sailing long ball over the defense for 76th minute substitute Artemis Montanari to run on to, but he was taken down in the box for a penalty. Up stepped Marco van Ciavatinni, in went the ball, 5-2.

The match ended with Eshan rolling the ball around, pinging it between themselves as the defeated Lambdasian team tried to prevent another one from going in, but of course, that was precisely what happened in the 86th minute when it went from van Ciavatinni to Montanari to Magnum to Dinko to G O A L. 6-2 and that was it.

The team moves forward to their matchday four opponent, the 141st best team in the world The Kaiser Colonies, who sat at fourth in the group with six points after losing 1-0 against Eastfield Lodge. They’d scored seven, but only conceded three so they were not likely to be as much of a straightforward process as Lambdasia was. For comparison, Eshan sits atop the group, as should be the case, with nine points from nine and 11 goals scored and five given up. We could feel good, and a win here to make it 12 from 12 would do us wonders, especially as the team always keeps one eye

And just like that, just as quickly as the Battle for South Covello had begun, it was over. It truly had been a splendid little war, a great moment for the world to see the former lord former almighty Gregory escorted out of his bunker by Coalition and South Covellan forces. It was a great moment for freedom, for self-determination, for the experiment of life. It was brilliant for President Revan, who had successfully lead Eshan's first foreign military operation to a resounding success and had capitalized it with strong speeches that roused all Echani; the history of Eshan was now intertwined with the history of the world, the burden now fell on Echani shoulders to strive to be great for the country and for Atlantian Oceania. The Republic must continue to push forward, especially on the back of this wave of popular support for Revan and nationalism, which was even more impressive considering the Echani has always been a proud people with determination, self-importance, and optimism hammered into the fiber of their beings. With more smart geopolitical posturing, he could put Eshan in a proper position to continue to take advantage of the developing situation in South Covello; Eshan was on a roll, and that needed to continue. With Revan’s approval ratings continuing to shoot north, if he could keep Eshan in the spotlight, going from victory to victory, he would be able to assert his will to power in the way he felt was truly best for the nation.

The immediate key to that was to keep Eshan involved in the deconstruction of Gregoryisgodistan and the trial of Gregory, and the building of the new nation South Covel. It was important to assess what the other actors in the conflict wanted; in Revan’s estimation the Echani Republic’s two largest competing factions were those of Damukuni and Eura. The former were perhaps the biggest base of power in Esportiva, although the Echani allies Ethane were making very promising steps towards boosting their standing. They appeared to be involved with the republic building process as a matter of ensuring that the most destructive threat in their region was reconstructed in a peaceful frame and that had Gregory and that sort of aggressive before was forever suppressed. The Eurans were one of the most powerful forces in the realm, and would seem to be involved to ensure stability and mitigate the prospect of further action, while the situation with Sameba holding their attention.

So what did Eshan want out of the situation? What did Revan want? Well he had sent an official communique to the representatives of all governments involved with the conflict with the intent of explaining that.

THE ECHANI REPUBLIC
Executive Office of the President of the Echani Republic
 A Message from President Revan

Good evening to all of you who have come together to make this possible, and thank you President Kennedy for initiating these discussions. With respect to all of our time and various national dealings I will try to keep my comments brief.

It is thanks to our efforts and it is thanks to the courage of the people of South Covello to unite in the face of what can only be described as hell that we are able to celebrate the removal of Gregory from power. We must now ensure that this new democracy re-enters the realm in a healthy state, and with her people able to successfully manage all the new freedoms available to them. After a lifetime of despotic rule, this may prove to be a challenging task. There is much yet to be determined, a power vacuum of the largest variety has been opened to the nation and we must stand vigilant to ensure that freedom in the country reigns, and that the construction of this new nation must be done with the people protected from harm and the Echani Republic wo;; ensure that security by any means necessary. To that end, the Republic will be sure to accept President Kennedy’s offer of continued usage of Kawakami Naval Air Station to continue to build a strong and free South Covello.

I would like to mirror my colleague’s message of goodwill and communicate our willingness and comfort at working with Damukuni, Eura, Mercedini, Equestrian States, all of you. This is an international endeavor we have thus far completed in harmony, and the Echani Republic is committed to seeing this conflict resolve itself in that manner.

To Acting President of South Covello John Green, my government and people are at your disposal for any sort of humanitarian, military, political, and material or expert advice we can provide for your nation in this time of need.

Thank you all for your time, may South Covello rise under our protection.

It was all true, he really did want a peaceful conclusion to the conflict and with the presence of an international coalition any nation’s attempt at a grab would be foolish. But that didn’t discount the possibility of using this as an opportunity to expand Eshan’s reach. Revan had no intent of bringing war to the realm, far from that. What he saw he was that fundamental truth that having a presence, having a seat at the table was key to being secure at home. He had the seat at the table, in under four years he had singlehandedly elevated Eshan into a global power. Now, he needed to have a presence.

The base in Ethane was very helpful in that regard, but if there was a way to carve some land out from Esportiva for an Echani holding, not even a particularly large one, that would go a great distance towards allowing Eshan to operate efficiently in the area and expand the reach of Echani goods and services, as well as military force. Plus it would give Atlantian Oceania a foothold in Esportiva, and for Revan it was imperative that Eshan be the ones making that effort. It was a new dawn on the geopolitical scene and he was determined to be the rising sun. To that end, and despite what he had said in his communication at working to put together a free South Covello, Revan would be damned if he didn’t support whatever Covellan faction would be an ally of Eshan and support Revan’s movements and posturing in the region. Of course he would keep that concealed from the other international actors involved with the situation, but with the choice application of power and political backing, perhaps he could subtly influence events in Eshan’s favor. Not for any nefarious purpose, but having a Covellan ally at his back could be helpful in countless unknown ways in the future.

by **Chromatika** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:08 pm

Chromatika in World Cup 79 Part 4: The Impatient Patient

1 Gold Ward, Chromatik National Hospital
13 Middlton Dr
Chromatik City, Chromatika

"C'mon, Sherlyn! That should've been a save! Dive to the upper left, not the center!"

In a bright, sunlit room at the Chromatik National Hospital, an animated Mia Ria pointed both of her hands up in the air, her bed raised so that she could have a great angle at the room's TV that had Chromatika's game against Bostopia playing in it. The blonde superstar had a massive bandage around her head, her torso, and her right leg, but there was fire in her eyes and energy in her hands as she kept talking to anyone that would listen.

"Garbage playing so far, guys! You can't let Bostopia come into our house and take a one-nil lead! I don't care if it's your first cap - have some pride, for God's sake!"

The slightly open door creaked as a nurse came into the room. "Please!" she said, "You must calm down, loud noise isn't good for your head, and you are disturbing everyone else!"

"Well, good!" replied Ria, "I want everyone to care about this match. Football is everything!"

"I understand," stated the nurse, trying to calm Mia down, "But you really need to calm down so that you can heal faster and get back out there sooner rather than later."

It was the mention of getting back onto the pitch that did the trick. Mia sighed dejectedly and dropped her hands, but instead increased the volume.

"After the score by Mark Lampsworth, Bostopia are playing with a spring in their step. Joy rolls the ball to McBee, McBee to Etienne. Laure gets around a Bostopian - Peters by the look of things - and a short pass to Mora. The Anomalies player hits a low cross to Drea. Princes is coming up to meet him, but he gets around him. Ball to Vidal. The Orca fakes one way, shoots! Knocked away by Waters, but where's the ball? It's Chesser! And she puts it in! GOAL Chromatika! Just minutes after the early concession to Lampsworth, it's Alexandra Chesser who gets the equalizer, and boy do things look different now!"

"YES! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" screamed Mia, forgetting her promise to stay quiet.

The nurse sighed and dropped her head into her hands. Then, she went and closed the door.

Mia didn't even notice and started to go on about the game. The nurse took out her phone and filmed a ten minute segment of Mia animatedly watching the game as if she was playing in it herself. She posted it to the CFF website. Within minutes the video was viral, and the entire nation knew that although her body was broken and she couldn't be there in person, her spirit was still with the team.

Chromatika 4-1 Bostopia
Chromatika: Chesser '11, Mora '26, Vidal '56, Xe '82
Starting Lineup: Joy; McBee - Will - Ilya; Etienne - Mora - Kuzami - Han; Drea - Vidal - Chesser (C). Subs: Bozena -> Will '48, Xe -> Chesser '63, Kuzami -> Mora '80
Summary: After a sluggish ten minutes, the Chromatiks roared back to form and dominated the rest of the match, relying on deep crosses and short, precise passes to set up easy shots. Olimpa Vidal had his first goal, as the hope of male Chromatik strikers calmly put one in after the half; Sherlyn Joy settled down well after the early gaffe, and the game was never in any real jeopardy. It was great for the team to get over the emotional hump after Ria's accident and the subsequent draw at Boring Paradise; with harder games still remaining, this was an important three points.

Matchday 4: Reus-Lippe vs. Chromatika @ Westerholt City Stadium, Reus-Lippe
Projected Starting Lineup: Nier (C); An - Sorendai - Ilya; Thorben - Hellion - Sybill - Liam; Rien - Moon - Niro.
This is when Parker decides to start Jillian Nier? Against one of the lowest ranked teams in the group? Perhaps it is because of momentum with matches against Eastfield Lodge and Eshan coming up, or perhaps it's to give the other backups a rest, but this seems like an odd spot to start the keeper. Also of note is the midfield - composed of a young hope, two who have been playing for the same starting spot for a few cycles, and the one that wasn't adequate enough that caused Dragana to play in his position. Though Carrol Liam has always said he didn't mind, you have to wonder how much of that is actually true. Trenn Rien also gets a start instead of backing up the energetic Victoriane; Lin Moon's inclusion, and the fact that Lorriane Deleon is nowhere near him, should give him some pride. Ki Niro rounds out the attacking core. Expect Chromatika to not miss a beat - they better not with the two matches that will set the tone of the group looming.

Operation New Hope: The Aftermath
Part 3: Lani Korukawurupanai

It is so good to hear that Mia will be all right, isn't it? Must have killed her to not be out there, though, cheering on her teammates. As we still wish the young keeper good luck and good health, here is the third installment of what happened in the jungles of Eyrods:

Hello everyone. I'm Lani Korukawurupanai, and I am from Maklohi Vai. It's a nation located in Southeastern Atlantian Oceania. We used to participate in the World Cup, but these days, my nation tends to focus more on baseball. That's probably why you've never heard of where I am from. Anyway, I get the honor of telling you what happened after we entered the so called "Heaven" that was a few miles from our campsite after the mysterious being dropped us back off after the night in the circular room. You might be wondering where my brain was at this point with so many things happening that shouldn't and things just not making any sense.

Well, growing up in my nation, you respect nature and what it brings. My mom and dad both were hard workers and they brought up my siblings and me to value it. Magic doesn't fit into that much. I tend to scoff at the idea, and believe more in science, in nature. So, I was having a bit of a hard time with what was going on. It all had to be explainable by science, it had to. We just weren't able to because we didn't have the equipment to. I really hoped that we would be able to analyze it all later.

That being said, there we were in that building, entering the door and seeing "Heaven" written on the wall. The ceiling was about twenty feet or so high, and the room was about ten feet wide. A glow radiated the place, but there were no lights. When we all entered in - the Staff Sergeant being last - the door shut on its own, and then vanished. This made us panic a little - Clarissa screamed, go figure - and it took a minute before we calmed down enough to go on.

Mara led the way, her gun raised and ready to go. The hallway that we had entered in went on for about a mile, and there were no doors on either side, no sign of a window, no sign of an end. In fact, before we reached the end of it, I wasn't sure if there would be one at all. After about ten minutes, though, Mara stopped us and raised a hand.

"Door," she said, pointing. Indeed, the hallway opened up to a bigger door that remained closed. It was wooden and seemed like the type that would open inward. We allowed the Staff Sergeant to get in front of everyone else, and Gerald pushed the door open.

Instantly, the room powered to life, and there was light. Inside was a huge living space - it had to be at least one square mile, I think - with almost everything you could think of in it: a gym, library, garden, cafeteria, living quarters, electronics room, shooting range... It went as far as the eye could see, for we were at a vantage point, looking down at all the facilities. It defied logic - how could such a space exist inside that one door? How was this possible in this jungle, when all that I had read suggested that the Eyrodi Jungle, though mysterious in its climate, was just a normal jungle?

Unless... It wasn't?

To tell you what it was really like, i think it'd be best if I explained it like this: Imagine that you are looking over a large city, like Raynor City for example, from about a quarter of a mile up. You can see everything, right? Now, imagine as if you were at ground level, and this door led to a ladder that led you down to where there was a city like Raynor City. Wouldn't that be nuts?

The Staff Sergeant started to go down the ladder, until he discovered something else - the ladder was electric. It even had a belt on it like a seat belt, and then it carried him all the way down. After he disappeared from vision, the next person could get on, and the next, like a freaking one-man elevator conveyor belt. So, we all made it to the bottom, and there a sign greeted us:

"Welcome to the Red Enclave - Where there is no Color Code."

"Jackpot!" shouted Kerri, the journalist. She started scribbling furiously in her notebook, and the significance was not lost on me with all the research I had done on Chromatik history. This was the Red Enclave base? How did the lowest beings of Chromatik society of yore build it? If they didn't, who did?

"We have company!" shouted Grugel the Farf, brandishing his pistol wildly toward the distance.

And sure enough, a being was coming toward us. A woman, dressed in a black cloak that touched the floor, seemingly gliding toward us. Though she wore a hooded cloak, I could see what looked like a crown of sorts on her head. Her hair was white, her eyes jet black, her skin unusually pale. She carried nothing, so that reassured me. There was no way she was carrying any weapons with how tight-fitting that cloak was.

"Put the gun down, Grugel," suggested Angel, the Medical Sergeant, "I don't think she means any harm."

The mysterious figure stopped about ten feet from us, and said in a cool voice:

"Are you looking for the Enclave, brave Chromatiks? I'm afraid they aren't here. They have been kept safe in their state away from the Chromatik Party. I heard it was gone - is that true? We've only just arrived - I'm afraid we don't know too much about what's transpired in Atlantian Oceania. Did you know that before you entered the World Cup, the world had never heard of Chromatika? It was as if it had never existed until then. Have you ever wondered how such an egregious code went uncorrected for so long in the world? Well, wonder no more," said the woman.

"Whoa, slow down," said Didi, who wasn't known for being patient, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, I see I've forgotten my manners. My name is Nirdasil, the Dark Crusader, leader of Yesopalitha, and servant of Zaiden, the Lord of all Unbidden, who gave us free will and free life, as well as a land to call our own. This is an abode created by Zaiden, a fabric in your reality of Eyrods, where he kept the Red Enclave safe throughout the Chromatik Party's occupation. Once it became clear that the Party wasn't going to relent, and that those in the Enclave weren't happy with being stuck in this facility, my Lord Zaiden transported them to a different space-time where they could be free, with the promise that when the danger had passed, they would be allowed to return. Or so it has been told me."

A look of complete awe and wonder crossed everyone's face, and I'm sure my mouth was open. The Chromatiks didn't know Yesopalitha, but I did. They always seemed a bit different - especially one Nadya Dostoevich - and I had heard rumors, but this confirmed a few things. Before anyone could ask a question, Nirdasil lifted a hand up to stop us.

"Let me finish, and then I will field your questions. My Lord Zaiden felt your presence in the Jungle yesterday, and in the night, he kept you safe. Then, he asked me to come and explain, and to tell you what will occur. The truth is that the danger in Chromatika has passed - for certain this time. Venom was the agent that caused the rise of the Chromatik Party overnight and then tempered with everyone's memory to make you think that it had been that way for a long time. Before that, you were all..."

She paused for dramatic effect, and it worked - everyone was leaning in, including me.

"Elsewhere," she continued, "Or perhaps even nonexistent. Fact is, whomever Venom worked for willed your society into being so that they could observe it work - the control, cruelty, and malice. Even now, they are looking at the struggles of your country as it recovers. At the very last second, before their plan came to fruition, my Lord Zaiden was able to convert a portion of the populace they created into the Red Enclave, and protect them. Groups of them asked to go out once in a while, and he allowed them, and that was what your interactions with the Red Enclave have been."

A stunned Jill Lia asked incredulously, "How do we know that that's true?"

Nirasil waved her hands, and fifteen pairs of glasses appeared next to her.

"Let us show you," she said, "Put them on."

So, we did. And in the next few hours, we saw it happen - the land that was Chromatika before the advent of the Chromatik Party, barren, full of wildlife. Then, in an instant, bustling cities, people, technology. The Chromatik Party being in power. A being, dark with a green shadow, controlling whom I recognized as Heidi Kruzieg, the Dark Gold of the past. I saw the Rainbow Revolution happen, I saw Venom leave, and I saw that there were three figures looming at the end.

Those three are Nocturne, Muerte, and Pandemonium, the movie told us. They are here to make the life of Yesopalitha uncomfortable, and Chromatika was just a stepping stone to see how the world would handle,
and overcome, chaos. With the information that they've gathered from Chromatika, they'll now strike at Yesopalitha, the movie warned us.

There was stunned silence afterwards. For us foreigners, it was a little harder to grasp, but the Chromatiks looked dumbfounded, and I agreed with them, because I believed what the movie had told me. I cannot tell you why it was so believable, but it was. It simply... Had to be true, as if the story was being told by a god.

"Who was Zaiden protecting us from in the evening?" asked Angel.

"Muerte. He likes to come around here, make sure nobody knows the truth," answered Nirdasil.

"If he is a god, why doesn't he just take care of them?" asked Nick.

"Because these are the manifestations of them in this world, like he has manifestations of him in this world. The gods have a code - the ones that follow it cannot cause action but only react. Those that don't are the ones that cause action. They act, and my Lord reacts," was the answer.

"Doesn't that mean that things happen all the time, though?" posed Miranda.

"Yes. I have asked him where the line is where he can intervene before they act and put an end to their schemes," explained Nirdasil, "But he says that that limit is not yet known. That he will know when the time is right."

"That's reassuring," quipped Mara, "So, what now?"

"This is the truth of the matter," stated Nirdasil, "But not the end of it. We can show you exactly how they set up Chromatika to run the way that it did. We can tell you what their goals were in the experiment, and what they learned from it, as far as we can tell. We can so thoroughly explain this that it becomes less of a shock and bit more... Understandable."

"I'll hold you to that," said Tilda, "'Cause if this is all true, then they've not only messed with Chromatika or Yesopailtha, they've messed with the whole world."

"True," remarked Nirdasil.

Then, she turned and beckoned for us to follow.

"Come, there is still more to see and learn."

by **Flardania** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:25 pm

Opening Theme

Bonjour et Ohayōgozaimasu Kirishima. Welcome ladies and gentleman the World Cup 79 qualifying edition of the Kitsune Report, brought to you by the Nagatomo Sports Network (NSN), sponsored by Air Pacifica, and Pocari Surge. Here at the Kitsune Report, it's all about Kirishinan sports. With football currently taking center stage and with matchday three of World Cup qualifiers having been completed,150 teams continue the battle for 30 spots in what can be seen as a saturated qualifying campaign. I'm your host, the fan you can count on the most, to bring you Kitsune news, Keitaaaaaaa Woo! Without any further delay let's get grooving to some world cup football once again!

Electrum 4–2 Kirishima Review:

With the Kitsunes having won their previous match against Astogarth in a 4-0 performance at the Dreamscape Arena, the Kitsunes traveled to Olympic Stadium located in Centralis, to face Electrum. The Kitsunes came into the game following a two-game winning streak at home and were on their first road match against the defending champions. Electrum, on the other hand, was coming into the match with a win and a loss. This matchup would be the fourth meeting between the two teams, the first in quite some time. The Kitsunes have never won let alone draw against Electrum.

Electrum would be in control of the game from essentially start to finish although Kirishima did put up a good fight throughout the matchup. Hojo wasn't really defeated on the field as the opposition had to rely on headers and corners in order to get past her. While the Kitsunes defense buckled at the veteran onslaught the offense fared much better. While the Kitsunes were held to two-goal, and the Kitsunes traditional consistent ball movement did not work as well as it usually does, the young pacey composition of the team led to some good counter-attacking chances. Against an aging veteran team, Yabuta was perfect for the Kitsunes during counterattacks as he picked up the brace. The fans of the opposition were comfortable throughout the match almost to the point of arrogance, which tends to happen when you win a world cup but hard to justify when the team is not even top 5 despite winning the world cup. Many of the Kitsunes players seemed to be unaffected by being looked down upon but Seong Mi-Soo as someone who was once a Yanki in her youth, she was clearly pissed. Match ended with Electrum winning 4-2 expect Electrum media to report it as a drubbing but match was filled with promise on the road against the defending champions.

Following the match, Seong Mi-Soo, had this to say after the game. "Man this is a tough loss to take. Now don't get me wrong we weren't the favorites in the slightest and it's very early yadda yadda. But the point of qualification is to get points and if we are going to be a team that wants to begin more serious runs in the World Cup we need to look at every match as one as we need to win rather than have matches that are okay to lose. It can be tough sometimes as we miss some key defensive chances in an effort to reduce yellow and red cards but we have shown we can be successful without it. All we can do is learn from the loss, go back out there and go back to winning. We will face Electrum again later in the cycle and we will cross that bridge when we get to it. "

Kirishima v Sulsuland Match Preview

Kirishima will return home to the Aincrad in Akihabara to face off against rank 85th Sulsuland. A very bizarre team from an equally bizarre nation, the Kitsunes won both of their previous matchups with the team in World Cup 78 qualifiers. The Kitsunes will look to this next match as an opportunity to righten the ship as they seek to regroup after their loss to Electrum and climb back up the table. Until next time, Lets Go Kitsunes!

Post by: Keita Woo

by **Yesopalitha** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:27 pm

Manager's Office
Freedom's Altar, Yesopalitha

West Violence had been an interesting team to play against for the Flames. Their forwards were pretty good, and had put the back line to the test; after the initial half hour, they had recovered well, and Calhoun, too. Thrift was also surprised by the find that was Maurice Hunt and Monika Jack-Bentley. If Yesopalithan football was indeed hereditary, that made selection easy; and nine points after four matches was not bad at all.

Provided that they had Turori and Valanora coming up though? Tough. That would really show where this team was at.

She was lost in her own thoughts when there was a series of three knocks on the door.

"Come in!" stated the Nepharim.

The door opened, and a figure strode in in a black robe that swept the floor, with white hair, black eyes, and pale white skin. She was stunningly beautiful yet so... cold, so... untouchable.

"Congratulations, Ms. Thrift," stated the being in a cool voice, "Thank you for leading our team to three wins in the first four games. I know the hardest ones remain, but to have nine points already is encouraging. Perhaps we can beat our previous cycle's twenty and take another step toward returning to footballing relevance."

"Thank you, uh, who were you again?" asked Portia, scratching her head.

The being laughed, and then stated, "I gather it the books don't describe what I look like, and the internet articles don't carry my photos for reasons of state?"

"Wait," paused Portia, "You're Nirdasil, the ruler?"

"One and the same," replied the Dark Crusader of Yesopalitha.

Portia got up and bowed, and apologized, "Sorry, Ma'am. Like you said, there is no description anywhere."

"Oh, no need for formalities," said Nirdasil, "That's annoying sometimes. I know my safety is important to my people, but it'd be nice to get recognized."

The two sat down facing each other. There was nary a wrinkle on Nirdasil's perfect face - it was pristine. Portia caught herself staring, and her face reddened a bit.

Nirdasil laughed again, her voice sounding like music, "Don't you worry, I'll get going. Good job so far, Ms. Thrift. Keep up the good work, and we'll see how far we can go, no?"

"How far do you want to go, Ma'am?" asked Portia.

"As far as we can that fits our limits, of course," answered Nirdasil, "And you know better than I where that limit is."

And with that, the state ruler of Yesopalitha left Portia's office, leaving one hell of an impression.

Yesopalitha Goal Count: 9 (Jack-Bentley 2, Roswell 2, Dostoevich 2, Park 1, Hunt 1, Kortondo 1)

by **Drawkland** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:35 pm

M-make sure your players aren't, uh ... gold digging or anything for MD4, hahaa, ha .. ha
... okay I couldn't think of a pun for this one. This was just the song I was listening to when I was writing this post.

Resultsatron

by **Tobiasia** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:51 am

Tobiasia 3-1 Juvencus

Tobiasia has put last years World Cup woes to the sword in this wonderful game at home after it beat Juvencus 3-1. The first goal came from a volley off a corner from Rosa Uzele in the 47th minute, but Juvencus came back in the 57th to make it 1-1. It looked over until Harry Lithgow scored an impressive miracle goal at 79’, and Fraser Philips shot home a bicycle kick at 89’. In the 78th World Cup the Tigers lost 3-0 to Juvencus, but this match showed how far the team has come, and extended their unbeaten run this World Cup.

Top goal scorers
Fraser Philips: 3
Rosa Uzele: 2
Lee Ryans: 1
Harry Lithgow: 1

by **Aggrey-Fynn Land** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:48 am

INSANE GRAHAM'S BLOG
with Graham Carter

A couple weeks ago, I broke my knee. It was really bad; the doctor said I should cool off and do something I like. You know what I like? Watching soccer. You know who my favorite team is? Besides Ranch City (of course), it is the Wavy Ones. Even though I love the Landers, sometimes they bring me pain. I decided I would give my outlook and input on the games. Hopefully someone enjoys it.

GAME 1: @Legalese
You know what they say: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And this is about the easiest step we could take. Of course, the team hadn't played a competitive game in a year or two. Also, the game was away. But all of that does not overshadow the fact that this was an easy ass step. And the fact that the boys nearly botched it too makes my blood boil. Granted, we were a Pot 4 team. There's three teams better than us on paper. Perhaps there are one or two dark horses that could give us a fight on any given day. Maybe you could throw in one team that could shock us on a bad day. But Legalese do not fall into any of these categories. They're unranked, which means one of two things. Either they are inexperienced, or really, really bad. Either way, I fully expected the boys to wrap this up in a clean and businesslike manner. But they didn't. For 85 minutes, the outcome of this game hung in the balance. I have to thank Gordon Whitlick for waking up out of whatever daze he was in and realizing that we had to score to get three points. Legalsese could have easily popped one into the goal and bam, 0 points for us. To be honest, I'm somewhat unsure of our prospects for this cycle. We're a middle of the road team, so we will be favored for most of the games. On the other hand, there are many teams more talented and more experienced than us. Actually, you know what? I think I just thought of our chances. I think we will do fine, until we meet our match. And even though this may seem obvious, there's more to it. Aggrey-Fynn Land is used to being the underdog; playing with nothing to lose. I mean, our biggest disappointment was when we lost to that one unranked team on the road by one. But now their is a lot more pressure. And I sincerely think that when the pressure mounts, they will fold. However, we have a pretty easy slate to ease into this tournament. Our next game is against Dainer. Nothing out of the ordinary; all we need to do is to harness the crowd's energy and get the win. What could possibly go wrong?

by **Indusse** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:55 am

INDUSSE WITH A DRAW

Indusse secures it's 8th position in the group 10 of world cup 79 cedrawk by draw results with south Toronto. The scores are 2-2. Indusse is looking forward to a win in the world cup.

by **Nephara** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:45 am

Nephara 4-0 Taeshan
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Tsattalios; 2 - Rafford (18 - Asante 65'), 5 - Konoval, 6 - Scharner (22 - Steelhenge 71'), 3 - Lohengrin; 4 - Misidjan (23 - Rowland 56'), 8 - Tarashaj; 7 - Szalai, 21 - Gosforth (c), 11 - Strongbow; 9 - Hawke
Goals: Szalai 11', Hawke 17', Tarashaj 33', Lohengrin

Konrad Gosforth
Derived from the Germanic elements kuoni "brave" and rad "counsel". This was the name of a Germanic Saint.

There was a cult, in most countries, surrounding the mystique of the attacking midfielder. The playmaker, the number ten, the whatever. The guy you always turned to for your X-Factor, who could turn a game on its head with sheer technique and could as a result maybe be forgiven for not being the most diligent to track back. You needed them fresh, so they could pull through in the moments that counted.
Not Nephara.
Nephara has produced players of genuine world-class quality before, but they shared a pattern. They weren't beautiful, flowing footballers, but huge, hard-bitten defenders like Hadrian Belfast, cunning, tough-tackling midfielders like Tanith Rainsford and Michael Brandon, ruthless finishers like Penumbra Amokachi, or physically dominant, athletic wingers like Adnan Szalai.

Three exceptions - all success stories - spring to mind.

Dale Brightley. The guy who got the number 10 for the Baptism of Fire, showed the clever footwork and feather-like first touch to earn a contract with Basin Plain of United Gordonopia (Nephara's Baptism hosts)... yet even then, his raffish appearance and natural flair were regarded with suspicion by Nephara's old guard, the Proper Football Men, gatekeepers of the sport. Even the late Gethin Ramsey, it has to be said, took his damn time warming to Brightley - there were even reports that he attached a shock collar to him in training to make him pass instead of shoot.
And yet, it was a moment of inspiration, when a spirited but ultimately limited Nephara side was being shown the difference between world champions and also-rans by a Polar Islandstates side that was pretty much just a vastly superior version of them, the Cormorants having already lost their first World Cup match convincingly and quickly down 1-0 to the Valhallans...
... but Brightley, out of nowhere, conjured up the equaliser.
He was undoubtedly an older, wiser head in those days, having matured into a leader for his team. A leader by example. He ended with 116 caps, the cursed number on which four different players have inexplicably ended.

Elaine Ashdown. If you ask a Nepharim - any Nepharim - for the best player their country has ever produced, it'll be a pretty much 50:50 split between Ashdown and Hadrian Belfast. Ashdown was the epitome of the symbiosis between Nephara and Osarius, where she spent almost all of her career. A tall, languid midfielder, not fast or physical but wonderfully, beautifully self-assured with a seemingly panoramic vision, it was a joy to watch Ashdown in action. Nobody could call her lazy - she was always in the right place at the right time, and, after all, captained Nephara to the World Cup.
Perhaps not a pure attacking playmaker, a 'number 10' playing in the hole, but all the same, Ashdown was the conduit through which everything good happened. Often, this took the form of shots, and Ashdown - nerveless at penalties, gifted at set pieces - scored 50 goals from her 155 caps.

And then - and now, there was Konrad Gosforth. He'd been many things for the Cormorants in the past. Clumsy defensively, and always aiming to forge forward in possession, he fit as well into a rigid 4-4-2 as a square peg made of chalk into a round hole made of cheese. Even as his club career went from strength to strength, predictably ending in Farfadillis, there just didn't seem to be a place in the Cormorants for Gosforth.
And then Michael Brandon decided to make one to put him in.
The difference was huge. Just the freedom of having two guys behind him instead of one meant the difference between a lumbering, squandered liability to a tall, powerful athlete, capable of dominating his opponents with power as much as technique. He had all the faith in the world. A position of his own, the armband, now, on his powerful bicep, and Penumbra Amokachi had told him in no uncertain terms that he was the only one strong enough to take up the number 21 she'd left behind.
Maybe there was a legend stirring up in that, too.

The fourth match of Nephara's qualifying was not a contest, not something the purists would care about. Taeshan sat back and tried to absorb pressure, as they always did (especially away from home, especially against stronger opposition) and Nephara, finally clicking into gear in the new formation, tore off their self-imposed shackles and ripped the Knights to shreds.
At the centre of everything was Konrad Gosforth, an oasis of intense power, untouchable in the space between Tarashaj, Hawke and the wingers. Nobody could get near him, and it was his passes time and again that unravelled the disciplined Taeshani wall of meat.
The record books will note his four assists. Perhaps history will regard this as the start of his own golden era, this sparkling triumph in front of the captivated capacity crowd at the Gauntlet only the beginning of Gosforth's journey into becoming a true legend of his country. Perhaps even of the game.
But then again, history is full of the corpses of narratives that never came to being. It was - is - Gosforth's job to give it the best ending he can. To never die wondering - that's the Nepharim way.

NEPHARIM NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 3
Goalkeepers: 1 - Apostolos Tsattalios (Falourr, EUR), 12 - Gideon Fletcher (AFC Treason), 20 - Anthoulis Matraxis (Creed United)
Defenders: 2 - Leona Rafford (Crisisbless), 3 - Isidra Jeurissen (Coret Hawks), 5 - Dieter Konoval (KT Moreazerua, AUD), 6 - Malachite Scharner (Jungle Strike, VIL), 18 - Ruon Asante (AFC Serpentine), 19 - Lux Vicelich (Sabrefell Moths), 22 - Dragora Steelhenge (Violence Chariots)
Midfielders: 4 - Servet Misidjan (AFC Treason), 7 - Roxana Coffey (Bishop), 8 - Vedran Tarashaj (AFC Treason), 11 - Rowena Strongbow (Avenida Leal, FFD), 13 - Ishtar Fanaiyan (Eastweald, COS), 14 - Ursula Rowan (Cassandra City, COS), 15 - Circe Rosenthal (Marionville, SCT), 16 - Regatta Aspenwood (Handon United, SCT), 21 - Konrad Gosforth (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD, c), 23 - Monica Rowland (Parrhesia United)
Forwards: 9 - Estrella Hawke (Starling), 10 - Methuselah Tregajorran (Eastal Lunar, VIL), 17 - Dragan Stavanger (Tannenberg FC, VLD)

SCHEDULE
Thibaea 0 - 1 Nephara
Nephara 4 - 2 Natanians and Nosts @ Godswatch (Crisisbless)
Al Qurija 2 - 4 Nephara
Nephara 4 - 0 Taeshan @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Rotztotzka vs. Nephara
Akatsurai vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Apox @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Ko-oren vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Eura @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Nephara vs. Thibaea @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Natanians and Nosts vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Al Qurija @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Taeshan vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Rotztotzka @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Nephara vs. Akatsurai @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Apox vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Ko-oren @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Eura vs. Nephara

by **Schottia** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:02 am

Amanda Cunningham

Part Five.

Carthorse.

'I hope that small travel bag is faux leather.' Amanda remarked, half in jest, as they travelled down a long escalator in Handon International Airport. Gary clutched the aforementioned item tightly in his right hand, knuckles white with the effort. He'd had enough bad experiences with airports and luggage to last him a lifetime. HIA was always a hive of activity. The main terminal - disproportionately large for the size of the country - it saw a lot of traffic as one of the main stop-offs east, in and out of the Region. Schottic politics had been dogged by arguments about the environmental impact for decades, however, it was largely accepted that the economic damage to the island nation would be too great to consider scaling back.

Both companions had agreed that they took a pleasure in travelling light, and had opted to forgo cargo luggage. Amanda was sporting a tatty, old mauve and green haversack, yoga mat strapped tightly to the side. On her person she wore a black (faded to green) vest top, baggy trousers sewn together from a myriad of patches, and a pair of homemade sandals. Round her waist a hooded top was tightly knotted. Gary wore a thick grey cotton shirt, blue shorts cut from a pair of jeans, and socks and sandals.

'I prefer the term leatherette,' Gary answered. 'but yes don't worry. I would never offend your vegan sensibilities.' For the first time in a long time Gary felt quite conscious of where he was, and - perhaps more significantly - who he was. Amidst the business suits, and the holidaymakers arriving for the Schottic summer, the two of them looked extremely out of place. There were these long protracted stairs, and it wasn't hard to make out the whispers:

'Him, there? Is that, that eejit footballer, Gary Corsie?'

'Aye, they say he's off his head these days.'

Gary and Amanda were swept along with the flow of bodies, all making their way frantically towards the exit: like a Champaign bottle about to pop. He knew Handon Airport all too well, better than he would like to admit, and he had spent a fair few days of his life sat here for various reasons. You didn't win seventy-odd caps for your country without getting to see a bit of the Multiverse. There was something about the way Amanda eagerly held the straps of her backpack that suggested she was enjoying herself; like a child held tight to the rollercoaster, just enjoying the ride. She seemed like the kind of person who might be well suited to being a backpacker, but didn't have the financial recourses to make it happen. Being so principled could be hard when you didn't have ten million in your bank account.

'Blue sky.' Amanda said, with an air of I told you so, pointing towards the glass front of the building, as it came into view. It felt as if they had been travelling through the terminal for an age. It had actually been quite sunny when they had stepped off the plane, but Gary in his cynicism had opined that it wouldn't last until they were on the bus. Was it cynicism or just first hand experience of the Schottic weather? Maybe the Schottic weather made a cynic out of him.

At the bottom of the escalator it had the feel of a mass reunion, as family members, friends, and loved ones stood waiting to welcome the passengers. Gary's parents of course didn't know he was coming, and his sister couldn't give a flying fuck. It was inevitable that Don and Janet Corsie would want to meet them, but Gary had thought it best to turn up with as little notice as possible. He didn't want his mum to have time to put on tea and scones, nor did he want his dad come up with a gift for Amanda (which would inevitably be fish related, or just fish). As a fishmonger, it seemed like it was literally the only gift he could think of - for anyone - in any situation. Even when you thought it wasn't possible, be would still manage - like the time Don and Janet had travelled through to visit Gary and Chloe in Kensey, brining fresh haddock in the suitcase.

Walcome tae Schottia, Willkommen in Schottia, Welcome to Schottia.

Schottia's three main official languages greeted travellers to the country, as they stepped out of the airport, heading for the tram station. Perhaps the weather was generally so shit they needed to welcome you thrice just so as you'd believe they meant it.

The trams rolled up in what seemed to be a never ending line towards the front doors, meaning that there was never more than two or three minutes to wait. In many ways public transport in Schottia was overly efficient, or at least that's the way it seemed if you had spent any time away. It was almost as if The Cooncil ran out of things to spend the exponential top rate of tax on, and as a result, laid a couple of extra trains and busses on for good measure. Gary gathered most people wouldn't mind waiting fifteen minutes at a station.

'Okay,' Gary finally broke the silence, which had naturally formed after they sat down in the tram. The tram into the city centre was clean, quite, and modern, in fact the only objection you could have was that the seats were a little hard. 'Before we get into the city, there is something important I need to tell you.'

'Alright.' Amanda, who had merely been taking an interest in the view from her window, was suddenly startled by the gravity in her partner's tone 'What's the matter?' She placed a hand gently on his wrist.

'Well... it's just...' He took a deep breath. 'Every time I come to Schottia something seems to go wrong.'

'What sort of things?'

'Anything and everything.'

'Oh, I'm sure that's not true. What sort of things do you mean?'

'I'd rather not go into it, it's a pretty depressing litany of disasters, but I can assure you it is true.' Gary held a hand out decisively. He could have replaced come to Schottia with go anywhere but he wanted to make sure that Amanda was fully prepared for the inevitable.

'Gary - ' Amanda's tone was measured, and reassuring. 'You are just going to play a game of football, visit your parents, and indulge me while I do the tourist thing for an afternoon. Where - within the things I just mentioned - is there any room for anything to go wrong?'

'That's what you think now...' Gary would have loved to have agreed with her, but experience told him that visiting his parents and playing a game of football was ample room for disaster.

'Listen to me Gary.' She squeezed his hand even tighter as she spoke. 'Nothing in the world is preordained like that. Life is what you make of it, and that's that. You really need to stop worrying about thinks and...' She thought long and hard over the right wording. '...just give yourself a break, alright? Nothing is going to go wrong. We are here for a little holiday, we are going to visit your parents, and we are going to go back home to the valley with some nice memories. Nothing more, nothing less.'

Gary wasn't convinced, but there was nothing more to be gained from this line of conversation. His pride had, so far, taken a knock on the trip once already, after the discovery of a discarded newspaper stuffed down the back of a bus seat en route to the airport. The terribly witty sports journalists had clearly enlisted the services of the graphics department to paste a picture of Gary's face, and a Chatswood shirt, onto a horse pulling a cart. The situation was made all the more embarrassing by the news that the horse was subsequently suing the newspaper for deformation of character.

Amanda quickly re-fixed her eyes world outside. It was amazing how interesting the mundane parts of a country could look when you were visiting them for the first time. She seemed content just to sit there and take things in; this suited Gary for the time being. He was already thinking about calling his parents when they got to the Bed and Breakfast, trying to plan things out in his head. They wouldn't be happy that he and Amanda had opted not to stay with them, but that would have been more than Gary could take right now. Amanda wasn't a fussy person by any means, however, she had special requirements. You couldn't care about the planet as much as she did, and not have red lines here and there. Don and Janet Corsie had red lines too of course, they were deeply set in their ways, and couldn't change supposing they wanted to. Gary's main worry was that the two parties’ red lines were drawn over entirely different areas. For his parents, the idea of a main meal not containing some form of meat was near blasphemy; and he dearly hoped he could convince his mother to move her stuffed cat from the fireside rug, even if just for the visit.

The tram stopped at a set of traffic lights momentarily, and Gary's attention fluttered to a pub on the other side of the street. A windowless establishment, it was simply a discreet doorway on the gable end of a building. Drab men with grey faces lined the street outside, smoking their cigarettes. Gary could already imagine the smell, and the dingy interior. The gentrification of Schottia's city centres was moving at an alarming rate, and these rare, hidden waterholes were some of the last refuges of the traditional working man. Many of them were already force to haunt the trend-bar that their former local had become, like living bric-a-brac, held in the same regard as an old Singer sewing machine table.

The traffic light had already turned green when Gary noticed him. That all-too-familiar face, stood alone at the end of the long line of smokers. It took the footballer a second to place it, but there was no mistaking who it was. That gaunt, drawn out appearance, a bit like an orange segment someone had sucked all the juice from. That old, green leather jacket, thin flannel trousers, cheap battered trainers. It was The Man.

Gary kept his eyes fixed on him until they had fully rounded the corner. That unchanging expression, the calmness with which he stood holding his pint, smoking his cigarette. It seemed unlikely that the man had seen him, but Gary's chest knotted up all the same.

by **Kita-Hinode** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:39 am

CHAPTER V - FAMILIAR FACES (Part 2)

St. Margot High School
Monday, 9:45 AM

PREVIOUSLY
A dispute on who was supposed to be the actual Pokémon Battling teacher of St. Margot High led to a battle between the two candidates, Chrom and Audio.
Things, however, picked up fast, as Blaziken turned into his Mega Evolution form, dispatching Chrom's Murkrow.
Unbeknownst to him, however, Chrom had a trick up his sleeve.

[Chrom] - Guess it's time to show this bookworm has his own tricks.
[Audio] - Bring. It. On.

Chrom retrieved his fainted Pokémon, before taking another one from his purse.
This Pokéball had Banette, who crept out of the Pokéball as it was sent out.

[Audio] - Psh, it ain't even your strongest Pokémon...
[Chrom] - I know.
[Audio] - Fair enough. Blaziken, hit another Blaze Kick!
[Chrom] - Prepare yourself, Banette...

The students were still watching the battle, all with different opinions about it.

[Katsu] - What the hell, he's just going to let him take it?
[Jolyne] - Boss, I think he might have a reason for that.
[Jonathan] - So far, he's been outwitted, though.
[Han-Myeong] - He's not being outwitted.
[Katsu] - Eh? How would you know that, Han-Myeong?
[Han-Myeong] - It might be only true in proper fighting, but there are styles that depend on your opponent opening up.
[Jolyne] - And Blaziken's open for a counter-attack.
[Han-Myeong] - He doesn't need to counter-attack in name, though...

Blaziken once again dashed towards his opponent, raising his right leg to land a powerful kick against the Banette.
Instead of the usual sound of a proper hit, however, something clicked.
Blaziken stood in place, his leg still somewhat elevated, exactly where he would've hitten the Banette.
Banette stepped backwards, seemingly fine.

[Audio] - What happened, Blaziken? I told you to use Blaze Kick!
[Chrom] - Use Hex while he's lost in thought, Banette!
[Flardania] - What was that?
[Qasden] - It's Banette's hidden skill.

Blaziken stood still, confused.
For the life of his, he couldn't remember how to strike.
He soon got walloped by a wave of ghost energy, forcing him to stay sitting on the ground.

[Qasden] - Banette's hidden skill, Cursed Body, is able to make an opponent forget one move of his. Luck had it be his Blaze Kick.
[Audio] - Why is he not getting up?
[Chrom] - It's Hex. Use Phantom Force, Banette.
[Audio] - Grrr... Stop him with Ember, Blaziken!

Blaziken once again shot fire from his mouth, something he could still do, even when locked in place by Hex.
However, any efforts were worthless, as Banette disappeared from the field, falling into a shadowy portal.
Blaziken looked around, searching for him, but soon was taken down with a powerful slam from the Marionette Pokemon.

BLAZIKEN fainted!

[Chrom] - One-one, isn't it?
[Audio] - Hmpf. Getting a bit too cocky, ain't you?
[Chrom] - Oh, you'll see why soon enough. What's your next one?
[Audio] - Sticking to classics. Tauros.

Tauros was now on the field as Blaziken was quickly retrieved.

[Audio] - You might as well take off your smile now.
[Chrom] - Why?
[Audio] - You'll see! Tauros, attack him with Zen Headbutt!
[Chrom] - Banette, use Curse.

Tauros darted towards Banette, reaching full contact with a Zen Headbutt.
As he went through the Ghost-type Pokémon, however, his entire body was covered by purple smoke.
Smoke that kept following him.
Banette pulled itself back up together, still smirking.
Tauros twitched after he returned to his starting place.
It clearly was hurt. It was cursed.

[Audio] - Damn! Hit him with Pursuit!
[Chrom] - Will-O-Wisp.

Banette formed a circle of fire around itself, before floating out of it, allowing Tauros to encircle itself inside it.
The pain was starting to mount up.

[Audio] - Damn, what a day to forget any healing items...
[Chrom] - Hmpf. Suits someone unprepared to teach a class.
[Audio] - Hah, you didn't use them either!
[Chrom] - I just didn't feel like using them to beat you, that's all.
[Audio] - Whatever. Hit him with another Zen Headbutt!
[Chrom] - Use Screech.

Banette screeched, causing Tauros to be thrown off his game.
Damage from the Curse and the Fire only made it worse.
And soon enough, the beast fell down.

[Chrom] - Two-one.
[Audio] - You're lucky, that's all.
[Chrom] - I'm prepared.
[Audio] - But I'm way more powerful!
[?????] - Which is why I chose to have you both are supposed to teach them.

[Chrom] - Bonesea?
[Bonesea] - In the flesh. Turns out this school got a new owner. Said new owner paid off the former personnel handsomely and they decided to squabble it drunkenly. All we really know was that last time people reported anything about it, there was a scuffle on a zoo and then an elephant fled its' cage and-
[Chrom] - Y-yeah, that's enough, Boney.
[Audio] - So why did you not tell us we'd teach them together?
[Bonesea] - I thought it'd be fun.
[Chrom] - ...
[Bonesea] - Besides, I believe your students know a bit more about things just from watching.

The three looked at one of the students ran around the park with his hair on fire, a result of one of the Embers.

[Bonesea] - Although you really ought to practice your aim for our own sake.

Another student threw a bucket of water over him.
Bonesea returned to his thoughts.

[Bonesea] - In any case, students, the new owner wanted me to inform you that this school will be improving itself considerably from now on.
[Ceni] - New owner?

Ceni looked at Katsu from a distance.

[Ceni] - Why?
[Flardania] - Hope they at least give us better uniforms, jeez.
[Electrum] - Better food wouldn't kill as well...
[Flardania] - What do you think, Qasden?

She looked to her side, finding nothing where Qasden should be.
A brief look at where they were previously battling, she could find Qasden talking with her custody brother.

[Qasden] - That was amazing, custardy-
[Chrom] - Ahem!
[Qasden] - U-uh... Mr. Chrom.
[Chrom] - Glad you liked it.
[Audio] - Although your brother was way lucky. I'm the best trainer around.
[Chrom] - Not like you showed that.
[Audio] - Did you just say I didn't show my skill? What were you doing? Looking at the sky?
[Chrom] - I was beating you!
[Audio] - Oh, you son of a-

The two started to argue through the park.
Bonesea laughed while the students just shrugged and followed the two.
One particular group of students, however, kept their distance from the rest.

[Katsu] - A new owner...
[Han-Myeong] - Wait, you didn't buy this place?
[Katsu] - Uh... No, not at all. I was going to ask if you knew whether sis bought this place.
[Han-Myeong] - You know well enough that your sister doesn't like the idea of buying schools or gyms.
[Katsu] - But we attend this place... Maybe she figured it'd be good to own it just in case?
[Han-Myeong] - You just want to get a free pass, don't you?
[Jolyne] - For shame, boss.
[Jonathan] - For big shame, boss.
[Suzie] - For ultimate, massive shame with confetti on top, boss!
[Katsu] - I'm just curious... That's all!
[Han-Myeong] - Well, I agree. It is a bit sketchy, isn't it?

The group passed by one of the buildings, where a set of eyes followed them from a distance.

[Han-Myeong] - Who would want to own a school, anyway?

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:46 am

Response To Sweeney Critics,
by Brittany Byers, Team Captain

Not too long following my blog concerning the loss to Coldfield, there was a piece out of the Concord Heights Times saying that we would benefit from firing manager Stephanie Sweeney while looking to one of the top teams in the World Cup and prying away an assistant. The writer, Kelsey McGinnis, pointed to the Maddie Polanco effect in the World Baseball Classic, where she was the assistant to the Super-Llamaland team that won World Baseball Classic 40, and took us to the semifinals in World Baseball Classic 41. Over the course of the most recent World Baseball Classic, our baseball players often pointed out that it was Polanco’s adjustment to the new way of analyzing baseball statistics that was key in taking us from a playoff team, to the next level, and making it to the semifinals before we ultimately finished 3rd.

I am pretty sure I speak for nearly everyone on the team when I say that we are really happy for what Maddie did with the baseball team, but soccer is so much more difficult. The World Baseball Classic, in my mind, is the second strongest competition in the multiverse, but even when you put it up against the World Cup, it is only about 25% as popular. That is why qualifying for the World Cup, which we still plan on doing during this cycle, is an exceptionally difficult task, far more complicated then finishing second in a baseball group and making a field of 16. Put it another way, in the World Baseball Classic, 16 out of 48 teams make the playoffs, or one-third. If one third of the teams in the World Cup qualified, then we’re talking about 50 playoff teams. Maybe there are some out there that want to expand the World Cup to 48 teams one day in the distant future, but just by looking at those numbers, you can see why it is a far different monster in this tournament. A second reason why you cannot expect a new coach to make a dramatic difference is that baseball is a far more mental game then soccer. Of course, there is plenty of strategy in which we execute on the soccer field, but when it comes to all of the different statistics out there, and player trends, baseball is a sport where they really come into play. Therefore, to make a change based on bringing in a person more in tune for the current trends based on strategy can make sense in baseball. That’s not going to happen in soccer.

All of us fully support manager Stephanie Sweeney. This is just our second tournament since a long hiatus, and in our first tournament, we did about as much as could be expected. We took a hit when we declined our Cup of Harmony invite, perhaps CASE (Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence), in making the ethical decision in not participating because there was a concern about press coverage, actually made a mistake because by sitting in the Cup of Harmony, not doing anything would be against the spirit of the tournament, but we probably could have stolen a point or three that would have made the number in parentheses next to our nation name for this tournament be a little lower. What does that have to do with Stephanie? Just about everything, because it shows that she has done everything that she could do for us so far. Further look at how she did while leading our junior team in Di Bradini 41, making it to the semifinals before being eliminated by Ceni. The team recovered to take third, giving us one of our better Di Bradini finishes in nation history, even when considered the glory years. She’s going to need time, but once we qualify for World Cup 79, there will be no doubters.

We are now four games into the tournament, and things are looking pretty good for us. At 2-1-1, we are third place, tied with Valladares. We got a point on them already, so that is useful. The tougher result on the record is the Coldfield loss, but we will look to turn the tables on them when they come to Concord Heights. Ethane is looking real good, of course. What I do think, though, is that it is good to be in the mix at the early in the competition as usually the Cinderella stories of qualifying get there with a strong finish. Think of it like a horse race, and you’re a closer. To win the race, you do your best work with a fantastic stretch run. But, it’s best to hang with the field early on, then to dig yourself too much of a hole for that run. In the 2-0 win over Dainer, Kristen Speller picked up her second clean sheet of the tournament, and goals by Amy Romine (19th minute) and Rachel Brenner (57th minute) were the difference. This was not an easy match, as Dainer performed well, but as a defensive group in the back end, we really did a great job of keeping them on the perimeter and never letting them penetrate us too much to get a golden opportunity on Kristen. We go back home to face, Northwest kalactin. They might start well in the first couple minutes, but we’ve heard that they can’t finish things off.

by **Kernovi** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:14 am

Kernovi Sports - The Short Read;

Red Bills Outfly Cocoabo's
FT: Kernovi 1 - Turori 0

Kernovi was ablaze with celebrations last night, as the Kernovi national team bought a extraordinary victory in Isca City Stadium against 22nd seed Turori. The screams of elation and the rush of victory rang seemingly omnipresently around the whole of the Isles, as Copper's 83rd minute goal led a fortified team. So important was the victory, that as 4:33 ticked over, the federal budget debate, perhaps the most important debate on the political calendar, was briefly interrupted as the chamber of the Court of Representatives was filled with raucous applause.

Kernovi's track record in the World Cup Qualifiers have, of present, been less than stellar. Following a previous three losses, the team will surely receive the much needed morale boost to keep spirits high going forward, as aspirations for qualification remain a faint but burning desire for the Red Bills. The game yesterday, attended by some 34,000 people, started as most of Kernovi's international games do, poorly. By the 17th Minute, Turori had already made four shots on goal, only to be saved by the immaculate Clegg at every instance. In the 36th Minute, Copper was presented with his first opportunity, with an unfortunately wide penalty shot on goal. Following this miss, the pressure remained intensely stacked against the Red Bill's. Nonetheless they held out, fortifying a moderate defence against Turori. The cracks showed towards the end of the first half, the team clearly exhausted from Turori's offensive, as Turori broke from their traditional defensive structure.

However, come the second half, the Red Bill's were like a different team. Managing to over-power the unsuspecting Turorian team, they were able to increase possession, looking to be an unbreakable wall. However, it wasnt until the 83rd minute that the unthinkable happened. Copper dominated the pitch. He ran a dangerous and reckless moment, running free from his team. However, the risk paid off, and he was able to flick the ball in past the defence and goalkeeper G. Q. Disterfred II for an unexpected lead over Turori in the final moments of the match.

Despite the clearly impressive match, it's important that the Red Bill's establish that this isn't a one-off. Despite the teams celebrations in the night gone by, the manager has gone on record to state that the act performed today was 'not a miracle, but a show of the teams skill finally breaking through' and that the team will continue to practice to improve.

(Sorry for the quality, only had 20 mins)

by **Turori** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:21 am

Everyone In the Hole Now
Citizen Squad Three Points Up after Just one Game

For a more complete backstory regarding Cocoabo Forest please visit the Historical Record on the Atlantian Oceania Forum

Almintora National Stadium, Almintora, Turori :: Just when it looked clear and obvious that the Citizen Squad was going to run away with the competition during World Cup 79 Qualifying, things got even worse for the Turori National Team.

Heading into the Matchday 3-4 pairing, the Citizen Squad already had a healthy 3 point lead on the Cocoabo Squad as the Cocoabo had dropped the opening match of the campaign at home to Valanora at the Cednia Beach Center. With that result already in the books it became clear to the Cocoabo Squad that they needed to win all the rest of their games. Even then, there was no guarantee that they would be able to catch the Citizen Squad and earn the right to represent the Turori National Team in whatever post-qualifying competition they might play in.

So as full time neared at the Almintora National Stadium and the Cocoabo Squad had yet to score a goal against nothing more than a team full of unknowns that could either be the remnants of a submarine, a highly malformed chemical element or something random to do with the pokeverse, they did not really know what to change to break through.

The coaches threw attack minded cocoabo after attack minded cocoabo onto the pitch to no avail. The goal never came. They had done no planning to face this unknown team that no one expected to score a goal the entire campaign. While they didn't score a goal, neither could the Cocoabo who dropped to a dismal record of just one point in two games.

Citizen Team Schedule:
[W] MD2 @ Omerica
[L] MD4 @ Kernovi
MD5 v Yesopalitha (Eels Park, Eelandii)
MD6 @ Kaboomlandia
MD8 @ West Violence
MD10 @ Valanora
MD12 @ U-62
MD16 @ New Danican
MD18 @ Tinhampton

Cocoabo Team Schedule:
[L] MD1 v. Valanora (Cednia Beach Center, Cednia)
[D] MD3 v. U-62 (Almintora National Stadium, Almintora)
MD7 v. New Danican (Cocoabo Park Arena, Cocoabo Forest)
MD9 v. Tinhampton (Cocoabo Park Arena, Cocoabo Forest)
MD11 v. Omerica (Cocoabo Park Arena, Cocoabo Forest)
MD13 v. Kernovi (Iobabao Legendary Park, Mliona)
MD14 @ Yesopalitha
MD15 v. Kaboomlandia (Kionao Minor Field, Kionao)
MD17 v. West Violence (Coliseum of the Inurahtii, Inura)

Through 2 of 9 Rounds:

Of course, with the result, the door was wide open for the Citizen Squad to take hold on the proceedings. Now the Citizen Squad could ice their way into the post-qualifying representation of the Turori National Team simply by defeating all remaining lower-ranked opposition. They could even afford to drop a result at Valanora away - a tough match in itself.

But the Citizen Squad would do themselves no favors. Once again struggling to find the back of the net, sharing the issues felt by their Cocoabo Squad rivals, the citizens not only dropped points but lost entirely to Kernovi in Kernovi.

Not exactly a good way to start off a three-match run as the Cocoabo will have the next matchday off to regroup and re-center themselves while the Citizens will have to fight through the adversity. Luckily they will have the chance to do it at home, at Eels Park in Eelandii where they will square off against a Yesopalitha side who actually do seem to be prepared and looking to claim scalps. But, as Turori have recently tended to rise... or fall to the level of their opponents, perhaps the matchup against Yesolpalitha is just the right antidote to cure the wretched and horrible start that the Citizen and Cocoabo Squads have gotten off to, right the ship, and set a course back towards the World Cup Finals in Ceni & Drawkland.

Starting Lineup v. U-62:
Pos :: Identification  : Home (Goals)
GK  :: ( Cocoabo #86 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #58 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #57 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #53 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #61 ) : Cocoabo Forest 
MID :: ( Cocoabo #64 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #46 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #62 ) : Cocoabo Forest
AMC :: ( Cocoabo #72 ) : Cocoabo Forest
FOR :: ( Cocoabo #91 ) : Cocoabo Forest
FOR :: ( Cocoabo #99 ) : Cocoabo Forest

Location :: Almintora National Stadium is located in Almintora, Turori. Almintora is the capital city of the Island Emirate of Turori and has been the capital ever since the time of Turorian independance.

Capacity :: 79,000 (All Seated)

. . . .

. . . .
Representation of the Almintora National Stadium
from a World Cup 17 programme showing the newly
renovated arena.

. . . .
. . . .

Stadium History :: The Almintora National Stadium served as the home of the Football Association of Turori and the Turori National team from their entrance onto the international competition scene prior to World Cup 15 until the Football Association relocated their headquarters to the purpose built Eels Park community in Eelandii, Turori.

The Almintora National Stadium was originally constructed as a 45,000 seat stadium for use by the National Team during World Cup 15 and World Cup 16 qualification. However, when it became evident that Turori's nearby neighbors, the Tropics of Vilita, were being considered as the potential hosts of World Cup 17, the Football Association of Turori strategically aligned itself with their former colonial lands in order to ensure that of the 8 stadia selected for the World Cup Finals, one would be from Turori. Naturally, the Almintora National Stadium was the stadium of choice and would serve as the first time the Island Emirate of Turori would open its doors to a major international event. With a lot on the line, the Turorian government partnered with the Football Association of Turori to increase the capacity of the Almintora National Stadium from 45,000 to 79,000 in time for the World Cup 17 finals.

The move was proven even more fruitful when the Turori Eels themselves qualified for the World Cup 17 finals, the first finals appearance for Turori, and were able to play each of their group stage matches at their home stadium.

With the success of hosting one group of the World Cup 17 finals at the Almintora National Stadium, Turori had put itself on the map. Soon after it would be announced that the Island Emirate of Turori would host World Cup 19 in a joint bid with The Belmore Family. Naturally, the crown jewel of Turorian stadiums, the Almintora National would ultimately host the World Cup Final - the single most prestigious match in the multiverse.

Unfortunately for the Almintora National Stadium, hosting the World Cup 19 final was something of a 'peak' over the course of the stadiums lifespan. Co-sharing the arena between the Turori National Team and Turorian domestic side FC Almintora accelerated the wear, tear and aging within the facility. To make matters worse, the mediocre performance of FC Almintora in the domestic league meant that incentive to invest in further rennovation of the arena was minimal. The stadium would still be chosen to host the final of the 26th Cup of Harmony, but even by that time the Cednia Beach Center in Cednia had started to become the premier sporting facility on the Island. In fact, even the Cup of Harmony 26 final was originally awarded to the newly built Coliseum of the Inurahtii in the Inura Forest, however, the Safety & Health Initiative of Turori determined that the site would not be ready in time to host spectators, with the Final site being retroactively chosen as the Almintora National Stadium due to its experience having hosted the World Cup 19 final.

Despite having been supplanted as Turori's international stadium of choice, the Almintora National Stadium has accrued one honor that no other stadium in Turori - or in Vilita, can lay claim. Almintora National Stadium is the only stadium in Vilita & Turori to have been selected as a host site for the UICA Globe Cup, having been home to the 55th Globe Cup final.

Primary Tenants :: FC Almintora currently compete in the Tropicorp Lower League of the Vilitan football pyramid.

Notable Events ::
World Cup 19 Final
Audioslavia 0 - 1 Crystilakere

Cup of Harmony 26 Final
Bostopia 3 - 3 Kiryu-shi [AET]
Bostopia win 2-1 on Penalty Kicks

Globe Cup 55 Final
Fontvielle Impact (VLD) 1 – 1 Magnaeus City (TCU) [AET]
Fontvielle Impact win 5-4 on Penalty Kicks

NOT the World Cup 79 Qualifying Matchday 3, which fans of Turori hope will be forgotten very, very quickly

by **Bojikstan** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:01 am

The Rookies

Part Seventeen. In which Mara opens up.

Livia Andrade settled back into her seat at the bench at the end of the tavern, with another set of drinks for herself and Niko Komarov. They were here to spend a bit of time with the Blackmont City locals and watch as Mara Mandaric read part of her autobiography, which was still unreleased. And surprisingly, a lot of the team members didn’t even know the things that she was saying. This was new information to them, about their midfielder who could be especially secretive about her past and her personal life. “I haven’t known her for very long like you and the others, but I might have an idea of where she’s going with this,” Liv remarked, taking a sip of the ale. “At least, if my predictions about what happened the last time we were in Blackmont City are correct.”

“From Rain’s reaction, I would say that you’re right,” replied Niko, raising an eyebrow in surprise that Livia would even know about that incident. Maybe more members of their social group than he expected had made their own connections about it… Previously, Niko had assumed that he was the only one who had a faint idea about it, but Livia had always been observant. She was definitely paranoid, and people who were paranoid tended to have an eye for small details. “Surprised she’s going to say it here, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, though. It’s going to end up all over the internet.”

They both looked back to Mara, who was continuing. “As I said before, I was still very much a child during the war. Things happened between soldiers when we weren’t actively fighting. Of course they did. When you tell soldiers to sit around in camps for weeks at a time, sometimes with no interesting things happening on the front, they’re going to find ways to keep themselves entertained. Relationships are going to develop. My eyes, however, weren’t opened to it at that point. I was just focused on my job, and I was only thinking about that. I didn’t have a ton of time off because there was always some vehicle that needed repairs, and when there wasn’t one that needed repairs, we were taking parts from disabled ones and storing them away for our own use. Sometimes I did other odd jobs around the military camps, too. Painting our colors onto vehicles recovered from the enemy. Cataloging scrap parts. I didn’t have the time to get involved with any of the more ‘grown up’ things that were going on around our bases.

“When I started playing football full time after the war, though, I had a lot more time on my hands. Some people think that being a footballer is a job that takes all of your time, but it’s kind of the opposite. You end up with a lot of free time when you aren’t training or playing, and you inevitably begin spending that free time with your teammates. Well, like most of the clubs in the rougher industrial cities, Morievo B had a wild bunch of players. Once I made peace with them and earned some respect by defending myself, some of them befriended me and I would follow them everywhere off of the pitch. When I gained vet status at Morievo B, I was introduced for the first time to the world of drugs and alcohol. My family had always kept me away from that path, and I didn’t have the time to discover those things when I was with the army. It was different at the club.

“One of my best friends was a hard drinking defender who also had access to just about every banned substance in the country. She had always been friendly to me. After the time when my teammates burned my face in the shower, she was the one to treat my burns. When I broke my teammate’s nose in retaliation for the attack on my knee, she kept me from getting decked by the rest of the team. So naturally, when I got more popular, I began shadowing her everywhere. Most times I was with her, she was either drunk, high, or both. The coaches used to complain about it, but after her performances on the pitch dropped when she went sober, they told her to do whatever she needed to do to keep herself in playing shape. Somehow, that meant abusing every substance possible. She was never the most athletic, but she had a surprisingly good football IQ for someone that insisted on being high for every match.

“My traditional family would have hated my new friends if they met them, but I didn’t have to worry about that anymore. I smoked marijuana for the first time when I was at Morievo, when I suffered a particularly bad collision. I ran into another midfielder and twisted my knee at an angle that fucked it up more. After being in intense pain for a few minutes, my new friend handed me a blunt and told me that it would make me feel better. That’s not to say that Morievo didn’t have its traditional types, like my family. There were plenty of them in that locker room, and I honestly could have ended up on either side. The friends I kept, however, made sure that I ended up on the side of the locker room that belonged to the wilder players, rather than the ones that had crosses hanging from their necks or tattooed onto their skin. Back then, I was a bit of both. I still wore the cross chain that my mother had given me before I left home, but I quickly got into the vices of the other players.

“There were a lot of nights spent with my defender friend where she would get drunk in front of me and I would get a buzz off of whatever she had left. After talking until past midnight, I would stumble back to my apartment and she would pass out. One of those nights, though, I ended up staying longer. We were both experimenting with psychedelics, and our experimentation turned into a different kind. I had an idea of what her preferences were, because of the women that came around her apartment and stayed overnight at times, and because of some remarks she would make in the locker room, but I didn’t expect her to make a move on me. I also didn’t expect myself to reciprocate her advances when they happened. I would wake up at her apartment the next morning, knowing that I had done something that would be impossible during my old life. I was also surprised and shaken, because I didn’t expect to be left wanting more.

“In the coming weeks, I tried to take things further than experimentation. But because my defender friend was older than me by a good margin, she didn’t think it would be a good idea. She also told me not to ruin things with my family because of her, knowing that they would disapprove and that I still cared very much about pleasing them. I would leave her apartment in tears, and it would take three weeks for us to speak to each other again outside of our club activities. After going through a slump in my play because of it, I would move on from my short lived ideas of a relationship. Still, I would learn something about myself because of that encounter. I learned that I had the kind of romantic preferences that my family would disown me for, and that it wasn’t just a phase that I was going to grow out of.”

At that point, Rain Delacruz was fuming. And Livia could imagine why. With Mara essentially coming out here, the media would make a much bigger deal of the displays of affection that she and Rain weren’t afraid to show during matches and off the pitch. Additionally, the other players now knew about Mara’s orientation, which would help them in putting two and two together and figuring out what was going on between Rain and Mara. Rain stood up and walked out of the tavern, deciding not to stick around to leave the others wondering why she was visibly upset. It wasn't like they wouldn't make the connection anyway, though. She stopped, however, when her phone buzzed once again, and she looked down to see a text from that familiar anonymous number. And this time, the mysterious stalker had signed their name.

by **South Covello** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:20 am

OOC: This is former Gregoryisgodistan. Drawk told me on IRC I could use the new nation to RP for the rest of the cycle.

Charges Filed In Gregist Trial

Charges have been filed against the man calling himself Lord Almighty Gregory as well as 13 members of his inner circle, pertaining to war crimes, murder, and pretty much every other crime the regime ever committed. Although most were not perpetrated by the current Lord Almighty Gregory incarnation, the legal argument is that he and the others engaged in a criminal conspiracy to commit all these offenses. Here is a full list of charges.

1. 101,234,618 counts of murder: This first charge includes every execution in the history of Gregoryisgodistan, for crimes ranging from sneezing to farting to burping to riding an ugly horse. Families of the criminals were also executed. Maximum sentence for each count: LIFE Maximum sentence for all counts of this charge: 101,234,618 life sentences. Maximum sentence on this charge and all prior ones: 101,234,618 life sentences

2. 83,819,028 charges of crimes against humanity: This relates to the Gregist regime’s violation of international law by executing the families of criminals even though they were innocent. Maximum sentence for each count. LIFE Maximum sentence for all counts: 83,819,028 life sentences. Maximum cumulative sentence: 185,053,646 life sentences

3. 100,000,000 counts of crimes against humanity for launching unprovoked nuclear strikes against Hicana, Vjaalsburg, Coconutstan, Asuraia, and Associated Godlands. This is a conservative estimate of the number of people killed. Maximum sentence for each count: LIFE Maximum sentence for all counts: 100,000,000 life sentences. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,053,646 life sentences

4. 1,000 counts of terrorism resulting in death for political massacres against civilians foreign and domestic, mostly at sporting events. Like charges 2 and 3, this is a conservative estimate. Maximum sentence for each count: LIFE Maximum sentence for all counts: 1,000 life sentences Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,054,646 life sentences

5. 20,000 counts of first degree sexual assault. These charges relate to dickapitations and castrations conducted by Pervert Chasers, who are named as unindicted coconspirators. Maximum sentence for each count: 25 Years. Maximum sentence for all counts: 500,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,054,646 life sentences plus 500,000 years

6. 250,000,000 counts attempted murder for attempting to invoke the so-called Enemy Crusher Biggy McParis Option and destroy all Enemy List nation’s with nuclear weapons. This represents a conservative estimate of how many people will be killed if it happened. Maximum sentence for each count: 25 years. Maximum sentence for all counts: 6,250,000,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,054,646 life sentences plus 6,250,500,000 years.

7. 400,000,000 counts vouyerism, one for every spy camera installed in a private dwelling. Maximum sentence for each count: Six months. Maximum sentence for all counts: 200,000,000 years. Total cumulative maximum sentence: 285,054,646 life sentences plus 6,250,700,000 years.

8. 24,000 counts disturbing the peace, stemming for the installation of very large speakers blaring propaganda on the San Jose Guayabal border. Maximum sentence for each count: One month. Maximum sentence for all counts: 2,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,054,646 life sentences plus 6,250,702,000 years

9. 82,000,000,000 counts administering a drug without permission relating to the mind control drugs the prune juice and gruel rations were laced with. It was determined to only include instances in the last 365 days, due to the sheer number of charges otherwise. This represents 75 million people, three meals a day, for a year. Maximum sentence each count: Two years. Maximum sentence all counts: 164,000,000,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,054,646 life sentences plus 6,414,702,000 years

10. 45,354 counts crimes against humanity relating to the “human blitzkreig” strategy which deliberately targeted civilians in violation of international law, burning buildings, killing them, etc. this is also a conservative estimate. Maximum sentence for each count: Life. Maximum sentence for all counts: 45,354 life sentences. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,100,000 life sentences plus 6,414,702,000 years

11. 120,000,000 counts slavery, one for each slave estimated to be held in bondage during the history of Gregoryisgodistan Maximum sentence each count: 25 years. Maximum sentence all counts: 3,000,000,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,100,000 life sentences plus 9,414,702,000 years

12. Six counts computer trespassing, pertaining to the hacking of emails belonging to citizens of the Free Republics involved in the film “The Interview”. Maximum sentence each count: One year. Maximum sentence all counts: Six Years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,100,000 life sentences plus 9,414,702,006 years

13. 20,000 counts sexual assault, a conservative estimate of how many times a sex slave was sexually assaulted. Maximum sentence each count: 25 years. Maximum sentence all counts: 500,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,100,000 life sentences plus 9,415,202,006 years

14. 100,000 counts petty larceny, pertaining to all perfectly innocuous items such as cheese, food other than prune juice and gruel, books, bicycles, cars, etc. which were unjustly seized over the years. This is a conservative estimate. Maximum sentence each count: three years. Maximum sentence all counts: 300,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,100,000 life sentences plus 9,415,202,006 years.

15. 10,000 counts abuse and endangerment for forcing Enemy Crushers to have freakishly large bodies to conduct their bidding and endangering their health. Maximum sentence each count: five years. Maximum sentence all counts: 50,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,100,000 life sentences plus 9,415,252,006 years

16. 500,000 counts cruel and unusual punishment not resulting in death, pertaining to people sent to prison camps or otherwise punished for such non-crimes as bad grammar, spelling, mathematics, or word usage, as well as other innocuous acts such as flushing gruel down the toilet, making a dirty joke, or wearing blue on Tuesday, many of which have since been made Capital. Maximum sentence each count: 10 years. Maximum sentence all counts: 5,000,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 285,1000,000 life sentences plus 9,420,252,006 years.

17. 3,000,000,000 counts withholding food and drink from a minor, specifically on every Creation Day in history for every minor then alive. Maximum sentence each count: Five Years. Maximum sentence all counts: 15,000,000,000 years. Maximum cumulative sentence: 24,420,252,006 years plus 285,100,000 life sentences

18. Additional amended version of charge nine related to all prior drugged prune juice and gruel added later upon reconsideration, includes an additional 41,000,000,000,000 counts administering a drug without permission, each of which carries a sentence of two years the maximum sentence for all these counts is 82,000,000,000 years taking the total possible sentence up to 285,100,000 life sentences plus 82,024,420,252,006 years

This completes the charges for now, and more may be added before the trial as events warrant. For now, however, the regime could be facing one of the longest sentences in Multiverse history, 285 million life sentences plus 82 trillion or so years. They will not let these terrorists get away with anything out of convenience.

by **Filindostan** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:44 am

Filindostan × Gerry × vs Jabok | San Marco pt 1 × Vicky × at Undarat | San Marco pt 2 × Domo/Star × vs Islana Lunigo

Domo/Star pt 2 × at Savojarna

Donna Morielle "Domo" Delos Santos-Strauss / Stella Arielle "Star" Delos Santos-Strauss
Right Midfielder, Fortunas/Filindostan Football Team / Small Forward, Fortunas/Filindostan Basketball Team

Santo Lucio Medical Center - San Marco Branch
San Marco, Filindostan

Ara was quickly sent to the hospital, in the ICU section, where she was tried to be revived by the doctors. Domo and Star, as well as the latter's father, Juaq, were anxiously waiting outside the ICU room, waiting for updates on the condition of the patient. Before the doctors can update those who are outside, a man in his mid-thirties entered the hospital, asking where Ara is right now. Juaq recognized the man. It was Zalo.

Upon Zalo briskly walking into the corridor of the hospital, Juaq stood up and blocked the way. They stared at each other, eye to eye, within seconds, a clenched fist met with the left jaw of Zalo. It was Juaq's.

"What are you doing here?"

"Where's Ara?"

"You do not have business here. Leave us. Or I will call security."

"I want to see her. And our daugh--"

"You don't have a daughter. You hear me right."

"Domo's my daugh--"

"I said, YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. A. DAUGHTER."

"Domo? Is that you, my dear?"

"Stay away from her, you moron. You didn't realize what happened back then? It was me, not you. You had protection that night. I did not."

"Then why did you not take responsibility then?"

"You don't talk me shit about responsibility, kiddo. Remember what you did to Ara when you two were married? You gave her heartaches. Headaches. With your fucking mistress. And you have the gall to come here, making scenes, and claiming someone's daughter that's not yours?"

With the exchange of words between the two rivals for Ara's heart reaching Domo and Star, the former was shocked.

"Juaq... Are you... my... father?"

"Uhm... Domo... Y-y-ye..."

Before Juaq have even finished his words, Domo walked out of the hospital, crying. Star tried to follow her out, giving a stern look at the two men, before leaving the hospital on her own. The doctors approached the two saying that the condition of Ara has been stabilized. However, she's put into a medically induced coma - brain dead for now.

Meanwhile, Star lost track of Domo. She tried to call her via her cellular phone, but Domo turned off hers. The older of the half-sisters wandered off to her friend's condo unit, not showing everyone of her location. Days passed, and no change of her condition. The two men agreed to reconcile and schedule visits to Ara. Zalo in the morning, Juaq and Star in the afternoon. By evening, Domo sneaks in to the hospital and goes to Ara's room, hoping her mother can wake up while she's around. She had conspired with one of the hospital staff to check if Star and her father have left the vicinity. The cycle continued, and continued, until one night, in one of Domo's sneak visits, Ara's vital signs started to destabilize.

"Doctor? Help me!"

"Shhh... Domo... Is that you?"

"Mom?"

"Oh, I can't see. My sight's blurry right now."

"Are you alright?"

"Probably. Sorry I wasn't able to tell my condition to you and Star. And I have to tell you something..."

"What?"

"Zalo's... not your father."

"Are you serious?"

... (subtle weeps followed by a sound of a door banging were heard by Ara)

"Domo? Domo?"

(to be continued)

Savojarna 1-2 Filindostan
Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman, Sjoedrhavn, Savojarna
Scorers: Karjanen (9'); Bienvenido (61'), Manyakol (pen 85')

Willy does know how to turn a team who are out of sorts defensively to one who have organized defenses in a span of minutes. An early sloppy play by Ryan meant that the patented counter attack by the Savojar team would wreak havoc at the Filindostani goal in just nine minutes, with striker Perttu Karjanen scoring after freeing from his markers on a deceptive cross from Igor Mitrovic. Other than the early goal, the two teams' defense held each other up - only a combined three total shots in the first half, all by the host team, were made. The Savojar players successfully thwarted Filindostan's offense, while instilling fear to the uncharacteristically disorganized defense for the Pula Garuda.

At the half though, Manyakol replaced the unsettled Deddy Lie at half time, moved him to attacking midfielder, and pulled both Mohd Safri and Siharto to defensive ones, imitating what Savojarna offered in the first half. Siharto and Mohd Safri combined to keep the Savojar offense at bay, and their crowd restless. In the 61st minute, out of a counter play by Dina Satyawan, she provided a speculative long ball - Bienvenido was very alert to the lob, caught the Savojar defense napping, and slotted one, low and hard, beyond the reach of Anders Jarnström. This put the Savojar crowd more restless than ever, with the scores level at one apiece.

Both teams looked for a winner, with the visiting team looked to hang on defensively for a draw. But an opportunity arose. Just as the Savojar defense caught an erratic pass by substitute Damaris, the Filindostani recovered the ball courtesy of a Manyakol interception - the Perseuno midfielder going back to defend just as they lost the ball. This caught the hosts off guard, and tried to recover on defense, but as Denis Metanov went back on defense inside the penalty area, he accidentally mistimed his push, bringing down the charging midfielder off the ball. A penalty was awarded to the visitors, and a yellow was given to the defender from Lokomotive Jarnstad.

Manyakol took the penalty himself, and had Jarnström commit the dive the wrong way. Straight, smooth, and crisp, the ball went into the back of the net for Filindostan's second of the game. Savojarna had their chances late in the match but they were unable to capitalize into the Filindostanis' complacency. It finished in Sjoedrhavn, 2-1, for the Pula Garuda.

The win was Filindostan's tenth win in a row in competitive matches (not including friendlies, and maintained their perfect record in the Qualifiers for the World Cup 79, just behind the Jungle Cats of Vilita on goal difference. Their next match? The last team they lost to competitively: The Steel Coast.

In the last meeting of the two sides, a Harrison Farias goal separated the two sides in the their opening Group C match of the Baptism of Fire in Barunia. Much have changed since - The Steel Tusks crashed out of the tournament in the Round of 16, failing in extra time to a team named Northwest Kalactin, and has only scored a solitary point in four, while the Pula Garuda went all the way to win the Baptism of Fire tournament and have a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. Willy will have a selection headache, as it would already seem that they didn't miss King's services at all.

Squad to face The Steel Coast (4-4-2, 23-player team)
Starters: Abram; Mila Khalifa, Alex Jampang, Dina Satyawan (cpt), Graci; Damaris, Mohd Safri, Manyakol, MMM; Bochog, Yish
Subs: Tonyo, T. Kang; Casimir, Buknoy, Johnpaul, Enzo; Ryan, Casanova, Alim Gui, Domo; Tri Buana, Ina

Schedule - 1st half of WC79Q
MD1: vs Jabok - Bandaroon (Hilura Bong Kanor Stadium) - Win, 3-1
MD2: at Undarat - Undarat (Undisclosed location) - Win, 1-0
MD3: vs Islana Lunigo - Jakulta (Jakulta Esportiva Stadium) - Win, 2-1
MD4: at Savojarna - Sjoedrhavn, Savojarna (Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman) - Win, 2-1
MD5: vs The Steel Coast - Bandaroon (Hilura Bong Kanor Stadium)
MD6: at Starblaydia - Jhanna, Starblaydia (Stadii di Bradini)
MD7: vs Cosneolta - Jakulta (Jakulta Esportiva Stadium)
MD8: vs Vilita - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD9: at Red Blackiland - Red Blackiland (TBA)

by **Buyan** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:58 am

Calmly, Frederik Suhr took a sip of the bizarrely coloured can of beer – the only thing in the minifridge which seemed at least a little appropriate when watching the national team ruin their chances for glory. In theory, he should’ve been still stuck in the traffic surrounding the Westerholt City Stadium, but instead he had already chosen for the sterile yet somehow cosy confines of his hotel room in the capital of Reuss-Lippe. After a good seventy minutes, he had seen quite enough to justify what must have been quite an expensive trip for the Buyanese FA. For Frederik, it had been a dull back-to-back of planes, trains and taxi rides only to discover something which was to obvious to state: that Chromatika was a better side than the admirable novices.

Eager to get out of there – officially to get started on his report as quickly as possible – Suhr left just in time to tune in to the second half of the Hedgehogs fixture, who had to turn wrong things right in a packed Manor Park. Half a minute after plugging in, he already regretted leaving the warmth of the stands behind. It was just in time to see three hesitant passes between the defenders until Espen Raestad took his responsibility and hoofed a cross… Far above and over the hapless Jon Fossum going over the line. There was a semi-serious attempt to put pressure on the throw, but with three half-decent one-timed passes, the Bostopians escaped and could develop something in the vast space on the right wing.

Knowing the potential of the selection, it hurt the eyes to see the lack of flair with which Valter Isaksson moved between the lines. By now, it had a sense of sadism that Teriouris kept him on there, a magnificent player being humbled to the point where his teammates simply avoided using him as an intermediary during possession, let alone putting him in the position to pace the play. During his tenure as Sparta Torspeda gaffer, Suhr had come up with a bakers dozen of plans to stop him and all but a few had failed hopelessly. Who knew that by the time that Frederik was laid off and had to satisfy with a far more low-profile – but steady – gig at the national FA, the problem would solve itself. For the remaining thirty minutes, Buyan dragged on and even failed to bring Eklund – usually good for an out-of-the-blue rescue – in the box, eventually settling on the smallest of losses.

The post-match interviews brought even more of a tear to the eye. Pawlo Marciak had acquired a special status amongst domestic fans after a decade at the pinnacle of the toughest national competition out there, but even the veteran of many wars had to admit that he was out of solutions. ”It just… We just failed to push forward.” For Marciak, known as a bit of a hardnosed youngster in his young days who had developed into an admirable diplomat, that was the equivalent of kicking in the door of the dressing room and throwing in a hand grenade. And you still felt it wasn’t enough. Up next, and visibly much against his will, Steponas Teriouris was dragged in front of the cameras. He tried a middle ground between secondary excuses, compliments to the Bostopians and a far-fetched expedition in search for opportunities. Halfway, Suhr turned off the broadcast, wondering how on earth this could go on. They simply…

The ringing of his cell phone sounded uncannily happy, with all this drabness surrounding him.

”Suhr speaking.”

By now, he got so used to the jokes, he didn’t even noticed it as the other side started with a…

”Suhr… Sure. Well, whatever, Frederik, how quick can you get back to Buyan?”

The lack of introduction ironically made very clear who was on the other side of the line.

”I’ve got a flight booked for noon tomorrow – but I think it stops in…”
“Too late. We’ll arrange an express tonight. Send the invoice to our friends of accounting.”

Thoughts were running quicker and quicker through his head now, was this…?

”Frederik, you still there?”
“Ehm… Yes, yes.”
“At ten o’clock sharp, we need you in the offices of the FA. We’ve got our chums of the press over…” the big guys always have a lot of buddies ”… to announce about the future of the cooperation between mister Teriouris and ourselves.”
”The future of the cooperation?”
“He’s fired. He’s out-o. Down with him. Hope the door won’t hit him on the way out. Other and better!”

Frederik Suhr hesitated half a second, scrambled all his confidence and spoke with a voice so serious, it didn’t conceal his nerves.

”Are you offering me the job of national manager of Buyan?”
“What? Frederik, I lost you for half a second there. Look, I don’t know what time it is in Reusstonia or wherever you are, but ensure you’re a bit more sharp tomorrow morning. You’re stepping in as a caretaker for now. I’ve got a sentiment that people want to return to the grand days of Hope, Shale and Maarsden – a little international flavour never hurt the Hedgehogs.”

A slight pause. Frederik wondered, did he really ‘drive through a tunnel’ or did he just allow him to get past his frankness like that.

”So, sir, I assume this is just for one match only?”
“Might be some more – it could take some time to collect a few valuable resumes. Either way, it’s a temporary job. Well, unless you start smashing the place around with five all victories, of course, haha!”

Frederik grinned along – but wasn’t sure what he laughed at.

by **Starblaydia** » Thu Nov 30, 2017 10:43 am

"Full time here in Aciaria and Starblaydia are finally back to winning ways with a four-nil victory over The Steel Coast, but it appears one of our studio guests isn't too happy about it - Kanny, what's wrong, mate? Starblaydia kept a clean sheet, you should at least feel good about that."

Kansu "Kanny" Lyku, a football pundit of Rejistanian origins, was not a smiling man. In the borrowed studio set, he sat slouched in his chair, hands together over his stomach like a child forced to remain at the dinner table until they clear their plate.

"Last two games were more exciting," Kanny said stubbornly, "perfect scorelines."

"But Starblaydia lost them both one-nil?" Trey Pickworh, the host, shot back, "and as dull as dishwater."

"Not dull dishwater," Kanny insisted, "was perfect score. Great defence play against Starblaydia, yes, but still great to watch."

"You call two teams of journeyman, practically amateur teams in comparison with a team made up of players from one of the top thirty-two leagues in the entire world, parking the bus for ninety minutes while they try and nick a cheap goal and then put then men behind the ball..." Trey outlined, sounding a little more astonished than he genuinely felt, "You call that great to watch?"

"Great underdog spirit versus five-time champions of the world, team ranked much much higher than either of them," Kanny seemed to perk up a little, "with defensive drills like orchestra tuned to perfection and conducted by crazy man at the back with gloves instead of baton. A gpurp of individuals moving as one to contain and keep out and not score so they not-lose and not-draw while also a goal-had-to-be-made to bring out perfect scoreline! And when team zone marking fail, individuals put bodies on line and make all last ditch clearance attempts and clearing off line and keeping ball out under all circumstances! Is brilliant Trey!"

"Going in to this match, Starblaydia had won only two matches in eleven competitive games, stretching all the way back to the end of World Cup 78's qualifying, as they managed to lose those two games and still make it to the cup,where they didn't score a single goal. Was the manager's job under scrutiny?"

"Is no way to play against last two perfect games," Kanny said, "now type of match blows out opponent, made to look bad with so many goals. Should have started to defend at 1-0 and not attack more."

"With both Vilita and Filindostan on one hundred percent records, can Starblaydia afford to lose another match, even though they've played only four games?"

"No, no!" Kanny looked agitated, almost, "Starblaydia should not-lose all remaining games to get to the Finals. Only way to do that is to park bus, put on bricks and remove wheels, then us never moved and goal never breached. Must go all out defence to not-lose."

"Well, there you have it," Trey moved to wrap up the segment, "Starblaydia are getting back towards the correct placing in the group, but could you manage to do with without scoring so many goals and putting Kanny off the nibbles in the green room? For SCB:Sports One, I'm Trey Pickworth, with Kansu Lyku, wishing you a good night."

World Cup 79 • CREDRAWK • RP Thread

95X WC 79 MD 2 RP

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