Spon Qusma - Qusmo Sports Newswire

by **Qusmo** » Tue May 15, 2018 8:51 pm

Qusmo National Team roster announced for second half of Qualifiers

Qusmo national team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban continued to tinker with their lineup in the second half of World Cup qualification. After the end of centreback Lucex-Ilinx Opu’s suspension from the national team, Avarn-Oxolt Ban has called them back up, in a move that was expected. However, that was not Avarn-Oxolt’s only change. The manager decided that it was more important to bolster their squad’s depth in the centre of the pitch, & sent home several wing players to make room for it.

At defense, Jralv-Yamaj Mal of KF Atlant & Zorno-Relaf Bel of KF Rejin, who were Avarn-Oxolt’s second choices at left & right back, respectively, saw the end of their qualifying campaigns. Jralv-Yamaj was capped in Matchdays 2 & 4, while Zorno-Relaf claimed a start on Matchday 4; neither has played in the national team’s past five matches, however.

The attack was not immune from the changes, either, as second choice left wing forward Rilan-Belaj Tar of KF Qastyr departed the team. Rilan-Belaj saw caps in away matches against two World Cup 79 qualifiers, Tumbra & Ceni, in Matchdays 4 & 8, respectively; however, they were always the second choice to Ozolx-Mazur Guv, & they proved surplus to requirements in a squad that did not normally utilize any wing forwards.

The midfield also lost a member, as KF Vlonz left midfielder Helek-Nenzi Ono has packed their bags for the final time this campaign. Helek-Nenzi was an understandable cutting given that they only appeared as a Matchday 5 substitute, but they also were Kynda-Sevet Pec’s only substitute at the position.

A player notable for managing to stay on the squad was KF Trew right midfielder Ilinx-Iblix Tla, who only garnered one cap & only as a substitute, but impressed sufficiently in Matchday 9 to earn a second appearance, it seems. Avarn-Oxolt may also be considering the fact that, without a reserve left midfielder on the roster, Ilinx-Iblix may have to fill in on both sides of the pitch - though Avarn-Oxolt has taken great pains to ensure that none of their players have to play on the side opposite that which they play for their club.

Though they lost a bit of strength at the edge, Avarn-Oxolt added depth in the centre of the pitch. They started at centreback, where they brought back Lucex-Ilinx & retained Ozolx-Alfan Ixi, the player called up as a replacement during the original first choice player’s suspension. Of the seven defenders on Qusmo’s roster, five are centrebacks - but given that Avarn-Oxolt has usually kept to a back three with no fullbacks, this is somewhat understandable.

They also added a new striker to the mix, as the sole backup in centre forward to the Xilit-Zaxac Yol & Rilan-Jerat Nev combination Avarn-Oxolt seems to favour is more comfortable as a poacher than an out-&-out striker. With that in mind, KF Qastyr striker Prant-Pertz Gor - seen by many as a snub when the initial national team roster was released - was invited to the squad midway through.

The manager chose to stand pat with their selection of three goalkeepers, despite the fact that the two reserves have combined for a single cap total. However, they called up two new pieces in the midfield, in part to relieve the stress the three-player midfield has been accumulating from playing a massive proportion of the team’s minutes. The centre midfield trio of Ilinx-Kepex Zev, Yunal-Julad Waz, & Ilinx-Vulav Ixi each have nine starts, in part because there are only four centre midfielders on the roster. That number is about to increase to six.

KF Trew attacking midfielder Gavax-Nenzi Abe was selected to join the squad, as was KF Rejin defensive midfielder Dwada-Dalox Wek. Dwada-Dalox was a bit of a surprise choice, but they were the only other player listed as a defensive midfielder to arrive at the national team training camp besides first-choice starter Yunal-Julad. Ultimately, these two additions allow Avarn-Oxolt to rest all three first-choice centre midfielders at the same time, with a balance of attacking & defending depth in the centre of the pitch, depending on the results of the match at hand.

That rounds out the changes made to Qusmo’s twenty-five-player roster, with all Matchday 1 starters & many key substitutes left on the squad. Qusmo went out to a roaring start for qualification, winning their first-ever international match 1-0 against Wolves Clans & then demolishing reigning Baptism of Fire champions Beepee 4-0 in their first-ever away fixture. However, after that trip, Qusmo went winless & won only a single point in their next six matches, having not kept a clean sheet since the match in Beepee.

“Ultimately, we’ve got to think about what this team’s capable of & how we can maximize our potential,” Avarn-Oxolt told reporters. “It’s a long, grueling slog. We have a centreback, a centre forward, & three centre midfielders who have started all nine of our matches. Now, they’re good players, but we need to make sure they’re well-rested, so that they can continue to play at the high level I know they’re capable of. These new additions to our team will help us achieve that goal.”

How true that statement is remains yet to be seen, but millions of Qusma fans - not to mention the players themselves - certainly hope Avarn-Oxolt is on the mark. Qusmo currently sits in sixth in Group 11 with ten points after the first nine matches of qualification, with nine more to go. It will take all that each of the twenty-five players have to keep in midtable & prove their worth to the world.

   Qusmo National Team Roster - Qualification Second Half
 1 Xynat-Evela Cuf (26) GK, Trosoc
 2 Lucex-Ilinx Opu (30) CB, Atlant
 3 Yelto-Alfan Ono (24) CB, Koflir
 4 Cunix-Betva Tla (27) CB, Niom
 5 Yunal-Julad Waz (25) DM, Poldanz
 6 Ilinx-Kepex Zev (31) CM, Qastyr
 7 Ilinx-Vulav Ixi (25) AM, Poldanz
 8 Kynda-Sevet Pec (19) LM, Koflir
 9 Forzu-Ralox Kal (25) RM, Qastyr
10 Rilan-Jerat Nev (18) ST, Trew
11 Xilit-Zaxac Yol (23) ST, Poldanz
12 Vanza-Jerat Gep (26) GK, Qastyr
13 Zenon-Gerol Kal (23) CB, Koflir
15 Karar-Nirlo Hus (24) LB, Poldanz
16 Nirlo-Betva Uzo (24) RB, Atlant
18 Yamaj-Blonz Jok (20) CM, Werzin
20 Ilinx-Ibilx Tla (28) RM, Trew
22 Ozolx-Mazur Guv (27) LW, Rejin
23 Jralv-Nexev Pec (25) RW, Poldanz
24 Paliv-Xilit Max (23) SS, Estraj
25 Prant-Telew Wek (26) GK, Poldanz
26 Ozolx-Alfan Ixi (25) CB, Werzin
27 Dwada-Dalox Wek (20) DM, Rejin
28 Gavax-Nenzi Abe (23) AM, Trew
29 Prant-Pertz Gor (25) ST, Qastyr

Qusmo National Team Results
MD1 - Qusmo 1–0 Wolves Clans
MD2 - Beepee 0–4 Qusmo
MD3 - Qusmo 0–2 Gopnikea
MD4 - Tumbra 2–0 Qusmo
MD5 - Qusmo 0–1 Kandorith
MD6 - Yesopalitha 2–1 Qusmo
MD7 - Qusmo 3–3 Buyan
MD8 - Ceni 5–2 Qusmo
MD9 - Qusmo 3–1 Omerica

Qualifying Cycle Player Statistics

Player          (Pos)   Caps   Starts   Goals
Xilit-Zaxac Yol  (ST)      9        9       6
Ilinx-Kepex Zev  (CM)      9        9       1
Ilinx-Vulav Ixi  (AM)      9        9       1
Cunix-Betva Tla  (CB)      9        9       0
Yunal-Julad Waz  (DM)      9        9       0
Xynat-Evela Cuf  (GK)      8        8       0
Yelto-Alfan Ono  (CB)      8        8       0
Rilan-Jerat Nev  (ST)      8        6       4
Forzu-Ralox Kal  (RM)      6        6       0
Kynda-Sevet Pec  (LM)      6        6       0
Zenon-Gerol Kal  (CB)      6        5       0
Karar-Nirlo Hus  (LB)      6        3       0
Nirlo-Betva Uzo  (RB)      6        2       0
Paliv-Xilit Max  (SS)      4        2       1
Ozolx-Mazur Guv  (LW)      4        1       1
Lucex-Ilinx Opu  (CB)      3        3       0
Ozolx-Alfan Ixi  (CB)      3        1       0
Jralv-Nexev Pec  (RW)      2        1       0
Jralv-Yamaj Mal  (LB)      2        0       0
Rilan-Belaj Tar  (LW)      2        0       0
Yamaj-Blonz Jok  (CM)      2        0       0
Vanza-Jerat Gep  (GK)      1        1       0
Zorno-Relaf Bel  (RM)      1        1       0
Helek-Nenzi Ono  (LM)      1        0       0
Ilinx-Iblix Tla  (RM)      1        0       0
Prant-Telew Wek  (GK)      0        0       0

Group 11 standings after first half of qualifying

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                               9    6   1   2    27   13  +14    19
 2 Buyan                              9    6   1   2    17    8   +9    19
 3 Yesopalitha                        9    6   1   2    24   18   +6    19
 4 Tumbra                             9    6   1   2    14   12   +2    19
 5 Gopnikea                           9    5   1   3    13   12   +1    16
 6 Qusmo                              9    3   1   5    14   16   −2    10
 7 Kandorith                          9    3   1   5    15   20   −5    10
 8 Beepee                             9    2   2   5     6   11   −5     8
 9 Omerica                            9    1   2   6    14   21   −7     5
10 Wolves Clans                       9    1   1   7     9   22  −13     4

by **Qusmo** » Sat May 19, 2018 7:48 pm

Qusmo National Team World Cup Qualifiers in perspective

The dream of a World Cup has ended for Qusmo, & 119 other national teams, after 1380 hard-fought matches.

150 teams entered the qualification process, while two others - Starblydia & the Equestrian States - qualified automatically as hosts. The winners of each of 15 ten-team groups advanced to the tournament proper, with Brenecia being the first to punch their tickets, winning Group 4 after only fourteen matchdays. In Group 11, Ceni got the honour after defeating Qusmo on Matchday 17.

30 teams then vied for the last 15 spots in the tournament. The second- & third-placed teams from each group won spots in a playoff, with the second-placed sides earning the advantage of a home return leg. Buyan got this advantage from Group 11, while Tumbra still had a chance to qualify after finishing third in the group. Ultimately, Buyan did qualify after defeating Solsteed 1-0 on aggregate, while Tumbra fell 1-0 on aggregate to Barunia.

Just behind Buyan & Tumbra in Group 11 was Yesopalitha, as a late-campaign inability to finish off wins spoiled a campaign that features only two losses from the eighteen matches. Yesopalitha led the group for six matchdays, including as late as entering Matchday 15. They were never worse than fourth in the group for the entirety of the qualification cycle, & were in a playoff spot following sixteen of the eighteen matches. Unfortunately for the Yesopalithans, seven draws in their final nine matches, including five consecutive draws to end the campaign, doomed their chances; in Matchday 18, they fell out of the top three for the first time since Matchday 3.

Below the four-way race for the three spots to advance - whether to a playoff or directly to Equestar - was another heated, if less-publicized, race in midtable. Gopnikea, Kandorith, & Qusmo finished fifth, sixth, & seventh, respectively, in the group, but they were separated by a mere three points. Gopnikea was the only unranked team to reach 25 points over the course of the campaign, while Qusmo trailed only Zwangzug, & only by a single point, out of all 15 teams drawn from Group 9, & trailed only Zwangzug, Gopnikea, & Nethertopia of the 27 unranked sides total in the competition. Ultimately, Qusmo finished 85th of the 150 nations entered in qualification, which vaulted them from unranked status to 122th in the world.

Below the midtable battle, there was a smaller race for eighth in Group 11, with reigning Baptism of Fire champions edging out historic powerhouses Omerica by two points. Finally, Wolves Clans brought up the rear; their total of seven points from eighteen matches was by far the worst not only in Group 11, but from all 150 teams in qualification; the next most futile teams all managed at least ten.

The multiverse will be watching the World Cup & the Cup of Harmony to see the very best play. There have been several amazing storylines in the qualification process already, & fans will surely want to see what comes next. Most of the giants made it through to the tournament proper, with then-22nd-ranked Super-Llamaland being the highest-ranked team to enter qualifying & not make it after losing 8-6 on aggregate in a playoff with Juvencus. Surprisingly, however, this was not the highest-scoring playoff; that would go to the Chromatika-Nova Anglicana tie, which saw Chromatika edge out an 8-7 aggregate victory in extra time. Indeed, it was a goalscoring bonanza throughout the playoff round, as only three of the fifteen playoff pairings saw less than five goals in total.

Ultimately, though, neutral fans might be most attracted to the narratives of two nations who managed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time this year, despite their statuses as the only two qualifiers not ranked in the top 50 of the world. Banija is now dealing with a massive humanitarian & potential military crisis, & it started the qualification cycle miserably; their manager was fired after Banija floundered only one point above last place in Group 10, but interim manager Marcus Waters guided the team to seven wins, two draws, & no losses to earn a playoff berth, in which the Kadongo Kamu prevailed 5-3 over Mercedini to earn their first berth in the World Cup.

Perhaps even more compelling, however, is the story of another final tournament debutant, which also happens to be a debutant to international football as a whole. After placing as the runners-up of Baptism of Fire 67, the Commonwealth of Baker Park had to fight through a tough Group 6, including the likes of Darmen & South Covello. They were eventually able to win 32 points, putting them in third, ahead of the likes of Kita-Hinode & South Toronto. In their playoff against Qasden, Baker Park was able to eke out a 4-4 aggregate win on away goals to secure their first-ever qualification to the World Cup in their first-ever attempt. They advanced to the quarterfinals in Di Bradini Cup 42, they were runners-up in Baptism of Fire 67, & they are champions of Sporting World Cup 5; the eyes of the world will be watching to see what they can do on the grandest stage of all.

While they may not be headed to Starblydia & the Equestrian States, optimists within Fuzpon Qusma hope that Qusmo may be a dark horse for invitation to the Cup of Harmony after an impressive performance for an unranked side, finishing only three points short of fifth. A remarkable achievement it would be, indeed, if it would occur, but even if it did not happen, Qusma football fans will have to much to remember from their nation’s first foray into international football.

It started with Qusmo’s first-ever international match, hosted at Mastad Qusma, one of twenty-five hastily-constructed government stadium projects built to promote the sport of football in the country. Those planners surely could not have known so then, but it would ultimately play host to three of Qusmo’s most memorable matches.

Qusmo was an underdog on Matchday 1 against Wolves Clans, having never before played a single minute of international football. The new stadium was bursting at the seams with Qusma support, & they inspired the Qusmi’y on the pitch to craft a performance that saw them get ever-closer to a goal. It was finally in the second minute of second half stoppage time that Qusma captain Ilinx-Kepex Zev finally converted a heroic solo effort that represents one of the most powerful moments in Qusma football’s young history.

Qusmo would continue their underdog success in the next matchday, as they played their first away fixture in Beepee. As reigning South Toronto Invitational Cup & Baptism of Fire champions, Beepee seemed to have a clear edge, but the unknowns from Qusmo made their presence felt with a 4-0 drubbing to spoil Beepee’s first-ever home international match. Qusmo was powered by the dynamic performance of striker Xilit-Zaxac Yol; they earned Qusmo’s only hat trick to date, & four goals total for the team represents the most Qusmo has ever scored in a single match.

Unfortunately for the Qusmi’y, who still had their heads in the clouds, they would be brought down in the first match where they might have been considered favourites. Against unranked Gopnikea, the overconfidence of the Qusmi’y betrayed them, as did an early red card that saw national team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban suspend Lucex-Ilinx Opu for six matches thereafter.

After Qusmo lost 2-0 to Gopnikea on Matchday 3, they struggled to recapture their early form. They suffered a 366-minute scoreless drought & won only a single point over a six-match period. It would take until Matchday 9 for Qusmo to win, & until Matchday 10 until the defense could mount another clean sheet.

Things were not all bad, however; notably, things started to shift somewhat on Matchday 7. In another key moment in Mastad Qusma, Qusmo was able to earn its first point since Matchday 2 against Buyan, a top-50 side, in a 3-3 goalfest. This was followed by another two goals scored against 17th-ranked Ceni, although a porous defense conceded five. It culminated with a win over Omerica on Matchday 9 to close the first half of qualification with a victory to end its six-match winless streak.

The victory was significant in & of itself because, at 111th, Omerica represented the highest-rated team that Qusmo was able to defeat to that point. However, it also foreshadowed a better second half of qualification to come. Qusmo would win three, draw three, & only lose three matches throughout the remainder of the cycle, beginning with a 1-0 victory in Wolves Clans, allowing Qusmo to claim wins in both legs.

The Qusmi’y fell by the same scoreline on Matchday 11 to the reigning Baptism of Fire champions, but Beepee’s goal was the only one the newly-revitalized Qusma defense allowed over the course of 561 minutes, between Matchdays 9 & 15. This excellent defensive effort was sparked by changes that Avarn-Oxolt made between Matchdays 8 & 9 to shore up the defense, including through the introduction of a new centreback trio & a new starting goalkeeper. It was the fifth starting back line pairing Avarn-Oxolt had employed over the span of seven matches, but it worked, lasting much longer than any other pairing did over the course of the cycle, & shutting Lucex-Ilinx Opu out of the starting XI despite their return from suspension.

However, the Qusma offense struggled during the same period; it proved unable to score multiple times in a single match from Matchday 10 to Matchday 14. These led to crucial scoreless draws in away fixtures against midtable rivals Gopnikea & Kandorith on Matchdays 12 & 14; had Qusmo been able to score one goal in these matches, they would have leapfrogged both teams to finish fifth.

Both trends - that of a good defense & of a poor offense - were turned on its head on Matchday 15, however, with another draw; this time, Qusmo held Yesopalitha 3-3. This mathematically eliminated Qusmo from automatic qualification to the World Cup, & their hopes for a playoff spot did not look bright - as if they ever did - given that they would be facing 49th-ranked Buyan & 17th-ranked Ceni next. Indeed, after a 3-1 loss in Buyan, Qusmo was officially eliminated.

To end the campaign, Qusmo had two dead rubbers, & Avarn-Oxolt decided to experiment with new players & new tactics to see what worked & what didn’t. After a radical personnel change for the hosts, which saw Qusmo retain only two starters from the lineup that had been used from Matchdays 9 through 16 & move to a previously unused 4-4-2 starting formation, Ceni embarrassed Qusmo 5-1 at Mastad Qusma to clinch their World Cup qualification. Things went a bit better for the Qusma team on their final matchday, however, as they defeated Omerica 1-0 to finish the campaign with 22 points.

In the end, some striking patterns emerge. Qusmo was able to take at least one point from every one of its groupmates except for 17th-ranked & eventual group winners Ceni. Qusmo was able to win both the home & visiting legs of their matches against both 256th-ranked Wolves Clans & 111th-ranked Omerica. That was not all, however, as Qusmo defeated teams as mighty as 24th-ranked Tumbra along their way.

Qusmo seemed to tell the world that it could play against anyone outside the top 100. In its eight matches against top 100 opposition, Qusmo conceded often & was forced to play aggressively, in a style it is not used to. They scored 12 but conceded 23, resulting in one win, two draws, & five losses. Their lone top 100 win - against Tumbra - came about with a 1-0 scoreline, after Qusmo was able to force the match to be low-scoring & play the type of football that they are used to & that their manager favours.

On the other hand, though they did not have to be quite as prolific in their ten matches against opposition outside the top 100 - only scoring ten goals during those matches - they had a stifling defense, conceding only five. This accounted for the bulk of Qusmo’s points, with five wins, two draws, & only three losses in those ten matches. The difference may be expected, but it is certainly stark.

That said, manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban has been highly praised for their work with the national team. They were appointed to the job after guiding KF Zwac from an expected 19th place Pug Qusmyra finish to 13th - not threatening for a trophy, by any means, but still a vast improvement over expectations. They achieved a similar result with the national team, guiding an unranked side pegged to finish ninth, or perhaps even last, to a seventh place finish, & narrowly missing out on the top half of the table. It was a performance that was truly admirable, & will remembered for long to come in Qusmo.

From the brilliance of Xilit-Zaxac Yol to the blossoming of Rilan-Jerat Nev; from the inspiration of Ilinx-Kepex Zev to the tirelessness of Cunix-Betva Tla; from the determination of Vanza-Jerat Gep to the emergence of Ozolx-Alfan Ixi; the national team of Qusmo competed fiercely, silenced their doubters, & established a foundation for Fuzpon Qusma in the future. Now all that remains to be seen is whether they can build upon that foundation in the next qualification cycle or whether they will be able to do so in the Cup of Harmony in Turori.

Match Reports

Qusmo National Team wins in first match
Qusmo 1-0 Wolves Clans
Mastad Qusma, Qanz, Qusmo
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Lucex-Ilinx Opu
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
- 83’ Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev (90+2’)
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 83’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 59’ Jralv-Nexev Pec
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Kandorith 1–0 Omerica
Yesopalitha 6–3 Tumbra
Buyan 1–0 Gopnikea
Ceni 1–0 Beepee
Qusmo 1–0 Wolves Clans

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Yesopalitha                        1    1   0   0     6    3   +3     3
 2 Buyan                              1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
   Ceni                               1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
   Kandorith                          1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
   Qusmo                              1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
 6 Beepee                             1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
   Gopnikea                           1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
   Omerica                            1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
   Wolves Clans                       1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
10 Tumbra                             1    0   0   1     3    6   −3     0

Qusmo National Team dominant in Beepee
Beepee 0-4 Qusmo
Pinewoods Stadium, Norfolk Pinewoods, Beepee
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Lucex-Ilinx Opu
- 65’ Jralv-Yamaj Mal
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
- 65’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (19’, 44’, 54’)
- 65’ Paliv-Xilit Max (78’)

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 1–2 Wolves Clans
Beepee 0–4 Qusmo
Gopnikea 2–6 Ceni
Tumbra 0–2 Buyan
Kandorith 2–3 Yesopalitha

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                               2    2   0   0     7    2   +5     6
 2 Qusmo                              2    2   0   0     5    0   +5     6
 3 Yesopalitha                        2    2   0   0     9    5   +4     6
 4 Buyan                              2    2   0   0     3    0   +3     6
 5 Kandorith                          2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
 6 Wolves Clans                       2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
 7 Omerica                            2    0   0   2     1    3   −2     0
 8 Tumbra                             2    0   0   2     3    8   −5     0
 9 Gopnikea                           2    0   0   2     2    7   −5     0
10 Beepee                             2    0   0   2     0    5   −5     0

Qusmo National Team loses for first time
Qusmo 0-2 Gopnikea
Mastad Qusma, Qanz, Qusmo
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Lucex-Ilinx Opu (r 34’)
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
- 71’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 46’ Karar-Nirlo Hus
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 46’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Yesopalitha 2–5 Omerica
Buyan 4–1 Kandorith
Ceni 0–1 Tumbra
Qusmo 0–2 Gopnikea
Wolves Clans 0–2 Beepee

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Buyan                              3    3   0   0     7    1   +6     9
 2 Ceni                               3    2   0   1     7    3   +4     6
 3 Qusmo                              3    2   0   1     5    2   +3     6
 4 Yesopalitha                        3    2   0   1    11   10   +1     6
 5 Omerica                            3    1   0   2     6    5   +1     3
 6 Wolves Clans                       3    1   0   2     2    4   −2     3
 7 Gopnikea                           3    1   0   2     4    7   −3     3
   Kandorith                          3    1   0   2     4    7   −3     3
 9 Beepee                             3    1   0   2     2    5   −3     3
10 Tumbra                             3    1   0   2     4    8   −4     3

Qusmo National Team takes a tumble in Tumbra
Tumbra 2-0 Qusmo
Goldlion City, Tumbra
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
LB Karar-Nirlo Hus
- 70’ Jralv-Yamaj Mal
RB Zorno-Relaf Bel
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 77’ Yamaj-Blonz Jok
LW Ozolx-Mazur Guv
- 70’ Rilan-Belaj Tar
RW Jralv-Nexev Pec
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 0–0 Beepee
Gopnikea 3–2 Wolves Clans
Tumbra 2–0 Qusmo
Kandorith 1–6 Ceni
Yesopalitha 1–0 Buyan

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                               4    3   0   1    13    4   +9     9
 2 Buyan                              4    3   0   1     7    2   +5     9
 3 Yesopalitha                        4    3   0   1    12   10   +2     9
 4 Qusmo                              4    2   0   2     5    4   +1     6
 5 Gopnikea                           4    2   0   2     7    9   −2     6
 6 Tumbra                             4    2   0   2     6    8   −2     6
 7 Omerica                            4    1   1   2     6    5   +1     4
 8 Beepee                             4    1   1   2     2    5   −3     4
 9 Wolves Clans                       4    1   0   3     4    7   −3     3
10 Kandorith                          4    1   0   3     5   13   −8     3

Qusmo National Team edged out by Kandorith
Qusmo 0-1 Kandorith
Mastad Tracama, Tracam, Qusmo
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 88’ Yamaj-Blonz Jok
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 80’ Helek-Nenzi Ono
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
SS Paliv-Xilit Max
- 80’ Rilan-Jralv Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Buyan 5–2 Omerica
Ceni 2–3 Yesopalitha
Qusmo 0–1 Kandorith
Wolves Clans 1–1 Tumbra
Beepee 0–1 Gopnikea

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Buyan                              5    4   0   1    12    4   +8    12
 2 Yesopalitha                        5    4   0   1    15   12   +3    12
 3 Ceni                               5    3   0   2    15    7   +8     9
 4 Gopnikea                           5    3   0   2     8    9   −1     9
 5 Tumbra                             5    2   1   2     7    9   −2     7
 6 Qusmo                              5    2   0   3     5    5    0     6
 7 Kandorith                          5    2   0   3     6   13   −7     6
 8 Omerica                            5    1   1   3     8   10   −2     4
 9 Wolves Clans                       5    1   1   3     5    8   −3     4
10 Beepee                             5    1   1   3     2    6   −4     4

Qusmo National Team breaks goal drought but not losing streak
Yesopalitha 2–1 Qusmo
The Sacred Heart, Freedom’s Altar, Yesopalitha
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 83’ Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 83’ Ilinx-Ibilx Tla
SS Paliv-Xilit Max
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol
- 83’ Rilan-Jerat Nev (84’)

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 1–3 Gopnikea
Tumbra 1–0 Beepee
Kandorith 5–1 Wolves Clans
Yesopalitha 2–1 Qusmo
Buyan 0–1 Ceni

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Yesopalitha                        6    5   0   1    17   13   +4    15
 2 Ceni                               6    4   0   2    16    7   +9    12
 3 Buyan                              6    4   0   2    12    5   +7    12
 4 Gopnikea                           6    4   0   2    11   10   +1    12
 5 Tumbra                             6    3   1   2     8    9   −1    10
 6 Kandorith                          6    3   0   3    11   14   −3     9
 7 Qusmo                              6    2   0   4     6    7   −1     6
 8 Omerica                            6    1   1   4     9   13   −4     4
 9 Beepee                             6    1   1   4     2    7   −5     4
10 Wolves Clans                       6    1   1   4     6   13   −7     4

Qusmo National Team earns point in thriller against Buyan
Qusmo 3–3 Buyan
Mastad Qusma, Qanz, Qusmo
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
- 78’ Paliv-Xilit Max
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 78’ Karar-Nirlo Hus
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 78’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev (28’, 85’)
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (60’)

Group 11 Recap
Ceni 3–3 Omerica
Qusmo 3–3 Buyan
Wolves Clans 2–5 Yesopalitha
Beepee 2–1 Kandorith
Gopnikea 0–1 Tumbra

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Yesopalitha                        7    6   0   1    22   15   +7    18
 2 Ceni                               7    4   1   2    19   10   +9    13
 3 Buyan                              7    4   1   2    15    8   +7    13
 4 Tumbra                             7    4   1   2     9    9    0    13
 5 Gopnikea                           7    4   0   3    11   11    0    12
 6 Kandorith                          7    3   0   4    12   16   −4     9
 7 Qusmo                              7    2   1   4     9   10   −1     7
 8 Beepee                             7    2   1   4     4    8   −4     7
 9 Omerica                            7    1   2   4    12   16   −4     5
10 Wolves Clans                       7    1   1   5     8   18  −10     4

Qusmo National Team takes drubbing in Ceni
Ceni 5–2 Qusmo
Cenial Halycon National Stadium, Cenial, Ceni
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
- 60’ Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 60’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv (77’)
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
LB Karar-Hirlo Nus
RB Nirlo-Betva Uzo
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi (60’)
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol
- 60’ Rilan-Belaj Tar

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 1–2 Tumbra
Kandorith 1–1 Gopnikea
Yesopalitha 2–2 Beepee
Buyan 1–0 Wolves Clans
Ceni 5–2 Qusmo

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Yesopalitha                        8    6   1   1    24   17   +7    19
 2 Ceni                               8    5   1   2    24   12  +12    16
 3 Buyan                              8    5   1   2    16    8   +8    16
 4 Tumbra                             8    5   1   2    11   10   +1    16
 5 Gopnikea                           8    4   1   3    12   12    0    13
 6 Kandorith                          8    3   1   4    13   17   −4    10
 7 Beepee                             8    2   2   4     6   10   −4     8
 8 Qusmo                              8    2   1   5    11   15   −4     7
 9 Omerica                            8    1   2   5    13   18   −5     5
10 Wolves Clans                       8    1   1   6     8   19  −11     4

Qusmo National Team triumphant over Omerica
Qusmo 3–1 Omerica
Mastad Atlema, Atlem, Qusmo
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 71’ Karar-Nirlo Hus
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 71’ Ilinx-Iblix Tla
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 71’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev (85’)
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (24’, 66’)

Group 11 Recap
Qusmo 3–1 Omerica
Wolves Clans 1–3 Ceni
Beepee 0–1 Buyan
Gopnikea 1–0 Yesopalitha
Tumbra 3–2 Kandorith

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                               9    6   1   2    27   13  +14    19
 2 Buyan                              9    6   1   2    17    8   +9    19
 3 Yesopalitha                        9    6   1   2    24   18   +6    19
 4 Tumbra                             9    6   1   2    14   12   +2    19
 5 Gopnikea                           9    5   1   3    13   12   +1    16
 6 Qusmo                              9    3   1   5    14   16   −2    10
 7 Kandorith                          9    3   1   5    15   20   −5    10
 8 Beepee                             9    2   2   5     6   11   −5     8
 9 Omerica                            9    1   2   6    14   21   −7     5
10 Wolves Clans                       9    1   1   7     9   22  −13     4

Qusmo National Team continues winning ways in Wolves Clans
Wolves Clans 0–1 Qusmo
Hosted in Wolves Clans
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 68’ Dwada-Dalox Wek
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec (17’)
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
- 77’ Prant-Pertz Gor
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol
- 74’ Gavax-Nenzi Abe

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 1–0 Kandorith
Tumbra 2–2 Yesopalitha
Gopnikea 0–0 Buyan
Beepee 1–4 Ceni
Wolves Clans 0–1 Qusmo

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              10    7   1   2    31   14  +17    22
 2 Buyan                             10    6   2   2    17    8   +9    20
 3 Yesopalitha                       10    6   2   2    26   20   +6    20
 4 Tumbra                            10    6   2   2    16   14   +2    20
 5 Gopnikea                          10    5   2   3    13   12   +1    17
 6 Qusmo                             10    4   1   5    15   16   −1    13
 7 Kandorith                         10    3   1   6    15   21   −6    10
 8 Omerica                           10    2   2   6    15   21   −6     8
 9 Beepee                            10    2   2   6     7   15   −8     8
10 Wolves Clans                      10    1   1   8     9   23  −14     4

Qusmo National Team defeated by Beepee
Qusmo 0–1 Beepee
Mastad Qanza, Qanz, Qusmo
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 46’ Lucex-Ilinx Opu
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 77’ Paliv-Xilit Max
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 81’ Gavax-Nenzi Abe
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Wolves Clans 1–2 Omerica
Qusmo 0–1 Beepee
Ceni 3–1 Gopnikea
Buyan 1–0 Tumbra
Yesopalitha 0–0 Kandorith

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              11    8   1   2    34   15  +19    25
 2 Buyan                             11    7   2   2    18    8  +10    23
 3 Yesopalitha                       11    6   3   2    26   20   +6    21
 4 Tumbra                            11    6   2   3    16   15   +1    20
 5 Gopnikea                          11    5   2   4    14   15   −1    17
 6 Qusmo                             11    4   1   6    15   17   −2    13
 7 Omerica                           11    3   2   6    17   22   −5    11
 8 Kandorith                         11    3   2   6    15   21   −6    11
 9 Beepee                            11    3   2   6     8   15   −7    11
10 Wolves Clans                      11    1   1   9    10   25  −15     4

Qusmo National Team unable to gain ground on Gopnikea
Gopnikea 0–0 Qusmo
Slavorarsk, Gopnikea
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
- 61’ Yelto-Alfan Ono
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 72’ Jralv-Nexev Pec
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
- 72’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 1–3 Yesopalitha
Kandorith 1–0 Buyan
Tumbra 2–2 Ceni
Gopnikea 0–0 Qusmo
Beepee 3–3 Wolves Clans

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              12    8   2   2    36   17  +19    26
 2 Yesopalitha                       12    7   3   2    29   21   +8    24
 3 Buyan                             12    7   2   3    18    9   +9    23
 4 Tumbra                            12    6   3   3    18   17   +1    21
 5 Gopnikea                          12    5   3   4    14   15   −1    18
 6 Qusmo                             12    4   2   6    15   17   −2    14
 7 Kandorith                         12    4   2   6    16   21   −5    14
 8 Beepee                            12    3   3   6    11   18   −7    12
 9 Omerica                           12    3   2   7    18   25   −7    11
10 Wolves Clans                      12    1   2   9    13   28  −15     5

Qusmo National Team slays Tumbran giants at Mastad Qusma
Qusmo 1–0 Tumbra
Mastad Qusma, Qanz, Qusmo
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
- 76’ Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 76’ Karar-Nirlo Hus
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
- 76’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (70’ p)

Group 11 Recap
Beepee 1–1 Omerica
Wolves Clans 1–4 Gopnikea
Qusmo 1–0 Tumbra
Ceni 0–1 Kandorith
Buyan 1–3 Yesopalitha

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Yesopalitha                       13    8   3   2    32   22  +10    27
 2 Ceni                              13    8   2   3    36   18  +18    26
 3 Buyan                             13    7   2   4    19   12   +7    23
 4 Gopnikea                          13    6   3   4    18   16   +2    21
 5 Tumbra                            13    6   3   4    18   18    0    21
 6 Qusmo                             13    5   2   6    16   17   −1    17
 7 Kandorith                         13    5   2   6    17   21   −4    17
 8 Beepee                            13    3   4   6    12   19   −7    13
 9 Omerica                           13    3   3   7    19   26   −7    12
10 Wolves Clans                      13    1   2  10    14   32  −18     5

Qusmo National Team plays scoreless draw in Kandorith
Kandorith 0–0 Qusmo
Huanghzhé Stadium, Xiǎngzhóu, Kandorith
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 71’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 54’ Ilinx-Iblix Tla
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
- 71’ Jralv-Nexev Pec
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 0–2 Buyan
Yesopalitha 2–2 Ceni
Kandorith 0–0 Qusmo
Tumbra 0–0 Wolves Clans
Gopnikea 0–2 Beepee

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Yesopalitha                       14    8   4   2    34   24  +10    28
 2 Ceni                              14    8   3   3    38   20  +18    27
 3 Buyan                             14    8   2   4    21   12   +9    26
 4 Tumbra                            14    6   4   4    18   18    0    22
 5 Gopnikea                          14    6   3   5    18   18    0    21
 6 Qusmo                             14    5   3   6    16   17   −1    18
 7 Kandorith                         14    5   3   6    17   21   −4    18
 8 Beepee                            14    4   4   6    14   19   −5    16
 9 Omerica                           14    3   3   8    19   28   −9    12
10 Wolves Clans                      14    1   3  10    14   32  −18     6

Qusmo National Team level with Yesopalitha after goalfest
Qusmo 3–3 Yesopalitha
Mastad Polana, Polan, Qusmo
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 55’ Karar-Nirlo Hus
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
- 55’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev (28’)
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev (70’)
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol
- 63’ Prant-Pertz Gor (84’)

Group 11 Recap
Gopnikea 1–2 Omerica
Beepee 0–6 Tumbra
Wolves Clans 1–2 Kandorith
Qusmo 3–3 Yesopalitha
Ceni 2–1 Buyan

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              15    9   3   3    40   21  +19    30
 2 Yesopalitha                       15    8   5   2    37   27  +10    29
 3 Buyan                             15    8   2   5    22   14   +8    26
 4 Tumbra                            15    7   4   4    24   18   +6    25
 5 Gopnikea                          15    6   3   6    19   20   −1    21
 6 Kandorith                         15    6   3   6    19   22   −3    21
 7 Qusmo                             15    5   4   6    19   20   −1    19
 8 Beepee                            15    4   4   7    14   25  −11    16
 9 Omerica                           15    4   3   8    21   29   −8    15
10 Wolves Clans                      15    1   3  11    15   34  −19     6

Qusmo National Team eliminated after loss to Buyan
Buyan 3–1 Qusmo
The Nine, Dyatinsk, Buyan
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 54’ Paliv-Xilit Max
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 54’ Karar-Nirlo Hus (78’)
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 54’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 1–5 Ceni
Buyan 3–1 Qusmo
Yesopalitha 0–0 Wolves Clans
Kandorith 1–0 Beepee
Tumbra 6–2 Gopnikea

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              16   10   3   3    45   22  +23    33
 2 Yesopalitha                       16    8   6   2    37   27  +10    30
 3 Buyan                             16    9   2   5    25   15  +10    29
 4 Tumbra                            16    8   4   4    30   20  +10    28
 5 Kandorith                         16    7   3   6    20   22   −2    24
 6 Gopnikea                          16    6   3   7    21   26   −5    21
 7 Qusmo                             16    5   4   7    20   23   −3    19
 8 Beepee                            16    4   4   8    14   26  −12    16
 9 Omerica                           16    4   3   9    22   34  −12    15
10 Wolves Clans                      16    1   4  11    15   34  −19     7

Qusmo National Team spared no mercy by Ceni in final home WCQ match
Qusmo 1–5 Ceni
Mastad Qusma, Qanz, Qusmo
GK Prant-Telew Wek
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Lucex-Ilinx Opu
- 78’ Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
LB Karar-Nirlo Hus
RB Nirlo-Betva Uzo
CM Yamaj-Blonz Jok
- 67’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Ilinx-Iblix Tla (12’)
SS Paliv-Xilit Max
- 67’ Jralv-Nexev Pec
ST Prant-Pertz Gor

Group 11 Recap
Tumbra 3–0 Omerica
Gopnikea 2–0 Kandorith
Beepee 1–1 Yesopalitha
Wolves Clans 1–3 Buyan
Qusmo 1–5 Ceni

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              17   11   3   3    50   23  +27    36   Q
 2 Buyan                             17   10   2   5    28   16  +12    32
 3 Yesopalitha                       17    8   7   2    38   28  +10    31
 4 Tumbra                            17    9   4   4    33   20  +13    31
 5 Gopnikea                          17    7   3   7    23   26   −3    24
 6 Kandorith                         17    7   3   7    20   24   −4    24
 7 Qusmo                             17    5   4   8    21   28   −7    19
 8 Beepee                            17    4   5   8    15   27  −12    17
 9 Omerica                           17    4   3  10    22   37  −15    15
10 Wolves Clans                      17    1   4  12    16   37  −21     7

Qusmo National Team ends qualification with win over Omerica
Omerica 0–1 Qusmo
RS Amphitheatre, Port-des-Saints, Omerica
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 55’ Dwada-Dalox Wek
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 76’ Ilinx-Iblix Tla
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
- 70’ Prant-Pertz Gor
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (7’)

Group 11 Recap
Omerica 0–1 Qusmo
Ceni 4–3 Wolves Clans
Buyan 1–0 Beepee
Yesopalitha 3–3 Gopnikea
Kandorith 0–2 Tumbra

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              18   12   3   3    54   26  +28    39   Q
 2 Buyan                             18   11   2   5    29   16  +13    35   P
 3 Tumbra                            18   10   4   4    35   20  +15    34   P
 4 Yesopalitha                       18    8   8   2    41   31  +10    32
 5 Gopnikea                          18    7   4   7    26   29   −3    25
 6 Kandorith                         18    7   3   8    20   26   −6    24
 7 Qusmo                             18    6   4   8    22   28   −6    22
 8 Beepee                            18    4   5   9    15   28  −13    17
 9 Omerica                           18    4   3  11    22   38  −16    15
10 Wolves Clans                      18    1   4  13    19   41  −22     7

World Cup Qualifying Player Statistics

Player          (Pos)     Caps   Starts    Goals
Ilinx-Kepex Zev  (CM)       18       18        2
Xilit-Zaxac Yol  (ST)       17       17        8
Ilinx-Vulav Ixi  (AM)       17       17        1
Cunix-Betva Tla  (CB)       17       17        0
Yunal-Julad Waz  (DM)       17       17        0
Kynda-Sevet Pec  (LM)       16       16        1
Rilan-Jerat Nev  (CB)       16       14        5
Forzu-Ralox Kal  (RM)       15       15        0
Zenon-Gerol Kal  (CB)       14       13        0
Ozolx-Alfan Ixi  (CB)       12        9        0
Yelto-Alfan Ono  (CB)       11        9        0
Xynat-Evela Cuf  (GK)        9        9        0
Karar-Nirlo Hus  (LB)        9        3        1
Nirlo-Betva Uzo  (RB)        9        2        0
Vanza-Jerat Gep  (GK)        8        8        0
Ozolx-Mazur Guv  (LW)        7        1        1
Paliv-Xilit Max  (SS)        6        3        1
Lucex-Ilinx Opu  (CB)        5        4        0
Ilinx-Iblix Tla  (RM)        5        1        1
Prant-Pertz Gor  (ST)        5        1        1
Jralv-Nexev Pec  (RW)        5        1        0
Yamaj-Blonz Jok  (CM)        3        1        0
Dwada-Dalox Wek  (DM)        2        0        0
Gavax-Nenzi Abe  (AM)        2        0        0
Jralv-Yamaj Mal  (LB)        2        0        0
Rilan-Belaj Tar  (LW)        2        0        0
Prant-Telew Wek  (GK)        1        1        0
Zorno-Relaf Bel  (RB)        1        1        0
Helek-Nenzi Ono  (LM)        1        0        0

Qusmo National Team Results

MD1 - Qusmo 1–0 Wolves Clans
MD2 - Beepee 0–4 Qusmo
MD3 - Qusmo 0–2 Gopnikea
MD4 - Tumbra 2–0 Qusmo
MD5 - Qusmo 0–1 Kandorith
MD6 - Yesopalitha 2–1 Qusmo
MD7 - Qusmo 3–3 Buyan
MD8 - Ceni 5–2 Qusmo
MD9 - Qusmo 3–1 Omerica
MD10 - Wolves Clans 0–1 Qusmo
MD11 - Qusmo 0–1 Beepee
MD12 - Gopnikea 0–0 Qusmo
MD13 - Qusmo 1–0 Tumbra
MD14 - Kandorith 0–0 Qusmo
MD15 - Qusmo 3–3 Yesopalitha
MD16 - Buyan 3–1 Qusmo
MD17 - Qusmo 1–5 Ceni
MD18 - Omerica 0–1 Qusmo

Final Group 11 Table

   Group 11                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ceni                              18   12   3   3    54   26  +28    39   Q
 2 Buyan                             18   11   2   5    29   16  +13    35   P
 3 Tumbra                            18   10   4   4    35   20  +15    34   P
 4 Yesopalitha                       18    8   8   2    41   31  +10    32
 5 Gopnikea                          18    7   4   7    26   29   −3    25
 6 Kandorith                         18    7   3   8    20   26   −6    24
 7 Qusmo                             18    6   4   8    22   28   −6    22
 8 Beepee                            18    4   5   9    15   28  −13    17
 9 Omerica                           18    4   3  11    22   38  −16    15
10 Wolves Clans                      18    1   4  13    19   41  −22     7

by **Qusmo** » Mon May 21, 2018 11:21 am

Qusmo National Team to play in Cup of Harmony & friendly series

After an impressive yet predictably unsuccessful qualifying campaign, Qusmo received an invitation to play in Cup of Harmony 72 in Vilita & Turori.

National team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban was delighted to announce the news alongside Fuzpon Qusma officials. “It’s a real honour to play in the Cup of Harmony,” they glowed. “We won’t have teams like Schottia or Farfadillis there, of course, but we’re still going to be up against some absolutely amazing teams from across the multiverse. We’ve proven across the span of 18 matches that we’re a credible team that others need to take seriously, but the Cup of Harmony will be another kind of challenge altogether.”

“I wouldn’t count us out, though. The top teams we might be facing in Vilita & Turori would be around the rank of Tumbra - & how we played them in Mastad Qusma makes me feel confident that we have what it takes to compete,” Avarn-Oxolt maintained, alluding to their team’s 1-0 World Cup Qualifying victory in a home match against then-24th ranked Tumbra; the highest-ranked team to be Cup of Harmony-eligible, having attempted but failed to qualify for the World Cup, is 20th-ranked Super-Llamaland.

“That said, it’s going to be far from easy,” confessed the manager. “We’re not setting a goal of winning the tournament, or even of progressing to the round of sixteen. We’re just hoping to earn a result - maybe even a win. We want to make a mark on the tournament, & show that we belong here, that we deserve to compete here. I think we’ll be able to do that, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”

“With that in mind, Fuzpon Qusma has scheduled a set of five friendlies to be played before the Cup of Harmony,” Avarn-Oxolt revealed. “We will embark on a Tour of the Multiverse, first playing Banija in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, then playing Razenthuria, North Prarie, & Baker Park in their respective countries, & finally hosting Zwangzug in Kolle, our only city of more than one million that did not host a World Cup Qualifier. It is a busy slate, to be sure, but we are confident that we will be able to manage it.”

“Indeed, our team has worked out the math quite well. Over the course of four matches, we can have up to 44 different starters - &, with three substitutions a match, we can have 56 different players take the pitch in total,” Avarn-Oxolt explained. “We called up 29 players to the national team over the course of qualification, & we played each of those players at least once over the course of the campaign. However, we originally called up fifty players to our training camp.”

“Well, I’ve planned out our lineups for the matches such that all fifty players that were invited to our national team training camp will be given a chance to play at least 45 minutes in one of our matches abroad,” the manager revealed. “For 21 players, it’ll be their first cap. For others, they’ll be approaching twenty. But they’ll all get at least one nonetheless. Six players will get two caps from our first four friendlies; those include our regular starters & good quality players we just haven’t been quite able to find spots for on the Starting XI, given formations, other personnel, or whatever else. However, we want to make sure that we don’t wear anyone out; five pre-tournament friendlies is quite ambitious, we realize, so we’ll be careful not to overwork anyone. Ultimately, it should be comparable for each individual player to a standard set of two pre-tournament friendlies.”

“That said, I deliberately left our fifth & final friendly out of those plans. These first four friendlies will give us a chance to evaluate different players, different formations, & different lineups. Once we get that important data, we’ll be able to use it to make better & more-informed decisions on our best Starting XI, our best reserves at each position, & the best twenty-five player squad to take with us to the Cup of Harmony. That will make us a stronger team for the Cup of Harmony,” promised the manager. “& we’ll use our home match against Zwangzug to give a possible Cup of Harmony Starting XI a chance to gel & establish some chemistry together before they actually travel to Vilita & Turori.”

“That said, we won’t be mailing it in for any of our friendlies,” the manager assured their audience, “including our ‘analytic’ friendlies to begin the trip. We will play a mix of national team regulars & new call-ups in each of our first four matches; in fact, I can guarantee that we’ll have multiple players who have at least a dozen caps & are Starting XI regulars in every friendly Starting XI we’ll have. We’ll not play the same way we would if we were at a tournament, but that’s just to be expected. We’re not at a tournament; we’re just preparing for one. This set of friendlies will be a wonderful mix between fielding a competitive team & analyzing new talent, & between giving our best players playing time & also giving them time to rest. Ultimately, that’s just what we want ahead of a major tournament like this.”

“We also want to make sure that we’re challenging ourselves & preparing ourselves for the level of competition we’ll face in Vilita & Turori. We know that we’re not going to be one of the higher seeds in the Cup of Harmony; we’re just happy to be getting an invitation to prove our worth,” admitted Avarn-Oxolt. “That said, every one of the opponents we have scheduled for this series of friendlies will be ranked higher than we are now. That ensures that every player we have will be playing against a high quality of competition, & that every match we play will be challenging us & pushing us to be better by the time we land in Vilita & Turori.”

All five friendly opponents will be playing in either the upcoming World Cup or Cup of Harmony, Avarn-Oxolt confirmed. “Banija & Baker Park are two really fantastic squads, & they’re both headed to the World Cup - & deservedly so. We’re delighted to be getting the chance to play them. Banija is going through some difficult times, & we’re disappointed we can’t play Kadongo Kamu in the Stadium of the Restoration, but the Samseongoloondongjang is an amazing & very historic stadium. We’re also really looking forward to playing the Bees; they’re debutants, like us, but the fact that they’ve ascended to such amazing heights so quickly is, I think, an inspiration to our squad. President’s Park is a bit more intimate of a venue than most of our players are used to, but we know that that won’t mean the crowd in Baker Park won’t be fantastically passionate & supportive of their team.”

“Razenthuria, North Prarie, & Zwangzug also will be preparing for an upcoming tournament of their own - or, really, our own: the Cup of Harmony. It’s going to be a great experience, & playing these teams will get us a taste of what we’ll experience in Vilita & Turori. Razenthuria has had a tough go at qualification, but they’re ultimately a decent squad. We’re really pleased to be the team that they’ve selected to be their new manager’s first opposition. North Prarie is also going to be a great opponent for us; their baseball team is already quite competitive, & their football team is quickly reaching that point, too. Finally, we’ll be taking on Zwangzug. They’re a great team, with some very analytical minds. I’m excited to see how our midfield stacks up with theirs, since they have both numbers & talent in the middle third.”

“Ultimately, I’m so proud to be leading this team,” Avarn-Oxolt concluded. “In our eighteen World Cup Qualifying matches, we did a lot to help teach the world something about Qusmo & our football. This friendly series was designed as a Tour of the Multiverse precisely because we want to continue that, & not only allow our players to see the multiverse, but allow the multiverse to see us, maybe for the first time. & we are all so thrilled to get this opportunity to play in Vilita & Turori because we will be on a truly grand stage. I certainly hope that we’ll perform well in the Cup of Harmony. I know that we can.”

by **Qusmo** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:12 pm

Qusmo National Team wins two of five Tour of the Multiverse friendlies

Qusmo emerged victorious against two Cup of Harmony-bound teams, while losing to one other Cup of Harmony squad & both World Cup-bound teams it played, in a five-match Tour of the Multiverse friendly series to prepare for the upcoming Cup of Harmony.

Qusmo went through some massive lineup changes over the course of the matches. The team used all 50 players that it invited to its training camp within the first four matches, with a strictly regulated system to ensure that all players saw at least 45 minutes of action. Ultimately, only three players received three caps, & no player had more; &, even among these players, all were substituted off for sizeable stretches of time.

“We’re going to be playing in the Cup of Harmony very soon,” explained the manager. “We need to test out as many new faces as we can, to see how they’ll perform, & to see if we can improve our squad. We need to ensure that our squad is warmed up for the big matches in front of them, & that they have chemistry with the squad around them. That said, though, we also need to ensure that our squad will be rested, so they’ll play at peak performance at the Cup of Harmony. That’s what we had in mind when we designed the playing schedule for each of our players during this series of friendlies, & that’s what I think will give us the best chance to win.”

In the first match, Qusmo took on its highest-ranked opponent of the series, 62nd-ranked Banija. Due to domestic turmoil, the match was hosted not in Banija’s Stadium of the Restoration, but instead the Samseongoloondongjang in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. The change in venue did not help the visitors, however, with Banija earning a 3-1 victory.

Qusmo began to play with its lineup in Montreal, as left midfielder Helek-Nenzi Ono & right wing forward Zenon-Grilt Ono got their second & first caps, respectively, of their international careers, while Vanza-Gerat Gep & Xynat-Evela Hus each took a single half of the match. Vanza-Gerat conceded one goal in the first half, while Xynat-Evela let in two in the second. On the other side of the pitch, Ozolx-Mazur Guv was Qusmo’s only goalscorer, as the team took a short-lived 1-0 lead in the thirty-fifth minute before conceding an equalizer in the forty-first, the eventual winning goal in the fiftieth, & a nail in the coffin in the eighty-eighth.

Next, Qusmo travelled to the Razen capital of Tyndale to play 108th-ranked Razenthuria in Momoa. This was where Avarn-Oxolt really began to completely change the composition of their squad, giving nine players their first caps. They weren’t the only new faces in the match, though, as it was new Razen manager Christopher Tajo Mendez’s first match in charge of their team; they started off their tenure well, much to the chagrin of the Qusma fans in attandance, as Qusmo fell by a 3-2 scoreline.

It was also the first match of the Qusmo National Team in which captain Ilinx-Kepex Zev did not start, meaning it was the first time the national team’s captain was not Ilinx-Kepex at the opening whistle. Vice captain Cunix-Betva Tla was also resting, so striker Xilit-Zaxac Yol was given the armband - before they were taken off at halftime. Ozolx-Alfan Ixi, the only other regular starter to take the pitch in the match for Qusmo, was then given the honour. Goalscoring honours were claimed by Xilit-Zaxac Yol in the twenty-ninth & fortieth minutes, but Razenthuria put three past goalkeeper Xilit-Irtix Cuf, making their first appearance on the national team, to rally for a victory.

Qusmo was able to take some solace from their next match, however, as they ended on the right side of a 3-2 scoreline against North Prarie in Pompeii Stadium in Highland. Unsurprisingly, it would prove to be Qusmo’s best offensive effort of their friendly series, but it also was the only match of the series in which they conceded fewer than three goals until the lineup had somewhat solidified in their final match, against Zwangzug.

Ultimately, this proved to be the best of Qusmo’s performances in its first four friendlies, which served as evaluative matches. Ten players earned their first cap in Highland - one more than the match prior, & matched only by Qusmo’s first-ever international match - including all three players to make a Qusma national team 25-player roster for the first time for the Cup of Harmony. Attacking midfielder Milor-Yunal Pul, centreback Raxat-Trenj Val, & goalkeeper Pilta-Jerat Nev all claimed spots in Vilita & Turori on the bases of their performances in North Prarie. Qusmo saw another new captain, as Ilinx-Kepex Zev was relegated to the bench for the second consecutive match; vice captain Cunix-Betva Tla assumed the role in their stead. Rilan-Jerat Nev netted a first-half brace in the twentieth & thirty-eighth minutes before they were subbed off at the break, while Xilit-Paliv Max scored the decisive goal in the seventieth minute for the visitors.

Qusmo still had one more away leg to their Tour of the Multiverse remaining, as they headed to Baker Park to take on the World Cup debutants in Presidents Park in Shirley. The stadium was the most intimate the national team had ever before played at; it was less than half the size of the smallest stadium they played in during the qualifying campaign, in Omerica, & it held 9 000 fewer spectators than Pompeii Stadium, Qusmo’s previous venue & the only sub-50 000 capacity stadium Qusmo had played in. Ultimately, though, the home fans among the 26 115 in attendance were rewarded with a 3-1 win for Baker Park.

Only one player was playing their first cap at Presidents Park - the last of the 50-player roster to do so - & captain Ilinx-Kepex Zev was back in the lineup for their twentieth cap, unsurpassed on the national team, but it was just not enough. The Bees displayed the grit & passion that propelled them to the Baptism of Fire final & the World Cup finals, & they overpowered the Qusma side. Prant-Pertz Gor scored a consolation goal in the seventy-third minute, but the score was already 3-0 for Baker Park by that point, making the point moot.

Ultimately, the whole Tour of the Multiverse seemed to come down to the lone home leg, as Qusmo hosted 117th-ranked Zwangzug at Mastad Kolla in Kolle. Qusmo could have ended the five-match series with a respectable two win, three loss record, or they could have ended by taking only a single win away. Ultimately, though, the team playing at home won, for the fourth time in the five matches of the series, as Qusmo bested Zwangzug 1-0.

This was a decidedly different affair than Qusmo’s first four matches in the series. Not only was the match not being played in a foreign land, but its primary focus was on establishing squad chemistry ahead of the Cup of Harmony instead of assessing new talent. Ultimately, the same Starting XI that had featured so often in the second half of qualifiers was used yet again, & the Qusma team finally got back to playing the defensive brand of football that Avarn-Oxolt is known for. It was truly a tale of two halves - not in terms of first & second, but left & right.

Zwangzug, particularly, fell to this trap. Their right side, especially right back Franziska Schnee-Krull & right midfielder Ramona Ambaile-Hund, played very well, & only some great goalkeeping work from Vanza-Gerat Gep kept Qusmo’s sheet clean. That said, Zwangzug’s left side seemed weak & easily exploitable, allowing Qusma right midfielder Forzu-Ralox Kal to connect with strikers Xilit-Zaxac Yol & Rilan-Jerat Nev on a fairly regular basis. Ultimately, it was Xilit-Zaxac who netted the only goal of the match in the thirty-fourth minute, claiming their eleventh international goal in only their twentieth cap.

The second half proved highly interesting, however, both as Ambaile-Hund & Schnee-Krull seemed to almost single-handedly keep Zwangzug in contention & as new players tried to handle the pressure. Milor-Yunal Pul came on to replace captain Ilinx-Kepex Zev in centre midfield, while Raxat-Trenj Val replaced vice captain Cunix-Betva Tla at centre back; both players were making only their second caps after debuting in the third match of the friendly series, & Qusmo’s only Tour of the Multiverse win to that point, against North Prarie. In addition, Paliv-Xilit Max replaced Xilit-Zaxac Yol to ensure that no player on the team would have to play more than half of the friendly campaign. All the newcomers performed well, allowing Qusmo to hang on for a confidence-boosting win ahead of the big tournament in Turori & Vilita.

“Overall, I was happy with our team’s performance,” Avarn-Oxolt told reporters after the match in Kolle concluded. “We scored in all five of our matches, including earning three goals & a victory against North Prarie when we put ten national team newcomers onto the pitch. Ultimately, we needed to play better defense, but we were able to buckle down & do that when it mattered, in our last match before the Cup of Harmony. It came against some inspired play by Zwangzug, too; I’m really happy with how our left side held up with the great play from Zwangzug, & I’m pleased with how our right side was able to expose & exploit some weaknesses on their left flank.”

“That’s what you want heading into a major tournament like this one,” Avarn-Oxolt maintained. “That’s all you can ask for. We’ll go in to the Cup of Harmony a better squad, & our performance makes me confident of what we can achieve if we can ensure that our attack continues what it’s been doing for the past nine matches & that our defense plays as well as it did today & throughout much of our qualifying campaign.”

by **Qusmo** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:58 pm

Qusmo National Team 25-player roster for Cup of Harmony announced

Qusmo National Team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban has announced the 25 players they will take with them to Turori for Cup of Harmony 72.

Included are every player that comprised Qusmo’s Starting XI from Matchdays 9 through 16 of World Cup Qualification, as well as each player that played against either Omerica - a group stage opponent, scheduled for the final group match, which Qusmo defeated twice in two World Cup Qualifying matches - or the win against Tumbra - the highest-ranked opponent Qusmo has ever beaten before, also during World Cup Qualifiers. In addition, there are three new players which had not been a part of a twenty-five-player roster before & only got their first international caps at a friendly in North Prarie.

Ultimately, Avarn-Oxolt looks set to continue using the same Starting XI that they used so often in the second half of qualification & to such great results. This is no surprise. If so, we can expect Qusmo to play in a 3-5-2 formation; this was hinted at with the sheer numbers of players taken, with three goalkeepers, seven defenders, nine midfielders, & six forwards. Further, of the seven defenders, five were centrebacks & only two were fullbacks, hinting at a heavy reliance on centrebacks & light use of fullbacks characteristic of the 3-5-2 formation.

Avarn-Oxolt Ban’s first goal will almost certainly be to have a solid defense to keep their opponents at bay. That was their priority during the qualifying campaign, too, & though they did not always achieve it, Qusmo was most successful in low-scoring matches than in high-scoring ones. If we had to rank Avarn-Oxolt’s style, we’d likely put it at -2 on a scale from -5 to +5, from most defensive to most aggressive; we have no reason to expect that trend to change now.

All in all, there were few surprises in Avarn-Oxolt's squad. They'll be hoping to make a splash in Turori, but it will certainly be tough. Here is who Avarn-Oxolt thinks has the best chance to help Qusmo get positive results at the Cup of Harmony.

Cup of Harmony Roster & Player Statistics

 № Player          Pos      Caps   Starts    Goals

 1 Vanza-Jerat Gep (GK)       10       10        0
 2 Cunix-Betva Tla (CB)       20       20        0
 3 Zenon-Gerol Kal (CB)       16       15        0
 4 Ozolx-Alfan Ixi (CB)       14       11        0
 5 Yunal-Julad Waz (DM)       19       19        0
 6 Ilinx-Kepex Zev (CM)       21       21        2
 7 Ilinx-Vulav Ixi (AM)       19       19        1
 8 Kynda-Sevet Pec (LM)       18       18        1
 9 Forzu-Ralox Kal (RM)       17       17        0
10 Rilan-Jerat Nev (ST)       18       16        7
11 Xilit-Zaxac Yol (ST)       20       20       11

12 Xynat-Evela Cuf (GK)       10        9        0
13 Yelto-Alfan Ono (CB)       13       11        0
14 Raxat-Trenj Val (CB)        2        0        0
15 Karar-Nirlo Hus (LB)       10        4        1
16 Nirlo-Betva Uzo (RB)       10        3        0
17 Dwada-Dalox Wek (DM)        3        0        0
18 Milor-Yunal Pul (AM)        2        1        0
19 Helek-Nenzi Ono (LM)        2        0        0
20 Ilinx-Iblix Tla (RM)        6        2        1
21 Ozolx-Mazur Guv (LW)        8        2        2
22 Jralv-Nexev Pec (RW)        7        2        0
23 Paliv-Xilit Max (SS)        8        4        2
24 Prant-Pertz Gor (ST)        7        2        2
25 Pilta-Jerat Zev (GK)        1        1        0

Special Roles
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
Manager: Avarn-Oxolt Ban
Captain: Ilinx-Kepex Zev
Corners: Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
Free Kicks: Xilit-Zaxac Yol
Penalties: Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Technical Details Box
Style Modifier: -2
I Give My Opponent Permission To:
Choose Scorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: Y (TG me first, please, though)
Injure Players: Y (Limited to duration of match unless you TG me first, though)
GodMod Injury Events: N (TG me first if you really want to do this)
Red Card Players: Y (TG me first, though)
Yellow Card Players: Y (don’t be excessive, though; we’re a very clean team)
GodMod Other Events: Y (but please TG me first)

by **Qusmo** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:59 pm

Qusmo National Team ready to travel to Turori for Cup of Harmony

The national team of Qusmo is preparing to play Qasden, South Toronto, & Omerica in Cup of Harmony 72, hosted in Vilita & Turori.

“We are so ready to get out there & compete, & to show the world exactly what Qusmo can do,” Avarn-Oxolt Ban, the Qusmo national team manager who guided their team to the Cup of Harmony, assured reporters. “We’ve got a great squad, & we’re ready to do great things.”

Qusmo’s first match will be against 66th-ranked South Toronto at Kionao Minor Field in Kionao, Turori. “At 107 000, Kionao Minor is the largest stadium in the whole of Turori. It’ll be an absolutely electric atmosphere for a Cup of Harmony opener, & we’re extremely excited for the opportunity to play there,” Avarn-Oxolt told reporters.

“More to the point, however, we’re excited to play South Toronto. They’re an extremely - & I mean extremely - young squad,” Avarn-Oxolt emphasized for the media. “A lot of their players have a lot of pace & quickness, & it’ll be really interesting to see how we match up with that, since that’s largely what our team is built around, too. We have some young pieces - Rilan-Jerat Nev at striker or Kynda-Sevet Pec at left mid, for example - but South Toronto won’t field a single player over the age of 22. It’s quite remarkable, really.”

“They don’t lack for talent, either,” laughed Avarn-Oxolt. “They were semifinalists at the South Toronto Invitational, & they made it out of their Cup of Harmony group last time. That means they have a really potent blend of youthful speed & veteran experience. We’ll need to be firing on all cylinders to pick up a good result from our opener.”

In fact, South Toronto does have one player on its roster over the age of 22, but they are a 23-year-old backup goalkeeper. Ultimately, the manager’s assessment holds firm: South Toronto will be an extremely young side - & likely a tough one to beat. South Toronton manager Kelechi Kralacon was criticized during the qualifiers for their reliance on the same players, which may have worn them out; however, the Cup of Harmony is a much different tournament. The group stage will last only one-sixth of the qualifiers, & even a team that makes it all the way to the final will have to play less than half as often as they did during the qualifiers. Moreover, Qusmo will be playing South Toronto on Matchday 1, when they will be most fresh. & it’s worth remembering that South Toronto was able to finish in the top half of their group despite their personnel issues.

Ultimately, of its World Cup Qualifiers opponents, 66th-ranked South Toronto strikes us as most similar to then-70th-ranked Yesopalitha. Qusmo lost 2-1 in Yesopalitha & drew 3-3 in Qusmo, taking only one point from the teams’ two matches. That does not bode well for Qusmo’s chances against South Toronto. Overall, Qusmo has seemed to struggle against opponents in the top 100, which is particularly concerning for this tournament because that description applies to all of Qusmo’s group stage opponents. In the end, Qusmo will have to make sure that South Toronto’s pace isn’t too much for them. Qusmo wants to play a defensive game, so their ability to do so against a fast-paced attack may determine the outcome of Matchday 1. We predict a 1-1 draw.

Next, Qusmo will play 25th-ranked Qasden at Cednia Beach Center in Cednia, Turori. “We’re lucky enough to be playing at both six-digit capacity stadia in the whole of the nation of Turori. Just a touch under the size of our first stadium, the 103 000 in Cednia will be a marvelous audience, & we hope that we’ll repay them with marvelous football,” Avarn-Oxolt remarked.

“Ultimately, though, the real treat is in our opponent: Qasden. They’re a top 25 team in the world, & they’ll be extremely tough to beat. They took second in their group & lost on a World Cup spot on away goals in a playoff. That’s going to spark a fire in the Vans, & I wouldn’t be surprised if it fuels some phenomenal success - maybe even a Cup of Harmony championship, which, as we all know, the Blue-Reds aren’t unfamiliar with,” quipped the manager.

“Qasden is a very balanced team; they don’t really have any weaknesses. Their new manager, Boulevard Drucati, made sure of that. The Qads have always had a great attack, but now they’ve got a solid defense, too. That means that it’s going to be incredibly difficult to score against Qasden, as well as to prevent them from scoring. This seems like it will be our toughest match, by far, to be honest. We’re hoping that we don’t have to pick up too many points on Matchday 2,” Avarn-Oxolt admitted.

Qasden’s new manager, Boulevard Drucati, is, indeed, new. Their predecessor was sacked only after the playoff loss to Baker Park, so, after gaining experience managing the U21s, this will be Drucati’s first senior tournament in charge. It is interesting to analyze that aggregate playoff loss, as Baker Park is a recent common opponent for the teams. While Qasden’s 4-3 home victory was unable to surmount the 1-0 loss it suffered in Baker Park, Qusmo fared worse than either of those results, losing 3-1 in a friendly at President’s Park. From these results, Qasden looks like what the rankings & the historical record scream out: the favourite.

The most similar opponent to 25th-ranked Qasden that Qusmo faced during the qualifiers was then-24th-ranked Tumbra. Here, Qusmo might take a bit of optimism. Though Qusmo lost 2-0 in Goldlion City, they were able to secure a 1-0 victory in the return leg at Mastad Qusma. This represents by far Qusmo’s biggest giant-felling, & a similar result in Turori would be perhaps even more impressive. Another parallel to Qasden in the rankings, however, is World Cup-bound & then-17th-ranked Ceni. Qusmo will hope that the match in Cednia won’t mirror the memories they made against the highest-ranked team they have faced thus far, as they lost 5-2 in Cenial Halcyon National Stadium & then 5-1 in Mastad Qusma. Ultimately, Qusmo’s priority in this match must be to not let it get out of hand. If they can keep it within striking distance, perhaps they can produce another Tumbra-style scalping; however, that seems unlikely. We predict a 2-0 loss.

Finally, Qusmo will take on 93rd-ranked Omerica at Eels Park in Eelandii, Turori. “You know, Eels Park is a great stadium, & it’s truly filled with history. It’s the home stadium of the Turori National Team, which is why I’m so excited to play in it. Out of all the stadia in its nation that it has to choose from, Turori’s national team has chosen Eels Park, & there’s a reason for that. We’ll be excited to experience it on Matchday 3,” Avarn-Oxolt glowed.

“What we’re most excited about, though, is Omerica. They’re a familiar opponent to us; we played them twice in Group 11 during qualifying. I’m happy to report that we won both legs of that series. We’ll be hoping that we can keep up our performance to this point in the tie. I think that we can. We have the players, we have the experience, & we have the history on our side. You’ll forgive me for not looking too far in advance, & thus not being able to contribute as deep of an analysis of our opponent, but the goal is to have a perfect three wins from three matches against Omerica coming out of the group stage, & I think we’ll be able to do it,” predicted Avarn-Oxolt.

Indeed, the manager’s optimism against Omerica is well-founded. The closest match to Omerica that we can find in Qusmo’s qualifying campaign is Omerica itself. As Avarn-Oxolt mentioned, Qusmo defeated Omerica 3-1 at Mastad Atlema to snap a six-match skid in which it had only taken a single point, & it then won again in Port-des-Princes by a 1-0 margin to end the qualifying campaign. It is perhaps fitting, then, that the match against Omerica will close out Qusmo’s group stage in Turori. We predict that they will do so to the tune of a 1-0 victory.

Qusmo’s first match against Omerica was the one in which Avarn-Oxolt Ban premiered a 3-5-2 lineup, which they eventually settled on for the rest of the period of the campaign in which Qusmo was still mathematically viable. This seems to be Qusmo’s best squad, securing 15 points from nine matches in the qualifiers; including their 1-0 win over Zwangzug in Qusmo’s final tune-up match of its five-match Tour of the Multiverse friendly series, they have taken 18 points from ten matches.

“Oh, our lineup was definitely influenced by our first match against Omerica. It was also influenced by our second match against Omerica, & our return leg against Tumbra, too. All of those matches, with a single exception, featured the exact same Starting XI. Each of those matches were against good opponents: Tumbra had qualified for the previous World Cup & reached a playoff, while Omerica will be competing with us at the World Cup. &, in each of those matches, we secured a victory. Sure, we beat Omerica with that lineup. But we’ve had our best performances with that lineup, no matter whether Omerica’s going to be on the other side of the pitch or not. &, let’s remember, for our first two matchdays, they’re not,” the manager reminded reporters.

Indeed, this lineup was not employed against Ceni, which we noted demolished Qusmo, but it was used in the win against Tumbra - our best approximation for group favourites Qasden - as well as both wins against Omerica & the draw against Yesopalitha - the best result Qusmo got against our best approximation for South Toronto. Ultimately, if Avarn-Oxolt Ban wants to give their squad its best chance of success, their first choice Starting XI seems clear. Luckily, it has been long clear to Avarn-Oxolt, too; that is what led Qusmo to this tournament, & it will be what would lead them to the knockout rounds should they be able to advance.

Qusmo has interesting prospects beyond the group stage if they can manage to advance; as a participant in Group E, they would be drawn against Group F in the Round of Sixteen. Group F features 31st-ranked Soltsteed & 60th-ranked Tobiasia at the top, but also in the group are 133rd-ranked Vietminh & 154th-ranked Silver Beach. If either can crack the knockouts, Qusmo might have a shot at the quarterfinals.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Avarn-Oxolt replied to knockout round speculation, however. “It’s just empty banter at this point. If Vietminh advances, great. If Silver Beach advances, great. But what I care about is whether we advance. I don’t have the time to daydream about getting a Round of Sixteen opponent that’s ranked lower than us; in order for that to even be a possibility in the first place, I need to ensure that we advance to the Round of Sixteen. That’s where our priority ought to be; at least, that’s where mine is.”

That may be true, but until the first whistle is blown in Kionao, Qusma fans will hope. Currently, we project that a hope of four points & a third-place finish in Group E is reasonable. When presented with our predictions, Avarn-Oxolt simply smiled at us & responded, “We’ll see.”

by **Qusmo** » Sat May 26, 2018 9:45 pm

Qusmo National Team victorious in Cup of Harmony debut

Qusmo has secured a crucial 3-1 win over South Toronto in its first group stage match in Cup of Harmony 72.

“We’re extremely pleased that we were able to win in our first match at the Cup of Harmony, but we’re not in the least surprised about it,” manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban remarked. “Our team has had a history of overperforming its expectations & of showing the world that we’re a challenging opponent worth taking seriously. I think we proved that again today, on an even grander stage than we have before.”

Qusmo came out roaring from the very first whistle, earning two corner kicks within the first five minutes of the match; however, eighteen-year-old goalkeeper Asmeh Asamoah Ondoa was able to make some important early saves based on quick reactions to the ball. That did not deter the Qusma attack, however, as they were able to exploit a massive midfield advantage throughout the match.

Qusmo’s first big advantage was its formation use; Avarn-Oxolt’s classic 3-5-2 was employed in stark relief to Kelechi Kralacon’s 5-2-3 for South Toronto. Ni Ling Son & Michal Bergman are primarily used to playing on the right & left flanks, respectively, which left some gaps against Qusmo’s talented centre midfield trio of Yunal-Julad Waz, Ilinx-Kepex Zev, & Ilinx-Vulav Ixi. That kept being exploited all match long, & it was taken advantage of early to claim the first goal of Qusmo’s Cup of Harmony.

Still very much in the early stages of the match, Cunix-Betva Tla received a pass from the midfield to relieve pressure from South Torontan pressure. They, Ozolx-Alfan Ixi, & Yunal-Julad Waz lurked in the back, passing it between themselves, allowing South Toronto’s players to advance forward in an attempt to press on the ball; eventually, they enticed Bergman to come forward in search of it.

That left Ni terribly exposed, especially given the fact that the South Torontan defensive line was playing deep. Forzu-Ralox Kal got the ball on a long pass, exploiting the void left by Bergman’s absence & the deep defense. Jacky Han had no choice but to move forward to challenge Forzu-Ralox, but this left a void in the right side of their defensive line, which Ilinx-Vulav Ixi quickly scrambled into.

Once Ilinx-Vulav had the ball & began to race down the pitch, the South Torontan centreback trio had to scramble to cover the speedy attacking midfielder. There was confusion over marking, however, as both Bryan Penelope & Jamal Seruku came over to challenge Ilinx-Vulav for the ball; given the circumstances, it’s a minor miracle there wasn’t an injury then & there.

Instead, Jay-Jay Rerin was left to cover star Qusma striker Xilit-Zaxac Yol, who was rushing toward the near post, allowing Rilan-Jerat Nev to sneak to the far post unmarked. Ondoa was convinced the ball was headed for the near post, & they were unable to transition quickly enough to cover the area where Rilan-Jerat was waiting, allowing the young striker to simply dribble into an open net in the twelfth minute to become Qusmo’s first goalscorer in a senior international final tournament.

The story of the match went similarly from then on, with the Qusma attack finding creative ways to exploit a wholly insufficient South Torontan midfield. South Toronto’s youthful squad was expected before the tournament begun to have pace but perhaps not patience, & Avarn-Oxolt’s strategy shone through for the full ninety minutes.

“Our midfield outnumbered theirs five to two,” Avarn-Oxolt noted. “& the oldest player in their Starting XI is twenty-two. Those are really dangerous statistics when taken independently, but especially when factored in together. Their lack of midfield depth means that their midfielders will be asked to do a lot to get their team out of sticky situations, & their youth & inexperience will mean that they’ll struggle to know how to best deal with those situations.”

“Now, that’s not to say that some youth isn’t good,” insisted the manager. “We have Kynda-Sevet Pec starting at left midfield & Rilan-Jerat Nev at striker, & they’re both teenagers. But the average age of the players starting for South Toronto today was a teenager. & every other player I started today is older than their oldest player.”

“Our captain is 31, our vice captain is 27. They are responsible for controlling the game because they have the experience to do so,” Avarn-Oxolt emphasized. “I understand the allure that youth has for a manager like Kralacon, but they really need to learn to balance it out; I think that’s a big reason we were able to win, & especially win the way we did, today.”

Indeed, as Qusmo started to gain control of the match, South Toronto seemed to lose patience & composure on the pitch, trying to force balls & making mistakes, allowing Qusmo to gain an even stronger grip on how things were going.

That is what happened to create the second goal, as Penelope made a needless tackle of Kynda-Sevet Pec thirty yards out to set up a dangerous set piece for Qusmo in the thirty-sixth minute. Xilit-Zaxac took an indirect kick which found the head of Yunal-Julad, who redirected it past Ondoa to make the tally 2-0.

Qusmo did not lose much steam after the break, either, as they continued to put pressure on South Toronto & refused to let them gain a foothold from which they could regain themselves. It culminated in Xilit-Zaxac receiving a through ball from Rilan-Jerat in the sixty-first minute & beating Ondoa one-on-one, which seemed to put the final nail in the coffin.

Avarn-Oxolt waved for substitutes to come onto the pitch not long thereafter, signalling a triple substitution in the sixty-eighth minute. Yelto-Alfan Ono replaced Cunix-Betva at centreback, while Dwada-Dalox Wek & Milor-Yunal Pul came in for Ilinx-Vulav Ixi & Xilit-Zaxac, respectively, in centre midfield. South Toronto was able to maintain a little more success against this group in the last twenty minutes, even scoring a goal on a Tyrese Townsend solo effort in the eighty-third; however, it was too little, too late, & Qusma fans in the crowd of 107 000 at Kionao Minor Field were treated to a 3-1 victory at the final whistle.

“Altogether, it was a fantastic match by all our players. We had absolutely phenomenal play from everyone we put on the pitch, & we were able to execute our strategy phenomenally well,” Avarn-Oxolt glowed. “I’m so proud of our players, & I can’t wait for our next match.”

Because of the results of Matchday 1, that next match is figuring to be highly exciting, as Qusmo’s next opponent will be group favourites Qasden. The Vans also won 3-1 in their first Cup of Harmony group stage match, against Omerica. That means that the clash of the Qs could decide the champion of Group E.

If Qusmo can defeat Qasden, then Qusmo will be guaranteed not only advancement to the Round of 16 but a position at the top of Group E so long as South Toronto can draw or win against Omerica in the other Group E match. Meanwhile, if Qasden defeats Qusmo, Qasden will also clinch the group if Omerica wins or draws against South Toronto.

In either of these situations, the Qusmo-Qasden winner will be at least three points clear of every other team in the group, & they will have a head-to-head victory to win a tiebreaker against any team in a position to catch them. Of course, if Qusmo & Qasden play to a draw, the drama will only escalate, as the field will be wide open.

The narrative for Group E seems set: if either Qusmo or Qasden can win, they will have a stranglehold on a Round of Sixteen spot, or perhaps will even clinch first place, entering Matchday 3 - & either team would clinch first place in the group with a single point on the final matchday if they win in Matchday 2.

Meanwhile, in the undercard between Omerica & South Toronto, both teams are desperately seeking points, as a loss could quite easily eliminate either team. Omerica would be eliminated with a loss accompanied by a Qasden loss or draw to Qusmo, while South Toronto would be eliminated with a loss accompanied by a Qusmo loss or draw to Qasden.

However, a win by either side would put them right back in the thick of things. Omerica would guarantee advancement to the Round of Sixteen if it wins both its next matches & Qusmo draws or defeats Qasden, while it would be in the very least in a three-way tie for advancement if it were to gain win both its matches while Qasden defeats Qusmo. Similarly, South Toronto would go through if it can pick up six points so long as Qasden does not lose to Qusmo.

“It’s kind of like a double-elimination tournament to get to a single-elimination tournament,” chuckled Avarn-Oxolt. “Because of how everything’s worked out so far, it’s going to be really interesting to see how things play out.”

Ultimately, Qusmo can guarantee that it will play in the Round of 16 if it can pick up four points from its next two matches - & their next match may be the most critical of the group stage if they intend to make a mark on this tournament. That means that they will have to earn a result against a top 25 team in the world, however, which is sure to be a daunting task.

“Everyone on the pitch in Cednia will know exactly what’s at stake. Everyone will be fighting their very hardest to pick up another point & to pick up another three points. I’m confident in our squad to perform well, but I’m also sure that Qasden will be bringing their best. I’m excited to see what we’re able to accomplish.”

Qusmo National Team victorious in Cup of Harmony debut
Qusmo 3–1 South Toronto
Kionao Minor Field, Kionao, Turori
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
- 68’ Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz (36’)
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
- 68’ Dwada-Dalox Wek
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 68’ Milor-Yunal Pul
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev (12’)
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (61’)

  Group E          Pld   W   D   L  GF  GA  GD  Pts     QAD QUS STO OME
1 Qasden             1   1   0   0   3   1  +2    3     --- MD2 3-1 MD3
  Qusmo              1   1   0   0   3   1  +2    3     MD2 --- MD3 3-1
3 South Toronto      1   0   0   1   1   3  -2    0     1-3 MD3 --- MD2
  Omerica            1   0   0   1   1   3  -2    0     MD3 1-3 MD2 ---

by **Qusmo** » Mon May 28, 2018 8:24 am

Qusmo National Team remains joint Group E leaders with Qasden draw

Qusmo fans will have much to be excited about & much to be nervous about after Qusmo’s 1-1 draw with Qasden.

Qusmo was always the underdog in this match; ranked 122nd, they found themselves nearly 100 spots below 25th-ranked Qasden. While Qusmo was one of the lowest-ranked sides entering this Cup of Harmony, Qasden was the top-ranked side participating, making them one of the favourites to win the entire tournament for a third time.

However, Qusmo was not fazed; from the very beginning, they got the Vans to operate from their heels. Rilan-Jerat Nev struck the post in the third minute, & Xilit-Zaxac Yol did the same in the ninth. The Qad defense looked patchy, & they were lucky not to concede an early goal.

It wasn’t all Qusmo, though; beginning around the twentieth minute, they began to lose some of their dominance, & by the half hour mark, the pendulum was swinging decidedly toward the Blue-Reds. In the thirty-eighth minute, centreback Ozolx-Alfan Ixi had to make an important tackle of Qad striker Onyx Foster near the edge of the box as they beat the rest of the Qusma defense & looked to be clean on goal. It was much to the relief of Qusma fans, then, when the referee blew their whistle with no added stoppage time.

With the match scoreless at the break, both teams seemed somewhat hesitant coming out of the locker room. Neither wanted to be the first to concede a goal, as everyone in the Cednia Beach Center realized that one might be enough to win the match - & quite possibly the group.

Ultimately, though, it was Qasden which made the first solid attacking efforts of the second half, with long, probing shots being handled fairly easily by goalkeeper Vanza-Jerat Gep; still, the Qads started to apply some pressure.

It took until the sixty-sixth minute for Qusma manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban to make a change, but two sets of fresh legs helped Qusmo regain the momentum. Helek-Nenzi Ono & Ilinx-Iblix Tla replaced Kynda-Sevet Pec & Forzu-Ralox Kal at left & right midfield, respectively. With new energy on the pitch, Qusmo had a much more energetic attack, & they were able to control the pace of the match through their wings.

Qusmo made advance after advance & just kept sending players forward; unfortunately for the squad, however, they were unable to notch the all-important first goal. The Qad defense played very well to keep their goalkeeper from having to put themself in impossible situations, but Macron Abbott still had to work to justify their Brickwall moniker on several occasions to keep their sheet clean. The addition of striker Prant-Pertz Gor in the place of central midfielder Yunal-Julad Waz in the seventy-fifth minute made it even tougher for the Qad defense to hold.

Ultimately, Qusmo’s relentless attacking pressure is what cost them. They sent seven players forward on a late attack, but after Abbott pulled off a remarkable save, Qusmo was in trouble. Qasden already had several attackers waiting, & a booming punt sent the ball over the heads of the Qusma backline, allowing Foster to race up the pitch & then slot it past Vanza-Gerat in the eighty-seventh minute.

It was a sight to behold in Cednia, as 103 000 believed they had just seen Qasden dispatch of Qusmo in a well-played match. However, there were still three minutes left, plus stoppage time. Immediately on the kickoff, the team pushed forward to try to desperately earn a point back. Miraculously, they were able to do just that, with a rapid attack down the right side spearheaded by Ilinx-Iblix catching the celebrating Blue-Reds somewhat off guard; in the meantime, Qusmo threw forward almost everyone in an effort to score, which created havoc in the Qad back line. Ilinx-Iblix crossed, & an unmarked Ilinx-Kepex Zev was able to equalize on a header in the eighty-ninth minute.

With just over a minute left to play, the Qusmi’y ran the ball back the centreline, trying to restart action as quickly as possible in an attempt to try to score again, since they had the momentum. They were quickly able to regain possession & looked like they had a dangerous attack on a reeling Qasden team, but the referee again blew their whistle without any stoppage time to cease any chance of a Qusma win. Still, it was a point for the team from Qusmo to be proud of.

“Overall, a great performance by our players. Qasden played very well, but I think we did even better,” Avarn-Oxolt beamed. “We juat need to remember our defensive discipline a bit better. Had we done that, perhaps we’d be sitting on six points now.”

Qusmo is playing in Group E, & matches in this group are the ones which will most directly affect them; however, it's also worth taking a peek at Group F, as Qusmo would play one of the teams from that group if it were to advance to the Round of Sixteen, which is still very much a possibility. If Qusmo were to win Group E, they would play the Group F runner-up; if Qusmo were to place second in Group E, they would play the Group F champion.

Tobiasia has guaranteed that they will finish as one of those; all they need to do is earn a single point against Soltsteed to win the group. Meanwhile, Soltsteed is in a very comfortable position for advancement, needing only a point to advance out of the group, with a win allowing them to win the group. Technically, however, Silver Beach also has a chance at qualification if they beat Vietmihn, Tobiasia defeats Soltsteed, & Silver Beach then wins a tiebreaker over Soltsteed.

154th-ranked Silver Beach may seem like an unlikely team to leapfrog 31st-ranked Soltsteed on the final matchday, with so many hurdles to clear. However, there is reason for Silver Beach fans to hope. Silver Beach is facing 133rd-ranked Vietminh, which is currently sitting last on no points, while Soltsteed will have to take on 60th-ranked Tobiasia, first in the group on six points. It won’t be easy, & certainly won’t be likely, but these are exactly the matchups Silver Beach would want in a situation like this.

Plus, Silver Beach hasn’t done poorly so far. Against the top two teams in the group, they have already drawn Soltsteed & put two past Tobiasia. & their results haven’t been flukes, either; they held a 2-1 lead over Tobiasia before it scored a late winner, & they led Soltsteed 1-0 & then 2-1 before de Hingsten equalized in a ridiculous eighth minute of stoppage time.

Tobiasia has been great, too, beating Vietminh 4-0 - a team that Soltsteed was only able to score a single goal against. The moral of the story is that it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see Tobiasia beat Soltsteed, nor to see Silver Beach defeat Vietminh - &, if that happens, Silver Beach just needs to win a tiebreaker to advance to the Round of Sixteen.

This raises an interesting prospect: Could Qusmo play Silver Beach in the knockout rounds? In fact, Qusmo could finish first in Group E, & Silver Beach could finish second in Group F, so technically the answer is yes. This raises an interesting bit of trivia, as a Round of Sixteen match against Silver Beach would be the first time that 122nd-ranked Qusmo would ever face an opponent ranked lower than it.

However, Qusma fans shouldn’t set their sights on the quarterfinals just yet; what is much more likely for Qusmo, if it does advance to the Round of Sixteen, is a matchup against either Tobiasia or Soltsteed, which would be very difficult opponents - & much higher-ranked ones. &, ultimately, Qusmo can’t focus on who they might play in the Round of Sixteen; they have to focus on who they know they will play in the last match of the group stage in order to secure their spot in the Round of Sixteen. Currently, Qasden & Qusmo are tied atop the Group E table with four points apiece after their Matchday 2 draw, while Omerica is not far behind with three points, & South Toronto has been eliminated after two losses.

While the results in Group E have eliminated South Toronto, this leaves a wide-open race for first & second place between Qusmo, Qasden, & Omerica. Pot 1 team & group favourites Qasden will face surprise bottom dwellers South Toronto, while Qusmo & Omerica will clash with everything still left to play for.

Qasden has the clearest path forward in this group. They are playing the team which has lost both of its matches thus far, against the two teams ranked lowest in the group. Further, the facts that Qasden’s two main rivals are clashing, that Qasden has a head-to-head tiebreaker over one & drew the other, that there are two tickets to the Round of Sixteen from Group E, & that Qasden has a joint group lead make for a very favourable advancement scenario for the Qads.

If Qasden wins, they will guarantee advancement, & they will win the group unless Qusmo defeats Omerica & wins the tiebreaker. If Qasden draws, they will also guarantee advancement & will still have a chance at winning the group if Qusmo draws against Omerica but loses the tiebreaker.

Finally, even if Qasden loses, they will still have a very good chance of making it to the Round of Sixteen, though it could not be as the group champion. If Qasden & Omerica lose, Qasden’s four points will be better than Omerica’s three to secure second place. If Qasden lose & the other match ends in a draw, Qasden & Omerica will be level on points, but Qasden owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. Only if Qasden & Qusmo lose will Qasden have to worry, as the two teams will be level on points & the head-to-head tiebreaker, necessitating going deeper down the tiebreakers.

It is simple for Qasden, then, if its goal is simply to advance: as long as they (or Qusmo) can manage to win a point, they will be playing in the Round of Sixteen. Further, even in Qasden’s worst-case scenario, if both Qasden & Qusmo lose, Qasden can still advance if it wins a tiebreaker.

It’s a bit less easy for Omerica, but their fate is still very much in their hands. If they can beat Qusmo, they will leapfrog them to get to six points; if South Toronto can steal a point from Qasden, Omerica will even finish as group champions. Meanwhile, if Omerica loses, they will be eliminated, & because they lost to Qasden - & thus lost the head-to-head tiebreaker - they will also be eliminated with a draw. For Omerica, nothing short of a win will do - but a win is certain to guarantee a spot in the Round of Sixteen, & perhaps even as group winners.

Lastly, let’s examine our own Qusma team’s chances of going through. A win or draw with Omerica would keep them above les Incorrigibles, guaranteeing at least second place. Further, if they win against Omerica, they would win the group if South Toronto takes a point from Qasden or if Qusmo wins a tiebreaker with the Qads. If Qusmo draws, they could win the group if South Toronto beats Qasden or if Qasden draws but loses a tiebreaker to Qusmo. However, things look less sunny if Qusmo loses. If they do, they would need Qasden to lose to South Toronto & then Qusmo would need to win a tiebreaker over Qasden to advance to the Round of Sixteen.

Presented with Qusmo’s advancement scenarios, Avarn-Oxolt smiled. “You know, I’ve never really been in this situation before. Back at Zwac [Avarn-Oxolt’s former club before they accepted the offer to manage the national team], we weren’t exactly contending for UICA places [finishing thirteenth in Pug Qusmyra], & with this team, we had been eliminated with two matches to spare in our qualification campaign. But now we have a real shot. It’s exciting, to be honest.”

“But we know what we need to do,” Avarn-Oxolt assured their audience. “We need to earn a point in Eelandii. & we have every intention of doing that. We’re not scared of Omerica. Sure, they’re higher ranked, but we’ve played 25 matches so far, & every single one of them has been against a higher-ranked opponent. Personally, I think we’ve done pretty well against higher-ranked opposition, & we’ve done pretty well against this particular opponent, too.”

“Omerica is not a new opponent to us; we’ve played them twice before in World Cup Qualification, & we’ve beaten them every time we’ve played them. We won in a high-scoring affair at Mastad Atlema. We won in a defensive effort at RS Amphitheatre. & we know that we can win again in Eels Park,” Avarn-Oxolt predicted. “I know that all we need is a draw, & I know that we technically have a tiny chance if a bunch of other things happen even if we lose, but our goal will be to win against Omerica, just like we’ve done twice before.”

Qusmo National Team remains joint Group E leaders with Qasden draw
Qasden 1–1 Qusmo
Cednia Beach Center, Cednia, Turori
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 75’ Prant-Pertz Gor
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev (89’)
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 67’ Helek-Nenzi Ono
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
- 67’ Ilinx-Iblix Tla
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

.       Group E Results

          Matchday  1
       Qasden 3–1 Omerica
        Qusmo 3–1 South Toronto
          Matchday  2
South Toronto 1–3 Omerica
       Qasden 1–1 Qusmo

  Group E Table    Pld   W   D   L  GF  GA  GD  Pts     QAD QUS OME STO
1 Qasden             2   1   1   0   4   2  +2    4     --- 1-1 MD3 3-1
  Qusmo              2   1   1   0   4   2  +2    4     1-1 --- 3-1 MD3
3 Omerica            2   1   0   1   4   4  ±0    3     MD3 1-3 --- 3-1
4 South Toronto      2   0   0   2   2   6  -4    0     1-3 MD3 1-3 ---

by **Qusmo** » Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:44 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. We have two queries from viewers out at home that we'll answer today: one from a fuzpon fan here in Qusmo & another from a guzpon fan all the way out in The South Pacific. First up, let's go with the question from here at home.

Does Fuzpon Qusma have any plans to recognize standout individual players' performances from Pug Qusmyra?

That's a great question. We have been informed that, yes, Fuzpon Qusma plans to do just that. From what I hear, we can expect a Team of the Year, composed of 25 players, just like a Pug Qusmyra roster, as well as a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, attacker, young player, manager, &, of course, player of the year. I'm really looking forward to that, personally, & I hope that you are, too.

Next, we have a letter here from a fan in Roglonia, asking if their team can advance to the knockouts of World Bowl 35.

Roglonia wrote:Does my team still have a chance of clinching the wild card spots or is it pretty much sealed that I won't be playing in the knockout rounds?

Thanks for your question. Well, first off, you need to win your next game. Otherwise, you'll be eliminated.

There are three third-place teams with a 6-3 record right now: Newmanistan (Group 4), Barunia (Group 5), & Cosumar (Group 6). They'll have the inside track on a wild card spot if they win. All other third-place teams (including, as I'm sure you know, yourself) are 5-4 at the moment. In addition to those third-place teams, Banija (Group 3) & Alenburg (Group 5) are fourth place but also 5-4. When they bid for the tournament, the host made no mention that wildcards could only be given to third-place teams, which is good news for these teams - especially Alenburg, stuck a game behind Barunia in Group 5. So, those 23 teams which have a winning record now - all 21 which are in the top three of their group plus Banija & Alenburg - could conceivably advance, without looking any deeper into tiebreakers.

You can't match or beat Taeshan or Pridnestrovia, both 7-2 with one game left, for one of the top two spots in Group 3. That means you'll need a wildcard. There's not an easy way to win it, but there are several easy ways to lose it. Again, if you lose, you're done. Also, though, if two or more of Newmanistan, Barunia, & Cosumar win their final game, there's nothing you can do, either. Only if two of those nations lose does a single wildcard spot become available - & only if all three lose do both wild card spots open up. Unfortunately for you, however, even if either of those latter scenarios do come to pass, you'd only be in a tie on your record & have to win a tiebreaker - & not only against those three 6-3 teams, but the other 5-4 teams who will win on the last day.

Let's start with the tiebreaker against Banija, if you both win to get to 6-4, because that's the easiest. Banija beat you 20-0 in Game 3, but you beat them 37-7 in Game 8. The first tiebreaker, head-to-head record, is tied at 1-1, but you win the second tiebreaker, head-to-head point differential, by a 37-27 margin. Thus, as long as you win, you won't have to worry about Banija. Unfortunately for you, however, you'll still have to worry about a bunch of other teams who are not in your group.

A few caveats, though, before we dive into the real thick of things. In Group 2, Drawkland is second at 6-3, hotly trailed by a 5-4 Razenthuria. Drawkland beat Razenthuria 26-13 in Game 5, but the rematch is yet to be played. If Razenthuria can beat Drawkland & beat them by at least 14 (because they'd lose the third tiebreaker if they win by exactly 13), they'd become the second-place team from Group 2, & Drawkland's 6-4 record would also be in the hunt for a wildcard berth.

Next, Group 7 looks like it has a similar scenario, but Vangaziland beat -Anthor- in both Games 1 & 6, which means that even if Vangaziland loses to fall to 6-4 & -Anthor- wins to match their record, Vangaziland will have the tiebreaker. I repeat: Per my calculations, Vangaziland is guaranteed advancement to the knockouts, no matter what happens in their final group stage game. So, you won't have to worry about Vangaziland when we think about possible 6-4 wildcard berths.

Group 4 has a very similar scenario, with second-place & 7-2 Qasden playing third-place & 6-3 Newmanistan in the final game. The hosts would need a win of at least 12 to vault Qasden to move into second because of a 24-13 loss in Game 5 & a poorer point differential. However, even if this were to happen, Qasden would have a record of 7-3, which would be better than you could muster - &, thus, even if Qasden ends up looking for a wildcard berth, they'd beat you out for one before considering tiebreakers, so we won't look at them anymore.

Next, Groups 5 & 6 seem to be messes at the top, with two 7-2 teams & a 6-3 team topping each. (Group 5 is even more top-loaded, with a 5-4 team in fourth.) I was not feeling particularly happy to figure out how all those possible ties might work out. Luckily for me, however, for your purposes, I don't have to; even if the 6-3 teams win & at least one of the 7-2 teams lose, the wildcard would go to a 7-3 team, who would get preference over you for that wildcard no matter what. That said, I will note a possible tie lower down Group 5. If 6-3 Barunia loses & 5-4 Alenburg wins, they'll be tied for third; however, Barunia has the head-to-head tiebreaker after winning 17-3 in Game 8 & forcing overtime in Game 3, so your main competitor from Group 5 is Barunia.

What all that means: First, you have to beat Azadeshia. If you don't, you're done. Next, you'll be rooting for Qasden over Newmanistan, the Free Republics over Barunia, & Melbergia over Cosumar. If a majority of those results happen, you still have a shot. If they don't, you're out. If Cosumar can beat 1-8 Melbergia, for example, you'd need both of the other results to pan out. Next, you'll need to look at the wildcard tiebreakers. If two of those other-group results happen, there'll only be one spot for the taking. If all three of those other-group results happen, there'll be two. Next, we'll consider the tiebreakers. Any team among Newmanistan, Barunia, & Cosumar which loses would be entered into the tiebreaker, as would Lisander, -Anthor-, & yourself with wins. If Razenthuria beats Drawkland by under 14, they would also be in this category, while if they can beat Drawkland by at least 14, Drawkland would be here; if Drawkland defeats Razenthuria, meanwhile, neither would be in contention for a wild card.

Once you consider those teams - up to seven - which are 6-4 & third in their groups, you have to win the point difference battle. After nine games, it's pretty solid, but there'll still be some wiggle room, especially because we'd know that some teams would have to win & others would have to lose in order for them to be included on this list.

Group   National Team   Necessary Result for Tiebreaker   Point Difference
1       Lisander        Win over Starblaydia              At Least +1
2       Razenthuria     Win over Drawkland (by 1-13)      From -3 to +9
2       Drawkland       Loss to Razenthuria (by 14+)      At Most +33
3       Roglonia        Win over Azadeshia                At Least +45
4       Newmanistan     Loss to Qasden                    At Most +40
5       Barunia         Loss to Free Republics            At Most +93
6       Cosumar         Loss to Melbergia                 At Most +103
7       -Anthor-        Win over Velstrania               At Least +56

That reveals some interesting patterns. You probably won't have to worry about Lisander, unless they can muster up a blowout of more than six touchdowns. No matter what, you won't have to worry about either Razenthuria or Drawkland, as their caps in this hypothetical would both be less than your floor. If Newmanistan loses to Qasden - certainly not out of the question - while both you & -Anthor- win, the hosts would fail to progress to the knockouts. In many ways, Qasden resembles a Round of 32 game for the Rockets. In the scenario that you win & they lose, you'd have a tiebreaker over them no matter what.

However, it's in the final three groups where trouble really lies. You'll have to beat -Anthor-'s winning margin by over 11 (or win a coin flip if exactly 11) in order to win the tiebreak, but it's Barunia & Cosumar where things really seem bleak. Those are quite large point differences to make up. Now, it's not impossible, because in this situation, both Barunia & Cosumar would lose, which would necessarily lower their point differences, & you would win, increasing yours.

Also, as long as you can beat -Anthor- on point differential (& Lisander, but they're so far back there), you'd probably only have to beat one of these teams. The only situation in which you'd have to beat both is if you beat Azadeshia, Newmanistan beats Qasden, Barunia loses to the Free Republics, & Cosumar loses to Melbergia (which is 1-8, I'll remind you). So, it's not out of the realm of possibility. But it'd probably take a combination of you blowing out Azadeshia & the Free Republics blowing out Barunia (or Melbergia blowing out Cosumar, but, again, that's not terribly likely - & it'd take an additional ten point margin, too).

As a note of minutia, in the case that those three third-place 6-3 teams all lose (opening up two wildcard spots for 6-4 teams), Alenburg beats The Wolf Zones, & Barunia wins the first wildcard tiebreaker, Alenburg would suddenly enter the mix for the second wildcard. They only have a -15 point differential now, though, so they'd have an awful lot of ground to make up on the last day.

So, yeah. That's how it all boils down. To recap: First, you have to win. Then, assuming Cosumar puts Melbergia away, you'd need Qasden to beat Newmanistan & the Free Republics to beat Barunia. You'll also be rooting for Velstrania to beat -Anthor-. If all that happens, you're basically in a two-way footrace for point differential with Cosumar for the 16th & final seed in the knockout rounds; however, Cosumar has a massive advantage at the moment. You'd basically need to blow out Azadeshia, coupled with a Free Republics blowout of Barunia. If you beat Azadeshia by 28 & the Free Republics win by 21, you'd be just one point behind in point differential & miss out on that final spot.

Better go for two.

by **Qusmo** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:23 pm

Qusmo U21 team begins Di Bradini Cup preparations

Fuzpon Qusma today announced the hiring of its under-21 national team manager & the selection of its 25-player Di Bradini Cup roster.

KF Trew assistant manager Lucex-Kynda Uzo was introduced as the new U21 team manager. The association cited Lucex-Kynda’s experience at KF Trew, a club which is known for developing young talent. A prepared statement read in part, “Lucex-Kynda Uzo has been instrumental in the success of KF Trew’s youngest squad members, with two of its players receiving caps with Qusmo’s senior national team, including Rilan-Jerat Nev, who not only is the youngest starter in Pug Qusmyra’s inaugural season & the youngest player to be capped by the national team, but is also Pug Qusmyra’s Young Player of the Year & a national team Starting XI regular.”

At KF Trew, Lucex-Kynda was the assistant responsible for youth development, including managing its youth academy team. The senior squad finished fourth in the league, good enough for a UICA Globe Cup berth, & advanced to the semifinals of Puk Zala; meanwhile, the academy team won Puk Juzuna to advance to the UICA Youth Cup. “We had great success at Trew, & I hate to leave such a fantastic place; that said, I’m taking this role because I know that I’ll have an equally great atmosphere, environment, & opportunity as the U21 manager for the national team.”

With the news of a manger revealed, the topic of the news conference turned quickly to the 25-player roster to be selected to the upcoming Di Bradini Cup in Valanora. “Of course, every age-eligible player capped for the senior side was called up to our roster. That gave us seven players: four midfielders & three forwards. Next, we called up the one age-eligible goalkeeper who was on a Pug Qusmyra Starting XI. We had to tinker with some positionings a little bit, but our first choice XI & best tactics were really starting to come together from that,” Lucex-Kynda reported. “For the defenders, though, it was a bit trickier.”

“Only one age-eligible defender was on a Pug Qusmyra Starting XI last season - & they played at left back, which wasn’t the best tactical fit for what we were going for,” Lucex-Kynda explained. “We had some tough choices between taking players that would have more talent or would fit most naturally into our tactical system, & between players who trained with Pug Qusmyra teams as reserves or players who had first-team experience in Pug Qusma.”

“The defense was tricky, & we had some tough choices elsewhere on the fringes of the squad, but other than that, I think that this squad really came together well,” Lucex-Kynda asserted. “We looked at every age-eligible Qusma player on a 25-player Pug Qusmyra roster or a first-choice XI in Pug Qusma last season, & we gave everyone due consideration. We looked at what each player would contribute to our squad, & I think we have a roster that’s both talented & balanced.”

“As for style, ultimately, this team is going to be much more attack-minded than the senior side. After all, you just have to look at the composition of our personnel: of the two members of the senior team first choice XI we have, one is an attack-minded left midfielder, & the other is a striker - who was awarded Young Player of the Year last season in Pug Qusmyra. & all seven of the players on this team which have played for the senior squad are at midfield & forward,” Lucex-Kynda noted.

“Beyond that, though, an Under-21 team is naturally going to have less pressure than a senior side, & they’re naturally going to want to play freer. & that’s the spirit I want to instill in this team, really. These players naturally play with pace, passion, & spirit. Let’s allow them to take risks & see if they can blossom, rather than shielding them from the competition,” Lucex-Kynda reasoned. “I think they’ll be up for the challenge, & I’m really excited to see how this group does.”

The U21 team looks set to play in a 3-4-3 formation, which Lucex-Kynda employed at Trew & would naturally highlight the seven senior national team players on the roster. Twelve Pug Qusmyra starters are on the 25-player squad, & there are many storylines weaved throughout this squad, from Pug Qusmyra reserves trying to prove their worth to their clubs to players mired on Pug Qusma sides hoping to secure a transfer to players like midfielders Dwada-Dalox Wek, Yamaj-Blonz Jok, & Helek-Nenzi Ono seeking regular national team action after being on the fringes.

Many of these players, further from the spotlight, will have some of the biggest impacts on how well this team performs - but the spotlight still seems likely to shine most brightly upon regular national team starters Kynda-Sevet Pec & Rilan-Jerat Nev, with 23 senior team caps to each of their names. One fan at the conference summed up the thoughts of a nation: “This team has some good players with good potential, but if it’s going to get out of the group, it needs its stars to shine.” The entire world will soon find out if it can do just that in Valanora.

№ Pos Name (Age) - Club (Nation)

An asterisk (*) indicates a non-regular for their club team
Numbers after a player’s information indicate senior national team caps, starts, & goals, respectively
No player has been capped for a youth national team, including the U21 national team

 1 GK Brelk-Brelk Ixi (21) - Estraj    (QUS)
12 GK Meron-Etern Len (21) - Qalijan   (QUS)
25 GK Jonto-Nirlo Ezi (21) - Lilnim  * (QUS)

 2 CB Axelv-Xilit Ono (19) - Gelf      (QUS)
13 CB Tlanx-Xeral Miz (20) - Niflic    (QUS)
14 CB Gelan-Ajark Erv (21) - Poldanz * (QUS)
15 CB Zilot-Trenj Miz (18) - Trew    * (QUS)
 3 LB Forzu-Falax Uzo (21) - Zwac      (QUS)
16 LB Cinic-Denir Aka (20) - Vlonz   * (QUS)
 4 RB Yelto-Xilit Jok (21) - Renan     (QUS)
17 RB Rilan-Denir Tla (19) - Lilnim  * (QUS)

 5 DM Dwada-Dalox Wek (20) - Rejin     (QUS) ( 6 /  1 / 0)
18 DM Jerat-Jonto Jan (21) - Atlant    (QUS)
 6 CM Yamaj-Blonz Jok (20) - Werzin    (QUS) ( 4 /  2 / 0)
 7 LM Kynda-Sevet Pec (19) - Koflir    (QUS) (23 / 23 / 1)
 8 LM Helek-Nenzi Ono (21) - Vlonz     (QUS) ( 4 /  1 / 0)
19 RM Nenzi-Jonto Kev (21) - Qastyr  * (QUS)
20 AM Dalox-Lenpi Mal (20) - Qasym     (QUS)
21 AM Xilit-Vanza Jan (21) - Poldanz * (QUS)

22 SS Kepex-Matez Abe (20) - Estraj  * (QUS)
23 LW Ucyxi-Tylyr Fox (19) - Dynynon   (QUS)
10 RW Upuln-Cralt Guv (21) - Trew      (QUS) ( 1 /  1 / 0)
 9 RW Ucyxi-Slokt Eva (20) - Werzin    (QUS) ( 1 /  1 / 0)
11 ST Rilan-Jerat Nev (18) - Trew      (QUS) (23 / 21 / 8)
24 ST Frolt-Zilot Tla (21) - Qasym     (QUS)

Special Roles
Formation: 3 - 4 - 3
Manager: Lucex-Kynda Uzo
Captain: Rilan-Jerat Nev
Corners: Kynda-Sevet Pec
Free Kicks: Rilan-Jerat Nev
Penalties: Rilan-Jerat Nev

Technical Details Box
Style Modifier: +3
I give my opponent permission to...
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod goalscoring events: Y (TG me first, please, though)
Injure my players: Y (Limited to duration of match unless you TG me first, though)
Godmod my players' injury events: N (TG me first if you really want to do this)
Give my players red cards: Y (TG me first, though)
Give my players yellow cards: Y (don’t be excessive, though; for the most part, we’re a clean team)
Godmod other events: Y (but please TG me first)

Kit information from a prepared statement from Fuzpon Qusma in lieu of an actual image
"Our home kit will be in our national colours, red & gold. Emblematic of our national flag, a thick two-colour sash will run from the right shoulder down to the left hip, both front & back. The top sash colour will be gold, & the bottom sash colour will be red. Above the sash will be a red field, while below the sash will be a gold field. Our shorts will be red & our socks will be gold. On the back, we will have a large red circle outlined in gold to recall our flag, break the sash, & allow clearer kit numbers, which will be printed in gold, just like the sun on our flag. Highlights throughout the kit will be gold. Our clash kit will be white with the full, uninterrupted, two-colour sash on front & back. We will have black numbers & red highlights, complemented by the same red shorts & gold socks. Our goalkeepers' kits will be black with the sash on the front side only, with white numbers, gold highlights, black shorts, & black socks. We believe that these kits are not only striking, but will represent our country well internationally. We are proud to represent Qusmo, & we eagerly look forward to the matches ahead."

by **Qusmo** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 5:53 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. Fuzpon Qusma is gearing up for Di Bradini Cup 43, & so are we here at Spony Luq Television. Let’s take a look at what we can expect from Qusmo’s first appearance at a youth national team tournament.

First, we have a question from a viewer in Tracam.

What are your thoughts on the U21 team in the Di Bradini Cup?

That’s a great question. There has been a lot of chatter about someone who has never managed a team becoming the U21 manager, but there’s also a lot about Lucex-Kynda Uzo that impressed Fuzpon Qusma. Really, Lucex-Kynda has about as impressive of a resume as an assistant as Fuzpon Qusma could possibly ask for.

Lucex-Kynda may not be Trew’s senior team manager, but they did manage Juzun Trewa, so they have experience managing at the U19 level; further, it’s rather excellent experience, as they stormed through Puk Juzuna. Their side was really only challenged by Qastyr’s academy, & after Juzun Atlanta caught fire in a 6-0 quarterfinal thrashing, Juzun Trewa put them out in a 3-1 semifinal win before dominating the final 4-0 over Juzun Poldanza. If you’ll notice something, that means that Juzun Trewa beat the academies of each of the top three Pug Qusmyra sides in the quarterfinal, semifinal, & final, & they did so mostly in dominant fashion.

They also developed a reputation for great youth development at Trew, especially in attack. The attacking midfielder, left & right wing forwards, & striker on Trew’s first-choice XI last season were aged 23, 22, 21, & 18, respectively. Trew boasts two of the seven age-eligible players capped for the senior national team, as well as two of the three eighteen-year-olds who were on Pug Qusmyra rosters last season, including Pug Qusmyra’s youngest opening day starter. Of course, that starter is Rilan-Jerat Nev, & they had a brilliant season last year.

Rilan-Jerat was the leader of Juzun Trewa’s dominance in Puk Juzuna, catapulting the side to a berth in the UICA Youth Cup. They were also instrumental in leading Trew to the semifinals in Puk Zala, a fourth-place finish in Pug Qusmyra, & a spot in the UICA Globe Cup. That got them recognized as one of three strikers on Pug Qusmyra’s Team of the Season last year & as Pug Qusmyra’s Young Player of the Season, & ultimately they won not just a regular spot on the senior national team’s 25-player roster but on its first-choice Starting XI in the pre-qualifiers national team training camp. That was a controversial decision at the time, but it has paid off, with Rilan-Jerat scoring eight times in 23 caps for the national team.

Rilan-Jerat will have a sour taste in their mouth coming to Valanora, however. After scoring just one goal in the Cup of Harmony group stage & having a lacklustre showing in the Round of Sixteen, they were substituted off in that clash with Soltsteed, which remained scoreless after extra time & finished with Qusmo eliminated on a penalty shootout. Rilan-Jerat has had various levels of success at the youth level, at the club level, & at the international level, but they hope that this is their time to truly break out as a star internationally.

The same goes for so many other players on this roster. Rilan-Jerat headlines a group of forwards featuring three players capped for the senior national team, though both of the others were only capped for an experimental side in one friendly each. In order to fill positional needs, Lucex-Kynda was also forced to take one forward who is a reserve in Pug Qusmyra & another who played last season in Pug Qusma, leaving only four forwards who are Pug Qusmyra starters. If Rilan-Jerat’s presence means that the starpower is in the attack, the real depth of this squad is found in its midfield.

The midfield has a star of its own, of course, in Kynda-Sevet Pec, another senior national team regular starter with 23 caps to their name, as well as one goal. Kynda-Sevet has been integral for both KF Koflir & the national team, but this has held back another potentially great national team player: Helek-Nenzi Ono, who also plays at left midfielder. Helek-Nenzi has been capped four times for Qusmo, including in Qusmo’s Cup of Harmony match with Qasden, but the general sense is that they could be challenging for much more regular minutes if they played on the right side of the field.

& this squad isn’t just limited to the edges of the pitch. In the centre of the park, too, this roster boasts two national team players. Dwada-Dalox Wek & Yamaj-Blonz Jok play defensive & centre midfield, respectively, & although Dwada-Dalox boasts six caps to Yamaj-Blonz’s four, there is no denying that Yamaj-Blonz has the tougher road to national team minutes. Currently playing centre midfield for the Qusmo senior team is, of course, Ilinx-Kepex Zev, who almost has too many accolades to count.

A Pug Qusmyra Team of the Year player, Pug Qusmyra’s reigning Player of the Year, the captain for the Puk Zama & Pug Qusmyra champions, the captain & most-capped player for the national team, & a player on the Cup of Harmony Best XI, Ilinx-Kepex Zev is tough to dislodge from the squad. That isn’t to say that Dwada-Dalox has been a slouch, though; in fact, they have been slowly gaining traction on the national team squad, playing in both of Qusmo’s Cup of Harmony wins & four of the team’s past eight matches overall after being passed up for the original World Cup Qualifying squad.

With four senior national team players on the U21 roster, the midfield already looks like a gem of the team, but they also have decent depth below them. Including the four starters we’ve already discussed, the roster features six regular starters in Pug Qusmyra midfields, & the only two midfielders not to claim that distinction play for KF Qastyr & KF Poldanz, the top two clubs in Pug Qusmyra last season. It was a tall order for young midfielders to make this roster, & several talented players were left behind.

The midfield may look sterling, but it may need to have a gold standard performance if it is to compensate for the defense of this team, which is its true weak link. Only a single age-eligible player starts for a Pug Qusmyra team in defense. Another four players who were taken to Valanora play in Pug Qusmyra as reserves. Finally, the squad was rounded out with three players whose clubs played in Pug Qusma last season & will continue to play in Pug Qusma next season, too. That is no fault of Lucex-Kynda, however; it’s simply a product of the pool they have to choose from.

Where we may question Lucex-Kynda’s decision is to employ a Qusma back three in defense. Senior national team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban used a Qusma back three during their time at KF Zwac, but they modified the formation to adhere to the more internationally recognized version of the back three when they took over the national team. In fact, the senior national team has never employed a Qusma back three, citing a likely inability to transfer the technique from Qusma domestic football to the international game. Lucex-Kynda looks to test that theory in the Di Bradini Cup.

For those unaware, a Qusma back three refers to three defenders on the pitch, just like what is typically known as a back three throughout the multiverse. However, that traditional back three uses three centre backs; the Qusma back three, employed extensively in Qusma domestic football, uses only one centre back, flanked by two full backs. This certainly allows for more attacking pressure & creativity, especially from the wings, for a team employing this style of back three; however, it can also be extremely perilous defensively, as only two defenders might be waiting to stop a sudden counterattack if one of the full backs has joined the original attack.

Lucex-Kynda’s tactical decision here is understandable, if certainly risky. This allows Lucex-Kynda to employ the same formation they know so well from their time at KF Trew: the Qusma 3-4-3. All Lucex-Kynda has to do is move Ucyxi-Slokt Eva from the right wing to left wing in attack & move Helek-Nenzi from the left side to the right in midfield to get all seven of their senior national team players on the pitch at the same time. The fact that Lucex-Kynda is employing a Qusma back three also allows left back Forzu-Falax Uzo, the only age-eligible Qusma player to be a regular starter in a Pug Qusmyra defense, to be on the pitch. From there, they took two starters from fairly stingy Pug Qusma defenses to play at centre back & right back. It remains to be seen whether that approach can achieve success at this level of play.

With a potentially leaky defense, it is important to this team that the goalkeeping is on point. Unfortunately, there were not a plethora of options available. Only one age-eligible player is a starting goalkeeper in Pug Qusmyra, & they are expected to get the start. However, it is worth noting that Brelk-Brelk Ixi’s KF Estraj conceded the eighth-most goals in Pug Qusmyra last season. Does that mean that a player like Meron-Etern Len, who started for KF Qalijan last season as it conceded the second-fewest goals in Pug Qusma last season, could get the nod if Brelk-Brelk fails to impress?

You should be sensing a pattern by now of where the team’s strengths & weaknesses lie. The attack & especially the midfield should be solid, but the back third may cause Lucex-Kynda a lot of headaches by the end of the tournament. Those challenges are especially exacerbated by the level of opposition Qusmo will play. First up for this U21 team is Chromatika, followed by Cosumar & the Alpine Union. No Qusma sporting team has played any of these nations in any match, event, or tournament before, but a quick glance at the nations’ senior teams’ rankings hints at a tough road ahead.

Qusmo has by far the lowest-ranked senior side in Group D, at 83rd; the Alpine Union is the only team remotely close, at 59th, but before then Qusmo will have to face Atlantian Oceania giants Chromatika, ranked eighth in the world in the KPB rankings, & Cosumar, ranked 14th in the world & Di Bradini Cup 35 champions. In fact, the senior teams of Chromatika & Cosumar are not unfamiliar with each other, as they played each other in the latest World Cup; a 1-1 draw saw Chromatika & Cosumar advance to the knockout rounds as first & second, respectively, in Group F. The Alpine Union may not have qualified for the World Cup, but they did advance to the Cup of Harmony, where they were knocked out by eventual champions Mercedini in the Round of Sixteen. What is clear is that Qusmo will face three extremely dangerous, explosive, & formidable opponents in group play.

To begin, Juzuny Qusma will play its first-ever match against Chromatika. This is an incredibly daunting debut, as Chromatika has enjoyed tremendous success in football - & not just at the senior level. Chromatika made it all the way to the Di Bradini Cup 43 final, losing 1-0 to Pasarga. Qusmo’s next match will not get much easier, either, as they take on Di Bradini Cup 43 Group E winners - & Di Bradini Cup 35 tournament champions - Cosumar, which was knocked out in the round of sixteen by Ceni on penalty kicks in the last edition. The presence of three Tidessons in the Junior Dragons’ roster may strike fear into Qusma hearts even before they step onto the pitch. Finally, the supposedly easiest match on Qusmo’s slate will be played against the Alpine Union - but make no mistake that this team is here to play. They reached the quarterfinals of last year’s tournament, where they were knocked out by Kita-Hinode in a 7-5 smörgåsbord of goals.

In short, Qusmo has a good squad, but they face great competition. This squad certainly has talent, & five players - Rilan-Jerat & the starting midfield - are expected to impress. However, the depth of this team is somewhat questionable, especially in the back third. The teams that Qusmo will have to face in Group D will be poised to take advantage of those shortcomings to advance out of a high-octane group. In order to have any success, Qusmo will need its stars to play like stars & their other players to impress in filling the gaps. Against such stiff competition, everyone on the Qusma team needs to be at peak form to have any chance of advancement.

Key questions for this squad will be: Will the Qusma back three hold up in an international setting? How will the midfield perform in comparison to the youth midfields of other, much more major & experienced, countries? & can Rilan-Jerat score goals against stout young defenses at a pace rapid enough to match some of the best young teams in the multiverse? Qusmo - & the world - can merely wait to find out.

by **Qusmo** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 5:29 pm

All Rilan-Jerat Nev wanted was a goal.

They knew what people were saying about them.

They led Juzun Trewa to Qavaxuzj Puka Juzuna & the UICA Youth Cup, & they led KF Trew to the UICA Globe Cup. They got named to the Team of the Season, & they were given a trophy for Youth Player of the Season. But as soon as they stepped onto the pitch against an international opponent, they couldn’t find the same magic. In two Youth Cup matches & in two Globe Cup matches, they had never won a match, & their team had never scored more than once over the course of ninety minutes. They were eliminated in the first preliminary round of both tournaments.

After those club football struggles came the national team. They gained the trust of Avarn-Oxolt Ban to land a place on the senior national team, but they struggled, they blew chances, & they were eventually left out of the lineup. Nev finally got back in form, but it was only for Qusmo’s fourth consecutive loss. It proved too much of a deficit to overcome, & they would finish seventh of ten in the qualifying group.

Next came the Cup of Harmony. Nev had regained the confidence of the manager, & they played well in the group stage. But when it truly mattered, when every match could be their team’s last, when every mistake could cost their team a chance to advance, Nev was full of them. They struggled to pass accurately. Their shots were wild. Most shamefully for them, in a horrifying recreation of their poor early qualifying form, they were flagged offside twice. Any one of those chances could have won the match. Avarn-Oxolt had had enough, & Nev was substituted out of the match. It would end scoreless after extra time, & Nev would be unable to do anything but watch as they lost on penalty kicks.

But now, Nev was on the U21 team. There were no other real options for the squad at striker. Who would replace them? Frolt-Zilot Tla? But still, Nev heard what people said about them. & even when people didn’t say it aloud, they knew what they truly thought of them.

When it really counts, in the brightest spotlight, under the most intense pressure, Rilan-Jerat Nev will fail, & they will bring their team down with them.

It had been a year of getting tantalizingly close, but failing each & every time. Trew finished one goal behind Atlant for third in Pug Qusmyra, but it never truly threatened Qastyr or Poldanz for the league championship. Trew made it to the semifinals of Puk Zala, but it whimpered out in extra time to Niom. Trew secured a draw in the first leg of its tie against Birdingstone United, but it was smoked 4-1 in the return leg. Qusmo made it out of the Cup of Harmony group stage, but it wasn’t able to muster a single goal in 120 minutes of play.

Now in the Di Bradini Cup, Nev’s team was performing well against Chromatika, but it seemed destined for another disappointing result. All of the success the back three had in completely neutralizing the Chromatik attack & all of the success the midfield had in dominating the match would all go to waste if they could not convert. Nev knew that. If Qusmo did not win this game - & if Nev did not score - they knew who would get the blame.

Nev saw Dwada-Dalox Wek with the ball, & they signalled for a pass. As Nev gathered the ball at their feet, with their back to goal, Addison Baumgartner of Chromatika stepped forward to pressure them. Knowing it was the smart move, Nev looked for a teammate for a pass, but Upuln-Cralt Guv was not open & Ucyxi-Slokt Eva were behind the play. Nev knew that they would have to pass it back. But doing that would end the danger of the attack. Doing that would concede victory to the Chromatik centre back which had been stymying them all day.

I’ll do this myself, Nev vowed to themself.

Nev burst forward & to the left. Baumgartner didn’t expect it, & they were caught a step off. But Baumgartner was smart, & they stayed on the inside of Nev. They still had no room for a shot. Without thinking, Nev stopped, turned, & bolted to the right this time. Baumgartner, still sprinting in an effort to catch up, was left out of the play by the time they had realized what had happened. Nev saw Henri de Aea barrel towards them, trying desperately to prevent Nev from scoring. Nev saw Ferret Tioux crouching down, preparing to come off their line or make a save.

Nev took one more touch before denying de Aea & Tioux - & doing what they could to prove the world wrong.

As soon as it left their boot, Nev knew it was headed for the back of the net. They took off for the left corner flag, where there was a sizeable contingent of Qusma fans, & raised their fists & roared.

Rilan-Jerat Nev knew that they had scored the winner.

But they also knew that they were nowhere close to being done.

Qusmo U21 team topples Chromatika
Qusmo 1–0 Chromatika
Lathal, Ianisle, Valanora
Qusmo’s U21 national team had a dream debut, defeating Chromatika 1-0 to open Group D play in Di Bradini Cup 43.

The match was the Qusmo U21 team’s first in its history, but it certainly was not for Chromatika. Qusmo defeated the team which made it all the way to the final in the last edition of the tournament, also held in Valanora - where they were beaten by the same score by Pasarga. Enigma Armageddon was the captain in that match, & the centre midfielder was pegged by many to make their mark on this tournament, too; however, at least for this match, it was Qusmo’s captain’s turn to take a star turn.

Rilan-Jerat Nev scored the winning goal for Qusmo in the seventy-seventh minute, creating space out of seemingly nothing after receiving a pass from Dwada-Dalox Wek. Twenty-five yards from the goal, Rilan-Jerat was beating Chromatik centre back Addison Baumgartner to their left, forcing Baumgartner to sprint in a desperate attempt to keep up; unfortunately for Rilan-Jerat, however, Baumgartner still posed an obstacle, as they were on the inside of Rilan-Jerat. The striker suddenly switched direction to the right, leaving Baumgartner unable to change momentum, & they curled a beautiful shot into the top right corner of the net before fellow centre back Henri de Aea could arrive to rescue Chromatika. Goalkeeper Ferret Tioux had little chance of stopping it once Rilan-Jerat let it fly.

Rilan-Jerat will get much of the credit for this match - & rightly so - but this was a complete team effort. The much-bantered about Qusma back three held up well to the Chromatik attack, & the midfield actually seemed to get the better of their counterparts, including Armageddon & Andréa Croix-Pierre, throughout the match. Even manager Lucex-Kynda Uzo’s substitutes, which were feared to be a weakness of the team, played well, in an admittedly brief showing. That allowed Rilan-Jerat’s moment of individual brilliance to be the difference.

The personnel & tactics worked wonders on all levels of the pitch for Qusmo, leading to an near-perfect debut - but is this just “newcomer luck,” in the words of Group D rival Alpine Union’s Gazeta Pomorska, or is it a sign that Qusmo is an “emerging future power,” as the Cosumarite Courier has predicted? Qusmo will likely find out when they face Di Bradini Cup 35 champions Cosumar, a team which is hungry for points after a draw with the Alpine Union & with a looming date with Chromatika to close the group stage. It won’t be easy for Qusmo in Goldsan; Cosumar has a long history of tremendous youth talent, & they look to be another formidable opponent.

However, Qusmi’y Juzun will be hungry for a result, knowing that just three more points would be enough to virtually guarantee advancement to the knockout rounds, & that four points would all but clinch first place in the group - especially important, given that second place may have to face an impressive Kita-Hinode team for a spot in the quarterfinals. But Qusmo can’t get that far ahead of themselves yet; they need a result against Cosumar, which looks to be a fierce battle on both sides. Can Qusmo do it? Only time will tell.
GK Brelk-Brelk Ixi
CB Axelv-Xilit Ono
LB Forzu-Falax Uzo
RB Yelto-Xilit Jok
DM Dwada-Dalox Wek
CM Yamaj-Blonz Jok
- 71’ Dalox-Lenpi Mal
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Helek-Nenzi Ono
LW Ucyxi-Slokt Eva
- 80’ Tlanx-Xeral Miz
RW Upuln-Cralt Guv
- 80’ Gelan-Ajark Erv
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev (77’)

Group D Results
Qusmo 1–0 Chromatika
Cosumar 1–1 Alpine Union

  Group D Table    Pld   W   D   L  GF  GA  GD  Pts     QUS COS UAR CMT
1 Qusmo              1   1   0   0   1   0  +1    3     --- MD2 MD3 1-0
2 Cosumar            1   0   1   0   1   1  ±0    1     MD2 --- 1-1 MD3
  Alpine Union       1   0   1   0   1   1  ±0    1     MD3 1-1 --- MD2
4 Chromatika         1   0   0   1   0   1  -1    0     0-1 MD3 MD2 ---

by **Qusmo** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 7:15 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. After an impressive win over Chromatika in the first matchday, all Qusmo needed to clinch a spot out of the Di Bradini Cup’s Group of Death with a match in hand was to defeat Cosumar. However, the former Di Bradini Cup champions got the better of Qusmi’y Juzuna, & now they see themselves in third entering the final match of the group stage, adding all kinds of drama to their clash against the Alpine Union. Let’s take your Di Bradini Cup questions now. First up, we have a viewer from Nire.

How might Group D break down? How likely is it for Qusmo to get out of the group now?

That’s a great question. Looking at Group D as a whole, there a few ways each match could go. Let’s start with the best results for Qusmo & work downward from there.

First, let’s imagine that Qusmo wins against the Alpine Union. It would be a great result for Qusmo, & it would put them at six points to end the group stage. The Alpine Union would finish with one, & they would be eliminated. If Cosumar & Chromatika draw, Qusmo would go through as group winners, Cosumar would be second on five points, & Chromatika would be eliminated with four. If Cosumar defeat Chromatika, Chromatika would be eliminated, while Cosumar would win the group & Qusmo would advance as second.

Finally, if both Qusmo & Chromatika win, it would eliminate Cosumar while putting the two matchday 3 winners even on points. Chromatika currently have the edge in goal differential over Qusmo, so Qusmo would need to win by a greater margin than Chromatika in order to have a shot at the group win - but Chromatika & Qusmo would both advance. So, what that means for Qusmo is a win over the Alpine Union guarantees advancement to the Round of Sixteen.

Now let’s think about what would happen if Qusmo draw with the Alpine Union. Qusmo would finish on four points, while the Alpine Union would be eliminated with two. In this case, the best result for Qusmo would be a Cosumar win; it would leave Cosumar with seven points & the group victory, but it would also make sure Chromatika finishes with only three points, allowing Qusmo to advance. In the case of both matches ending in a draw, Chromatika & Qusmo would be level on points behind a group-winning Cosumar, but Chromatika would have the superior goal differential & be through at the expense of Qusmo.

If Cosumar were to lose, however, it would be Qusmo & Cosumar level on four points. Cosumar has a much better goal differential than Qusmo, however, meaning that even a loss of two goals would see Cosumar through, & it would take a four-goal loss for Cosumar to be certain of elimination. In the case of a three-goal Cosumar loss, the tiebreak would proceed to goals scored, which Cosumar also has a sizeable advantage in already. So, Qusmo would be in dire straits with a draw; they would be through with a Cosumar win in the other match, but would likely be eliminated with a Chromatika win, & would certainly be eliminated with a Cosumar-Chromatika draw.

Finally, we reach the worst possibilities for Qusmo: What if they lose? That would mean that Qusmo finishes on three points, & the Alpine Union would finish on four. Since Cosumar already has four points, Qusmo would be eliminated, likely as the last place finisher in the group. The scenarios for the Alpine Union should they win, however, are similar to what Qusmo would be facing should Qusmo draw. If Cosumar & the Alpine Union win, they would both advance, with Cosumar winning the group.

If Cosumar & Chromatika draw, Cosumar would win the group, but Chromatika & the Alpine Union would be level on four points. Chromatika would have the edge on goal differential now, but an Alpine Union win would necessarily improve its goal differential at least to the point at which they match Chromatika, & possibly even surpass it. If the other match ends in a draw, the Alpine Union would need to win by a multi-goal margin or score more goals in its match against Qusmo than Chromatika does in its match against Cosumar in order to guarantee advancement; else, if the Alpine Union wins by one & scores the same number of goals as does Chromatika, we’ll go further down the tiebreakers. It is worth keeping in mind here that Chromatika did defeat the Alpine Union 1-0 in the most recent matchday.

Finally, if both the Alpine Union & Chromatika win, Chromatika will win the group, leaving the Alpine Union & Cosumar tied on points. Cosumar has the much better goal differential now, but this scenario would worsen Cosumar’s goal differential while strengthening the Alpine Union’s. If Cosumar loses by three or the Alpine Union wins by three in this scenario, or if both matches are resolved by multi-goal margins, the Alpine Union will advance. If both matches are decided by a single goal, Cosumar will go through. & if one match is decided by a single goal while the other has two goals between them, it would go down to the goals-scored tiebreaker, where Cosumar currently holds a 3-1 edge.

So, here are the advancement scenarios for each team: Cosumar needs only a draw. Chromatika & Qusmo need only a win. Meanwhile, the Alpine Union technically also controls its own destiny if it can win by three. Cosumar is the only team that might be able to advance with a loss on the final matchday, though Chromatika & Qusmo could go through with a draw & some help; meanwhile, a draw or loss would eliminate the Alpine Union.

The best result for Qusmo would be a win paired with a draw in the other match, as it would see Qusmo win the group; however, Qusmo could finish first, second, third, or fourth in the group, depending on how the final pair of matches goes. Qusma fans should probably be rooting for Cosumar on the final matchday; despite the fact that they will win the group no matter what with a win over Chromatika, that result poses the best possibilities for Qusmo to advance if they can’t pick up a win over the Alpine Union. If Cosumar defeats Chromatika, Qusmo would need only a single point to go through & face the winners of Group A - at this point, likely Neo-Romanum. Of course, the best result for Qusmo, no matter what happens in the other matches, is a win against the Alpine Union on the final matchday.

Before their loss at the hands of Cosumar, Qusmo was pegged as “a dangerous team [which] could win [its] group” by Gazeta Pomorska, “an emerging future power” by the Cosumarite Courier, & even a “dark horse contender for a title” by an Equestrian pundit. Qusmo’s path to the Round of Sixteen, & a realization of the newly-elevated expectations now set for them by the multiversal media, is still within their grasp; the only question now is: can they do it?

by **Qusmo** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:56 pm

Qusmo U21 team outclassed by Cosumar
Qusmo 0–2 Cosumar
Miner’s Haven, Goldsan, Valanora
Qusmo’s U21s tested themselves against the best in their second Di Bradini Cup match, & suffice it to say that they aren’t there yet.

Cosumar was dominant in possession & truly controlled the match, looking the better side from start to finish, recording a 2-0 win over Qusmo. The first goal for Cosumar came in the twenty-fourth minute, as Skaldir Tibrewal capped off a lethal Cosumarite attack which dissected a miscommunication in the young Qusma back line with near-surgical precision. A result seemed less & less likely for Qusmo as the match continued on, but their hopes were put to bed in the eighty-fifth minute, when Kletus Tosset finished a quick counterattack that the back line simply could not handle.

The final score intimates a one-sided affair, & the match as a whole was quite lopsided. It started & finished with the powerful Cosumarite midfield, which was able to dominate possession. That was key to why Qusmo faced absolutely no success, as they could not get the ball to their forwards, & instead they had to constantly fend off Cosumarite attacks. Indeed, it was somewhat of an accomplishment for Qusmo to keep the match as close as it was.

Cosumar had already had some probing runs when they first got on the goal sheet in the match. Richard Pearce launched a ball into the upper stands when faced with a one-on-one with Qusma goalkeeper Brelk-Brelk Ixi in the tenth minute, while Tosset was caught narrowly offside to negate a goal from a corner kick in the nineteenth.

Qusmo would have no such luck in the twenty-fourth, however, with Dane Pridgeon springing a Taka Masatoshi run, forcing Qusma centre back Axelv-Xilit Ono to commit to Masatoshi &, by extention, left back Forzu-Falax Uzo to mark Tosset in the box. Unfortunately fox Qusmo, however, Masatoshi recognized the situation & realized that Tribewal was unmarked. An exquisite play saw Tosset dummy the ball, & by the time it landed at Tribewal’s feet, they could have walked with the ball into the back of the net had they wanted to.

Cosumar applied less pressure to Qusmo after scoring their first goal, content with holding onto the lead & the ball. As time elapsed, it was mostly Cosumar with chances, & Qusmo knew it needed a goal to get anything from the match. Qusmo began to throw more & more players forward, & it cost them late in the match.

After a Qusma attack fizzled out past the eighty-minute mark, Cosumarite right back Bryan Estes found star centre midfielder Kai-Kai Mokumdarian. A neutral fan would be forgiven for thinking that Newmanistan was playing, because Mokumdarian took off like a rocket, leaving Qusmi’y helpless in their wake. In the end, they forced Axelv-Xilit into another impossible choice; as they moved forward to commit to trying to stop Mokumdarian’s magical run, the Junior Galactico runner-up simply played a through ball for Tosset into the space that the Qusma centre back had vacated. Just like that, it was 2-0, as it would end.

It was a disappointing performance for Qusmi’y Juzuna, especially given other results. Qusmo had shown such promise against Chromatika, but the former Di Bradini Cup champions ultimately outclassed the debutants. With two Junior Galactico finalists on the pitch, it wasn’t particularly surprising. However, it sets Qusmo up for a much more difficult situation in its final matchday. The match was the second of Group D played that day, so Qusmo knew that it could clinch advancement to the Round of Sixteen with a win, or bring advancement within a single point if it could manage a draw. Now, that calculus has shifted, as despite their fantastic debut against the Di Bradini Cup 42 beaten finalists, a win is now required to guarantee a spot in the Round of Sixteen.

With the Alpine Union also needing a win for any hope of advancement, & having had a long & proud history at the tournament, including a quarterfinal appearance in Di Bradini Cup 42, it will surely be a tough match for both sides. Qusmo is no stranger to difficult opponents at this tournament, but they simply hope that their final group stage match ends more like its clash with Chromatika than the one it had against Cosumar.
GK Brelk-Brelk Ixi
CB Axelv-Xilit Ono
LB Forzu-Falax Uzo
RB Yelto-Xilit Jok
DM Dwada-Dalox Wek
- 74’ Dalox-Lenpi Mal
CM Yamaj-Blonz Jok
- 86’ Zilot-Trenj Miz
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Helek-Nenzi Ono
LW Ucyxi-Slokt Eva
- 67’ Ucyxi-Tylyr Fox
RW Upuln-Cralt Guv
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev

Group D Results
Chromatika 1–0 Alpine Union
Qusmo 0–2 Cosumar

  Group D Table    Pld   W   D   L  GF  GA  GD  Pts     COS CMT QUS UAR
1 Cosumar            2   1   1   0   3   1  +2    1     --- MD3 2-0 1-1
2 Chromatika         2   1   0   1   1   1  ±0    0     MD3 --- 0-1 1-0
3 Qusmo              2   1   0   1   1   2  -1    3     0-2 1-0 --- MD3
4 Alpine Union       2   0   1   1   1   2  -1    1     1-1 0-1 MD3 ---

by **Qusmo** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 8:43 pm

Rilan-Jerat Nev heard all the talk.

They heard all the hype. All the glow. All the optimism. All the bold predictions.

& they could already hear what everyone would say if they didn’t score now.

It was the eighty-third minute. Qusmo were down 1-0, but it was nearly a lot worse. Qusmo’s strength was supposed to be in the midfield, but one look at the opponent roster sheet, featuring the likes of Junior Galacticos finalist Taka Masatoshi & Junior Galacticos runner-up Kai-Kai Mokumdarian, could reveal that it would be no walk in the park.

Well, in a way, it was for Nev. Their team fed them the ball so little that they could have walked off the pitch to take a bathroom break in the middle of play without affecting the match. They could count on their fingers & toes the number of touches they had had all match long.

Meanwhile, the other forwards on the pitch, who were supposed to be making runs to support them, had practically given up. The midfield was still trying to fight it out, but they arrived at largely the same result against Cosumar’s stars. & the best player for Qusmo’s back line was the post. Only a couple good saves by Brelk-Brelk Ixi & many more instances of luck kept Qusmo in it. But ugly as it was, Qusmo was still in it.

But Nev knew that this might be their last chance to keep in it. They were finally able to receive a pass in an advanced position. Now, they just had to get around Horatius Chaumancer. The Cosumarite captain had senior national team experience, but so did Nev - & Nev had emerged victorious in enough one-on-one duels at that level to have confidence in themself.

They sprinted forward & to the right, trying to get around the centre back. No dice. Nev saw that they would be giving themself a bad angle if they kept up, so they halted, & looked around on the ball. A pass to Ucyxi-Tylyr Fox was dangerous, & Upuln-Cralt Guv wasn’t even yet caught up to play. Just like against Chromatika, Nev would simply have to do this one themself.

Out of the corner of their eye, however, Nev spotted Bryan Estes. The right back came forward to try to pressure Nev & support their captain. Nev realized that they had to act quickly before Estes & Chaumancer could combine to push them off the ball, & they tried to get by the back line again. This time, it worked.

Nev’s feint got Chaumancer to put their weight on the wrong foot, & Nev was then able to take off, Chaumancer trailing at their side. Nev wouldn’t have an easy shot, but they did have an opportunity - one they knew they would convert. One they knew they had to convert. Nev looked up at Edith Tidesson in goal, found their target just inside the far post, & went for power to get by the goalkeeper.

The only problem was that the power was being applied to Nev, not by them.

Suddenly, as they were readying themself to bury the shot, they felt a body tumble into them. They tumbled, not expecting what was essentially an ice hockey body check. Their shot - if one could still call it that - rolled tamely into Tidesson’s outstretched arms.

Nev immediately looked up & around themself. Chaumancer was also sprawled on the turf, & the Darmeni referee already had their back turned, anticipating the flow of the ball to go the other way. Nev rushed up to them & gave them a piece of their mind. “Martin! Anso Martin! How was that not a penalty? What are you, a gridiron referee?”

But the referee had to leave Nev & keep on moving, because the ball was quickly making its way across the length of the pitch. Tidesson had fed Estes, who played a perfectly weighted pass to Cosumarite star Kai-Kai Mokumdarian, catching them in stride. Nev realized then that something serious was developing, & Mokumdarian made sure that the rest of the 36 000 fans at Miner’s Haven quickly realized it, too.

With phenomenal pace, the midfielder tore through the Qusma midfield & then seemed about to do the same to the back line. Nev watched Axelv-Xilit Ono go into emergency defending & commit to stopping Mokumdarian, but they realized that was precisely what the Cornellians player wanted, as Kletus Tosset was making another run, now unmarked. Mokumdarian played the through ball to Tosset, & from there, Brelk-Brelk had no chance to make the save. & Qusmo had no chance to save the match.

Rilan-Jerat Nev heard all the talk.

They heard all the hype. All the glow. All the optimism. All the bold predictions.

& they could already hear what everyone was saying now.

by **Qusmo** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:50 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. After a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down, Qusmo snatched a 3-2 victory over the Alpine Union in the final moments to advance to the Round of Sixteen in the Di Bradini Cup. Now it’s time to look back on the group stage & look forward to what’s to come in the knockouts. First up, we have a question from a viewer in Qanz.

How’s that Qusma back three holding up?

Well, it has certainly been a mixed bag. For those unfamiliar, U21 manager Lucex-Kynda Uzo is employing the same formation they used at Juzun Trewa on the national team level. It is a 3-4-3, but features only one centre back & two full backs, rather than the three centre backs normally employed in a back three at the international stage. That’s what we’re referring to when we talk about a Qusma back three. There were a lot of answers about how the team would handle that in this tournament; we’re starting to get some answers, but there’s no definitive result yet.

The Qusma team pitched a shutout in its first group stage match, & the back three got credit for a good performance against a stout Chromatik attack. However, they then got picked apart by Cosumar, leading to a 2-0 defeat. Granted, Cosumar has a fantastic squad, & a clear loss in the battle of the midfield didn’t help matters, but there was a lot of concern. It is worth noting that, after substitutions, Qusmo finished both of those matches in a more traditional back four.

Qusmo seemed doomed by their defense against the Alpine Union, as their opponents quickly rushed out to a 2-0 lead. They conceded two goals on headers, first on a corner kick & then on a long free kick. Roksana Kolodziejczyk & Nico Olsen deserve a lot of credit for curling in beautiful balls, but Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa was the star of the show, with powerful headers that Brelk-Brelk Ixi had no chance against. The team had conceded two goals, but it was less of a thorough dismemberment than the match against Cosumar; their problem was with set pieces, not the back three.

It looked like Qusmo would be eliminated on the power of Cwierczakiewiczowa’s head, but Lucex-Kynda Uzo made some adjustments at halftime that seemed to turn the match on its head. A quick goal from Rilan-Jerat Nev to start the second half got Qusmo back in the match, & from then on, Qusmo got the Alpine Union on its back heels. Qusmo & the Alpine Union both knew that if Chromatika lost to Cosumar - which, eventually, they did by a 2-1 score - Qusmo would advance with a draw or win, while the Alpine Union would be through if they could just hold on for the victory. Unfortunately for the Alpines, however, the midfield set Rilan-Jerat up for a second goal to equalize in the seventy-first, setting the stage for a dramatic final twenty minutes. In the end, in stoppage time, a goal came - but from Rilan-Jerat, who netted a hat trick to see Qusmo through.

In that second half, the Qusma back three was able to do fairly well, but the defense still had to be rescued by Rilan-Jerat Nev - who has scored all four of the team’s goals so far. But the question is: Is that because the Qusma back three is vulnerable, or because the specific personnel Lucex-Kynda has to rely on isn’t up to snuff? In truth, it could be either - or both. Or, perhaps, the tactics & players are all playing remarkably well, & this small, three-match sample size is just covering it up. After all, lest we forget, Qusmo pitched a shutout against Chromatika - the only nation at the Di Bradini Cup with a top ten senior side - in the first match. Few were heralding the tactical incompetence of Lucex-Kynda then.

In short, we have three matches of evidence, but one has been stellar, one dreadful, & the other somewhere in the middle. The jury is still out on a Qusma back three. Thankfully, unless there’s a tactical shift before Qusmo’s Round of Sixteen clash against Neo-Romanum, we’ll have at least one knockout round match to study it more.

&, as our final question today, we’ll hear from a viewer in Ixtun.

Who’s going to advance far in this tournament? Will Qusmo be one of them?

That’s the question on the mind of every one of the sixteen teams left in the tournament - & bookies everywhere. Let’s look at each one of the matchups.

Neo-Romanum v. Qusmo
Rose Gardens, Kareen, Valanora
Neo-Romanum - 1st in Group A (9 points v. Kita-Hinode, Anthor, & Ethane; 7-3, +4) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Third in Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
Qusmo - 2nd in Group D (6 points v. Cosumar, Chromatika, & Alpine Union; 4-4, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in Cup of Harmony 72 - 83rd-ranked senior team
Neo-Romanum was a complete unknown before the just-completed Sporting World Cup in the Free Republics; however, their first foray into international sport was a wild success, as the newcomers took third. Even though the age cap is a bit higher for this tournament in Valanora, Neo-Romanum has not stopped yet, taking full points from a tough Group A highlighted by Di Bradini Cup 41 winners & Di Bradini Cup 42 semifinalists Kita-Hinode. Neo-Romanum has had deeply impressive performances thus far, & despite not having a household name, they will be true contenders in this tournament. After getting into the Round of Sixteen on a late comeback in the final matchday of the group stage, Qusmo will hate to have drawn this opponent. Qusmi’y Juzuna were labelled a “dark horse contender for a title,” but this will truly test their mettle - as Neo-Romanum should fancy their chances as dark horses, too.
Prediction: Neo-Romanum

Equestrian States v. Mapletish
Castle de Mot, Wexax, Valanora
Equestrian States - 1st in Group B (9 points v. Benin-Togo, Northwest Kalactin, & Qasden; 8-3, +5) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Quarterfinals in World Cup 80 - 17th-ranked senior team
Mapletish - 2nd in Group C (6 points v. Savojarna, Cassadaigua, & the South Falls; 3-3, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
The Equestrian States rode a home crowd all the way to the quarterfinals of the previous World Cup; of the sixteen nations left in Valanora, the Ponies have the best showing from World Cup 80. They topped their group, but it was a fairly straightforward one to win after Qasden performed surprisingly poorly. On the other side of the touchline, little-known Mapletish will be a genuine threat, having already eliminated Cassadaigua through the group stage. They rode their defense to get to the knockouts, but one wonders whether they have enough offensive firepower to get by the Equestrian States; that said, the match figures to be very good, & very tight.
Prediction: Equestrian States

Savojarna v. Benin-Togo
The Tar Pit, Char Sara, Valanora
Savojarna - 1st in Group C (7 points v. Mapletish, Cassadaigua, & the South Falls; 8-3, +5) - Group Stage in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 28th-ranked senior team
Benin-Togo - 2nd in Group B (6 points v. Equestrian States, Northwest Kalactin, & Qasden; 9-9, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
Savojarna got results in every one of its World Cup matches except against Brenecia, the eventual champions. Though they did exit as third in Group G in the Equestrian States, they have performed well here. Benin-Togo has been a good surprise so far, beating Northwest Kalactin & surprising Qasden, & introducing a fun, fresh, fierce style of attacking football that has seen them both score & concede nine in three group stage matches. However, despite the nice story, the newcomers may only be able to go so far against a team which is high up the ladder & still rising in the world of football.
Prediction: Savojarna

Cosumar v. Kita-Hinode
Hatire Memorial, Capri, Valanora
Cosumar - 1st in Group D (7 points v. Qusmo, Chromatika, & Alpine Union; 5-2, +3) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in World Cup 80 - 14th-ranked senior team
Kita-Hinode - 2nd in Group A (6 points v. Neo-Romanum, Anthor, & Ethane; 7-5, +2) - Semifinals in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Semifinals in Cup of Harmony 72 - 40th-ranked senior team
Any match featuring Cosumar & Kita-Hinode is sure to be a treat, & this figures to be no exception. The Di Bradini Cup 35 champions have topped what some have termed a Group of Death, but the Di Bradini Cup 29 & 41 champions have not done badly themselves, only dropping points to dark horse contenders Neo-Romanum. Cosumar looks to do better than their Round of Sixteen result in Di Bradini Cup 42, & has a fantastic team to do just that, but Kita-Hinode is eyeing gettting back into the semifinals - or even further. Whoever wins has a good shot at doing just that.
Prediction: Kita-Hinode

Taeshan v. Mercedini
Metropolis, Ibini, Valanora
Taeshan - 1st in Group E (5 points v. Routcher, Darmen, & Ceni; 6-3, +3) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in Cup of Harmony - 60th-ranked senior team
Mercedini - 2nd in Group H (6 points v. Pasarga, North Prarie, & Greater Vakolicci Haven; 3-1, +2) - Group Stage in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Round of Sixteen in Sporting World Cup 6 - Champions of Cup of Harmony 72 - 26th-ranked senior team
Taeshan’s footballing tradition includes winning this tournament - in Di Bradini Cup 19. No player on Taeshan’s current roster were alive when that team lifted the trophy, & they’ll want to make memories of their own for future generations. Mercedini, however, will be looking to bounce them from the Di Bradini Cup Round of Sixteen again, & they look to be in a great position to do just that. Having allowed only a single goal so far, they have a share of a claim of the tournament’s best defense. They also have an inspiration in their senior team, which lifted the Cup of Harmony trophy in Vilita. It will be tough, but they will believe that they’ll be able to pull off a similar title run. But before they can do that, they need to discover: Is the fourth time really the charm for getting to the fourth-finals?
Prediction: Mercedini

Semarland v. Razenthuria
Miner's Haven, Goldsan, Valanora
Semarland - 1st in Group F (6 points v. Abanhfleft, Blaneu, & Starblaydia; 6-4, +2) - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - 127th-ranked senior team
Razenthuria - 2nd in Group G (4 points v. Baker Park, Filindostan, & Maryloupe; 5-5, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Champions of Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in Cup of Harmony 72 - 102nd-ranked senior team
Semarland is back on the international stage, having returned after six years away from the scene. They are starting their comeback tour in Valanora, & it kicked off by winning a very good group featuring Abanhfleft & Starblaydia, as well as impressive newcomers Blaneu. On the other end, Razenthuria benefitted from some weak play in Group G to scrape by as second on only four points. On the other end, Razenthuria benefitted from some weak play in Group G to scrape by as second on only four points. Razenthuria did just win the Sporting World Cup title, but those U18 players are, in large part, too young to make a big impact in this U21 tournament. The Razen senior team is ranked higher than the Semars, but Semarland should be heavy favourites here.
Prediction: Semarland

Baker Park v. Abanhfleft
Lathal, Ianisle, Valanora
Baker Park - 1st in Group G (7 points v. Razenthuria, Filindostan, & Maryloupe; 5-3, +2) - Quarterfinals in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Quarterfinals in Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 43rd-ranked senior team
Abanhfleft - 2nd in Group F (5 points v. Semarland, Blaneu, & Starblaydia; 2-1, +1) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 24th-ranked senior team
This may well be the juiciest Round of Sixteen matchup on offer in Valanora. These two teams are full of players hoping to be the missing pieces for success in the World Cup. Both these nations’ senior teams reached the World Cup in the last edition, & Abanhfleft has been there for two consecutive years, but each of their combined three World Cup campaigns resulted in two losses & a crash out in the group stage. These are talented youngsters, however, & they have potential to push their squads to the knockouts in future years. Just look at what they’ve done in previous knockout rounds; this is a rematch of the Sporting World Cup 5 final, where many of the players on these U21 teams were playing for their U18 sides. However, unlike that 5-2 result, this match is shaping up to be a close, defensive effort. Baker Park hasn’t been prolific like some other squads in this tournament, but they rode a tough defense to the top of Group G. Meanwhile, no team in the tournament has conceded fewer goals than Abanhfleft, but only two teams have scored less often, too. Whose offense will wake up & power through a stingy opponent? Will Abanhfleft avenge their crushing loss from a Sporting World Cup on home soil, or will Baker Park come through again? & which squad will announce themselves as what we’ve all quietly been thinking: a bona fide force to be reckoned with on the international stage? One thing’s for sure: This will be a fantastic match, & even the losers will be back, on an even bigger stage.
Prediction: Abanhfleft

Pasarga v. Routcher
Hellgate, Raynor City, Valanora
Pasarga - 1st in Group H (9 points v. Mercedini, North Prarie, & Greater Vakolicci Haven; 8-2, +6) - Champions of Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in World Cup 80 - 11th-ranked senior team
Routcher - 2nd in Group E (6 points v. Taeshan, Darmen, & Ceni; 3-2, +1) - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
The stars of this show will undoubtedly be Pasarga, the defending & four-time Di Bradini Cup champions. However, the Pasargans will know well that no team has ever repeated as champion since their first trophy in Di Bradini Cup 22. Pasarga is the 42nd team to try to defend a Di Bradini Cup title & the 63rd team to try to defend a U21 World Cup championship, but only five have won consecutive U21 World Cups, including only three in the Di Bradini Cup era - & none since Cafundeu in Di Bradini Cups 17 & 18. Pasarga has been on fire, tying for the fourth-most prolific offense & third-stingiest defense in the group stage, being one of only three teams to take all nine points & the only to have an impressive +6 goal differential. However, Pasarga knows that it still has four more matches left before it can celebrate again. With a very tough potential quarterfinal against either Baker Park, Sporting World Cup 5 champions, or Abanhfleft, which took Pasarga to penalty kicks in Di Bradini Cup 43’s highly contentious & controversial Round of Sixteen, they may overlook this year’s Round of Sixteen opponents - as may the rest of the world. However, no one should count Routcher out yet. They, too, have one of the stingiest defenses in the tournament, & they should pose a challenge to the defending champions. Pasarga surely will still be favoured, but perhaps another set of penalty kicks are in the works - or, if everything plays just right, perhaps even an upset.
Prediction: Pasarga

Well, if all those predictions come true, where will we be? In the quarterfinals, Neo-Romanum would play the Equestrian States, Savojarna would take on Kita-Hinode, Mercedini would clash with Semarland, & Abanhfleft would take on Pasarga. In the first match, the newcomer Romans would take on the World Cup 80 co-hosts - but we think that Neo-Romanum has it in them to advance far & dispatch the Ponies in the quarterfinals, just as they were in their home World Cup. Next, there’s a tough clash between Savojarna & Kita-Hinode, but despite a tough challenge, Kita-Hinode seems the favourite to advance to the semifinals for the third consecutive year, dating back to their reemergence on the U21 scene with the Di Bradini 41 championship. After that, we have Mercedini & Semarland, as the Semars try to recreate the same story as Kita-Hinode two editions ago; unfortunately for them, however, we think Mercedini will get their first trip to the semifinals in the same edition as their first trip to the quarterfinals. But, once again, Abanhfleft’s knockout match would likely be the most-hyped of the round, as they take a long-standing blood feud with Pasarga to the quarterfinals. It will be a high-octane match, but we think that Abanhfleft will finally be able to triumph over their rivals.

At this point, it’s all mere speculation, of course, but we’ve come so far already, so why not look ahead to the semifinals? In this hypothetical, we see Neo-Romanum against Kita-Hinode & Mercedini taking on Abanhfleft. The Roman U18s got to the semifinals of Sporting World Cup 6 but got no further; meanwhile, Kita-Hinode advanced to the semifinals in Di Bradini Cup 63 & Cup of Harmony 72 but finished fourth both times. Neo-Romanum has already beaten Kita-Hinode 2-0 to finish as the class of Group A, & we think it’s no fluke; Neo-Romanum could well best their already-fantastic Sporting World Cup debut by reaching the Di Bradini Cup final. Meanwhile, in the other half of the bracket, we see two group runners-up clashing for a spot in the final. It’s a stark change from the last edition, where we saw only two group runners-up make it to the quarterfinals; Starblaydia & Ceni both advanced there on penalty kicks, but neither advanced to the semifinals. In our hypothetical, only one group winner made it to the final four. The group runner-up we think will make it to top two in the tournament is Abanhfleft. They have a stifling defense & did not lose a single game in a tough group.

In this third-place match, we would see Kita-Hinode & Mercedini. These are both good squads, but given the fact that Kita-Hinode has already finished fourth in the last Cup of Harmony & Di Bradini Cup, we’ll pencil them in for that spot again, giving the match to Mercedini. But the real prize is a contest between Neo-Romanum & Abanhfleft. Many players on this Abanhfleft U21 team got to the Sporting World Cup 5 final on home soil as part of the U18 team, but they were stunned by a newcomer competing in international football for only the second time & making their first appearance in that particular tournament. We think that these players will have to live through the same sort of disappointment, because we think Neo-Romanum can go all the way to the championship.

We’re practically ready to be pilloried. Here at Spony Luq Television, we’re not only predicting that our home team will be bounced out in the Round of Sixteen; we’re predicting a team making its first-ever Di Bradini Cup appearance winning it all. It will surely be a wild & exciting ride, with countless juicy matchups along the way. There are sure to be countless surprises, especially given the nature of this tournament, when many players are too young to be terribly well-known across the multiverse. It’s always tricky, & it’s always risky, to predict these sorts of things - but we do know that it’s going to be a great tournament, so get your popcorn, take your seats, & enjoy it!

by **Qusmo** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:12 pm

SPON QUSMA MAGAZINE-DIGEST

It’s time for another edition of Good Day/Bad Day. This time, our theme is the Di Bradini Cup 43 Round of Sixteen. Imitating the eight matches we saw between sixteen teams, we’ll give you eight pairs of facts, for sixteen total.

It’s been a good day for Groups C, F, & H. In each of those groups, both knockout round teams moved on. On the other hand, it’s been a bad day for Groups B, E, & G, as every team from those groups have now been eliminated. Groups A & D both have only one team left in the tournament - &, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, both are their groups’ runners-up.

It’s been a good day for ninety minutes of drama, as six of the eight Round of Sixteen matches were within one goal at the full time whistle. It’s been a bad day for extra time drama, as neither Round of Sixteen match that went into extra time went into penalties, or even was decided by two; the average final margin for an extra time match in this Round of Sixteen was two & a half goals.

It’s been a good day for goal junkies, as the Round of Sixteen saw no fewer than three goals in each of its matches - a feat unmatched since the unfinished Di Bradini Cup 34 - as well as 34 goals total - continuing a recent tradition of high-scoring Di Bradini Cup Rounds of Sixteen, which also saw 43 & 30 goals scored in the Rounds of Sixteen of Di Bradini Cup 41 & 42, respectively. It’s been a bad day for defenses winning championships, as nine of the sixteen competing teams conceded at least as many - or even more - goals during their Round of Sixteen match as they did during the entire group stage, including a majority of beaten teams & fully half of the quarterfinalists.

It’s been a good day for returning U21 tournament participants, as each Round of Sixteen clash between a Di Bradini Cup 42 participant & non-participant saw the returning team advance to the quarterfinals. It’s been a bad day for U18 tournament participants, as of the five Round of Sixteen matches between a Sporting World Cup 6 participant & non-participant, non-participants won four of five matches, including over the winners of the Sporting World Cup 6 third-place match & final.

It’s been a good day for teams with recent U21 success, as the last two Di Bradini Cup champions - Kita-Hinode of Di Bradini Cup 41 & Pasarga of Di Bradini Cup 42 - both advanced to the quarterfinals. It’s been a bad day for teams with recent U18 success, as the past two Sporting World Cup champions - Baker Park of Sporting World Cup 5 & Razenthuria of Sporting World Cup 6 - both ended their Di Bradini Cup campaigns in the Round of Sixteen.

It’s been a good day for Di Bradini Cup 42 destiny, as of the five potential Di Bradini Cup rematches between Di Bradini Cup 43 knockout round teams, four are still possibilities - & one is certain to happen. Though we won’t see a rematch of Cosumar & Taeshan’s thrilling scoreless Group E draw in the final (or third-place match), Pasarga could still play Savojarna (against whom they won 2-0 in Group A) or Kita-Hinode (against whom they won 3-2 in the semifinal) in the final or third-place match, but only if they can get around Abanhfleft (whom they beat on penalty kicks in the Round of Sixteen), who might be eyeing a semifinal clash with Mercedini (against whom they won 4-0 in Group D). It’s been a bad day for mathematical destiny, as the eighth-finals of this eight-squared-th edition of the U21 World Cup saw the champions from eight editions ago (Cosumar, of U21 World Cup 56), eight editions before that (Equestrian States, of U21 World Cup 48), & eight editions before that (Taeshan, of U21 World Cup 40) all lose. (In case you were wondering, none of the other champions of U21 World Cups of multiples of eight entered this one.)

It’s been a good day for the aggregate predictions rate by the folks at Spony Luq Television’s predictions team; they got six of eight results right, & three of the four quarterfinal matchups they predicted really will happen. It’s been a bad day for Spony Luqs Television’s predictions department, however, as their predicted tournament champion lost, & they mistakenly predicted that Qusmo would bow out in the first knockout round - the two predictions most closely watched here at home.

Finally, it’s been a bad day for Qusma tactics, as the much-bantered about “Qusma back three” conceded multiple goals for the third consecutive match against Neo-Romanum. However, it’s been a good day for the Qusma team, as they were able to score four to advance to a quarterfinal against Mapletish at Aranfield Bridge in Everlin, Valanora.

by **Qusmo** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:09 am

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. After a fantastic match, which saw Qusmo take & then lose a 2-0 lead before scoring two goals unanswered in extra time to defeat Neo-Romanum, Qusmi’y Juzuna are headed to the Di Bradini Cup quarterfinals, where they will face Mapletish. Let’s look back at the Round of Sixteen & look ahead to the knockout rounds ahead.

First, we have a question from a viewer in Regel.

What do you think of our team now?

Yes, we’ll come out & address the elephant in the room: On this show, we predicted that Qusmo would lose to Neo-Romanum. We are glad to see that, in this instance, we were mistaken. Neo-Romanum certainly gave Qusmo a fight, though. Left midfielder Kynda-Sevet Pec put Qusmo ahead into the half, & centre midfielder Yamaj-Blonz Jok seemed to put the match out of reach in the sixty-fourth minute. However, Neo-Romanum would not go down easy, & substitute Gelasius Ameziane made a game of it with a powerful strike in the eighty-third before equalizing on a header in stoppage time.

Of course, it was Brelk-Brelk Ixi who would be the hero of the match, not Ameziane, but it was still a remarkable performance from the bench. Roman manager Justinian Angelus has to be wondering whether the match might have turned out differently if they had been on from the start in place of Adão de Cilpes, who looked utterly forgettable at striker.

Brelk-Brelk Ixi has to be given credit for some great play; despite the high scores, the KF Estraj player has continued to impress throughout the tournament. Brelk-Brelk made a remarkable save just before the end of the first half of extra time that really seemed to inspire their team to go out & win, shifting the momentum towards the stunned Qusmi’y & away from the resurgent Neo-Romanum side.

That led to a Rilan-Jerat strike in the one hundred eleventh minute, which proved to be the winner. There were still some testy moments, as Neo-Romanum desperately searched for another late equalizer & Qusmo tried to avoid penalties at all costs. Memorably, every Roman player on the pitch, including goalkeeper Olympiodorus Vatatzes, went into the box for the team’s last chance: a corner kick in the second minute of stoppage time. However, the delivery was poor, & Brelk-Brelk was able to rise up & catch the service before it could find an attacking head. With all twenty-two players in the box, Brelk-Brelk ran up to the eighteen-yard mark & punted it as far as they could. It was on target & had tremendous range, & it trickled into the goal to seal Qusmo’s victory in remarkable fashion.

Brelk-Brelk had a Pug Qusmyra season to forget, but as the only age-eligible goalkeeper who had experience in a top-tier league as a first-choice starter at all, they were selected as the starting goalkeeper for the U21 national team. Lucex-Kynda Uzo has to be delighted with how that decision has turned out, as they not only have made memorable plays defensively, but have even gotten onto the scoresheet in a close knockout round match. This is a top-class tournament, & Brelk-Brelk will only be hoping it continues.

In fact, Brelk-Brelk’s play might help inspire a call-up to the senior team - although it will be tough to get capped behind Vanza-Jerat Gep & Xynat Evela Cuf, who are still locked in a battle for the number 1 kit. Still, if Brelk-Brelk can show that their form so far at this tournament is for real, they may mount a serious challenge for one of the three goalkeeper spots on the senior team roster.

Ultimately, the Qusma defense did well until the last twenty minutes of the second half, when the team began to become a bit complacent & sit too deep. That is what allowed Neo-Romanum to equalize late - representing the third consecutive opponent that Qusmo has conceded multiple goals to in this tournament. Meanwhile, Qusmo scored four, & they were one of five teams in the knockout rounds to score as many goals in the Round of Sixteen as they did in the group stage; however, it is worth considering that two of these were scored in extra time, including one by a monumental fluke. Still, the fact that three new names appeared on the scoresheet will be encouraging for a team which relied entirely too heavily on Rilan-Jerat for offensive production in the group stage.

Now, Qusmo will prepare to take on Mapletish in the quarterfinals. If Qusmo can win, they will clinch a spot in the semifinals - & have a total of three more matches left to play, which is so important for a youth team to gain exposure. Already, they have exceeded expectations, making it out of a Group of Death & then earning the first win for a Qusma national team in a knockout match against a team which had not dropped a single point at that point. If they can do it again, it would be a wild success.

Now, another question, this time time from a viewer in Vlyv.

Do you want to reconsider your picks after you did so poorly in the first round?

Actually, despite what it might seem, we have done pretty well overall. Our predicted champion did get bounced out in the Round of Sixteen, & we didn’t have Qusmo advancing originally. But it’s worth noting that both of those high-profile flubs were from the same match - which did go into extra time. We were in a hole early, missing on our first two predictions, but we were six for six from there. In fact, three of the four quarterfinal matches are exactly what we predicted they would be. I think that’s pretty good; that said, let’s look at the picks we made & adjust some things for the matches we just saw.

Qusmo v. Mapletish
Aranfield Bridge, Everlin, Valanora
Qusmo - 4-2 (a.e.t.) win v. Neo-Romanum in Round of Sixteen - 2nd in Group D (6 points v. Cosumar, Chromatika, & Alpine Union; 4-4, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in Cup of Harmony 72 - 83rd-ranked senior team
Mapletish - 4-3 win v. Equestrian States in Round of Sixteen - 2nd in Group C (6 points v. Savojarna, Cassadaigua, & the South Falls; 3-3, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
We have heard criticism from viewers all across the country after we picked Neo-Romanum over Qusmo - especially after Qusmo won to advance to this point. Thus, it would be a really easy decision to avoid that again & simply pick Qusmo. Unfortunately, however, it’s not that easy. Qusmo & their opponent, Mapletish, are both very good teams - & they both have a very similar profile at this tournament. Tactically, they’re led by two young managers, born five years apart, whose highest level of previous coaching experience was at a major domestic club’s youth academy, & who have been focussing on winning in the midfield. For Mapletish, that manifests itself by putting five players in midfield; for Qusmo, it shows by sacrificing some defensive support in order to fit four senior national team players in the centre of the pitch. Looking at results, these teams finished second in their respective groups on six points - two wins & one loss. They conceded as many goals as they scored, & both numbers were low: four for Qusmo & only three for Savojarna. However, in the Round of Sixteen, both teams unseated a group winner in a high-scoring match; for Qusmo, it was 4-2 after extra time, while for Mapletish, it only took ninety minutes to rack up a 4-3 score. For all we know, we could see a similar offensive explosion at Aranfield Bridge. Will we see Qusmi’y Juzuna or the Buio'Dzz in the Di Bradini Cup semifinal? It seems almost too close to call - which, of course, means we have to go with Qusmo & hope we’re not wrong again.
Prediction: Qusmo

Savojarna v. Kita-Hinode
Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara, Valanora
Savojarna - 2-1 win v. Benin-Togo in Round of Sixteen - 1st in Group C (7 points v. Mapletish, Cassadaigua, & the South Falls; 8-3, +5) - Group Stage in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 28th-ranked senior team
Kita-Hinode - 3-0 win v. Cosumar in Round of Sixteen - 2nd in Group A (6 points v. Neo-Romanum, Anthor, & Ethane; 7-5, +2) - Semifinals in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Semifinals in Cup of Harmony 72 - 40th-ranked senior team
When we were previewing a projected matchup between these two, we said that “despite a tough challenge, Kita-Hinode seems the favourite to advance to the semifinals for the third consecutive year, dating back to their reemergence on the U21 scene with the Di Bradini 41 championship.” Not much has changed in our analysis since then. Kita-Hinode had a thoroughly convincing win in the Round of Sixteen, as they walloped Cosumar to a 3-0 score. Benin-Togo is a tougher team than most would probably think at first blush, but Savojarna was only able to net two against a defense that conceded more in the group stage than any team not named the South Falls, & the 2-1 score was tighter than it should have been. It would take a notable dip in form for Kita-Hinode or a remarkable uptick in quality for Savojarna to prevent the oft-semifinalists from making it to the last four again.
Prediction: Kita-Hinode

Mercedini v. Semarland
The Battleground, Raynor City, Valanora
Mercedini - 3-1 win v. Taeshan in Round of Sixteen 2nd in Group H (6 points v. Pasarga, North Prarie, & Greater Vakolicci Haven; 3-1, +2) - Group Stage in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Round of Sixteen in Sporting World Cup 6 - Champions of Cup of Harmony 72 - 26th-ranked senior team
Semarland - 3-0 (a.e.t.) win v. Razenthuria in Round of Sixteen - 1st in Group F (6 points v. Abanhfleft, Blaneu, & Starblaydia; 6-4, +2) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - 127th-ranked senior team
When previewing this matchup as a hypothetical, we noted that the Semars were attempting “to recreate the same story as Kita-Hinode two editions ago; unfortunately for them, however, we think Mercedini will get their first trip to the semifinals in the same edition as their first trip to the quarterfinals.” Again, Round of Sixteen results seem to point in the same direction. Mercedini may have conceded a goal, but the Eaglets had a great match against former Di Bradini Cup champions. On the other hand, although they got going in extra time, Semarland could not score a single goal against Razenthuria in ninety minutes - & that was a matchup in which they were heavily favoured. It’s entirely possible that Semarland is unable to find the back of the net again after an hour & a half of quarterfinal play, though a second chance would not be likely. Mercedini has been a stingy team defensively throughout this tournament; they conceded the joint-fewest in the group stage, & no team has conceded fewer throughout the entire tournament, including those which have only played three matches. However, Mercedini has also found its stride offensively, which could prove a lethal combination - precisely what is needed for the Eaglets to earn a historic first trip to the Di Bradini Cup semifinals.
Prediction: Mercedini

Abanhfleft v. Pasarga
Hatire Memorial, Capri, Valanora
Abanhfleft - 2-1 win v. Baker Park in Round of Sixteen - 2nd in Group F (5 points v. Semarland, Blaneu, & Starblaydia; 2-1, +1) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 24th-ranked senior team
Pasarga - 3-2 win v. Routcher in Round of Sixteen - 1st in Group H (9 points v. Mercedini, North Prarie, & Greater Vakolicci Haven; 8-2, +6) - Champions of Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in World Cup 80 - 11th-ranked senior team
When we looked ahead to possible quarterfinal matches, we guessed that “once again, Abanhfleft’s knockout match would likely be the most-hyped of the round, as they take a long-standing blood feud with Pasarga to the quarterfinals. It will be a high-octane match, but we think that Abanhfleft will finally be able to triumph over their rivals.” Here’s why. Pasarga had a great group stage, as one of only three teams to take the maximum nine points from the group stage (& the only one left in the quarterfinals) & the only one to have a +6 goal differential in the group stage; however, they did not perform to those standards in the Round of Sixteen. Partly due to some dropoff we anticipated, & partly due to some good play by their opponent, Pasarga only got by Routcher by a 3-2 score. On the other hand, though Abanhfleft only advanced past Baker Park 2-1 on a stoppage time winner, Baker Park represents a step up in quality from Routcher; thus, we rank it as the better performance. While Pasarga has dipped in form to start the knockouts, Abanhfleft has played strongly, & they have all kinds of motivation on their side, after excruciating & highly controversial losses in Di Bradini Cup 36 & 42 - the latter on penalties in last year’s Round of Sixteen. That even sparked calls in Abanhfleft for a boycott of the tournament, but here they meet again - & this time, we think that the Fleftics will get the last laugh.
Prediction: Abanhfleft

That means that we’re predicting semifinals between Qusmo & Kita-Hinode & between Mercedini & Abanhfleft. If that really is the case, Qusmi’y Juzuna would be in a great place. They would be playing against the perpetual fourth-place finishers, giving them good odds to reach the final, where we’d suspect Abanhfleft would likely join them. Just like in our last set of predictions, we’ll peg Kita-Hinode at fourth, Mercedini at third, & Abanhfleft at second. As for Qusmo? Well, we don’t want to put any pressure on them. After all, they have a match against Mapletish to win first.

by **Qusmo** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:18 pm

Qusmo National Team prepares for Copa Rushmori debut

Ahead of Qusmo’s debut in Copa Rushmori XXX, national team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban has released the twenty-five player roster for Qusmo’s debut in the Copa Rushmori.

“Qusmo’s first game in this thirtieth edition of the Copa Rushmori will be our thirtieth overall as a national team,” noted Avarn-Oxolt. “It’s also a big one, as we’ll be facing Valladares, the number one-ranked team in the Rushmori standings.”

“Ultimately, we’ll be wanting to get to the Round of Sixteen at a minimum, & the quarterfinals would be a great success for us,” Avarn-Oxolt declared. “We showed the world what we’re capable of at the Cup of Harmony, winning our group & taking our Round of Sixteen match to penalties. Our U21 team showed the world that we’re emerging in a big way, making it to the Di Bradini Cup quarterfinals. Now it’s time to make our debut in the regional sphere. We've only ever played one opponent from our region of Rushmore before: Ceni, the then-seventeenth-ranked nation in the world, in a World Cup Qualifying group in which we were completely unranked. They remain the only opponent to have beaten us twice, so we don't have a great record against fellow Rushmoris yet, but we know that's about to change. We’re excited & confident that this will prove to be a memorable debut.”

The twenty-five-player roster features twenty-four players on the Cup of Harmony roster, with one addition: Yamaj-Blonz Jok, who started all five Di Bradini Cup matches for Qusmo in centre midfield, took a spot from Milor-Yunal Pul.

 № Player         (Pos)     Caps   Starts    Goals

 1 Vanza-Jerat Gep (GK)       15       15        0
12 Xynat-Evela Cuf (GK)       11       10        0
25 Pilta-Jerat Zev (GK)        1        1        0

 2 Cunix-Betva Tla (CB)       25       25        0
 3 Ozolx-Alfan Ixi (CB)       20       17        1
 4 Zenon-Gerol Kal (CB)       21       20        0
13 Raxat-Trenj Val (CB)        3        1        0
14 Yelto-Alfan Ono (CB)       16       12        0
15 Karar-Nirlo Hus (LB)       11        4        1
16 Nirlo-Betva Uzo (RB)       11        3        0

 5 Yunal-Julad Waz (DM)       24       24        1
 6 Ilinx-Kepex Zev (CM)       27       27        4
 7 Ilinx-Vulav Ixi (AM)       24       24        2
 8 Kynda-Sevet Pec (LM)       23       23        1
 9 Forzu-Ralox Kal (RM)       22       22        0
17 Dwada-Dalox Wek (DM)        6        1        0
18 Yamaj-Blonz Jok (CM)        4        2        0
19 Helek-Nenzi Ono (LM)        4        1        0
20 Ilinx-Iblix Tla (RM)       10        3        1

10 Rilan-Jerat Nev (ST)       23       21        8
11 Xilit-Zaxac Yol (ST)       25       25       12
21 Ozolx-Mazur Guv (LW)       10        2        2
22 Jralv-Nexev Pec (RW)        9        2        0
23 Paliv-Xilit Max (SS)        9        5        2
24 Prant-Pertz Gor (ST)       10        3        3

Special Roles
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
Manager: Avarn-Oxolt Ban (66 y.o.)
Captain: Ilinx-Kepex Zev
Corners: Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
Free Kicks: Xilit-Zaxac Yol
Penalties: Xilit-Zaxac Yol

Technical Details Box
Style Modifier: -2
I give my opponent permission to...
Choose my goalscorers; but
Please please be reasonable when...
Injuring my players; or
Showing my players cards; &
Please TG me before...
Godmodding.
Feel free to TG me if you have any questions or ideas.

Kit information from a prepared statement from Fuzpon Qusma in lieu of an actual image
"Our home kit will be in our national colours, red & gold. Emblematic of our national flag, a thick two-colour sash will run from the right shoulder down to the left hip, both front & back. The top sash colour will be gold, & the bottom sash colour will be red. Above the sash will be a red field, while below the sash will be a gold field. Our shorts will be red & our socks will be gold. On the back, we will have a large red circle outlined in gold to recall our flag, break the sash, & allow clearer kit numbers, which will be printed in gold, just like the sun on our flag. Highlights throughout the kit will be gold. Our clash kit will be white with the full, uninterrupted, two-colour sash on front & back. We will have black numbers & red highlights, complemented by the same red shorts & gold socks. Our goalkeepers' kits will be black with the sash on the front side only, with white numbers, gold highlights, black shorts, & black socks. We believe that these kits are not only striking, but will represent our country well internationally. We are proud to represent Qusmo, & we eagerly look forward to the matches ahead."

by **Qusmo** » Sun Jul 15, 2018 4:01 pm

Qusmo National Team falls to reigning champions in Copa Rushmori debut

Qusmo’s Copa Rushmori debut was less triumphant than its counterparts in the World Cup Qualifiers & the Cup of Harmony, as the national team fell 1-0 to Valladares.

Qusmo came into the match as underdogs against the holders, but they put up a valiant effort. Ultimately, Valladares got ahead early on a twenty-ninth minute Wilfried Baume strike from outside the box & proceeded to set up a brick wall that Qusmo simply could not get past. The top-ranked team in the region had a back line of five for much of the match, especially in the second half, & Qusma players struggled to get through.

Striker Rilan-Jerat Nev will rue a chance just before the half to equalize, as they mishit a ball when they were running clean through on goal; however, much of the credit for the clean sheet has to go to goalkeeper Michael Armand, who made several excellent saves throughout the match. It was a good start for Valladares, which won on home soil in the last tournament & looks to defend their title in Cassadaigua.

“It’s not the best result for us to open the tournament, but, then again, it wasn’t an ideal opponent to get a result against, either,” Avarn-Oxolt noted. “It was a close match, & we’ll take heart from that. It wasn’t a Cenian defeat. In the end, we’re going to take this result & build off it.”

The manager referenced Qusmo’s only experience against Rushmori opposition before this Copa Rushmori - two matches which were not pleasant for Qusma fans. As an unranked nation playing in World Cup Qualifiers against the seventeenth-ranked nation in the world - still the highest-ranked opponent Qusmo has ever played - expectations were never high. In the end, Qusmo lost 5-2 in Cenial in its worst loss in history on Matchday 8, before suffering an even worse loss in Qanz on Matchday 17 with a 5-1 result that mathematically eliminated the team from qualification.

The two matches still stand as the only two in which Qusmo has ever conceded more than three goals, as well as the only two in which Qusmo has ever lost by a margin of more than two. Until the Copa Rushmori opener in South Granby, they also represented the only two matches Qusmo had ever played against an opponent from Rushmore.

“It’s not the end of the world. Of course, we were hoping for a draw - but we also didn’t want to concede a second goal. We can certainly still qualify, especially with the format this tournament is using. But if we’re going to do it, every last goal will be valuable. Every last point will be valuable,” Avarn-Oxolt emphasized. “I think we could probably advance with three points if we have a good goal differential, but to get at least four is really where we want to be.”

“The fact that we only conceded one goal in this match is going to be crucial, because if we do finish third in this group & are tied on points with other third-placed teams, every additional goal we concede will be tremendously damaging. To limit it to one against the team ranked number one in the region is a decent result,” the manager reiterated.

“In Copa Rushmoris XXVII & XXVI, there were only four groups, so third-place teams didn’t advance. But at Copa Rushmori XVIII, only one team with three points didn’t make it, & a team with three points & a negative goal differential did. & at Copa Rushmori XXIX, every team with three points advanced to the knockouts - including Northern Natanians, which had a -3 goal differential, & Sarrbia, which came into the final matchday with one goal scored, eight conceded, & no points, & ended up with a -6 goal differential.”

“If you go back to Copa Rushmori XXV, two nations were disqualified from competition after the group stage, leading to every non-disqualified team that placed third or better making it to the Round of Sixteen. It all depends on how the tournament breaks, of course,” cautioned Avarn-Oxolt, “but we want to be sitting on at least three points by the end of the group stage, & four or more would be ideal.”

“To get to four, we have to get a result against Savojarna. They’re a great team, & they qualified to the last World Cup. They’re ranked twenty-eighth in the world; that’s the best in this group according to the KPB rankings, & they’ll be looking to top it. Given the results today, they’re in a great position to go through. Our job isn’t to stop them from advancing; we just need to pick up a result. But, of course, saying that is a lot easier than doing it,” smiled Avarn-Oxolt.

“It’s going to be a tough match against the Savojars. I have a feeling it’ll be exciting for the neutrals, too,” Avarn-Oxolt predicted. “We & Savojarna will both be looking to play at a high tempo in this match. They have some players who are dangerous from the flanks, especially with a cross. Generally, our team likes to play more compactly, so it’ll certainly be a challenge for [Kynda-Sevet] Pec & [Forzu-Ralox] Kal - but I’m confident they’ll be up for it.”

“If we work hard & pick up something from this match, we’ll be in good shape heading to our match against East Neutralia. In the end, we want to be in a position to advance to the next round, & then we’ll see what happens from there. A 1-0 defeat to the top-ranked team in the tournament isn’t fatal. The blueprint from here on out is to pick up a result against Savojarna & then win against East Neutralia. If we can do that, I’m confident we’ll be staying a little longer in Cassadaigua.”

Qusmo National Team falls to reigning champions in Copa Rushmori debut
Valladares 1–0 Qusmo
South Granby, Cassadaigua
GK Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 79’ Yamaj-Blonz Jok
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 65’ Helek-Nenzi Ono
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Rilan-Jerat Nev
- 72’ Prant-Pertz Gor
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

by **Qusmo** » Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:00 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. After a 1-0 win over East Neutralia, Qusmo is back in the thick of the Group 1 race in Copa Rushmori XXX. Heading into their final match of the group stage, Qusmo is second; if they can maintain that status, they will advance to the Round of Sixteen. Let’s talk about the two matches so far, the next match to come, & the tournament as a whole. First, we have a question from a viewer in Ukular.

How big was that result against East Neutralia?

It may not have been very pretty to look at, but it was a massive result for Qusmo. Qusmo has struggled against Rushmori opposition; in their fourth match, this was not only their first win, but their first result. Interestingly enough, Qusmo also has precisely three losses against opposition from Esportiva, Atlantian Oceania, & independent regions, but after seven, eight, & twelve matches, respectively. In fact, Qusmo might want to consider competing in the Independents Cup in the future, as seven of their wins - a majority - have come against independent opposition, including wins in each of Qusmo’s last five matches against such teams & no losses in their last seven.

But Qusmo isn’t in an independent region; it’s in Rushmore. & this was a very big result for Qusmo to earn, both in the context of its history against its own region & the context of this tournament so far. It took a fifty-seventh minute penalty from Zilit-Zaxac Yol to provide Qusmo with the winning margin, & after that, Qusmo parked the bus to secure the win. They went from a 3-5-2 to a 5-3-2, & they even eventually switched to a 5-4-1. It wasn’t what the neutrals wanted, surely, but it was enough.

& there’s good reason Avarn-Oxolt Ban went to such lengths to secure all three points. Without it, Qusmo’s fate would be out of its control; even with a draw, Qusmo would likely have to pick up all three points against Savojarna on the final matchday to advance. They needed to pick up the easy points against the team unranked in both the regional & world rankings, because if they couldn’t do that, there would be little hope for them against the team ranked twenty-eighth in the KPB rankings & tenth in the Rushmori rankings. This win sees them through, however.

It will be very interesting to see how Avarn-Oxolt Ban plays from here on out. Avarn-Oxolt is known for very rarely making changes to their first-choice XI, but they made two changes to their starting XI from the opening loss against Valladares. First, they took out eighteen-year-old KF Trew striker Rilan-Jerat Nev & put in KF Qastyr striker Prant-Pertz Gor in their place; next, they pulled KF Qastyr goalkeeper Vanza-Gerat Gep in favour of KF Trosoc’s Xynat-Evela Cuf. Will those changes stay for the decisive final group stage match against Savojarna? Will Avarn-Oxolt go back to their day one lineup? Will we see yet more changes? It’s anyone’s guess as Qusmo prepares for its third match in South Granby.

& now we have a question from a viewer in Juvon.

How do Qusmo’s Round of Sixteen hopes look? What does the third-place picture look like?

Qusmo can guarantee a berth in the Round of Sixteen if they can win or draw their final group stage match against Savojarna. Technically, they could even win the group, but it would take a win coupled with current group leaders Valladares being beaten by East Neutralia to do it - &, even then, Qusmo would have a big goal differential hurdle to clear. Meanwhile, things may be a bit dicier for Qusmo if they lose. They would not be in the top two of the group if that happens, & they could even fall to last if East Neutralia beat Valladares.

Let’s assume, however, that a team unranked in the regional & world rankings, & which has never played a match of football before this tournament (& still hasn’t picked up a result) will not be able to topple the defending champions, who also happen to be ranked first in the regional rankings. If that assumption can hold true, it’s simple for Qusmo: win or draw for second, or lose for third.

Of course, if Qusmo can get in the top two in the group, they’ll reach the Round of Sixteen automatically, achieving a stated goal of manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban. However, if they finish third, it gets a lot trickier, because only the top four third-place finishers out of six will advance to the next round. So, let’s take a look at each team & each group to see where Qusmo could land.

First, let’s summarize the rest of Group 1’s chances. Valladares is in a great spot; they’ve already clinched a top two spot, so they’re through. They’ll win the group so long as they don’t lose to East Neutralia, & they’d also win the group if Qusmo & Savojarna draw. Even if that match is decisive & Valladares sees an upset, they have a massive goal differential advantage: they’re four goals better than Qusmo & six better than Savojarna on goal differential. So, we can all but chalk this group up to Valladares now.

Next, let’s go to East Neutralia. They’re not out of it yet, but they need to win against Valladares to have a chance. They’d also be eliminated with a draw between Qusmo & Savojarna. Even then, East Neutralia would only get third, on three points - & if Savojarna wins, there’s technically a chance Qusmo could finish third on goals scored, though they’d have to put multiple goals through. So, East Neutralia will be hoping for the opposite set of results as Valladares; they’ll need a win & a decisive result in the other match. Unless that happens, they finish last & are eliminated.

Now let’s move on to Savojarna. They’re in third now, & they can get to second with a win over Qusmo. Technically, they’re mathematically in contention for winning the group if they beat Qusmo, Valladares loses, & the combined margin of victory in the two matches is at least six. Meanwhile, Savojarna draws with Qusmo, they finish third on four points. If they lose, they will likely still finish third, on three points, but only if East Neutralia doesn’t beat Valladares; if that happens, they finish last & are out.

&, of course, we’ve already gone over what Qusmo needs. That means that the team finishing third will be one of these possibilities:

Qusmo, with three points & a goal differential of at most -1;
Savojarna, with three points & a goal differential of at most -3;
Savojarna, with four points & a goal differential of -2; or
East Neutralia, with three points & a goal differential of at least -1.

That’s a close grouping of potential finishers; Group 1’s third place team will have four points if Qusmo & Savojarna draw, but failing that, they’ll have three. Teams keeping an eye on the third-place standings will be hoping to see a decisive result in that match, with the best result a massive Qusmo win, coupled with an East Neutralia loss or draw.

With that in mind, let’s move on to Group 2. First, we have group leaders Pasarga. They’re tough to beat, & unless Sarrbia does it on the final matchday, they’ll finish first. If that does happen, they’ll finish second.

Meanwhile, all Sarrbia needs to advance is a draw against Pasarga. They’d even win the group if they can win their last match. Even if they lose, they’d still take second so long if Taeshan doesn’t defeat Mapletish - &, even then, it’d take a massive goal differential swing in order to see Sarrbia take third.

Speaking of Taeshan, all they need is a result against Mapletish to secure third - but they’d be eliminated with a loss against Mapletish. Again, they can still get into the top two, but only if they win, Pasarga wins, & the combined margin of victory is at least six.

Finally, Mapletish doesn’t have any points yet, but they’re still very much in it; if they can’t win, it would eliminate them, but if they do, they’d be the third-place side from Group 2.

So that means that Group 2’s third-place finisher will be one of:

Mapletish, with three points & a goal differential of at least -5;
Taeshan, with two points & a goal differential of -1;
Taeshan, with four points & a goal differential of at least ±0; or
Sarrbia, with four points & a goal differential of at most +2.

Potential third-place teams outside Group 2 will surely be rooting for a draw between Mapletish & Taeshan, or, failing that, a Mapletish win - preferably a narrow one.

Speaking of teams outside of Group 2, let’s move on to Group 3, which is in a remarkably similar situation. First, we have Ceni. For them, a win or draw would see them through as group winners, while a loss would see them through as second.

Next, let’s examine Yuezhou. They can go through with a win or draw, with a win clinching them the group. Even a loss would allow them to finish second if Olastor can’t beat St Trinians, or if the combined margin isn’t at least four. &, even then, they’d still finish third.

Now let’s go to Olastor. It’s fairly clear-cut for them, too; a result in their final match would see them take third, at least, while a loss would eliminate them. They could technically finish second, but only if they & Ceni win by a combined margin of four goals.

Finally, let’s take on St Trinians. It’s simple: a win would see them take third, & anything else would mean they finish as the group doormats.

With that in mind, let’s look at the potential third-place finishers. It will be either:

St Trinians, with three points & a goal differential of at least -1;
Olastor, with two points & a goal differential of -3;
Olastor, with four points & a goal differential of at least -2; or
Yuezhou, with four points & a goal differential of at most ±0.

Again, teams hoping to advance as one of the four third-place teams will be rooting for a draw between Taeshan & St Trinians, with a St Trinians win the next-best scenario.

After two virtually-identical groups, Group 4 is unique among the six in this Copa Rushmori. First, let’s look at the hosts, Cassadaigua. They need only a draw to guarantee the group win. They couldn’t win the group with a loss, but they would be in the top three no matter what, & they’d go through as second if Darmen & Crystalline Caverns draw; similarly, they could finish second with a loss if Darmen wins & the combined margin is at least three, or if Crystalline Caverns wins & the combined margin is at least four.

Next, let’s take a look at Eura. A win would see them win the group, while a draw would see them take second. A loss would likely see them take second, too, but they could slip to third - & no further - if Darmen wins or if Crystalline Caverns wins & the combined margin is at least three.

Moving on to Darmen, the math is still fairly straightforward. A loss would eliminate them, but a result would see them in the top three. They have a fighting shot at second, but only if the other match doesn’t end in a draw. If Cassadaigua wins, they’d be tied with Eura on goal differential if both matches were one-goal games, & they’d overtake them if either had multigoal margins. Meanwhile, if Eura wins, they’d need the combined margin to be at least three in order to have a shot at overtaking them.

Finally, let’s examine Crystalline Caverns. They’ll be fighting for a win, because they can advance with nothing short of that. They’ll be at least third with a victory, though, & could claim second if their win is coupled with either a Cassadaigua win, with a combined margin of at least three, or a Eura win, with a combined margin of at least four.

So, third place could go to:

Cassadaigua, with four points & a goal differential of at most +1;
Eura, with four points & a goal differential or at most ±0;
Crystalline Caverns, with four points & a goal differential of at least -1;
Darmen, with four points & a goal differential of at least ±0; or
Darmen, with two points & a goal differential of -1.

In terms of who could finish third, this group has a lot of diversity; depending on how the chips fall, every team is a possibility. However, unless Darmen & Crystalline Caverns draw, it’ll be a strong third place, on four points. Keeping in mind that both Cassadaigua & Eura would claim the top two spots in the group, no matter what happens in their match, if a draw does happen in the other match, every team in the tournament looks likely to be rooting for a draw between Darmen & Crystalline Caverns - save for the two teams actually involved.

Group 5 is also interesting. Let’s start with Nephara. They can win the group with a win or draw against Thibaea. They’d be tied for first on points with Thibaea if they lose, but they’d still keep above Thibaea on goal differential if the margin is within two. Meanwhile, a loss by three goals would see the two teams tied on both points & goal differential, but Thibaea would have the advantage on goals scored. All the while, Nephara can’t forget about Sargossa; if Nephara loses & Sargossa wins, Sargossa would likely overtake Nephara. The only way this wouldn’t happen is if both matches have one-goal margins & Nephara outscores Sargossa. So, Nephara could finish first, second, or third, though not fourth, & they can only slip to second if they lose or third if they lose by three.

Now for Sargossa. They’ll be facing Rou Scotan, & all they need is a win, a draw, or a loss of at most two in order to guarantee a spot in the top three. Meanwhile, if they can win while Thibaea fails to, or if they can get a result while Thibaea can’t, they will finish second in the group precisely. If both Group 5 matches end in draws, Thibaea will also finish second. If both Thibaea & Sargossa lose, there will be a three-way tie on points between those two teams & Rou Scotan on points, while if both teams win, they’ll be in a three-way tie on points with Nephara. Sargossa would likely be the top team in either of those tiebreakers based on point differential, seeing as they already have a four-goal edge in differential over Thibaea, a six-goal edge over Rou Scoutan, & would necessarily tie Nephara at the very least if a three-way tie for first happens. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that it is technically possible for Sargossa to finish first, second, third, or fourth in Group 5.

With that established, let’s move on to Thibaea. They can clinch a spot in the top three with a result, & a win of at least three would see them place in the top two, & possibly even first. That depends on the result of the Sargossa-Rou Scotan match, as Sargossa could take first away from Thibaea despite a big win because Sargossa already has a four-goal margin in goal differential. Meanwhile, things aren’t so bright if they lose, as they’d be locked out of first & it would be virtually impossible for them to finish in the top two; Sargossa would have to lose by a margin at least four goals worse than Thibaea to allow them to slip in. Thibaea could even finish last with a loss, as Rou Scotan is not far behind them. They would be tied on points with a loss & a Rou Scotan win. If both matches are decided by a single goal, the two teams would be tied on points & on goal differential, but otherwise, Thibaea would fall behind Rou Scotan - & likely into last. So, Thibaea also has a complicated story, with first, second, third, or fourth all possibilities.

Finally, let’s tackle Rou Scotan. This is the team with, by far, the worst odds in the group. They need a win just to have a chance; otherwise, they’re eliminated. They would tie Sargossa on points, goal differential, & goals scored with a three-goal victory, but they’d likely be given the edge on head-to-head result; anything less than a three-goal victory, though, would confine Rou Scotan to a position under Sargossa. In that case, even if Rou Scotan wins, they’d be unable to hurdle any other team in the group if Thibaea can so much as pick up a draw in the other match. Technically, they’d finish second if they can win by at least three & Thibaea loses by any margin, but it would certainly be a long shot.

With that complex group, we have a complex set of possible third place finishers, including:

Nephara, with six points & a goal differential of at most +1;
Sargossa, with six points & a goal differential of at least +3;
Sargossa, with four points & a goal differential of +2;
Sargossa, with three points & a goal differential of at most -1;
Thibaea, with three points & a goal differential of at most -3;
Thibaea, with four points & a goal differential of -2;
Thibaea, with six points & a goal differential of at least -1 but at most ±0; or
Rou Scotan, with three points & a goal differential of at least -3.

Group 5 is certainly the most wild with regard to possible third-place finishers, as all four teams in the group have the chance to land in that spot, which could see a team with as many as six - but no fewer than three - points. That also means that there is a good chance that it is the home of the best third-placed team in the tournament, though there are a few decent possibilities for third-place teams of other groups, not least of which being a Thibaea team coming off a loss.

& now we can wrap things up with Group 6, starting with Eastfield Lodge. They can win the group with a win over Mytanar Region, & a draw would see them through in the top two - in fact, a draw would still win the group if Kalosia isn’t defeated by Pridenestrovia. If Eastfield Lodge loses, however, things may get a bit rougher for them. Firstly, they will be surpassed by Mytanar Region, meaning they can’t finish first. If Pridenestrovia-Kalosia ends in a draw or a Kalosia win, they’ll likely slip to third, & this is guaranteed if Eastfield Lodge loses by a multigoal margin; finally, if Eastfield Lodge & Kalosia both lose, Eastfield Lodge must finish third no matter what. In no scenario can Eastfield Lodge finish bottom of the group, but they could still fall to second or third.

Now let’s examine Pridenestrovia. A draw would give them second or third, & a win would see them finish in the top two. In fact, a win coupled with an Eastfield Lodge loss could allow them to win the group, & a win coupled with an Eastfield Lodge draw would certainly allow them to top it. However, should they lose, they’ll be in a precarious situation; they’ll be third at best, & only if Mytanar Region lose by a score equal to or worse than Pridenestrovia. If the two teams have identical results - two wins, two draws, or two losses - with identical scorelines, they will be tied on points, goal differential, & goals scored, but Pridenestrovia will have the tiebreaker on head-to-head result. That means that a result almost certainly clinches a spot through in the top two for Pridenestrovia, but a loss would almost certainly eliminate them in fourth.

Now for Mytanar Region, which is in a somewhat similar situation. A draw would give them second or third, while a win could see them take either first or second. If they win, they’ll want to see Kalosia do well against Pridenestrovia, as the only way Mytanar Region could take second in the group with a win is if Pridenestrovia also win, by an equal or better score. If Mytanar Region loses, however, they also fall into dangerous territory - though, perhaps surprisingly, not quite as badly as the team above them. If Kalosia fails to defeat Pridenestrovia, Mytanar Region will still escape with third. If Kalosia does beat Pridenestrovia, Mytanar Region will hope that Pridenestrovia loses by a worse score than does Mytanar Region; if that’s so, Mytanar Region would finish third, though they’d be out as fourth otherwise. So, Mytanar Region has pretty clear paths to any of first, second, third, or fourth, with a bit more wiggle room than the team ranked above it due to scheduling.

Finally, let’s arrive at the twenty-fourth of the twenty-four teams in the tournament: Kalosia. They’re being looked at last for a reason, as they’ll finish last in the group if they can’t beat Pridenestrovia on the final matchday. However, they’re not to be counted out yet; they’d be in a great position with a win. That would guarantee them a spot in the top three, & a win by a multi-goal margin would guarantee them advancement through the top two. In fact, if they win, the only way they wouldn’t finish second is if the win is only by a single-goal margin, the other match in the group ends in a draw, & Kalosia doesn’t score at least four more goals in its match than Mytanar Region does in its own. Now, that last stipulation is certainly a tall order, but all Kalosia has to do is win by multiple goals - or hope that there’s a decisive result between Eastfield Lodge & Pridenestrovia - in order to advance.

The third-place team from this group is likely to be strong in the third-place teams table; let’s take a look at how exactly that could break down, which could feature:

Eastfield Lodge, with four points & a goal differential of at most ±0;
Pridenestrovia, with four points & a goal differential of ±0;
Pridenestrovia, with three points & a goal differential of at most -1;
Mytanar Region, with three points & a goal differential of at most -1;
Mytanar Region, with four points & a goal differential of ±0; or
Kalosia, with four points & a goal differential of ±0.

So, what does all that tell us? Well, let’s keep in mind that the six third-place teams will be ranked, & the top four will progress to the knockout rounds. That means that one of the possibilities mentioned in each of these lists will appear in the third-place table, where the top four go through & the bottom two go home. Keep in mind that the only way Qusmo can fall to third is if they lose, coupled with other results, meaning that they would be sitting at three points with a goal differential equal to the margin of their loss on the final matchday. Let’s see how that stacks up with each group’s statistically toughest third-place finishers.

Third Place Table     Pts     GD
1 Group 5               6   ≥ +3
2 Group 2               4   ≥ ±0
  Group 4               4   ≥ ±0
4 Group 6               4   = ±0
5 Group 3               4   ≥ -2
6 Group 1               4   = -2
Q Qusmo                 3   ≤ -1

That means that if Qusmo loses & finishes in third, it would need to rely on results in other groups in order to go through. Other teams, however, might take heart from the results. For example, though Nephara could still finish third in their group, they would be guaranteed to be the best-ranked third-place team in the tournament should that happen; thus, they are guaranteed to advance, no matter what happens in their final group stage match, as are any teams with more than four points (&, likely, most with at least four).

Third Place Table     Pts     GD
1 Group 6               3   ≤ -1
Q Qusmo                 3   ≤ -1
2 Group 1               3   ≤ -3
  Group 5               3   ≤ -3
4 Group 2               2   = -1
  Group 4               2   = -1
6 Group 3               2   = -3

That means that if Qusmo loses & finishes in third, it could still progress to the next round. Unfortunately, we can’t get much more narrowly focussed than that analysis. There are 1 728 different possible combinations for the six teams which will be in the third-place table - & that number only factors in the teams, not their points, which would multiply the figure yet further, nor their goal differential or goals scored, which would technically be infinite. However, it does mean that Qusmo can advance with a loss. They would certainly need some help, but they would be in a better position than third-place teams with only two points - & no team with less can finish third, much less move on. If Qusmo loses on the final matchday, they’ll be in a breathless waiting match, with strong rooting interests in each of the other matches on tap, at the mercy of what happens in the other five groups. That said, there’s a way to avoid this all; Qusmo just needs to get a result against Savojarna.

Qusmo National Team gets positive result against East Neutralia
Qusmo 1–0 East Neutralia
South Granby, Cassadaigua
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 65’ Karar-Nirlo Hus
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
- 65’ Nirlo-Betva Uzo
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Prant-Pertz Gor
- 73’ Dwada-Dalox Wek
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (57’ p)

by **Qusmo** » Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:02 pm

Qusma manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban has made headlines with a highly negative review of their team’s performance in the group stage of Copa Rushmori XXX. Qusmo advanced out of the group stage as the fourth-best third-place team, the very last team to earn inclusion into the knockout rounds. It will play Ceni in the Round of Sixteen in Rutland, Cassadaigua. Below are Avarn-Oxolt’s controversial comments.

“It was remarkably close, &, really, we’re lucky to have gotten this far. If Taeshan had beaten Mapletish in Group 2, we’d be out. It went down to the very final matchday of the very final group, because if Mytanar Region had beaten Eastfield Lodge, or drawn, or even lost by just one, they’d be through & we’d be the team sitting out. I’m pleased to be moving on, of course, but I’m disappointed with the way we got there.”

“Tiring travel certainly wasn’t a concern; every match we played was in a single stadium in South Granby. Still, we scored only one penalty kick against a team in its first-ever international tournament, sandwiched by two losses in which we didn’t manage a single goal. We’re the only team in the Round of Sixteen to make it on only three points. All these other teams have proven themselves against multiple opponents, & quality ones at that. We just had the luck to be put in the only group with two unranked teams, to squeak by against our unranked counterparts, & to not get blown out by the other two teams. Only eight teams got eliminated in this round, & six were unranked; we very nearly made it seven for seven for the unranked teams being eliminated in the group stage.”

“With that in mind, as the worst team still in this tournament based on both ranking & group stage performance, we fully deserve the wretched Round of Sixteen draw we got. We’re up against Ceni. They’re a strong team; they started the group stage Pot 1 & finished as one of only three teams to finish with all nine points. They’re a motivated team; rumours are, of course, swirling that dysfunction in the federation is spelling the end of this golden age of Cenian football, so these players will surely want to make this Copa Rushmori count in case it’s their last. &, for us, they’re a bogey team.”

“Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. This isn’t our first time playing Ceni. In our first competition, World Cup Qualifying for the eightieth cycle, we were wallopped 5-2 at Cenial Halycon National Stadium & then demolished 5-1 at Mastad Qusma. Ceni has our number. Of eleven teams we’ve played multiple times, they’re the only one which have beaten us twice. &, based on our respective teams’ forms during this tournament, it’s not looking too great for us in this rematch, either.”

“We’ve got to play better. We’ve just got to. We haven’t scored a single goal from open play this entire tournament. Our one goal was from a penalty kick against a team playing their second match on the international stage, & one of only two teams in this tournament not to earn a single point all tournament long. We haven’t shown that we can compete against quality teams in this competition. Aside from that one match against unranked East Neutralia, where we were saved by a spot kick, we’ve played four matches against teams from Rushmore & we’ve lost four matches against teams from Rushmore. I’m upset with how our team has played. We’ll be making some major changes in attack to try to unlock things, but against a team like Ceni, I’m afraid it may be too late.”

Qusmo National Team loses but advances to Copa Rushmori Round of Sixteen
Savojarna 1–0 Qusmo
South Granby, Cassadaigua
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CM Yunal-Julad Waz
- 68’ Rilan-Jerat Nev
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
CM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM Kynda-Sevet Pec
- 73’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
ST Prant-Pertz Gor
- 77’ Yamaj-Blonz Jok
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol

by **Qusmo** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:43 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. Despite a 1-0 loss to Savojarna on the final matchday of the group stage, Qusmo has narrowly qualified to the Round of Sixteen of Copa Rushmori XXX, as the fourth of four teams to finish third in their group to advance to the knockout rounds. Let’s take a look at the group stage & those knockout rounds to come in Cassadaigua. First, we have a question from a viewer in Wexe.

What big upsets have there been in the Copa Rushmori so far?

None, really. So far, this tournament is remarkably devoid of upsets. Thirty-six matches were played in the group stage; thirty-five were played between one team with a higher regional ranking than the other. (In one match - Qusmo v. East Neutralia - both teams were unranked. It is worth noting that the team with the better KPB ranking, Qusmo ultimately prevailed.) Of the thirty-five matches between teams with differing regional rankings, twenty-seven ended in victory for the higher-ranked team, seven ended in draws, & only one resulted in an upset. &, then again, the supposed upset was a narrow victory by Mapletish, which has been impressive in their return to the international stage & which won Di Bradini Cup 43 - after knocking Qusmo’s U21s out in the quarterfinals, too. In fact, to give a stark example, on the second matchday of the group stage, with eleven such matches played, the higher-ranked team won all eleven matches, with lower-ranked teams unable to secure even a draw.

If you look at the aggregate results for the favourites in each match in this group stage, it gives you eighty-eight points from thirty-five matches, better than 2.5 points per match. Thirty-five matches is roughly the number of matches teams in a double round robin league of eighteen teams might play in a season; in such a league, earning eighty-eight points would likely signal a record-setting, runaway championship campaign. Indeed, looking at the Qusma domestic football pyramid for scale, despite playing thirty-eight matches - three more than in our hypothetical Copa Rushmori domestic league - no team in Pug Qusmyra nor Pug Qusma has earned eighty-eight points, & none of the three hundred twenty clubs in sixteen leagues in the Fuzpon Qusma pyramid have ever reached 2.5 points per match.

In the end, a table of all twenty-four teams sorted by results in this tournament reveals precisely how secure highly-ranked teams have been at this tournament. Every group winner can be found in Pot 1, & every Pot 1 team won their group. On the other end, all nine sides which entered the tournament not ranked in the top twenty of the regional rankings are found in the bottom ten. All seven unranked sides have at least two losses, & six take spots among the eight teams eliminated in the group stage; the only team that avoided that fate is Qusmo, which only snuck in as the fourth & final third-place team to be given a spot to compete in the Round of Sixteen. The only surprise among the teams at the top or the bottom-dwellers is Taeshan, the eighth-ranked side which suffered the nineteenth-best tournament, could only manage one point, & bowed out in the group stage as their group’s worst team. However, Group 2 was a formidable one, & having only one team in the top two pots go in the group stage is still a highly impressive record for the teams with pedigrees.

On the plus side, the group stage indicates that the regional rankings are accurate. On the other hand, if you enjoy rooting for underdogs, this tournament has surely left you in the dog house.

TR Team                  Grp   Pos   Pts    GD    GS   PCR
 1 Pasarga                 2     1     9    +6     9     3
 2 Valladares              1     1     9    +5     8     1
 3 Ceni                    3     1     9    +5     8     6
 4 Eastfield Lodge         6     1     7    +5     5     5
 5 Nephara                 5     1     7    +4     5     4
 6 Eura                    4     1     7    +2     4     2
 7 Pridenestrovia          6     2     6    +3     7     7
 8 Savojarna               1     2     6    -1     4    10
 9 Sargossa                5     2     4    +2     9    13
10 Cassadaigua             4     2     4    +1     6    15
11 Sarrbia                 2     2     4    +1     5    18
12 Darmen                  4     3     4    ±0     5    11
13 Yuezhou                 3     2     4    ±0     2    16
14 Olastor                 3     3     4    -1     3    12
15 Thibaea                 5     3     4    -2     6    31
16 Qusmo                   1     3     3    -1     1    UR
17 Mytanar Region          6     3     3    -4     3    24
18 Mapletish               2     3     3    -5     4    UR
19 Taeshan                 2     4     1    -2     0     8
20 Crystalline Caverns     4     4     1    -3     0    UR
21 Rou Scotan              5     4     1    -4     6    UR
22 Kalosia                 6     4     1    -4     1    UR
23 East Neutralia          1     4     0    -3     5    UR
24 St Trinians             3     4     0    -4     3    UR

Next, let’s take a question from a viewer in Nosib.

Who will go far in the knockout rounds of the Copa Rushmori? Who will win it all?

Great question. Unfortunately, it’s not likely to be Qusmo. The team starts off with a Round of Sixteen clash against Ceni, one of the two starkest mismatches on the highly predictive ranking sheet, rivalling only a match between second-ranked Eura & thirty-first-ranked Thibaea. Qusmo also has a one-sided history with Ceni, as Ceni has won two blowouts against Qusmo in World Cup Qualifying, by 5-2 & 5-1 margins, respectively. Finally, the two teams’ form are vastly different; while Ceni took all nine points from their group & are motivated by rumours swirling about their federation’s future, Qusmo has scored only one goal all tournament, including none from open play, & only got to this point as the last third-place team, leading to manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban to highly publically & bitingly criticize their own team ahead of the knockout rounds.

The question of who might go far could well be answered by looking simply at the higher-ranked team in each of the matchups; after all, the group stage went almost exactly that way. If that were to happen, here’s how the tournament would look.

Round of Sixteen
(4) Nephara - (15) Cassadaigua
(6) Ceni - (UR) Qusmo
(18) Sarrbia - (7) Pridenestrovia
(1) Valladares - (12) Olastor
(10) Savojarna - (16) Yuezhou
(2) Eura - (31) Thibaea
(3) Pasarga - (11) Darmen
(5) Eastfield Lodge - (13) Sargossa

Quarterfinals
(4) Nephara - (6) Ceni
(7) Pridenestrovia - (1) Valladares
(10) Savojarna - (2) Eura
(3) Pasarga - (5) Eastfield Lodge

Semifinals
(4) Nephara - (1) Valladares
(2) Eura - (3) Pasarga

Third-Place Match
(4) Nephara - (3) Pasarga

Final
(1) Valladares - (2) Eura

Valladares would defend their title over Eura, while Pasarga would win third over Nephara.

That said, we don’t necessarily think the entire knockout stage will go chalk. Here are our predictions for the tournament bracket.

First, we need to look at the Round of Sixteen. We don’t expect many surprises here; hosts Cassadaigua have fought well, & will be bolstered by a home crowd, but Nephara is eyeing its first Copa Rushmori after winning several regional championships in Esportiva, & they will simply be too much. Ceni, of course, will take care of Qusmo, & the round should progress mostly as expected. Matches to keep your eyes on include Savojarna-Yuezhou, Pasarga-Darmen, & Eastfield Lodge-Sargossa; the underdogs could certainly make things interesting in all, though we only expect Sargossa to actually score the upset victory in this upset-less Copa.

Next, let’s see how the quarterfinals might play out. Nephara face Ceni, & it is a true shame that one of these teams will not be reaching the semifinal, when both harbour realistic dreams of reaching the final - or even the tournament as a whole. However, we think that Ceni will be able to pull it out after being better-rested after an easy win against Qusmo, compared to a win we expect Nephara to get but have to play hard for. Pridenestrovia & Savojarna are certainly intriguing nations, but we don’t think the top two seeds of the tournament are going to go out before the semifinals of this tournament, which has placed such an emphasis on rank. Finally, Sargossa hopes to score a second upset over Pasarga, but we think that the third-ranked team in the region will simply be too much, after a tightly-contested match.

Now on to the most exciting part: the last four matches. Ceni takes on holders Valladares in the first semifinal, & we think that Valladares is vulnerable enough for Arrowsword & company to exploit; we’ll pick Ceni to stay in Concord Heights for both of their final two matches of the tournament. Next, we think that Eura will be able to prevail over Pasarga in a hard-fought battle. We’ll pick Vallares, which won their final match in the last Copa Rushmori, to do so again, while the final will be between Ceni & Eura. We think that it is only fitting that a team would beat three teams of higher rank than it to win a Copa Rushmori so heavily predicated on rank, & we think that it is only fitting that this Cenian team, which faces so much uncertainty, will win a trophy, even if it may be their last.

Round of Sixteen
(4) Nephara - (15) Cassadaigua
(6) Ceni - (UR) Qusmo
(18) Sarrbia - (7) Pridenestrovia
(1) Valladares - (12) Olastor
(10) Savojarna - (16) Yuezhou
(2) Eura - (31) Thibaea
(3) Pasarga - (11) Darmen
(5) Eastfield Lodge - (13) Sargossa

Quarterfinals
(4) Nephara - (6) Ceni
(7) Pridenestrovia - (1) Valladares
(10) Savojarna - (2) Eura
(3) Pasarga - (13) Sargossa

Semifinals
(6) Ceni - (1) Valladares
(2) Eura - (3) Pasarga

Third-Place Match
(1) Valladares - (3) Pasarga

Final
(6) Ceni - (2) Eura

In our last round of predictions, Di Bradini Cup 43, we got thirteen of sixteen knockout stage matches correct, including the third-place match, both semifinals, & the final. If this tournament continues the way it’s gone so far, that may not be an entirely remarkable achievement for pundits trying to predict the Copa Rushmori XXX knockouts. That said, we’re sure there will be surprises in store - or, at least, more than there have been so far.

by **Qusmo** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 4:19 pm

Promotion Playoffs

With the league season over, 253 clubs in the Fuzpon Qusma pyramid have hung up their laces for the final time until Ryrak Cez. However, many more have competitive matches ahead. The vast majority of these will be promotion playoffs. Sixteen clubs clinched automatic promotion, but sixty others will fight for fifteen more tickets to a higher tier. There will be forty-five matches played to decide the winners - two semifinals & one final in every league but Pug Qusmyra itself - & fans of clubs up & down the pyramid will be watching. Puky buvanorata will determine places in Puk Zama, UICA competition, &, of course, leagues next year. There’s not a moment to waste. Let’s get to it.

Puk Buvanorata Puga Qusma
Qalijan 1–0 Vlosk
Polxar 4–0 Atlov
Qalijan 2–0 Polxar

Puk Buvanorata Puga Qelama
Atlemp 0–1 Liczak
Ixitil 2–0 Qaladaf
Ixitil 0–1 Liczak

Puk Buvanorata Puga Qelamajza
Homarl 1–1 Zororov (1–1 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Abork 1–0 Brajit
Abork 2–2 Zororov (4–2 AET)

Puk Buvanorata Puga Fedala
Dynabat 1–1 Xarpin (1–2 AET)
Matkag 1–2 Yentaz
Yentaz 0–0 Xarpin (0–0 AET) (2–4 pen.)

Puk Buvanorata Puga Refora
Ervor 2–1 Qapaz
Bulax 3–1 Oporton
Ervor 1–1 Bulax (1–2 AET)

Puk Buvanorata Puga Serana
Zrintal 1–2 Joluk
Norfad 0–1 Zyxuc
Zyxuc 0–0 Joluk (1–0 AET)

Puk Buvanorata Puga Tumata
Fezax 3–1 Yeflerb
Voraxan 2–0 Vazed
Fezax 1–2 Voraxan

Puk Buvanorata Puga Neqveqa
Glontob 3–1 Grantak
Qajarz 1–1 Sifabted (1–1 AET) (3–5 pen.)
Glontob 2–1 Sifabted

Puk Buvanorata Puga Neqxeqa
Selizon 1–1 Ortonyl (1–1 AET) (2–3 pen.)
Atlorn 1–1 Minetren (1–2 AET)
Minetren 3–0 Ortonyl

Puk Buvanorata Puga Neqyeqa
Pygmon 1–2 Bylorn
Franzfel 0–2 Olilnorn
Olilnorn 2–0 Bylorn

Puk Buvanorata Puga Xeqveqa
Belaporb 3–1 Uvynic
Uvpolav 4–1 Izixic
Belaporb 3–0 Uvpolav

Puk Buvanorata Puga Xeqyeqa
Menalot 2–2 Dresdrec (2–2 AET) (8–9 pen.)
Acemif 0–1 Fynavar
Fynavar 0–2 Dresdrec

Puk Buvanorata Puga Zeqveqa
Ilixil 2–0 Tilpinib
Syrtyrn 4–0 Lenleft
Ilixil 2–0 Syrtyrn

Puk Buvanorata Puga Zeqxeqa
Uvuzul 3–0 Relskarn
Wekinol 3–1 Xoraltyn
Uvuzul 1–1 Wekinol (2–1 AET)

Puk Buvanorata Puga Zeqyeqa
Nervador 1–1 Klentamp (2–1 AET)
Plovoc 1–0 Jivenic
Nervador 2–1 Plovoc

Glontob, Belaporb, Ilixil, Uvuzul, & Nervador will be satisfied with their performances, as they have translated the momentum from their runner-up league showings into promotion to Qavaxuzj Fez. Meanwhile, Minetren, Olilnorn, & Dresdrec will be delighted that promotion from their respective leagues includes a playoff open to the first through fourth runners-up; in each of their instances, both puk buvanorata semifinals ended in upsets, leading Minetren & Olilnorn to go up after fourth-place league seasons & allowing Dresdrec to punch their ticket after finishing fifth.

Though league runners-up mostly took care of business in puky buvanorata in Qavaxuzj Gez, they had no such luck in Qavaxuzj Fez. Third-place Bulax & Voraxan emerged from Puk Buvanorata Puga Refora & Puk Buvanorata Puga Tumata, respectively, while Zyxuc’s defense stifled their opponents to leave Pug Serana in a year they finished fourth. Finally, fifth-place Xarpin won two close matches to win promotion from Pug Fedala, needing extra time in the semifinal & penalties in the final.

In Qavaxuzj Dez, clubs sought the opportunity to compete on a nationwide stage: Pug Qusma. They had to win two matches first, though, & only two clubs could do that. In Pug Qelama, Liczak put away first Atlemp & then Ixitil with ease, 1-0, to earn promotion despite also being the lowest ranked club in the league to qualify to its puk buvanorata. In Pug Qelamajza, Abork also posted a 1-0 scoreline in the semifinal before outlasting a tired Zororov in extra time to make it.

Finally, Qavaxuzj Cez consists solely of Pug Qusma, & the Puk Buvanorata Puga Qusma champions are destined for the ultimate prize: Pug Qusmyra. They will receive an additional bonus as well: a place in the Sixty-Eighth UICA Series B Champions’ Cup. Representatives of each of Qusmo’s three largest cities, as well as of the largest city in Xeqyeq, sought the third promotion place into the top flight.

Only one Pug Qusma club conceded fewer goals during the season than Qalijan, & only by one goal; the club from the capital continued their defensive ways in the semifinal, stifling Vlosk to the tune of 1-0. The other matchup featured the second-best attack in Pug Qusma, & Polxar did not fail in their semifinal, running away with a 4-0 win over Atlov. However, in this test of a great offense against a great defense, it was the defense that won this promotion playoff, as Qalijan moved with Dynynon & Ixic into Pug Qusmyra with a 2-0 victory.

International Competitions

However, the end of the domestic season is not the end of football in Qusmo - in fact, it is only the beginning of a new, exciting, final phase: international competitions. Though only a select few clubs compete in these events, it showcases the best of the best of Qusmo & clubs from around the multiverse. With UICA play, five clubs took to the pitch, & Qusma players faced players & teams from outside the nation in an organized tournament for the first time.

UICA First Preliminary Round
(QUS) Qastyr 2–3 Stórrgarðrsveit (HFD) 1–2 & 1–1
(PAS) Stein-los Turkish 4–2 Atlant (QUS) 1–1 & 3–1
(ETN) Birdingstone United 4–1 Trew (QUS) 0–0 & 4–1
(QUS) Ixic 3–2 Pontifucia United (EFL) 1–1 & 2–1
(QUS) Qalijan 2–7 Humber Valley (MRC) 1–2 & 1–5

Unfortunately, Qusmo’s first foray into international competition didn’t go as well as Fuzpon Qusma hoped it would. Four of the five clubs competing in the first preliminary round of UICA play were dumped at that point, with KF Ixic being the only exception, advancing to the Second Preliminary Round of the Series B Champions’ Cup. No result was embarrassing for Fuzpon Qusma, though, with the possible exception of KF Qalijan’s 7-2 aggregate loss to Mercedini’s Humber Valley in the Series B Champions’ Cup, on the basis of a 5-1 thrashing in Mercedini.

In fact, most Qusma clubs were competitive. In the Globe Cup, both KF Atlant & KF Trew secured draws in their first legs, in the first two matches played by a Qusma club on foreign soil; they simply couldn’t hold on for the full 180 minutes they needed to advance. In the Champions’ Cup, Qusma champions & standardbearers KF Qastyr secured a draw against Mestrlið champions Stórrgarðrsveit in the second leg, played in Halfdansodal, but needed one more goal to send the tie into extra time. They will continue their journey in the Globe Cup Second Preliminary Round. &, of course, KF Ixic secured a draw at home & a win in Eastfield Lodge to advance to the Series B Champions’ Cup Second Preliminary Round against the Imperial Commonwealth Charity Shield semifinalists.

UICA Second Preliminary Round
(QUS) Qastyr 5–3 Corinthian Spirits (STB) 3–0 & 2–3
(QUS) Poldanz a 3–3 Vinte de Setembro (SBE) 2–0 & 1–3
(QUS) Ixic 3–3 a Mareseilles HC (CRY) 1–3 & 2–0

The UICA Second Preliminary Round may have featured fewer clubs & fewer matches for Qusmo, but they were much more successful. Facing Corinthian Spirits, a Starblaydi club which finished in the Tiberius Cup quarterfinals & took fifth in Liga Starblaydia, KF Qastyr was coming off a tough 3-2 aggregate defeat to Stórrgarðrsveit. However, Prant-Pertz Gor propelled the Pug Qusmyra champions to a 3-0 lead in front of their home fans at Mastad Qanza, & they would not let up from there, taking the tie by a convincing 5-3 margin.

That wasn’t Qusmo’s only success of the Globe Cup, as Puk Zala champions KF Poldanz faced Vinte de Setembro, champions of the 2nd Brazilian Empire’s Copa Sulista & second runners-up in Campeonato Nacional Primeira Divisão. Poldanz striker Xilit-Zaxac Yol was silent in the home leg, seeing Dynom-Sevet Zev & Jralv-Nexev Pec open their international accounts instead. However, after conceding three away, it was Xilit-Zaxac who saved the day late for Poldanz - which lost the match but won the tie on that away goal.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all roses for Qusma clubs. KF Ixic, the lone bright spot in the previous round, turned out to be the lone dark spot in this one. The newly-promoted team had a 3-0 deficit on their hands by the end of the first half of the first leg, & they were playing at home, making each of those goals hurt even more. Ixic snagged one back in the second half & scored twice in the Crystal Empire, but Ixic ultimately proved unable to surmount Mareseilles HC’s advantage in away goals, leaving one Qusma club left in the Series B Champions’ Cup & two in the Globe Cup.

UICA Third Preliminary Round
(VIL) Yeaddin Owls 1–4 Qastyr (QUS) 1–2 & 0–2
(VLD) Slateport Bulls 2–1 Poldanz (QUS) 1–0 & 1–1
(QUS) Dynynon 1–7 Nassau Bay United (NGD) 1–2 & 0–5

The third preliminary round looked much like the first for Fuzpon Qusma. Again, there were failures, including a Series B Champions’ Cup thrashing, but again, one club moved on. Dynynon were absolutely taken apart by Nassau Bay United, a club based in New Gelderland which plays in the notoriously competitive Terranean League system. At least Qalijan was able to score in both legs; Dynynon was unable to find a single goal in New Gelderland, even as their opponents netted five.

Against the Slateport Bulls, Poldanz had more of a chance. The Bulls finished twelfth in the Liga-1 Torneo Apertura & fourteenth in the Liga-1 Torneo Clausura, for a twelfth-place finish in Valladares’s aggregate table. They made it to the Globe Cup on the basis of their cup play, making it to the Torneo de Verano semifinals & winning the King’s Shield. Poldanz hoped that the Bulls would be a weaker side than some of their counterparts from Valladares, which finished higher up the table. Perhaps that is still true, but Poldanz proved unable to use it to their advantage, with a Bulls away goal late in the second leg sealing the Pug Qusmyra runners-up’s defeat.

The one success was from, of course, none other than KF Qastyr. They, too, were taking on a team that represented a great league but weren’t at the top of it. Finishing seventh in the Stellar Division, they made it to the Vilitan Cup finals before falling at the last hurdle. They entered Globe Cup play at the Second Preliminary Round, & they had a rough go of it; they needed 210 minutes - both legs & extra time - to find one goal to dispatch Razenthuria’s Fullham Rangers. Qastyr entered with much more confidence & much more momentum, & it showed, first with an impressive 2-1 away win that gave them the advantage in the tie with multiple invaluable away goals, & then with a 2-0 performance that left no doubt which club was the better side. They would be the last Qusma side left in UICA senior team play.

UICA Playoff Round
(QUS) Qastyr 2–2 a Rozelle (BRE) 2–2 & 0–0

KF Qastyr made it all the way from the Champions’ Cup First Preliminary Round to the Globe Cup Playoff Round in Fuzpon Qusma’s first season of international competition. Unfortunately, however, that is as far as they got. They ran right into Rozelle, the runners-up of Brenecia’s A-League & one of the top teams in Esportiva, if not the world. It was quite impressive that Qastyr came as close as they did, really. Qastyr scored twice at Mastad Qanza to secure a draw, but the third-best defense in the A-League, which conceded an average of less than one goal per match domestically, set up a bunker, knowing that a clean sheet in the return leg in Brenecia would see them through to the Qualifying Round. It was Qastyr’s eighth match in UICA play, & it was the first time that the top-ranked offense in Qusmo failed to find the back of the net. It was the end of the road for Qastyr - & for Fuzpon Qusma - in their inaugural foray into UICA senior competition, but it was a good showing overall, especially for the Pug Qusmyra champions.

UICA Youth Cup First Round
(EQS) Cloudsdale Flyers 3–2 Juzun Trewa (QUS) 2–1 & 1–1

After bowing out in the First Preliminary Round of the UICA Globe Cup, KF Trew’s Zilot-Trenj Miz, Rilan-Jerat Nev, & Fuzpon Qusma as a whole had one last bite at the UICA apple through the Youth Cup. Unfortunately, not only did they enter again in the first round of competition, but they also exited at that point. The Cloudsdale Flyers academy beat KF Trew’s by a line of 2-1 in the Equestrian States, preparing to host World Cup 80 with Starblaydia - another nation seen by a Qusma club in international competition. The Qusmi’y had a valuable away goal, but they also needed a win at Mastad Trewa - something they could not secure in their return leg. Thus ended Fuzpon Qusma’s first season in UICA competition.

Cygnus Cup
(DAR) Rogerton Valladar CF 2-2 p Poldanz (QUS) 1-1 & 1-1 (0-3 pen) Preliminary Round
(QUS) Poldanz 0-7 Stein-los Turkish (PAS) 0-3 & 0-4 First Round

But Fuzpon Qusma was not quite done yet. The association entered three more clubs into three more competitions to close the year. First was the Cygnus Cup Winners’ Cup, where Qusmo was represented by Puk Zala champions KF Poldanz. They didn’t face a poor opponent in Darmeni side Rogerton Valladar CF, which took third in Series A & won the National Cup. However, Poldanz seemed up for the challenge, securing two draws & eventually prevailing on penalties to advance to the first round proper.

They were excited to reach that stage, but they might regret it now, as they got absolutely torn apart by the Eagles. The Copa de la Luna champions all but won the tie in the first leg with a 3-0 win at Mastad Poldanza, but to cap things off, they won even more handily in Pasarga, resulting in a humiliating 7-0 aggregate, representing the third time a foreign side had put seven past a Qusma squad, though the first time the Qusma club couldn’t manage even a consolation goal. With that, they bowed out of the tournament & the season altogether.

Copa de Campeones
(QUS) Qastyr 1–4 Union Rheinburg (PDN) 1-3 & 0-1 Preliminary Round

KF Qastyr got to compete in three international competitions: the Champions’ Cup, the Globe Cup, & now the Copa de Campeones. In the Champions’ Cup, Qastyr did alright, but they went out at the first hurdle. At the regional version of roughly the same event, roughly the same happened. In fact, it was a little worse for Qastyr, as they conceded three away goals & never even managed a draw against Union Rheinburg, the champions of the Super League of Pridnestrovia. & so ended the season of Pug Qusmyra’s inaugural champions.

Vilitan Cove Invitational
(QUS) Rejin 2-3 Metropolon Lights (DRK) 1-3 & 1-0 Preliminary Round

In contrast to Poldanz & Qastyr, competing in two or three international tournaments, KF Rejin got the opportunity to compete abroad for the first time. It was short-lived. Of all the non-UICA performances, this was the most graceful exit. Rejin was able to compete against the Lights for some stretches, but conceding three away goals in the first leg doomed them. As much as Ozolx-Mazur Guv laboured to find a way, & they did net late goals in both matches, even managing to win the second leg, their team was unable to support their efforts throughout the aggregate performance. & thus ends competition in Ryrak Bez of Qusma football.

End-of-Season Awards

Of course, the season would not be complete without looking back & acknowledging some of the great accomplishments that have been made. With that, Fuzpon Qusma is announcing the names of twenty-five players that it feels performed best over the course of the year in a Team of the Season. This list is composed to adhere to the roster restrictions that Fuzpon Qusma would impose upon a club in its competition, with special care to represent all positions. In addition, an award is presented to the best manager for the season & the best player under twenty, as well as the best goalkeeper, the best defender, the best midfielder, the best forward, & the best player overall.

Fuzpon Qusma Team of the Season - Ryrak Bez

Goalkeepers
Vanza-Jerat Gep (QUS) - Qastyr
Pilta-Jerat Nev (QUS) - Koflir
Xynat-Evela Cuf (QUS) - Trosoc

Defenders
Lucex-Ilinx Opu (QUS) - Atlant
Yelto-Alfan Ono (QUS) - Koflir
Cunix-Betva Tla (QUS) - Niom
Zenon-Gerol Kal (QUS) - Koflir
Karar-Nirlo Hus (QUS) - Poldanz
Nirlo-Betva Uzo (QUS) - Atlant
Jralv-Yamaj Mal (QUS) - Atlant
Raxat-Trenj Val (QUS) - Niom

Midfielders
Yunal-Julad Waz (QUS) - Poldanz
Ilinx-Kepex Zev (QUS) - Qastyr
Ilinx-Vulav Ixi (QUS) - Poldanz
Xynat-Vralx Roz (QUS) - Estraj
Cralt-Ernat Jan (QUS) - Werzin
Ilinx-Iblix Tla (QUS) - Trew
Kynda-Sevet Pec (QUS) - Koflir
Avarn-Avarn Val (QUS) - Qastyr

Forwards
Paliv-Xilit Max (QUS) - Estraj
Ozolx-Mazur Guv (QUS) - Rejin
Jralv-Nexev Pec (QUS) - Poldanz
Xilit-Zaxac Yol (QUS) - Poldanz
Prant-Pertz Gor (QUS) - Qastyr
Rilan-Jerat Nev (QUS) - Trew

A total of ten clubs were represented on the Team of the Season, led by KF Koflir & KF Qastyr, with four selections, & KF Poldanz, with five. Beyond that, nerves settled in at the awards ceremony to discover who would receive individual awards. Firstly, a manager was recognized. To the surprise of some, the two title-winning managers of the campaign - Tlanx-Nulzk Hal of KF Qastyr & Vralx-Ucyxi Lec of KF Poldanz - were largely looked over. Avarn-Oxolt Ban of KF Zwac got a few votes, & KF Trosoc’s Lynul-Zorno Dar ran a strong second, but it was ultimately Lucex-Kynda Uzo who won the award by a decent margin after leading KF Estraj to a seventh-place finish, when they were expected to finish thirteenth.

Lucex-Kynda is a firey sort with a colourful personality who never lacks for energy, & rumours are swirling that they won’t be at Mastad Estada next season; in fact, they have been widely-tipped as leading candidates for a role as the Qusma national team’s first manager. Whether those predictions come to fruition or not, Lucex-Kynda has to be pleased with themself, & the shiny trophy they get to keep on the wall after a season in which Estraj finished higher than first hoped but got nowhere near silverware.

Next, the association recognized the player it believed to be the best under the age of twenty. There were two obvious candidates, as both nineteen-year-old Kynda-Sevet Pec of KF Koflir & eighteen-year-old Rilan-Jerat Nev of KF Trew made it onto the Team of the Season. However, though Kynda-Sevet received quite a few votes, Rilan-Jerat emerged as the winner of the award.

Rilan-Jerat Nev was a bit of a controversial inclusion on the Team of the Season squad. There are some who would make a full-throated endorsement of this budding star, but many others do not believe they are yet up to snuff. Apparently, Fuzpon Qusma has cast itself into the camp that sees potential & believe that Rilan-Jerat Nev has helped their club, rather than the other way around. The dissidents, clearly, opted for Kynda-Sevet.

With those two awards out of the way, the biggest prizes waited to be had. No Best XI would be selected, but the best player from each category of player - goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, & forward - would be selected from their respective Team of the Season pools. Finally, from those four, one would be honoured as Fuzpon Qusma’s first Player of the Season.

First up were the goalkeepers. With KF Trosoc’s Xynat-Evela Cuf & KF Koflir’s Pilta-Jerat Nev as the other two candidates, Vanza-Jerat Gep of KF Qastyr still stood out. The other two are mostly shot-stoppers, but Vanza-Jerat represents a more complete package; they can distribute well &, at times, act as a sweeper keeper of sorts to help their own defense. They did not have as much defensive help as Pilta-Jerat had, & they enjoyed much more success than either Pilta-Jerat or, especially, Xynat-Evela. With that, Vanza-Jerat Gep takes home their award.

The candidate pool broadens a bit when it comes to defenders. The list of clubs represented, however, does not. KF Poldanz’s fourth-ranked defense sent one representative to the Team of the Season, while KF Koflir & KF Niom - ranked second & third defensively, respectively - each sent a pair, & KF Atlant, with its astounding, suffocating, top-ranked defense, sent its entire back line. Indeed, in the end, it was a player from Atlant who got the nod: the club’s captain, Lucex-Ilinx Opu.

There was little question about whose shelf this award would be heading to, really. Lucex-Ilinx has been a dominant centreback leading a dominant defense, propelling their club into the Globe Cup places after only conceding twenty-three goals in thirty-eight league matches. It is a phenomenal rate, unmatched in Pug Qusmyra, & it was achieved in large part because of KF Atlant’s unique style of play. Lucex-Ilinx is the centreback, the captain, & the enforcer for a squad that eschews the rapid pace of most Pug Qusmyra sides & instead thrives on pure physicality. Lucex-Ilinx knows how to execute a bruising tackle, & that helped Atlant immensely this season - & likely got them this award.

There were some very interesting choices for Fuzpon Qusma in midfield, not least KF Poldanz’s central midfield duo of Yunal-Julad Waz & Ilinx-Vulav Ixi, the club’s first-choice defensive & attacking midfielders, respectively. There is a fairly strong pool of midfielders to choose from, but ultimately, the prize had to go to KF Qastyr captain & central midfielder Ilinx-Kepex Zev.

Ilinx-Kepex is easily one of the most well-known & widely-respected players in Qusmo, putting in tireless work on & off the ball that is invaluable to their team. They are a player capable of helping out the back line, marking opponents, getting stuck in, & doing defensive work, but also of being creative, finding space, assisting teammates, making runs, or scoring goals. Ilinx-Kepex does a little bit of everything for their club, & their club is better off for it.

The final positional award handed out went to the forwards. It was an interesting selection, with so much top talent. Jralv-Nexev Pec was a candidate, but only because the right wing forward player pool in the league is not very strong. Rilan-Jerat Nev’s name was occasionally voiced, but they never mounted a serious challenge. Paliv-Xilit Max was the best support striker of the league, but their performance was not enough to secure a trophy or international competition for their club.

There was a clear top three comprised of left wing forward Ozolx-Mazur Guv of KF Rejin & strikers Prant-Pertz Gor & Xilit-Zaxac Yol of KF Qastyr & KF Poldanz, respectively. Ozolx-Mazur could not lead their team to the UICA places, losing 2-0 on the final matchday when a win would have seen them through. Meanwhile, Prant-Pertz was the final layer a fearsome attack, but they were merely one of many excellent performers playing across the pitch; Xilit-Zaxac was a true leader in engineering the success of their club’s offense throughout the year. Thus, Xilit-Zaxac Yol won Forward of the Season.

With that, thirty-one awards were distributed, & only one remained. Who would win Player of the Season? Four great players stepped forward as candidates, with players from each of Pug Qusmyra’s top three clubs, including two from the champions. Vanza-Jerat & Lucex-Ilinx each got healthy respect for their play, but the Goalkeeper of the Season & the Defender of the Season took fourth & third in balloting, respectively. The race was tight between Ilinx-Kepex & Xilit-Zaxac. Xilit-Zaxac was a phenomenal striker who could carry a match, after all; however, Ilinx-Kepex could command a match & pretty much do it all, all season long. & so the Puk Zama & Pug Qusmyra champion got another trophy for their mantle: Ilinx-Kepex Zev was named Fuzpon Qusma’s inaugural Player of the Season.

With domestic & international club play ended & accolades handed out, the nation’s focus will shift to the national team, readying themselves for their first World Cup Qualifying campaign. Fuzpon Qusma has already begun interviewing candidates for the national team’s managerial position, rumours say, & players will surely receive their first calls up soon. After an extended break for international competitions, the transfer window will open again, & after that, a club football season will start anew in Qusmo. Ryrak Bez was an amazing year - with any luck, Ryrak Cez will be even better.

by **Qusmo** » Tue Aug 28, 2018 8:37 pm

The long offseason has finally ended. Like a bear at the end of winter, domestic football in Qusmo is beginning to stir - &, soon, it will end its long hibernation. The first thing a bear must do to prepare for the new year is replenish its body, however, & Pug Qusmyra clubs have been engaging in the transfer market to replenish their rosters. Transfers are not permitted during the season, so this was a first-of-its-kind experience in Qusmo, & there was no shortage of controversy, drama, or suspense. Let’s take a look at all the transactions featuring Pug Qusmyra sides over the break.

International Transfers - from Qusmo
Paliv-Xilit Max (QUS) SS, 23 - Estraj (QUS) to Pascal Mashu (HIN) - N$1m
Ozolx-Mazur Guv (QUS) LW, 27 - Rejin (QUS) to Étoile Rouge (MAR) - N$0.5m
Sevet-Zorno Val (QUS) RB, 29 - Koflir (QUS) to Arrowhead Point (NGD) - N$0.5m
Alfan-Harta Waz (QUS) CB, 23 - Atlark (QUS) to Keenan Athletic (COS) - N$0.3m
Elfon-Tanar Xlo (QUS) LM, 24 - Atlark (QUS) to Crystal City United (CRY) - N$0.2m
Urynt-Trenj Val (QUS) CM, 31 - Koflir (QUS) to FC Elan (ASU) - Free
Rynyr-Pilta Jan (QUS) AM, 26 - Kozon (QUS) to KT Moreazerua (AUD) - Free
Meron-Drolx Jyx (QUS) CM, 33 - Atlark (QUS) to Hussards (ASU) - Free

International Transfers - to Qusmo
Kaden York (ETN) AM, 32 - Carredington (ETN) to Niom (QUS) - N$0.8m
Landen Smoker (CCN) ST, 31 - Casper Woods (CCN) to Rejin (QUS) - N$0.8m
Franziska Schnee-Krull (ZWZ) RB, 25 - Eintracht Trink (ZWZ) to Koflir (QUS) - N$0.5m
Ramona Ambaile-Hund (ZWZ) RM/AM, 22 - Sporting Esper (ZWZ) to Koflir (QUS) - N$0.5m
Rhéal Paiement (MAR) LB, 16 - Cosmopolitan (MAR) to Trew (QUS) - Free
DaDougerius Van der Voort (AUD) CB/RB/CM/RM, 23 - Footballer McFootballface (AUD) to Poldanz (QUS) - Free
Zacly Angelica (AUD) RB, 18 - Footballer McFootballface (AUD) to Vlonz (QUS) - Free
Mokuro Junaiperu (HIN) AM/SS/ST, 21 - West Hylian Academy (HIN) to Estraj (QUS) - Free
Jinpachi Mishima (HIN) GK/CB/DM, 21 - Somei-Yoshino State University (HIN) to Zwac (QUS) - Free
Bonne Shibonne (HIN) CM/AM/ST, 21 - Mido-Hinode Tech Institute (HIN) to Rejin (QUS) - Free
Noah McDonald (HUD) LB, 30 - FC Elan (ASU) to Trosoc (QUS) - Free
Jayson Herrera (SLL) AM, 32 - Miare CosmoStars (HIN) to Atlant (QUS) - Free
Kindness Nkembe (NPH) DM, 30 - Crisisbless Athletic (NPH) to Niom (QUS) - Free
Swanhilda Berisha (NPH) RW, 28 - Parrhesia United (NPH) to Qastyr (QUS) - Free
Tasha Avery (NPH) LB, 28 - Parrhesia United (NPH) to Qastyr (QUS) - Free
Martha Maury (EFL) RB, 29 - Stade-National (ASU) to Qastyr (QUS) - Free
Eurydice Padopalou (NPH) DM, 31 - Oldem Knights (APX) to Trew (QUS) - Free
Anika Redmayne (NPH) ST, 34 - Oldem Knights (APX) to Atlant (QUS) - Free
Elena Caldryn (BRE) ST, 25 - Westpike United (BRE) to Vlonz (QUS) - Free
Thébora (DAI) DM, 17 - Estrela D’Alva (DAI) to Estraj (QUS) - Free
Anthony Patterson (ETN) CB, 24 - Dovertown (ETN) to Qastyr (QUS) - Free
Ozolx-Mazur Guv (QUS) LW, 28 - Étoile Rouge (MAR) to Qastyr (QUS) - Free
Kristoffer Linds (SEM) ST, 22 - Centre for Excellence (APX) to Werzin (QUS) - Free
Sunshine Cethe-Carter (SEM) RB, 22 - Centre for Excellence (APX) to Poldanz (QUS) - Free
Sevet-Zorno Val (QUS) RB, 30 - Arrowhead Point (NGD) to Trew (QUS) - Free

Intranational Transfers
Dwada-Intov Tez (QUS) LW, 24 - Trosoc (QUS) to Rejin (QUS) - Undiscl.
Xilit-Stomz Uzo (QUS) CB, 28 - Lilnim (QUS) to Estraj (QUS) - Undiscl.
Xilit-Belaj Cuf (QUS) AM, 24 - Rejin (QUS) to Trosoc (QUS) - Undiscl.
Milor-Yunal Pul (QUS) AM, 25 - Estraj (QUS) to Trosoc (QUS) - Undiscl.
Izilv-Xalan Abe (QUS) AM, 24 - Niom (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Jerat-Yunal Saf (QUS) RW, 25 - Trosoc (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Avarn-Forzu Tla (QUS) DM, 27 - Trew (QUS) to Trosoc (QUS) - Undiscl.
Wanar-Evela Cuf (QUS) DM, 27 - Niom (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Izilv-Stomz Pul (QUS) CB, 28 - Lilnim (QUS) to Atlark (QUS) - Undiscl.
Elfon-Wanar Saf (QUS) CB, 27 - Qastyr (QUS) to Vlonz (QUS) - Undiscl.
Culak-Konda Ezi (QUS) CB, 24 - Vlonz (QUS) to Ixic (QUS) - Undiscl.
Lucex-Lenpi Tla (QUS) CB, 30 - Ixic (QUS) to Atlark (QUS) - Undiscl.
Kresp-Matez Lec (QUS) AM, 28 - Atlant (QUS) to Kozon (QUS) - Undiscl.
Zenon-Fenaz Val (QUS) LW, 33 - Atlark (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Nexev-Lucex Zev (QUS) SS, 23 - Lilnim (QUS) to Atlark (QUS) - Undiscl.
Velyn-Horon Wek (QUS) CM, 23 - Trosoc (QUS) to Atlark (QUS) - Undiscl.
Otoln-Yamaj Ezi (QUS) LW, 30 - Lilnim (QUS) to Renan (QUS) - Undiscl.
Yelto-Ucyxi Hox (QUS) A, 30 - Qastyr (QUS) to Atlant (QUS) - Undiscl.
Welar-Milor Pul (QUS) GK, 27 - Zwac (QUS) to Atlark (QUS) - Undiscl.
Trenj-Vralx Eva (QUS) CM, 24 - Qalijan (QUS) to Qastyr (QUS) - Undiscl.
Forzu-Nirlo Uzo (QUS) CM, 28 - Lilnim (QUS) to Qalijan (QUS) - Undiscl.
Prant-Trenj Bel (QUS) M, 23 - Lilnim (QUS) to Vlonz (QUS) - Undiscl.
Helek-Nenzi Ono (QUS) LM, 22 - Vlonz (QUS) to Qastyr (QUS) - Undiscl.
Prant-Kresp Ban (QUS) LM, 29 - Trew (QUS) to Poldanz (QUS) - Undiscl.
Welar-Elfon Fri (QUS) ST, 28 - Qalijan (QUS) to Kobat (QUS) - Undiscl.
Ilinx-Fenaz Lec (QUS) ST, 30 - Qastyr (QUS) to Trosoc (QUS) - Undiscl.
Winad-Zorno Nal (QUS) ST, 28 - Rejin (QUS) to Zwac (QUS) - Undiscl.
Dalox-Nexev Jan (QUS) ST, 22 - Vlonz (QUS) to Qalijan (QUS) - Undiscl.
Matez-Otoln Aka (QUS) A, 30 - Brel (QUS) to Trosoc (QUS) - Undiscl.
Ucyxi-Welar Guv (QUS) RW, 29 - Werzin (QUS) to Brel (QUS) - Undiscl.
Ibilx-Milor Zev (QUS) CB, 26 - Qastyr (QUS) to Dynynon (QUS) - Undiscl.
Gelan-Ajark Erv (QUS) CB, 22 - Poldanz (QUS) to Qalijan (QUS) - Undiscl.
Lynul-Savar Mal (QUS) CB, 30 - Trew (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Ernat-Vralx Max (QUS) LB, 32 - Trosoc (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Matez-Izilv Jan (QUS) RB, 29 - Qastyr (QUS) to Zwac (QUS) - Undiscl.
Xilit-Xilit Xyt (QUS) CB, 30 - Estraj (QUS) to Qandon (QUS) - Undiscl.
Tlanx-Meron Div (QUS) RB, 19 - Vlonz (QUS) to Vlosk (QUS) - Undiscl.
Vlont-Xalan Yol (QUS) GK, 27 - Atlark (QUS) to Qasym (QUS) - Undiscl.
Ulutu-Vlont Lec (QUS) LB, 28 - Atlark (QUS) to Poljak (QUS) - Undiscl.
Zorno-Xeral Viz (QUS) RM, 33 - Fryvvyn (QUS) to Atlark (QUS) - Undiscl.
Xalan-Cinic Gep (QUS) GK, 31 - Qasym (QUS) to Qandon (QUS) - Undiscl.
Fenaz-Alfan Uzo (QUS) RB, 22 - Poljak (QUS) to Qandon (QUS) - Undiscl.
Fenaz-Ilinx Mal (QUS) LM, 26 - Renan (QUS) to Fryvvyn (QUS) - Undiscl.
Nexev-Elfon Cel (QUS) RB, 28 - Trew (QUS) to Trosoc (QUS) - Undiscl.
Hirom-Vanza Roz (QUS) RB, 30 - Trosoc (QUS) to Lilnim (QUS) - Undiscl.
Evela-Yoltz Gor (QUS) RB, 27 - Lilnim (QUS) to Ixic (QUS) - Undiscl.
Irtix-Otoln Max (QUS) RB, 27 - Ixic (QUS) to Samerter (QUS) - Undiscl.

KF Estraj
Out: Cralt-Nirlo Fox (QUS), 44 - Left, Filindostan NT (Assistant Manager)
In: Fiona Sylver (BRE), 55 - Rosbank Town (BRE)

KF Trosoc
Out: Lynul-Zorno Dar (QUS), 54 - Left, Riverside Crew (COS)
In: Leo Quinn (BRE), 43 - Scaffield (BRE)

KF Zwac
Out: Avarn-Oxolt Ban (QUS), 67 - Left, Qusmo NT
In: Forzu-Cynav Hal (QUS), 56

KF Lilnim
Out: Winad-Lenpi Xlo (QUS), 51 - Sacked
In: Gerol-Relaf Jok (QUS), 55

Much of the big transfer news early in the window was the developments that a few Qusma players would be leaving the country to play abroad. Eight Qusmi’y left Pug Qusmyra, with national team left wing forward Ozolx-Mazur Guv leaving KF Rejin for Étoile Rouge of Marianne for a N$0.5m fee to kick things off.

At twenty-eight, Ozolx-Mazur has eleven national team caps & was the clear choice for best player at their position in Pug Qusmyra last season; they were named to Fuzpon Qusma’s Team of the Season & would likely be on the national team’s first-choice XI if not for manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban’s preferences in formation. Most critically for the window, Ozolx-Mazur was the undisputed leader of a Rejin squad that fell just short of a place in the UICA Globe Cup. They did not think that the club had enough talent to keep up with the likes of Trew, Atlant, Poldanz, & Qastyr, & they decided to leave for a club that could give them experience in UICA competition.

They were quickly followed by other players, however, including KF Atlark’s star centreback Alfan-Harta Waz, who was bought by Cosumar’s Keenan Athletic for N$0.3m, & KF Estraj’s star poacher Paliv-Xilit Max, swooped up for a cool N$1m by Kita-Hinode’s Pascal Mashu in a record deal for a Qusma player. Paliv-Xilit & Ozolx-Mazur both have double-digit national team caps & were the only players at their position awarded with a spot on the Fuzpon Qusma Team of the Season last year, while Alfan-Harta at times seemed like the only Pug Qusmyra-worthy player on a club that finished bottom last season; the losses of these three players will likely transform their respective clubs.

Overall, not terribly many Qusmi’y did leave Qusmo over the window. Eight players left, including three fleeing KF Atlark’s move to Pug Qusma, two leaving a KF Koflir after they didn’t get to move across the multiverse for international competitions, one going from Koflir’s relegated crosstown rivals KF Kozon, & the aforementioned Ozolx-Mazur Guv & Paliv-Xilit Max, of KF Rejin & KF Estraj, respectively.

Those moves will all have impacts, not least of which being for their own careers, as most of the departing players looked to jumpstart careers after just missing out on a club milestone last season - the UICA places, say, or international competition of any kind, or just staying up. Perhaps they can find more success abroad - & if they do, perhaps it could translate into more Qusmi’y looking to jump ship, & more foreign clubs willing to provide homes for them.

However, the biggest headline from this transfer window was not any one specific transfer - though there certainly were some blockbusters - but the fact that certain transfers were allowed to happen at all. After a long legal battle, Fuzpon Qusma’s requirement that all players for Qusma clubs had to be eligible for the Qusma national team was ordered lifted, as well as all limits or caps on players based on citizenship, residency, or nationality. That led to a flood of transfers, & it reshaped the market in Qusmo.

KF Koflir’s pursuit of Zwangzug national team regulars Franziska Schnee-Krull & Ramona Ambaile-Hund, after seeing the pair play admirably in a Tour of the Multiverse friendly staged at Mastad Kolla, started the saga. Eventually, after much legal wrangling, the ban on foreign players was lifted, & Koflir secured the pair’s services from Eintracht Trink & Sporting Esper, respectively, for N$0.5m each.

By the time this had happened, the transfer window had already begun in earnest, & most of the prime potential targets for Qusma clubs had already been bought. Only two more foreigners were acquired by Pug Qusmyra clubs for a fee: attacking midfielder Kaden York of Ethane’s Carredington, & striker Landen Smoker of the Crystalline Caverns’ Casper Woods were taken for N$0.8m each, by KF Niom & KF Rejin, respectively, in moves that set the bar for a transfer into Qusmo.

However, though many Qusma clubs were not able to get their top targets because of the timing of the legal decision, several were active in acquiring free transfers. There were a total of twenty-one such transfers from a foreign league into Pug Qusmyra, including nineteen foreign players that would have previously been barred from competition.

But that doesn’t mean that those free transfers can’t make a mark on Pug Qusmyra this season. Players like thirty-some-year-old Nepharim defensive midfielders Eurydice Padopalou & Kindness Nkembe, now of KF Trew & KF Niom, respectively, look to be anchors in their new clubs’ midfields. In fact, Nephara boasts the largest contingent of Pug Qusmyra players from any country not named Qusmo, with five, including Swanhilda Berisha & Tasha Avery, two twenty-eight-year-old transplants from First Division side Parrhesia United who went directly to KF Qastyr to play for the defending Pug Qusmyra champions.

One of the most-anticipated free signings of the window was that of Super-Llamaland attacking midfielder Jayson Herrera. Another older player, in their thirties, Herrera has made a life out of moving from club to club & country to country to play club football. Their last home was at Miare CosmoStars of Kita-Hinode, where they finished as KiHi-LEAGUE champions & UICA Globe Cup quarterfinalists, only bowing out to eventual Globe Cup champion Mar Sana FC. With that wealth of experience, KF Atlant can only hope that they will be propelled to great things as well.

However, Qusma clubs did not just pick up older players from the free transfer bin. They also got several potential youth gems. The first such deal was inked by KF Trew, as they secured the services of sixteen-year-old left back Rhéal Paiement of Marianne. It was a perfect fit for the youngster, really; Trew established itself as the best place in Pug Qusmyra for youth talent last season, with a dominant performance in Puk Juzuna to claim Qusmo’s berth in the UICA Youth Cup proof of that.

Trew also featured two of the three eighteen-year-olds on Pug Qusmyra rosters & the only one to be a regular Pug Qusmyra starter - who just so happened to be named to the Team of the Season, be awarded Young Player of the Season, & become a national team regular with twenty-six caps & eight goals representing their country. Though they will be seventeen by the time the season starts, in Paiement, Trew has a player which will still be the youngest Pug Qusmyra player ever when the season kicks off - &, quite possibly, a starter at left back with plenty of room yet to grow.

Another free provider of youth talent for Pug Qusmyra clubs in this transfer window was Kita-Hinode. Twenty-one-year-olds Mokuro Junaiperu, Jinpachi Mishima, & Bonne Shibonne left their universities there to join Estraj, Zwac, & Rejin, respectively at a professional level. Hopes are high that these players can perform well; unfortunately, many of these players are entering clubs with major vacancies that could push them further down the table than they finished last year, including Zwac’s star manager, Rejin’s star player, & both Estraj’s star manager & star player.

Two fairly young players which will enjoy lower expectations, but better situations, are the Audioslavian pair of DaDougerius Van der Voort & Zacly Angelica. These two graduated from largely unheralded Footballer McFootballface, & they’re destined for KF Poldanz & KF Vlonz, respectively. DaDougerius Van der Voort has perhaps the most intriguing foreign name in Pug Qusmyra, but a lot of criticism has been directed at it already, as many supporters do not understand why the Puk Zala champions of last season would select a nonprofessional for their squad.

On the complete other side of youth football programme pedigree, meanwhile, lie another duo from the same nation: Semar twenty-two-year-olds Kristoffer Linds & Sunshine Cethe-Carter outgrew Apox’s Centre for Excellence & will be taking their talents to KF Werzin & KF Poldanz, respectively. Before they’ve even stepped foot in Mastad Polana, Cethe-Carter has gained a bit of fame for having a particularly difficult name for Qusmi’y to pronounce; however, both will hope to make names for themselves based on what they can do on the pitch, & there is no reason either cannot do just that.

These two’s transfers were near the very end of the window, but there were still a few more blockbuster deals yet to be made; another pair of players from the same nation were headed for Qusmo. In fact, they, themselves, were Qusma. National team players Sevet-Zorno Val & Ozolx-Mazur Guv were destined for exciting futures at Étoile Rouge & Arrowhead Point of Marianne & New Gelderland, respectively, but Aligo Ligue A & Terranean League West both folded before their seasons started; as a result, these two potent players, who had already proven themselves in Pug Qusmyra, returned.

Sevet-Zorno Val eventually landed at KF Trew, where they became a part of a concerted effort to attract talent from foreign leagues to strengthen the defense at Mastad Tracama. After snagging Eurydice Padopalou from Apox to play at defensive midfield & Rhéal Paiement to compete for the left back position, Sevet-Zorno completed Trew’s list of international acquisitions. However, though Paiement represented one player from Marianne’s Aligo Ligue A, Trew couldn’t get the other - who was the biggest fish left in limbo due to foreign leagues’ turbulence.

Ozolx-Mazur Guv looked to come back to Qusmo, but they did so after a painful departure. They had left KF Rejin after being its face & indisputably best player because of the agonizing way the season ended. Clearly, they were not about to rejoin the same club; their previous departure, & the potential for another trip abroad if things did not go well, would raise too many distractions for both the club & the player. They certainly did not want to play for Trew, the club that pipped them to the UICA places, either. Atlant was a good side, but their club philosophy was not aligned with that Ozolx-Mazur was looking for.

Ultimately, the choice was really only ever down to two clubs: KF Poldanz & KF Qastyr - the runners-up or champions of Pug Qusmyra, the champions of Puk Zala or of Puk Zama. Ozolx-Mazur was pulled by the allure of trophies, & they knew that at either of these clubs, they would finally have the team that could support them to achieve success. However, both clubs already had starting left wing forwards in place which had been capped for the national team. It would be a challenge wherever they went, & they would have tremendous pressure & a bright spotlight following them to any new club they picked, but Ozolx-Mazur decided to embrace the most pressure, scrutiny, & attention of any club in Qusmo; now they will don the gold & red of KF Qastyr.

Those are the international transfers worth mentioning, & though those were the ones which stole most of the headlines, there were many more players who changed hands from one Pug Qusmyra team to another. Among the twenty-three clubs which did or will play in Pug Qusmyra in Ryrak Bey or Ryrak Cey, there were eighty transfers executed, with forty-seven consisting of a Qusma player going from one Qusma club to another.

For example, Ozolx-Mazur Guv was not the only national team player who landed at KF Qastyr in this window. Former KF Vlonz player Helek-Nenzi Ono displaced fellow national team callup Avarn-Avarn Val in the left midfield of Mastad Qanza to join regular national team starting right midfielder Forzu-Ralox Kal & national team captain & centre midfielder Ilinx-Kepex Zev to further strengthen an already-stellar KF Qastyr midfield. KF Trosoc looked to bolster its midfield from the national team pool, too, as attacking midfielders Milor-Yunal Pul & Xilit-Belaj Cuf arrived at Mastad Tracama from KF Estraj & KF Rejin, respectively.

Trosoc was one of the clubs which was very active in the transfer market, as they will start the season with seven players who were not on their wage list last year, a high mark matched only by Lilnim & Qastyr. Trosoc & Qastyr are at opposite ends of the spectrum; Trosoc wants to remake their roster after finishing only one place above the drop zone, while Qastyr won the league in its inaugural season & looks to reload to strengthen their grip on Qusma football.

These three clubs’ figure of seven new players was followed by Trew & Vlonz, with four each, with several others at three. Every club which will play in the upcoming Pug Qusmyra season has bought at least one new player for the year, & even some clubs in Pug Qusma got heavily involved with the transfer market; Atlant, Pug Qusmyra bottom-dwellers in last season’s table, cleaned house & secured six new players from other Pug Qusmyra clubs alone.

Tied for the least continuity in their changing rooms, many of the moves made by Trosoc & Lilnim were due to new managers. In fact, the types of transfers these two clubs made is indicative of new leadership, as the new players’ ages skew upward, a clear sign that these managers’ first priority is to solidify their own position within the club. Indeed, these two clubs now boast the two oldest projected Starting XIs in Pug Qusmyra.

All in all, four clubs will have new skippers next season, with two being Qusma & the other two hailing from the land of the defending World Cup champions, Brenecia. Two posts were vacated after their managers left for positions with national teams, while two managers left for another club job abroad - either willingly or after a sacking. In each case, the posts which launched managers’ national teams careers last year seem very dangerous now, while the other vacancies now look much more attractive.

Lilnim has a new manager in Gerol-Relaf Jok, while Zwac will be led by Forzu-Cynav Hal. After lots of new additions, Lilnim looks improved; it will be up to Gerol-Relaf to realize the potential that Lilnim’s former boss could not, resulting in the only sacking of a Pug Qusmyra manager who was not relegated last year. After the loss of Manager of the Year candidate & Qusmo National Team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban, however, Zwac will likely again be in danger of relegation. Many speculated that Avarn-Oxolt may have left Mastad Zwalla in case they could not duplicate their Ryrak Bey magic; Forzu-Cynav will likely have to capture some of that in order to keep being a Pug Qusmyra manager in Ryrak Dez.

Next, Leo Quinn of Brenecia will become the second-youngest manager in Pug Qusmyra next season, & they will bring some tactical innovation; their preferred formation, with only one striker, is unseen in top levels of Qusma football. Time will tell whether that works with KF Trosoc, but with a national team regular goalkeeper & seven new signings, including one international, expectations will be high. On the other hand, it will be very difficult for Brenecian manager Fiona Sylver to live up to now-Filindostan National Team assistant manager Cralt-Nirlo Fox’s remarkable results, which earned them a Manager of the Year trophy, with a much more bare squad. It might take a similar result simply to get into midtable.

Managers, players, fans - &, yes, maybe even foreign scouts - will be eagerly anticipating Pug Qusmyra’s return. With all the changes which have taken place over the course of this transfer window, Ryrak Cez promises to be very different than Ryrak Bez - but no less exciting.

Spon Qusma - Qusmo Sports Newswire

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