WC 82 RP Thread

by **Velestria** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 8:54 am

_{[ Take he thrill of playing as Vegai F.C. in Play90 mode as in Helmuth Studio’s Dream XI 418 ]}

by **Balqia** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 8:57 am

The dark alley was cold, Viktor could feel the snow under his boots, his hands were shaking and even the large coat couldn’t block all the wind. And there he was, a man wearing a brown overcoat and a black suitcase.
-Viktor,how I missed you old man.- his voice was rough, the cold blue eyes stared at Viktor.
-I can not say the same. I gave you what you asked for, now I want my reward.
-No, you didn’t. The team is in seventh place and just drew against a team below our ranking.
-I-I can explain. Matiq is having some problems with his leg, we want to sent him home, but he don’t want to.- cold sweat was running in his forehead. -I mean, if we can put Kaesar or Rigo in his place as main forward we could…
-You will do this. We have some very angry people in Orsaw asking themselves why they even put money in the National Team to begin with.
-L-look, I can guarantee you that we will win… soon.
-We will win the next game. That’s it.
-A-are you crazy? Primlid is almost having a heart attack trying to improve our strategy. Matiq is having some problems in his leg, and Kuld is having some problems with his family, so…
-I...We don’t care, friend.
-In the first five minutes we advanced, Qalti went right to the enemy area and Faj advanced by the left. We almost scored a goal...
-But they didn’t. And I don’t care about your stupid game, I want results. Did you hear me?
Viktor was losing ground. If he didn’t think in something he and his family will be in serious problems with some important people of Balqia. Then an idea flourished in his head.
-If I promise you that we will do better in the next game, can you at least calm down our friends in Orsaw?
-The next one? If you don’t win the next game your position will surely found someone more competent to hol it.
That phrase shocked Viktor, he didn’t have idea of an answer to that. If he lost his position he will go back to be just a minor politician, trying to be elected to the National Assembly.
-Y-you can’t be serious. I immersed myself in filth to gain this office. You can’t take it from me, my family depends on this. My…
-And if you don’t give us results all this filth will be shown to public. You know that Vargas is putting some effort in cleaning the government, so your acts could have some bad consequences .
Andrec stood still for some time, his eyes were fixed in some point but his mind was working without stop. He knew that something must be done, he knew he must win or his family trip will be ruined. No, his family will be ruined, if his "contacts" became public his wife will become a widow and the political career of his son Gaius will crumble. Viktor was cornered and could just pray for the success of the team.
-I will do my best. I promise.- he said at least.
-Good. There’s your share. We discounted the penalties for the draw and defeat.
The man with the overcoated placed the suitcase next to Viktor’s feet.
-Good bye Mr Andrec. I am rooting for you.
He left the alley. Andrec was alone, he took the suitcase and went back to the hotel.

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:12 am

In an economy apartment in Marisca, Gabriel Houellebecq settled in to watch the Oberour Ar Moro football match. This wasn't a huge surprise, many Oberours were doing the same across the Dominion. The number of people watching and pulling for Audioslavia must have only been a handful. And one of them was Auran Gabriel Houellebecq.

Houellebecq was in his second year as a resident of Oberour Ar Moro. When he had filled out that online form to sign up for the popular Auran reality show "Footballer McFootballface", he was hoping for the chance to strike out and make a name for himself in the broader world. And when the voting public chose to put him on the international transfer list, he was promptly signed to play as a fullback for Oberour second-division side Myrrh-Streamer.

Oberour Ar Moro had its quirks, and things worse than quirks. The military and corporate control of nearly every facet of life was rough. The culture that bred more than its fair share of testosterone-poisoned jackwagons. The strange belief that muskrat is edible and should be consumed. But Gabriel was playing football full-time and was being paid well to do so. So it was hard to complain.

He was playing well too. Aurans may have voted for him on "Footballer McFootballface" because they had never met a Houellebecq before (To be fair, Gabriel hadn't really either. Both of his parents were only children, and his parent's parents were only children. So Mr. and Mrs. Houellebecq seemingly attempted to correct this by having eight children. Seven were daughters.), but Gabriel had immediately become a starter at Myrrh-Streamer.

Beyond that, he was getting some grudging respect. The worst Oberour coaches and fans seemed to see defense as the thing you have to have only to get back on offense and score goals. Every Oberour child growing up wanted to be a sweeper, or a striker in a pinch, so fullbacks and goalkeeper were where the players with the greatest deficiencies were shuttled.

Luckily, Gabriel went to a team that actually demonstrated an interest in defense and actually preventing the other team from scoring instead of just outscoring the other team. Unfortunately, the Myrrh-Streamer offense was not able to do as much scoring as they needed, so they finished sixth in the division. This led to the shake-up that sent Laurens

Gabriel liked Olliuier le Duc, Desainctvictori’s replacement in goal, but wasn’t sure how Myrrh-Streamer would do without the national team’s starting goalkeeper on their team. Manager Thoumas Rigaudiere was hearing the concerns from the press and from fans, and stated "Olliuier le Duc is absolutely ready to take on a starting role, and having Gabriel supporting him at left back makes the decision even easier. Our defense is in good hands."

Gabriel spotted Selyf Broderesse, his Myrrh-Streamer teammate and national team back-up right-winger, as the camera panned down the row of Oberours standing at attention for the national anthem. Selyf had been all confidence when he got the call that he would be on the roster for the Audioslavia game. "I'll blow you a kiss when I score a goal", he told Gabriel, but his boastfulness had retreated as the game got closer. Perhaps the gravity was starting to weigh down on him.

The camera then showed the Auran players singing along to their own anthem, and Gabriel had a brief vision of lining up in a green-and-red kit at the 66 Stadium himself, before reminding himself he played at the second level of the 91st-ranked domestic football nation. Maybe if he could help Myrrh-Streamer get to the Premier Division, he could get to the “On Standby” list someday. He sighed.

As the camera showed players warming up, the Antenne Sports announcers were discussing the praise Wilf Lidgley had given to the Oberour dual-sweeper system, and even talked about the possibility of other nations starting to experiment with it, as if it wasn't the weirdest formation a team had ever used. Or at least the weirdest since that one nation that worshipped nil-nil draws attempted to qualify for World Cups.

With mere moments before kickoff, the announcers were bringing up Oberour Ar Moro’s recent high-points. The draw against Eura. The thrashing they had given to TigerSharkistan just two weeks prior. And then further back: the victory against Anthor, and the most holy of holies: The victory against the Five Worlds, that moment when every part of Oberour Ar Moro football came together and demonstrated that greatest of Oberour feats: defeating someone publically, brutally, and beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Obeorur Ar Moro readies for the kick-off. The referee blew his whistle, Kerrian Odierne kicked the ball to Collas Boutier la Reyne, and in his economy apartment in Marisca, Gabriel Houellebecq settled in for the match.

Oberour Ar Moro 3-0 TigerSharkistan
@ Parade Grounds, Regium

Goals
11': Josselyn Pessiere, Oberour Ar Moro
18': Josselyn Pessiere, Obeorur Ar Moro
70': Taran Bele, Oberour Ar Moro

Oberour Starting XI
GK Laurens Desainctvictori
LB Gwion du Bourc-la-Reyne
RB Pius A' l'Espee
SW Josselyn Pessiere, Captain
SW Phelippon de Gentilli
LM Roparzh Ricouart
RM Brevalan Gaspard
CM Collas Boutier la Reyne
LW Jakou Chirot
RW Ruran l'Ermite
ST Kerrian Odierne

Oberour Susbstitues
52' Out: Roparzh Ricouart; In: Gurguy Durerie
65' Out: Kerrian Odierne; In: Taran Bele
82' Out: Jakou Chirot; In: Denig Regnault

Eighty-Second World Cup Qualification Schedule
WIN DRAW LOSS

MD1: Overour Ar Moro 2-2 Eura
MD2: Drawkland 5-4 Oberour Ar Moro
MD3: Oberour Ar Moro 1-1 Lochario
MD4: Rakivland 4-4 Oberour Ar Moro
MD5: Oberour Ar Moro 3-0 TigerSharkistan
MD6: Audioslavia (5-0-0) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)
MD7: Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1) v. San Rocca (0-2-3)
MD8: Darkmania (2-1-2) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)
MD9: Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1) v. Kevagaria (0-2-3)
MD10: Eura (3-2-0) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)
MD11: Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1) v. Drawkland (3-1-1)
MD12: Lochario (2-1-2) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)
MD13: Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1) v. Rakivland (0-2-3)
MD14: TigerSharkistan (2-0-3) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)
MD15: Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1) v. Audioslavia (5-0-0)
MD16: San Rocca (0-2-3) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)
MD17: Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1) v. Darkmania (2-1-2)
MD18: Kevagaria (0-2-3) v. Oberour Ar Moro (1-3-1)

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:16 pm

OOC: this post corresponds to Matchday 4 against North Prarie, I swear I'll catch up someday
A Grand Tour of the Confederacy

Han Dold: Canyons on the Coast
Part 1: Sivolvia
This week we find ourselves visiting the smallest of the seven states that make up the Confederacy, Han Dold, and its capital: Han Dold City.

Geography
Han Dold is situated along the lower reaches of the Han River, which flows over the border with Megabrantis and eventually empties into the ocean. Han Dold City is located on the river some way inland. The region's other major city, Han Wavel, is located to the North near the mouth of the smaller Wavel River (place naming conventions in Han Dold are somewhat predictable). Upriver from the cities and the coastal plain, the rivers enter (or rather leave, as the case may be) the magnificent Han Dold Canyonlands. Both rivers have carved extensive gorges through the soft shales and limestones of the region, and the result is an amazing network of canyons, waterfalls, and caves that serves as a massive ecotourism draw for the region. The canyons, along with much of the rest of the region, are heavily forested in a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees, including a few areas of relatively undisturbed old growth forest far inland. The climate is on the colder end of humid continental, with a milder oceanic climate near the coast. Generally this makes for plentiful snow throughout the region in winter and fairly mild summers, with temperatures inland being significantly more extreme than on the coast. Those prone to seasonal affective disorder may want to avoid visiting between late fall and early spring, as cloud cover can be extensive and persistent. While harsh winters and rugged terrain make large-scale agriculture unfeasible outside of the coastal plain (where hardy grains like barley and winter wheat are plentiful) there are significant fruit-growing areas, particularly for apples and berries, and a steadily growing wine industry has emerged in recent decades, and the region is known for rieslings in particular.

History
Han Dold's population density has always been low relative to much of the rest of the confederacy. outside of the coastal plain the land is unsuited to large-scale agriculture, being both rocky and prone to harsh winters. The region was important as a source of woodland goods like lumber, potash, and amber, as well as stone that was more accessible than most of Fallia to the north.
During the period of the Imperial conquest, Han Dold had one of the less eventful defeats. Realizing that his small nation had no hope of holding out against the might of the Imperium, and that resistance would only result in pointless bloodshed, Grand Duke Leowarth ordered his troops to stand down and surrender. Under the Imperium, exploitation of Han Dold's natural resources intensified, and the scars left by unchecked mining and logging operations are still evident today. They are not, however, nearly as bad as they could have been. Early on in the industrial revolution, engineers identified the Han Canyonlands as a prime candidate for a dam that would provide hydropower to the entire region. Realizing that this project would forever alter the river's flow and deny the beauty of the Canyonlands to future generations, photography pioneer and philanthropist Eastman Letchworth embarked on a secretive project to buy up as much of the threatened area as he could. Expending a large portion of his personal fortune, he dedicated the new property as a natural preserve, and bequeathed it to the state upon his death, under the stipulation that it remain off limits to exploitation in perpetuity. During the civil war, Han Dold, like Sivolvia, was not an area of primary concern for the Imperium, and there was little in the way of significant action. Some revolutionaries did see the inland wilderness as an ideal base, but the extremely rugged terrain and numerous watercourses made it so impenetrable as to be of limited utility even for them. Today, Han Dold is a fairly quiet region, regarded by some in the Confederacy as something of a backwater. While sometimes maligned as lacking in economic opportunity, Han Dold and Han Wavel are consistently ranked among the best places to live in terms of citizen happiness in the northern confederacy.

Culture
As one would expect given the cool climate, Han food tends to be fairly heavy and hearty, with meat stews and root vegetables being plentiful in traditional cuisine. Modern Han food, especially street food, is legendarily unhealthy, with many dishes being very high in fat. With regard to sports, each of the major cities has two large football clubs, With Han Dold City FC and Canyons AC representing the capital, and Wavel Rangers and Wavel AC in Han Wavel. At this time, HDCFC play in the Super League, while all three of the others are in League 1. Han sports fans are known for extreme devotion, even to losing causes, and for performing wild stunts at tailgate parties. Han culture is also marked by a desire to regularly get out into nature. Camping, bicycling, and hiking are popular activities, as are skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating in winter months, and the region is a hotbed of development for the Confederate Hockey League.¹

Getting There and Getting Around
While Han Dold City is the capital and largest city, Han Wavel, by virtue of its status as the state's main seaport, rivals the capital as a transportation hub, and both cities boast respectable airports. While both are fairly small by multiversal standards, they are just a short hop away from Brantisvogan to the south. The coastal plain is well-served by rail lines, with a few connections to major points of interest inland. A personal car is advantageous for exploring the canyonlands in more detail, but certainly not essential.

1. or at least it will be once I get around to creating the CHL

by **Tinhampton** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:27 pm

OOC: Air Conditioning is moving slowly and I will get Episode II up from Gladom Newion, but I will unfortunately be unable to transmit Episode III tonight (I may be able to put it together shortly after cut-off). Please accept this sketch instead.

Tinhampton, 2032
Boy: Why is my sister called Rose?
Dad: Because your mother loves flowers.
Boy: So how did I get my name, then?
Dad: It's a long story, Cup of Harmony 73...

by **Filindostan** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:36 pm

San Marco National Centre for Football Development
San Marco, Filindostan

It was a week before Filindostan's home match against Abristan. All the Filindostani players in the pool convened for a joint training session in order to determine the starting lineup and subs for the fifth match of their World Cup qualifying campaign. They were looking forward to meet with Ethel Toh, the caretaker manager for the remainder of their matches. Five minutes before the start of the training sessions, people with tracksuits bearing the Coat of Arms of Filindostan and the logo of NNS arrived in their training pitch and asked the players to assemble. There were no trace of Ester in the group.

"Hello, may we know where is Ms. Ethel?" Dina asked one of the people having 'XR' in his tracksuit.

"Um, Ethel is on a meeting as she is also doing her duty as board member." She'll be here when she announce the lineup for the match. Xavier Rinoso, the deputy of Ethel, told the captain. and suddenly grabbed his whistle from his pocket and asked the players to start their warm-ups.

Several players did more than usual - it was their chance to show off to the new personnel, as some of them were almost frozen out by ex-manager Twilight Striker. One example is Buknoy, who was completely left out of several lineups lately. Under Willy, he started numerous matches, but a missed penalty costed them a win against Mattijana. When the Equestrian arrived, his playing time dwindled. Others were doing their usual routine, while some others chose to take it lightly for the meantime to avoid risking injury.

The trend continued - training, drills, scrimmages, the usual stuff they do regardless of manager. Somehow, something was different. There were no one pushing them or scolding them when they lose focus or make mistakes. The staff were just watching from the sidelines, with their notebooks and pen, writing as if they are just scribbling to relieve their boredom or some sorts.

Selection day came, and as the time came to decide the lineup, Ethel went into the pitch and presided the meeting.

"Good day. Ethel Toh here. You should call me Ms. Toh. I'm here to announce the lineup for our match against Abristan."

"In goal, Kartawijaya." The other goalkeepers were caught off guard and were surprised by the announcement.

"Defenders - Tessin, Luiz, Salcedo, Darmawan".

"Darmawan? Who in the hell is Darmawan?" Casimir interrupted the manager.

"Shut up when I'm talking, Likumahuwa. It's Darmawan, Dwi. Moving on, midfield - Debataraja, Casanova, Sitindaon, Simajuntak. And the forwards, Arespacochaga, Sanada."

"The subs are Jampang, Sormin, Arizala, Aryanto, Suparmanputra*, Teterissa. Other people, I don't want to see you at the field come match time."

Ethel then left the park, handing over the tasks to her assistants. They divided the players to those who were selected and those who were not, for a scrimmage. "For the outsiders, this will be your last game while Ms. Toh is managing the team. Bahala na kayo sa buhay nyo (You should take care of your own lives)."

Apparently, this was the beginning of a different era, that most of the national team players will not like.

*Suparmanputra = Sutikno

by **Valladares** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:44 pm

GE Regional Recap: Conservatives Win in Majority of States, but Regional Parties Grow

METROPOLIS (VAP) — The 22nd Valladar General Election ended up as it was expected, with the strong Conservative-Catholic League right-wing coalition winning a large majority of seats in both chambers of the Valladar Parliament. With 32 seats in the Senado and 41 in the Asamblea Nacional going Blue (an increase of 4 and 8 from the previous election) added to the 25 Senado and 28 Asamblea seats allocated to the Catholics, the Conservatives have thus ensured a reelection for Prime Minister Jefferson Pratt, which will be confirmed at the first session of the newly elected Parliament, which will see a weakened opposition from the Labour (16 Senado and 30 Asamblea seats), Green (11 Senado + 21 Asamblea seats), and Liberal (who have suffered their worst setback in a General Election by earning only 9 seats in the Senate and 13 seats in the Assembly), as well as the highest amount of representation from minor parties and independents in history. However, in this recap we are going to analyze the results in the local elections of each state, where the political issue is not as predictable as in the nationwide sphere, and where we were able to witness some surprises, especially coming from minor regional parties which have emerged strenghtened from this electoral race and will be hoping to snatch more votes from the Big Five parties in future elections.

District of Metropolis: The city of Metropolis and its surrounding suburbs are usually a battleground between the Conservative and the Liberal parties, however, the dramatic Liberal downfall in the most recent elections helped the Tories put one of their strongest cards into the nation's second most important elective office with charismatic politician Darío Insaurralde becoming District Mayor with 64,3% of the voting. The Conservatives also managed to land mayors affiliated to their party in Swangard, Servette, Ciudad Piar, and Villena, with the only exception being Cerro, where Labour managed to profit from the Liberal debacle in order to strip them of a town where the Reds used to be strong. As for the District Council, whilst the majority of seats went to the Tories, the remaining big parties managed to secure a decent degree of representation, although not enough to block the Conservative initiatives.

Eterna: The Eterna state has been a Green stronghold for several years, and this time was not the exception, with the party of the sunflower earning the majority in the State Assembly. The Eternan Governor will be Roy Burton, a Green leader who decided to make the jump from the state's legislative power to the state's executive power after spending eight years denouncing corruption from his Assembly seat, which earned him a huge amount of votes in this election. Surprisingly enough, the second biggest representation in the Assembly will not be held by another big party, but by the newly-created Social Party of Eterna, a minor socialist party emerging from the union of dissatisfied regional Labour politicians who managed to divide and weaken the Labourist voting base with big success, which will be greatly appreciated by Liberals and Conservatives for future elections.

Chiquito: Campo Grande, Maldonado, and surroundings always vote Blue, and the Tories made good use of their coalition with the Catholic League in this state in order to steamroll the challenge posed by the Green Party in this state. Meanwhile, the small Partido Luso made it into the headlines by becoming the state's third political force ahead of the Labour and Liberal parties, in what is considered by pundits as a humiliating defeat for both sides in the fourth most populated state of Valladares.

Foix: The Foix state has been a perennial Conservative stronghold, which was ratified this time with the Tories re-electing Anne Bernard as Governor and claiming huge majorities in the State Assembly. The same cannot be said about Fontvielle and Gatineau, though, as both cities remained as strong Labour enclaves given their history as working-class settlements.

Antioquia: The Antioquia state was scenario of a three-horse race between the Conservatives, Labour, and the Greens, which was ultimately won by the Tories, who sealed a last-minute coalition with the independent movement Creemos in order to run away with the majority of seats in the State Assembly, although they had to step out from the Governor election in order to allow Creemos candidate Christian Plaza become Governor. The long-held dream by the Greens to close the Talamonte coal mines will have to wait four years more at least.

Westlands: Although the Conservatives managed to claim yet another state to their name, the news of the election in this state was the growth of the Partido Nacional, who profitted on a nationalistic, anti-immigration and anti-Darmeni campaign in order to snatch a sizable State Assembly representation from the hands of the Liberal party, who were the second major political force in this state and were displaced to fifth place in this election in another catastrophic result for the Tories' arch-rivals. There have emerged rumors that the PN's campaign was allegedly funded from Darmen, with participation from the Frente de la Libertad Valladar, an organization that operates from the other side of the border and was responsible for insurgent activities in the counties of southeastern Darmen in the past.

Canalave: The Canalave state was the only one to be painted Red in the nation's political map, with the Liberals electing George Turnbull as Governor and winning the elections for Mayor in both the City of Canalave and Westporte with large margins. Despite this landslide victory in the main ports of Valladares, Canalave's small size and its equally small national representation did not do much to improve fortunes for a decadent party.

Junín: There were not many surprises in the Far East city, where Alba Stella Coria (Labour) became Mayor and the Labourists earned the majority of seats in the Council, securing another four years of Brown rule in Junín and hoping to finally convince the Royal Government to reopen the city to international traffic, although with Prime Minister Pratt's re-election, it is to be seen whether the Blues will be willing to make any concessions with their political rivals regarding the eastern city.

Arauco: Before Thursday's election, it looked like the Greens would be able to claim this state to their name, however, after Tuesday's blackout which involved the wind farms hugely supported by the Greens, the tide changed in favour of the Conservatives, who ended up as the big winners in Caraure, Faro, Barracas and surroundings with the Greens in second. Labour came in third place, which what was considered by their regional leaders as a disappointing result, whilst misery for the Liberals continued as they were unable to land a single seat in Arauco's State Assembly.

Alto Danubio: The traditional and highly conservative Danubian population once again went for the Yellow, voting en masse for the Catholic League for Governor and State Assembly, with Pedro Nel Reyes becoming Governor and the Catholics earning a majority of seats in the Assembly, with the Conservatives coming in second in both elections. However, with the tense relation between the elect Governor and Royal Delegate Juan Andrés Lafaurie being a matter of public knowledge, the political analysts in Arma, Lierravus, and Metropolis will be hoping for them to smooth things and work together sooner than later, or else the state will be thrown into a scenario of ungovernability it has never experienced.

Mountbatten: This was the most surprising case by far, since none of the big parties managed to earn a win here and were instead superseded by the Partido Hispánico de Mountbatten, a regional party based in Columbus which advocates for the secession of the eastern half of the state. Thanks to the unusually high voting turnouts registered in the municipalities of eastern Mountbatten, the PHM managed to elect Mario Valencia as Governor-General as well as overcome the large Labour and Liberal voting coming from Carloburgo and surroundings in order to win a huge majority in the State Assembly, which will give their ultimate goal an enormous boost. And the PHM is already preparing their triumphal entrance with fanfare as they already made known their intention to relocate the State Assembly to Columbus for its opening session, a move that has already raised outcry from the state's political elite, based in Carloburgo. The next four years will be full of action in the political arena of the Mountbatten state.

Read this article in:

Español | Français | Português

Popular stories now:

2019 ELECTIONS - Liberal leader Robert Chambers resigns after disastrous outcome
2019 ELECTIONS - PHM confirms Columbus' Palacio Quemado as the place for Mountbatten's State Assembly opening session
SPORT - Substitute strikers Brayan Borja and Aymeric Fortin rescue Valladares in 2-0 win at Soviet Micronesia
RUSHMORE - PM Jefferson Pratt expresses disappointment at slow response from CRC members on Valladares' accession process
DOMESTIC - ValAir announces fourth daily Metropolis-Junín flight from April 1

by **Santa Regada** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:55 pm

Tired of lackluster results, management adopts more aggressive stratergy

Winds of change are blowing as the subpar qualifying campaign continues

The nation is fustrated once more as the national team fails to deliver what was expected on them and their anger seems to have finally pushed the teams executives into action. Senior management within the Regadan national football team are making a serious change to the stratergy being taken on to the pitch. Previously the Super Eagles played a moderate variation of attacking and defensive football however due to continued failures in games that should have by theory been won, the national team will now emphasise a lot more on offensive football in an attempt to gain crucial wins and try and turn the qualifying campaign around; however given how far behind the group leaders Santa Regada currently is, many believe it is too little too late.

(OOC: Style mod is now +4)

by **Pratapgadh** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 1:22 pm

Sports
Football

FIRST VICTORY IN WORLD CUP!

Written by Rajeev Chauhan

{insert city name here}, Ancherion - Pratapgadh has achieved their first victory in the World Cup Qualifiers against Ancherion. Many people in Pratapgadh are celebrating this win.

Here is how the match went. Pratapgadh kicks-off the match. Skipping 15 minutes of nothing. Left-back, Akshaya Sorcar passes the ball to the Left-midfielder, Rajat Niraniya. Rajat passes the ball to Nishant Joshi, Nishant passes the ball to Nalesh Tandel and........GOAL! Nalesh Tandel scores a goal on the 17th minute! Just five minutes after the first goal, Nishant Joshi scores the second goal for Pratapgadh. Ancherion needs to score some goals to balance the game. On 33rd minute, Nishant Joshi scores another goal. And nothing happened much till half-time. The score is now 3 to 0. Ancherion needs to up their game, and that is what they did in the second half. They substituted some defenders and became more aggressive with the ball. Just 7 minutes in the second and a goal has been scored by Ancherion. And on the 56th minute, Nalesh Tandel scores another goal for Pratapgadh. Ancherion scored another 2 goals on 63rd minute and the 70th minute respectively. And the last goal for Pratapgadh was scored on the 85th minute by Nalesh Tandel.

I had a talk to Nalesh Tandel, Nishant Joshi and Ravindra Jadeja. The first one I talked to was Nalesh Tandel, who scored a hat-trick in the game. This is what he had to say about this match "The performance from our team was astonishing, we really played well and now we have finally got a win. This is a good example of dedication. We will continue this effort for the remaining matches." This is what Nishant said "This is probably one of the best matches we played. Ancherion did jump back in the second half but that wasn't enough for them to win the match. So well done to our players, let us continue the effort." The coach of the team, Ravindra Jadeja, was proud of his boys "We played very well. The team worked really hard and this match was the sweet fruit of hard work."

The fans in Pratapgadh have been celebrating the whole night after this thrilling match. A fan said to me "Our team showed Anirudh Singh that Pratapgadh still has a future in football. We can become one of the best!"

So that is it folks. The team's hard work paid off. Hopefully, Pratapgadh will do good at the next match too. Whatever the result, best of luck Pratapgadh!

by **Kandorith** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:02 pm

Shinonome Kyoai - International
_________________________________

Defeat Becoming A Worrisome Song

Tenkyo, The Kandorese team has to face another defeat in the World Cup qualifying campaign. The promising team from head coach Moriyase seems to become a complete headache. From a good and hopeful start, the Kandorese team now faces a series of very heavy defeats.

Fans at home are of course still hopeful for a successful campaign, but even the support is becoming doubtful of Moriyase's abilities to turn around the current course the team is taking. The team can not face another defeat and has to keep it's spirits up to overcome the recent results.

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:22 pm

Hey Nonny No (to Qasden We Shall Go)
From the Collected Folk Songs of Marindian the No-So-Magnificent

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no,
The Empire team to Qasden they shall go
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

This match that they began this hour
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
Showed that Qasden's form was but a wilting flower
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

And Qasden were soon crushed three-five
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
A result that makes us feel alive
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

The Empire sits astride Group Three
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
This they deserve, you will agree
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Our forwards score at will, it's true
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
Eleven they've scored in the last two.
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

But defence it needs some tightening up
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey hey-nonny-no,
If the Empire are to win the Cup
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no,
The Empire team to Qasden they shall go
In springtime, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.

by **Darmen** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:22 pm

Darmen claims road victory, Republicans up next

Gladom Newion 0-2 Darmen
GLN: Lineup Unknown
DAR: Campo - Espinosa (Wilkie 71'), Coghlan, Spalding - Goldschmidt - Mac Pharlain, Winton (Pickle 77'), McNeil (Byrnes 71'), Freud - Firmin, Russell

GOALS
GN-D
 0-1 Russell 17'
 0-2 Coghlan 62'

Colin Russell and Jacob Coghlan scored goals for the All Greens as they claimed three points in an uneventful away match. It was Coghlan's first ever goal in his 35th appearance with the National Team. Darmen controlled possession for 74% of the match, as the Gladom Newions seemed absent for much of the match.

Up next is a matchup with the group topping Free Republics. A Darmeni victory will result in both teams being level at 13 points, should Darmen win by three goals or more than they'll move to the top of the table. Playing at home, the All Greens will be seeking that victory, but a draw would not be a particularly bad result. Tough matches against Adab and Cobrio will follow, but the Darmenis must focus on the match at hand.

Godefroy Abascal has named his first choice lineup for the match, choosing experience over all other factors.

Lineup vs. Free Republics
Campo - Virgo, Abbey, Maddox - Goldschmidt - Ó Cuilinn, Winton, Butler, Stafford - Lucanus, Blackwood
(SUBS Abram, Coghlan, Ramírez, Mac Pharlain, Brynes, Freud, Hurst)

by **Polkopia** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:30 pm

04. Fiora (Part 1)

"Quit slouching!" Fiora winced as the mahogany wood slapped against her shinbone and she immediately straightened her back. "You've the honor to grace the court in Peeto, yet your posture is that of a rotting willow!" Madame Alyovna shrieked at her.

It was the third day of intensive training with Madame Alyovna, who was adamant that Fiora maintain the grace of a Lady. With that, she was beaten and bruised until she exemplified the same passivity and delicacy as all of the empty-headed dames whose faces were painted so white that it would blind a nonseeing man. Fiora wondered how it was possible that a woman like Madame Alyovna, with all of the superficiality she possessed, could find it inside herself to strike a girl as young as she.

Fiora felt her body tense up as the bottom of Madame Alyovna's cane tapped her jawbone. "Close your mouth." Madame Alyonva's puckered lips seemed to spit out at her. "There isn't a single man in Peeto that finds a woman who perpetually breathes out of her mouth admirable. It's quite the opposite, darling, I must be honest."

The two women were alone in one of many rooms in the Alyov Palace. The walls were painted a pale shade of chartreuse and the walls were lined with mirrors with ornate golden frames, where different patterns of holly were skillfully carved into the material. A single chandelier, whose golden limbs were equally as ornane as that of the frames, hung from the golden rafters above, and whose candlelight glistened across every surface of the room. This room, in particular, was where the majority of Fiora's lessons took place.

Her father had arranged for Fiora to undertake several lessons in proper etiquette prior to their departure for Peeto. her body was battered and bruised from the past seventy-two hours of suffering through Madame Alyovna's wrath but somehow, she endured. All of the bruises which appeared along her forearms, neck, and thighs were immediately covered up by a foul-smelling powder that made her skin appear pale and blotchy, and she almost preferred the hardened look of being covered in bruises to how she appeared now.

"Stand up and walk about the room, dear Fiora." Madame Alyovna instructed. Her voice was soft, yet commanding all the same.

Fiora bowed her head slightly before stepping onto the ornate garnet carpet. She hiked up the scratchy ruffles of her seafoam dress and glided across the room. Her feet were crammed into lacy shoes that were many sizes too small for her unusually large and clumsy feet, and it had taken her several hours to grow accustomed to walking in them. By the end of the first day, her feet seemed to grow multiple sizes from swelling, and the blisters that dotted her feet drew such a painful sensation that even now she found that it was necessary to distract her mind in order to keep herself from crying out in pain.

As Fiora graced the interior of the room, Madame Alyovna walked directly behind her, threatening to cane the back of Fiora's thighs if she misstepped even slightly. The daunting sound of her wooden cane thumping on the ground behind her made Fiora flinch as she embraced for a strike which, thankfully, never came.

"Alright Fiora, would you please sit down now." Madame Alyovna pointed her cane to the chair in which she sat down on before. "There is something very important I must tell you, but you mustn't let a single person know that you're aware of this information."

Fiora let out a sigh of relief as she maintained the same grace and posture as the past several hours and gracefully sat in the chair, crossing her legs in the same fashion as before.

"Fiora, darling, you've made immense progress since the time you first stepped through this door. Your father tells me you've never been to Peeto, no?" Madame Alyovna's tone was the most relaxed Fiora had ever heard.

Fiora shook her head. "No, Madame, I have not."

A slight smirk appeared on Madame Alyovna's usually stern face. "Calm now, child, you may hold the formality. I wish to speak to you as an acquaintance, not as a mentor."

Fiora's heart pounded in her chest. Was this a trick? No, Madame Alyovna seemed genuine enough. She slowly uncrossed her legs and allowed herself to slump while she sat. Oh, how amazing it felt to finally sit in such a position!

"As I'm sure you are well aware, your father, Lord Diga, has instructed me to teach you the formalities of behaving like a Lady before your extended stay in Peeto. Now, I'm sure you have not heard this piece of information, but you are the only member of your family - other than your mother and father, who are accompanying you on your journey. Do you know why this is?" Madame Alyovna sat back in her chair and watched Fiora fumble for an answer.

Fiora thought long and hard. She had at least assumed Pyotor would be coming to Peeto with her. Nikolai, she assumed, was too young and inexperienced to be paraded around in the court.

Fiora shook her head. "No, I don't."

"I do." Madame Alyovna smirked and sat back in her chair as if though the fact that she possessed some sort of insight that was unknown to Fiora gave her some sort of pleasure. "I've heard that your father intends for you to meet your future husband on the day of the ball. People talk a lot, you'll soon find this out when you're more accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, but word has it that your father already has a suitor in mind and that he and his father have already agreed to terms on your marrage."

by **New Lusitania and the Algarves** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:07 pm

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
World Cup 82 Quals

A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB
U.S.A.R. (Alpine Union) 1-1 New Lusitania
Stadion Nardowy w Orzokowie, Orzokow, East Prussia, USAR (Att: 59,681)
USAR - On the road again, New Lusitania were to try their luck in the Alpine Union's Prussian Regions. Bringing their A-Game, Patríce in goal, Guerreiros, Carriça, Cancela and Cédric Silva in defence, Nevais in defensive midfield, Fernando, Mário and Gama in midfield, Silveira and Jota in forward. For the Alpine Union, Kietnieweska in the goalkeeper position, with Zawitowski, Brezazncyk and Skrzezswki in the three man defence, Nordhaus and Ksiezniakiewicz in the back line of midfield with Warwyzkienwicz and Schroffenegger in the second line. Zalwowska occupied Attacking midfield
with the forwards being Zajaczkowski and Cwierczakiewiczowa. The first half occupied most of the great chances, including a post hit by Jota, a bar by Warwyzkienwicz and a close call by Gama. However, in contrast, the goals would come in the other forty five. From a corner, Bruno Fernando shot the goal, but a tremendous stop by Kietnieweska, with Nevais volleying it in on the rebound. Later on, Rafa Guerreiros got injured, after a risky foul by Nordhaus, who recieved a yellow card for it. It is now known that Rafa Guerreiros is at least five games out of the squad, meaning Vinagrete will substitute him. Whether it'll be Fábio Caipochão or Manuel Rui taking the sub position is still unknown. The goal for the Alpine Union came on 74 minutes of play, Zalwowska managed to pull an incisive pass that would give Zajaczkowski the chance to score and put it all square - and so it would stay, as either team wasted the chance to put themselves further up in the table.
FULL TIME: 1-1

Around the Grounds
Juvencus and Baranil drew away as they played Kernovi and Bjornoya, respectively, 2-2 and 1-1. Zuiopien are third after their win against Saint Émelie, as South Covello returned to winning ways after beating Osarius 4-0, the first big margin win in the group. In Group 11, Qusmo fell down from the top to third after a defeat against Cosumar 3-1, which joins Saltstead who had also won that day, against Mytanija.In Group 13, meanwhile, Competitive Solitaire is still the leader, despite giants Vilita, Abahnflefta and even Savojarna's impressive goal scoring abilities. In Group 15, the Equestrian States build an impressive five point gap over second placed Garifunya. In Group 2, Audioslavia seems to have built a similar lead of four over Eura (8 points) as well as Darkmania, Drawkland and Lochario (all 7 points). Meanwhile, the Free Republics lost points for the first time after a draw against Cobrio (2-2) in Group 6, as in high.scoring Group 7, Pasarga leads.

POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS and REACTIONS
I: A draw away at the Alpine Union. What's your take?
VSC: I honestly think that we could've won this one, and might've edged out the run of play. However, the Alpine Union played well, nonetheless.
I: Does this put any objective in jeopardy?
VSC: I don't think so, it's still very early in qualification so, not yet. We can still get to the objective we want to, which is the World Cup. We're going to remain fully focused for the following games despite our possible injury problems.
I: Thanks, Victor.

STATS (UAR/LUS)
Goals: 1/1
Shots: 7/9
Shots on Target: 6/7
Corners: 3/5
Fouls: 3/2
Cards - Yellow: 1/0
Cards - Red: 0/0
Posession %: 60/40

THE HUB
GOALS: André Silveira (2), Gama (1), Jota (1), Nevais (1)
ASSISTS: Silveira (1), Fernando (1), Luz (1), Mário (1)
BOOKINGS: Mário (1Y)
INJURIES: Rafa Guerreiros (5 matches)
SUSPENSIONS: None to Report.

LATEST
World Cup 81 Quals
Top Goalscorers: Silveira, Gama (11).
Assists: Fernando (9)
Cup of Harmony
Top Goalscorer: Silveira (2)
Assists: Fernando (3)
IDU Championships
Top Goalscorer: Gama (2)
Assists: Fernando (2)
IA6
Top Goalscorer: Silveira (4)
Assists: Fernando

-------------------------------------
Matchday: Internationals
coverage of the best
STL1 22:00 GMT
-----------------------------------
World Cup 82, The IA Championships 6
The best of the action on STL, your National Broadcaster
New Lusitania in exclusive.
-----------------------------------
Reach us with your reactions:
#STL #forçaselecção #WC82 #LUS #UARLUS
----------------------------------
STL in association with FLF
MMXIX

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:20 pm

Lampshire versus Juliasterinthen, back from WC81?

The Dragonflies are still struggling with their newfound style. Juliasterinthen, under pressure from the KFA, has implemented an 'attacking' 5-3-2. Under the new strategy, one defender is to be sent forward while the team is in possession. Given the extreme focus on positioning and communication, if there is any backline in the Multiverse that can handle this, it's ours. As in, while the team is in possession there is no problem, but it's the vulnerability if possession is lost and the other team is on the counterattack. In that case, the opponent finds four defenders instead of five - and having five at the back at all times is part of our national team's DNA. It's no wonder that there are a few growing pains. We did not expect there to be this many growing pains, though.

Against Freeport, the play itself wasn't much to look at. As always, the game is played purely for the sake of the result and the three points involved, and the three points were conquered in the end. It took a deflected Longchambon shot, but the Dragonflies eventually led 1-0 and it was a lead they would never give up. After the goal, the attacking 5-3-2 was abandoned and there would always be five at the back. Before the goal, Freeport had some chances in with quick strikers, launching a long ball at them right where a Ko-orenite defender was absent. Dalton and Brogley have absolute key positions in the system: the fullbacks are the ones either to go forward, or to cover whatever spot is left by one of the central defenders. Dalton and Brogley are also the oldest starters on the defence, by far. The over 30s are tasked with this just because they have such experience, but so far it's really been a 50-50 split as to their success. The central defenders have been weak at times as well, with Van Schelven, Mizuno and Lampshire having an average age of 22. If it weren't for Lampshire, Gicquel would be there, taking the average age down to 20. And well, there's a reason for letting Lampshire back on the squad.

For those that haven't been up-to-date with Green-and-Blue soccer, the National Team was torn apart in the qualification stages of the 81st World Cup by seven players who weren't happy with the coaches' decisions. In fact, they were so disgruntled from either not playing or not playing the role they prefer, that they turned their back on the team mid-qualification. Juliasterinthen had to patch the team with some second division players, all while discussing terms with the seven 'strikers' (most of which weren't actual strikers). No agreement was found during the qualification, as Ko-oren secured a World Cup spot with its best cycle ever, nor during the tournament proper when the Dragonflies surprisingly made the second round. Now, with some key retirements, a new strategy and a lot of inexperienced players, the 'strikers' have been let back on the squad. The rift is completely gone from the looks of it, and the leader of the Seven, Dennis Lampshire, is now the most important central defender.

Still, the Dragonflies are left without a clear captain. As was noted during the poor spell earlier in the cycle, the fullbacks do not show leadership, the central defence is too young, and Philip Odell has been appointed temporary captain. Traditionally, a defender must be captain of the team - it's our best line and our pride, after all. This would point at Lampshire as the obvious candidate - but maybe the rift hasn't completely healed yet after all. Giving the honour to the very man who tore the team apart not so long ago might just be a bit much for Juliasterinthen, whose neck was on the line as the drama unfolded. Lampshire was transfered away to Nephara - a big upgrade as contracts go - but the defender just wasn't in any position to stay in Ko-oren. His reputation was tainted, and it was on a foreign team to give him the benefit of the doubt again. He has the talent, and more than that, he might be the leadership figure that the Dragonflies have lacked since the retirement of, and here it is, Juliasterinthen...

In the rest of the cycle we should see a better captain emerge - has Lampshire put away his opinions enough to deserve this chance? If Ko-oren do not make the finals, it'll be on him, and he is a very easy scapegoat. Is this a chance that Juliasterinthen is waiting for, or is Lampshire in command here?

by **Qusmo** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:31 pm

Chapter II.

Flonz-Gerol Den had the Qusmyr’s annual speech to Qusejzym on in the background, but they weren’t paying terribly close attention.

“Alright, let’s finish this up. We need to have this statement prepared; if we can time this right, it’s going to be massive news. We could get some major deals going from this.” They headed the public relations division at Blonvarz Qusma, Qusmo’s premier construction & architecture firm. The company was friendly with the Drolx-Dalox administration - you had to be in this business - & their superiors knew beforehand what the contents of Qusmyr Qaq’s speech would be. & they knew that expanding markets for Qusma businesses would be one of Qusmyr’s top points.

“This is the one moment all year long that we can have a launching pad like this. People from all across Rushmore - people from all across the Multiverse - will be watching this. They’ll be seeing what’s happening. & we need to take advantage of that attention & that coverage immediately.” Den had ordered their press team to prepare a statement, but it had been a failure. As it always was with these people. If Den had it their way...

“Pan, what do we have?”

“I’m sorry, but we need a few more minutes.”

“A few more minutes? Are you thinking straight? Everyone, stop. I said stop! Everyone, you listen to me right now: we don’t need this statement in a few more minutes; we need this statement last week. & if you hadn’t botched it the first time, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Get it done. Now!”

It was then that Den heard Qusmyr Qaq finish the last point they were scheduled to make. Den realized they wouldn’t be able to get the press release out in time to coincide with the end of Qusmyr’s speech. They had failed. Everyone else in the room knew it, too. Work ceased. A hush fell. Everyone wondered whether they would have a job in the morning.

But then, from the screen, came an unfamiliar series of words: “But we cannot content ourselves with these small goals, albeit noble. There is more which can be done; there is more which must be done.” Den stood in shock for a moment; was there a late new addition that their higher-ups hadn’t told them about? After gawking for a few seconds, they quickly turned to their team. “Well, don’t just sit there! We have another chance! Let’s take it!”

The team got to work at a furious pace. From Qusejzym, Qusmyr announced, “It is clear to us that the time of relying only upon ourselves must be consigned to the past. We must open ourselves to the international community; we must open the Multiverse to Qusmo. We must establish strong alliances, economically, politically, & militarily, with nations throughout our region in order to benefit our own home.”

“The longer they keep talking, the longer we have - but it won’t be long. Let’s go!”

“We have a statement!” yelled one of the staffers.

Den practically ran over. “Let’s read it. Okay… okay… alright, good. That’s good. Let’s send it!” Den felt like raising their hands up to the sky; that likely just saved their job. “We’re just in time; fantastic job, everyone. I knew you all could manage to pull this off. Great work.”

As Den was heading out of the room, Qusmyr Qaq finished & analysts were already beginning to discuss their speech. “Qusmyr Qaq spoke on a wide range of issues today, but the only one which will be remembered will be these words: ‘We must join the Common Rushmori Community.’”

Den froze. “Oh, no. Oh, no. No, this can’t be.” They came back into the room to see what, exactly, had happened, & all of the rest of their team was glued to their seats, their eyes fixated squarely on the television set. It was just as bad as they feared. Den didn’t give a damn one way or another whether or not Qusmo joined the CRC, but they knew a whole lot of other people did. There was no chance this wouldn’t upstage their own announcement. There was no chance that all the work they had put in hadn’t just been wasted.

Den tried to gather themself in order to gather everyone else. “This is no time to panic, everyone. This might not be the top of the news anymore, but it’s still important. We’ll still get some attention from this.” Den looked around the room, but no one was buying it. Truth be told, Den wasn’t really buying what they themself were saying. The prospect of joining the Common Rushmori Community would dominate all of the news coverage of this speech, in Qusmo, throughout Rushmore, & across the Multiverse. The prospects for Blonvarz Qusma, or any other Qusma company, to get the massive free advertisement to foreign markets that they were expecting suddenly & completely disappeared. They changed tacks.

“&, besides, we know that Qusmyr Qaq will be talking economic ties between Qusmo & Banija in their meeting with the Isebantu. Banija has a large market, they’re on the rise, & most of all, oil is going to make them rich. They’ll need the resources we can provide for them to help them grow their economy to its full potential as quickly as it can. We all know what that means: massive opportunity. & we don’t need flashy speeches; we just need the contract. That’s all that matters. & this is the most effective, direct way to ensuring we get it.” Den didn’t see smiles, but they did see nods. That’s all they needed.

“Good. Let’s get back to work. As long as this meeting goes smoothly, we’ll be back in business.”

What could go wrong?

Group 11
Kavagrad 0–0 Alluersia
Mytanija 1–2 Sajnur
Cosumar 0–0 Saltstead
Vartugia 0–0 Qusmo
Velestria 1–0 Mattijana

   Group 11                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cosumar                          5    3   2   0    12    3   +9    11
 2 Saltstead                        5    3   2   0     7    2   +5    11
 3 Qusmo                            5    3   1   1     6    5   +1    10
 4 Velestria                        5    2   2   1     2    3   −1     8
 5 Mattijana                        5    2   1   2     7    7    0     7
 6 Kavagrad                         5    1   2   2     6    6    0     5
 7 Vartugia                         5    1   2   2     5    9   −4     5
 8 Mytanija                         5    1   1   3     5    6   −1     4
 9 Sajnur                           5    1   1   3     4    8   −4     4
10 Alluersia                        5    0   2   3     2    7   −5     2

Qusmo loses golden opportunity, held by goat-managed minnows
Vartugia 0–0 Qusmo
Any field that dosent fit for football, Vartugia
GK  Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB  Cunix-Betva Tla
CB  Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB  Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
DM  Yunal-Julad Waz
DM  Jerat-Jonto Jan
53’ Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
CM  Ilinx-Kepex Zev
LM  Helek-Nenzi Ono
67’ Ozolx-Mazur Guv
RM  Forzu-Ralox Kal
67’ Jralv-Nexev Pec
SS  Paliv-Xilit Max
ST  Xilit-Zaxac Yol

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:37 pm

”The Goldhorns have pulled back from 2-0 down here, and with 15 minutes on the clock find themselves even 2-2 with Damukuni. It looks like Ingolf Kruger will be coming on to replace Paulus Leistner here, what impact will the dynamic Marlesee winger have on this one?”

Ingolf Kruger had waited a long time for a moment like this. 24 years old, he already had 50 career goals in the Republikaliga to his name. He was living his boyhood dream of playing for local club Marlesee 97, and was a hero to his fans. Twice already he’d been named to the Team of the Season, and there had been calls often for his inclusion in the national team.

But every time the squad announcement came out, Kruger’s name had been nowhere to be found. He had to admit, it was a little disheartening. Sure, he knew that his time would come, but he was tired of being told that would happen in the future. “You’ll be there one day,” a friend told him when he was left out of the AOCAF Cup 57 squad. Kruger wanted to be there that day, though, and words didn’t help. Newspaper articles calling him the best player to not yet be capped by the national team didn’t help, either.

To be one of the best at anything, you need something to drive you forwards. The disappointment and anger Kruger felt at times over the last few years became part of his drive. The harder he worked, the closer he seemed to be to achieving his goal. With World Cup Qualifiers on the horizon, he’d led Marlesee to a 10th place finish in the league, a big first step for the young team. Then, one day early that summer, Kruger was out for dinner with friends when his phone began to buzz. It was, of course, the call he’d been waiting for.

”Time ticking on now, the Nationalstadion crowd waving the Goldhorns on. The visitors seem to be tiring, but still steadfast to secure at least a point. Goals from Ribbeck and Jager brought us here in the second half, who will be the hero of this match? Here’s Lyubomir Dimitrov on the ball..”

This was his time. He’d known it on the touchline waiting to come on, and he knew it as he called for the ball now from Dimitrov. Dimitrov had plenty of options, with Thorsten Kramer also open for a pass. Dimitrov took the slightly riskier option, however, finding Kruger on the wing. He could hear the cries from the crowd, “Forward!” and “Come on Teusland!” Kruger was urged on from this and pushed forward. His fresh legs gave him some extra speed, and he beat his man clean.

”Kruger….Kruger, makes a great play to beat the defender there, he’s heading towards the box. Plays the pass in for a surging Kramer. Thorsten doesn’t shoot it, though, he finds Kruger who kept going...now he’s alone with the keeper!”

He’d done it over and over in his mind. And in real life, from before he could even remember. He struck the ball perfectly, beating the keeper to the right side post. As he ran to the corner to celebrate his first international goal, it was as if he was on a cloud. His teammates rushed over, and he took a moment to take in the crowd’s incredible reaction. They were singing his name the rest of the night. Ingolf Kruger had officially arrived for the Goldhorns.

”Kramer’s got it in the midfield, he evades his Damukuni counterpart, finds Romanov running down the field. He takes it into the corner, the referee checks his watch….and there it is! Ingolf Kruger’s goal gives Siovanija and Teusland a massive 3 points, defeating Damukuni 3-2 at the Nationalstadion.”

Siovanija and Teusland 0-1 Spokane

Siovanija and Teusland XI (4-4-2): Fehr; Kleinmann, Karapetrov, Lichtwark (Ribbeck 80’), Helmke (Daschner 60’); von Bergen, Brotzmann (V. Dimitrov 60’), Witzel, Heiden; A. Dimitrov, Dinev
Goals: N/A
Match Report: A forgettable night as the Goldhorns fell 1-0 to the unranked Spokane. It’s a true disappointment, as for the first time really in qualifiers the defence looked solid, stopping most of Spokane’s chances in the midfield. Spokane were set up to spoil, however, and that’s exactly what happened. The Goldhorns failed to break down a parked bus, and when Spokane hit on the counter in the 55th minute, they took the only advantage they needed.

Siovanija and Teusland 3-2 Damukuni

Siovanija and Teusland XI (4-4-2): Venev; L. Dimitrov, Klopfer, Jager, Daschner (Helmke 83’); Leistner (Kruger 75’), Kramer, V. Dimitrov (Kostov 83’), Romanov; Kynev, Ribbeck
Goals: Michael Ribbeck 48’, Karl-Heinz Jager 61’, Ingolf Kruger 80’
Match Report: In contrast to last match, a very memorable night as the Goldhorns defeated Damukuni 3-2. They encountered a similar problem as they have in many Qualifying matches so far, not getting off to a good start. The visitors took advantage of that and hit the Goldhorns twice in the first half to take the lead into the break. The Goldhorns were fired up coming back out, however, and urged on by the crowd pressured hard. Michael Ribbeck’s solo effort in the 48th minute brought them within one, and Karl-Heinz Jager headed in a corner in the 61st minute to even things up. Finally, super sub Ingolf Kruger grabbed his first international goal after a brilliant one-two with Thorsten Kramer. Next up for the Goldhorns is a trip to Freeport, as the Goldhorns look to find consistency in World Cup 82 Qualifiers.

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:46 pm

Here Be Dragons

As we now pass the 1/3 mark of Qualifying, there can be no more mercy. Shred your opponents into graveyard dust.

MD6 Cutoff for All Groups

Scores

by **Krytenia** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:44 pm

What The Equus Wrong With You?
By Rami Niblick in Canterlot

AFTER the Dragons' humiliating loss at the hands of Equestrian States, the focus was not on a dismal performance by the visitors, or even a fresh heap of questions thrown at the management team of Valrauncion and Sampson. Instead, it was the man watching from the stands some nine rows back from the dugout who garnered the attention. Roberto Juliano cut a lonely and scowling figure in the stands, taking no joy in seeing his team lose - though perhaps a little in watching the gaffer suffer that little bit more.

The spat between Juliano and Valrauncion has spiralled out of all proportion following their on-pitch bust-up against Kandorith, with the national team manager refusing to even name his midfield maestro in the Dragons' squad for the game. Following the match, a reporter from KBS managed to collar Juliano, who went on record to say he "wouldn't even consider playing for the national team while that arrogant prick is in charge".

Juliano may not have to wait long. Odds of Valrauncion being out of a job before the end of qualifying have shortened to just 5-4 with Azurbet, and pundits are already mentioning names to potentially replace him, with Joe Garrido and Paul Davis named as potential solutions should the trigger be pulled.

One thing is for sure, though, and that's the fact that qualification would be little short of a miracle at this point. Onward?

ISideWith UK · by **Eastfield Lodge** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:01 pm

Eastfield Lodge line-up

GK: Thijn Persson
CB: Renato Hargeaves
CB: Heaven Leggett
RB: Martha Maury (<> Ginton French 65’)
LB: Ulima Salam
DM: Hugh Ilyess
AM: The Doctor
AM: Jennifer Farrow (<> Malenna von Kraus 73’)
RW: Raquel Accardi (<> Breta Glibin 78’)
LW: Crimson La Rosso
ST: Nya Murray

Brusselforf line-up

GK: Antony Providence
CB: Ricard Sciolan
CB: Andrea Zidane (<> George Stambouli 70’)
RB: Lach Mokrani
LB: Gabriel Lellouche
DM: Vindark Al Maghribi
DM: Joshua Kensington
AM: Michael Hernández (<> Harry Koehl 75’)
AM: Vance Dessler
ST: Teddy Wolfenden (<> Felix Kateb 81’)
ST: Carlos Ximénez

World Cup 82 Qualifying - Group 3 Matchday 4
Eastfield Lodge 1-2 Brusseldorf
Nya Murray (64’); Vance Dessler (23’), Andrea Zidane (47’)

72% - Possession - 28%
23 - Shots - 7
13 - Shots on Target - 4
10 - Corners - 3
7 - Fouls - 5

Location: Parliament Stadium, Lodgertia, Eastfield Lodge
Attendance: 77,342

A shock result in World Cup qualifying saw unranked minnows Brusseldorf leave Eastfield Lodge with all three points, with man of the match Antony Providence providing an inspired performance in the Brusseldorfen net to inflict a first loss on the hosts in this World Cup qualifying campaign.

This was a match that should have been an easy three points for the national team. Unbeaten in three, with two wins and an unfortunate draw against Dritten Asopie, the team came into the match joint second in the group, level on points with both the first and second seeds. Their opponents, unranked Brusseldorf, were mid-table with 4 points, having been humbled by the group’s top seeds on the opening matchday but holding their own against the group’s Baptism of Fire alumni in Libertas Omnium Maximus and Dritten Asopie. On paper, there was little contest to be had in Lodgertia, although manager Jane Williamson was clearly taking this match seriously with a very strong line-up. There weren’t any such selection worries for Los Alrededores manager Craig Foster, who named a full strength starting line up.

The first few minutes of the game set the tone of the match for the hosts. The Brusseldorfen defence was torn asunder through some quick passes between the front five, with Raquel Accardi sending Nya Murray through on goal, but the first shot of the game was expertly tipped over by Providence. Five minutes later, it was the Doctor’s turn to be denied, as his free kick beat the wall and the flat-footed Casablanca City keeper, but the minnows were saved by the inside of the post, with the rebound falling into Providence’s grateful arms. Providence was called into action again on the quarter-hour mark, this time with Raquel Accardi cutting inside Lellouche and forcing the keeper into a low save at his near post.

The game turned on its head halfway through the first half, when Brusseldorf registered their first shot on goal - a long ball over the top, which Renato Hargreaves misjudged entirely, heading the ball into Carlos Ximénez’s path in an attempt to find Thijn Persson. The Olympia keeper did manage to smother the striker’s shot, deflecting it wide for a corner. From the resultant corner, a deceptive low ball to the top of the D, and Vance Dessler came in and curled a shot home past Persson’s outstretched fingertips, aided by a deflection off Martha Maury’s shin. Brusseldorf took the lead, very much against the run of play, and now the hosts had a lot more work to do.

But the Brusseldorfen defence was resolute, and committed, dropping back and shutting down the waves of attacks following the breaking of the deadlock, putting their bodies on the line to block passes and shots - of note was a spectacular last ditch tackle from Ricard Sciolan to stop Nya Murray after she beat Providence to a through ball and rounded the stranded keeper, goal gaping at an acute angle. Providence came to the rescue again shortly before half time, when Accardi broke through the high defensive lines, only for her low shot to be parried away - that she managed to reach the rebound to turn it in was almost as impressive as Providence scrambling his way to save the second shot, a double save that was the perfect metaphor for the match.

The second half could not have started more poorly for the hosts however, in a turnaround from the start of the first - the unranked visitors came out of the traps with renewed desire and vigour, pressing high and making some inquisitive runs, but yet again it was a set piece that was the undoing of the hosts. Fouled just short of the corner of the box, Vance Dessler then chipped a perfect ball over the top of the wall that towering centre-back Andrea Zidane managed to reach, her head just beating that of Renato Hargreaves to knock the ball down low into the corner past Persson. The visitors were now 2 goals to the good, and the best laid half-time plans for the hosts now lying shattered and burning at their feet.

The visitors went back into full defence for the next few minutes, Craig Foster playing a blinder in ensuring his team didn’t concede from complacency. But despite shoring up the defence, Providence was still called into action several times - only three minutes after the goal, Crimson LaRosso fired a fearsome half-volley that was tipped onto the bar, and not too long after, the woodwork came to the visitor’s rescue when Murray curled a shot past Providence, only for it to bounce off the post and out for a goal kick. Providence once again turned saviour on the hour mark, somehow scrambling back across goal to parry away a back post bullet header from Jennifer Farrow, a chance which should have been a certain goal. However, the pressure on the defence was too great, and eventually, Providence couldn’t keep the clean sheet intact. Only a few minutes after Farrow missed that opportunity, she set up Murray with a perfect through ball, deftly chipping past Zidane to get Murray one-on-one. Providence came out, but Murray’s first touch was perfect and she neatly slotted it beneath the Brusseldorfen netminder, and with just under half an hour, there was a glimmer of hope for the hosts.

Not that it mattered in the end. Providence may have been beaten once, but he was still having the game of his life. Save after save, despite change of system and personnel, and coupled with the Brusseldorf defenders putting their bodies on the line to block every shot and passing move. Despite her superior quality of players on paper, Williamson seemingly had no answer to breaking down this organised defence. Murray again came close to adding to her tally, this time chipping Providence when one-on-one but only seeing her shot bounce off the top of the crossbar. Other stunning saves including a one-handed tip-over from a stunning shot by the Doctor, and a perfect reaction save from Murray’s flicked shot off a corner. It was enough in the end, and the visitor’s held on. Brusseldorf inflicted a first defeat of the campaign upon Eastfield Lodge, the result of which now leaves them in third. The next qualifying match will be a crucial one, on the road against fourth seeds Acapais, who so far have been tragically woeful, losing all four games to date - nonetheless, it is a match that needs winning if Eastfield Lodge wish to continue their quest to qualify.

Sulsuland 0–4 Qasden
The Holy Empire 6–2 Quakmybush
Libertas Omnium Maximus 1–3 Santa Regada
Dritten Asopie 4–3 Acapais
Eastfield Lodge 1–2 Brusseldorf

   Group 3                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 The Holy Empire                   4    3   1   0    19    9  +10    10
 2 Qasden                            4    3   1   0    10    2   +8    10
 3 Eastfield Lodge                   4    2   1   1     7    4   +3     7
 4 Dritten Asopie                    4    2   1   1     7    7    0     7
 5 Brusseldorf                       4    2   1   1     8   10   −2     7
 6 Santa Regada                      4    1   1   2    10   11   −1     4
 7 Libertas Omnium Maximus           4    1   1   2    10   12   −2     4
 8 Quakmybush                        4    1   1   2     7   12   −5     4
 9 Sulsuland                         4    1   0   3     4   10   −6     3
10 Acapais                           4    0   0   4    11   16   −5     0

MD1: Eastfield Lodge 2-1 Libertas Omnium Maximus
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, Hargreaves, Maury, Siddique (<> Salam 69’) - Ilyess - The Doctor, Farrow - Accardi (<> Glibin 80’), Berretti, Murray (<> Safadão 62’)
Goals (Assists): Hargreaves (23’ - Ilyess), Berretti (65’)

MD2: Dritten Asopie 1-1 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, Hargreaves, French, Siddique - Qwivotic (<> Ilyess 73’) - The Doctor, Farrow (<> Bevan 73’) - Accardi, Berretti (<> LaRosso 63’), Safadão
Goals (Assists): Accardi (27’ - Safadão)

MD3: Eastfield Lodge 3-0 Sulsuland
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Persson - Hargreaves, Leggett, Maury (<> Nagi 83’), Siddique - Ilyess - The Doctor, Farrow - Accardi, LaRosso, Murray
Goals (Assists): Murray (24’ - LaRosso; 58’ - Farrow), Ilyess (72’ - Siddique)

MD5: Acapais 1-2 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, Holding, French, Siddique - Qwivotic (<> Ilyess 65’) - The Doctor, Lacroix (<> Farrow 75’) - Glibin, LaRosso, Murray (<> Alder 65’)
Goals (Assists): Glibin (12’), Alder (73’ - Lacroix)

MD6: Eastfield Lodge 3-2 Santa Regada
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Harvey - Towers, Hargreaves, French, Siddique (<> Salam 75’) - Qwivotic - The Doctor, Lacroix - Glibin, LaRosso (<> Berretti 63’), Alder (<> Safadão 79’)
Goals (Assists): Alder (32’ - Glibin; 62’ - Hargreaves), Towers (42’ - The Doctor)

Line-up to play Quakmybush (4-1-2-3)
Harvey - Hargreaves, Gray, French, Siddique - Qwivotic - The Doctor, Lacroix - Glibin, Berretti, Alder
Injured: Murray (until MD7, hamstring strain)

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:55 am

Hearts of Vice

Chapter 5: The Higher Power

After a couple of days, I gotten a phone call from Gerald that Charlie tried to visit the studio, when we weren't there. I was still trying to get into the groove of things, since I was still in a midst of a burnout from writing a music sheet for our next song. I wrote down the name of it on the top in red ink to give it a flashy look. Rest in Popularity. A song that I figured would be interesting, since it was dealing with some themes about some stuff I figured was happening in several other nations that I wasn't aware of. I was upstairs, making sure the music sheet was safe and in my purse to take to the studio, when I heard a loud knock at the door. "Aw shit.. What does he want now?!" I thought, as I knew who it was.

When someone uses the doorbell, it's clearly one of my band members or someone else. If someone knocked, in this instance, hard on my door, it was clearly a soldier. AKA the Leader was planning a visit. I went downstairs, where I was met by a soldier having their assault rifle be in my face, unintentionally. Strolling inside my living room with his black and white suit, the Leader was always the one who pretty much the best worst person you would ever met. I'm aware he's technically a dictator who uses civil rights as an excuse to stamp out our freedom as individuals and our own human rights, but the problem is there are times where he IS needed. Seeing how the whole nation is a cesspool of paranormal activity, I can't blame him. But the problem is this asshat goes to WorldVision to sing why he isn't should a bad guy that gets him 4th place in WV70! Seriously!?

"Hello, Jessica. You still in that outfit of yours?" The Leader was teasing Jessica, as she immediately frowned. "What do you want? If you came to harass me, then you can leave." Jessica asked the Leader. "Oh don't worry, Madden. I just came to drag your ass in the afternoon to Victory Square, so you can help get our folks to have their national pride."
"So what? You want me to attend a rally or shit?"
"No, I'm need you to help me set despair onto all of humanity, so they can all perish for the nuclear holocaust caused by our own fears towards ourselves and others."
"..."
"Of course, I want you in a rally, Jessica! The princess of Main Nation Ministry is going to introduce herself to the public!"
"Princess? I thought you were the only person in charge."

"Let's not talk about government and more about saving face, Jessica." the Leader immediately said, where he started to frown. "Ah great. Since you're here, could you take a look at this for me?" Jessica pulled out the music sheet and gave it to the Leader. "What is this? You're not sending in to the Committee?" the Leader asked, where he looked at the lyrics. "It's a song that I'm doing for a new album. I figured that I try to.." Jessica paused, as he saw the Leader raise an eyebrow. "Trying to have the kids be good people. That doesn't have to do with you." Jessica continued, where he let out a small laugh. "You're trying hard this time, aren't you? I might as well give you credit for it. No love songs for the desperate?"
"Says the guy who stole my idea for the tone for the opening act!"
"Hey, I can do it better!"
"I can do better! As you!"
"Sh!" The Leader immediately paused, trying not to escalate things. "I understand. I might as well let you do your song, since you don't have any other productive things to do, besides trying to be famous." the Leader handed back Jessica the music sheet. "I do heard you have been mingling with some demons recently." the Leader said, where Jessica took note. "How did you know?"

"Jessica, there are drones in the skies and a security camera in nearly every tree! Plus, some people are willing to reveal information that is not public, so they aren't public."
"If you think I'm hostile to demons, you're wrong, you know that?"
"Making sure you don't cause tension in the community, yes?"
"Oh please! Where were you at the Olympics? You were there for shooting and then you were branded a fugitive for some reason! You probably missed that time that chick saved him and ate off that guy's face!"

"Chick?"
"Well. Woman. She looked like a nice lady. She looked especially amazing when she has red eyes. Really compliments her jacket that she was wearing."
"I think I heard enough." the Leader immediately ordered his men to leave with him.
"Where the hell are you going? When is this thing supposed to start in the afternoon?!"
"3 PM. Just get there before that time." the Leader started strict, as he started to walk through the door.
"Oh come on! That's it? Just because Sorrento died doesn't mean-" Jessica wanted to say more, until the Leader had this to say, confronting her.

"This isn't about Sorrento, this is about you trying to be casual about things, even though we just had a whole ton of events happen at once! I don't care what happens, because if a single incident happens, I just want to distance myself and anyone I know away from it, since we're getting tired of the same shenanigans that happened. From every. Single. Goddamn. Blasted. World Bowl! World Cup! Or whatever sporting event we been a part of! I'm taking a break and that's final! You're the protagonist in whatever you're involved with, Jessica! And you keep your lipstick covered mouth shut on what happened in Free Republics, because literally enough people died there already that we weren't involved with, since it was due to some guy with Christmas stamps and two people who had a grudge from several years ago. Whatever mistake you make, I'm not going to punish you for it. It's already will be your punishment."

"And look. At least, presentable!" The Leader immediately said, after he slammed the door.

"I feel like he has something on his mind." Jessica thought to herself.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Through the several years that Baker Park had been a prominent ally and out front commercial presence in Banija, the circumstances of the relationship between the countries had settled into a mutually beneficial symmetry; in the earliest stages, the top diplomat in the country was the Consul-General, based in Busukuma and the BCEL Company had their main offices in Herzagovina City with a distribution office in Istria.
Since shortly after the Civil War ended, there was now a deeper integration—a fully accredited Ambassador in the capital and the Consulate moved to the largest Banijan city, in addition to an office in H-City.

Following on from the private revelation to the Kabaka Albert and his son, the Isebantu about the operation known as "Piranha" that occurred during the war, the government of the Commonwealth assured the Royals that they would not undertake any further intelligence operations within the Kingdom without prior approval of the security service. Prime Minister Rebecca Schoenlein had written an abject apology to the Kabaka, accepting responsibility for the undertaking. In his role as Foreign Minister, the Isebantu was officially against the presence of the CIS within their borders, but privately, he communicated to the PM that it could be beneficial if certain operations were carried discreetly and the info shared with him personally.

With this tacit, quasi-official approval in hand, the CIS re-structured the way the Banijan setup operated; while it had been previously been done under the cover of BCEL, now some of that was shifted to the consular offices.

It also didn't hurt the cause that the Commonwealth had gone to great lengths to help re-build the Royal Banijan Navy fleet. It had given 3 ships that had been decommissioned but not yet begun to be broken up and 3 others that were scheduled to be de-commissioned upon completion of their replacements, and one relatively modern ship—a coast guard patrol vessel that could be crewed by as few as 50 and as many as 80—as a temporary stopgap and agreed to build 8 new ships specifically for the Banijans over a 6 year period.

There was a small liaison office at the RBN base in Busukuma, staffed by about 25 or so NSC officers and NCO's who provided assistance with technical issues and the quirks and tricks of the various systems used on the former NSC vessels. It was from here that the news was first reported back to MOD in Belle Haven, within 20 minutes of the assassination attempt happening.
The Prime Minister received word about the shooting and immediately called the senior ministers for an emergency meeting. She also sent word to the Leader of the Opposition to come when he was able. In less than hour, all had gathered in her office.

"There's been an assassination attempt in Banija against the King, and the Echani Foreign Minister, who was a guest of the Kabaka. It's up in the northeastern part of the country, where they discovered the oil, so the news not coming in fast enough. I've told Swede (Robert Johanssen, the Ambassador to Banija, who was always known by his nickname) to get over to the Palace and find out what he can. So, contingency plan. Diane?" The Minister of Defense carried a tablet with her at all times that could tell her the status of every military unit in Baker Park.
"Of course, today...it would be at least 36 hours before we could get a naval squadron underway, they are all in some sort of disarray. The 504, we could get two companies airborne in 5-6 hours?" The 504th Airborne Regiment was the last remnant of old fashioned paratroopers in the Commonwealth Army, and 2 companies would be about 600 troops.
"Chris? What about your side?" Christopher McGee was the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, which included the military elements of the National Guard, which had specific units for these type of situations.
"Probably about the same. 2 or 3 companies ready to go in 6 hours? It would just be a matter of coordinating the planes and the logistics with Di."

"Hannah and Tom, diplomatic angle?"
Thomas Dixon, the Foreign Minister, spoke up first. "I will get in touch with Qasden, Farfadillis, and Geisenfried--and Equestria, if Hannah prefers to pick up a different task?"

The Secretary of State was in agreement. "I'm sure Tom can make the basic points to the Equestrian FM just as well as I could. I'd like to get in touch with the Echani government and find out what their thinking is. They are a couple of hours ahead of us, so I think the sooner I establish a conversation, the better it would be for everyone."

The PM was making notes on her pad while all the conversation was going on around her. "Allan, your thoughts?"

Allan Arnold, the Leader of the Opposition--whose relationship with the Prime Minister intersected at several points throughout their careers--made his feelings known in as brief a manner as he could.
"Bec, I can't begin to express my feelings right now. The King was such a extraordinary man, I feel fortunate I had the chance to meet him and have a conversation with him. We have to do anything we can to be of assistance to Banija right now."

Schoenlein never took her eyes off the notepad she was writing on, but she understood every emotion that her friend expressed. "I hear you Allan, and we are going to offer everything we can to the them. You know what I'd like you to do tomorrow? For me, and for the country?"

She laid down her pen and looked at him. "Could you go up to Mansfield and make a show of support to the expat community there? And maybe make a short speech, saying what you just told me? It would be a great show of bi-partisan resolve and tell those people that we as a country are with them and their homeland."

Arnold gave his assurance that he would do exactly that. The PM pushed a button on her desk phone. "Isa? Could you call for a messenger from the floor to pick up a note for the speaker?"

She stood up from behind her desk. "I've got to go talk to the Head, obviously. I'm calling for a 20 minute rule, who wants to go and make the announcement?"

lineup vs Robostania--Gordon; Briggs, Vasillias, Enzikomibo; N. Haller, Hayes, Mason, Navarro; Taborn; Ashcroft, Schmidt

by **Eraman** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:17 am

_____THE PEOPLE'S NEWS_____ERAMAN JOURNAL

| SPORTS | SUNDAY |

THE BOYCOTT CONTINUES
Anara, Eraman - Several fan clubs, online portals and 
fanzine writers are still united in their bid to protest 
against the management of the national football 
association by boycotting home games.

"The team will have to play home games in front of a bunch 
of quiet paid fans until the president step down. We will 
continue our tradition of away days." quoted from the 
official social media account of Ebony Falcon Ultras. 

The boycott movement is however still behind the players and 
are still hoping for success on the pitch with players 
getting well wishes in the social media.
  
"The main problem here is the leadership of ERAFA and not the 
players. We are happy with the effort from the players but 
not with what happening behind the scene" said Bandi Aji, a 
representative from EramanFalcons.com.
 
The national football association was embroiled with 
controversy again after announcing 35,000 supporters were 
in attendance against Beepee in the last home game despite 
empty seats in a 35,000 capacity stadium.

TACTICAL ANALYSISby Botak Tact

1. Kitchi Diman identified the team weaknesses. 
Fourth defeat in six matches. Panic alarm? Not yet as Botak
Tact believes that the national team head coach has
identified the national team weaknesses after positive
performance in the second half against Beepee.

2. Era Hitam is a hot prospect
Having sat on the bench for the first five matches, Era Hitam 
finally had the chance to show his worth to the team after 
given the green light to start against Beepee. He failed to 
score but has shown a glimpse of someone who can lead an attack 
for the foreseeable future. Quick, agile and good technique on 
the ball. Promising kid.

3. No creativity in the middle of the park 
The midfield trio has once again failed to show up. They
failed to dominate the midfield, easily dispossessed from the 
ball, cannot connect more than three passes and fail to create 
chance for the front three. The national team miss the presence 
of senior players like Putra Daulapura Suara Petara and Mano 
Bosa. The national team head coach has to stand up against the 
president of ERAFA interference in national team selection.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK


The loyal ever present Ebony Falcon Ultras voicing their discontentment at the management with tifos depicting the dictator 
Bendahara of Eraman and President of ERAFA, Tun Sengalang Petara in a match away from home against Farfadillis.

by **Nephara** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 3:10 am

Natanians and Nosts 1 - 4 Nephara
(4-3-3) 1 - Swoboda; 2 - Rafford, 5 - Konoval, 6 - Steelhenge, 3 - Close; 8 - Klein (15 - Rosenthal 70'), 4 - Rowland, 21 - Moxham (14 - Kuepper 76'); 7 - Fanaiyan, 9 - Hawke (17 - Bastable 64'), 11 - Strongbow
Goals: Fanaiyan 14', Moxham 22', Rafford 41', Bastable 79'

THE HERALD
NEPHARIM TERMINATORS ROLLING INTO FULL GEAR
Karin Rietveld

The visit to Natanians looked like it would be a hard test for the Nepharim, going into it. The boys in blue hadn't had the smoothest of campaigns thus far, true, but they still cut a dangerous figure at home, where they'd held Baker Park and beaten Tinhampton without conceding in either game. Had they not been shockingly upset by Robostania, they would have been second in the group coming into the match.

The Cormorants entered the dressing rooms of the Stadion Nacional at half-time with a 3-0 lead, thanks to a powerful volley from Ishtar Fanaiyan, a well-placed strike from outside the box from Chimera Moxham and a bombing run and surprisingly clinical finish from Leona Rafford. While their hosts would pull one back through Herzegovina City midfielder Vit on the hour mark, Kurtis Bastable came off the bench to restore the thumping margin of victory.

There's something different about the Cormorants this cycle so far, and the way they're blowing past teams. Perhaps that's something that can be said for Aidan Brosque's tenure thus far in general - the N&N match was his tenth match in charge against teams not called Savojarna (okay, so to some extent we're cherry-picking), all of them wins with a staggering 32 goals scored.

This comes as a surprise to some. Indeed, to many commentators, Brosque was a potentially ruinous choice - a macho, aggressive character who recently imploded at Crisisbless, now in charge of a team which had a tendency to let its emotions get the better of it. That tendency had carefully been beaten out of them by Michael Brandon, and the side was thought ready to seriously challenge at the top table. Could that all be undone?

Happily, signs point to no. Sure, qualifying is qualifying, but Nephara have faced strong opposition and are yet to be found wanting. The only win that hasn't been thoroughly convincing was against Baker Park, away - the hardest fixture of the qualifying stage, and even that was won through the team's mental resilience and nerveless finishing. Brosque's hit upon a way to build the team that just... works.

Look at every member of the team that beat N&N and say they look out of place at the top level. Andreas Swoboda, something of a journeyman goalkeeper, has been unbeatable and consistent between the posts for the Cormorants. Konoval and Steelhenge are experienced campaigners, with the latter providing just enough pace, while Leona Rafford might be perhaps a year past her absolute best but still contributes so much in all phases of play and Marcin Close continues not to put a foot wrong.

The midfield trio of Rowland behind Klein and Moxham is quick, clever and technical; the attacking trident contains Estrella Hawke and Rowena Strongbow, world-class forwards with a Directus connection, ably supported by the lightning pace and determination of Fanaiyan. Options like bruising striker Metzger and canny harrier Shone offer tactical options off the bench the envy of most nations' starters.

For that matter, the depth is outstanding, and says a lot about the benefits of a colossal Premiership and increasingly relevant First Division when it comes to blooding talent. Gone are the days where the same players held down the same places for years; in the vicious, cutthroat turnover of the leagues, merit wins out, even for young players.

Since World Cup 75, Nephara has made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup just once, and not beyond that. Despite this, the side somehow finds itself third in the rankings - and performances like these are reflecting that. Could it, in fact, be coming home?

NEPHARIM NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 4
Goalkeepers: 1 - Andreas Swoboda (Holdenberg, EUR), 12 - Hesterine Mercator (Eastweald, COS), 20 - Apostolos Tsattalios (Falourr, EUR)
Defenders: 2 - Leona Rafford (1830 Cathair, AUD), 3 - Marcin Close (Brinemouth), 5 - Dieter Konoval (KT Moreazerua, AUD), 6 - Dragora Steelhenge (Ramusok United, COS), 18 - Eloise Kielseng (Kingsgrove, BRE), 19 - Lux Vicelich (Sabrefell Moths), 22 - Roxelana Thorn (Revolutionaries, EUR)
Midfielders: 4 - Monica Rowland (Bastion, EUR), 8 - Rusalka Klein (Crawford City FC, COS), 14 - Josie Webster (Raynor City United, VAL), 15 - Circe Rosenthal (Directus, EUR), 21 - Chimera Moxham (Crawford City FC, COS), 23 - Tawny Shone (Sabrefell Moths)
Forwards: 7 - Ishtar Fanaiyan (Eastweald, COS), 9 - Estrella Hawke (Directus, EUR), 10 - Aristide Metzger (AFC Treason), 11 - Rowena Strongbow (Directus, EUR), 13 - Monako Saroszi (Ulsa, EUR), 16 - Marisha Staunton (Crisisbless), 17 - Kurtis Bastable (Hornchurch, EUR)

SCHEDULE
Astoria 0 - 3 Nephara
Commonwealth of Baker Park 2 - 3 Nephara
Nephara 6 - 3Dreamplanet @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Pridnestrovia 0 - [/b]6 Nephara
Nephara 2[/b] - 0 Blaneu @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Natanians and Nosts 1 - 4 Nephara
Nephara vs. Tinhampton @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Walenstein vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Robostania @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Nephara vs. Astoria @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Nephara vs. Commonwealth of Baker Park @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Dreamplanet vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Pridnestrovia @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Blaneu vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Natanians and Nosts @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Tinhampton vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Walenstein @ Godswatch (Crisisbless)
Robostania vs. Nephara

by **Turori** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:02 am

A Flaw in the System

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: One-Third of the way through World Cup 82 Qualifying and the Turori National Team find themselves forth in the Group 10 table on the outside looking up at the qualifying positions a full three points behind surprise group 10 leaders Olastor. The difference for the Eels thus far has clearly been their 0-1 Matchday two defeat at Eels Park to Olastor which if the Eels had won that match instead, they would find themselves at the top of the table. Despite this, however, Turori have been underperforming across the board having also dropped points against 52nd ranked 95X during a goalless draw in the land of bus routes and then most recently against the largely unheralded Republic of Flaw ranked 307th in the multiverse.

After breaking down generations of walls in their World Cup 81 Quarter Final victory over Ethane that propelled them to the World Cup Semi-Finals for the first time in their history, the Turori National Team and their fanbase were already looking forward to World Cup 82 and the chance to improve one step further in the hunt for their first ever World Cup title.

The first step to winning the World Cup is qualifying for it, however, and in that regard the Eels are off to a slow start. While they were able to win their opening match against Bohr 1-0 thanks to a Meldi'ita Mungwaii goal, Turori's National Citizen squad has struggled to perform consistently and struggled to put the ball in the net with just 7 goals over their first six games. By contrast, Kita-Hinode who currently occupy the second and final transfer spot to the World Cup Finals have already tallied 22 goals in the same number of matches to start the qualifying campaign.

Another draw for @FAT_Eels. Bring back the #Cocoabo Squad!!

It is the the first time in recent history that the Football Association of Turori backed a single squad of players for the qualification campaign after having previously invited competition between Turori's National Citizen Squad and Turori's National Cocoabo Squad to determine who would represent the Turori National Team at the World Cup Finals.

With just 3 victories from 6 matches to start World Cup 82 Qualifying, however, it is believed that the Football Association of Turori is ready to make a change and have been in touch with the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Project team to inquire about the match readiness of Turori's National Cocoabo Squad. Having already dropped points against the lowest ranked team in their group, Turori's National Citizen squad has yet to even play their highest ranked competitors of the campaign, Kita-Hinode, who are ranked 19 places behind the Eels in the latest World Rankings. It is believed that if the Turori National Team drop any more points between now and the halfway mark of the campaign over their next three matches, the Football Association of Turori will flip the switch and activate Turori's National Cocoabo squad to try to save their World Cup 82 dreams.

WC 82 RP Thread

New from Velmuth Studios!

Dirty job

WC82: Grand Tour Part 2

Who is online