Di Bradini Cup 44/U21WC65 Everything Thread

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:45 pm

Continued from here

Champions’ Cup 72, Round of 16: Cednia Beach AFC @ Crawford City FC
Orangi Stadium, Crawford City, Cosumar

It was a peculiar feeling for Isla Sibučić.

Standing at midfield in front of 60,000 strange Cosumarite faces, moments before first kick, it crossed her mind that she'd never actually played a club match on the soil of her mother land. Not until - now - one of the biggest stages of her career. In fact, she probably had more goals and assists for Cosumar by her 24th birthday than total days spent IN the terrestrial Fiefdom.

Indeed, it was a peculiar feeling, not knowing whether her "countrymen" and "countrywomen" gathered here truly viewed her as such. Would these same 60,000 faces that presumably cheered for her in the Dragonshirt take a small measure of pride in her success if Cednia Beach won today? Or, if she crashed and burned, would they delight in her failure as vengeance for rejecting a return "home" to their HL team, now lining up across from her?

Yes, peculiar, that she felt like an alien invader in the very country with which she was so universally associated by the Multiverse.

As she scanned the first row of spectators behind the Cednia bench and found the supportive face of her cousin Anna Sibučić, she knew, however, that her feelings of alienation were not unique ones. Not amidst the rapidly-growing segment of colonial-born Cosumarite citizens who may not have had reason (or resources) to visit the home world until later in life, only to feel like outsiders upon doing so.

Besides, she was well accustomed to being the "odd girl" by now.

In the six months since she'd followed the cave sunbeams and embarked on her new journey in tropical Turori, Isla had constantly felt like a walking novelty act. What, with her... violet eyes, ultra-pale and untannable skin, and inability to swim - not to mention having never even been on an island before, Isla felt like a visitor on an alien planet in the Vilitan Cove. Which, she technically was, but still. The effect was even more pronounced than in Schottia. Turori even had its own alien-like creatures that legitimately creeped her out! What were they called? Cocoboo? Cacabobs?

But, still, that's what she had wanted, right? She'd been drawn to the famous bright sun of Turori, hopeful of the bright new future and fresh start that it symbolized for her. Perhaps it had been silly of her to pin her career on such symbolism, but it was natural for Fevelians to romanticize things terrestrials took for granted: sun, moon, stars, rain. The tropics of Turori represented the extreme of all that she fantasized of Earth growing up underground.

In a similar way, the Vilitan Cove football culture also resonated deeply with Isla. They had their own definitively unique style and flair for the game... something she envied as a rugged street player on Fevelo, where the closest thing to footballing "flair" was trying not to have your dribble thwarted by tripping over cave rock. Admiration for the Cove's football was cemented forevermore in Isla's young mind when Vilita eliminated Cosumar from her first two senior tournaments: World Cup 80 and AOCAF 56. In a way, Isla realized her move to Cednia Beach AFC was motivated by a desire to learn from those defeats. As a Fevelian, inhabitant of a strange world, she was a living testament to how one's surroundings in their formative years can shape their style of play on the pitch. By immersing herself in completely new surroundings - that of those who had bettered her - perhaps her existing game would learn, respond and evolve.

Turori was certainly a new path. Not just for her or for a Fevelian, but for Cosumarites at large. Well, she would actually be the second Cosumarite to ever play in the Island Emirate (Warren Royannais had a brief spell at Cednia before moving on to Longgeylin Coast), but she would definitely be the only one on the national team right now and she had more than quadrupled Warren's fee.

Isla lowered her gaze from the indecipherable faces of the Crawford City crowd and to the colorful Cednia Beach crest on her own chest. There was pressure that came with being a trailblazer, and she felt it there. On her chest, the weight of the crest pressing down.

More than any prior time this season, she felt it. Lining up to play CCFC - a team from her own country that she had spurned - in the CC knockouts, Isla felt pressure to prove she made the right decision. To prove that she was not the "poor little orphan from the struggling colony" who needed to be coddled by familiar environments. To prove that her streetwise game from the rocky tunnels of Fevelo could translate anywhere, even the most disparate of footballing cultures.

The crowd rumbled, eager for action, shaking Isla from her thoughts. The referee, a portly and balding olive-skinned man with a wrinkled yellow shirt, obliged and raised his whistle slightly towards his mouth. The leg muscles of all 22 players tensed in anticipation of the impending whistle. Before she knew it, Isla was back in motion.

She didn't hear the whistle and didn't remember springing into swift motion, nimble like a gazelle with each turn of her hips and change of direction. Her anxiety, her uncertainties -- they all faded somewhere deep into the back of her subconscious mind. The pure, single-minded pulse of physical exertion married to strategic calculation took over. She was back doing what she'd been doing in some form or another since she'd been born - her one constant across all the different suns and national banners under which she'd lived.

She didn't remember running hard at CCFC defender Sarah Arrowsword - twice her height - to pressure the build-up out of the back two minutes in.

Nor did she remember sticking out a small foot and deflecting Arrowsword's panicked pass into the path of her Turorian teammate Kudii Davasarii on the left.

She didn't remember immediately criss-crossing the field with a diagonal run like she was shot out of a cannon, opening up space for Davasarii on the break.

She didn't even remember stopping on a dime to lose her marker and receive Davasarii's cutback after he wiggled his way to the left endline, or hitting her side-footed shot first-time from a few yards right of the penalty spot.

But Isla Sibučić did remember seeing the ball squirt under Hansi Weschler's near-post dive and ripple into the back of the net. Most of all, she remembered the immense feeling of satisfaction, pride and gratitude that flooded her at that spot as awareness of the moment slammed back into her.

With a wide, sweet grin, she danced towards Davasarii in celebration, hands behind the backs of her ears, not aware of nor caring how the heavily terrestrial-Cosumarite crowd of 60,000 was reacting to her innocent taunt.

Cednia Beach AFC 1-0 Crawford City FC

by **Beepee** » Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:42 pm

Baker Park 0–1 Beepee

Lathal, Ianisle

Commonwealth of Baker Park must feel aggrieved tonight after losing to Beepee. Despite dominating the match and peppering the opposition goal, they couldn't find the breakthrough. Further a controversial penalty in the 63rd minute sealed the Beepeean victory.

It's the second time Baker Park have lost at this venue.

However, Beepeean fans wont care how they got the win, only that they made it through to the quarter finals.

Beepee go onto play Qusmo at Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara.

by **Mytanija** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 8:33 pm

REPIN STANDS BY HRDALJKO
THE UNDER-21 MANAGER FORCED TO DEFEND HIS CAPTAIN FOLLOWING BAKER PARK CRITICISM

by Nevenka Planinc

Following fierce criticism from the Baker Park under-21 manager and in the press, Lev Repin has come to Alen Hrdaljko’s defence claiming that the under-21 captain is ‘not a dirty player’. The criticism comes following Hrdaljko’s tough tackle early on Nicki Stone during the game, after which Hrdaljko appeared to shout at the Baker Park captain whilst she was still on the ground, with many believing he commented on Tony Weiss – the Baker Park coach’s – pre-game assertion about Mytanija’s supposed technical deficiencies.

The Executive Director of the FAC David Carlson claimed that Hrdaljko’s tackle was both ‘violent’ and ‘unsportsmanlike’ and hinted that he thought Lev Repin may have even instructed Hrdaljko to play in such a manner.

Repin hit back in some fashion early today, saying: “I think Carlson should focus on his own coach rather than talk about me if I’m honest. Usually I’d be inclined to say that fellow coaches should be able to speak their mind in the media but when we’re talking about young footballers I don’t think it’s necessary to talk them down like he did. My players were obviously unhappy with his comments and it made the game more heated than it would otherwise have been.”

When pressed on what he thought about the tackle itself, Repin said: “Alen [Hrdaljko] knows that it was a poor challenge and I do not condone what he did afterward shouting at her – I told him as much, he should not have done that and I’m sure he will not do it again. He’s a great player and a fair competitor and I don’t think that that can be called into question whatsoever. He’s our captain for a reason.”

Carlson also included a further jibe at Hrdaljko for putting this challenge in on Nicki Stone and not one of her male team mates, Repin was less than impressed with this idea: “I don’t think Alen [Hrdaljko] is particularly bothered about who he tries to tackle whether they’re male or female or whatever, we’ve played teams with ponies on the pitch and all sorts down the years! But to make the point that he went in hard because it’s a woman is ridiculous and reveals a lot more about Carlson and his views on women than anything else.”

Whether the war of words will continue remains to be seen, but it could be unlikely following Baker Park’s elimination from the tournament during the last sixteen at the hands of Beepee. A 1-0 loss prevented them from moving on to the next round.

Mytanija have progressed after a penalty shootout victory over our historic rivals Eura. A 1-1 draw after 120 minutes came about following Zlatan Andrijasevic’s first half opener being cancelled out in the 88th minute by Jarrod Jenkins towering header from a corner. When it came to penalties Mytanija scored all four of their attempts with Hrdaljko, Zlatan Andrijasevic, Zgela and Pogaenik all converting. Eura scored their first two through Harris and Rogers but the pressure was too much for Robshaw and Woakes as they both missed: Robshaw’s saved by Obradovic whilst Woakes skied her penalty way over the crossbar.

Mytanija will play Sharktail in the quarter finals, a team that little is known about but they have played very well during the tournament and were comfortable as they knocked Robostania out 2-0 in their last sixteen tie. They qualified to the knockout rounds by topping their group and were impressive in beating established nations like Equestrian States and Cassadaigua during the group stage. They did lose to Filindostan and Mytanar fans will hope Lev Repin saw something during that game that he can replicate in his team’s tactics for the quarter final.

Hrdaljko will most certainly play versus Sharktail and Hoops’ supporters are likely to cheer him on with even more vigour given the unfavourable media attention he has received during the tournament. For his part, he doesn’t seem too bothered by what has been said: “I don’t really pay any attention to any of [the media reports] if I’m honest. I just want to focus on my football. The game against Baker Park was a heated occasion because their coach made it like that and both sides were aggressive as a result – that particular challenge wasn’t the best but lots of poor tackles went in on both sides and the referee acted on it when he felt it to be necessary – Veselin [Hristov] did get sent off in the end after all!”

by **Qusmo** » Sat Dec 22, 2018 11:57 pm

Baker Park (24)
Audioslavia (29)
Qusmo (40)
Main Nation Ministry (56)
Beepee (66)
Siovanija & Teusland (68)
The Macabees (69)
North Prarie (70)
Squornshelan Remnant States (82)*
Kelssek (86)*
Polkopia (87)*
Mytanija (88)*
Geisenfried (90)*
Competitive Solitaire (91)
Freeport (92)*
Lochario (93)
Dreamplanet (94)*
Michine (97)*
Santa Rafa (97)*
Cobrio (99)*
Kavagrad (100)*

Lucex-Kynda Uzo, manager of Qusmo’s U21 team, was deep in thought when the papers plopped on their desk. They looked up to find their assistant manager standing, waiting, expectantly.

Yivix-Belaj Ivo tapped their foot on the linoleum floor. Those damn Valanorians or Valanors or whatever they were called had bad taste in floors, apparently. “Well?”

“Well what? What the hell is this, Ivo? I don’t have all day; I’ve got a match to prepare for,” Uzo barked.

“Relax, Uzo. I can explain this all to you. It’s actually quite interesting,” they mused.

“Well, then, tell me what’s so interesting,” Uzo responded, never one to miss an opportunity to get in a word.

“Alright, so you see those twenty-one teams on that first page?”

“Yeah, they’re a bunch of random names; can we move on to the interesting bits a bit quicker?”

“I’m getting to it, don’t worry,” Ivo tried to calm their boss. “Anyways, they might look it, but they’re not random. If you take a closer look, you’ll see that all of those teams are currently ranked in the top one hundred in the KPB rankings, & that none of those teams entered World Cup 79 Qualifying.”

“Audioslavia? Bloody hell, you did your maths wrong; they’ve been around a lot longer than 79.”

“Yes,” Ivo agreed, “but they didn’t play in that edition.” Ivo saw the quizzical look on Uzo’s face. “Remember the Jaffacake scandal?”

“Which one?” Uzo retorted.

“I guess that’s fair,” Ivo admitted. “Remember back when Jaffacake was president of the World Cup Committee?”

“Margaret, how could I forget? How did the Committee ever think he could be a halfway decent choice for the job?”

“Money. Money talks. Especially in international football. In fact, that’s a main reason why Audioslavia withdrew from World Cup 79 Qualification; a corruption scandal rocked the whole association,” Ivo continued. “Audioslavia plummeted down the rankings all the way from fifth to forty-fifth, & they missed the next World Cup, too; they still haven’t recovered.”

“Okay, but what’s this got to do with the match against Beepee? My clock’s ticking, you know,” Uzo persisted.

“Well,” Ivo hesitated. “it has to do with the team talk you just gave.”

“What about it?”

“Well,” Ivo settled in. “Do you see how high Beepee is on that list? They’re fifth out of twenty-one - & that’s just the teams which are in the top hundred of the KPB rankings. There are many, many more further below. Perhaps the next page could help more.”

Baker Park (24)
Qusmo (40)*
Main Nation Ministry (56)*
Beepee (66)
Siovanija & Teusland (68)
The Macabees (69)*
North Prarie (70)
Competitive Solitaire (91)
Lochario (93)*

“Alright, so what’s this mean?” Uzo asked again.

“Here, you’ll see teams which competed in Baptism of Fire 67 or as unranked nations in World Cup 80 Qualifying which are in the top hundred in the Multiverse now,” Ivo offered. “Again, even though I’ve only listed the nine teams that are in the top hundred, thirty-six teams debuted at that Baptism of Fire, & another thirty-five came into Qualifying unranked, for a total of seventy-one on the full list. I just didn’t want to waste the paper.”

“Oh, you & your tree-hugging ‘environmentalism,’” Uzo scoffed. “Boo-hoo. What’s it mean?”

“Well, as I was saying earlier, Beepee is high on that list. They’re fourth out of, really, seventy-one nations.”

“So what?” Uzo asked, pointedly.

“So I think your team talk might have downplayed how good Beepee is,” Ivo relented.

Ivo thought about what Uzo had said in the locker room. “We’re gonna bury these sissies into the dirt! They won’t know what hit ‘em! If I don’t see 4-0 on the scoreboard by halftime, I’m going to be disappointed!” It was hyperbole, sure. & Ivo could see that it fired some of the players up - but Ivo feared that it also made some players feel too confident about the match. Cocky, even.

“I know that match at Woodlands is well-remembered. But let’s also not forget the circumstances going into that match. Beepee debuted in the first South Torontan Invitational Cup. They won twice & drew once in the group stage before winning their quarterfinal, semifinal, & final. They won the tournament. Then they played in Baptism of Fire 67, where they won four & drew one in the group stage before prevailing on penalties in the Round of Sixteen & then winning outright their quarterfinal, semifinal, & final. They won two consecutive tournaments, unbeaten in both. & they held Ceni - Ceni, of all teams, who has beaten us by at least three all three times we’ve played them - to a single goal in the match before they played us. I realize we did well at Woodlands, but they were a dangerous team then, there’s nothing to suggest they aren’t a dangerous team now, &, in fact, I think it would be dangerous to assume otherwise.”

“Ivo,” Uzo replied, “that’s precisely my point. Everyone thought Beepee was doing so well. They were so tough, so fearsome. The STIC & the Baptism of Fire? Unbeaten? That’s a mighty impressive resume for debutants. & we were headed into the Woodlands Stadium, right in the heart of Norfolk Woodlands, for the first match the Beepeean National Team had ever played in their home country. & we wiped the floor with them. Four-oh, remember?”

“Yes, I do. But don’t you think that if that team was overconfident as a result of all those accomplishments & facing an unranked team, parallels could be drawn to -”

“I don’t give a damn for your parallels,” bellowed Uzo. “The fact is, we’re playing Beepee, & the fact is, we’re better than Beepee. It’s a miracle they beat Baker Park; they only managed to do it because of a BS penalty. You want to talk about corruption in football? The only way Beepee could have ‘won’ that spot kick is if they had paid off the referee. & of the two BPs, I’d much rather face this one. Everyone thinks they’re so good because they beat Lochario, Taeshan, & Baker Park. Well, guess what? Those three teams have a combined total of two wins in this entire tournament - & both of those wins came against teams which had precisely zero points & were eliminated as the team finishing dead last in their group. If you want to blather about with stats, two can play that game, Ivo. But the most important game is the one that’ll be happening on the pitch at the Cathedral - & we’re going to win it.” Uzo stood up & walked out of the small, cramped office. Ivo heard them slam a door.

Ivo knew full well where Uzo what believed & why they believed it. That win against Beepee had been baked into the collective consciousness of Qusma football. Beating an opponent that had been doing so well in their first home international, & in Qusmo’s first match outside Qanz, was a victory to be proud of, & the giant margin made the day legendary. To this day, neither the senior nor a youth Qusma team had ever won a match by a margin greater than the four that Qusmo won by that day. Still, what so many people forgot was that in the return leg, when so many Qusmi’y were so confident, recalling that blowout at Woodlands Stadium, Qusmo had actually lost, 1-0. Ivo looked at the third page of the handout they had prepared for Uzo.

Beepee 2–0 Lochario
Baker Park 0–1 Beepee
Beepee v. Qusmo

Three consecutive matches for Beepee. Would it be three consecutive wins against opposition from the Class of the Eightieth Cycle?

Qusmo’s second quarterfinal in their second Di Bradini Cup was tomorrow, but unlike the manager on the opposite end of the touchline, Yivix-Belaj Ivo was most definitely not totally stoked.

by **Pasarga** » Sun Dec 23, 2018 1:37 am

Christian had to smile a bit to himself as he listened into the radio, as the announcement of the latest edition of the Galactico Awards were being announced across the multiverse for all those interested in football to hear. Alongside the World Cup and the UICA, the Galactico Awards were quickly becoming one of the most prestigious staples for both player and fans alike to keep their eyes out on. From the moment it was concocted by Boldsport in Bonesea, perhaps as nothing more than a gag article to fulfill a quota, it has garnered the attention far and wide until it has become one of the most looked forward to events of the footballing calendar.

This was especially true for those in the Dual Islands, as their internationals as of late seemed to have attracted quite of media attention from outside of Pargis and Peynol. Since the Galactico Awards introduced a youth category, the strength of Baskita's and CAP's academies have been on display, with players from those two teams consistently being named into the Young Galactico Shortlist. This year was no different and that was what had Christian a bit amused, as it was none other than Alexander Jager who had managed to scoop himself up a third placed standing in this years edition of that award, falling a bit short of his predecessors but with greater competition, it was still good to see him on that shortlist. As good as it was to see the likes of Thor and Jorg on the main shortlist, even if there was a small air about those two that they had missed the chance of a good international career, even with Jorg having a few cycles still to land a Copa Rushmori or even a World Cup title to his name.

All three of those players though, they had made their name at the youth level in the Youth Leagues of Pasarga and then into the Young Wanderers squads that were sent to the DBC to represent the country. This was what amused Christian the most, that these three players would be showing the unheralded group of players currently wearing the Green, Gold, and Scarlet that it was all within reach if they continued to put the effort into making themselves better. Despite the skill gap between them and the Cosumarite team that had traveled here to the Eternal Empire, the Young Wanderers had managed to come up on top, with the striking partnership finally starting to look like the threat that many had envisioned that it could be when the squad was initially announced to the international community. Now they had come good on that promise and showed well again in their first knockout round matchup against an Eshan side that was looking to spring one of the biggest surprises of the tournament in upending the former Champions, but was put down thanks to the lethal touch of Júlia Müller.

Now another would be upstart side was looking to deny the former Champions a chance to guarantee two more games in the tournament, with Juvencus having found their way deep into the tournament after a surprising advancement out of the group and then a hard fought victory in the Round of Sixteen against Oberour Ar Moro. Christian did not know a lot about Juvencus and was not sure what to expect from the match between the Young Wanderers and them, much in the same way that he was not sure about some of the clubs that had put in official bids on his talent. Could he once more go off out into the wild blue yonder and try to make a name for himself or them? Or perhaps it was past time that he finally accepted his place in the scheme of the game and allowed himself to move to the sure thing in Starling, a club that had history, a great following, and would be sure to show off his talents. It would almost be like going home, what with Nephara being just a hop and a skip away from the Dual Islands. How would those back at home take it, especially with rumors swirling that CAP and Tani were preparing to tabulate bids for his services. Nephara would be nice though, home without actually having to be home and dealing with that headache...

by **Valanora** » Sun Dec 23, 2018 1:43 am

Quarterfinals
Sharktail 1–2 Mytanija
Beepee 0–1 Qusmo
Cosumar 2–1 Ko-oren
Juvencus 2–4 Pasarga

Semifinals
Mytanija v Qusmo @ Artani, Mar Sara
Cosumar v Pasarga @ The White Fortress, Gladerial

by **Mytanija** » Sun Dec 23, 2018 10:40 pm

HRDALJKO DOUBLE DOWNS SHARKTAIL
INSPIRED PERFORMANCE FROM HOOPS' CAPTAIN SENDS NATIONAL SIDE THROUGH

by Nevenka Planinc

Alen Hrdaljko defied all his critics with a magisterial performance in front of a world audience. He scored a screamer from all of forty yards to equalise against a Sharktail opener and then put in a captain’s performance. He drove the comeback, playing from midfield and inspiring the team to a performance that could possibly have been beyond their abilities.

This team has been credited across the media in most general reports, but the biggest feeling is that they’re an accident waiting to happen. There’s a few combustible personalities and Lev Repin may be a good coach but he cannot have control over those who think they are bigger than the team. It’s difficult to tell who is who at this point, but when a team is winning it’s always a difficult call to make and the whole team does seem to be behind Lev Repin.

Alen Hrdaljko has Lev Repin to back following his struggle with poor tackles. Baker Park thought he was a disgrace. He thought he was playing the game as it should have been played. We’re tempted to agree. Baker Park aren’t used to the Mytanar tough tackling style, most Rushmoris enjoy this style, but those Atlantian Oceanian bastards don’t have a clue. They’re soft and don’t know how the game should be played. We have to let them off for their lack of knowledge.

Hrdaljko commented: “This is how I play football. I have all these voices around me and I ignore every single one of them. If I try my hardest I put in the best performance I can produce and that is when I start to produce the sort of form where I can score two goals. These clowns try and put me off and I play my normal game. Jokers.”

He sounds like he’s arrogant but it’s true what he says. He doesn’t try and point fun at his competitors, he’s simply too good. Against Sharktail he destroyed his competitors, his 174cm frame gliding past colleagues and opponents with the same sense of attack. It remains unsure whether or not he knew which side he fought off. He taught them all a lesson and treat every single person he approached with the same level of disdain. When the final whistle blew he finally let off steam, cheering loudly and approaching the Mytanija ultras – the first under-21 to make such a move. He stood in front of the section and took the loud hailer and screamed the ‘Field of Roses’ to the assembled crowd.

They sang it back to him. And as such, Alen Hrdaljko became a hero to millions of Mytanars. Especially the younger generation. They have pictured him as a unifying force and by singing the so-called national anthem down the microphone he has endeared himself to a lot of youngsters who have started to believe in one unified nation. For too long there has been fractures in our national psyche but this is the sort of unifying force that could wave by to the traditional lines of agreement and could start to generalise a new approach to the Mytanar national team.

He’s like so many young supporters in the way he sings the national anthem. It has suddenly become fashionable to be Mytanar instead of feeling that you’re from your region first above anything else. Jezdimir Ocokoljic questioned it in his interview with ourselves over the summer. He has now moved on from Tsrvena to Nephara. He could be a trailblazer, but he could also just be a realist. This is just how modern football is these days. The Top League is not the league it once was, even if we know the quality is just as good as it always has been. These Nepharim and Cosumarites, Vanorians and Eurans all know that the Top League sides are perennial banana skins and that is why they won’t play pre-season tours against our clubs. They know we’ll give them too good a game and so they avoid us.

Nepharim clubs could easily pick up our best talents and yet they don’t attract them. Our best talents prefer to stay at home because they know the fruits of the local derbies are better than giving some Nepharim club the glory of a little game between their clubs. Ocokoljic went to try and win a Champions’ Cup and yet still our players stay at home because a Klasicni or a local derby remain more important otherwise and it says a lot about the state of multiversal football.

People will write that this is an unjustified attack by Nevenka Planinc. But they all know that I write about football year-round. They know that I have an inside-outside knowledge of both the Mytanar game and the world game and I welcome the criticism. They just need to know that Mytanar football is back on the way up and that they should prepare themselves for the inevitable storm that it will bring with it. Our supporters won’t take kindly to poor comments.

Alen Hrdaljko is an early expert. He has been captain of the Mytanar under-21 squad as soon as he has been picked in it. He has been captain of CDSA Decraa since the age of 19. That says it all. He transferred from the club that moved him through the youth system: Turbine Decraa. He did this purely so that he could move from academy to academy and straight into the CDSA first team. He moved into his home team’s starting line-up so that he may start to affect the play from the beginning, he was always unhappy at Turbine and now he has begun to find his home.

This entire comment has been motivated by the thought of getting the world’s appetite whet. They know how it’s done and they know how the Mytanar media will paint this sort of success. Qusmo are a worthy rival and one that is going to become increasingly important down the years. We have already met them a few times and they affected our home Copa Rushmori in the process. We meet them again on level footing, but this time we can be more confident. Our youth team is as good as the best in the world.

We wish both sides the best – at least their coach didn’t criticise our players – and we’ll see them on the other side!

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:55 am

Cosumar team area @ The White Fortress, Gladerial
1 hour before morning training - day of DBC Semifinal

Lyndalyn Alford knew her players - several of them she had even coached from a young age in her previous post at El Faro. She knew they probably didn't need any extra motivation for the upcoming Di Bradini Cup semifinal. After all, it marked the U21 program's first return to the medal stages since the DBC 35 group lifted the trophy. The likes of Skaldir Tibrewal, Tilda Tidesson and Taka Masatoshi were eager to match that feat and make a name for their own generation.

Alford also knew, however, that young players were prone to get caught up in moments. Lacking the long-view perspective that can only come from repeated experiences of success and failure, they all-too-easily get high on their own hubris when things go well... or drop into a deep fog of demoralization when things don't. Over the years, Alford had learned that zeniths and nadirs of confidence both can be equally harmful to a young team's ability to go out and capture a result. In this case, Alford was acutely aware of the potential dangers of the former. In the knockout rounds, her Junior Dragons had thrashed Darmen 4-0 and then celebrated a cathartic late winner from Cathal Turner to defeat Ko-oren 2-1 in the Quarterfinal. There was no reason, now, that they shouldn't believe in their chances of riding this wave all the way. Belief was good.

They should, Alford decided, be aware of the consequences of simply assuming the magic wave will continue to carry you, however. At the previous evening's training, she'd noticed Turner several times attempt fantastical shots like his bicycle winner against Ko-oren instead of taking the more assured finish as he'd usually do. Spirits all around seemed just a little bit too jovial for her liking considering the weight of the task still ahead. The line between earnest "belief" and subconsciously assuming victory is a thin one - particularly for young players - but the distinction is vital. Especially against an opponent like Pasarga that would require every ounce of hard work, grit, focus and determination to get past.

How could she ingrain this lesson into her players' heads without simply echoing those words? Speeches typically have the desired effect on veterans... but teenagers, with their frayed attention spans and visceral emotions, often responded better to something more direct, something more tactile. No, spoken words from her mouth alone would not dispel every last trace of hubris or complacency in the surefire way she desired.

Alford removed her small, circular glasses from her eyes and set them on the desk, leaning back in her wheeled chair and spinning it softly around in thought. Respect for the opponent and the stage were key. Her team was already familiar (and testy) with Pasarga's from that MD3 group stage loss, so focusing on the former was probably the best way to light a fire under them. Especially considering the Wanderers' history in this competition (three of the last seven DBC titles) and habit of embarrassing Cosumar.

Something between a smile and a grimace flashed across Alford's face as an idea came to her. She reached out and stopped the desk chair's spinning, grabbing a notepad and pen that were laying off the side.

She jotted down the following results and Cosumarite Courier headlines from memory:

DBC 40, Round of 16
Pasarga 6-1 Cosumar
"Romano single-handedly dismantles Cosumarite defense for eight goals in three games..."

World Cup 79, Round of 16
Cosumar 1-4 Pasarga
"...Pasarga superior in every aspect in surprise elimination rout"

DBC 44, MD3
Cosumar 2-3 Pasarga
"Brothers Földessy, opportunistic Wanderers pull one over on Cosumar again..."

Last three meetings combined: Pasarga 13-4 Cosumar

Alford decided that, with some help from Asper Romijnders and the rest of her staff, she would see to it that large printouts of the above clippings were pasted into the back of the lockers of all 24 players by the time they began arriving for training in the next hour. She didn't plan to address the team and lead them out to training as usual. She would simply let the message sink into the room and wait for them to trudge out to the pitch in solemn silence. And - hopefully - in solidarity, with renewed concentration.

Dredging up this history pained her, and it would certainly anger her players when they saw it, but it might just be the only way to prevent that history from repeating itself tonight.

by **Qusmo** » Thu Dec 27, 2018 11:38 pm

Qusmu to English Dictionary

spon (spahn) n. sport
Qusma (KOO-zmah) pr. adj. adjective form of Qusmo
Qusmo (KOO-zmoh) pr. n. nation, country, state; homeland; Qusmo
Qanz (kahnz) pr. n. capital city of Qusmo
Qusmi’y (KOO-zmee-eh) pl. pr. n. people from Qusmo, people of Qusmo
fuzpon (FOO-zpahn) n. (association) football, soccer
kypiny (KIP-in-eh) pl. n. team, side; club, organization
fuzpona (FOO-zpah-nah) adj. adjective form of fuzpon
opolqy (oh-POLE-keh) pl. n. cities, towns, urban areas
qavaxujz (KAH-vakz-uzsh) n. tier, level
pugy (PUH-geh) pl. n. league, association; competition
puky (PUH-keh) pl. n. tournament, cup; competition; trophy
glomrakory (GLOHM-rah-koh-reh) pl. n. organizations, groups
spona (SPAH-na) adj.
hibuzpon (HIH-booh-zpahn) n. baseball
sibuzpon (SIH-booh-zpahn) n. softball
harizpon (HAH-rih-zpahn) n. equestrian, (horseback) riding
Qusmi (KOO-zmee) pr. n. person from Qusmo, person of Qusmo
hacuzpon (HAH-chuh-zpahn) n. horse racing
qujz (koohzsh) n. justice; fairness; due
dujz (doohzsh) prep. for; towards
luq (loohk) n. all; everyone, everybody
tug (toohg) conj. &
peq (pek) prep. above; more than; superseding

SPON QUSMA

Press Release: Spon Qusma Statement on the Games of the XIII Olympiad
For immediate release

QANZ, Qusmo – Spon Qusma is the official governing body of sport in Qusmo. As an organization, we have been tasked with the mission of promoting excellence in sport for all Qusmi’y. We take this mandate seriously, & we look to organizations under our domain such as Fuzpon Qusma as sterling examples of the power of sport in Qusmo.

Fuzpon Qusma has been phenomenally successful in its brief tenure, overseeing the construction of more than two dozen stadia capable of hosting international events, including the Youth Cup 24 semifinals & final, the Series B Champions’ Cup 69 final, & the Copa de Campeones 45 final. Qusma teams have been successful in international competition, reaching at least the quarterfinal of each of the Di Bradini Cup, Copa Rushmori, Cup of Harmony, & Champions’ Cup. Kypiny fuzpona Qusma are strong not just at the top, but closer to the grassroots across the country, too, with three hundred twenty kypiny from eighty opolqy competing in a healthy five-qavaxujz pyramid with sixteen pugy & several senior & youth puky at stake. Fuzpon Qusma has demonstrated not only the power of fuzpon in Qusmo, but the power of Qusmo in fuzpon.

With such an impressive resume in our first major foray, we know that many foreign observers expect Spon Qusma to enter a delegation for the next major competition of sport: the Games of the XIIIth Olympiad, to be hosted in Republica of the Free Republics. They know that we have excellent competitors in all events, & that Qusmi’y are capable of taking home medals, & even gold medals, in any competition they would enter. However, as an organization, after consulting with all our constituent glomrakory spona, we have decided not to submit a delegation for this Games of the Olympiad, nor any other Games of the Olympiad nor Olympic Winter Games for the foreseeable future.

Spon Qusma, &, by extension, the State of Qusmo, is officially boycotting all events hosted by the Olympic Council until such time as the Council, & all sports, competitions, & events it administers, cease to discriminate on the basis of gender or sex.

Great work has been accomplished by Stand Up to Sexism, an organization based in the Free Republics themselves, on highlighting Olympic gender discrimination & calling it out for what it is: unacceptable. However, the problem goes much deeper than the fact that women’s hibuzpon & men’s sibuzpon are not medal events, whereas men’s hibuzpon & women’s sibuzpon are. The problem is that we have events separated into men’s & women’s in the first place. This arbitrary discrimination on the basis of competitors’ gender is not only unnecessary, as the lack of gender restrictions in exciting, competitive, & successful Olympic harizpon events demonstrate; in fact, it is deeply harmful.

If we allow ourselves to segregate events on the basis of sex, we send a signal in male-dominated societies that the men’s events are superior to the women’s events, & we send a signal in female-dominated societies that the women’s events are superior to the men’s events. This perpetuates harmful stereotypes in those societies. It also serves to cheapen the accomplishments of those who have climbed to the pinnacle of their sport if their society or others’ dismisses their achievements as from a field of inferior participants - or if they, themselves, are belittled as inferior.

Most crucially, however, it is highly discriminatory & exclusionary. Countless athletes & potential competitors are kept out of the field of play because they do not fit into one of two narrowly defined & constrictive genders. It may be that athletes are transgender & are forced to endure the humiliation of competing as a gender they do not identify with, lest they be forced to bear bear the heartache of not competing in the sport they love at all. Or it may be that athletes are nonbinary & do not fall into either of the two categories that the Olympic Council has prescribed for them. In either case, the Olympics fail in their mission to include all competitors & honour those who are truly the best in their sports.

This is of particular significance in Qusmo. While in many other nations, transgender & nonbinary populations may comprise a small proportion of the population, every Qusmi is biologically nongendered. As they are presently organized, no Qusmi can compete in the events that they have trained for all their lives & that they love. This is discriminatory & exclusionary. This is completely unacceptable & totally contrary to the Olympic spirit. The Olympic Council must cease this shameful practice; until it does, Qusmo will not indulge it by conferring the legitimacy of a delegation to the Games of the Olympiad or the Olympic Winter Games.

Spon Qusma could simply enter some of its athletes into men’s events & some into women’s events, but this would create an arbitrary distinction. Where a distinction on the basis of gender exists, we could enter all of our athletes into men’s events or all of our athletes into women’s events, but this would tacitly concede that one is more valuable, important, or better than the other. We could also enter athletes only in harizpon, the only medal events which do not discriminate by gender, & hacuzpon, the only demonstration events which do not discriminate by gender, but this would acquiesce to discrimination in other events & the exclusion of other athletes. Instead of any of these half-measures, Spon Qusma is left no choice but to boycott the Games of the Olympiad altogether.

This will not be a loss of only Qusmo in Republica, either. Spon Qusma has worked closely with our counterparts & Olympic selection committees in other nations, & we are proud to announce that we are not the only nation in the Multiverse to take a stand for what is right. So far, we have the support of the Mrii Athletics Authority & the Royal Quebecois Olympic Committee; neither the Merchant Republic of Mriin nor the Royal Kingdom of Quebec will be sending a delegation to the XIII Games of the Olympiad in Republica, & we are working to ensure that more will soon follow. We encourage more nations to follow in their footsteps, too. For national Olympic committees which have yet to submit their delegation, there is still time to announce that a delegation will not be submitted; for national Olympic committees which have announced delegations, there is still time to withdraw. It is imperative that nations across the Multiverse stand up against this outrage &, instead of cowing to the allure of gold, silver, or bronze, respect their citizens’ dignity & that of citizens around the world by refusing to partake in this discriminatory event.

But, of course, the most important power lies with the individual. Even if one’s nation is not participating in the boycott, they still can; they can send a signal to the world by joining our cause & refusing to participate. This movement is not limited to athletes, either; fans can participate by refusing to travel to the Free Republics for the Games of the Olympiad, refusing to purchase Olympic-related merchandise & products, & refusing to watch Olympic events, ensuring they do not contribute financially to the Olympic Council’s discrimination. &, last but not least, those whose nations are boycotting the event must adhere to the boycott. It is critical to the integrity of our boycott. Those whose nations have pledged to withdraw from competition must respect this fact, & they must respect those of all genders & sexes. Doing otherwise would be an affront to our cause, & it would send a signal that they support discrimination.

We take no pleasure in boycotting the XIII Games of the Olympiad. We believe in the ability of Qusma athletes to compete & to win on one of the greatest stages of sport in the Multiverse; however, it is a step that must be taken. It is our hope that by not participating in these Games, we will allow all people to participate in sport in the future. Only then can we live up to our nation’s motto: Qujz dujz Luq tug Qujz peq Luq.

by **Valanora** » Fri Dec 28, 2018 12:17 am

Semifinals
Mytanija 1–0 Qusmo
Cosumar 2–2(2–2 AET)[3–2 PKs] Pasarga

3PPo
Qusmo v Pasarga @ The Hatire Memorial, Capri

Final
Mytanija v Cosumar @ The Battleground, Raynor City

by **Qusmo** » Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:29 am

Yivix-Belaj Ivo, assistant manager of Qusmo’s U21 team at the Di Bradini Cup, saw the copy of Blip kujz Evarty Qanza in the locker room after a long practice & picked it up. Blip kujz Evarty Qanza was, really, the newspaper of record not just in Qanz, but across Qusmo. Any Qusmi who wanted to know the facts went to Blip kujz Evarty Qanza.

The team was in the midst of a tough seven-match schedule, & being eliminated - with their first loss, even their first dropped points at all throughout this tournament - was tough. Still, they had a match against Pasarga, which had dispatched Hachetasser, Cocoabo Forest, Cosumar, Eshan, & Qusmo’s newfound rivals Juvencus before falling to a phenomenal Cosumarite squad on penalty kicks in a semifinal rematch. They had won four of those matches by a margin of a single goal, proving that they could win tough, hard-fought, close matches that went straight down to the wire.

Pasarga had proved their mettle & their fighting spirit, & Ivo was willing to bet that the Rushmori giants would use their semifinal penalty shootout loss as motivation to perform even better - as if they weren’t formidable opponents already. In the middle of the pressure cooker of the Di Bradini Cup, a newspaper like Blip kujz Evarty Qanza was always welcome, as a piece of home in the heart of Capri. Ivo’s smile froze, though, as soon as they read the headline on the front page.

Qusmi’y, violating the Olympic boycott is an affront against you

Yesterday, Spon Qusma announced that it would not send delegates to the Games of the XIII Olympiad, to be held in the Republican capital of Republica, nor to any competition sanctioned by the Olympic Council, until it ceased to discriminate against competitors on the grounds of gender. It announced the creation of a fledgling international coalition to boycott the Games of the Olympiad & the Olympic Council, & it called upon more nations & individuals across the Multiverse to join them in this cause. Spon Qusma stood for what’s right. Spon Qusma stood for justice for Qusmi’y. Spon Qusma stood for justice for all people, across the Multiverse.

Unfortunately, some - &, shockingly enough, even some Qusmi’y - do not share in this sentiment.

Ivo had to do a double take there. The words were daggers, & there was no question who they were aimed for. Forzu-Denir Ono was a Qusmi through & through; they had managed in Pug Qusmyra for two seasons, & they had established a great reputation for themself as someone who could get the best out of young players, like Rilan-Jerat Nev, who had won Fuzpon Qusma Young Player of the Season in both of their years with Forzu-Denir. The pair had seen KF Trew place in the top five of Pug Qusmyra in both of Forzu-Denir’s years & dominate Puk Juzuna with its youth team. In fact, both Ivo & their boss, Lucex-Kynda Uzo, had gotten their jobs with Qusmo’s U21 team after successes managing the Trew academy. Forzu-Denir had more than earned their chops, especially working with youth talent, & as a result, they earned a phenomenal opportunity to lead Banija’s U21s in the Di Bradini Cup - & their Olympic football team. Ivo continued to read.

In fact, earlier today, Forzu-Denir Ono held a press conference to announce that they would violate the boycott & manage Banija’s men’s football team in the Games of the XIII Olympiad. Forzu-Denir is known to observers of Pug Qusmyra this past season as a manager who led a team that regressed this past season & missed all international competition. They then fled for Banija’s U21 team, with which they could manage only one win & elimination in the group stage - a far cry from Qusmo’s five wins & trip to the semifinal.

Now, by flying in the face of the Olympic boycott, they aim to go from one failure in Qusmo to another failure in Valanora to an utter disgrace & affront to decency in the Free Republics.

Ivo could not believe the words they were reading. This is how Blip kujz Evarty Qanza was treating Forzu-Denir Ono? Ono was one of the best managers Ivo knew. Ono was one of the best people Ivo knew. & could the Qusma public really be convinced of this? After all, Forzu-Denir’s tenure at Trew was regarded as a success; that’s why they were able to make the leap into an international role. That’s how both of their assistants eventually ended up being in charge of Qusmo’s own youth team.

& how could their performance in the Di Bradini Cup be dismissed so blithely? Banija had been in a group of death for the ages, & they were tied on points & goal difference for first place. They were only eliminated on a coin flip. Besides, Qusmo was rooting for one of their own to do well; Banija was the most-followed & most-supported foreign team in the country, as everyone hoped that a fellow Qusmi would do well. Surely that was what Qusmo truly was - not this unbelievable hit piece. Ivo skipped ahead to read the ending of the piece. They just couldn’t take these attacks much longer.

Forzu-Denir has sold out this boycott - but this issue is much larger than a mere sporting event. The issue is whether all people will be treated as equals on the international stage. The issue is whether Qusmi’y will be recognized for the human beings that we are. We can only echo the words of Spon Qusma as they announced this boycott. “[T]hose whose nations are boycotting the event must adhere to the boycott. … Doing otherwise would be an affront to our cause, & it would send a signal that they support discrimination.”

Forzu-Denir has sold out all Qusmi’y; they have betrayed Qusmo.

Ivo put the article down on the bench, & they sat down next to it. Something was wrong. Something was dangerously wrong. This was not the Blip kujz Evarty Qanza that they knew. No, that newspaper used the power of the press to lift up Qusmi’y & unite them in support of a higher cause. It made Qusmo a better place to be. But this? This was unrecognizable. Sure, the headline addressed Qusmi’y directly. Yes, there was that old, familiar long-short-long-short pattern of paragraphs. &, of course, the writing was powerful. But the subject matter? How could Blip kujz Evarty Qanza ever publish such a story about a Qusmi just trying to sustain their career?

As Ivo thought more, they realized that this was not the only time they had sensed that something was… off. Before Qusmo’s quarterfinal against Beepee, too, Uzo had blown up. Such anger & self-righteousness was something that was completely new in Uzo. Ivo & Uzo had had great chemistry before that point, laughing & joking together, but also being able to see eye-to-eye & work together as an effective partnership. But now, Uzo was cold. Ivo heard whispers that Uzo didn’t think Ivo was dedicated enough - but to what? Ivo sensed that this tournament might be their last working with Uzo; they might have to start looking for work elsewhere.

But things were shifting. Things seemed to be, anyways. Perhaps Ivo was just being a bit paranoid. They didn’t have the job security they had enjoyed at Trew & before that talk with Uzo, & that was just setting them on edge. Something was wrong in their professional life, & they saw things go wrong everywhere else, too. Maybe that was it.

Ivo was inclined to believe that before, but this article snapped them out of it once & for all. So many little things had been building up. A small section of the fans had been uncharacteristically belligerent for a Qusma supporters group before the semifinal with Mytanija. Perhaps Ivo could dismiss that as the pressure of a semifinal against a regional opponent - the first time Qusmo had ever been in that situation before. &, of course, there was the spat with Uzo. Perhaps Ivo could dismiss that as two strong personalities having a key clash in philosophies coming to full light. &, though it remained more subtle, & more vague, Ivo also sensed some kind of shift among some of the players in the locker room. Perhaps Ivo could dismiss that as the stress of being young players being pegged as favourites in their group, & potentially even farther than that - a status no Qusma team, in this tournament or any other, had ever had to deal with before. & what of that announcement of the boycott in the first place? It seemed to bring oddly irrelevant information about Qusma glory into that press release - & why did it insist upon using Qusmu words in the English version, anyways? & why did it make such a big deal about a country that had never before participated in the Olympics continuing to not participate in the Olympics? Perhaps Ivo could dismiss that as Spon Qusma wanting to bring more credibility to itself & more attention to the cause behind its boycott.

Just one of those events, in isolation, could be dismissed easily. & Ivo wanted to. Ivo desperately wanted to believe that everything was alright. But taken together, it was an alarming trend. & after reading that article, Ivo became scared. Ivo cared no longer about what happened at the Memorial. Let the Wanderers take bronze for all Ivo cared. Ivo was focussed on something much bigger.

There was patriotism: a pride in one’s country. & then there was nationalism: a belief in its superiority. Qusmi’y had always been the former, but Ivo was beginning to fear that Qusmo was dipping dangerously into the latter.

Something was rotten in the state of Qusmo.

by **Mytanija** » Sat Dec 29, 2018 7:19 pm

FSM HQ, ESCA

“We’ve not really even been that impressive, to be honest.”

“I know, but perhaps that is the most impressive thing about it. Lev’s taken this team through the tournament despite not even playing that well. And they still haven’t lost a game.”

“With the players we have at our disposal – and their experience – I feel like we shouldn’t have struggled as much as we have in this tournament.”

“I don’t know, you always have to remember that it is the best young players in football competing. It’s never going to be an easy ride.”

“That’s true. It’s easy to get drawn into the hype when you have people like that Nevenka Planinc writing about the team, did you read her most recent post-game report?”

“I did. Most rambling piece of journalism I have ever heard. Apparently she was in work drunk, so I’m told.”

“Really? I almost find that impressive. Says a lot about her work, though.”

The two suits chuckled, one lit a cigarette as he sat back in the luxurious chair. He sighed loudly, looking around at the plush office. The other got up and walked over to a cabinet at the side of the room, it was full of drinks in antique glass bottles.

“Would you like a scotch? I got this one flown in from Ancharmunn not so long ago.”

“Er, sure, I’ll take one,” The suit smoking replied. “What do you think then? Has he done well enough? We’ll have to make an announcement at some point. Robin doesn’t want to continue forever.”

“I’m not sure. Lev is a good manager but the big job may have come a bit too early for him.” He said, pouring healthy measures of whiskey into glass tumblers.

“See, now you sound like Planinc!” The suit nearly choked on his cigarette as he laughed. “I swear that came from an article of hers almost word for word!”

“We all have to be diplomatic at times don’t we, it makes my skin crawl, talking like one of those politicians. But anyway, what say you? Do you think he’s done well enough?” He asked, handing his fellow suit the scotch.

“Well, he’s got to the final hasn’t he? By any stretch of the imagination that seems like a pretty successful result. At the end of the day, winning is what is important. If we disregard the style of play then he’s pretty much done what has been asked of him.”

“He’s not actually won anything yet though.”

“True, but are you really going to put it all on the final?” He tapped the ash of his cigarette into an ashtray sat on the low rosewood table sat between them before sitting back and taking a sip of the scotch. “Is that really how we do things here? It doesn’t seem very… I don’t know, thought out?”

“You’ve a lot to learn, Luka. The FSM has never been an organisation that likes to have these ten-year plans that other nations put into action and we’re not going to start now, it all costs so much money. Why do you think player development is left up to the clubs so much?”

“I thought things were going to change—” The suit named Luka started before being stopped by the other suits interjection.

“That question was rhetorical, Luka.” Now it was his turn to sigh. “We both know things are not going to change here anytime soon. Mytanija isn’t changing, as much as the government have tried to indicate that it might – and to be frank, why should it? There’s always going to be people who can be exploited and those that are prepared to do the exploiting.”

“What are you talking about Nikola?” Luka asked with a look of horror upon his face.

“You’re an idealist aren’t you Luka?” Nikola laughed as he stood up, downing his scotch. “Look, the FSM has always exploited football in Mytanija. I’ve always found it quaint how it says that we’re meant to be the ‘guardians of the game’ and all that kind of stuff in the constitution. The truth is that we do nothing of the sort. The clubs are prepared to spend their money on youth development, so we don’t have to bother with that. Upkeep of stadiums is largely up to the clubs too, even 1923 Esca are lumbered with maintenance costs for Radnika! The fucking national stadium!” Nikola laughed mockingly before continuing. “We hosted the Copa Rushmori and we paid the clubs a pittance for using their grounds whilst taking in all the profits on tickets. The government gave us grants to host the tournament. The whole thing is a farce. But it’s making us very rich.”

“What does this have to do with choosing whether Lev Repin follows Robin Hjik as manager or not thought?”

“With Robin, he’s a national hero and he pretty much guarantees you results with his style of football. It may not be flashy, it may not be exciting, but he grinds out results. That much can be seen with how we did during World Cup qualifying and in the Cup of Harmony last time around. Lev, well, he’s more of a risk. All his tactics and his tinkering… It’s not as much of a sure thing for us.”

“I’m not following you… He’s quite literally got the under-21 team into the Di Bradini Cup final?”

“With a team that is widely understood to be one of the best under-21 teams in football, if not the best! There’s three players that won the tournament the last time we played in it in the squad! He may not be able to do the same thing with a national side that is not at the same standard!”

“Right, I understand you, but what does this have to do with money? Even if Lev manages the team and they do poorly? I’m not understanding where you’re going with this.”

“If we decided to make Lev Repin manager of the Mytanar national team ahead of the next World Cup cycle and he performed below expectations due to his… tinkering, due to messing with the team too much. We would have to sack him and this would lead to a fairly significant severance payment, which, well, I’d prefer not to have to pay. That money could be lying in the FSM bank accounts and be funnelled into our pockets instead.”

“But would the same not be the case for Robin? What if he performed poorly as manager?” Luka asked, the corun starting to finally drop. The question drew a roar of laughter from Nikola.

“Luka,” Nikola spluttered. “You can’t fucking sack Robin Hjik!” Nikola laughed again, wiping tears from his eyes. “It’s the fucking Robin Hjik!”

“Yes, but Lev is a legend of Mytanar football too?”

“Robin doesn’t mess about tactics wise like Lev does. If the team started performing badly under Lev then we would have to get rid of him, supporters don’t like all this new-age tactics and technology stuff he’s into. He’d lose their support quickly if it doesn’t work and it’d cost us money too, he’d want new equipment and all sorts. Plus if they start losing fans will stop going to games.”

“Nikola, don’t you understand what you’re saying? How bad it sounds?” Luka asked, aghast.

“What?”

“This is no way to run a national team!”

“Woah, steady on Luka—”

“No!” Luka shouted, standing up. “What are you talking about?! Other countries are out there trying to organise the best way for their national side to win and you’re here talking about the best way to cream off the money into your back pocket!”

“This is Mytanija, Luka.” Nikola shrugged, pouring another scotch. “It never changes, no matter how much those politicians try and tell you it will.”

“You make me sick.” Luka said, slamming down his half-drank scotch before leaving the room.

“Close the door on the way out, won’t you? There’s a good lad.”

by **Valanora** » Sun Dec 30, 2018 3:03 am

3PPo
Qusmo 0–1 Pasarga

Congratulations to the winner, commiserations to the loser.

Di Bradini Cup 44/U21WC65 Everything Thread

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