Baptism of Fire 68

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:11 pm

Snippets and Sound Bites: Excerpts from the News Day

A woman in a light-colored business suit stands holding a microphone, in the background, the edifice of a large stadium can be seen. SNN lead anchor Tiarpin Dibra speaks in voiceover:
TD: We now go live to Marada Ruoho in Ferdullaele, Farfadillis.

MR: Tiarpin, I am as close to La Fantás stadium as police will allow us to get. They have been very tight lipped as to what exactly is going on, but I do know that no one, including the players and staff of both teams, is being allowed into the stadium at this time, and it was announced just a few minutes ago that this evening's match will be relocated due a risk of terrorist activity.

TD: Can you tell use anything about the nature of the threat, Marada?

MR: Police spokespeople have not shared any specifics with us, but we can safely assume that they consider the threat to be very credible if they are willing to move a match in a major tournament at such short notice.

On the set of Extra Time, Nurali Jaglani hosts SCFA Vice President for Public Relations, Taman Anitza and Interblag FC captain and midfielder, Zholtokh Dzrenin

NJ: Welcome back, as we discussed before the break, the FFFF has announced that the Group F match between Squornshelan Remnant States and Cobrio has been relocated from La Fantás in Ferdullaele to Gra Aguaviva Mitologica in Frion. Vice President Anitza, have you learned anything more about this decision?

TA: The SCFA will make an official statement later today, but at this time I can tell you that while we certainly appreciate how seriously the FFFF is taking the safety of fans and players, we do not agree with the decision to relocate the match so abruptly, rather than postponing it.

NJ: Do you expect the SCFA to take any official action regarding this decision?

VP: I cannot make an comment on that at this time, aside from saying that we are in communication with the FFFF and continuing to monitor the situation.

NJ: Thank you VP. Zholtokh, have you ever been involved in a situation like this where a match was disrupted on such short notice? What does this sort of circumstance do to the players' mindsets?

ZD: Nothing this big, Nurali. I've been in a few matches that were delayed by weather and such, but never one relocated to an entirely different city. As a player, you're just trying to keep from getting distracted, trying to treat it like just another match. You want to stay focused on things that you can control, and not get caught up.

NJ: Frion is known for its frigid climate, do you think that will have an effect on our players?

ZD: Well, there'll be a greater risk of sprains or strains, but I'm sure the coaching staff will make changes to their warm-ups to account for that. People should also remember that our manager and several players are from Traal, and definitely no strangers to the cold.

NJ: That's a good point Zholtokh, could that turn out to be an advantage for our boys?

ZD: Moving the venue the day of the match isn't going to be an advantage to anyone.

Lopal Daror answers questions at his post-match press conference

LD: As I said earlier, I don't hold Danil responsible for the goalscoring play. Fullbacks moving forward is an essential part of our attack, and we as a defense need to be able to cover when one or even both of them are out of position. I felt we actually had good success playing along the flanks though, particularly in the first half, we simply weren't able to convert the chances we generated.

Reporter: How do you respond to those who have said Ajao was too easily taken out of the game by the Cobre substitute, Dabiri?

LD: I wouldn't say Zoban was taken out exactly. They did do an effective job of closing off aerial crosses later in the second half, but we were still able to generate scoring chances when we needed them. Credit has to be given to their keeper for making some excellent saves, but I do feel we were unlucky on some of our shots.

Reporter: With no points and no goals from the first day of play, our next match against Kedroiqua is looking more and more like a must-win. Do you think any adjustments will be necessary?

LD: Well, we have a lot of game film to review before we make that decision, but for the moment I will say that though we're disappointed in the result, we aren't unhappy with our play.

Salomon Tauda, Brantid Times, Ferdullaele, Farfadillis
The Squornshelan Confederate Football Association this evening has announced it will lodge a formal complaint regarding today's events. Association President Kioz Dolnight, in a prepared statement, said that "not only is the inability to guarantee safe venues for fans and players unacceptable in the host of a major tournament, the decision to move the match, on short notice, hundreds of miles across the country is, in a word, unconscionable. It is my opinion, and that of SCFA leadership, that the result of this match cannot, under these circumstances, be considered valid, and that the only fair course of action is to schedule a replay on fourth group stage matchday." No response has yet been made by the FFFF or WCC, but it seems unlikely in the extreme that this request will be granted. Even in the event of a replay, it would be highly likely, given the situation in Farfadillis and the apparent mood of its citizens, that a second bomb threat might occur simply out of spite. Such events, of course, have been extremely rare in the Confederacy since the end of the War. One is only left the wonder at the questionable wisdom of awarding hosting privileges for a major international tournament to a war-torn country where everything seems to be on fire.

Final Score:
Cobrio          1 - 0  Squornshelan Remnant States
Warrington 12'

Player of the Game: Sylvain Picard (CBR)

Squads:
CBR [4-3-3] | Cruz; Cooper, Johnson (Dabiri 57), Armstrong (c), Spence; 
              Picard, Fontaine, Ekeh (Munroe 63); Delfour, Warrington, Dupre
SRS [5-4-1] | Munib; Geladi, Raktsov, Oleb, Ystrad, Ulcviecel; Vladcik (Djanetic 81),
              Strepol, Damot (c), Tambura (Zonde 61); Ajao

by **Sharktail** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:26 pm

second match line up

1 Gomis (GK)
2 margaro (CB) 
3 maxi(CB) 
15 sergio (LB) ) 
5 Badhri (DM) 
17 rawilson (am)
7 Salleh  (AM) 
8 Evan (LM) 
19 jaclin (rm) 
10 Gaby (ST) captain
20 nabil (st)

by **Sorrentopia** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 8:36 am

Cardinals Win BoF opener 6-3
The Sorrentopian National Team, affectionately calles the Cardinals by their supporters due to the color of their kits, have won their opening match of the 68 BoF. In the team’s first international match they played the team from Central Shaneville. The Central team looked extraordinary left in the first half leading 3-1 at halftime. The Cardinals quickly recovered scoring 5 unanswered goals in the second half securing victory in their tournament opener. The Cardinal’s victory put them in a very good spot in the group stage, first in the group due to goal differential. With only 2 games left and the top 2 from each group advancing the Cardinals just need to win their next match to secure advancement to the knockout stage. Team manager Joseph Sorrento said this after the match: “I’m very proud of our team, none of these players have been in international competition before and they handled the pressure well. We will continue to play our game and hopefully advance to the next round.

Game Summary:
Sorrentopia          6-3    Central Shaneville
Herb May[24, 67, 74]     Scorer 1[6]
Donato Bent[46, 49].     Scorer 2[23]
Roly St. John[86].          Scorer 3[43]

by **Kavagrad** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 8:48 am

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

Above: Sam Pyke celebrates after scoring his first ever goal for Kavagrad.

Alphabetically Superior: Redhearts lead Group E after 2-1 win!

The Kavagrad national team put on an show at La Fantás in an excellent opening performance in Group E of the 68th Baptism of Fire, beating Zeleny Hrebenia 2-1 in a match that saw both a half-time fire in the stands and the Redhearts rewarded late for a match in which they arguably deserved to win by more.

Kavagrad would start the game strong, retaining possession through much of the first half, but failing to make any meaningful progress on the attack. The team seemingly got complacent in the 21st minute as a poor long ball across the field from Eric Valenti was intercepted by Bogumil Šala, who immediately started a counterattack that caught the Redheart defence off guard, as launched a pass up to Matež Kanoš ahead of the defence line. Sensing an oncoming challenge from Raymond Alexander, the centre-forward would catch the lofted ball on his right foot with his back still to the goal, make a half-turn, and play a smooth through ball to Isidor Kovač, cutting in from the left. Kovač would take a shot at goal, but Edouard Calvin would get a hand to the ball, deflecting it onto the crossbar. The ball, flying out of the box, was caught on the volley by Žulius Krnač, who would launch the ball past the second dive of Calvin to score a stunner from 30 yards out!

The Redhearts, looking deflated, yielded a significant amount of possession to their opponents during the remainder of the first, but remained able to keep the Hrebenian attack at bay, conceding only 3 shots on goal for the remainder of the half, each by Kanoš, each easily dealt with by Calvin. Kavagrad would themselves manage to make some opportunities for themselves in the first half, but weren't rewarded for them, as a shot from Pyke, who had failed to score in his first 14 games as a Kavagrad player, hit the post after wrong-footing Hrebenian goalkeeper Žaroslav Fošek. The ball would bounce out to Kenneth Gordon-Cameron, but due to pressure from Žan and Bernard Bača he was unable to get a shot off, eventually being tackled and losing the ball near the corner flag.

At half time, a fire broke out on the opposite side of the stadium to the dressing rooms. The cause of the fire is unclear, but local reports claim that a hot dog vendor suffered a malfunction that started the blaze. While there was fire in the stands, manager Alex-Louis Valentine was firing up his team, making it clear that the team needed to show a stark improvement from the first half. The Redhearts clearly took Valentine's words on board, coming out of the gate hot in the second half, in what was a vast improvement from their first half performance. While Kavagrad would only have 46% of the possession in the second half, and 43% over both halves, their counterattacking games would take full effect, getting 7 shots on target between the 45th and 80th minutes. Despite this, it took until the 82nd minute for their work to pay off, when an inch-perfect cross from Benjamin Mumuni was caught on the volley by Louis-Henri Bonne, who slammed the ball directly into the top-left corner from 8 yards out with such power that Fošek didn't have time to move.

The Redhearts would push even more on the attack, getting another 2 shots from Pyke deflected onto the woodwork by Fošek. Injury time would be set at 3 minutes, and so in the 92nd minute, Gordon-Cameron cut inside from the right on a run into the box, but was cut down at the legs by Žan Bača, drawing a penalty for Kavagrad. Bonne would step up to take the spot-kick, then turn around and send Sam Pyke to take the shot instead. Pyke would step up to the spot, and hit the ball low and to the right, just out of the reach of a diving Fošek to finally break his goalless streak and score his first ever international goal, to a huge roar from the travelling Kavagrader contingent of the crowd at La Fantás. The referee would blow the final whistle just 40 seconds after kickoff, securing a deserved win for the Redhearts.

With the victory, Kavagrad go top of Group E on what is essentially a technicality, since the team that ties them on points, goal difference, and goals scored and conceded, is Leodomum. Since K comes before L in the alphabet, Kavagrad are displayed as top of Group E (author's note: "alpha-rekt"). Kavagrad will now play Leodomum at Gra Aguaviva Mitologica, hoping to secure a spot in the Round of 32 with a solid victory (and favourable results elsewhere) whilst avoiding flying jellyfish (editor's note: I almost took this out, but holy fuck, you weren't kidding) and delivering more entertaining performances for the Redheart faithful.

Kavagrad v Leodomum in Group E of the 68th Baptism of Fire can be seen at Gra Aguaviva Mitologica, Frion, Farfadillis or live on KTVS1 at 9pm KST, or on demands on the KVGSports App. International readers should check their local listings.

by **Czarna Gora** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 9:13 am

Match 1: Czarna Gora vs. Corindia

Goals:
#11 N. Antić (83')

Match Overview:
(4') Hard tackle by a Corindian midfielder on #8 I. Gjonbalaj. Quick free kick fails to move play beyond the midfield.

(13') First shot on goal by Corindian striker after dribbling around #4 S. Petrović. Shot deflected by #1 D. Stojanović.

(19') Czarna Gora answers with their first shot on goal by #10 P. Prifti. Shot sails high over crossbeam.

(22') Corindian midfielder tackled by #6 M. Filipović. Both players go down, but play continues uninterrupted.

(31') Corindian striker breaks down the sideline. Shot deflected by #3 J. Ateljević. Corner kick for Corindia, recovered by #5 F. Shehu , back to #1 D. Stojanović, who clears.

(44') #7 B. Živković shot on goal, scooped up by Corindian goalkeeper.

HALF TIME

(47') Corindia opens with a strong attack after the half. Two shots on goal in quick succession, both deflected by #4S. Petrović and #1 D. Stojanović before ball is cleared.

(55') Hard tackle by #6 M. Filipović on Corindian midfielder. #6 #6 M. Filipović receives a yellow card.

(57') Corindian team moves quickly downfield after their free kick, but Corindian striker falls into an offside trap orchestrated by #4 S. Petrović and #5 F. Shehu.

(61') Corindian midfielder substitution.

(66') #11 N. Antić moves on goal, but is boxed into the left corner by two Corindian defenders. Attempted pass deflected out by defenders. #11 N. Antić sets up corner kick.

(67') Close header off corner kick by #7 B. Živković, deflected by Corindian goalkeeper.

(69') Substitution #20 O. Ateljević for #6 M. Filipović.

(71') Substitution #21 S. Milić for #8 I. Gjonbalaj. Czarna Gora moves to 4-3-3 formation.

(77') Corindian strikers beat another attempted offside trap. Shot on goal goes wide.

(81') Corindian midfielder substitution.

(83') GOAL! #21 S. Milić moves on the goal, passes back to #7 B. Živković, who quickly passes to the uncovered #11 N. Antić. #11 N. Antić shoots and scores!

(87') Hard tackle by Corindian defender on #20 O. Ateljević. Corindian defender yellow carded.

(90+4') Corindian striker attempts final shot on goal, deflected by #1 D. Stojanović.

(90+6') Final whistle. Match ends Czarna Gora 1 - 0 Corindia.

by **Freeport Isles** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:11 pm

The Freeport Free Press
Baptism of Fire 68: Freeport Fall Late in Baptism of Fire Opener

Freeport - 2
Torvald Royle '1 (Sonar Amethyst)
Alastair '43 (Storm Chill)

South Libertopia - 4
Lydia Morrison '13 (M. Miah)
Maisie Miah '21 (L. Clarke)
Lydia Morrison '79 (Pen.)
Millie Clarke '90+2 (H. Moss)

JANSBERG, Semarland - In a wild back-and-forth game last night at Stadion Jansberg here in Semarland, Freeport fought hard against South Libertopia for a result, but ultimately fell late as a controversial red card for Alastair allowed the Libertopians to claim all three points. The atmosphere in Stadion Jansberg was one of excitement ahead of the match, the first WCC game ever for both sides. For the Condottieri, that excitement would soon transform into jubilation as they scored within the first minute, Torvald Royle played through by Sonar Amethyst in a brilliant team move that gave the ecstatic Freeport supporters reason to believe their team would roll through South Libertopia.

Unfortunately, the Libertopians had other plans, quickly recovering from their nightmare start and equalizing twelve minutes later when teenage sensation Maisie Miah found Lydia Morrison and the latter buried the ball out of Freeport goalkeeper Kukiri's reach. Eight minutes after orchestrating her team's first goal, Maisie Miah got on the scoresheet herself with a perfectly-placed shot from just outside the box to give South Libertopia a 2-1 lead. That lead would hold until just before halftime, when Alastair scored off a corner kick, rising above everyone else to head home Freeport's equalizer.

After a wild first half, things calmed down a bit in the second half, and for a while it seemed like the match might just end 2-2, a fair result. However, in the 78th minute, a Libertopian attack that seemed like it was going nowhere ended when Alastair took the ball away from Lydia Morrison just inside the box. Morrison went down, perhaps too easily, and the ref pointed to the spot before showing Alastair the red card. The Freeporters were furious, crowding around the referee to argue against both the penalty and red card, apparently given for what the ref believed was a "reckless" challenge. But nothing could change the official's mind, Morrison stepped up and slotted home the penalty kick, and South Libertopia led once again. The Condottieri battled for another equalizer to try and scrape a point from the match, but in stoppage time were hit on the counterattack by Millie Clarke to seal the result, a 4-2 defeat.

Elsewhere in Group P, Miznan completely obliterated an inept Schweiser side that seems almost certain to finish at the bottom of the group. Freeport's next match will be against Schweiser and will need a win to keep their hopes of a spot in the knockout stage alive.

by **Semarland** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:14 pm

Cutoff!

by **Soute** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:37 pm

Soute Report

FERDULLAELE - The Baptism of Fire is an event for freshman nations to learn something new as they enter the field of international football. Last evening, the Soute national team learned something new that was off the radar of everyone's expectations, how to draw. While Soute has suffered monstrous defeats and later a breathtaking win, the nation has yet to draw a match, but this bout of growing pains has ended as the national "successfully" drew against Mareibat with the score of one to one. Many Soute pundits were of the opinion that this opening match would likely decide the fate of Group B. Either Soute would win and end of leading the group or Mareibat would be victorious and come out in the lead position for the round of thirty-two. However, little discussion went into the predictions if Soute and Mareibat would battle to a standstill draw. The expected group winners, by the admittedly flimsy notion that they submitted official rosters and therefor have a more professional force, now only have a single table point while dark horse Kilaguni has shot forward to first position after producing an impressive five goals, though conceding three, against Ravsol. Rather than setting up a group winner, the drawn match has resulted in Mareibat and Soute raceing to make up the points in the remaining two matchdays.

As is universally common in the Baptism of Fire, Soute and Mareibat had never played each other. Both nations had only fielded squads for regional competitions, so this was a step up to competitive play in a World Cup Committee sanctioned event. If Soute had stepped up onto the pitch like they did in their true footballing baptism on the first day of the Compionato Esportiva, they would have likely been trounced by Mareibat, but the experience learned in the Compionato group stage undoubtedly helped the national team compete in the new environment. The first half of had both sides playing cautiously and sizing up their opponents. A few streaking runs were made by Stawski, who was often able to beat right midfielder Sherman to a pass, but they didn't come to any chances. Soute was by and large stuck and unable to get past the Mareibat defense. Mareibat actually played a similar formation to Soute, but while Soute played a little more defensively, Mareibat played slightly more attacking. The two play styles counter-acted, leading to a low scoring game with few scoring chances. Armada of Mareibat had the only shot on goal in the first half, with the striker aiming in a header from a well-timed cross. Ostrowski was able to handle it and the danger was cleared. Neither side was able to score in the first forty-five, but action began to heat up later in the half that would produce results in the second portion of play.

Soute had certainly been in worse places at the start of a second half, but they could also be doing better in an important game. Striker Edmund Król was taken off in a halftime change, replaced by the more experienced Ząbek. A Mareibat staffer must have been keenly watching Soute's defense for any weaknesses, because the result of a designed play at the start of the half was the night's first goal. When Mareibat's Weaver would move up on an attacking run, center midfielder Fabian was often slow to mark him, forcing Wyrzykowski to cover the gap. Mareibat's plan overloaded the center field and Jakker threaded a pass through the second-long gap. Voeller recieved it and quickly put forth a skidding shot towards the right post. Ostrowski was too far out of position to stop it and Sokołowski's slide was just out of reach to stop the impending score. Mareibat's fans cheered with joy in the neutral venue as Jez spotted the weakness and told Fabian to hustle and for Wyrzykowski to stick to his line even if there is space for Weaver. Soute didn't suffer any further breakdowns, and the concession gave a new sense of urgency and push for the attack. Mareibat held on as successive chances rained in, but they finally lost in the 63rd minute. Stawski once again beat Sherman to a long pass and turned into the box. There wasn't much of an attacking crew in position, but Stawski went ahead anyway. He was able to spin around Richards and popped up a chip shot towards the goal at a sharp angle. The keeper Littlehammer appeared to have it, but it spun off his punch and into the back of the net. Soute fans went fanatic. In the Compionato they hadn't scored until the fourth matchday. Now they were scoring in the first. Both sides adopted a defensive stance as they wanted to shore up their vulnerabilities. The scoreline held 1-1, and both sides came away with a lukewarm draw.

Mareibat 1 - 1 Soute
Voeller '46 - Stawski '61

by **Semarland** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:51 pm

Matchday 2 Results

Group A
Huffingshire 0–1 Michine
Liongya 2–2 Neo-Romanum

Group A                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Michine                          2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Liongya                          2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
3 Neo-Romanum                      2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
4 Huffingshire                     2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0

Group B
Soute 5–4 Ravsol
Mareibat 4–0 Kilaguni (the entire game was played in pitch darkness after lighting system failure)

Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mareibat                         2   1  1  0    5   1  +4    4
2 Soute                            2   1  1  0    6   5  +1    4
3 Kilaguni                         2   1  0  1    5   7  −2    3
4 Ravsol                           2   0  0  2    7  10  −3    0

Group C
Corindia 0–2 Saint Emelie
Czarna Gora 0–1 Alenburg

Group C                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Saint Emelie                     2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 Alenburg                         2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
3 Czarna Gora                      2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
4 Corindia                         2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

Group D
Shofercia 2–1 Central Shaneville
The Hungarian Nation 0–2 Sorrentopia

Group D                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sorrentopia                      2   2  0  0    8   3  +5    6
2 Shofercia                        2   2  0  0    6   3  +3    6
3 Central Shaneville               2   0  0  2    4   8  −4    0
  The Hungarian Nation             2   0  0  2    2   6  −4    0

Group E
Zeleny Hrebenia 2–0 Bellarona
Kavagrad 5–0 Leodomum

Group E                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kavagrad                         2   2  0  0    7   1  +6    6
2 Zeleny Hrebenia                  2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
3 Leodomum                         2   1  0  1    2   6  −4    3
4 Bellarona                        2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group F
Squornshelan Remnant States 1–0 Kedroiqua (kickoff delayed by two hours after the entire refereeing team were injured due to flying jellyfish)
Cobrio 3–0 Halfdansodal

Group F                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cobrio                           2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Squornshelan Remnant States      2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
3 Kedroiqua                        2   1  0  1    5   5   0    3
4 Halfdansodal                     2   0  0  2    4   8  −4    0

Group G
Vithuland 1–0 Acheia
The West Cape 1–3 Penguinland

Group G                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vithuland                        2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Acheia                           2   1  0  1    2   1  +1    3
3 Penguinland                      2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
4 The West Cape                    2   0  0  2    1   5  −4    0

Group H
Santa Rafa 5–3 Unified Hispania (the game started an hour early due to a clerical error by the FFFF, angering tons of fans)
Innovian Indusse 2–2 Raffiah

Group H                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Santa Rafa                       2   2  0  0    7   3  +4    6
2 Unified Hispania                 2   1  0  1    5   5   0    3
3 Innovian Indusse                 2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1
  Raffiah                          2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1

by **Semarland** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:51 pm

Matchday 2 Results

Group I
Oscioru 0–0 Illahee - at Natunolstadion, Jansberg, 15:00
Rannoria 3–1 Tarper - at Stadion Aesthaade, Aestahaade, 19:00

Group I                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oscioru                          2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
2 Rannoria                         2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
3 Tarper                           2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
4 Illahee                          2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1

Group J
Carloso 5–4 Togonistan - at Stadion Metner, Krsthaven, 15:00
Guriguay 2–1 Yanghoon - at Eastlands, Finqaar, 19:00

Group J                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Carloso                          2   2  0  0    8   6  +2    6
2 Yanghoon                         2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
3 Guriguay                         2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
4 Togonistan                       2   0  0  2    4   7  −3    0

Group K
Egyptosian 1–1 Petrovskia - at Quayside, Kolberg, 15:00
Tobria 1–0 Axuva - at Solsholm Arena, Solsholm, 19:00

Group K                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tobria                           2   2  0  0    6   1  +5    6
2 Petrovskia                       2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
3 Axuva                            2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
4 Egyptosian                       2   0  1  1    2   6  −4    1

Group L
Rakivland 4–3 Tanzanique - at Stadion Reyenoord, Eikborg, 15:00
Altai Almas 0–2 Blaneu - at Stadion Matovallanen, Matovallanen, 19:00

Group L                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Rakivland                        2   2  0  0    6   3  +3    6
2 Blaneu                           2   1  0  1    2   1  +1    3
3 Tanzanique                       2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
4 Altai Almas                      2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

Group M
Routcher 2–1 Krenorus - at Lindersson Arena, Nuholm, 15:00
Nuadh-Alba 1–2 Sharktail[/b] - at Stadion Laguna, Jansberg, 19:00

Group M                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sharktail                        2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
2 Nuadh-Alba                       2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
3 Routcher                         2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
4 Krenorus                         2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1

Group N
Hertisiana 0–0 Brittany Normandy Aquitaine - at Sorensen House, Kangemark, 15:00
Dormill and Stiura 5–0 Greater Libertania - at Stadion Aalemark, Aalemark, 19:00

Group N                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Dormill and Stiura               2   1  1  0    8   3  +5    4
2 Greater Libertania               2   1  0  1    3   7  −4    3
3 Hertisiana                       2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Brittany Normandy Aquitaine      2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1

Group O
The South Falls 1–1 Timmy's Tigers - at Arkjetstadion, Molsbik, 15:00
Busoga Islands 3–1 Pink Floyd FC - at Fransborg Park, Fransborg, 19:00

Group O                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Busoga Islands                   2   2  0  0    7   2  +5    6
2 Timmy's Tigers                   2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
3 The South Falls                  2   0  1  1    2   5  −3    1
4 Pink Floyd FC                    2   0  0  2    3   6  −3    0

Group P
Freeport 3–0 Schweiser - at Stadion Jansberg, Jansberg, 15:00
South Libertopia 1–0 Miznan - at Saint Adren Road, Saint Adrensburg, 19:00

Group P                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 South Libertopia                 2   2  0  0    5   2  +3    6
2 Miznan                           2   1  0  1    6   3  +3    3
3 Freeport                         2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
4 Schweiser                        2   0  0  2    2   9  −7    0

by **Michine** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:12 pm

on the 12th August 2018, L'observatoire michinien wrote:
VICTOIRE ! MICHINE ADVANCE WITH WIN OVER HUFFINGSHIRE
par notre correspondant anglais, Alain Outkine, de Ruland

Michine 1 (Virasstchiouk pen 26) Huffingshire 0
Arbitrage: Chaos Control (États Equestriens) Spectateurs: 6,773

The names and faces may change, but the song remains the same. After their début against Neo-Romanum in what will surely be remembered as one of the more farcical matches of the tournament, Michine were able to hold their nerve in far more normal conditions to secure a spot in the knockout stages with a narrow victory over Huffingshire. Yesterday's opponents were a mystery almost until they walked out of the tunnel in Frion - with the UMF hastily forced to unpack their green change shirts as Huffingshire wore all red - and they were not giving much away against the Michiniens when the whistle went, both sides falling back into a defensive formation very quickly. It was almost as though someone had been copying Victor Kovalevitch's training notes, so complete was the mirror image on the opponents' side of the field.
Early exchanges largely came to nothing on either side, but Dimitri Poliakoff and Nicolas Volochine were active down the left hand side of the pitch, setting up Pierre Lavotchkine to go close twice; he chipped over the Huffingshire bar while under pressure after a quarter of an hour, before finding himself one on one after a good long ball from Volochine ten minutes later. Unable to stop Lavotchkine conventionally, the Huffingshire net minder instead chose to wrestle his legs away from the ball, earning himself a red card and firm shake of the hoof from the Equestrian referee. With Alex Aïvtchenko still recovering from his exertions in Szoirsia, it fell to veteran captain Valentine Virasstchiouk to dispatch the resulting penalty, and that was all she wrote - Michine led once more.
Going down to ten men seemed to galvanise Huffingshire, however - sadly, for the game and for the game, it only succeeded in galvanising them into closing ranks entirely, perhaps with half an eye on their goal difference. To borrow the 21st century colloquialism, they «parked the bus», and there were very few incidents of note from that point on as for over an hour Huffingshire stubbornly and arrogantly fired any balls sent into their half back into the Michinien half or into the rooftops, whichever was nearer. The closest the score came to changing was late in the second half, when Lavotchkine - again - was set to be one on one, after evading two red-clad defenders, only for his low shot to fly below the arms of the substitute goalkeeper but, agonisingly, outside the far post. His afternoon could have been worse, however - only a short time afterwards he narrowly avoided being hit by a flare thrown by one of the Farves in the audience, the pyrotechnic's presence perhaps prompting the referee to blow for full time a little sooner than the fourth official's board would have indicated.
For Michine, though, it was mission accomplice, the result ensuring the aventuriers would get at least an additional chapter to their first story. Kovalevitch may have been frustrated with the obstructionist tactics, and purists may have yawned and walked out, but nonetheless the deed was done and the points were won. The Michiniens now move on to Ruland for their final group A game against another unknown quantity; against a team in Liongya who have shown much defensive frailty in their previous games, this may be seen as the perfect opportunity for players who had to rest after being cooked in Szoirsia to regain their places and match fitness ahead of the quarter finals.

Michine vs. Liongya, 13 août 2018, Stade «Ján Rülánd Dêrmáá», Ruland
Michine - 1: Lapine, 2: Poliakoff, 3: Volochine, 4 et capitane: Virasstchiouk, 5: Kouznetsoff, 6: Baïtcheff, 7: Kossenko, 8: Tchorguieff, 9: Samedoff, 10: Aïvtchenko, 11: Lavotchkine.
Banc - 12: Ignatieff, 13: Tchernikoff, 14: Alticheff, 15: Krougloff, 16: Mirounoff.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 6:52 pm

Under Threat of Jellyfish, Victory Gives Black-and-Reds Life

Puerto Farolero, Farfadillis, After a frustrating performance in their first match, Lopal Daror's team justified his words in support of their form in his post-match press conference. The Confederates played a disciplined, tactical match and were rewarded with a one-goal victory. That the contest would take place at all was in doubt however, after the match officials had an unfortunate run-in with the flying jellyfish that swarm so plentifully here in Farfadillis. Majestic creatures from a distance, they can be quite dangerous up close. The referees are all recovering well, but the match was delayed while replacement officials were located, a process which took a couple hours, since La Gran Avenida is not accessible by car. For the same reason, there were not a tremendous number of fans from either of the teams playing, and so by kickoff the stands were largely filled with restless, bored Farves about to watch one of the more defensive-minded sides in the tournament: not a promising combination.

As expected, the match began to mocking cheers for the referees. The crowd was not any more pleased to see that, mindful of the early goal they conceded against Cobrio, the Squornshelans began the match cautiously, in many cases keeping nine outfielders behind the ball, with only Ajao anywhere near the opposing half. This caution was almost taken too far, as in one or two cases it translated into a hesitance to close down, and Simonsen and Carstensen were able to combine to create a few shooting opportunities. Carstensen in particular forced Munib into a diving save with a shot from the corner of the penalty area after 20 minutes. After considerable jeering from the crowd and shouted instructions from Daror, the Black-and-Reds began to press their opponents more, creating turnovers and sending the ball up the flanks.

Their first bona fide chance came on a long, looping aerial cross in the from Ulcviecel found Ajao near the penalty spot, and was nodded just over the bar by the hulking forward, aiming for the far top corner. After ten or more minutes of back and forth play, with neither side able to put the ball on frame, the restless crowd had something to cheer, as Jzeovak Vladcik scored the Confederacy's first goal of the tournament. Another cross from Ulcviecel, this one low, found Damot, who launched a shot that sizzled toward the far post about a foot off the ground, Otteson's save was superb, but he spilled the rebound to Vladcik, who had lost his marker for a straightforward tap-in. The Kedroiquan players protested that Ajao was offside on the play, which indeed he was, but the referee ruled that he had not interfered with the defense or goalkeeper, and upheld the goal.

If the Farves in attendance were mollified by the goal, they were in for immediate disappointment once Kedroiqua restarted play, as it became clear that Daror had instructed his team to park the bus and await the halftime whistle. Kedroiqua had nearly exclusive possession of the ball for the remaining 12 minutes plus 3, but were unable to break through the Confederate bulwark to truly test Munib. They recorded a few shots on target before the break, but all were easily handled, and The States went to the dressing room up one.

The crowd only grew more restless in the second half, as the Squornshelans, while not completely passive, rarely committed more than five players to the attack. Daror made the first substitution of the match, bringing off attacking minded wing back Danin Geladi in favor of the more defensively dependable Djabgor Dzarkhin, a move that was, naturally, met with jeers from those in attendance. As time wore one, the Farves were more and more in support of Kedroiqua, as they were the team increasingly pressing the attack, and their substitutions declared an intent to move the ball forward and shoot, with their manager bringing on Bendtsen in favor of Simonsen, with Carstensen falling back to play slightly deeper. It was a twin-edged move, certainly allowing for more options in the attacking third for Kedroiqua, but also opening up a gap behind Carstensen and between H. Kragh and Madsen. Daror perceptively brought Ajao off for the more experienced Jzvanic, giving him instructions to find his way into the space left in the Kedroiquan midfield to serve as an outlet to clear the defensive third.

What would have been a superb game was marred late when Strepol stayed down after a hard but fair tackle by Hjalte Kragh. While he was thoroughly jeered by most of the crowd, who suspected him of time wasting, it soon became clear that he was not in condition to continue, and he was replaced by Shrike Hagaz. The final 2 minutes, as well as the 5 the referee saw fit to add one were a frantic affair, with Kedroiqua willing to shoot from seemingly anywhere, and the Squornshelans often satisfied with booting the ball as hard as possible in any direction, so long as it wasn't goalwards. The final play of the game took shape as the ball was punched up over the bar by Munib. Everyone came forward for Kedroiqua, including Ottesen, as Madsen prepared to take the corner. His in-swinging service was good, but Oleb out-leaped Abrahamsen and headed it clear, and the official blew for full time before anyone could reach the loose ball.

This result keeps the Confederacy alive in Group F; a loss would have seen them eliminated. A good result against Halfdansodal in their third match would likely see the boys advance, though Kedroiqua are also still very much alive. Currently they sit in third only based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Final Score:
Kedroiqua  0 - 1  Squornshelan Remnant States
                  Vladcik 37'

Player of the Game: Jinkzta Ulcviecel (SRS)

Squads:
KDQ [4-3-1-2] | Otteson; Fischer, Gregersen, Krogh, Isaksen; Madsen (c), Simonsen (Bendtsen 67), H. Kragh, Carstensen; Abrahamsen, K. Kragh

SRS [5-4-1] | Munib; Geladi (Dzarkhin 58), Raktsov, Oleb, Ystrad, Ulcviecel; Vladcik, Strepol(+) (Hagaz 88), Damot (c), Tambura; Ajao (Jzvanic 75)

by **Brittany Normandy Aquitaine** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 12:02 am

B-N-A 2nd Game

Sorensen House

The players got straight into gameday, with limited practice since the loss to Libertania. The players went into the game determined to find victory in some form. Early on the offense was struggling, but managed minor hits on goal. Midfielders had a good game as they stuck to the middle as the opponent, Dormill and Stiura, managed to find success in getting the ball near the sideline. B-N-A had a couple missed shots, and only 2 direct goal shots, which both were recovered by the goalkeeper. Late into the game, B-N-A's offense couldn't hold on and Dormill and Stiura drove downfield quickly. But they missed 4 shots on the goal and 2 that went right into the stands. Soon time expired after the boring, yet interesting game, resulting in a tie.

"Better than a loss in the current state of the team..." said Deniel Pau in an interview.
"We played well, but their goalkeeper was the main struggle." stated Elouan Yannic.

Nantes, B-N-A

"My mommy said they'll buy tickets to the next game!" cried Gael.
"Yay!" said Yael as he ran to the little kids table on the front porch of Gael's house.
"My mommy said we couldn't go." said Mael.
"Well you go now." said Gael
"Ok." said Yael and Mael at the same time, as all 3 kids of players ran for supper.

by **Rakivland** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 3:17 am

Rakivland 4-3 Tanzanique
A stunning, a stunning win, Rakivland will face Blaneu with so much confidence, 4 brilliant goals, 2 for Karoslav, Zarafrav and Besav, no doubt Rakivland can score goals, the Manager was not available for an interview, but, all we can say, is how well Rakivland played, Fair play Tanzanique, You gave Rakivland a game, but, in the end, the best team won.

by **Acheia** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 4:14 am

Here is our teAM roster:Goalies:Alexios Apostolakis(main) , Ioannis Coridis(sub )
Defence: Mikis Hasidis, Evangelos Gordonis, Chrisafios Sikaris
Halfbacks:Ioannis Metaxas, Victor Kaliksidis, Manos Murusis, Teo Manolis
Forwards: Demis Loizos, Andreas Papadakis, Kosmas Stavros.
Staff:Head coach: Nikolaos Lakapin
Assistant coach: Romanos Validatis
Medic: Elena Agathon.
Home stadium: Confederacy Arena: Capacity 80 000, Location: Mycenae

by **Santa Rafa** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:52 am

Unified Hispania 3 v. 5 Santa Rafa
Starting XI: Lucero, Valdez (45'+3)-Alvarado-Oro-Ayala, Delgado-Valenzuela, Khatri (44'), McRae (40', 65', out 75')-Nunes-Alicante (10')
Subs: Caballero, Ortega, Villabla, Martinez, Barco (in 75'), Borriega, Herrera

A shootout between two attacking teams that seemed in a dead heat at the end of regulation time in the first half. The first few minutes were enough to call the win against Innovian Indusse into question, as Puga hit the cross bar before the 1' mark, forcing Miguel Alvarado to head the ball into touch to stay above water. The save was wasted, though, as an artful corner from Daniel Noguera found Joel Fontana at the far post, who buried it for an early lead.

Young Tomas Alicante answered with ten minutes gone with a rocket on a counterattack that caught Salamanaca out of position. With the teams 1-1 and eighty minutes still to play, the game opened up into a back-and-forth that put both keepers' skills on display. Rodrigo Sanchez would break the stalemate just past the half-hour mark, sending a ball that curved just out of Lucero's reach and sent the Hispanic crowd into a frenzy.

Playing with a chip on their shoulder, the Rafanos began to lose control of the game, allowing another goal from Vilar to make it 3-1. The Rafano crowd began to lose hope, until Sanchez went down on his face in the box a good meter ahead of Diego Oro, earning a yellow card for simulation. As the teams made their way to the Hispanic goal for the penalty, Sanchez hounded the ref the entire way until he finally earned a second yellow for dissent.

Liam McRae buried the subsequent penalty, bringing the match to within a goal with five minutes in first-half regulation time. An opportunistic strike from Vikram Khatri on a routine set piece brought the teams on level terms as they settled in for a whopping five minutes of stoppage time.

Playing a man down, the Hispanics did a good job of containing the Rafano attack until near the end, when an explosive run from Calvin Ayala found Titus Valdez open on the right side of the eighteen-meter box. Valdez sent the ball screaming across the face of goal into the far post and behind Salamanca, a shot that would have vexed the best keepers in the multiverse.

The second half was a slugfest, as the Rafanos attempted to park the bus (not their strong suit) and the Hispanics attempted to break down their defense for the equalizer. The final goal came from Liam McRae off of a long set piece, cementing the Hispanics' fate and bringing to a close the most exciting game in the two young team's respective histories.

The city buses in Santa Rafita are an excellent place for reflection. They mostly run on time, but "on time" means they service each stop a couple of times a day and spend an inordinate amount of time in traffic or waiting at the depots. Having already passed the exam for promotion to cabo meant I could leave the base on Sundays, but only after my roommate and I both passed inspection. One morning I missed the first bus downtown, because my roommate hadn't bothered to polish her shoes the night before, leaving us to furiously scrub one shoe each before we could be inspected. I spent the rest of that morning fixing the other girls' uniforms or barracks rooms, because the next bus didn't leave until almost ten O'clock.

Most people who are in their two years of mandatory service see the cabo exam as something to avoid, since it's the first step to an actual career in the military. For me, the privileges it afforded, including the occasional off-base pass, were well worth it, even if I hadn't been planning to make the Air Force a career. As my bus traversed the Avenida Virrey, a north-south artery between the industrial southern quarter and the central business district of Santa Rafita, I reflected on the conversation I was about to have with my mama. She had made a small fuss about our neighbor’s boy Liam coming home early from his service and how happy it made his mother, my Tia Brenda and had dropped no end of hints that I should have already found a way to come home. Nevermind that Liam was a world-class footballer and I hadn’t been allowed to play sports growing up; he was home, I wasn't, so I was a bad daughter.

I played out the conversation in my head. Mama's argument would be almost pure emotion, but not without a basis in fact. It’s true the military ruled Santa Rafa for twelve brutal years, beginning when I was a baby and ending, coincidentally, on the day of my Confirmacion. Those were tough years, when neighbors ratted on neighbors and dissidents vanished without warning in the middle of the night. It is also true that the junta accomplished in its first year what the Virrey failed to do for decades: it took control of the Rafano hinterland, burned the cocaine fields, and disarmed the leftist mobs and football hooligans. The last bit was sure to strike a cord with Mama; my father was killed in a brawl with antifas when I was a baby.

As the bus turned off the Avenida to snake its way through the one-way streets in the shade of high-rises, the argument in my head changed tones, and when we crossed over the Rio Caido, I was telling my mother how the military isn't what it used to be. I went on at length about how the junta had tried to relinquish power six years in, when I was in elementary school, but the referendums couldn't select a government, leaving them in power de facto until something better came along. In my head, my mother dealt low blow after low blow; why couldn’t I work in the laundry with her, why had I always hated her, would I be there to care for her when she was old. As long as I can remember, Mama has worked at a dry cleaner at the base of the Colinas Reales, pressing suits for people who think they're better than she is. One of my oldest memories is deciding I would never, ever work there.

The hub of the bus lines is the central terminal a block east of La Plaza Nacional, which contains both the Parliament building and the Armed Forces headquarters. "Plaza Nacional" or "La Plaza" is a frequently-used metonym for the national government at large; people are said to have connections at "La Plaza ", or local bureaucrats blame "La Plaza" for pedantic policies. From there, I boarded the 113 bus, which runs east into Colinas Reales, the lower-middle-class colonia on steep hills overlooking downtown where I grew up. Mama and I were always a little too poor for the postcode, which was mostly occupied by office drones from the government buildings, but we'd always made ends meet. I suspect Tia Brenda and Tio Angus were responsible for that, but I would never voice such things.

I would have known when we got to St. Kate's blindfolded, so many times I'd taken the bus from downtown. I knew Liam was home, but I wasn't ready to see him, at least not until I could talk to Mama. Seeing Liam back in his element, so happy to have found a way out, I was afraid would weaken my resolve, and I had put this moment off long enough. I knew Mama would be home; she always was, whenever I could get a pass. Her letters were constant, nagging, asking whether I could finesse another day this week, though the answer never changed. Thinking about it put a lump in my throat; just because my mind was made up didn't mean I was ready to tell Mama what I'd decided.

The bungalow looked the same as it always does: Mama's bicycle chained out front, beautiful red and gold flowers blooming in two rows of planters leading from the gate to the front door. Like all the houses in Colinas Reales, ours is surrounded by a fence, half adobe brick and half wrought iron, with a gate facing the street, centered on the front door. The gate is a holdover from the days of the Viceroy, before the secret police started shooting gang members on sight, when you locked your gates at night and kept something heavy next to the door. Nowadays, they are mostly for show, or else people might chain them up before they go on a long trip.

Mama was watching television when I came inside. The first few times I went home, she'd gone all out, cooking my favorite meal and greeting me at the door. Since then, she had toned it down, and Sundays with Carlotta had just become part of her regular day off. Mama had been a telenovela junkie as long as I could remember, but she always complained about missing new episodes when she had to work or take me to some eveningtime activity. Now she would watch as they marathoned them on Sunday afternoons, for lack of better programming.

"You weren't at Mass," she said as I entered. It was almost noon; if she went to the first service at St. Kate's, she'd been back for hours. On a good day, if the buses were on time, I'd meet Mama at St. Kate's for mass and we'd walk back to the house together.

"Analisa forgot to polish her shoes last night." Analisa was my roommate, a quiet girl who wrote letters to her boyfriend at Costa Acero and begged me to take them to him so they would get there faster. I was pretty sure Ana had never been to Costa Acero, or anywhere outside the Colonia Pata Conejo where she grew up, or she’d understand that ninety minutes each way is not a trivial distance.

"Did you help her?"

"When she asked me to. But she didn't ask until reveille this morning." Ana had been so tied up in writing to pinche Diego that she hadn't paid her uniform any attention until after lights out, and by then I'd just snapped at her to go to bed and shine her damn shoes in the morning.

"Ana must not love her mother very much." It was a poorly-disguised barb, meant to make me feel bad, but Mama didn't know she was right. Ana's mother was imprisoned for speaking against the junta when Ana was thirteen. When the federales took over they released all political prisoners, but Ana’s mother had joined a gang in prison and gotten in more trouble. Ana didn't talk about her mom much, but when she did, the tears weren't far behind.

I sat down on the couch next to Mama, rested my head on her shoulder the way I had when I was younger and we’d watch telenovelas together. It was a cheap shot, but I was already exhausted from Ana and the bus trip, and I needed her in a good mood when I told her what I had come to say. I looked at the clock on the wall above the TV: if this went poorly, there was a twelve-thirty bus southbound from St. Kate's that would get me back to Plaza Nacional.

"Mama, I've been thinking," I said. She glanced at me, then back at the screen, but I could tell I had her attention. "Actually, I've been doing more than thinking. You know I took the cabo exam, and that's why I've been home every Sunday the past few months." This was part of my plan; remind her of my accomplishment, remind her what it had meant for her. "I've been talking to one of my cabos, Cabo Royce, and he thinks I'd be a good fit for the cadre. It's not that different from a regular job, once you get past the conscript part. They have jobs at the airport; I could still see you every day, and it would be a good career for me. You know there aren't many of those for young women in this country." Part two of the plan; appeal to her desire to give me a better life than she'd had. In her mind, that meant starting me at a higher pay at the laundry, but a cabo in her first year made more than Mama made now.

There was a long pause, which grew more ominous by the second. Mama reached for the remote and turned off the television, and that's when I knew I was done. Five past twelve; plenty of time to make the bus back to the airbase, back to Cabo Royce and Analisa and the life I'd made there. Spending Sundays home with Mama was a nice fantasy, but the truth was when I'd left this life behind in that old school bus, I'd left it for good.

"How dare you?" Oh boy. This was starting worse than I'd thought. "Come into my house and tell me you want to be one of them." Here we had skipped several layers of the argument I'd anticipated, and gone right to the heart of the matter. I wondered idly whether that was good or bad. She looked at me, eyes already red, tears already streaking her face. I'd expected her to react to the idea of "losing" me, but this level of vitriol was above and beyond. Did she have some vendetta against the air police I wasn't aware of?

Those were the last coherent words she said; everything else was just blubbering, cursing, and babbling. The twelve-thirty bus would turn out to be a pipe dream, as would the one at three-thirty. Eventually I had to call Cabo Royce on his personal phone, the one he said was for emergencies only, and explain that I had gotten held up and wouldn't be back to the airbase in time for curfew. He was surprisingly understanding, but I knew the excuse wouldn't work again; I resolved to find a different place to spend my next pass, at least til Mama forgave me.

by **Rannoria** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 12:41 pm

THE ENGLISH TALON
RANNORIA'S #1 ENGLISH NEWSPAPER

A Victory at Last!

After the thrilling encounter that was Rannoria against Tarper, Rannorians all around the world have been delighted to have watched or have heard about the 3-1 victory against their opponents.
The match was played at 7 PM yesterday at Stadion Aesthaade, where the two teams were introduced to each other and after so they got into their usual formations. Unluckily for Rannoria though, Tarper scores the first goal, allowing Tarper to take the lead already from the fourth minute! The game plays on, and at 32 minutes Rannoria is pushing on with a heavy counter-attack. The 24 year-old Laki Gontayy has the ball,
and taking an opportunity by seeing where a hole in his opponent's defense was, he passes to his brother, Susi'anak, and with that Susi'anak scores! At the 45th minute, though, Susi'anak is tackled badly, and suffers an injury. Unfortunately for Rannoria, this injury will take 5 days to recover from, meaning that Susi'anak will be out for Rannoria's final group stage match and the potential round of 32 match. The tackler has received a red card for the challenge, and half time commences.

In a strange turn of events, Jan Brigto, Rannoria's coach, chose to substitute the 17 year-old Kola Agung in instead of the usual Jan Krieger, which to many was of course surprising at the time. Especially when Rannoria needed an extra point to take the lead, why did Jan Brigto pick out the young centre-attacking-midfielder? After the match,
Brigto stated that he wanted to "try out the new blood" and "see if choosing him for the national squad was a wise choice". Fortunately for Agung, Brigto, and fans everywhere, Agung proved his worth by getting the ball during a Tarperian offensive and returning the attack with a goal on the 67th minute!

To add salt to the wound, the Rannorian keeper, Karsak Malak played a dangerous game on the 87th minute. After a miss from Tarper, Malak passes to the substitute defender Curas Junipo, who gets signaled to pass it back from Malak. With the help of midfielders and strikers,
Malak goes rogue and makes it up front. He passes it to left wing Maret Swaz, who kicks is straight to the Tarper goalie. In a weak throw,
though, Malak intercepts the ball and manages to kick it in, scoring Rannoria's third and final goal!

That's it for this match review though. After such a victory, the Rannorian football team's morale is boosted, and they all set out to the local pub that night (despite the fact that two of the players are minors). Hopefully Rannoria can continue to play this well in their next and final group stage match against Illahee, and we all hope that they can make it through. Remember to support your team on social media with the tags #BaptismRannoria68 and #PRRILL, and let's hope Rannoria's got it in them to make this work!
Written by Agung Infor

by **Mareibat** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:03 pm

A Short Pre-Script To Mareibat - Part Two

Part One

Wilbrahim O'Connor was only twenty-five years old when he became the Imperator of Mareibat, and he was a very different kettle of fish to his father. Whereas Kester was driven by reality and a ready attitude to assessing and analysing the numbers - Wilbrahim believed significantly in faith and sheer optimism.

His brief time as Imperator of Mareibat was dominated by his policy of distraction - if the populace have something to distract them from the misery of their everyday lives, they might come to love him.

His main ambition for doing this was the set up of the Mareibatian footballing system, which was a success in the time he was Imperator, as the Mareibatian Premier was initialised and much of the ground for the briefly successful A-League merge with Brenecia laid. However, having a ruler of a nation effectively running the football association and that only was not even remotely sustainable.

He'd farmed out the actual running to his two closest advisors - Ernhard Footbill and Yolinda Berry - and drunk on the power they established the well trodden path of funnelling money away for their own personal gain. A significant chunk of this money was emergency aid to help relieve the plight of many starving Mareibatians in the winter of 580, which was particularly savage.

Football was all very good, but when the people are literally starving, it cannot distract from that, as Wilbrahim O'Connor learnt in early 581, when Footbill was shot by the docks in Halholzer and Berry captured by a group near Spirithill as she was travelling back from Euclid International Airport. This gave Wilbrahim a clear signal - he was next.

Within 24 hours, he had fled out of Mareibat to Apox with his family on his private jet - effectively abandoning the country he was supposed to protect and lead. His negligence in charge had led to large vanity projects being constructed for Berry and Footbill, but the most prominent was a large statue of Wilbrahim O'Connor himself constructed in the centre of Halholzer. It was pulled down less than a week after his self-imposed exile.

As for Wilbrahim, he is hiding in a large estate south of Cierbana, in the Northern hills. He hasn't set foot in Mareibat or indeed outside of Apox for twenty years.

Mareibat 4-0 Kilaguni Voeller 3', Sherman 17', Armada 39', Marquis 77'
MBT: Lillehammer -- Richards, Balthorst (c), Elden, Eben -- Sherman, Jakkar, Weaver, Armoray -- Voeller, Armada
KIL: Unknown

Mareibat grab their first win of the tournament in farcical fashion, as a lighting failure rendered near impossible playing conditions in nearly total darkness. As a result, the goalscorers and details of the match itself are, somewhat, hazy. In typically Farf fashion though, the game was sanctioned to go ahead, though the lighting failure meant that no details of the Kilaguni team were released to the Mareibatian press corps. However, it is believed that the goalscorers for Mareibat are Yorin Voeller, Richard Sherman, Richard Armada and Studio Marqius. Marquis entered as a sub wearing a head torch, giving him a sizeable advantage, and from the trajectory of his torch, we think the his goal was a spectacular overhead kick. There is some minor consternation though, as Richard Armada and Imriel Armoray were injured in a collision with each other due to the darkness, forcing both off in the 51st minute. Armada only rolled his ankle a bit and so is expected to return for the final group match against Ravsol, while Imriel Armoray's injury - knee related - is more significant and it is unlikely he will see any more game time this tournament as a result. The MBC plans to lodge an official complaint to the WCC over the playing conditions in the match.

by **Pink Floyd FC** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:09 pm

Cambridge News

Let There Be More Light

The humanity has made contact with aliens in Mildenhall. A witness, named Carter's father, saw a spaceship landing on Earth and an alien revealed him a message. Carter's father said:

"Then at last the mighty ship
Descending on a point of flame
Made contact with the human race
at Mildenhall "

An alien came out of the space ship and Carter's father saw him there and Knew the road revealed to him The living soul of Hereward the Wake. Carter's father then said:

"Oh, my, something in my eye - eye
Something in the sky - sky
Waiting there for me"

For there revealed in glowing robes Was Lucy in the sky. Then the alien told Carter's father that the humanity have to Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun if they want to survive.

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

following the alien contact in Mildenhall, the Earth goes into darkness.
Little by little the night turns around. Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn. Lotuses lean on each other in yearning. Under the eaves the swallow is resting.
Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

Pink Floyd, currently in Semarland for the Baptism of Fire, has left the team and came back to Cambridge in a hurry when he heard it's all dark in the region.
Over the mountain watching the watcher. Breaking the darkness Waking the grapevine.
One inch of love is one inch of shadow Love is the shadow that ripens the wine.
Set the controls for the heart of the sun. The heart of the sun, the heart of the sun.

Pink is the only person on Earth who can Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun and save humanity from darkness.
Witness the man who raves at the wall Making the shape of his questions to Heaven.
Whether the sun will fall in the evening Will he remember the lesson of giving?
Set the controls for the heart of the sun. The heart of the sun, the heart of the sun.

After succesfully Setting The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, Pink was back in time in Semarland for game #3 against The South Falls.

by **Shofercia** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:43 pm

A 100,000 Shofercian Fan Army Arrives in Farfadillis - The Times

Shofercia, a nation of 22.8 million people, is a nation that constantly punches above its weight, so the arrival of half of a percent of the nation's population for a football tournament was not surprising. The Shofercians looked at the schedule, and knew that the first match was in Ján Rülánd Dêrmáá Stadium, which was described as a small stadium situated in the poorest state: Ruland. Bring a gun or don't bother to visit at all.

The fans going to that stadium were the youngest and boldest fans. The plan was to dominate the stadium, fill it out with Shofercian fans and turn it into a home game. The Shofercians planned to stick together, in large groups, and help out the locals. In the hotels they would take alternating shifts keeping watch. The operation was carried out with military precision, which made some wonder - were these fans, or soldiers?

Another 40,000 fans traveled straight to the La Gran Avenida Stadium. These were slightly older, some had families, but all were excited to see the team play internationally. They read the stadium's description;

This stadium is safe, comfortable and is situated in a really hot Farf state (Puerto Farolero). This stadium is situated in the middle of a forest. El Gran Bosque is a forest in Puerto Farolero, where a big stadium like this has been built to attract tourists. The view from the highest seats is something impressive. Please, ignore how dangerous the path to the stadium is, and how long it takes to arrive there, considering going by car is banned. However, if you don't get stung by a flying jellyfish, you should be alright. You could still die of dehydration, though. Oh, and the many Farves hiding in the woods to attack you, those are dangerous too.

Hot? That's what cooling clothes is for! The group started walking together, singing songs, taking campfire breaks with acoustic guitars. This was the adventure! For some, it was the first time abroad, while numerous others traveled often. A couple of retired military officers could be spotted with the group. Who would dare to attack such large groups? And if they dared? The Shofercians were not without guns and ammunition.

The remaining 50,000 fans, Shofercians of all ages, headed to the capital, while also favoring the group gatherings in a dangerous place known as Farfadillis. Ferdullaele seemed like a bustling city, but what kind of bustle? The review of La Fantás stadium stated:

The biggest stadium in Farfadillis, home to the national team. It is situated in the capital, Ferdullaele, where most terrorist attacks happen. It's got many, many, many seats, and it's filled with violent Farves, fanatics without any limits willing to shoot each and every one of your nation's fans! Not really, those are just a minority, albeit an incredibly loud one. No, seriously, gun shots are very loud.

Yes, gun shots were loud, the Shofercians knew that, since nearly all completed gun training as part of high school education. Dominating this stadium could prove to be a challenge, but the Shofercians were ready!

Shofercia Crushes the Hungarian Nation, as Fans Dominate the Stadium! - The Tribune

Once arriving in Ruland, the Shofercians offered freebies to the locals, tipped generously, and offered to buy tickets at double the price. Some attempts at theft were made, but the Shofericans quickly put an end to those, while treating everyone with respect. The plan worked, and the stadium was turned into a home field.

Greg Burki passed to Volk Zabivaika, and the cheering began. The shouts soon erupted into a crescendo, as Roy Ostriy had the ball in scoring position, and took a shot. The keeper barely kept it out. The shouts were deafening. Suddenly they stopped, and all went silent. While the silence left their opponents dazed, Vova Sidorov took the corner, connecting with Burki's head, which sent the ball into the net. The stadium erupted.

"Hey hey, ho ho, the Shofercians are here and the Huns have got to go!" The opposition, still dazed, grew frustrated, enabling Sergei Tarasov to begin a counterattack. A quick pass to Roy Ostryi enabled him to found Volk Zabivaika, who got behind the defense. The shouts grew louder. The keeper felt the pressure, but they were music to Volk's ears. He shoots, he scores! Shofercia 2-0. The stadium broke into Shofercia's National Anthem.

But despite numerous attempts, no more goals were scored during the first half. The Shofercian team strolling out on the field in the second half was booed. The fans realized that they came out as victors, before the game ended. The fans were right, as the ball soon found its way behind Shofercia's net minder. Like a cold shower, the goal woke the Shofercians up, and the game began anew.

As did the cheering. Once the fans saw that the Shofercians stopped acting like emperors, that it was once again our team, the support came quickly. And yet, the Hungarians got off an amazing shot, that sadly ended in Shofercia's net. What followed was a flurry of Shofercian attacks, and in the 75th minute Arandes Nascimento made a long pass to Volk Zabivaika, who made a perfect set pass to Roy Ostryi, and a perfect shot in the goal's upper corner followed.

The pressure was won, but on the 80th minute, Kutya Ignashevich found Vova Sidorov with a stretch pass. Sidorov's ball found found Roy Ostryi's foot. Roy dribbled it to his special spot, and he never missed from that spot. Shofercia 4-2.

With that goal, the game calmed down a bit, but the stadium was louder. The Shofercians were leaving Ruland, with a victory, and without casualties.

by **Greater Carloso** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:50 pm

TO-GONE-ISTAN CARLOSO VICTORIOUS AGAINST TOGONISTAN IN GOAL-FILLED BONANZA

NOT QUIET THERE: Despite an exhilirating performance by Togonistan, it wasn't enough to beat Carloso

KRSTHAVEN, SEMARLAND - In what can only be described as a goal-filled thriller, Carloso triumphed over a motivated and determined Togonistan, finishing the game with a score of 5-4 and sending Togonistan home early from Baptism of Fire 68. With a total of nine goals scored during the game, it is the most scored in BoF 68 so far, ahead of the Group P game between Miznan and Schweiser which saw a total of eight goals being scored. Our boys now top Group J and are almost guaranteed to qualify for the Round of 32, with a toss-up between Guriguay and Yanghoon for second place. Carloso is set to play against hopefuls Yanghoon in its next game, while Guriguay will face off against Togonistan for a place in the Round of 32.

The game opened up to yet another packed Stadion Metner in Krsthaven, with Diego Santander securing the first goal barely four minutes into the game. Ten minutes later and a flighty Collin Rivera managed to completely bypass the Togonistani and lob the ball into the back of the net, putting Carloso up 2-0. Carlosian back Kiran Morterero was landed with a yellow card after apparently attempting to knock a Togonistani player down. The opposition tried desperately to equalise, but Rafinha Maynard and the Carlosian defenders managed to cut them short. The break came just before halftime as the Togonistanis managed to come through and land the ball at the back of the net, putting the score at 2-1 before the referee blew the whistle. Going into the second half, Togonistan quickly equalised with Carloso after one of their forwards rocketed right past Elías Armstrong and landed the ball in the back of the net. Barely four minutes later, Michael Barton responded brilliantly with a goal of his own bringing Carloso up 3-2.

A momentary lapse in Togonistan's defence proved costly as Tomás Fernán, left completely unmarked, managed to sneak in another goal in the 58th minute to bring Carloso up 4-2. At this stage, signs of exhaustion could be clearly seen on the Carlosian side as they appeared to struggle to summon the same energy and drive they had in the first half. A Togonistani forward dribbled past Ryan Clancy and squeezed the ball past, skimming Maynard's leg and zooming into the goal, putting the score at 4-3. Carloso appeared to play more defensively from here on, trying to keep the ball on the opposite side of the pitch. Nevertheless, the Togonistanis managed to pull through and equalised with a header into the Carlosian goal at the 76th minute. Mercader could be seen fuming on the sidelines, clearly annoyed at what should have been an easily stoppable goal. As chants of the Carlosian national anthem echoed through the stadium, Los Tricolores' silver lining would come when a Togonistani player pulled Cosgrave's shirt as he made a dash for the opposite goal in the 87th minute. The referee quickly awarded a direct free kick to the Carlosian side, with Diego Santander lining up to take the shot. As Stadion Metner fell to silence, Santander lobed the ball right over the heads of the Togonistani players and right into the back of the net, putting the score at 5-4 and sending the stadium into a chorus of roaring and celebration as Carloso won its second game in Baptism of Fire 68.

While the phenomenal performance of the Carlosian forwards can't be underestimated, the inability of the Carlosian defence to block out the Togonistanis will raise questions about Mercader's strategy. Whether by skill or sheer luck, Carloso will have to continue to impress as they go off against Yanghoon in their final group match. Los Tricolores will only need to draw here to qualify for certain, though a victory will surely seal the deal as our lads seek to go for gold in this tournament ahead of the World Cup. Keep up to date with all the football news and coverage of the journey of Los Tricolores all the way to the final and beyond, here only on The Scandal!

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cosgravelad1998
tomás fernán was an absulute legend today. that goal was absolutely meme worthy lad rofl

yughaaPRINCESS
hello boys!!! look for fun??love? yes! >>>> yughananbrides.ar

FatChineseGuy
togonistan got pummelled. yanghoon will be pulverised

by **Alenburg** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 10:58 pm

FLY! REDHAWKS! FLY

That was the title from Loirgrunzodd Herald Sports Section

As you can see our boys won their first BoF match against Czarna Gora who is one the strongest teams from Group C,1-0 thanks to a free kick goal by our New Dutchlander Dylan Smith who driven the team crazy after scoring the goal from a distance that suppose to be impossible with just two men on the barrier catching by surprise the Czarna Gora GK D. Stojanović putting the ball on the right side angle while Alenburgians who went to Frion State to only see our RedHawks play on the tribune exploded on emotions meanwhile at GrunbeldTown Dragon Square our famous monument our Dragon Statue turned Red and White while fireworks where everywhere and people screaming "Fly RedHawks Fly!" a sensation i would never forget our boys keep rising and are going to play against Corindia the misterious team from Groupc C that we are not going to understimate either we will play at Ján Rülánd Dêrmáá situated in the poorest state of Ruland so extra security measures are taken RedHawks will be escorted by an Alenburgian Private Military Company called AirHawk integrated by ex-ADF members,ex-Alenburgian Border Recon members and Ex-Alenburgian Grey Berets our team is on good hands with my head up our team will win this match.

Melanie Smith (Loirgrunzodd Herald Sports Section Writer in charge of Soccer Department)

by **Krenorus** » Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:50 am

The match against Routcher was going to start soon... and the Krenorussian players got ready, wearing their kit and stretching. Lord van Gaal was confident that Krenorus could secure a victory against Routcher. Meanwhile, O'Brien and Niles talked about casual things. Arrowson soon walked in with his shoulders to his back, confident in himself and the team. He stepped with mediocre speed across the smooth floor, but as he approached Lord van Gaal, he immediately stopped when he heard the conversation between O'Brien and Niles, "You know that Mafia lad, Federico Giovanni, right?" O'Brien said to Niles. "Yes, what about him?" Niles responded. O'Brien slowly shook his head, his ginger straight hair shaking a little bit.

"You heard about Giovanni's goon who always gives out to his own workers?"

"I'm sorry... Give out?"

"Sorry, gets angry at," O'Brien responded with a small laugh.

"Oh... and no, I don't know the fellow"

"His name's Henry. Bad bugger that fella' is," O'Brien said with a hard emphasis on the word 'bugger'. His eyes slightly enlarging

"So what did he do?" Niles asked, questioning why O'Brien would call this 'Henry' a 'bugger'. "Well," O'Brien said. He pronounced said word peculiarly longer than most people would. "He murdered quite a few fellas and the bobbies could never get 'im," O'Brien said, looking away as if Henry himself was looking at him. "Anyway," O'Brien continued, "That bugger's dead now. That Federico bugger caught 'im red 'anded giving his wife a back massage," as O'Brien said this, Niles' cheeks blushed. How could a man give a woman a back massage? he questioned himself in his mind. "With all the oil and 'other shite," O'Brien continued as if a teenage woman gossipping to her schoolmates. "Damn mate," was all Niles could respond.

"I know right, lad," O'Brien said with a slight gasp of exhaustion from talking. "The bobbies found 'im hangin' dead from 'is fuckin' condo' window!". Arrowson thought of stepping in and telling both the of them to think about the game, but he decided to not do it. After all, even if they did make some mistakes, they would win or at least draw against Routcher. He walked along to van Gaal, unbeknownst to him, Rouge James was listening, writing into his diary. He wrote in beautiful cursive writing, which most if not all people who saw it would describe as 'Elegant'. Of course, he had been practising since childhood, for nearly all middle-class Dutchmen were taught cursive writing in order to be more 'civilised'. Anyhow, James still wrote in his diary, as if he was in the book himself...

The Diary of Rouge James; Saturday, 11th August

I heard Ryan and Dexter talking about that dead gangsterman. They really shouldn't be talking about this before such an important game like this. They might get distracted and cause us to lose the game. Anyway, it is God's will to decide whether we win or not. Goodbye, Diary... for now.

Rouge James closed up the diary as it he and his team were to play against Routcher. What he would not know was that Krenorus would lose that match...

by **Cobrio** » Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:05 am

Who ARE the Cobrio Panthers?
Part one of four

As a new entity on the multiversal football scene, there have been a lot of questions about the Cobre national football team. Their initial game in the Baptism of Fire did little to stoke the flames of interest -- a cagey 1-0 win tends not to be something that gets talking heads going, after all -- but their dominant 3-0 win this week over the admittedly unknown quantity of Halfdansodal, on the other hand... well that got people talking.

"I think they were a little more open than the Squornshelan side," allowed Lieutenant Beresford Owusu, the Cobre team's manager and head coach. "This, combined with a sense of familiarity now that the first game is out of the way, I think was crucial to the team's performance. I was very happy with this performance, everything went according to plan, and we are in a strong position."

The Cobre national team plays in a style that many across the multiverse will probably recognise as being rather "Osarian" ... which makes sense. Cobrio was not an independent state until recently -- less than ten years by most calendars, though some odd temporal disturbances mean that decades have passed for Cobrans since they gained independence; it's a complicated topic. Time is said to be wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey after all -- and naturally, this means that their attitudes toward football have been heavily shaped by the Osarians, who presided over the lands of Cobrio in the past.

"When the OFA began their developmental program in the 2270s, Cobrio was a major part of it. At the time, most of Cobrio was known as the Dynapolitan region of Osarius, where some of the nation's best talents were, due to the sheer size of the main city of Dynapolis," explained Dr Kehinde Lewis, a Professor of Cobre Studies at Burningham City University. "The existence of an elite academy in the region, as well as no less than four clubs with elite-rated academies themselves, meant that the area we now know as Cobrio was essentially on par with the regions of Fourge and Tubriss in terms of talent production."

Dr Lewis went on to explain that this was despite a majority of young athletes in the area opting to take up combat sports, or GraviBall -- which were the other two major athletic pathways in Osarius at the time. "When Cobrio gained independence, we effectively stopped playing GraviBall entirely. The sport would become redundant in Osarius later, due to the inherent costs and the ongoing war, but we stopped earlier. Combat holds major cultural significance for Cobrans, so this continued, though without affiliation to the Osarian Combat Federation, it was no longer as lucrative a career path, so again, many abandoned this path. The lower costs required to set up, train and compete in football are what led to it becoming easily the most popular sport in Cobrio in the pre-war years." Dr Lewis elaborated.

So we have the background. How things developed during the war is another topic, but we know that many military bases included the sport as part of training for soldiers' conditioning, and the sport's popularity among the general population never noticeably decreased either. A contiuation of Osarian values was inevitable, perhaps, given that this was the only style of play the people had known, though slowly, perhaps in recognition of the Cobre mentality, the nation began to adopt a more defensive standard than the Osarians.

"In some ways, moving away from the aggressive, offensive press of the Osarian style was a way to distinguish Cobrio from the former oppressors," Dr Lewis suggested. "But it was also indicative of a deep-rooted cultural idea within Cobrio. The nation has, throughout its entire existence, been under attack in some way. Initially, the fight for independence from Osarius, under Tukari Kaita. Later, the war with Osarius, and then the alliance against Kryosis, all to protect our little peninsula." It is certainly an interesting concept, that Cobrio as a nation might inherit that siege mentality, and Dr Lewis had further ideas on this, to suggest why Cobrio does not actively play a defensive game. "The problem with the siege mentality, the overly-defensive mentality, is that generally, this is seen as the path of the weaker. Cobrio is strong. So we could not embrace an entirely defensive ideology in our sports, but rather we embraced a 'smart' ideology, following the tenets of combat laid out by the elders during the reign of Tukari Kaita."

These tenets of combat, outlined some seventy years ago in the Cobre calendar, were based on a set of agreements between the many tribes that make up Cobrio from ancestral times. "Most importantly, the tenets are centred on five main principles," Dr Lewis told us. "Firstly, and most importantly for how these tenets are applied in a football context, a warrior must show courage. It is unacceptable hide away and passively defend. You must take action, and raise your head. You must look the enemy in the eye. This is the essence of Cobre warriordom in many ways, and it carries on to the pitch. From time to time, the team will play an obviously defensive game, but if you know what to look for, there will always be signs of an attack. To do otherwise would be unacceptable, and deeply shameful." Dr Lewis did expand on the other principles -- Discipline, Justice, Love, and Respect -- though their relevance is of less clear import than courage, in footballing terms.

Lieutenant Owusu is a clear representation of how these principles are embodied in Cobre football, though. A man of military service, these principles are part of the very fibre of his being, and his general demeanour exudes a strong sense of self-discipline -- something that is particularly noticeable in his reaction to his players' behaviour; his swift admonishment of Iqadi Munroe after the latter's booking against Halfdansodal was a moment of particular note -- alongside a deep respect for his opponents, love for his team (and by extension, his country) and an apparently indomitable sense of justice. "Not once has Lieutenant Owusu disputed a referee's decision, have you noticed? Nor have any of his players." Dr Lewis pointed out. He's right. They all accept decisions with a stoic resignation in some cases, in others with a respectful apology to the referee and affected player. A sight not often seen in world football these days, it must be said.

Now we'll take a look at a few of the key players in the squad, and see how they fit into this grand vision for Cobre football, and its greater importance in Cobre culture.

Idowu CRUZ - "Stopper" (GK)
Height: 1.90m -- Weight: 83kg
Currently plays for Hastmead Diamante (OSR)
Cruz effectively grew up in Osarius, with his Cobre mother and Aquilliano father, giving him perhaps the most unique perspective among the squad. Until age fourteen, his family lived in the co-operative Cobre-Osarian region of Umoja -- meaning "Unity"; it comprises most of the former Osarian district of Draconium -- where, despite being technically part of Cobrio, things remain very Osarian. After displaying some promise as a goalkeeper, he was offered a chance to live in Carbonia, and join the (still!) highly rated academy of Hastmead Diamante. Carbonia's proximity to the Kryosi border may have been of concern to many, but the Cruz family perfectly embodied that Cobre principle of courage in this decision. "My dad's thing was that we were doing it to prove a point almost. To show we were above being afraid of all that," Cruz explains. "I've been told I make some brave decisions as a goalkeeper and I suppose that's where that comes from. If I'm not willing to put myself in the path of something potentially harmful, can I really consider myself to be defending the goal? I don't think so."

Sylvain PICARD - "Disruptor" (DM)
Height: 1.82m -- Weight: 84kg
Currently plays for Dynapolis United (CBR)
Picard is a curious one, despite his youth, he appears to be one of the most tactically astute members of the squad. His role, as a "disruptor", is effectively to break up opposition attacks, and redistribute possession to his teammates. This, by definition, means he must be combative in some capacity, and yet, he rarely picks up bookings. "It's about being smart," he explains. "I try to intercept mostly, because then there is less chance of a foul. But sometimes you have to put a foot in to win the ball." Picard's stats suggest he isn't kidding by any stretch. He averages almost three times as many interceptions as tackles per game throughout his very short career thus far -- he made his debut as a sixteen year old in the Cobrio Panther League; and has played in just fifty-three senior games for the Dragons since -- and has seen just one booking in that span. "That booking was just clumsiness, but it still bothers me that it even happened." He admits.

Raymond DUPRÉ - "Advancer" (RW)
Height: 1.78m -- Weight: 75kg
Currently plays for Shanak FC (CBR)
Dupre is the third youngest player in the squad, but arguably best displays the childlike enthusiasm for the game that is so highly valued among Cobrans. "He plays like he is still in the schoolyard, both him and Moses [Lofuko]" says Didier Fontaine, one of the oldest members of the squad. "He loves football so much, he just does things. It's a kind of freedom that I love to see." Fontaine's words speak volumes, as Dupre's carefree approach seems to fly in the face of Lt. Uwusu's militaristic attitude, but this is not the case. "The Lieutenant gives us a lot more freedom than people think, and very few people use it as well as Raymond," Fontaine explains. "He is always watching football, playing some football game, trying something new in training. Always trying to get better, finding ways to try and do things nobody else can. Always. So he does what the Lieutenant asks, and then tries to do the most after that." In his as-yet brief international career, we have seen this, as Dupre almost always tries to take on a defender when he gets the ball, and there have been moments of such audacity, it boggles the mind. For example, his attempted backheel assist against Halfdansodal... it didn't come off, but nobody expected it. Not even his own teammates.

Babatunde WARRINGTON - "Tunnelvision" (ST)
Height: 1.80m -- Weight: 81kg
Currently plays for Jraxville FC (CBR)
It would be easy to dismiss Warrington as a typical, self-centred, goal-hungry striker. In many ways, this would not be inaccurate. His team, Jraxville FC, were formerly known as "Real", i.e. the "Royal" club of the area, and often flashed the cash when other teams could not. They drew the most ire from rivals, and were first to receive ridicule when they faltered. Warrington is no different in a multitude of ways. The flashy outfits, outlandish hairstyles, and multiple movie roles -- much to the chagrin of Lt. Uwusu in particular -- paint him as something of a playboy/diva. But the reality is that he is anything but. Away from the team, he may display a sort of "devil-may-care" behaviour, but on duty with the national team, on the football pitch ... Warrington has only one setting: Serious. "If I give anything less than one hundred percent when I want to score a goal, it is disrespectful to the opponent. This is not the Cobre way, I must always do my best to score. This is the job of a striker." He says, very matter-of-factly. Many have ridiculed Warrington for his apparent lack of tactical knowledge -- indeed, he would be first to admit he might not be the smartest of forwards -- but he has an uncanny knack for scoring goals. "Maybe I don't know the things some of the others know, but you don't need to know rocket science to be a good striker." He shrugs. "You just get the ball, go toward the goal, and shoot."

Lewis ARMSTRONG - "Instinctive" (CB)
Height: 1.88m -- Weight: 88kg
Currently plays for FC Barciddia (OSR)
The captain is arguably the most tactically astute member of the squad, and it's easy to see why. His lead-by-example style of captaining is the preferred model at Barciddia -- where he is also captain -- and is certainly appreciated by the rest of the squad. "I try not to think too much," he jokes. "Just do what feels right." It seems to work for him. His instinctive style of defending is largely the preference in Cobrio (and Osarius for that matter) but few appear to be as good at it as he. The primary reason he is so highly rated, though, is not for his ability to read the game, but for his ability to maintain order on the pitch. "What Lewis does is not discipline," says Andre Johnson, his defensive partner for the national team. "He has this fairness about him that you want to emulate. He doesn't ever do that Osarian thing where he makes a bad tackle because he 'had to' to stop the attack, and will always admit when he was wrong. There is a nobility about him in that way." This nobility is something he has in common with the Lieutenant, and is a manifestation of his sense of justice. "As a child, in Kart Hago, I faced some problems from locals," Armstrong recalls. "But most people treated me fairly. If I did well, I was praised. If I did wrong, I was shamed, punished. It rarely felt unfair, and I was comfortable with this. As I got older, I realised this was because this treatment was something that was mutually agreed upon by almost everyone. It was the code by which we lived, because it best benefited everyone. Sport is much like this, because when you participate, you agree to the code of the sport. Following these rules is best for everyone, and that's why we do it."

In the next instalment we'll take a look at a few more members of the squad, and see how they fit into the grand vision for Cobre football.


         Cobrio  3-0  Halfdansodal   
       Ekeh 23'
 Warrington 39'
      Dupre 81'

Player of the Game: Raymond Dupre (CBR)
	  
Squads:
CBR [4-3-3] | Cruz; Cooper, Johnson, Armstrong (c), Spence; Picard (Dusang 77), 
              Munroe (Makkonen 45), Ekeh; Delfour (Lofuko 77), Warrington, Dupre
HLF [ 404: detailed information could not be found ]

by **Sorrentopia** » Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:22 am

Cardinals Shutout Hungarian Nation, move to first in Group
Another matchday has passed in this years BoF, and for the Sorrentopia Cardinals another victory has been added to their campaign. The Cardinals shutout The Hungarian Nation 2-0 in their second match of the tournament. This win moves them into first in Group D due to goal differential. The team has also clinched a spot in the next part of the tournament as they can not drop lower than second in their group. The game started fast for the Cardinals. They had 3 shots within the first 4 minutes of the game and, after a few minutes of battling for control, managed to score their first goal on a cross from Aureliano Agnusdei to Haven Treloar who was subbing for a tired Roly St. John at 12 minutes in. The second and final goal of the game was a penalty shot from Agnusdei at 67 minutes. Despite the score the game appeared closer than the score says. Hungarian Nation managed to get several scoring opportunities including a close shot at 35 minutes that was knocked away just barley by the fingertips of Cardinals goalie Anastasio Neil. After the match the team’s manager talked to the press and said “I am pleased with how we’ve played so far. The next game should be our biggest test, Shofercia is a tough team, they’ve won all their games like us. I expect it to be close and exciting.” The game against Shofercia is today, and will be broadcast on many Sorrentopian networks.

Game Summary
Sorrentopia 2-0 The Hungarian Nation
12’- Treloar(1)(Agnusdei)
67’- Agnusdei(1)(Pen.)

Baptism of Fire 68

BoF 68 Group Stage Matchday 1

BoF 68 Group Stage Matchday 2

Rakivland stride on as favourites to win group!

Acheian team roster.

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