Independents Cup 5 Everything Thread (Final Result Up)

by **Omerica** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 3:35 pm

United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, AM 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA
About Omerica
National anthem: Marche de l’Indépendance
Capital: Port-des-Saints
Largest city: Charlottesville (by city limits); Philibiscostal (by urban area)
Official languages: English, French, Dutch
Population: 67,427,652 (2009 census)
Drives on the: left

Association code: OME
Team nickname: Les Incorrigibles
KPB rating: 6.81 (90th)

A federation in the far north, Omerica is a cosmopolitan maritime nation, famed for its environmental beauty, thriving black markets and love of a good drink. Omerica is a federal directorial republic with a semi-direct democratic system of governance. An influential country in international affairs, the nation ranks as one of the most politically and socially free states in the multiverse. The nation is noted for having some of the most friendly, compassionate and brash people in the multiverse, who enjoy high rates of economic, scientific and cultural development. The nation is rated as one of the least corrupt and least authoritarian in the world, with low rates of ignorance, obesity, political apathy and preventable death.

About Les Incorrigibles
Just like the history of the nation, the history of Omerican football has been rocky. The nation was one of fifty-six to début in Baptism of Fire 56, where the team made the knockout stage with an undefeated record before bowing out to Lons after extra time in the last 32. Les Oiseaux subsequently floundered for several cycles, finishing below expectations in tournament after tournament and struggling to find their footing. But fortunes turned around during the Campionato Esportiva in the Sarian, where Omerica unexpectedly won their group and made the quarterfinals after defeating Yttribia. Despite falling to runners-up Nephara in a close match, the tournament marked a significant turn in fortunes: a bitter (and, to Osarians, infamous) third-place finish in the World Cup 73 qualifiers, two consecutive knockout stage qualifications and Round of 16 exits and—the nation’s crowning moment of glory—an upset qualification for World Cup 74, where the team scalped Flardania and nearly advanced to the knockout phase.

However, success proved short-lived. After boycotting CE XVI in Falatulu, the Omerican Football Federation found itself mired in a corruption and betting scandal. Combined with a riotous fanbase which had caused numerous bouts of destruction, the scandal dogged the team’s World Cup 75 qualifying campaign and ultimately brought the OFF to an untimely end, ordered dissolved by the Sessions Court of the Metropolitan Arrondissement and liquidated to cover the fines issued to its executives. In the aftermath of the scandal, the republican football associations, which had predated and existed parallel to the OFF, formed the United Republican Soccer Federation to take over the OFF’s functions and opted to indefinitely pull Omerica from international competition. Half a decade later, a new national team emerged to contest the Independents Cup and, after much internal debate, the World Cup with little success.
Staff
Manager: Anne-Sophie Groothuis
Former gaffer for Calaverde’s Club du 28 Mars, Groothuis has led the club to local success on the regional and national stage and comfortably sealed the Calaverdean side a berth as a founding member of Ligue.A. A flexible and disciplined tactician, Anne-Sophie is known to favour a moderately attack-minded approach that has brought 28 Mars four Calaverdean and two Federal Championships in her stint at the club, but is unafraid to mix things up from time to time in order to keep opponents guessing and will look to use the Independents Cup as a Petri dish for players and tactics and an opportunity to firmly stamp Omerica’s name back on the international map.

Assistant Manager: Jean-Luc Nyhof

Strength and Fitness Coach: Mats Aaltink
Equipment Manager: Josèphe Veerke Dufort
Medical Lead: Romain Luzzatto
Physical Trainer: Veronica Aquila
Physical Therapists: Mees Dreessen and Don Bloodworth
Players
Starting eleven
№1—GK Frédérique Acardi (F, age 26; United Philibiscostal)
№14—LD Julie Boulos (F, age 23; Corona Christiana)
№17—CD Aristide de Felice (M, age 22; Olympique Provençal)
№5—CD Jesús Cruz (M, age 24; Corona Christiana)
№6—RD Fernand Michelakakis (M, age 25; Sassari Trailblazers)
№8—DM John Soares (M, age 24; FC Kingsmouth)
№21—DM Elise Bianchi (F, age 25; Forestia Cricket)
№7—LM Clemente Affini (M, age 24; Carthaginians)
№9—AM Red Bolton (M, age 25; FC Londonderry)
№10—RM Marieke Nelissen (F, age 24; SC Williamsburg)
№11—ST Morgan Barzetti (F, age 26; Cherrygrove City [SOL])

Substitutes
№13—GK Valentine Augustin (F, age 22; Saint-Georges Uni)
№23—GK Will Rake (M, age 21; Plymouth Rock)
№2—LD Mariëtte “Jet” Sneyders (F, age 24; Andreaskruis)
№3—CD Emily Michelakis (F, age 23; AFC Georgetown)
№4—CD Charity Kayode (F, age 22; FC Nassau)
№18—RD Marine Roldan (F, age 24; AS Républicains)
№20—DM Alex Rodrigues (M, age 20; Phoenix Carlisle)
№15—DM Sean Tester (M, age 23; Willemspoort)
№19—LM George Palmeiro (M, age 20; Northport Naval)
№22—CM Robben van Tyn (M, age 25; Ever Grande)
№16—RM Martin la Rouge (M, age 22; AS Républicains)
№24—ST Éduoard Bouchard (M, age 22; Malavan Romainbourg)
№25—ST Lucky Ashworth (F, age 23; Falcon United)
Formation and tactics (4–2–3–1)
Barzetti
Affini — Bolton — Nelissen
Soares — Bianchi
Boulos — de Felice — Cruz — Michelakakis
Acardi
Kits (courtesy of No Nonsense Sportswear)
Who we are
The United Republican Soccer Federation is the national football association of the United Republics of Omerica. The URSF is organised as a federation of twenty-five republican and four regional football associations, with special membership status for the Omerican Professional Soccer Association, Omerican Amateur Football Association and Omerican University Sports Association. The URSF responsible for overseeing association football in Omerica, organising Omerican representative teams and—with the cooperation of the Federal Anti-Doping Authority and Omerican Council for Sporting Integrity—ensuring the integrity of Omerican football.
Conformément à la loi fédérale, ce document est disponible en français ou en néerlandais sur demande. — In overeenstemming met federale wet, dit document is op aanvraag beschikbaar in het Frans of het Nederlands. — In accordance with federal law, this document is available in French or Dutch upon request.

by **Drawkland** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 11:01 pm

Be Drawkian
Out With The Old

Independents Cup 5 is the fifth regional tournament that Drawkland has ever participated in. Since the inception of the IAC, Drawkland has been around, slowly working their way towards the top. Last edition they nearly achieved it, but they still have much to prove before they truly are IAC champions.

Drawkland's first-ever foray into international soccer competition was the Global Cup of Soccer, a small tournament held concurrently but separately from World Cup 76. In the nation which has now faded from the international scene, Felix, the Kick Corps dipped their feet into the pool. A sad fourth place finish wasn't what they were looking for, but it was better than some alternatives. A year later, they got knee-deep into the pool with the Independents Cup. They were decidedly mediocre with a Round of 16 loss to Flardania. A year after that, they shocked the world by just jumping all the way into the waves and qualifying on their first go ... but that's not what we're going to look at this time around.

Something else debuted in Independents Cup I, and that was the Kick Corps' first official kits. For the GCoS, kit designs could not be obtained in time, and the team simply played in stock Drawkland-themed jerseys, shorts, and socks that were purchased online. The IAC1 was the first time the Kick Corps were decked out in jerseys crafted by artists and sewn by pros. Meski Sports of Red Blackiland gladly created these jerseys for Drawkland, despite them not meeting the initial 2-cycle qualifications, due to connections between some employees of Meski and DISC.

Now, 8 years later, Independents Cup 5 unveils a new generation of kits that the Corps will wear proudly for likely just as many years. With Meski Sports now gone underground, DISC looked elsewhere, and landed on the doorstep of ediraf in the newly-revitalized Starblaydia. While the new jerseys are sexier than ever, you should never forget the roots where you started. Here, we will look at the old designs of Meski, see where they were awesome, and see where they could've used more.

God, that beautiful black and red. Maybe the world didn't know it then, but that home color combo would soon spell trouble for the high-ranked sides across the multiverse. What nations even dress in black, much less for their home crowds? Fun fact, of the 32 that qualified for World Cup 80, only 2 nations other than Drawkland dressed out in black - Farfadillis and Chromatika, both as their secondary kits. And based on new kit projections, this is only going to be less significant. Farfadillis' new ediraf kits now feature black only on the keepers' kit, and Savojarna is in the same boat.

Lots of rambling here, but the point is that the Black and Red is now Drawkland's and only Drawkland's. When you see the black figures zoom across the pitch, you know who that is. The home kit itself is not too fancy. Of course, the cityscape watermark (of the beautiful Archifel Capital Port) is what brings some personality to the shirt. The red trim isn't widespread, but it is indeed effective. The collar is not too invasive, and the recolor of the Corps badge to match the red trim was very cool. The font on the back for the name is perhaps too plain, but the simplistic font is at least easy to understand. The badge at the bottom of the numbers is also a cool touch.

The shorts are pretty simple, with some neat side trim. The side trim on the bottom edge of the shirt goes along with this nicely. The socks as well are a bit more than "trim at the top of the sock" which many nations employ. However, it's not the best I've seen. Have you seen the Isles of Avon socks? Now that's some unique stuff. Too bad they don't really compete anymore.

The biggest problem with these kits, I think, is that the kit doesn't pop as much. The black and red is simple and effective, but it doesn't "pop" as well. Plus, the cool watermark is pretty much completely impossible to see from long distances, which nearly defeats the purpose. There's also the deal of the "logo right side - badge left side" being identical on both the shorts and chest that also is a little too uniform, but that's not exclusive to this home kit in particular. Overall, this kit has been a staple of the Corps and a crowd favorite. Definitely the best of this batch.

Now how about this away kit? To be honest, I think this is the weakest of the 3 kits that Meski designed. Not necessarily this fault, as there were also judgement calls made by DISC that affected much of the development. A few things from the first kit are similar - the number and lettering style on the back, the shorts (although recolored), and of course the problem with the logo-badge arrangement being exactly the same.

The first thing you have to notice is the color, of course. Where the first kit had black and red, the main two Drawkian colors, the tertiary color of navy blue was decided to be part of this kit, alongside the grey (since it is an away kit to compliment a dark home kit). The judgement call by DISC to go with the default grey rather than a popping white is interesting. Perhaps it was to be more unique than common all-white-with-some-trim kits that almost every nation employs, maybe it was because sometimes grey is used as a light color on some Drawkian palettes, but either way it wasn't a good take. From far away, the kits were simply dull and boring, while up close they just looked like the players had completely sweat through all-white jerseys, which isn't exactly an attractive look.

As far as the kit design, it was an interesting concept, but left some to be desired. The diagonal band across the torso was definitely a cool concept, as well as featuring the Drawkian Pentad on the center of the jersey. However, the diagonal band was limited to just the front side of the torso, not going on the shoulder or down on the side of the kit. Overall, looks sorta weird and pasted on rather than some badass bandoleer. Having the scale texture was a call by Meski, hearkening to Drawkland's fantastical creatures such as dragons. Sure, it would make more sense to have a Drawk-related pattern, but feathers are a bit harder to really convey, so the scale texture was good for what it was. The Pentad in the center was a cool idea, but in hindsight it would've been much cooler with the normal gold star in the center. Would've brought another color onto the kit for just that extra pop it may have needed.

Some other minor notes on this kit before we move on. The socks were pretty run-of-the-mill trim-on-top design, so they're nothing to write home about. I guess they're not bad, per se, but not unique enough to really be a positive. The collar on these also differ from the home kits, and in a very good way. These away kit collars are a bit more classy and give it a different feel. Overall these kits are decent, but they're still the worst of the bunch.

Finally we get the Goalkeepers' Kit for the set made by Meski. I can't say there's many problems with this kit. All of the main problems with it (average socks, badge/logo placement, plain text) are things that are issues with all the kits in this generation. In any case, they're not even huge issues to begin with, just minor tics.

This kit is cut from the same grain as all the other Keeper kits produced by Meski. That's nothing against the template, I'm actually rather fond of the design, it's just a little miffing to see the same sort of design in different colors on every other team's Keeper who've been through Meski.

Like I said, I like the base design for this kit. For one, I love the concept of using the Drawkian tertiary/quaternary colors on it. Fits perfectly with the national color scheme, and is largely different from the other 2 kits. The color is unique and pops well thanks to the gold. The shoulder texture pattern is also cool. My favorite part has gotta be the gold/dark blue bands on the sleeves and sides of the shirt. They're thick, visible from afar, and give that perfect amount of interest to the kit beyond just a bunch of navy blue cloth. My last gripe has gotta be the shorts, I feel that the side pattern would've been better with the gold outsides and a dark blue inside for better contrast, but in the grand scheme it was just something one player wore. There's better hills to die on. Overall, this kit may not be iconic or very unique, but it was definitely better executed than the away kit, making it the "middle child" of this generation.

Now that these kits are simply hanging in the halls of DISC in trophy cases or on the walls of the players' houses, they are merely a relic of the past. Now we have a new generation and many cycles with beautifully-crafted ediraf kits to look forward to! Next time we will cover these new kits and see how they stack up against this old generation and each other. You'd be surprised how much can change within relatively similar concepts.

After that, we will be looking at some other famous symbols of Drawkland, namely the flag and some of its historical and alternate variants. Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed. Until next time, On Corps!

by **Central Shaneville** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:45 am

CENTRAL SHANEVILLE HEAD SOUTH
As some of you may have heard the Independents Cup kicks off today, due to a 24 hour delay. The news came as a shock for Central Shaneville and many other national teams competing on the opening day as many had already prepared for their matches, the team were on the coach which took them to Soccer Palace in the southwest of the Free Republics. Once the team arrived a security guard met them and told them that the opening matchday was to be held now on the 9th July instead of the 8th as previously planned out by the hosts. The guard then gave the team a map of the area and the team went to explore the area surrounding Soccer Palace. Before checking into the nearest hotel for the night, tensions were pretty high to say the least with the team knowing they would have to wait an extra few hours at the minimum before playing in one of the biggest stadiums in the tournament.

Manager Jay Bucks commented: "Its a bit dissapointing that we wont be able to play tonight but im sure the organizers know what there doing and it also gives us more time than we previously had to do more exploring because the original plan was to get here, do some final bits and peaces in terms of preparation then play probably our toughest game in the group." Bucks then went onto to praise the Mercidini side for their high ranking and wished them luck in a match that many people believe Mercidini are the favourites.

Be Sure to stay tuned to the Central Shaneville Sports Network for Central Shaneville vs. Mercidini, Kick off will be in a few hours at Soccer Palace here in the Free Republics.

by **Blaneu** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:06 am

The Blaneu Broadsheet

Ageing Squad Prepare to Face Independents Cup Challenge

After the youthful vim of the Di Bradini Cup squad of under 21s quickly fizzled out, the people Blaneu now must place their hopes in the hands of what surely must be one of the oldest sides in the tournament.

Six of the players selected in the nominal starting eleven are over the age of 30, and two are in fact over the age of 40. Blaneu's old squad is primarily drawn from teams in the Semi-Professional island league, however the teams lack of quality is highlighted by the fact that one member of the starting line-up, and a good few in the rest of the squad, play Sunday league football. Former Welsh international Mark Bowen is one of these, now 54 years old he has been drafted in from the Sunday Leagues Red Lion Pub FC to play at the back. He's playing sweeper, not the modern type, the kind who sits behind the backline and does nothing but tackles. In terms of youth only Aaron Starkey, the teams linchpin in defensive midfield, and exuberant wing-forward Ojo Navarro, stand out in terms of quality.

Hopes going into the tournament are low and the team's playing style will reflect it. A defensive 3-4-2-1 sees the side employing not only a back three, but two holding midfielders playing out in front of them. The aforementioned Aaron Starkey is one of them, acting as the engine of the team and being key in set-plays and in providing fodder to the forwards, whilst Lloyd MacDai sits in front of the defense to provide extra cover. The Wing-backs, French and Sparks, will also play their part defensively, and operate more in the mold of adventurous full-backs, rather than defensive wingers. Finally the front trio sees Navarro and Davies on the wings, sat slightly further back and expected to do a lot of the work in spearheading attacks. Ahead of them is 43 year old former Welsh forward John Hartson, who has lost some of his pace in old age and will be reliant on finishing skills and good positioning to make an impact.

In their group of five Blaneu will be hopeful of securing one of the two spots in the next round, although there's a lot of cause for doubt. Their first match may well be decisive, as it comes against second favorites to progress, Omerica, who had been absent from the international footballing scene for some time due to a corruption scandal. Omerica utilise a 4-2-3-1 formation, so similarly to Blaneu they utilize two holding midfielders. Despite this, their formation leans slightly towards the attack, with an attacking midfielder and two wingers offering a degree of balance, leading to a game that could well pit counter-attack against counter-attack. In the rest of the group Abanhfleft look the toughest challenge, as whilst they're using the tournament to blood a youth team, they have a wealth of experience and talent that should see them through the group as favorites.

Manager: John Snellbridge (60)
Assistant: Gavin Glaslyn (39)

Starting Eleven (Age in Brackets)

Goalkeeper - Robert O'Brian (31)
Sweeper - Mark Bowen (54)
Centre-Back - Red Vernon (32)
Centre-Back - Justin Hollands (32)
Wing-Back - Iain French (24)
Wing-Back - Lucas Sparks (22)
Defensive-Mid - Aaron Starkey (22)
Defensive-Mid - Lloyd MacDai (36)
Wing-Forward - Ojo Navarro (24)
Wing-Forward - Owain Davis (23)
Centre-Forward - John Hartson (43)

Subs
Dai Jones (30) - Goalkeeper
Glenn Peterson (34) - Centre-Back/Defensive-Mid
Graeme Jones (33) - Centre-Back/Defensive-Mid
Leslie Driscoll (25) - Centre-Mid/Wing-Mid
Brett Evans (30) - Centre-Forward

Squad
Peter English (30) - Goalkeeper
John Morgan (30) - Full-Back
John Ludlow (23) - Defensive-Mid/Wing-Back
Gareth Lowe (27) - Attacking-Mid
Fred Christiansson (25) - Attacking-Mid/Centre-Forward
Ron Lemon (25) - Wing-Forward/Centre-Forward
Paul MacDaffyd (25) - Centre-Forward

OOC:

Style Modifier: -3
I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: Y
Injure Players: Y
Godmod Injury Events: Y
Red Card Players: Y
Yellow Card Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: Y
=================================

by **Darkmania** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:27 am

Its been a while since Darkmania kicked the ball, so they come to FFR to improve on their "lets kick the ball this time and not the foe"-skills.

(OOC: I refer Soccer as “Football”, due to RL locations)

Ranking: 99th
Formation: 4-4-2
Home ground: Örkendrem Nätionaljë Foëtbäll Arëna (Örkendrem National Footbal Arena)
Nickname:
Manager: Däniël Rëspertner
Stylemod: +1
Darkmania
Darkmania is known for their tall mountains, their green forests, ~~their shitty wine~~ and their fish .The United States of Darkmania consists of 42 states and their capital Örkendrem, home of 12 million darkmanians (or darkmains). The official languages is Darkmanian and Norwegian.

The Squad (All main players are marked like this.)
#1: Ërimär (GK)
#2: Bjørndalsen (GK/sub)
#3: Yürang (Def)
#4: Tërman (Def)
#5: Lërnÿn (Def)
#6: Ërim (Def)
#7: Bernsüng (Def/sub)
#8: Përsater (Mid)
#9: Årdalberg (Mid)
#10: Rånde (Mid)
#11: Vërnspern (Mid/sub)
#12: Tÿrn (For)
#13: Mjøe(For)
#14: Änderm (For/sub)

The opponent will be given the permission to (if he/she RP first):

Choose My Goalscorers: Yes
Godmod Goalscoring events: Yes, but realistic.
Injure Players: Yes, but no death, career-ending or life-threatening injuries.
Godmod injury event: Yes
Red card player: No, unless telegrammed or DMed on Discord (I am on NS-Sport Server, the account is YourStandardFanBoy#2301). If allowed, only up to 1 player.
Yellow card player: Yes.
Godmod other events: Same as the Red-Card scenario, and must be realistic.

by **The Frozen Forest** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:38 am

The Frozen Forestrian National Football Team

by **Mercedini** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 12:26 pm

The Cup of Harmony Effect
@ New Sevada Stadium - Elspa, Mercedini

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to a rather baron construction site here in Elspa, just went of Zoloroni. I'm standing where the entrance of the New Sevada Stadium will be situated, which has marked a boom in construction of sporting complexes and stadia up and down the nation. We can thank the relative explosion of sporting real estate to one thing, the MFA's successful Cup of Harmony campaign which results in the nation's first ever WCC trophy, overcoming Audioslavia on penalties to lift the cup in Vilita and Turori. Domestic football had also seen in increase in demand with Langtree United breaking through in recent seasons, recording their best ever run when they got to the quarter-finals of the Globe Cup. With the buzz around the country, investors have been pouring in to capitalise on Mercedinian football fever to benefit not just the ones at the top; but to enhance the playability of sport by the general public aswell. The MPL is beginning to market itself to nations in the region and across the multiverse, and what better way than to showcase brand new installations for teams competing in the nation's top tier, which are also being opened to the public, keeping the public fit and keeping the nation open for business

Elspa

Artist's inmpression of New Sevada Stadium in Elspa, Mercedini

Elspa have always been crying out for someone to take their club to the next level. They consistently sell out the capacity in their current stadium, which holds a maximum of about 23,000. Elspa run into trouble during their UICA matches, where Globe Cup qualifiers are at risk of cramming about 30,000 into their stadium, prompting the MFA to fine the club with several overcrowding offences. With the league currently on the brink of receiving a second Champion's Cup spot thanks to impressive recent performances from Langtree United, Elspachia and Acoflosa United in the Globe Cup, meant Elspachia are a club on the brink of a Champion's Cup appearance which could spell danger for crowds wanting to see their local club in action against some of the multiverse's best domestic teams.

The new stadium would likely increase capacity by about 20,000 which will certainly see ticket sales increase for the short and long term, but it will also mean that economic activity will increase in the large town of Elspa, thanks to increased amenities and footfall which will undoubtedly come to them. The familiar green, black and red of Elspachia shows to sign of growing as the team takes their underdog status through to the upcoming season. The New Sevada Stadium as already been green lit by the national government and local council, with construction taking place over the next year or so to open for Season Six of the Mercedinian Premier League. Elspachia will have to last the season with their current stadium before moving into their brand new getup. It's one of the first stadiums which will be funded entirely by private donations and investment, meaning the general public get to reap the benefits of the newly built stadium while not having to pay for the building costs. Something which local lawmakers have been quick to praise.

Odgenagorv

If a Premier League has a stadium capacity with four digits, it was only a matter of time before RFK Ogdenagorv got the stadium upgrade they wanted and, quite frankly, deserved. The Ogdenagorv Stadion Natsiya has served them well throughout their time in the nation's second tier, but the step up to the MPL has put plenty of strain on the aging stadium with no real development on the stadium since it was first built many moons ago. A formal plan has not been received by the Planning Permission Commission (PPC), but the PPC have stated that they would likely accept any viable proposals they receive for a new stadium in Ogdenagorv. The OSN holds a lot of history for the club, the fans and for the culturally significant Shebnatsiya separatist movement which held its first major rally at the stadium. There are rumours that the stadium will remain open for heritage purposes due to the aforementioned significance of the site, but businesses and operatives near the stadium will likely relocate to the location of the new stadium, transforming that sector of the industrial town into an to commercial hub for Ogdenagorv and the wider region of Shebnatsiya. Shebchetsik is seen as the capital of the region but it has been under more pressure with the emergence of the transport and rail sector of Ogdenagorv. That combined with the pseudo-secure placement of RFK Ogdenagorv in the MPL. Shebchetsik is likely to get their own stadium upgrade in the coming months, but that was expected before the boom of investment into the nation. Ogdenagorv may stand to benefit massively from the new capital flowing into the project, which may help the team escape the relegation dogfight year after year.

Kirkenton Armed Forces Centre

Stadium Impression within Armed Forces Village in Kirkenton, Mercedini

Kirkenton has always been the central of hub of domestically stationed Armed Forces personnel within Mercedini from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Home Defence Force, with the four combining to field one team which currently competes in nation's top tier of domestic football. The club thrives from funds set aside by the Ministry of Defence plus donations received from visiting fans and members of the public. Any profits generated by the club go back into the fund of national defence operated and overseen by the Mercedinian Government and used for budgeting purposes. The fund's biggest capital injection was seen with the transfer of Mercedinian talisman Sgt. Sam Billic, which generated $17,000,000 in transfer fees, which resulted in a real-term credit of around $13,000,000 for the MAFFC defence fund.

Since then, there have been calls for local councils and government agencies to invest in the Armed Forces Football Club to stimulate growth for not just the team, but for the Armed Forces and local community as a whole. The government has had a log standing embargo on all private enterprises from investing into the Armed Forces, which was warranted after several attempts at privatisation and the attempts at selling off of property which belonged to the soldiers and officers which were stationed at the village. The embargo means any private corporation or conglomerate cannot invest into the football club with the expectation that it is explicitly for sporting purposes (which includes transfers, loan spells and sponsors), which means any private offers to improve the current stadium or build a new one enters a long legal enquiry into the business's interests and connections, including all employees and associates which it quite frankly, not worth the time. There is a loophole which allows private corporations to donate direct to the government for specific use in a project, which allows the Armed Forces to raise capital for a potential new stadium without having to use precious funds which could go into the welfare and amenities for the personnel.

The Cup of Harmony has had a huge effect on the way sporting events are conducted in Mercedini, with new sporting complexes being thrown up in towns and cities all around the country. The places we have mentioned are just some of the more high profile cases of private investment into the Mercedinian game. There are hundreds of sports pitches, academies, and refurbishments which are happening across the company to many different establishments across the nation, including professional and semi-pro football clubs, schools and sports centres. It's been branded the Cup of Harmony effect by many involved in the redevelopment of sporting complexes. We can't wait to see how that effects the sports scene here in Mercedini. The Golden Eagles are back in action as they play Central Shaneville in the opening game of the Independent's Cup, with many people saying that there could be an upset against the CS due to the relentless training regimen on the unranked side. We will see who will come out on top in the opening match, which will see four matches played in the opening group stages, rather than the usual three. We hope you will be able to join us for that, from Elspa, have a good evening!

by **Flardania** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:59 pm

Club Galaxie
Akihabara | Kirishima

SUPERNATURAL

Supernatural occurrences are manifestations or events that seem beyond scientific understanding or so called laws of nature. To the average person it means nothing remaining as nothing more that tales or misunderstood moments that capture the imagination of children, the elderly and fools. This is to be expected considering that the average person has had little to no encounter with the supernatural. This was before a phenomenon stuck the Archipelagic nation, a phenomenon once thought to be a myth but could explain a lot about Kirishima's history as well as be a risk in the future, a phenomenon known as 静か消失 or the Silent Vanishing in English. As time moved normally in Kirishima, in reality time was moving faster and from the outside the nation was lost in the mist for a few days. The Devil's Sea/ Dragon's Triangle continues to have major ramifications to Kirishima's participation in world affairs. Most shockingly for the Kirishinan football association it seems the national team did participate in World Cup 80 but nobody remembers, nonetheless while scientist try to look further into the event, Kirishima moves forward and Sakura Katsuragi has to deal with the fact that now her WC 83 ambitions were violently dashed.

"So this is the place" In-Kwon thought as he arrived at the part KTV, part restaurant, part nightclub and if he went to the third and fourth floor, part brothel. He had to admit that the venue was nice would be under normal conditions a normal place to conduct business but nonetheless it was still a surprise. In-Kwon knew very little about the current KFA chairman as she only met managers personally and none of the other staff and considering he was only an assistant before, everything was new. As he walked though the Club, In-Kwon took note of the sight and sounds. This was the Kirishima he knew of, very busy and hard working during the workday yet chill and laid back pleasure seeking at nightfall. After walking for awhile he reached a VIP area where the bouncer nodded and let him in.

"Monsieur Yong, welcome!" A cheerful voice announced as he looked to see a young beautiful woman in an Empress Red Kirishinan Cheongsam/Qípáo despite being formally dressed the woman had little makeup besides a natural looking lipstick and eye-shadow almost as if she was showing off how naturally attractive she was. "“Were you listening to me, Monsieur? Or were you distracted by seeing a woman in a red dress?” Sakura asked pulling In-Kwon out of his thoughts. "My apologies Hoe-jang" In-Kwon apologized.

Sakura stared at him for a moment before laughing, "I was just playing around with you Oji-san, anyways please have a seat...care for a drink?" Sakura asked as she went to her personal bar.

"Yes please, surprise me." In-Kwon replied as Sakura grabbed a bottle of wine and poured a glass for the two of them.

"As you are well aware of...the Shizuka Shōshitsu phenomenon really messed with my plans of hosting or winning World Cup 83. Our football infrastructure is damaged, our league on the verge of collapse, our players rustic and our position in the world resembling when we first qualified for the world cup. We are at a crossroad between a free fall to the bottom and catching ourselves and resume climbing. Are you following?" The cheerful woman asked seriously.

"I am" In-Kwon responded.

"What we need is a jolt of energy to reignite football in Kirishima and thankfully Shizuka Shōshitsu ended before we missed the entry period for World Cup 81 and Independents Cup 5. Even though it will have little impact on the teams form or standing, we need a strong performance in this tournament. Essentially we need a spark and it is a shame that in four instances of this tournament that we have failed to medal every time..." Sakura stated before looking in her drink. "You know Schottia, Barunia & Bonesea are not in this edition, we can medal and repeat the success we nearly had in IC 2. I'm counting on you." Sakura added.

"Why me?" In-Kwon added simply.

"Huh? Was I wrong to pick you?" Sakura asked confused.

"No, that's what I'm saying. I'm just curious since you are so focused on success, unlike previous KFA chairmans you only looked for Kirishinans why is that?" In-Kwon inquired.

"They don't have to be a Kirishinan, I've just haven't seen a non Kirishinan that fits." Sakura responded.

"How so?" In-Kwon pressed.

*sigh* "When you are on the field either on the staff or on the field where the national kits it's more than just a game. It's representing your country and showcasing what you can do on a global stage. Yeah I want success, we are a football loving people...but I want to be true to our identity and culture and I want success without compromising that. Do you think the average foreign can handle a co-ed locker room, can handle some players getting intimate with each other on occasion? Do you think they would be able to come here for a meeting whilst knowing that there is a brothel on the upper floors?" Sakura asked.

"N-No, I don't. But someone could still be out there." In-Kwon countered.

"Of course and when that happen, it will be with a person capable of coming here to meet me and capable of proving that they are compatible with our country. Nonetheless I need you to be my guy. Can you?" Sakura asked.

"Of course I can Hoe-jang! I promise we will win or fail with nothing less than everything on the field!" In-Kwon replied causing Sakura to smile.

"I'm looking forward to it!"

by **Free Republics** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 9:30 pm

This is your Matchday 1 Cutoff, brought to you by Nicholls Music! Nicholls Music: We make artists into stars! Buy new albums from Angelika Koenig, Moonlight and Rule and the Lions today!

Results

Group A
Acronius 3–3 Nicana
North Prarie 2–0 Funky Fresh Beats

Group B
Central Shaneville 0–2 Mercedini
The Orion Islands 5–2 Britonisea

Group C
United States of Devonta 0–5 Alpine Union
Platerdam 1–2 ThePenguinLand

Group D
Omerica 1–0 Blaneu
Abanhfleft 3–1 The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario

Group E
Nurwiji 1–0 Adab
Neo-Romanum 2–0 Maryloupe

Group F
Free Republics 2–0 Karulicja
Aggrey-Fynn Land 0–2 Kavagrad

Group G
Yanghoon 4–1 Savalen
HUElavia 0–1 Drawkland

Group H
Flardania 1–1 The Frozen Forest
Unified Hispania 0–2 South Caleblan

Tables were not posted today because 8 teams still haven't played their first match. They will be posted after all remaining matchdays. Starting with matchday 2, the cutoff time should hopefully fall within the cutoff window, not approximately 2 and a half hours after the end of the window.

by **Karulicja** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:57 am

“Don’t take me home! Please, don’t take me home! I just don’t want to go to wooooork!”

That’s how it should have gone.

“Look, Anis, it’s gone. Water on the bridge.”

Lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling of our shared hotel room, I didn’t have to look aside that Hamzi would be peeking over the edge of one of the countless comics he had packed for this trip. By now, and considering the pace with which he devoured them, I started to suspect that his suitcase only contained two pairs of briefs and a ton of paper.

“The coach knew he was taking risks,” he continued, “trying something dangerous. If you want to snatch the meat, you’ve got to jump in the lion’s cage. But every once and a while, that also means you get bitten, that’s simply the game we play.”

Although I slowly nodded, it didn’t suffice to shake off the video of the events. From a purely tactical point of view, he made an awful lot of sense. Replacing Hamzi Derbali, the solid, pacy left defender for a nimble winger as I had been an all-or-nothing moment. Much against everyone’s expectation, the squad had held on in the foreseen opening storm delivered by the Republicans and although Theriault kept on sending waves to our shores, the back five – with Kunstelj playing an exceptional role – made it through almost unscathed. Almost, as there are only that much shots Moscardelli could save and one Lydsson rebound remained out of reach for him.

After the break, the pressure dropped, much to the discomfort of the local fans. Their initial jeering started to drop in volume and at one point, the endless chanting of the small but dedicated Karulicja block did no longer drown in the freedom-loving anthems. Maybe that’s what pushed Azzini over the edge of his security measures. With ten minutes to go, he looked me up and down, scratched in his thinning hair and with a small nod, instructed me to get in there.

“This could make a nice scheme,” he grinned as I walked past.
It didn’t quite work out.

Walking through it, in between a lot of running to prevent Arsanukhayev and Peltola from ripping us apart, I could only recall three distinct moments in the game. Three touches, one could say. For the first one, I was open wide and already looking forth to alternatives when Hysi passed a lateral ball. With my mind on a quick cross, the leather slipped underneath my foot and out of bounds. Four minutes later, Roberto caught a Republican cross and tried to launch a quick counter, with the opposition out of position for half a second. It could have been a neat chest control with a boulevard in front. It bounced off me like a beach ball of a toddler.

The third one… Well, it wasn’t a touch, technically. Near the edge of the box, Arsanukhayev moved the ball forward. Eager, too eager, to stop him, I tried to sway it away, only for him to nutmeg me at the spot. With the momentum of my swing, I fell on my behind as the right midfielder presented Holm the decisive one. It ran through my mind as a gif – and I knew it was taking the interwebs as one. I…

“Look mate, let’s just watch some telly and get your mind of stuff, no?”

It took me years to understand she didn’t mean it in jest – it just seemed so as it was her habitual sentence she repeated each time again. On any non-school day, he would take me along to the shore. As mum would protest, my older brother would grin that she didn’t need to worry, he was there.

“That’s exactly what I’m worrying about.”

Up next, Youcef and I would walk along the street. Well, he would switch from side to side to shake hands with friends, acquaintances and probably some enemies as well. I would dribble my way past all lantern posts, play keepie-uppie on all red lights and nutmeg all old ladies. It was – and is – my specialty. By the time we reached the sea, he would guide me to one of the many small pitches of Mazaf, trying to find a bulky, cocky guy who believed he was the best footballer of the seven seas. And yell at him.

“My little brother can nutmeg you, you loser.” or “Hey, fifty bucks that can never stop my bro’s penalties, sucker.”

If we won – well, on closer scrutiny, if I won – the three or four dinars he pushed in my hand would go to posters and football magazines. For some reason, I didn’t bother what happened with the rest. Every once and a while I lost – well, we – and Youcef would scold. “You’ve ruined it, Anis,” he’ld say. That didn’t happen too often – just enough to recall the sound.

Hamzi turned the television on just in time to see Lecha Arsanukhayev spot out Love Holm unmarked for the second goal. His hand instinctively went to the remote but I waved it away. If it was going to play in the back of my mind all night, I better had as many proper angles of the footage as possible.

“And with that, the Republican team won their opener with relative ease,” the local news reporter explained, “against one of the novices in their group. As they prepare for a tougher clash against Darkmania, the fans remained relatively calm.”

“Yeah, I guess it wasn’t all that easy against a side just looking for a draw,” one guy with a dark blue football shirt and a novelty hat contemplated, “but job’s done.”

“In contrast,” the reporter continued, “the few hundred Karulicjans who made the long trip celebrated their debut – despite the loss.”

That’s when he came in sight. He had changed since mum kicked him out of the house, now nearly a year ago. But despite the fact that he seemed crossbred with a pufferfish, the tens of pounds added mashed with a filthy beard, it was unmistakably Youcef. And I, idiot I am, couldn't help but smile as his face brought me back to easier times.

He appeared behind the ‘news guy on location’ who explained that the Falkamore pub district was crawled by the Squadra, as the fans in the stripy shirt called themselves. Halfway his line, the group behind him interrupted him…

“Don’t take me hooome, please don’t take me hooome,”

Youcef never got to that second line. His first ‘home’ went all squeaky before he lay his hand on the shoulder of the reporter, tipped over and projectile vomited in the streets, much to the amusement of his pals, whose laughter rang through the dark streets.

This time I nodded when Hamzi went for the remote but he didn’t hit the red button before I heard some muffled words which got met with even more boisterous laughter.

“Anis, you’ve ruined it.”

by **Adab** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:52 am

KickTheBall.com
Bringing you the latest in Adabian football news

Adab beaten 1-0 by unheralded Nurwiji in Independents Cup opening match

Adab's Independents Cup campaign got off to a rough start yesterday as the country was beaten 1-0 by almost-unknown Group E rival Nurwiji in its first international match in ten years.

KIckTheBall.com believes that this means Adab is currently in third place in Group E, escaping last place, currently occupied by Maryloupe, by virtue of goal difference, Maryloupe having lost 2-0 to Neo-Romanum.

The young and largely untested Adabian team, led by manager Saad Kaykali, played in a flexible 4-3-3 formation against the almost-unknown nation and managed to create chances throughout both halves of the match, but failed in following through said chances.

Adab started the match in aggressive fashion, pressing the other nation. Center forward Enlilbani Yargab nearly scored into Nurwiji's goalpost in the 19th minute, courtesy of a pass from Adanirari Uhwan, but was saved by Nurwiji's keeper.

Although Nurwiji tightened their defence, Adab got another chance in the 34th minute with Yargab once again on the forefront. This time, however, the ball went above the post. Adab spent the rest of the first half continuing their attack on Nurwiji, without much success.

The second half saw winger Shamsuiluna Zambiya nearly score in the 65th minute, the ball having been passed through Nurwiji's left flank by Taymour Frangieh and Ephraim Orlev. The ball went to the left of the post. Yargab was now surrounded by several opposition players man-marking him.

In the end, it was the mostly defensive Nurwiji that won the day, wrestling the ball away from Malik Aminuddin in the 85th minute and launching a daring counterattack which culminated in the ball going through Mohammed Marramzi's post, the only goal of the day.

Kaykali: "We must stay optimistic."
Manager Saad Kaykali showed barely any emotion at the post-match press conference following the surprising loss, but stated that his team had done well in their first professional match.

"This is our first professional match, me as the manager and the team," Kaykali said. "We're still testing the waters at this point, and for a bunch of first-timers I believe we did pretty well. Obviously I would have liked to see a win, but now that we've lost we must stay optimistic, evaluate our performance, and prepare for future matches."

Kaykali blamed the loss on having little information regarding Nurwiji's team and its tactics. "We didn't know what to do, we didn't know their usual tactics, we only knew the players' names the morning of the match."

He further exhorted the Adabian public to believe in the team. "Everything and everyone have a beginning. We all have to start somewhere. We will improve from here and we will make the country proud."

See also:
Who is Inimabakesh Thulus, the national team's new assistant manager?
Marramzi: I'm ready for my gig on the big stage
How the Adabian national team rose from the ashes

by **ThePenguinLand** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:31 am

(As my opponent hasn`t posted anything yet, their lineup is left blank and generic as i don`t have the player information and if they wish to post later it can be easily changed.)
PLATTERDAM 1-2PENGUINLAND
Penguinland 61`-Dinawsci, 86`-Edumonsonowivic.

-------------------------Stankovich(6.2)-------------------------
--Jederich(7.0)-------Proskazy(7.0)--------Hidercky(7.1)-----Fore(7.9)-----
--------------Gonzalodin(8.0)-------Strezeleny(8.0)----------------
----------------------Gonzalaherna(8.3)-------------------------
----Dinawsci(9.0)---------Edumonsonowivic(8.4)----Fernandes(7.4)--

PlatterDam 68`-Unknown player

Lineup unknown.

1 min: We kickoff here, to the delight of many of the Penguinlandian fans to see these two teams play tonight. It`s the international cup and tournament debut of PenguinLand as they head out here to give joy to the fans.

25 min: It`s a chance, yet a really shabby one. Dinawsci crosses to the edge of the box where Gonzalaherna is waiting. His shot is skied and wide and would`ve never troubled the keeper. Despite this the Penguinalndian attack looks sharp and alert.

34 min: that was a good chance! Fernandes crosses into the box after 30 minutes of being inactive and it comes the head of Edumonsonwivic for a wonderstrike that`s saved by the keeper. Nothing much comes from the ensuing corner as the Platterdam defense clear it upfield.

45 min: The Penguinland defense were asleep just then, Platterdam pass the ball down the middle to only be intercepted at the last minute by Hidercky, their striker could`ve got to it and if he had it would`ve been a chance for them to pull ahead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Half Time---------------------------------------------------------------------------

46 min: Platterdam could`ve scored! The failed clearance of Proskazy leaves the Platterdam striker wide open on goal, the chance is not taken as the ball slams into the side netting, whipped past Stankovich. The Platterdam attack had the Penguinland defense there, only better finishing is needed next time.

61 min: Goal! It`s in! Dinawsci cuts inside, dukes past two players and slams it in the back of the net. Superb finish to curl it past the goal keeper and leave him floundering on the ground. Dinawsci is sharp and active today definitely deserved of a goal.

68 min: Platterdam equalize! A blocked shot from their winger lands right in the path of their striker who taps it in the bottom corner. The defense didn`t seem well positioned to deal with it. They certainly need to work harder or they will concede more in this match.

86 min: Penguinland have won it! their first ever international victory and it`s sweet. Dinawsci`s cross is sent in to the penalty area without a second glance, that`s the chemistry here , Edmunsonowivic manages to get a head on it and send it thoroughly into the top corner of the net. Brilliant team play and a brilliant finish!

by **Flardania** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:39 am

Opening Theme

Bonjour et Ohayōgozaimasu Kirishima. Welcome ladies and gentleman to the 5th Independents Cup edition of the Kitsune Report, brought to you by the Nagatomo Sports Network (NSN), sponsored by Air Pacifica, and Pocari Surge. Here at the Kitsune Report, it's all about Kirishinan sports. With the first match of the group stages in the books, the Kitsunes or should I say the entire nation awoke from their hibernation and in the case of the Kitsunes a much longer hibernation seeing how they failed to participate in IC 4 despite being heavy favorites. Now with a rusty team significantly off form and starting with a new manager it is time to see how the Kitsunes do. I'm your host, the fan you can count on the most, to bring you Kitsune news, Keitaaaaaaa Woo! Without any further delay let's get grooving to some Independents Cup football!

Kirishima 1–1 The Frozen Forest Review:

The Kitsunes entered the match undefeated in Independents Cup Group Matches but it did not feel that way before the start of the match. The Kitsunes were not only missing in IC 4 but they also were in horrible form thanks to the Shizuka Shōshitsu phenomenon. The Kitsunes are at the most vulnerable they've been in a very long time and they entered against a team that they have not only never played against before but like the Kitsunes engage in Ruthless Aggression when it comes to their offense.

Some fans were still getting in there seats when the first shot of the match came in the 1'. Otto Lindén's side seemed hell bent on drawing first blood and their high power offense definitely caught the Kitsunes off guard. Luckily Hojo was able to make the save but it was far from over as the opposition had shots on goal in the 4',5', & 6' minutes. The Kitsunes would have their first attempt in the 13' when Mizoguchi attempted a shot near the top of the box but it was saved by Ivar Richardsson. Eventually the constant prodding of the opposition led to a corner kick which would result in a GOAL for The Frozen Forest in the 31' minute scored by Klaus Boesen. The Kitsunes remembering that they are a veteran side that used to be favorites seemed to have woke up and looked for chances of their own which was easier said then done given that the opposition was still playing quite aggressively. The Kitsunes had a couple shot on target with a really good chance by Yabuta in the 45' which was saved by Richardsson. The two teams entered the half with the Frozen Forest up 1-0.

In the second half the opposition was still showing no sides of slowing down so the Kitsunes which were never that committed to offense to the extent of The Frozen Forest did,were much more defensive focused. The game plan seemed to revolving around keeping possession and launching a comeback against the opposition comeback. The gamble paid of in the 74' when the opposition committed too much on the attack and loss possession to Nguyen. Claire was able to find Nao Hirose who then found Aoi Fujioka who came in for Ichikawa four minutes prior, with a well placed pass. With a defender trailing behind and only a keeper to beat, Fujioka performed a dribble to get a better angle and then drilled a shot past Richardsson's outstretched hands for the GOAL! The Kitsunes would keep up their adjusted play which did stop the opposition however failed to yield another such quality attempt. There was nearly a scare but in the end the Kitsunes showed experience and tact in order to comeback. The Kitsunes for the first time have failed to win an Independents Cup group match but they have yet to lose one either. Final score Kirishima 1, The Frozen Forest 1.

Following the match, a composed Yong In-Kwon, had this to say in his inaugural post match interview as National Team Manager. "We were rusty and out of form. We knew little about our opposition today and they knew a lot more about us. They caught us off guard and had us reacting to everything whilst being unable to play our game. Ultimately the half was our friend today has it allowed the opposition momentum to slow down and gave us a chance to tweak how we wanted to play this game. It ultimately worked and we prevented a loss...I understand that given Kirishima's previous performances in the Independents Cup, this is a lack luster finish and we acknowledge that. With that said we need to manage our expectations especially when we are in World Cup qualifiers, this is not the same rank 19 team that we remember, as a result of Shizuka Shōshitsu we are evaluated at a rank of 44, a severe drop of 25 spots. Our performance and what we are used to will take some getting used to but I can assure you that this team will be focused on getting us back to where we should be as soon as possible. "

Kirishima 1-1 The Frozen Forest 
A.Fujioka(74')      K. Boesen(31')

Petroslovania v Kirishima Match Preview

With Kirishima's draw against The Frozen Forest, they have managed to avoid a dangerous loss but have given a point to a dangerous side that has a chance of escaping Group H. Awaiting the Kitsunes are the second pot team of Petroslovania. Not only is this team a threat but considering that this group stage is a single round robin with the Kitsunes next match being a bye, a loss would be a very devastating ordeal that will be difficult to comeback from despite two unranked sides awaiting the Kitsunes after the bye. It is hard to tell at this time what Petroslovania will bring to the table in this matchup as they are coming off of a bye but given their ability the Kitsunes must not allow them to get 3 points at their expense. Hopefully the last match was able to spark some form to help carry them but honestly when it comes to football, you never know. More importantly is that football is back in Kirishima and we are all in on the ride wherever that takes us, preferably towards glory. The keys for the next game will be momentum carry over, possession, and exécution of the gameplan . Until next time Lets Go Kitsunes!

Post by: Keita Woo

by **Darkmania** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:57 am

Hello, and welcome to Free Republics, home of I.C 5. This is where our boys can get practice before the Quali to the World Cup kicks. We have not been ever qualified to WP, yet are the 99th best. We are DaTV, Darkmanias national public service broadcaster and we will bring you hopefully the latest gossip, all matches and so much, much more. It's time for us get glory and we will see when we finaly qualfiy to the WP later.

by **Blaneu** » Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:23 pm

The Blaneu Broadsheet

Blaneu Caught Flat-Footed

Blaneu kicked off their Independents Cup campaign in disastrous fashion in a cagey one-nil defeat to Omerica. This game could well be pivotal for Blaneu, who now require one of Omerica or Abanhfleft to slip up in order to progress to the next round.

The state of play severely calls into question the ability of this Blaneuan side to compete, with the majority of the starting eleven and bench all being older than the age of thirty. Most players started to look fatigued deep into the match, allow them to do little but sit back and attempt to soak up pressure. Not all the blame may be apportioned to the older players either, young wing-forward Ojo Navarro and Owaine Davis failed to set up any serious counter-attacking threats, and a tightly marked Aaron Starkey failed to put through any notable passes to break.

The game saw Omerica hold possession for length periods of time, and their first spell of pressure produced a goal. An initial attempt by Barzetti was cleared out by Bowen, before the subsequent corner saw Red Bolton head home to give Omerica the lead. For much of the rest of the game Omerica remained on the front foot, sitting with the ball around the halfway line seeking for gaps. Whilst Blaneu managed to retain their tightness in defense, they failed to progress out of their own half much, the only such attempt coming as Hartson spearheaded a move, leading to a shot being blasted well wide of the post by Iain French.

Going into their next fixture, Blaneu will face Abanhfleft and on the basis of this performance Snellbridge may well have to reconsider his side. The formation sees Blaneu sit too defensively to attack by any method bar a quick counter attack. This has left Blaneu exposed against sides that leave defenders deep, and seems to also suffer from the lack of pacey players who are able to spearhead such a move. Against Abanhfleft Snellbridge will be hoping that Hartson can use his positional intelligence to cause chaos on the back line, with him acting as a defensive forward there may well be a way through as Abanhfleft have only two centre-backs and no one shielding them. This is of course tempered by the reality that Abanhfleft have bags of attacking talent, whilst Blaneu have players who play for pub sides most Sundays.

Blaneu		0 - 1		Omerica

Omerica

Acardi
Boulos
De Felice 
Cruz 
Michelakakis
Soares - (Rodrigues - 77')
Bianchi
Affini 
Bolton  (25')
Nelissen 
Barzetti - (Bouchard - 70')

Subs

Augustin
Michelakis
Roldan
Rodrigues
Bouchard
Blaneu

O'Brian
Bowen █
Vernon 
Hollands
French - (Driscoll - 66')
Sparks 
Starkey
MacDai - (Peterson - 70')
Navarro 
Davis
Hartson - (Evans - 45')  

Subs

D. Jones
Peterson - (MacDai - 70')
G. Jones
Driscoll - (French - 66') 
Evans - (Hartson - 45')

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:05 am

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

INDEPENDENTS CUP 5: ABANHFLEFT VS AUTHORITARIAN REPUBLIC OF LOCHARIO
By Malik Qazizadah

The Abanhfleft women's national football team celebrates their victory over the Authoritarian Republic of Lochario in the 5th Independents Cup. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

TARITA, QUARTONA, FREE REPUBLICS - Abanhfleft strolled to a comfortable 3-1 victory over the Authoritarian Republic of Lochario to start off their 5th Independents Cup campaign in the Free Republics.

This Fleftic women's team, assembled by Ginny Katesmar around a core of players who are to become part of the list under consideration for the squad that is to succeed the so-called "golden generation" of Fleftic women football players, got off to a blistering start in Tarita, Quartona and dominated the game from start to finish.

That being said, chances were few and far between in the first 25 minutes of the game and neither side really looked like they wanted to go in for the attack except for a brief period near the start of the match when Abanhfleft almost managed to walk the ball into the net after deft and clever passing and footwork between the Lady Revolutionaries only to see Princess Gonzales lob the ball wide of the far post.

But it was the Lady Revolutionaries who would finally find the breakthrough five minutes from the half hour after Erin Jensdottir-Jennings' speculative long-range effort found the back of the net, albeit after a slight deflection off the calf of Dakir Ayadad.

This initiated a period of increased Fleftic pressure on the Locharians, and Esteban Vasquez found himself having to become a brick wall for his country as shots rained down on him from the Fleftics, but Elene Liner's curling shot into the bottom right corner was simply too far for Vasquez to reach, and Liner doubled Abanhfleft's advantage and seemingly secured the three points for the Lady Revolutionaries before the interval.

At the start of the second half though, it appeared that Guillermo Vargas had a nice and long talk with his players about the game, and it was the Ginger Tigers who appeared to have taken the upper hand, culminating in Kamil Ghittin's first goal of the game, which he got after he headed in the outside of the boot cross from Koti Sassi.

Princess Gonzales, the 18-year-old striker from Keephall Valkyries who was surprisingly named in the starting lineup by Ginny Katesmar, soon gave way to a more experienced attacker in Annamarie Sabado, and it was the introduction of the Arsenal de Releinthi Ladies forward that proved to be the key in revitalizing the Lady Revolutionaries' attacking play.

Sabado's interplay in between the Locharian defensive line caused enough chaos and confusion among the Ginger Tigers' defenders and made some of them chase shadows, and after an unfortunate collision between two Locharian defenders, Sabado created enough space for herself to steer Amelie Rusev's cross into the top left corner.

Rusev herself would also get a chance to truly put the game to bed with an excellent free kick attempt at the end of added-on time, and while her kick looked set to sneak into the far post once again, but Esteban Vasquez managed to palm it away for a corner that Abanhfleft wouldn't have time to kick because the referee had finally whistled for the end of the game.

Abanhfleft women's national team manager Ginny Katesmar: "It was a fascinating game, that's for sure. We started off slow but then Erin [Jensdottir-Jennings] found the back of the net with her long-range shot and everything then opened up for us. And then there was a period of time where Lochario put us on the back foot, and they almost found their way back into the game because of it, but we kept our nerve and held on for the win."

Abanhfleft will face Blaneu next in the Independents Cup. Abanhfleft and Blaneu have faced each other once in the 43rd Di Bradini Cup, a game which ended in a 0-0 result.

  ABANHFLEFT 3 - 1 LOCHARIO
  ERIN (25')       GHITTIN (52')
 LINER (44')
SABADO (69')

AUTHORITARIAN REPUBLIC OF LOCHARIO
GK: 1 Vasquez
RB: 21 Payud
RCB: 23 Daquir
LCB: 13 Ayadad
LB: 5 Kallamin (Kolashkov - 59')
RM: 2 Olmani
LM: 35 Uymar (Faruq - 67')
RW: 27 Sassi (Yitar - 82')
CAM: 10 Duquce █
LW: 3 Jereman
ST: 18 Ghittin

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 1 Bryan █
RB: 2 Walker
RCB: 4 Soler
LCB: 5 Sullins
LB: 3 Riddles
RM: 6 Winter-Slaughter (Sibusizwe - 83')
LM: 7 Erin
RW: 8 Liner
CAM: 10 Woodward (Britt █ - 64')
LW: 11 Rusev
ST: 23 Gonzales (Sabado - 54')

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Abanhfleft: 44%
Lochario: 56%
Shots
Abanhfleft: 19 (11 on target)
Lochario: 5 (1 on target)
Corners
Abanhfleft: 9
Lochario: 5
Fouls
Abanhfleft: 20
Lochario: 13

by **Central Shaneville** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 8:13 am

CENTRAL SHANEVILLE TO CHANGE UP LINEUP FOLLOWING DEFEAT
Following Central Shaneville's disappointing 2-0 loss to Mercedini the other day the team and manager remain in good spirits going into tonights game against Northwest Kalactin who are another ranked team but not as highly ranked as Mercidini. Jay Bucks (the manager of Central Shaneville) commented the following: "We dont know much about what kind of play Northwest Kalactin are going to user but its deffinetly another tough game, however we remain hopeful for a result. Even a draw will help as long as we get on the board this game morale should stay high.

The Central Shaneville side stays with their +2 Offensive Style of play as they head to the PetroDome in the south west of the host country, it is a smaller stadium to that of Soccer Palace and is also located on a university campus which is something that international football/soccer isnt really a custom too (playing on university campuses) which will make for a unique atmosphere. In terms of the Lineup the Central Shaneville side make 4 changes ahead of this game. Sam Wray is replaced on the right wing by Tommy Vance whilst Daniel Cutting gets his first game of the tournament as he starts instead of Danny Staniar. Taylor Anderson replaces Spencer Owen on the left wing which is a weird place to play for the striker considering he is usually shooting balls at the net compared to this time where he will be making chances. And finally what could be the biggest change is that of the goalkeepers as Jordan Berry replaces James Penford in goal following an underwhelming performance from Penford on the first matchday.

STARTING LINEUP
GK - Jordan Berry
LB - Ben Thomas
CB - George Flower
CB - Liam Apps
RB - Brandon Ekins
CAM - Daniel Cutting
CAM - Shane Wray
LW - Taylor Anderson
RW - Tommy Vance
ST - David Vujanic
ST - Josh Smith

RESERVES/SUBS
GK - James Penford
D - Anthony Wessels
D - Stephen Reynolds
D - Nathan Morris
M - Sam Wray
M - Danny Staniar
M - Olly Kenyon
M - Matthew Flaherty
M - Jeff Shreeves
M - Spencer Owen
F - Owain Cottam
F - Seb Owen

With that then we head back to the studio where the pre match festivities continue we will see you at kick off from the PetroDome.

by **Adab** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:05 am

A Dance with Football
A look into the lives of the people involved in Adabian football and those associated with them

Chapter 2: Inimabakesh Thulus

Today
Campground occupied by the Adabian team

Assistant manager Inimabakesh Thulus had largely kept to himself during Adab's visit to the Free Republics for the Independents Cup so far. He had never been a man of words to start with, or at least that's the way he had been ever since what he and fellow notables of Adabian football called "The Purge". That is, the suspension of the Football Association and the arrest and trial of hundreds alleged to have been involved in the scandals that tainted Adabian football. It's hard to believe it had been ten years since that ignominious event started.

Inimabakesh himself was a survivor of The Purge; he was arrested, tried, and promptly acquitted when the evidence indicated he had not been involved in any of the scandals. He once played for Baghdad City - which notably also hosted his now-boss Saad Kaykali - but had been retired for a while and was working as a coach in that same club when The Purge started. He was once dubbed the most boisterous man on the training ground, but age had quieted him. That, and the trauma of seeing so many of his former teammates and fellow staff members arrested and tried and some of them executed, along with the realization that many of them pretended to be his friends but had actually despised him for his honesty and played him for a fool the entire time.

But that was ten years ago. Manager and assistant manager, survivors of The Purge, were now intent on looking to the future and guiding a whole new generation of football players - hopefully more honest than the previous one - to glory.

The morning mist had cleared up, and Inimabakesh could see his boss' tent over there. Saad had set up his tent a few feet away from the nearest player. Not too far, but far enough to make it seem as if he were isolated from everyone else. As he was keen to clarify, it's not that he hated them; he just needed time to meditate and contemplate.

"You there, boss?" Inimabakesh called out as he looked into the inside of the tent. Saad was on his knees, facing away from the assistant manager, having just finished praying.

"Come inside, Inimabakesh," came the reply, "and don't call me 'boss'. We've known each other for years and we're beyond that. Besides you're a bit older than me, so it's a bit weird."

Inimabakesh crouched as he entered the tent; the tent was a bit too low for him to walk inside. Saad turned to him, and now they were both sitting, facing each other. "Why did you call me here? Oh, and how did you get a signal here? I didn't get anything. Tried to browse, tried to make a call, nothing happened."

"Then you better change your phone." Saad smiled. "Look, I just wanna tell you that my daughter Aida is coming here. She's just finished this summer program in Purgatio with a bunch of other foreign students. I haven't mentioned that to you, right? From there she'll fly to Adab first, then take a flight here. She might be here today, tomorrow, or the day after that, I don't know. But whenever she comes, I need you to pick her up at the airport and bring her here. Bring one or two of the players with you, if possible. She'd probably be feeling lonely after parting from her friends there and in need some cheering up. I'll tell you when she's actually here."

"Of course, I'll pick her up," said Inimabakesh. "Have I met Aida before? I seem to vaguely remember you carrying a little girl on your arms during training."

"Yep, that's her." Saad's smile broadened. "I remember that too. She was, like, two years old I think. Can you believe that she's eighteen now, and a university student? Time flies so fast." Suddenly his smile was gone, and Inimabakesh noticed his face growing grim. "She reminds me of her mother, you know. She's looking more and more like her with each passing day."

"Oh, Maria was beautiful. How long has she been gone?" asked Inimabakesh, before suddenly realizing that he was probably intruding too much. "No, wait, I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"Nah, it's alright," Saad said. "Seven years. I dreamed of her two nights ago. Everything was white, and in the middle of it all she was standing, just as sweet as on the day I first met her. I reached for her, I chased after her... but she's gone." He raised a finger to his eye, hoping that Inimabakesh wouldn't notice him wiping away a tear.

But Inimabakesh noticed anyway, and he quickly changed the subject so as not to upset his boss too much. "So, about the match with Neo-Romanum, I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too, but we must not underestimate them. We agree that they're probably a better team than Nurwiji, right? But that loss was just an aberration, I hope." Saad sighed. "I try to look on the positive side. We've been out of international football for ten years and we're fielding a team of high school and university-age students, but we actually did pretty well on that match. We just need to work more on our finishing. That's it. Their morale is great and the team spirit is there. Just the finishing."

"Well, you've done your best, really. The best thing that we can do right now is pray to God and hope that our boys do well on the field."

"I suppose so."

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:28 am

The U.S.A.R. crushes the United States

Toakameau, Republic of Falatulu, Free Republics - (NAP) The Alpine Union started the Independents Cup 5 with a 5-0 win against their closest rival in group C, the United States of Devonta. The IslandDome was sold out with half of the fans being from the Alpine Union and the other half from the Free Republics with just an handful of fans from Devonta. The Bisons were obviously the first team to score, at the 22nd minute, when Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz passed the ball to Sarah Schroffenegger who dribbled with the ball and made a header pass to Amelia Zalwowska who shoots and scores and the Alpines are leading 1-0. The Reprezentacja Alpejski attacked again at the 28th minute when Krzysztof Januszkiewicz made a long pass to Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz who dibbled with the ball and made a cross to Jean-François Kleineheismann who shoots but he hits the cross bar. Amelia Zalwowska kicks the loose ball in the net and it's another goal for the Alpine Union! The Bisons are leading 2-0 at the halftime.

The United States of Devonta is attacking at the 65th minute when Player #10 shoots the ball over the net and it's a goal kick. Zofia Kwietniewska kicks the ball, both Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz and Player #6 are battling for the ball. Player #6 elbows Wawrzynkiewicz in the face while jumping and the referree blows the whistle. He shows a red card to Player #6 while the Alpine team doctors are taking care of Wawrzynkiewicz. It's a free kick for the Bisons. Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz takes the free kick. He shoots the ball and it goes directly into the net, 3-0 Alpine Union! 3 minutes later, Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz, who never came back on the field since his injury, is replaced with Jedrzej Kosciukiewicz.

Devonta is attacking again at the 87th minute when Player #9 shoots wide left and it's another goal kick. Zofia Kwietniewska kicks the ball and Cristiano Fernando, who replaced Amelia Zalwowska at the 80th minute, heads the ball to Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz who made a header pass to Sarah Schroffenegger who heads the ball to Cristiano Fernando who made a header pass to Zbigniew Zajaczkowski who heads the ball right into the net and the Alpine Union is leading 4-0! It was a pretty funny goal with the ball not touching the ground since Kwietniewska's goal kick. Then, at the 90 + 4 minute, Cristiano Fernando shoots but Goalkeeper #1 deflects the ball over the net and it's a corner kick. Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz takes the corner kick. He kicks the ball in the penalty area and Przemyslaw Tkocz heads the ball into the net, it's another goal for the Alpine Union and this is the final score the Bisons crushed the United States of Devonta 5-0!

The Alpine Union is ranked 59th and Devonta, 57th. Every football experts in the Alpine Union agrees that Devonta is the team to beat in our group and the Reprezentacja Alpejski totally crushed them by a score of 5-0. The Bisons are now 1st in the group table tied with ThePenguinLand. If there's an underdog in this group who can mess up with the Alpine Union and Devonta, it's certainly ThePenguinLand, who will be another challenge for the Bisons on matchday 3, but before facing ThePenguinLand, the Alpines will play against Platerdam on matchday 2. Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz will miss this game with an upper body injury and he'll be replaced with Jedrzej Kosciukiewicz. Slawomir Skrzeszewski will play at central defense instead of Krzysztof Januszkiewicz, 34 years old, who is taking some rest. United States of Devonta's Player #6, who recieved a red card, will be suspended one game, on matchday 2 against United West Indic States.

BOXSCORE
22nd minute: Amelia Zalwowska assisted by Sarah Schroffenegger
28th minute: Amelia Zalwowska
65th minute: Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz
87th minute: Zbigniew Zajaczkowski assisted by Cristiano Fernando
90th + 4 minute: Przemyslaw Tkocz

YELLOW CARD
Devonta: Player #3
Alpine Union: Przemyslaw Tkocz

RED CARD
Devonta: Player #6
Alpine Union: None

by **Mercedini** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:36 pm

Independents Cup MD1
Central Shaneville vs. Mercedini
@ Soccer Palace - Petrograd, Free Republics

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a fairly miserable Petrograd where Mercedini will kick off their Independents Cup campaign against Central Shaneville here today. We're currently under cover here in the stadium as the rain has began to pour down in the south-west of the Free Republics. We're here at the gigantic Soccer Palace Stadium which reportedly holds over 110,000 people at it's capacity. but realistically we'll only be expecting about 50-60,000 for Mercedini's first match against the unranked dark horses of the group. Mercedini picked up their second bronze medal in the previous edition, after they were knocked out in almost comical fashion to the Free Republics (who went on to win), but made a mends in the third place playoff against Alpine Union. Their best ever finish was in Kel Assuk and Spaam where Elidyr Lyndainium made an almost instant impression on the nation, taking the team to their first and only Independents Cup Final, where the ultimately lost 2-1 to then World #1 Schottia. Mercedini are back with all of the familiar faces associated with non-big three football. Mercedini have the momentum with Mercedini the only side to bring home a major trophy during this cycle, so we will see how their first tournament since their Cup of Harmony goes on as Central Shaneville enters the fray.

Independents Cup: Credit Where It's Due

FINAL SCORE
IAC | MD1
CENTRAL SHANEVILLE 0
MERCEDINI 2
Alotic 49', Garzallo 72'
Petrograd, Free Republics

It was turned out to be a big surprise for the Mercedinian National Team, Central Shaneville proved to be a greater challenge than their rank would suggest, with the team matching the Golden Eagles play for play throughout much of the first half. Before the Cup of Harmony champions and the world's 26th ranked team won through in the end with a pair of clinical finishes, putting them past Central Shaneville in their tournament opener of the Independents Cup. It means Mercedini are ranked second in the group on goal difference after the first round of matches, they are only topped by The Orion Islands who beat region-meates Britonisea by five goals to two, with their +3 goal difference overcoming Mercedini +2 goal difference. Northwest Kalactin is the only remaining unknown in the group, as they had their BYE match and will join in the action on match day two.

As for the match, there were many expectant Mercedinian fans forming in the stands with approximately 10-15,000 Golden Eagles' fans forming in Petrograd for the opening match of what is quickly becoming the fourth regional tournament everyone is keeping their eyes on. The match was being paralleled by plenty of other matches in other groups, but the locals in Petrograd were certainly keen on seeing one of the draws of the tournament, with all of the big names of Mercedinian football in action on the pitch inside the 110,000 capacity stadium. The teams entered the cauldron with Central Shaneville lining up in their dark green kits, while Mercedini had to play their first competitive match with an ediraf kit contract using their white and red away kits to avoid a clash between the two dark colours and the pitch. Jay Bucks, the coach and manager for Central Shaneville fielded a strong starting eleven for their Independents Cup debut, while Lyndainium fielded a competent Mercedinian side, leaving star strikers Dostalok and Chillotov on the bench for the first match.

The match started with Central Shaneville coming out of the block feisty and tenacious, rushing the Mercedinian midfield and defence into mistakes and clearly setting their intent on the match for the fans and the opposition to see. Frantic passing movements from the unranked sides kept the Mercedinians on their toes for almost the entirety of the first half, with the midfield even faceting a series of big chances to take a surprise lead at the Soccer Palace. Josh Smith and David Vujanic sat upfront for Central Shaneville and put through on multiple occasions, only to be denied by the safe hands of Callum Polasic. The Cenial City goalkeeper was kept busy throughout the match, with the high octane movement from the opposition acting as a roadblock for any Mercedinian venture up the field. It was proving to be a frustrating return to international football for the Mercedinian National Team.

The best chance of the first half went to the unranked side, with David Vujanic's layoff paving the way for Josh Smith to cut inside and curl a shot towards goal. It beat the diving glove of Polasic but couldn't sneak it's way inside the post, as it ricocheted off the wood work and safely back into open play to be cleared by Aznelik. Mercedini's chances were few and far between in a first half which was dominated by the IAC debutantes, but Alotic did have the best Mercedinian chance of the half, coming towards the end of the period as Shanvillian legs were tiring. The muscular Mercedinian striker, who has been performing well for Pelethas United in the Harlighet Ligen in Cosumar, caught the CS defence napping as broke forward upfield. He was jostling for position with several defender but cut back and fired in a shot, but it went well wide of the goal, marking a disappointing first half of the match for Mercedini. Things could be worse as the referee blew his whistle for the end of the first half, Central Shaneville and Mercedini goalless at the interval.

Fifteen minutes later, the teams came back out for the second half with both teams looking poised to strike. Mercedini kicked off the second half, which would prove to work to their advantage as they opened the scoring less than five minutes into the second half. The Golden Eagles held onto possession for those opening five minutes and worked a move delicately into the box where Alotic was waiting. The Pelethas Striker took a single touch before blasting it low into the net for the opening goal. A huge sigh of relief was released by the players and the fans as the deadlock had finally been broken after being given one big scare in the first half against a spirited Central Shaneville side.

There, Mercedini relaxed somewhat as they now knew that Shaneville would have to come out to play, as they chased a potential point against the group's top seed. The Golden Eagles stayed off their opponents for a fair while after their goal to consolidate their lead and to make sure that their opponents didn't catch them unaware after celebrating that opening goal. Central Shaneville looked deflated after that goal but spirits were kept high as they tried to root for an equaliser. The Mercedinian defence was stretched at this point but Vujanic couldn't convert the guilt edged chance from close range, letting the Golden Eagles off the hook yet again. It was beginning to be a matc with plenty of positives and negatives for both teams.

Those missed chances were punished by a clinical Mercedinian attack when Billic broke free from his defender with a diagonal through ball by Alotic. Despite being 32, Billic raced forward while beating off a couple of Shaneville defenders and attracting all of the traffic towards his dribbling play. That allowed Garzallo who was making a run to the side of him to sneak in unopposed. It was a challenging ball to make, but Billic squeezed the ball between a pair of defensive legs to square it to Garzallo who took a touch before curling it round the oncoming goalkeeper for a crucial and killer second goal for Mercedini.

After that, all they had to do was see out the remaining fifteen minutes or so without a hitch and they were well on a victory on opening night. Mercedini nearly grabbed a third when Billic pounced on a risky back pass from the Shaneville defence, but the talismanic striker couldn't control a rushed shot and lashed it well wide of the mark. It was a speculative chance but it proved to be the last real chance of the game as the referee blew his final whistle for the end of the match. Mercedini went the long way round at times, and they were given a number of big scares in the first half, but they saw the match through with a plomb, securing an opening victory in the 5th Independents Cup. Final score in Petrograd finished Central Shaneville 0, Mercedini 2.

by **Central Shaneville** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 3:13 pm

JAY BUCKS TALKS MERCIDINI MATCH IN INTERVIEW
Central Shaneville take on Northwest Kalactin a little bit later on as Matchday 2 here at the Independents Cup continues but before kickoff lets head over to the interview station where our reporter is speaking to manager of Central Shaneville, Jay Bucks.

Interviewer: Well Jay, your coming off a defeat in your first competitive match do you think this will effect morale?

Jay Bucks: No, not really I thought we played well, its just Mercidini played alot better than us but we kept it clean with no fouls or anything like that so i would say we came through and put on a good show for the fans at Soccer Palace.

Interviewer: The Mercidini side seemed surprised at your offensive style, was the strategy to just hope for the best?

Jay Bucks: To be fair it was a shock to me how quickly David and Josh got into those striker roles with them both making chances for each other even when they were the only ones up field.

Interviewer: You had multiple chances each saved by Callum Polasic, Do you think you could have got a bit more creative?

Jay Bucks: It was the first match we had to be careful but I will say it should have at least been a draw, I mean David was all over that box in the first half but nothing could be made, it was mildly frustrating to say the least.

Interviewer: Final question about the Mercidini game, Do you have anything to say to the Mercidini side?

Jay Bucks: Guys, you played really well. You managed to keep up with our offensive style which not many sides around our area in The West Pacific have been able to do, I hope you do well in this tournament and if we dont get out the group stage we hope you do and we also look forward to playing you again.

Interviewer: Thanks Jay for your time lets head down to the pitch for kick off its Central Shaneville vs Northwest Kalactin and its next.

by **Free Republics** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 5:59 pm

This is your Matchday 2 Cutoff, brought to you by the Nicholls Enterprises Football League! Nicholls Enterprises Football League: 64 Teams, 4 Conferences, 24 game regular season, 24 playoff teams, Innovative Coaches and best of all Mixed Gender Football! The best players and coaches will earn spots on the Nicholls Enterprises National Football Team at World Bowl XXXVI! Coming this fall to FBC, RBS, WOLF, Freedom Sports and Chatter!

Results

Group A
Nicana 0–1 North Prarie
Ashkam 1–1 Acronius

  Group A                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 North Prarie                                2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Acronius                                    2   0  2  0    4   4   0    2
3 Ashkam                                      1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Nicana                                      2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1
5 Funky Fresh Beats                           1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group B
Mercedini 2–0 The Orion Islands
Northwest Kalactin 0–2 Central Shaneville

  Group B                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mercedini                                   2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 The Orion Islands                           2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
3 Central Shaneville                          2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Northwest Kalactin                          1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
5 Britonisea                                  1   0  0  1    2   5  −3    0

Group C
Alpine Union 2–1 Platerdam
United West Indic States 2–0 United States of Devonta

  Group C                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Alpine Union                                2   2  0  0    7   1  +6    6
2 United West Indic States                    1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 ThePenguinLand                              1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Platerdam                                   2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0
5 United States of Devonta                    2   0  0  2    0   7  −7    0

Group D
Blaneu 1–3 Abanhfleft
Thunisia 1–1 Omerica

  Group D                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                  2   2  0  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Omerica                                     2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Thunisia                                    1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario      1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
5 Blaneu                                      2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group E
Adab 7–3 Neo-Romanum
Juvencus 0–1 Nurwiji

  Group E                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nurwiji                                     2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Adab                                        2   1  0  1    7   4  +3    3
3 Neo-Romanum                                 2   1  0  1    5   7  −2    3
4 Juvencus                                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Maryloupe                                   1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group F
Karulicja 0–0 Aggrey-Fynn Land
Darkmania 0–1 Free Republics

  Group F                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Free Republics                              2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Kavagrad                                    1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Aggrey-Fynn Land                            2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1
  Karulicja                                   2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1
5 Darkmania                                   1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group G
Savalen 2–1 HUElavia
Space 1–0 Yanghoon

  Group G                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Space                                       1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Yanghoon                                    2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
3 Drawkland                                   1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Savalen                                     2   1  0  1    3   5  −2    3
5 HUElavia                                    2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0

Group H
The Frozen Forest 5–2 Unified Hispania
Petroslavania 0–2 Flardania

  Group H                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Frozen Forest                           2   1  1  0    6   3  +3    4
2 Flardania                                   2   1  1  0    3   1  +2    4
3 South Caleblan                              1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
4 Petroslavania                               1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
5 Unified Hispania                            2   0  0  2    2   7  −5    0

by **Darkmania** » Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:50 am

DISAPOINTMENT ON DAY ONE. STILL TO GO

With Lecha Arsanukayev scoring a goal at the 89-minute mark, the first match of the tournament went to a loss for Darkmania. According to Däniël Rëspertner, manager, "FFR was too strong. It's a shame. Ah well. We will next time against _____. Trust me".

The match started with a kick out for the hosts, and the host already began trying to shoot at the darkmanian goal. However, Ërimär kept the goal clean* while FFR attacked Darkmania. There were some dirty play, buts its a "meh"-type of match. Noting kind of interesting happens, but not kind of boring that makes you sleep.

Our next match is againt___. Maybe our fortune turns. Stay tunes.

*= Translated slang from Norway, "Holde buret rent", meaning to block every shot toward the goal.

by **Kavagrad** » Thu Jul 12, 2018 10:00 am

The Kavagrad Sportsman
Kavagrad's Most Trusted Daily Sports Leaflet Since 1961

Kavagrad get shock 2-0 win over former Semi-Finalists in opening game!

Louis-Henri Bonne (Front) celebrates his second goal with Shane Dalton (Back, Far Left) and Kyle Keelie (Back, Left)

Louis-Henri Bonne starred in another great performance for the unbeaten Kavagrad national side, in a shock 2-0 victory over former Semi-Finalists Aggrey-Fynn Land. Kavagrad's first goal came in the first minute, as a long ball from midfielder Kyle Keelie allowed Louis-Henri Bonne to break through an unprepared defence, chipping the ball over the Aggrey-Fynn Land goalkeeper to put Kavagrad ahead in the opening moments. The Kavagrad defence would go on to hold the opposition's attacks at bay for the majority of the first half, holding on to 62% of possession, and only allowing a single shot on target, a long-range effort dealt with fairly easily by Edouard Calvin.

The second half was far more difficult for the Kavagrad side, as Aggrey-Fynn Land switched up their tactics and were able to push through the Kavagrad defence on multiple occasions, resulting in a total of 6 shots on-target, all of which resulted in saves by Calvin, who had an excellent performance. Kavagrad responded with more attacks of their own, resulting in a touchline cross from Kenneth Gordon-Cameron meeting a Bonne diving header for a goal as the ball sneaked past the goalkeeper at the near post.

Louis-Henri's two goals were enough to see him named KAFSO's Man of the Match, with Kyle Keelie given a special commendation from the supporter's organisation for both his first-minute assist and for an excellent performance in his defensive midfield role.

Kavagrad's next match will be against Group F's other Unranked side, Karulicja. Kavagrad fans will be hoping that a victory will put the side in good stead to face tournament hosts and defending champions, Free Republics.

by **The Frozen Forest** » Thu Jul 12, 2018 10:56 am

The Frozen Forest Ties First Match | Wins the Second
LynxFootball.com

Since battling their way to second place in the South Toronton Cup months prior, The Frozen Forestrian National Football Team or FFNFT for short has stepped up their game. Several new players have been brought in, replacing those who didn't preform well or failed to meet the teams new standards. The Staff remains the same, having proved themselves to be competent and talented individuals. Considering the wide-reaching scandals of the 1970's the teams management seems to be managing themselves nicely but was that enough to train the nations national team?

The Frozen Forest has never won an official International Tournament. Following the aforementioned second place position in the South Toronton Cup, the home crowd is thirsting for a victory in the world of Soccer. Frozen Forestrian Fans have moved in droves to see the matches in person, its quickly becoming a frenzy back at home as millions tune in to watch their football-gladiators in action.

The first match was just as tense as one would expect. Going against Flardania's Kitsunes for the first time and having their first match, it called for an aggressive strategy. Frozen Forestrian Doctrine dictated a naturally aggressive way of playing, but this time there seemed a certain blood-lust- or rather one could call it score-lust among the team. Three attempts on the Kitsune goal fell flat as their goalkeeper Miyoko Hōjō easily swatted them away. The FFNFT would score its first goal due to Klaus Boesen, an unexpected result due to Klaus previous reputation as one who sets up goals.

Aggression was held throughout the rest of the first and second halfs. The Kitsunes attempting to retake the initiative failed until the end neared. Overconfident and goal-hungry the Frozen Forestrian Offense pushed forwards but lost possession, the Kitsunes ghosting past them. Rapid-fire passing between players before the ball finally came to Aoi Fujioka who scored!

Not to make the same mistake again the Frozen Forestrians began to pace themselves but continued to play aggressively. The match ended in a draw, much to the disappointment of the teams manager, Otto Lindén. "If we'd been more careful in the second half, this would have been a victory and not a draw."

Match Two

The Frozen Forest and Unified Hispania have never met on the field before but this match was a rollercoaster from start to finish. The Frozen Forestrian Aggression characteristic of the National Team was in full play throughout the match. Despite an early goal from the Opposition at minute '12 and another at minute '17, the FFNFT managed to completely turn the tide. Switching Gustav Larsen for Gunner Schmidt the Offense was able to work its way past the Unified Hispanian Defense and towards the goal.

Sakarias Jakobsson and Mikael Malmkvist, hero's from their repeated goals in South Toronton, proved for a second time just how dedicated they are to the sport of football! Malmkvist scored on minute '25 and Sakarias was able to slip past several defenders and scored at '28. Only eleven minutes later Jakobsson was able to score a second goal, minute '39. By this time the Frozen Forestrian's had taken the lead and reversed the previous Unified Hispania goals, Victory was in sight but at the insistence of Head Coach Erik Källström the Offense continued to beat away and chink at the Defenses armor. Minute '58 would see Midfielder Frank Munk score with a winding shot from the left.

Nearing the end of the game, and exhausted Malmkvist was replaced with Viktor Alujević. Alujević, a native of the Evozi Region was a surprise addition to the team coming into the Independent Cup 5, as he'd previously played for the Sandville Ligers as one of their substitutes. His raw talent was useful though as in minute '82 he scored magnificently, bringing the score to 5-2 in favor of TFF.

"I'm very proud of the team for what they've done here tonight, i think it even calls for a small celebration. In any case we intend to do even better in our next match and we have no intention of letting down those watching at home and here in The Free Republics" said Otto Lindén at the conclusion of the victory.

Independents Cup 5 Everything Thread (Final Result Up)

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