World Cup 81: Roleplay Thread

by **Darmen** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 1:29 pm

Confident Darmen to face Taeshan in opening match
All Greens claimed victory in Pre-Qualifying Friendly, 1-0

Johnho's Stadio Rushmore will host the All Greens vs. Purple Knights

The All Greens will host 60th ranked and northern Rushmori rivals Taeshan at the Stadio Rushmore in Johnho on Saturday night as qualifying for the 81st World Cup kicks-off. The Purple Knights, led by striker Miles Snavely of the Laketown Rangers, lost to Darmen by a single Felix Lucanus goal in a pre-qualifying friendly held in Taeshan. Darmen controlled the ball for much of the match, having 63% possession. Lucanus and Marcellinus Winton played extremely well, sharing the Man of the Match award. With that victory in mind, the Darmeni national team have great belief in themselves, and view the road to qualification as relatively easy.

"Having gone into a hostile environment and won against a team that knows us quite well, I can't say we're too concerned about not-qualifying for the World Cup," commented forward Craig Blackwood. "Besides Taeshan, the only candidates to upset us and cause us to end up in the playoffs or the Cup of Harmony are Baker Park and Coldfield. If we can play well on the road just like we did in Taeshan, it should be easy sailing."

In addition to facing Taeshan, Darmen has played additional pre-qualifying friendlies against Apox, Juvencus and Damukuni. The team has performed well, with many of the reserve players taking chances to start in the match or play good minutes. In addition to their 18 qualifying matches, Darmen has also secured mid-qualifying and post-qualifying matches against each of the World Cup hosts, Banija and Free Republics respectively, with the match against Banija to be held in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec.

by **Rannoria** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 2:33 pm

THE ENGLISH TALON
Rannoria's #1 English Newspaper!

A New Dawn for Our Boys

Players of the Rannorian football club Heden Fortified congratulating each other after a solid 2-0 victory against Can'xhan Dynasty. Among these celebrating players are national team members Jan Krieger and Budi Sultana.

The last time this newspaper talked about sports on a global level was when Rannoria faced off against Carloso in the 68th Baptism of Fire. In a close yet still sad 3-2 defeat in the penalties, Rannorians all around the world were resigned, yet expected the result. The Rannorian national football team could not compete with the calibre of the other national teams at the Baptism of Fire, and despite the fact that each competitor at that tournament was also facing the international stage for the first time, the Iron Swordsmen just couldn't pull it off, and were eliminated at the Round of 32. Luckily for them, though, a second chance has presented itself in the form of an even more major, and even harder tournament. The 81st World Cup. Now, even though Rannorians are expecting a defeat in the World Cup, many people at home and abroad are getting ready to celebrate for at least one victory, and festive fever is at an all-time high. The only issue is that, now, some of the world's finest have come to participate, and so many can only hope to make it past the group stage.

Starting off, Rannoria's first match will be against the nation of Mercedini, a far more experienced nation than Rannoria itself. In fact, the majority of Group 13 seem to be more experienced than Rannoria, but don't fret football fans, as there are still nations in our group that are either around our level, or have never even played on the international stage before. The first match will be played at home at the Arena Perla, on the 1st of September, 2018. On the following day, there will be another home match, this time against Oberour ar Moro, one of the only two teams in the group who have not seen an international debut yet. While many Rannorians are hoping to see a victory that day, we will never know for sure until then. Judging from past viewings, Mercedini seems to be more on the offensive side when it comes to plays, and while I'm sure Jan Brigto knows that, this will be nice information for the average spectator. While Rannoria does play offensively, they still like to keep it relatively balanced, and we hope to see that our four defenders and our keeper can hold the line against a Mercedinian offense.

Finally, make sure to support our team through social media with the tags #PRRWC81, and make sure to keep up with the tags #WorldCup81, and #WC. We hope to see you there in Arena Perla, Franerik.

by **Acronius** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 3:30 pm

Breaking the Curse of the Blues
Acronius watches on as Blue Boys commence their 13th attempt at World Cup Qualification
James E. Sudlow (@SudlowUP)
^{01/09/2018, 00:30 | Defense, Acronius}

^{SHARE THIS}

DEFENSE, ACRONIUS - The long list of failures Acronius has suffered on the international football stage these past thirteen cycles has, by no means, gone unnoticed by its populace. Within the Free Union, the term "Blue Boys" has become synonymous with disappointment, as the glimmering promise generation after generation of Acronian footballers showed all proved to be fool's gold, and all the dreams their supporters held so close all went up in smoke. Yet, every single time those infamous World Cup Qualifiers come around, they just can't help but ever so slightly entertain the notion of glory, of their national team shattering the curse which had shattered the dreams of a nation so many times before. These eighty-first World Cup Qualifiers are no different, and many in the Free Union, reluctant yet fascinated, turn their heads in hope as Acronius enters its first World Cup qualification campaign as a second-seed team.

The Blue Boys have only ever attained third-seed in the past, and their success in breaking into the second pot means that if all flows normally and every fixture in Qualification Group 7 produces a logical result based on the rankings of each team, Acronius would at least be able to clinch a playoff spot. It should go without saying, however, that in this world of chance and anarchy, the Free Union's chances are much shakier indeed. Besides first-seed Eura, currently the second-best team in the world, Group 7 features two very dynamic third-seed and fourth-seed teams in Mattijana and North Prarie, who sit globally at 69th and 79th respectively, only a short jump from Acronius' 45th - both of the aforementioned have the strength to defeat Acronius. Rounding off the group are Blaneu, the Hungarian Nation, and Hertisiana, all three of whom are freshly Baptized by Fire; Comind New Islands, bona fide debutants who felt no need for Fire at all; Mytanija; and the Sherpa Empire, a name perhaps somewhat familiar to Acronians, as they found themselves drawn in the same WCQ group as Acronius last time around.

This incarnation of the Acronian national team is an exact replica of that of the WC80Q campaign, save for one change - Guillaume Fontanils replacing an aging André Traëger in the starting eleven, morphing the formation into a 4-4-2 rather than a 4-2-3-1. All eyes will be on manager Massimiliano Abdullahi, who fans will be expecting to guide their nation to a berth in the World Cup in the former's own homeland, the Free Republics. Recent analysis indicates a pronounced change in style on a tactical level, with reports suggesting Abdullahi has opted to adopt a significantly more offensive game-plan, very reminiscent of Acronius' very first forages in international football. This new doctrine capitalizes on Acronius' natural affinity for attacking players at the expense of its already-shaky defense - whether or not this high-risk strategy will prove successful remains to be seen, but anything to breathe some life back into Acronian football would be welcome.

More From TUP

Triple-homicide at Champagne Point: What we know so far [ 1,582,246 views ]
World Cup 81 Qualifiers: Preview [ 949,192 views ]
Roland Bridge has undergone "serious damage" following film shoot [ 750,286 views ]

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

521 comments

Roy Stark · 3 minutes ago
b l u e w a v e
703 up · 3 down
REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE

Errol Smith · 4 minutes ago
Still too early to say Abdullahi is doing good.
642 up · 15 down
REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE

Tyson Ulrich · 8 minutes ago
We're shaping up to do much better than '80.
589 up · 3 down
REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 4:12 pm

Kahe Island: Sol Sun

The town of Sol Sun was having sunlight beam down from the sky, as several citizens were in the middle of either buying fruits from several vendors or coming to observe the damage at the square. With the square being near the ocean, a large oil spill was there, which has appeared brown and reeked of some wretched substance. The FKF has appeared to control the unhappy crowds, as they were hunting down the foreigners, who were responsible. Which is what they believed, however. Rather than appearing as freedom fighters for Kahe Island, Main Nation Ministry views them as xenophobic militia men. The large assault rifles that they were carrying were a clear sign that they do things with force. Dressed in mostly red, they patrol Sol Sun with the intent of killing those who seek to bring disarray to their home.

A TrenchSea representative was hiding directly in the lion's den, perched in a room with a view of the square. Forced to wear casual clothing to disguise himself and to deal with the lack of an operational fan in his room, the representative was having a phone call with another representative to discuss an inspector for the company that was missing in action. "He was supposed to head towards the yacht to meet with the CEO. Cole and Akira had called me that he simply vanished into thin air and now they found a threatening text message on his phone from possibly the FKF. They are bound to find me!" the representative said to the caller on his cell phone. "And what about the flash drive? Did you dispose of it, yet?" the caller asks.

"I didn't. If the flash drive was destroyed or had it's content erased, we would have lose some information!" the representative said, nervously. "Where's the flash drive? What happened to it?" the caller demands. The representative with the cell phone was about to answer, until he heard banging at his door. He was found. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a 9mm pistol with ammo in the magazine. Looking over at the door to see the flashbang tripwire he rigged up, he glanced at the window, hoping the fall wouldn't break his legs. "Look, they found me! I already burnt the location of it. It's in an inn at the Rolling Hills! Check the bookcase on the top floor!" the representative screamed, which a FKF member kicked the door open.

"I found him!" the FKF member yelled, pointing his assault rifle directly at the representative, where he immediately jumped through the window. A second later, the flashbang charge went off, blinding the member, as the representative crashed to the stone ground outside. The representative thought that jumping from the second floor of a building wouldn't be bad. Expect, he found himself already breaking his left leg, leading to him falling to the ground and having several tiny glass shards give his arms some cuts. Scrawled on the ground, the representative looked to see the pistol, having dropped near him. The representative got up from the ground, crawling towards the pistol to remove the hammer. Several citizens have seen the man jump through the window, gazing towards the scene and the man who looked injured. Several KFK officials were already running to the scene with their weapons drawn. Starting to limp away, the representative started to limp towards a statue in the middle of the square, where FKF militia men arrived.

The representative knew he had nowhere to go, as he was immediately surrounded with weapons drawn. Resting his back against the statue, he knew he couldn't get himself out of this. And so, the representative immediately pointed his pistol at one of the FKF soldiers. The result was a barrage of gunfire aimed directly at the representative.

Machine of Death: Infection from Wounds

Meanwhile, at Main Nation Ministry, the Machine of Death was being used to determine the causes of death for new recruits in the armed forces. Any person who got the result of SHOT, BULLET, EXPLOSION, etc were denied a chance to be in the military. One particular recruit who was denied was on the verge of tears, when he was told his prediction. "But what if it's an infection from a different type of wound?" he kept saying to the recruiter, as they had showed him his card.

by **Kita-Hinode** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 6:04 pm

The Adventure Continues...

"You know it's bull." Noëlle noted, the two walking out of a movie theatre in Thunisia. "Just think about it, man... they're running after you and yet you think enjoying their movies is a good thing? Haven't stepped back on my place for months now." The man sighed, rolling his eyes. "For the tenth time, miss Noëlle. It's not like I'll ever refuse the opportunity of watching a movie by Kasui Lee-Umtiti just because of where he was born at." She rose an eyebrow, to which he promptly added. "And no, it's not because he's from what used to be called Africa. I thought I've taught you that such discriminative thoughts weren't good for a young girl like yourself." She sighed. "I was just saying that it wasn't just that he was a Hinodejin, but rather that his movie was quite crap."

Now Divine Comedy was somewhat stunned. He put his hands on his waist, his eyebrows lowering. "I beg your pardon? What part of "The Vibrator" did you not get?" She sighed, crossing her arms. "Besides the name being pretty much questionable at best, the entire story is just weak. For starters, no basketball player in the history of the Hinodejin Empire has even been rich enough to be able to own all that they show in the movie, nor gullible enough to let his best friend, a street hoodlum drive his life to the ground. Also, Frequency Vibrations. Who the hell thinks of that kind of nickname?" The rather exquisite Hinodejin sighed, shaking his head. "It's clear and undeniable that you didn't pay enough attention. The entire movie is a representation of how fame can take you to the top yet make you delusional enough that a hit can take everything down. Besides, Frequency Vibrations is a clearly a reference to the days we played for the Sunrisian national football team with nicknames and masks."

"Is that so? Then explain to me why he wasn't wearing a mask then? Or why he kept avoiding mentioning his name even when it came to writing checks!" She asked, clearly showing signs of anger over his denial. "Honestly, Lee-Umtiti just tried to play up the idea that celebrities are vanities, creating names for themselves to hide their true selves, something that does show in the end. I don't know why you're complaining, it beats the hell out of Bamboo Chops." Once again, the girl showed signs of failing to understand his complaints. "That was a way better philosophical effort if you ask me. I had to watch it for school once." He rose an eyebrow. "Seriously? That movie was a thinly veiled jab on foreigners' mistreating Southwestern Hinodejin whenever they found them at Misei, you know?" She nodded. "So, what was the part that you found to be a good criticism? The time they had a gang that was just misspelling Black and some sort of sweet?" She sighed. "The ending, when the minstrel show creator kills himself despite the Hinodejin ambassador trying to stop him."

The two opened the door of a blue telephone box, continuing their chat. "I'm just telling you, miss Noëlle. His best sort of critic work is when he actually isn't trying to make it ridiculously critical. Hell, his best work was "The Chicks Dig Me" as a critic of the way women were treated in-" She sighed. "That was a comedy, you yourself told me the other day when drunk for no reason. I thought I had hidden your Vodka." They both heard a laugh. She hid behind a pillar inside the rather spacious telephone box. Divine Comedy put himself into a fighting stance. "Who's there?" His question was promptly answered by a giggle and a feminine voice coming from behind his couch. "Hachi-sir... And to think you were so nice to me when we first met!" The two looked at each other, confused. "Hachi sir? That's your name?" A giggle followed and the woman continued. "His name is Hachigo. Hachigo, honey, did you find another girl?" He rubbed his temple, pondering who could that be. It was then that he realized who happened to be there. His fears rose. "Damn it, Eevee May. Tell me you're wearing clothes and not just a collar like last time!"

Eevee May had been one of the members of the memorable time the Hinodejin played as a decoy Sunrisian team at the Copa Rushmori. While never seeing a lot of action, she was a bench member, after all, her antics were enough to raise the nerves of several of the team's members. There was the time she hid Winterborn's coat, causing him to almost jump at the throat of his rival, Neversoft. There was also the time she hid Jeanne's panties at North Star's wardrobe. Or the dozens of times she sprung out of Divine Comedy's wardrobe, wearing nothing but a collar and her Eevee mask with a bottle of champagne. More often than not, she ran crying to Lady Snowblood, Sunrise the Trainer and Sunrise the Fighter for protection from whoever was irate at her.

Needless to say, the girl developed into a woman. But it was clear that Divine Comedy didn't pay much attention to her new figure, but rather her costume, a skin-tight red bodysuit that left very little room to breathe. Noëlle seemed somewhat embarrassed by the sight, but the man was already used to her schemes from the past and chose to keep contact to a minimum. Soon enough, Eevee May sat on his couch, smiling. Her mask was nearby, same with her collar. "OK. Enlighten me. What gives?" The woman smiled. "Is that how you treat an acquaintance? You're supposed to say 'Hi, miss Haruka, how are you in this lovely night?'. Left your manners at the empire?" He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Uh... I'm Noëlle, miss-" The woman looked at the girl, chuckling. "I'm aware. You're his companion. My clan, the Shiranui, have been on to him for the past years." She got up, looking at the Solsteedian. "Now, you know you're with a fugitive, right?" The girl sighed, nodding. "It's not like I had much left back in my place anyway. Do whatever you wish." The kunoichi chuckled again. "Sadly, I didn't come here to fulfill the former Queen's wishes." The two gave a sigh of relief. "I do, however, come as a representative of the current Empress. She wishes to use your knowledge on a project."

She unfolded a large sheet of paper on top of a table inside Divine Comedy's machine. His eyes raced through the information there presented. Noëlle looked towards the inventor most of the time, trying to imagine what he was thinking. "So, I get a full pardon from the Empire but I have to turn in another guy, is that so?" The woman nodded. "And I'm here to help. The Empress doesn't quite trust you but she still can see the advantages on having your services." The girl laid on the table, raising an eyebrow, her arms crossed. "Services?" Miss Shiranui laughed. "Yeah, absolutely! I mean, you didn't think she was just going to release a scientist like Hachigo Muyami like that, right? You're valuable, you drunken bastard, and the Empress knows that."

Noëlle sighed, noticing how the man known as Hachigo Muyami was too focused on the plans in front of him. "Cool. So who's the guy we have to turn in?" The kunoichi smiled, recalling her orders. "Apparently, it's a guy who was alive during the Sunrise's old days. We have records of him being there when the old Sunrisians moved from realms, yet he's still alive and apparently gathering something for someone higher than him. His name is Jenson." Hachigo sighed. "My old teacher. I remember him. Wore a top hat all the time. Liked some band called cricket or something." The Soltsteedian smiled. "That's not a band, that's a sport." He shrugged, thinking still. "It's going to be hard to find him but... yes, consider it done." She smirked, wearing her mask afterwards. "You sure you have it in you, sweetie? I wouldn't put it against you if you didn't." He grumbled. "Only way I'll get weirdos like you off my back is if I work for the Empress." She mock cried. "You hurt my feelings!"

The man grumbled, walking up to the controls. She moved her mask a bit only to wink at the girl, who proceeded to, much like her mentor, rub her temple. They now had a mission, find Jenson McStereotaipe and turn him to the Hinodejin Authorities.

But... Where in the World is Jenson McStereotaipe?

by **Cassadaigua** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 6:07 pm

Player Blog: Jessica Curran, Defense

World Cup 81 is set to begin, and nations from all over the world are hoping to be a part of the main event that takes place in Free Republics and Banija. These two co-hosting nations should provide a great environment for the great game of soccer to be played. Free Republics is a nation that we have grown to be familiar with, both as a host nation in other sports, such as the 42nd World Baseball Classic, and I think that many Cassadagans have a bit of a love/hate relationship with that country. Things have changed there from long ago, so we can be grateful for that. I’m sure that the feeling is mutual, on one hand, they do not want to see us advance to the World Cup, but on the other hand, they know that if we were to advance, they would have no problems selling out the game within the first hour of tickets being on sale. We don’t have the same history with Banija. They are newer on the international scene, and have hosted some top of the line events that we did not participate in. The economy of Banija might not be the greatest, but hopefully the World Cup can do wonders for that. It is a great opportunity for their country, and I expect them to thrive.

We were not part of the World Cup 80 Proper, despite having a Cinderella run to qualification in World Cup 79. Last time, we gotta to an abysmal start, and were never able to recover. Many people thought that we, as in CASE (Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence) would fire coach Stephanie Sweeney for that, but we had her back in the Cup of Harmony. At this time of year, everyone is thinking about the World Cup, and not the Cup of Harmony, but we recovered well there, and salvaged some pride in the cycle with the semifinal showing, and third place finish. As we start this next campaign, we can fall back on that, knowing how well we closed things out, and that we can made this World Cup more like 79, and less like 80.

There is more reason for optimism, and that is the victory of our men’s team in the Baker Park Open Cup. As you should know, they won the entire title of that tournament, and while it was much smaller then what we will see here, it was a great win, and got some of those players on our current team. So, now not only do we have men starting on our team, we have men starting on our team that just won a quality international championship. That will help with the morale of our team, as no one will be thinking that they are on the team just because we are trying to become a more gender-inclusive nation. Not that we thought that way before, but we know what they are capable of. They played superbly in Baker Park, and can be very instrumental for us to have success in the World Cup.

The World Cup 81 qualifying begins with quite a challenge, as Brenecia, a nation that has won one less World Cup then we have over their lifetime, but did win the most recent one, will be at Concord Heights Stadium to try and make their 80 and 81 like our 50 and 51. We are the second highest ranked team in this group, so right away, both us and the Patriots get our biggest challenge of the group stage in the books. I think that will be good for both of us. No messing around with the lower ranked teams first, just a good challenge for each of us to see where we stand against one another in the opening game of qualifying. Patriot players and fans are more then welcome to look at the World Cup 50 and 51 championship banners and honors that are present throughout Concord Heights Stadium as they try to do the same in 80 and 81. Feel free to visit monument park, where the plaques of our retired numbers tell the story of many players who know what it was like to win two consecutive World Cups, and then go out and try to get it done, for your nation. Of course, we’ll be looking to show you that even though our Cups were won long ago, we’re still a pretty darn good team.

Let’s get ready to do this! Let’s play, clean, but hard soccer out there. Three World Cups have been won by the two teams taking the field on opening day. It’s probably one of the true highlights of the first matchday.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National Team to Make Dual Attack on WCQ

Frank Armitage
Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

There will be a lot of revenue from sales of match programs collected by the FAC, as fans will definitely need a scorecard to know who is playing during the Qualification matches for Wold Cup 81, which will be co-hosted in Banija and the Free Republics.

In an effort to drawn upon the widest player pool, the Commonwealth will have two squads contest the 18 match tournament; National Team managers Trevor Richmond and Pamela Scott have taken charge of 25 players each, distributed between them fairly evenly with a mix of veterans, up & coming stars and newcomers.

This might seem to the outsider to be a strange path to travel, but it really is not as unusual as it appears; Baker Park teams have for nearly 50 years played a style of soccer that emphasizes short, quick passing and possession. In terms of players adapting, it really is just a matter of getting used to the teammates you are on the pitch with. The system doesn't really change very much, just the parts within it.

This particular World Cup journey will surely be a different trip in every way from the previous qualification for EqueStar 80, however it will run through a couple of familiar stops along the way. The draw for Group 17 sees BP face off against both Darmen and Coldfield, as they did in the previous WCQ campaign. There will also be a face off against a familiar foe right from day 1--the Bees will travel to Freeport to take on the Islanders who participated in the BP Open Cup (although it was their reserve side, as their main squad were competing in the Baptism of Fire simultaneously).

Both Richmond and Scott will be focused on the opening 4 matches, as they are against sides which can be easily overlooked, none of them being ranked in the top 150. The Commonwealth are the second seeded team in this group, so they will certainly have to expect they will see every opponents' best effort.

We'll have a closer look at the group as a whole, as well as some of the other groups where interest may look to in the Mail on Sunday.

by **Alenburg** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 8:34 pm

REDHAWKS ARE BACK IN TOWN PREPARED FOR WC81 GOING AGAINST CARLOSO

That was the tittle from Loirgrunzodd Herald Sports Section

Our dear RedHawks are in town now in the World Cup 81 after giving a great performance and BoF68 showing what Alenburg is made on the tournament and leaving it with their heads up now we are on the WC81 playing with the greatest of the world looking fot he supremacy winning the cup Alenburg is on group 18 with the following teams:

.Star United States
.Routcher
.Flardania
.South Covello
.Krytenia
.Bostopia
.Togonistan
.Carloso
.Ko-oren

after our boys landed in Alenbug after flying from Semarland to Alenburg they prepared the logistics and trained for this tournament specially for their first match that is against Carloso team that scored the 3rd Place at BoF68 our boys enjoy challenges and this is one of them as they always repeat this phrase:"Not understimating" we are going there to play and win showing what our country is made no matter what while i am here at Bruin Koffie an afrikaans speaking coffee shop i found the place already decorated with our flag,zwehander blades,our shield and a wooden made Hawk on the top of the coffee shop with phrase"Fly RedHawks Fly!" World Cup vibes are there to stay comrades i say goodbye with this part of our anthem:"May live long and prosper Alenburg!"

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

by **Tinhampton** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 8:44 pm

EDIT TO ADD (Palm Sunday 2019): One error has been corrected, and one gap has been filled. There are plenty of mistakes here that I will never correct for the sole reason that I have forgotten what I was meant to write in them. Sorry, Banija

Forays of Folly
Season 1, Episode 1: It's A Mad World Out (T)Here

Lydia Elizabeth Anderson was born on the 18th of February 1961, at the Tinhampton Central Hospital and to a family both devoutly Catholic and eminently minted in nature, and perhaps most well-noted for her consistency in religion, politics and somewhat competitive sports. Despite coming out with three Grade Ts and six Grade 1s in the 1979 Municipal Certificates and a degree in Political Science from the University of Tinhampton three years later, it might be surprising to hear that Anderson mostly dabbled in domestic tennis for the following decade.
Anderson became a member of the Assembly after the 1993 elections, which not only handed the initiative to the Social Democratic List but enabled them to form the only Grand Coalition in history with her United Conservative Party. Her first few months led to the controversial "bill flood" of proposed legislation on matters as diverse as workplace safety and gun control, mostly unsuccessful. One of the successful bills passed, the Arms Deregulation Act, was pinpointed by the left as being at fault for September 29th's terror attack against the "Proudly Gun-Free Since 1953" Canary Mall, an incident she successfully turned around to blame on the "blood-sucking murderous bastards" who exploited the Mall's disarmament culture.
Although her name was reportedly considered for the cabinet, that was very much the last Tinhampton heard of her that millennium. Upon the United Conservatives losing a third consecutive election, Barry Parker was elected leader of the party in June 1999. He was forced out after a no confidence vote the following April, only the second in party history, upon which Anderson's support for then-Shadow Transport Minister Alexander Smith won her the posting of Shadow and then proper Deputy Mayor, a role she served in faithfully for eight years. By May 2013, after the resignation of her forebear, she was the only candidate in the leadership election, before taking office in the city in 2015 in the shadow of the Social Democratic Aid-for-Trade scandal (which might explain how she got away with enforcing a no-refugee policy).
Although Anderson resigned as Mayor in July 2017 after a series of controversies, she served on the backbenches until her replacement John Price appointed her as Foreign Minister in May the following year, when Bianca Venkman resigned for "personal reasons." As always, she has remained unabashedly conservative - politically "un-correct," even - with a hint of suspicious overseas visits, moderately more trustworthy domestic policy, and infinitely controversial incidents of risktaking.
In August 2018, she took a flight to Kharda, Transarid, in a meeting with the nation's King Bon Halal to discuss emergency service provision.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gertrude Charlotte Spencer was born on the 14th of May 1968 in a hospital - nobody seems to be sure which - in what is now Newion, the capital of Gladom Newion, but ironically then known as Douglas, New Lydia. Unlike her (somewhat more naturally Tinhamptonian) compatriot, her early life is widely regarded as being of little circumstance, although she also had conservative upbringing. After her mother was killed by pro-independence forces towards the end of the civil war in January 1977, however, the surviving members of her family fled "back home" to Tinhampton, three of some five thousand to do so.
Having settled down in Tinhampton some time later, she later earned renown from the members of East Coastal Primary School for what was described by one somewhat less fortunate alumnus to the Tinhamptonian twenty years on as being "political expertise. Yeah, like, it wain't really that, but you can call it that at such a young and tender age, can't you? Can't you?" That not much is known about her early years was pinned down by another East Coastal student as being due to what another East Coastal graduate described as being "worryingly studious". By the time of taking her Municipal Certificates in 1986, she recieved eight Grade Ts out of twelve, the highest grade possible in the system.
By her eighteenth birthday, it was becoming rapidly apparent that Spencer was perhaps more well-versed in affairs economical than political - it is from here that Spencer's boast of "over 30 years of experience" stems. Upon graduating in Economics from the University of Tinhampton, she was almost immediately brought on board by the Economic Liberties Foundation, authoring several briefing papers on the privatisation of Tinhamptonian services like transport and the Tin Mining Company and rising up the ranks to ultimately be promoted to Chief Spokesperson in July 2002.
In her sixteen years as Chief Spokesperson and virtual "face" of ELF, which turned 100 last year, her role has been to argue for a more general approach to economic freedoms, featuring all the tax cuts, privatisation and deregulation "that one could possibly want" (Brian Carlton's words), and even - upon Alexander Smith's beck and call - alleged visits to foreign countries to discuss
In August 2018, she took a flight to Kharda, Transarid, in a meeting with the nation's King Bon Halal to discuss emergency service provision.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Alexander Davis was born on the 3rd of November 1972, again at Tinhampton Central. It is perhaps evident that his vision of "smarts" was more relevant to Joe Citizen than to the likes of Anderson or Spencer "sitting in their ivory towers with what to gain? Absolutely nothing!" It was rumoured that he was in possession of over one thousand trading cards of some description at one point, although the future of most of those cards has ranged from uncertain to allegedly stolen, the latter of which Davis denies. A liberalisation of personal defence laws under Petroshenko did not prevent his one-day exclusion from defending himself against a bully in Grade 8 in 1986.
Having slumped out of the schooling system with only eight Municipal Certificates of any description, Davis never did enter university, in Tinhampton or otherwise, although he did - in his words "luck out" after becoming an accountant at Mondial Healthcare, Tinhampton's only serious private healthcare provider. The work might not be seen as glamorous or noteworthy, like the rest of his life, although some could argue that his measures and proposals had an influence in guiding the company out of debt and into record levels of popularity - if that much can be said in an unabashedly pro-state healthcare municipality like Tinhampton.
By 2011, he had the fortune to take over Mondial as its "Chief Patient Officer," no longer in the wake of drastic efficiencies but in concerning state-run inefficiency, having failed to meet A&E targets of 95% visited within two hours since May 2006 (this level has never recovered, and is 92.1% as of August 2018). To this date, some 6% of Tinhamptonians are reported to be utilising Mondial hospitals, a substantial portion of which are both strongly conservative and even more flagrantly in favour of Mondial's aspirations, which manifested themselves into a recent namechange into Mondial Services. Last month, he endorsed a successful initiative to rename the company to Mondial Services
In August 2018, he took a flight to Kharda, Transarid, in a meeting with the nation's King Bon Halal to discuss emergency service provision.

by **Kelssek** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:05 pm

#LADS on tour – a guide to Latrobe for visiting football fans

What to do around Macquarie Docklands Stadium
Once the bustling heart of the city's commerce, populated by the poor, nasty, brutish, and short-tempered, the Docklands today is quite the opposite. Gentrification isn't the right word here, that implies a gradual process where people and communities are broken up by market forces and sociology jargon. The docks were simply shut down in the 1960s, abandoned for two decades and tied up in city council politics for two more. In the meantime, it fostered a lively network of meth labs and incredibly violent biker gangs, and then were cleared out and redeveloped. It is now largely populated by insufferable yuppies, urban hipsters who pretend they don't aspire to be yuppies, and rugby fans on their way to or from the stadium, who tend to be surprisingly inebriated given the prices of drinks there.

A number of tourist traps are dotted in the area, but one worthwhile visit is to Quartertime Arcadia, a massive game arcade where most games are free after paying the admission fee (τ4). This is except for the games where you can win PRIZES. The coconut shy is definitely rigged or something.

Places to be and see
The best cafes and quirky thrift shops are found in the interesting graffiti-covered alleyways off Flinders St and Robbin Ave, in the southern part of the inner city. The downtown core also contains some beautiful examples of late 19th century architecture, particularly around Flagstaff Gardens. The University of Latrobe campus adjacent to the north end of downtown has some of the most pleasant green spaces in town and the students riot only occasionally. Some downtown attractions include the Southbank Art Gallery, Confederation Square, the Revolutionaries’ Memorial, and Yalumbia River Park.

Wyckoff Road has all the fancy nightclubs and late-night donair joints. A notorious far-right blogger’s screed about Latrobe being a no-go zone where women are constantly being set on fire has been speculated to be anger at food poisoning from a bad donair.

The Hawthorns, also known as Little Ariddia, has a multicultural vibe and vegetarian restaurants ranging from the trendy and bougie to the oh-geez-I-am-literally-paying-money-for-a-bunch-of-hippie-gloop.

For a beach and riverine pursuits, a ride on the subway to Glenealy Park will satisfy. For Latrobe AFC merchandise, visit their store at 304 Bourque St, corner Hasbrook Ave.

Practical information
Latrobe is a very safe city and violent crime is practically unknown. Major causes of unnatural death include maple syrup heists gone wrong, swan attacks, and falling into frozen rivers.

Getting around the inner city is easy with the LMex subway and tram system. There is a special τ3 surcharge for trips leaving Latrobe Airport station.
Latrobe Rullamarne International Airport (LAT) is the city’s major airport, 19 km from downtown or 40 minutes via subway. Discount airlines often use Kardinia Airport which is 1 hour driving time from Latrobe city centre. This is only more convenient if your sightseeing plans include car factories and suburban “house farms”. Kelssek National intercity and Velocit high-speed trains use Great Bear Station on Spencer St. Kelssek Pacific trains use Flinders Station which is also city’s main commuter rail hub.

by **Qusmo** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 10:03 pm

QNT to embark on Tour of the Multiverse to prepare for Qualifiers

Continuing in the tradition of the series of five friendly matches the national team played to prepare for Cup of Harmony 72, Fuzpon Qusma has scheduled five more friendlies ahead of the World Cup 81 qualifying cycle. The first four will take place away from Qusmo & will test out all the players called up to the fifty-player national team training camp for the eighty-first cycle. The final match will be played in Qusmo & will allow members of the twenty-five player roster to prepare for the challenges of qualifying ahead & establish chemistry with one another.

“In the first four matches, we’ll be trying to get a sense of how each of these players would play if they were put into an international setting. This is the toughest level of competition a lot of these players have gone up against, & it’s always important to see whether they’ll live up to it or fold under the pressure,” explained national team manager Avarn-Oxolt Ban. “Especially for the fringe cases, these matches can be vitally important to establish their position on our roster for the qualifiers.”

“We want to make sure to balance seeing these players in action & preparing for the qualifiers along with not wearing them out before the grind begins, so we’ve instituted a strict cap on caps in the first four matches; no one is going to see the pitch more than twice in our first four matches. That’ll give all fifty players a chance to shine, & it’ll keep our chosen twenty-five fresh. It’ll also allow us to use the match in Qusmo to give some of our top players a chance to mesh before the truly important matches come,” Avarn-Oxolt noted.

Qusmo will play forty-second-ranked Apox in its Apoxian Super Friendly Friends Series during the Baptism of Fire, then travel to Stalliongrad to face the seventeenth-ranked Equestrian States, then partake in twenty-fifth-ranked Damukuni’s third Tour of Anywhere, then travel back to Atlantian Oceania to face Qasden at Stade de Solis in Fyre, & finally return to Qusmo to play forty-third-ranked Baker Park at a stadium to be determined; Fuzpon Qusma has announced that the home stadium of the club which finishes best in Pug Qusmyra & whose home stadium is not scheduled to host a World Cup Qualifying match will be awarded the rights to host the match.

Qusmo is ranked eighty-third now & is projected to inch upwards slightly to eighty-first at the conclusion of the Baptism of Fire. However, Qusmo has very high quality opposition, with all their scheduled opponents in the top fifty in the multiverse. It will be Qusmo’s first meeting against the likes of Apox, the Equestrian States, & Damukuni, but Qusmo have met Qasden & Baker Park before. Qusmo drew Qasden 1-1 in Cup of Harmony 72; the former would top their group, while the latter would advance as a second place team. Qusmo then played host to Qasden at Mastad Qusma in a friendly to prepare for Copa Rushmori XXX, where they won 1-0. Meanwhile, Qusmo also has experience against the Bees of Baker Park, having played them & having lost 3-1 at Presidents Park - in Qusmo’s first Tour of the Multiverse.

“We have five great teams lined up to play, & I’m sure it’ll be an exciting slate of matches. Most of all, though, I’m hoping that these matches help us this cycle in the tournaments we’ll play in,” Avarn-Oxolt emphasized. “That’s the most important goal of all.”

QNT lose three & draw two in five-match pre-Qualifiers friendly series

The Qusma national team performed poorly in their slate of friendlies to prepare for the World Cup Qualifying campaign.

Qusmo was never fancied to win all five, as they took on tough, higher-ranked opposition, every time but once as the visitors. However, the results were still disappointing; aside from a scoreless draw in Damukuni & a 3-3 draw against Baker Park in Lillin, Qusmo seemed to lack any bright spots, losing three matches by multigoal margins. They lost 2-0 to the Equestrian States & 3-1 to Qasden, but it was all kicked off by a 5-2 thumping at the hands of Apox, one of the worst defeats Qusmo has ever been at the receiving end of.

“Winning these matches wasn’t our only goal,” national team manager Avarn-Oxolt insisted. “We also wanted to make sure that we did all we could to win in the qualifying campaign, in matches that really matter. Of course, the final results didn’t show it all the time, but we did have some moments where we played good football. It’s worth keeping in mind, too, that we played a lot of experimental squads in order to test our entire fifty-player roster against international competition.”

“Plus, none of these matches were easy. We’re never gotten a point against a nation ranked better than twenty-fourth. In this series, we drew the team ranked twenty-fifth. We drew a team which beat us the last time we had this friendly series. We are making progress. We are improving. & I think we’ll see the payoff during the qualifiers,” Avarn-Oxolt assured fans of the national team.

Only time will tell. As is, Qusmo will enter the qualifying campaign with dreadful form. After a seven-match unbeaten streak featuring five wins & two draws, the best in Qusma history, Qusmo began Copa Rushmori XXX with a loss & then a win. Since then, Qusmo has played seven matches & not won any of them; that is the longest streak of matches Qusmo has played without a win in its history, & it stands in direct contrast to its recent unbeaten streak, with two draws & five losses. Qusmo can only hope that, like its run of good fortune, this form will end after match seven.

by **Turori** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:04 am

Cocoabo 2; Citizens 1

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

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: Following their dominating performance in World Cup 80 Qualifiers and subsequent run through to the Quarter Finals of World Cup 80, few would have expected to see another Citizen v. Cocoabo challenge during World Cup 81 Qualifiers.

World Cup 78 Qualifying:

World Cup 79 Qualifying:

World Cup 80 Qualifying:

After besting the Cocoabo by a 20-17 scoreline during World Cup 78 Qualifying the Citizen Squad advanced on to Cosumar where they would be embarrassed for two matches then redeemed for one as they dropped two games before defeating eventual World Cup runners-up Eura on the final matchday of the group stage but failing to advance on goal differential after a three-way tiebreaker was enforced. Some attributed the Citizen Squad's late success against Eura to the drafting in of Cocoabo #86 to play as goalkeeper but analysts counter that the Citizen Squad played well in all three of their matches and the presence of a Cocoabo in goal was not the only contributing factor to their big-name victory.

World Cup 79 Qualifying started on a familiar tone for the Cocoabo, losing their first match against Valanora - although potentially expected, it set the Cocoabo Squad back and they had to fight to recover. This time, however, they did recover winning the majority of their remaining matches to finish the World Cup 79 Qualifying campaign on the same total number of points that the Citizen Squad had accrued during the prior campaign. WIth just one match left the Citizen Squad had a chance to equal the Cocoabo but were held to a draw by Tinhampton meaning that the Cocoabo had done it. They had beaten the Citizen Squad over the course of 9 matches and for the first time had earned the right as a squad to represent the Turori National Team in the World Cup Finals.

It was one a piece headed into World Cup 80 Qualifying and it was all on the table. That was, until the first three matches were done. Having dropped their opening fixtures against Melbergia, Quakmybush and Acapais - the Citizen Squad had all but forfeited their place in the Citizen v. Cocoabo Challenge for World Cup 80. The Football Association of Turori - seeing the writing already on the wall - ultimately decided to move some of the previously scheduled Citizen Squad matches over to the Cocoabo Squad to better prepare the Cocoabo for the World Cup finals.

It worked - or so it seemed. Turori's National Cocoabo Squad progressed from Group B in Starblaydia with wins over Ethane and Juvencus to advance behind group winner Farfadillis. In the first knockout round the Cocoabo squared off with Nephara and defeated the former World Champion 3-1 to advance to their first World Cup Quarter Final. Of course while it was the first Quarter Final appearance for this Cocoabo Squad it most certainly was no the first Quarter Final appearance for the Island Emirate of Turori - leading all nations in the history of the World Cup in most Quarter Final appearances without even once winning a Quarter Final matchup to advance to he Semi-Final stage.

Group 1
Turori (12)
Petrovskia (252)
Guadalajara (UR)
Central Shaneville (272)
Beepee (108)
Michine (198)
New Lusitania (89)
Jeckland (63)
Ndaku (UR)
Valladares (44)

It would be much of the same during World Cup 80. The Cocoabo were handily defeated by the fluffy bunnies of the Holy Empire who had gotten all hyped up on Cocoa-bo delectable drinks that they ran out rampant 4-1 winners. Nevertheless the Quarter Final appearance had impressed Football Association of Turori officials.

With the Cocoabo scheduled to support Tropicorp engineering tests during the AOCAF regional competition, however, The Football Association decided it would continue to send representatives of the citizen squad to join up with their equals from the Vilitan side of the house for the 56th AOCAF Championship. On the strength of Turorian goalkeeper and team leader Wiyauw An'maude the Vilita & Turori Eel-Cat Things won the AOCAF after a 2-0 defeat of Mriin. It was a stunning result to both te Football Association of Turori (FAT) and the Vilitan Football Association as the combined entity hadn't taken hom the AOCAF trophy in over 15 editions prior.

Vilita & Turori [2] - [0] Mriin

:: Vilita & Turori Goalscorers ::
:: 33' Jirak Trikala
:: 40' Mbdiai Akarenaa

:: Vilita & Turori Statistics ::
:: Possession: 53%
:: Shots on Target: 5
:: Corner Kicks: 9

:: Mriin Statistics ::
:: Possession: 47%
:: Shots on Target: 3
:: Corner Kicks: 5

Vilita & Turori Eel Cat Things Lineup v. Mriin ::
[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Jirak Trikala, [D.] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.] Inbekira Ajhabekk, [ML] Mbdiai Akarenaa, [MC] Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Limu Katarakhna, [MR] Kudii Davasarii, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Nii'arala Milaaso
BENCH::
[FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC] Mirana Gotuai, [M] Daliora Toru'u, [M] Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [U ] Lati'ala Giaoka, [D] Yitizo Mpala'a, [GK] Vernasa Sanamun

It also re-ignited the Citizen v. Cocoabo debate. Turori and Cedniavella netminder Wiyauw An'maude started all but one match for the Vilita & Turori team and Mbdiai Akarenaa, a Turorian playing for Real Azuris of Cosumar, scored in front of untold numbers of onlookers around the Vilitan Cove region tuned in for the Championship Game. The triumph in the regional competition guided on the hands and feet of the Turorian Citizen Squad members resulted in renewed interest for a head-to-head competition between The Citizens and the Cocoabo in the build up to the 80th World Cup. Regardless, however, if the Citizen Squad can't shake it off and collect a win on the opening matchday of the season it is unlikely their leash will be particularly long and the Cocoabo will certainly be ready to pounce once more.

by **Krenorus** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:17 am

https://www.kbc.com.kr/sports/kren_v_carloso

Krenorussian Broadcasting Company

KRENORUS IN WORLD CUP : GREAT HOPES, GREAT SKILLS

Phillipe Hernandes, KBC SPORTS

The World Cup - Mourning over Krenorussian Coach Leonard Lionels' untimely and unfortunate death has mostly stopped after his funeral. Riots which gripped Krenorus after its loss to the Tricolores of Carloso were put down fiercely and deaths were reported to have reached nearly one hundred and sixty-two. After a few more riots, the violence in Krenorus died down. Nearly twenty men connected to the bomb attacks which gripped Krenorus during the riots have been arrested. Dozens of men and women were arrested after trying to storm a rally of a Christian anti-Indigenous Peoples rally, where the Krenorussian Prime Minister was speaking. Now, Krenorussians are united once again after the Krenorussian team made a short stop in Krenorus to be at the funeral service for Mister Lionels. Now, it is reported that the Krenorussian team is now ready and is in the location near the site of the stadium where the Krenorussians will be facing their opponents.

Yesterday night, 'Rokkerlund' - which is a Krenorussian rock concert held before every World Cup - was held in Frederickstown, where
nearly two thousand Krenorussians gathered to sing Krenorussian-Rock (known as Rokk) songs, which are normally described as 'Classic Rock songs with a classical musical twist, and deeply inspired by both British and U.S. Southern Rock while taking few hints from local Indigenous tribal music'^*I. It is said that nearly four hundred and two thousand people watched 'Rokkerlund', which translates from the Krenorussian 'Royal Language' ( K.R.L. ), to 'Rocker's Land', it comes from the K.R.L. word for Rock, 'Rokk'. But, as we all know, many of those posh fellas who know how to speak the language don't even listen to Rokk and believe it's un-tasteful and devilish music.

Other events were held all over the country to celebrate Krenorus' entry into the qualifiers. In fact, Many believe Krenorus might even get to the Round of Thirty-Two.

The Krenorussian team boasts many skills. From Lord Ryland van Gaal to Dexter Niles. They all are extremely talented. The game is expected to start after a minute of silence for Mister Leonard Lionels. Many have voiced excitement for Krenorus. It is now a popular trend for people to paint their cars with the Krenorussian Flag until the end of the World Cup, with many erasing already painted symbols from their car and adding the symbols back later.

*I: Source, Dominion Governmental Association for the Investigation into Krenorussian Music

My T A K E

Honestly, hombres. I think that Krenorussians will be delightedly surprised during this World Cup. Now, there are many good countries participating in the World Cup, so I don't think we'll make it past the Round of 32. I hope we will be able to meet some of our opponents in the B.O.F. such as Carloso.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll all stay sat for our boys' first World Cup match! Good luck, Boys!

... Also; here's the Team Lineup and Roster: Amigos...

LINE-UP PICTURE - CLICK HERE

Manager - Gerald Barbs - Hawks FC
Secondary Manager - James Le'Italien  - Italian-Krenorussite Assocer Club 
Coach - None, the role was taken by Deputy Coach ( Former Coach was assassinated during B.O.F. )
Deputy Coach - Ouilliamme - pronounced as William - DeFranco  - Magnum Opus FC
 ---
GK - William Krusen - Deutsch-Krenoruzsich Fuschballverein, D-K FV
DL - Kieran Bowen - Gaelic Association Football Association of Krenorus, G.A.F.A.K.
DC - Charlie MacMasters - Appleworth Unity AFC
DR - Rouge James - United Fredericktown FC
AL - Thorn Jacobsen - Port Xavierton FC
ML - Ryan O'Brien - Hawksons Footsoccer Club
MC - Lord Ryland van Gaal - Lords Assocer Football Club, AsFC
MR - Dexter Niles - Clovex Knights Assocer Club
AR - Dash Phillips - Clovex Knights Assocer Club
FC(L) - Ace Richardson - New London FC
FC(R) - Ash Arrowson - New Stamford FC

Replacements!

GK - Harry Fireson - Outer Upperton AFC
DL - Caleb Kenneth - Inter Upperton Footsoccer Club
DC - Keegan Kenneth - Inter Upperton Footsoccer Club
DR - Keeshawn Kenneth - Inter Upperton Footsoccer Club
AL - Abraham Holmes - Anglo Football Organisation
ML - Fredrick Westerwood - Isle of One FC
MC - Carson Lee - Mavericks Together AFC
MR - Isaac Gun - Anglo-Oriental Football Association
AR - Joseph Kilroy - Governess Island Footsoccer Club, FSC
FC(L) - Ret Orions - Independents FC
FC(R) - Zack Maxonsl-Scott - Zeus-Jupiter Latin-Graeco-only Footsoccer Club, LGoFC

Team Physician - James Bells - Barbarians Anglo-only Assocer Club, AAC
Team Deputy Physicians - Alessandro LaBritannico, Relle Barbare - Independents FC, Volpe Footsoccer Club  
Team Professional Goalkeeper Trainer - Alex Jaqsonne - Nouveau Paris Club de Football, Nouveau Paris CdF
Kit Monitor - Larry Maxwell - Anglo Wanderers FC
Deputy Kit Monitor - Jasonne Vénus - Eu Decuria Latine-Graeca 
Kit Keeper - Charlie McAustins - Aois Ùr AFC
Kit Cleaner - Sergei Boris - Novlaton Forever FC
Striker Trainer - Elijah Der'Jude - Hebrew Footsoccer Federation
Strategist - Jamie Fishmonger -  Anglo Wanderers FC
Nutritionist - Karl Schmied - Deutsches Volk FV
Physicality Coach - Alexis Tsar - Novaya Moskva FC
Supervising Video Analyser - Geoffrey Cunningham - Mavericks Together FC
Video Analyser - Mark Mavericks, Logan David, Maximillian Canterbury - Oldton Bolts Assocer Club, Neuburg Angels FC, Georgeton Kingfishers FC 
Psychologist - Barry Johnny-Henrys - Republicans Footsoccer Club

Media Spokesman - Monty Jones - Broges Isle Assocer Club
Deputy Media Spokesman -  Jakub Vinniks - Nueva Valencia Footsoccer Club
Media Writers - Jaems FS/O Jonni, Kelara FD/O Jakub, Larri TS/O Reks, John Cleasby, Amar Singh-Kristians, Jack Jamins, Alex Jacques
Media Editors - Harry Wo, Alex Chong, Fritjof Heinz, Johann Steiner, Winston Jacobson, Charles Jameson, Kieren Ronanson

*FS/O and FD/O are First Son of and First Daughter of respectfully, used by native Krenorussians. SS/O and SD/O for second children

About the Author: Phillipe Roudregues Hernandes (b. 1965) is a Krenorussian Sports Analyst who was the President of the Dominion Gridiron Football Association (1990 - 1999) and the 'Député Président' of the Krenorussite Football Association ( 2005 - 2014 ) - which is the sports association for Krenorussite Football - along with being the Deputy Manager of the New London Gridiron Club ( 2015 - present ).

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:28 am

Welcome to World Cup 81.

The 1st World Cup for a record number of players: Cholmondeley, Van Schelven, Varela, Gicquel, Hergulauthen, Odell, Dominique, Vaugrenard, and Vallotton. Head coach Juliasterinthen is heading into his third World Cup, and each and every campaign he is not afraid to change things somewhat. Still, this is a record number of new call-ups, apart from our very first World Cup, 55.

The 2nd World Cup featuring the yellow sash on the jersey. In the past, the Green-and-Blue nation heavily swayed towards using green as its primary sports colour, but in recent years it's been green and blue fairly equally. Yellow is usually featured on alternate jerseys, but has made its way onto the home kit of the national team as well. Hopefully the yellow sash turns into something memorable and iconic!

The 3rd World Cup with Katanmak Juliasterinthen as head coach. He was once a key member of a legendary Cup of Harmony-winning squad, and is now the main man responsible for the national team featuring exactly zero of those stars from back then. He started out with a team devoid of talent, coming off of such a golden generation, and has now adjusted well to calling up youth players with some veterans here and there. The pressure on him to finally get this team to a World Cup is mounting, though so far he's been building this team the way he wants, and with very little outsider interference.

The 4th World Cup since the mysterious silence after World Cup 75. Juliasterinthen has been coach for the longest time since that period. The team's defensive style is the same, but training, call-ups, and mid-match adjustments have been very different from before. Is Juliasterinthen not the one calling the shots after all?

The 25th World Cup qualification cycle overall, which has yielded 9 finals appearances, 5 knock-out appearances, 9 Cup of Harmony appearances and 1 Cup of Harmony championship.

It looks like there's a new strategy in town to build a roster: calling up multiple players from the same club, from the same position even, depending on the success of that position for each club. This way we've ended up with three starting defenders from northeastern club Straudum: Linderood, Van Schelven, and Hellegeland. Van Schelven is the only first timer. The rest of the defence consists of Cirelbourne's Dalton, and the only 30+ year old selected on the defence, Miradela's Exidio Varela.

This defence shows something else as well: Juliasterinthen has not been afraid to rely on the youngsters. Van Schelven and Hellegeland are 20 and 22, respectively, and the bench has two 19-year-olds, two 22-year-olds, and a 25-year-old. Cirelbourne's Ethan Benjamin has been called up with just 7 appearances in the Ko-orenite soccer season this year, but his talent is well-known and his call up is deserved.

Ko-oren now also has immense depth at goalkeeper, and it's strange no foreign club has noticed this yet: we have about 5-6 World Cup-caliber goalies, but only 3 spots on the roster. Championship-winning Theshendan from Maethoru SC looks like the starter, with Wellington Dooland and newly selected Perry Cholmondeley on the bench.

The midfield is basically Tanques AOE and Aminey CS combined. And that while Aminey wasn't even such a great team last year. Both clubs did impress with their stability and how well they kept up having virtually no defence - and in that sense, all of their players deserve their spot on the team. Aside from their players, Philip Odell, from Advance Alara, has received his first call-up at age 31, and why not?

The forwards see two returnees: Duchemin and Pirastadhaunden. There are two new guys as well: Vaugrenard and Vallotton. In Ko-oren, strikers are only judged by one criterium: efficiency. This is by creating chances and occasionally holding the ball up front, but mostly by having as many goals as shots on goal. Duchemin and Pirastadhaunden have been best at this last season, and either Vaugrenard or Vallotton will support them. Despite Pirastadhaunden's stats, it seems that Vaugrenard is starting from now on.

Overall, the team's core has been changed again - will Juliasterinthen ever find a solid group of players to rely on? The previous core wasn't so bad, but this means that the staff thinks that they can do better. In general, the Dragonflies have a bunch of huge talents waiting in the wings, and for now it's still trying out what works. Linderood, Hellegeland, Benjamin, Longchambon and Yokota seem like locks - the rest has been changed over in the two most recent World Cups.

Our opponents:
South Covello - still better known to us as the successor state of the Gregists, and we've worked together, and against each other, in the past. It's no secret that we like the current version of the country better. However, seeing as Ko-oren and (back then) Gregoryisgodistan worked together on some things, will they see us as friends of the old regime or as allies for the future?
Flardania
Bostopia
Carloso - Their stars are still rising, so this team and their uncommon formations might - and knowing our knack for inconsistent play, will - prove to be a problem to us. Their third goalkeeper shares a name with one of our top league's clubs as well, so there's that.
Krytenia - The famous baby blue team is finally on the menu! We've heard a lot about them, but now is finally the time to see what they're up to.
Alenburg
Routcher
Togonistan - Here's a team that is looking up; unfortunately that's because they're so far down. What is interesting is that they play quite defensively, but then again, that seems to be a theme for this entire group.
Star United States - We've faced each other before, but then we disappeared from the World Cup, and now they have. We're both back now, so this will be an interesting one for the sports historians.

by **Karulicja** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:35 am

It would be too much to claim it brought a tear to his eye but the sight of his stadium, the Stadio Umberto Farelli, the place where he had been cheered on umpteen times, filled to the brim with fans painted in the national colour did touch him. After nearly fifteen years with Societa Cadenza, the home stadium gave a special vibe to Roberto Moscardelli. He had fought, won and occasionally lost – with always with his chin up high. Few knew that Umberto Farelli used to be a non-descript mayor of time lore, who happened to have a little plot of forgotten green named after him out of standard courtesy by the next city council. By now, his name had morphed into the church where the locals professed their believe in red and marine.

Roberto was the first to admit that it wasn’t a pretty stadium. It dated back from the days when football architecture had to be functional and cheap, not a charm for the eye. Some even claimed that the designer must’ve created it with the squarest of Leho[superscript]TM[/superscript] blocks, considering the straight edges and the simplicity. Near the roofs, the pipes were leaking and slowly eating their way into the concrete in the slow, unpredictable yet unstoppable manner water tends to attack. Luckily, not too many people had made the trip from Nuadh-Alba as their stand lead the way in terms of being depleted.

Despite all that, the power that be had chosen for this rickety hub to compete in the first NSWC accredited confrontation in national history. Within the group, it was easily the most overlooked fixture and rightly so, as with one of the greats in football history and four more former World Cup participants, group 9 had more to offer than a meet-up between two unknown quantities. But domestically, it had been a matter of life and death. When the tickets came on sale, at a price most experts would have called unreasonably high – to Karulicjan standards – the boots hardly could take the crowds interested. Il Farelli fortunately was, not in the least due to the large standing terraces behind the goals, the biggest stadium nationally in terms of stands and allowed over twenty-thousand to join this moment.

Those standing terraces gave, for Roberto, the edge to any keeper. It roared, it boasted, it barely seemed to be held in its shackles. From the monotonous drums to the uncoordinated chants and the layers of smoke that, despite searches at the entrance, still muffled the opening in the roof… One never was only with eleven. After all that time, he had gotten to know the ones that were always there, fair weather or hail. Luigi, the capo of the south stand, and Feodora, an elderly woman who struggled with the stairs time and time again but whose ingenious heckling of corner kickers earned her a cult status. They had become friends, they had become certainties on whom Roberto trusted blindly.

So once he had exchanged the flags with the Nuadhi captain and high-fived some teammates on route to goal – few surprises, maybe with the exception of seeing Trevisan start over Ujkashi – his eyes automatically searched in the stands. It was… It was unrecognisable. It didn’t boil, it didn’t burn and at the sides, plenty of people were simply seated. As he threw his water bottle in the back of the net, Roberto tried to spot a familiar face. It took him much longer than he wanted.

“Where’s Feodora?” he yelled. It shook him that he was audible – usually hand signals were the only way to get around shouting straight into someone’s ear canal.
“Don’t think she made it, the tickets sold like mad,” someone with the Cadenza logo plastered over his upper arm replied.
“But they always reserve her seat, right?”
“Not for the national team, apparently,” the guy lifted his shoulders.

Roberto sighed. He knew it wouldn’t be the exact same – of course not. But that the atmosphere would have to be build from zero… As a natural reflex, he scratched his arm. Somehow, the captain’s ribbon itched a little. He knew crowds quite enough. The support from the Societa fans was based on years and years of winning and fighting for the colours. These people demanded no less from them.

by **Flardania** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 3:10 am

霧島面接直列！
A KBC exclusive of the Interview Series, Yong In-Kwon
Français|日本語|한국어|English
Discover the World| Kirishinan Broadcasting Corporation

Interview by Uyeda Tanosuke

Yong In-Kwon on left, Tanosuke Uyeda on right
Discover the World Intro Song

: Intro begins with a view from space as the world slowly turns below before cutting to a shooting star in the sky in the distance, in a field of cherry blossoms with the words Discover the World written in the night sky. Intro then proceeds to show Tanosuke all over the world eating local foods, interviewing people, attending concerts, football matches, etc. About a minute and a half later the intro ends and cuts to Tanosuke and Hikaru sitting across from each other in a hotel room. Tanosuke smiled and looked into the camera.

T: "Good evening, welcome to Discover the World on the KBC Network, I'm your host Uyeda Tanosuke. This show took my dreams of travel as well as my love of global understanding and allows me to share the world with our viewers in Kirishima, and the world. Tonight with World Cup qualifiers coming up, we have our special football edition of the program. I am here in Imgeum, Kirishima, which in breaking with conventions will host the first World Cup Qualifier match instead of the capital Heiwa. My guest tonight is the manager of the national team, Yong In-Kwon!" Tanosuke turned to face In-Kwon and bowed his head. "Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this interview."

I:" Sure anytime but I must say it's not like I could say no considering how everything is football related during this time of year." In-Kwon joked

T: Tanosuke laughed "Well let's get straight to it, how did you get this job? Did you seek it or did it seek you?"

I: "It definitely sought me, as you may remember before this I was an assistant manager that joined the staff during World Cup 79 a short while ago. So I personally thought I was in no position to seek that job. All that matters whether I'm the head or not is doing my part to ensure the success of the Kitsunes."

T: Tanosuke nodded "I see. As manager what do feel needs to be done in order for the Kitsunes to return and get back on track?" Tanosuke asked

I: "Discipline and Consistency. The World Cup qualifiers are hard, long and frustrating with upsets all over and it's easy to get down. With that said you can't let it get to you otherwise it starts to affect your form and good form is how you survive qualification. That is especially true in this iteration of the Cup Qualifiers, given how many teams are involved. " In-Kwon explained.

T: “Besides you there are a few new faces, first a Laotian-Kirishinan by the name of Kale Genevong and a Chinese-Kirishinan by the name of Wuhan Meng, not to mention a new assistant coach What's going on?”

I: "Compatibility whether it's physical. social or analytical. We want the best but we have to make sure they can play together and that the style and culture fits.

T: "Looking ahead at the qualifier schedule, what matchup or matchups should Kirishinans focus on?"

I: "All of them"

T: Tanosuke laughed "I mean what would a young fan want to circle on their calendar."

I: "I would say Star United States, Krytenia, South Covello, our greatest struggle/weakness and finally Carloso.

H: "Why Carloso?

: Politics, and Familiarity that can lead to passionate fans and that's just good for the sport.

T: Tanosuke nodded . “seems the KFA sees that way as Matchday 3 against Carloso is scheduled in Hyuga, one of the most promiscuous cities out there, why? ”

I: Home field advantage and making our opponents as distracted and uncomfortable as possible. This can led to a fun rivalry and I'm down for anything.

H: "Well Thank you sir. good luck on all of your future endeavors." Hikaru smiled.

Tanosuke turns to face the camera. "This has been Discover the World on the KBC Network from Imgeum. What will I do next and where I go are the questions to which I have no answer, tune in next time to find out. Stay tuned as Newsroom Tonight is up next. If you missed the travel portion of this program a tape version will re-air after Newsroom Tonight and again tomorrow at 9. Once again I'm Uyeda Tanosuke and this as been Discover the World: change your perceptions.....change the world." Tanosuke said the motto as the Space Ambient Credit theme plays as the camera pans out. The credits begin running down the screen as Tanosuke can be seen shaking hands with Hikaru.

Want more News?
Kirishinan Legislative Elections coming soon" *NEW* 5,600,182 views
Protest following latest trade Agreement *NEW* 3,398,996 views
KBCnSports: Kyosuke Sensei has returned!!! *NEW* 3,679,572 views

by **Blaneu** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:27 am

The Blaneu Broadsheet

Snellbridge: We're Ready To Go Toe To Toe With Eura

Ahead of Blaneu's away trip to Eura, a vast nation in Rushmore, national side manager John Snellbridge has struck a combative tone, saying his side is ready to go toe to toe with Eura, one of the top sides in the world. At the previous World Cup Eura came third, and have previously won two World Cups; meanwhile Blaneu's only foray into WCC sanctioned events was the previous Baptism of Fire, a tournament that they crashed out of in the Round of 16.

Snellbridge's players now have a lot to prove, having never faced off against such a high quality opponent before this will be a real test of their strength. Of all Blaneu's players it is Owain Davis who perhaps has the most to prove, his missed penalty at the end of the shootout against Carloso being the event that sent Blaneu out of the Baptism of FIre. He comes back into the side off the back of a title winning campaign with West Cape Wanderers, a team that provides three of Blaneu's starters, including his partner at wing-forward Ojo Navarro. Any success the national side might have over the course of the campaign will depend on their partnership firing, hopefully with the aid of journeyman striker Paul MacDaffyd and young attacking midfielder Euan Fitzstephens.

However, for a lot of Blaneu's games the key is really going to be strength in defense, especially against the more talented sides. Thankfully Lloyd MacDai and Mark Bowen, both too old and increasingly ineffective, are no longer the defensive spine of the side. The bad news is that their replacements don't look particularly strong either. Aaron Starkey now sits alone in defensive midfield, but he is about as far away from the Lloyd MacDai anchor-man style of defensive midfield, instead he takes up the mold of a creative play-maker, but sat far back. As a consequence he may fail to shield the defense and leave them exposed. Another big worry is Leslie Driscoll, one of the wing-backs. Whilst he is brilliant going forward, he often misreads the game and has to track back quickly, leaving a strong line of attack down the flank.

Finally, we get to the back three, where young James Jones joins veteran defenders Vernon and Hollands. Jones is perhaps the most promising defender in Blaneuan football, proving very effective on the back line for Bay Road is a season where they conceded at an average rate of roughly half a goal a game. Vernon, for now, leads the defensive line, his season was less auspicious, being part of a very leaky Rangers defense, and Hollands was a touch better for English. Overall only James Jones looks like a long-term fixture here, and he's going ot have to prove himself quickly on the world stage as Snellbridge looks for a stronger lineup at the back. Sean MacDermot and Elliot Sketty both look like strong prospects to come through and take up positions at the back.

Overall, going into qualifying Blaneu have a mountain to climb, lacking a strong back-line, short on the wings and as of yet lacking a proven striker who can score at a high level. Snellbridge may be in an ebullient mood for now, but this may soon evaporate as qualifying grinds on and the side struggle. On the plus side, he will likely have the chance to blood youngsters and create a spine for the team that will one day go on to success.

by **Mapletish** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:46 am

The Sour Kind
"I only know one thing, that is I know nothing"

Commentaries | Timothy Jozua

5th MCoN Success for Lions as Preparations for WC81 Qualifiers Draw Closer

The Lions had a disappointing journey in the 30th Copa Rushmori, after crushing out at the group stage. That, however, did not stop Kirk Zavier and Co from their pan union tournament as they clinched their 5th title at Callenham in the 12th edition of the Mapletios Cup of Nations. The pre-WC tournament had also been a guage meter for Zavier. A Di Bradini Cup winner with the Mapletish U21 team, Zavier has a lot to prove as he undertake the duities of the national team manager. Going into the MCoN, Zavier preferred to keep the squad that played in the Copa Rushmori and it also looked to be his finalised team for the qualifiers as well. Zavier had opted for a young squad with the average age of the players at 23.4 years old.

Going into the Cup of Nations, the Lions kicked off with a 2-1 win over the Maridan Islands, before pouncing on the Outlying Territories with a close 1-0 win, this was followed by a 1-1 draw with three times Cup of Nations winners, Callenham and then rounding off the tournament was a 1-0 win over Danaelia. Picking up 10 points, 1 more than the 2nd placed Danaelia, Zavier and Co sailed through the Cup of Nations unscathed and without a defeat but this tournament picked out several weak points for the Lions who are about to embark on their World Cup qualifiers. Below, we break down the problem areas for Zavier's squad.

W: 2-1 Maridan Islands
Eutimio (50', 78')
Although the Lions were able to come off with a win, the Maridan Islanders were controlling the possession for much of the match, with a 60-40 distribution between the two. The Lions, despite their individual prowess, struggled to come together to pressure the Islanders in this match and to hold onto possession. Rattler was caught in some of the attacking and defensive transitions as the Maplish side failed to hold onto the hard fought possession throughout the match and Rattler became the main focal point of attack for the Maridan Island side. There was similar breakdown on the left as the hardworking Hiram Hupp failed to hold onto possession well enough as the Islanders focused much of their pressure and attack on the left side of the field. This goes to show that the Lions was far too slow in building up their play and switching plays as a unit. At least for this match, Eutimio was the saving grace for the Lions as he had to work extra hard to drop deeper to link up the plays. His efforts paid off with 2 well orchestrated goals, showing the Golden Phoenix's man ability to turn on the throttle when it matters most.

W: 1-0 Outlying Territories
Cloe (80')
Another close call for the Lions against the Outlying Territories as Cloe scored the only goal of the match with an individual effort. The scoreline however did not do the Lions justice as the team struggled to convert their chances this match, which was a problem area to watch. Despite holding onto the possession for the whole of the match and attempts to build up the play in a quicker tempo, the finishing was an issue as Cerrone found himself all over the place picking up the ball but fumbled when it was time to provide or to take on the defence for himself. The same could be seen with Eutimio. Despite being the standout performer in the previous match, Eutimio found himself tightly marked and he found himself struggling to come out on top in a really frustrating evening for the Lions as they failed to break the structured, rigid and disciplined Warriors apart. However, the takeaway from this match was the creative surges from the team as the players tried different angles to take on the Warriors' rigid defence.

D: 1-1 Callenham
Cerrone (67')
Against Callenham, the Lions were fortunate to come away with a draw as both sides found themselves on deadlocks as most of the action concentrated in the middle of the field. The defending champions, Callenham were not afraid to send men forward to pressure the Maplish as the latter tried to pick out spaces to exploit whilst being rapidly closed down and pressured to their own half. This certainly forced the Lions to play within their own half, finding opportunities to break into Callenham's half. This match, we saw the Lions' counterattacking capabilities and the speed of defense-attack transitions and we see that there is quite a bit to work on there as Callenham was able to gallop up and close the gap quickly enough to attempt to deny the Lions on several occasions.

W: 1-0 Danaelia
Seabrook (56')
Heading into the final match of the Cup of Nations, the Lions faced familiar rivals, Danaelia. Despite coming out with a victory, Danaelia were able to exploit the transitional plays to their favour as they pounce on the Lions quickly on the counter attacks. This transitional plays kept the Lions' defence on tippy hooks as Danaelia's quick surging counter attacks challenged the young defence. Fortunately, the Danaelians were not able to convert their breakthroughs with goals with Fermin Feldstein putting on excellent saves and the defence putting in good interceptions, helping to keep the scoreline in the Lions' favour.

Expect the Lions to put in a performance that will not be worth remembering as they are expected to fall behind against the group favourites for the World Cup finals, fumble against the mid-table qualifying teams and struggle for a result against the lower ranked and unranked teams. This is Timothy signing off and don't expect any miraculous happenings pouring over although the Lions pulled off a MCoN and a U21 DBC win

by **Farfadillis** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:02 am

Ënýrs entered the room with the typical bravado he displayed around Ânkîs before telling him good news. The smirk on his face and the fact that he had not even knocked the door meant he had really good news. That, or he had decided to leave this world. Ânkîs was not amused by his henchman's disposition; he preferred seeing fear in his eyes.

"Be quick or I'll be quick." His words were as sharp as ever. Ënýrs's disposition obviously changed in an instant.

The henchman knew that he had to cut to the point or he'd be in trouble, so he wasted no time. "Noirsztin Eleonóra accepted the offer. Szoirsia is will be under our boot soon."

Ânkîs smiled. As much as the thought of drawing some blood from Ënýrs pleased him, he knew the key to a successful drug cartel was rewarding his men when they get the job done, and he had gotten the job done. "Did you get his contact information?"

"Yes, yes I did. His secret cellphone's Oh-Nine-Sev-" He was interrupted by a kick in the balls.

"Secret information is secret, Ënýrs." He pointed at the other men around him. "Do you think Noirsztin would want to continue with the deal if we're disclosing his personal information like this?" After a scared-shitless negative response, the drug lord told his henchman to fuck off, and fuck off he did.

Ânkîs turned around and looked at the men present at the meeting. Well, men and woman. The four were presidents of Rulandese and Faroleran football clubs. Orlando Mascarotti, Avenida Victoria's president looked his usual short, naïve and stupid self. Edgardo Manzano, La Nueva Avenida's president, was looking a bit different: tall. Türý Mânéré, Rülândéá Kôstä's president, was someone he respected much more, despite having had never heard of him until that month. He was Rulandese, so he probably knew his way around this kind of thing; that's what Ânkîs figured. Finally, Rüítá Sôsnâs aka The Woman, was someone he was really wary of. She was president of Dô Fäéýkô. Yes, that's a pretty small club but the fact that she even got there despite being a woman means she's fucking ruthless.

He looked at all of them with a slight boredom in his eyes. "I apologize for the interruption." He paused. "As you can see, however, René Skaé's president will be present at our next meeting." They all nodded. "That makes five football clubs. I think it will do for now." They nodded again.

The drug lord cleared his throat. "I'll cut to the chase. I'll make my intentions clear, since I've only spoken to you individually. I will offer you four money and bribes directly proportional to your club's standing in the league in exchange for loyalty. What's more, I do not ask you for your loyalty: I'll have it by virtue of coercion. I am just informing you that if at any point after this meeting you decide to back out, not only will your family suffer, but also yourselves and, as a bit of an afterthought, your clubs. You will do as I say because I have much more power than you. If I say throw a game, you will throw a game. If I say sell this player, you sell this player. If I say go bomb an orphanage, you go and bomb five for good measure. You don't get to complain about this terms or negotiate them. Is that clear?"

Once again he was met with nothing but nodding.

"So, as a gesture of goodwill, I will give you four a chance to pull out of this deal right now. Just leave through this door."

Edgardo, white-faced like never before, promptly left. Ânkîs smiled. This meant he'd be executing him soon. He stopped smiling when he realized Rüítá was shaking her head. She had probably realized.

"Anyone else? No?" Dead silence met that question. "Good. We can now get down to discussing business, then. One last thing I want to mention, though: don't be surprise if Noirsztin Eleonóra's terms are more lenient. He has more bargaining power than you."

by **Free Republics** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:33 am

Designed by 3WD of Vilita

This is your Matchday 1 Cutoff brought to you by Trudeau Firearms Company! Trudeau: The Gun You Can Trust to Keep You Safe!

Scores

by **Barunia** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:05 am

Visit Barunia
Sponsored by the Barunian Government Department of Tourism

Ch 1. How to get there
Barunia is an island nation, so travel to the country is by air or ship. Many cruise lines operate to and from Barunia, but the most efficient way to get there is by plane. Blue Sky Air is the national carrier, and operates flights to most regional airports daily, as well as some long-haul services. There are two international airports in the country, with the majority of flights landing at Porthaven International Airport in the nation's capital. The other airport, Tildos State International, handles some regional flights as well as domestic travel. Cruise lines operate out of Porthaven, and visit Dropshort, Delmars, Edwardton, and the Northern Isles.

Barunia requires all travellers outside of the Union of Red Nations to acquire a visa before entering the country. Visas can be applied for at a Barunian embassy or consulate, or online at http://www.dci.gov.bu/immigration/visa/tourist. Tourist visas allow a person to stay in Barunia for up to three months. It should be noted that tourist visas can take up to 90 days to process, and cost around Ŧ120 (NSD$80), so it advisable to book early.

by **Tinhampton** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:40 am

TFA MATCH STATPACK: Al-Mumtaz 0-1 Tinhampton
Venue: unknown stadium, Al-Mumtaz

STARTING LINEUPS and their USED SUBSTITUTES:

Tinhampton (4-1-3-2): 1. Josh SMITH (GK), 2. William POTTER, 3. Harry PORTER, 4. Jamie VALLEY, 5. Peter WRIGHT (↻ 53' SMALL), 6. Michael YOUNG. 7. Ian JONES (C), 8. Mohamed al-KHAZR (↻ 76' NORTH), 9. Fred BALL, 10. Priscilla EVANS, 11. Ian GRAHAM.
Al-Mumtaz (4-2-2-2): 1. Orval RICKI, 2. Alden JAWDAT, 5. Safi JIANG, 6. Simon Abd AL-AZIZ, 7. Yakub KING (↻ 89' SEO), 9. Hank JAROGNIEW, 11. Arnie KSAWERY, 21. Tobin EDGAR (↻ 72' SURYA), 51. Ahmad KNOX, 10. Yoshiro SHOTA, 14. Koharu MITSUKO
No players were unable to play in this match.

GOALS: Yakub KING 77'34'' (TIN - own goal)
CARDS: Yellow: Alden JAWDAT 52' (Al-Mumtaz, trigram unknown), Jamie VALLEY 67' (TIN), Fred BALL 86' (TIN). Red: none.
INJURIES: Peter WRIGHT (TIN) ruled out for the next two games.
OTHER INCIDENTS: Yoshiro SHOTA (Al-Mumtaz) missed a penalty at 31'48''. Peter NORTH (TIN) had a goal ruled out for offside at 84'20''.

Forays of Folly
Season 1, Episode 2: The Most Shocking Doctrine in History!

The Gregory Report on Tinhamptonian-Transaridian Relations (CAN PUBLISH)

Transarid is an Elective Kingdom located several thousand miles away from the Tin City, which The Hon. Min. Anderson's own Foreign Ministry had issued travel advisories against. Why, then, would she commit virtual suicide in front of her own department? The answer, although Anderson is unable to confirm this for obvious reasons, is actually a series of answers.
Firstly, one could argue that she was taken in by an open letter sent from a "rouge" politician in Transarid. The letter really did exist, and argued that the nation's democracy was under threat due to the actions of King Bon Halal in blocking off emergency services to rebel-aligned areas in order to favour his son, Bon Halal, upon the election that would follow his death (and, so far, 50,000 Transaridians in a year). This is, however, not an immediately realistic explanation: Anderson is known to have had a long working relationship with Gertrude Spencer, "chief spokeswoman" of 30 years for the controversial Economic Liberties Foundation, and her minor acolyte Michael Williamson. It was Mrs Spencer that first responded to the letter, which was co-sponsored by Anderson and the Hon. Min. Byrne, advocating for the privatisation of such services to provide a universal mandate.
Although Spencer's other communications were supposed to be secret, they were later acquired by the Herald, a right-wing Tinhamptonian tabloid newspaper. These communications, it was revealed, demonstrated her intention to explicitly do so in Transarid itself, meeting up with a "rouge politician" at the Tor Hill Conference Centre, explicitly opposed to the government of the day for reasons stated above. Further recordings from the Centre revealed Byrne's intention to provide increased foreign aid to the Transaridian government in exchange for this, demands that were re-iterated at the King's Palace in Kharda, the capital of Transarid with the support of Mike Davis, CPO of proposed operators Mondial Services. Three arrests were later made on the spot on the grounds that Mondial Services could both end the "strategic boycott" and pose connections to the Transaridian government.
With the arrest of Anderson, Spencer and Davis in Transarid - they have still not been released, with Anderson being replaced by the hitherto-unknown Kevin Wright, Williamson becoming ELF chief spokesman and an Executive Council chairing Mondial Services in Davis' absence - who should take the blame has also proved a contentious subject. Some, especially Ms Howard in the Sentinel, have rapidly condemned the actions of Spencer, arguing that "somebody with [35 years] experience... should know better than to trap herself into a no-win situation, although I would hardly be surprised if that were her day trade." All of this has allegedly been leaked, upon notice of the "politician," by Assembly Member Bailey to the Sunday Herald (after the Spencer communiques).
Much of the Tinhamptonian populace seems to be up in arms that Transarid and King Halal Sr. was supposedly responsible for failing to ensure diplomatic immunity, a convenient explanation owing to high patriotic sentiment in the city - as demonstrated by the Tinhamptonian Libertarian Party and Tinhampton First Party achieving spectacular rises in their polling figures - and popularity of Anderson and the government in general. However, others have argued that, with the Assembly in recess and Mayor Price unwilling to recall it, the government might have acted illegally to get its way. Indeed, there had been rumours bandied about Cabinet meetings that---

"Lance, where's the shredder?" instantly blurted out of the mouth of Mayor John Price, having barely taken his time to read a dodgy dossier on the doubly-so dealings going on in some far-flung kingdom that he had never even heard of a couple of weeks prior.
Mayor Price quickly thrust open some sort of contraption that looked like a laptop, and could scarcely believe his eyes at what he saw...

BUREAUCRAMBLES! THREE TAKEN HOSTAGE BY "TERRORIST" TRANSARID KING

Foreign Minister, neoliberal activist and healthcare CEO all reported to have been taken in "disappointingly arrogant" move

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:59 am

The cardinal conundrum

190 teams have kicked off in the past week. The very first kickoff for some, and easily the 5000th kickoff for others. Some teams kicked off multiple times (up to seven times, with four teams conceding six and getting a half started), too. There's little that can be said about the teams, the styles, the innovations for this World Cup, and there's even less to be said about the standings, qualification implications, and the like. The only thing that we have now are a bunch of scores and a bunch of team names. And these team names have something interesting going on.

First of all: only very few teams feel the need to indicate where they're from. Starblaydia is not in the stars, Sharktail is not an animal's body part in some sea, and 95X is a name so nondescript I can't even begin to think where they would be from if not from a high school math book. No, from here on out, this is dedicated to the Souths, Norths, Easts and Wests of this multiverse.

Of all cardinal teams (13), just under 50% (6) are south of something, 2 are eastern, 2 are northern and 1 is western. That's not all, for there is one central team, and one extremely descriptive northwestern team.
- South Toronto
- South Covello
- South Caleblan
- South Libertopia
- The South Falls
- South Batoko

- West Angola

- East Belzaria
- Eastfield Lodge

- North Prarie
- Kita-Hinode

- Central Shaneville

- Northwest Kalactin

This begs the question, why are southern halves of nations so much more into football than northern ones? What about North Toronto, North Covello, North Caleblan, North Libertopia, the North Falls, and North Batoko? West and east are fairly balanced, but we would definitely expect South Prarie to be more into football than North Prarie, and some place named Minami-Hinode to exist too. Central Shaneville just makes me wonder whether there is a Peripheral or Outer Shaneville... and there must be at least another 7 Kalactanians given that we have a Northwestern version in the World Cup.

And what about their success?
Not only are southern teams more likely to be in the World Cup, they are better performers as well. With four wins, a draw and only a single loss, southern teams are well equipped to go far in this World Cup. The same can be said about the western teams on a win percentage of 100% - but that's only one team. North and East haven't had a happy start: both cardinal directions have a loss and a draw each. Being central also hasn't been helpful, with a loss to Shaneville. For the Kalactanians, being western (100%) trumped being northern (0% win percentage) as they also won.

For the cardinal crowd: only Group 10 will offer us a Cardinal Derby, having East Belzaria, South Batoko and Northwest Kalactin. This also means we have a single group with every direction represented, at least as long as you read it as Kalactin being both North and West. For more silliness, this group also has three animals in it: Sharktail, Penguinland, and the Equestrian States. If you're new to the World Cup, definitely look out for Group 10 as it is easily the most visual of all groups. It is an easier experience than imagining Kernovi and Rewgwlas facing Oberour Ar Moro, for instance.

For all of you punters out there, bet south and it all won't go south.

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 9:16 am

Dreamplanet, Naked News Reporter Princess Cassie and player Katya Dallas

Cassie: So how is your first overseas trip?
Katya: Exciting but why is place called Dreamplanet?
Cassie: Don't ask me, I've never been here before
Katya: It's not that ... dreamy
Cassie: True, it's not that different to home really.
Katya: I can't read any of the signs round here ...

Cassie: That's because it's all in Spanish
Katya: OK, I didn't learn Spanish ...
Cassie: Neither did I, I know enough to keep out of trouble
Katya: Err, so where else we will be going
Cassie: Lycrabon, Abanhfleft, Crystalline Caverns, Sultanate of Oontaz, Mareibat, Mriin, Neo-Romanum, Darkmania
Katya: How the hell did you manage to learn all that

Cassie: I'll be saying all those names a lot, I have to learn them
Katya: OK, did you say Mirin?
Cassie: Mriin, different word
Katya: OK, I misheard that one
Cassie: My spellchecker keeps on trying correct that word all the time
Katya: I can imagine

Cassie: We got a win anyway, we're a bit rusty.
Katya: Yeah we could have done a lot better
Cassie: At least we didn't lose, we sometimes lose the first game
Katya: We didn't have a lot of games before this one did we
Cassie: Yeah like zero, hey
Katya: It would be nice if actually had some friendlies before. So are we on top of the table?

Cassie: Not exactly. Not like in the middle ...
Katya: Oh
Cassie: Abanhfleft beat Lycrabon 1-0, Crystalline Caverns beat Sultanate of Oontaz 4-1 and Mriin beat Mareibat 5-4. Darkmania beat Neo-Romanum 6-2 to top the table
Katya: Um, how did you remember all that?
Cassie: Oh, it's just me job. I'm good with numbers.
Katya: Oh yes, you're the crypto girl.

Cassie: Yeah that's me
Katya: I want to learn how to put money into crypto
Cassie: Well, I can help. Better than leaving it in those banks.
Katya: I don't exactly have much to begin with
Cassie: Don't worry, keep saving.
Katya: Easy for you to say, you're a princess.

Cassie: I don't technically need to work anyway but I get bored
Katya: But you won't be bored if you have kids
Cassie: I still get bored so I work
Katya: I guess you like travelling
Cassie: Yes, staying at home all day gets a bit much
Katya: I can imagine

Group 11
Lycrabon 0–1 Abanhfleft
Dreamplanet 1–2 Jeruselem
Crystalline Caverns 4–1 Sultanate of Oontaz
Mareibat 4–5 Mriin
Neo-Romanum 2–6 Darkmania

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 9:38 am

4-3.

Four goals for the home team, three goals for the away team.

Four goals for an unranked multiversal team. Three goals for the 94th ranked team.

Four goals for Oberour Ar Moro. Three goals for Anthor.

With three minutes to go. Plus stoppage time.

It was all Daric de l’Amie to do to keep from screaming.

The Parade Grounds was roaring. The partisan crowd was watching a circus of a game. Two attacking teams going after one another and countering attacks then countering counter attacks. An Anthor attack ending with a shot wide at 5 minutes. Desainctvictori to Pessiere to Margas to Pessiere to Pique-Pain to Odierne to Pessiere to GOOOAL and pandemonium at 10 minutes. RIght back, an Anthor attack making Maudez d’Annet look rather silly and tying the game up in the 16th minute. d’Annet harming the cause again in the 23rd minute, fouling an Anthor player in the box, setting up Anthor’s goal from the spot. An Oberour missed shot. An Anthor blocked shot. An Oberour shot off target. An Anthor attack spoiled by Geoffroy Dlajoenie deyt Fijac demonstrating heady play to his teammates, all of whom were more exposed nervous systems than football brains.

Then Halftime. Dlajonie deyt Fijac earned his captain’s armband on the way to the locker room, pulling d’Annet aside. HIs arm over the defenders shoulder, whisper-shouting into his ear over the echoes in the tunnel. As the walked into the dressing room, de l’Amie and Dlajonie deyt Fijac had a conversation through their eyebrows. Does d’Annet need a dressing down? No he does not, it’s under control. Do I need to put in Donatien Calenge? He looks hungry. No you do not, it’s under control.

One minute to go. Everyone is looking to the official with the sign. How much stoppage time? Anthor has the ball, because of course they have the ball, it wouldn’t be interesting enough if the Oberours could goof around and burn the clock, or try and score again, because what’s four goals except one fewer than five goals?

It’s under control. An Anthor breakaway in the 47th minute, with one man to beat. Or was it two? d’Annet(!) screamed in from nowhere and made a textbook tackle. The ball made its way to Desainctvictori who blasted it downfield to a waiting Ruran l’Ermite. From the goalkeeper to 35 yards out to the back of the net in the blink of an eye. 2-2.

3-2! In the 57th minute! Five Oberour attackers against two suddenly overmatched Anthor defenders, and Odierne got the ball behind the goalkeeper.

4-2! (4-2? 4-2!) Phellipon de Gentilli demonstrated perfect start-stop play. Taking up the ball from a errant Anthor shot. He was going to find a way to score, and he did. Up the field, challenge a defender, slow, slow, probe, then flick it to his right where Josselyn Pessiere streaked up field. Pessiere passed it upfield again, to Brevalen Gaspard, where a fresh Uuel Bon-Ami snuck behind him, took a backwards pass, crossed field, passed it to Pessiere again. Pessiere dribbled, hold, dribble, hold feinted, and then buried the ball in the back of the net.

Five minutes of stoppage time? The crowd roared in disapproval. They were still feeling persecuted for what they felt was a sloppy acting job by a Anthor midfielder who went down after what they felt was some incidental contact by Lunen Margas. The actual Anthor blood that was staining his jersey was fully circumstantial, and the yellow card Margas got was just bias, surely. That Anthor scored on a free kick was just insult to (their, Oberour, the only ones that mattered here) injury.

The Anthor attack was shaping up. De l’Amie had seen this. He can scout. Andreit Jugleeur knew tactics, but de l’Amie could study. Anthor in the Atlantian Ocean cups. Anthor attempting to qualify for World Cup 80. Make the books, make the film, teach the team. His team.

His team was running full tilt toward their goal. Anthor was running full tilt toward Oberour Ar Moro’s goal. This was it. A dramatic one-on-one battle between goal shooter and goal keeper. Laurens Desainctvictori, squared up, the best at Oberour Ar Moro’s least loved position.

But then, of course, Geoffroy Dlajoenie deyt Fijac, Captain. Cyrene Bay Captain. The man in the right place at the right time was in the right place at the right time. Got in front of the ball. The attack decelerated. Maudez d’Annet, the Redeemed, nudged the ball away. Drev Brébeuf took control. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, whistle!

4-3.

Four goals for the home team, three goals for the away team.

Four goals for an unranked multiversal team. Three goals for the 94th ranked team.

Four goals for Oberour Ar Moro. Three goals for Anthor.

With no time remaining.

It was all Daric de l’Amie to do to keep from screaming.

World Cup 81: Roleplay Thread

Who is online