WC 82 RP Thread

[Mercedini]

82nd World Cup Qualification MD5
Mercedini vs. Ancherion
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium - Zoloroni, Mercedini

FINAL SCORE

WCQ | MD5

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MERCEDINI 2
Alotic 45+1', Billic 80' (P)
ANCHERION 2
Salivlo 6', Kaur 88'

---

Zoloroni, Mercedini
Attendance - 44,144

The cycle of mysterious results in Group 15 continues as Mercedini once again drop points to lower ranked position, this time at home as the Golden Eagles are held to a 2-2 draw against Ancerion, following a frantic end to the match in Zoloroni. The draw means Dini's points tally continues to tick over in the group, but it does mean the team lose ground on the top two, with Equestrian States and Lisander now occupying the top two spots which Mercedini need to be in if they want to extend their stay at the World Cup. Two Mercedinian goals from Alotic and veteran Billic were bookended by Ancherion goals which silenced the Sports City Stadium at the very start and at the very end of the match. It game some of Lyndainium's second choices a chance to stretch their legs and express themselves inside the national stadium, but they could have ruined their chances of moving into first choice territory as the minnows did just enough to earn themselves a point inside a less than capacity national stadium in Zoloroni.

Indin Salivlo made a name for himself by netting an opportunistic opening goal for the visitors following an errant back pass from Toivonen was chased by the Ancherion midfielder. Polasic looked to have got there in time but the opposition player got a small flick on the ball, ricocheting the ball off the chest of the goalkeeper. The original ricochet took the ball back towards Salivlo who didn't know too much about it, as the ball came back off the shin to take it over Polasic as he was sliding to claim the ball. Salivlo was then presented with a gift with no one to beat, the defenders were all taking out due to the original back pass, leaving the Ancherion midfielder with the freedom of the six-yard box to roll the ball home for the opening goal.

Mercedini would then be denied multiple times in the first half as the fans grew ever more frustrating with the players on the pitch, but the first half was salvaged when an Alotic header flew in in first half added time for the equalising goal. A simple Garzallo cross was crafted following a quick one-two between the Zoloroni Met winger and Johan Karlovic who was on for his debut appearance at this cycle's qualifiers. Alotic used his muscular strength to rise high above his marker and flick on a header at the near post for the equalising goal. Dini had got themselves out of a relative rut, 1-1 at half-time.

The Golden Eagles turned it all around after the break as the Golden Eagles asserted their dominance on their opponents, but their resolute defending frustrated the players and the fans, the former lashing out a their less experienced opponents and earning themselves a spot in the referee's book for good measure. Mercedini eventually found their head's above water via a Billic converted penalty following an extremely soft handball call after Pujannic flicked up the ball into the hand of Sikim Arts. The talismanic striker, currently playing in Azuris, Cosumar took a short run-up and placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net to give his team a crucial 2-1 lead with ten minutes to go.

The drama in the match only increased ten-fold from then on, as Ancherion were awarded a penalty of their own less than three minutes towards the end. Polasic came out to chase a long ball, but he was caught short yet again, this time by Fuller. He got a flick and then fell to the floor as Polasic clipped the legs of the Ancherion striker, with the referee making no hesitation he pointed to the spot. Mamdou Kaur stood over the ball as Polasic did his best to make himself look big in the Mercedinian goal. A quick run up was made as Kaur place the ball low towards his left, but Polasic was equal to it as he saved the ball brilliantly. However, the goalkeeper could only parry the ball back into open play which allowed Kaur another chance to convert. The striker made no mistake on the rebound as he lashed at the ball to send it in off the bar in a dramatic end to the match. Not the end that Mercedini had wanted at the end of the match, it finished Mercedini 2, Ancherion 2.

   Group 15                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Equestrian States                6    5   0   1    17    5  +12    15
 2 Lisander                         6    4   1   1    12   10   +2    13
 3 Mercedini                        6    3   1   2    19   13   +6    10
 4 Garifunya                        6    3   1   2    18   17   +1    10

So, where does that leave the Golden Eagles in the qualification race? Well, they are currently three points outside the top two of Group 15, sitting in third place on ten points from six games, level on points with third-seed Garifunya but ahead of them thanks to their superior goal difference at this early stage. Top seed Equestrian States is unsurprisingly at the top with five wins from six, with their only loss coming from their recent home defeat to a resurgent Lisander side, who have claimed four wins and a draw from the five matches after their 5-1 drubbing in Zoloroni on opening night. A common theme throughout many of the groups in this cycle, no single team is currently running away with the group with all teams displaying some kind of weakness in their opening six matches. The group is very open with almost every team in with a chance to snag a top-two spot come the end of the qualification calendar, with the top seed automatically qualifying for the World Cup Finals tournament while the second-placed team is expected to contest a playoff to decide their fate.

Even matches, erratic results and the odd shock have all culminated in a nail-biting group to round up the action in qualification. With only a third of the games played so far, we likely have an unfinished picture when it comes to the action and drama that is to come from the ten teams in contention. Mercedini and Equestrian States have flexed their muscles but by no means are streaking clear, dark horses Garifunya and Krytenia are not ruling themselves out when it comes to former juggernauts making a comeback, and plucky Lisander are defying all the odds to give themselves a chance at the big time. Watch this space, we could be looking at a developing story when it comes to the moves and shakers inside Group 15.

[Lisander]

Lisander 2-1 Zeniyadh

Amati 21'
Somerville 50'

Four win in a row, we could get used to it
Bruno Barudi, to 4-3-3 Football

Lisander won again. There are already four victories in the qualifiers. The third, a surprising win against the Equestrian States in Canterlot, with goals from Christian Nantel and Erick Morton in a match marked by thick fog. The fourth and last in today's game against the weak Zeniyadh team.

Facing, in theory, the weakest opponent of the group, coach Fox had no problem sparing some players. Fox also decided to put all players called from Club Sparta, double national champion, to play. The crowd, of course, loved seeing all five red-and-blacks playing for the national eleven.

The players who started were:

Michaelichen; Adler, Rosell, Wagner, Kaplanoski; Cardo, Gardner, Morton, Camden; Dawson, Amati.

The game itself was very quiet, and the positive highlight was the possession of the ball. Lisander claimed to be the more dominant force in the game, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 79%. This was also reflected in the scoreboard. While Lisander's goals came from collective play, coming out mostly from Erick Morton's feet... Zeniyadh's only goal came in a free kick at 86 '. Lisander had already set the scoreboard well before, with a goal for Amati at 21' and one for Sommerville at 51'. Somerville took the place of Yoann Dawson in the halftime. I wonder if Dawson's knee, which left him out of the 80th WC, is not bothering him again.

With this victory, we are in second place in an extremely unpredictable group. Lisander is two points behind the Equestrian States, and three ahead of Mercedini and Garifunya. The next match is away from home against the Krytenian team.

Krytenia, led by coach/captain/Striker Elf Valrauncion, has a difficult phase. Coming from a harsh away defeat against the Equestrian States, they must win if they want to continue dreaming of the qualification. Valrauncion is also being questioned by local media, for leaving midfield player Roberto Juliano out of the team, as well as for the poor results of the team. Krytenia is currently only eighth in the group.

[Balqia]

The pub was more silent than desired, a trio of friends was sitting in the corner, two women were chatting with the barman in the balcony, some jazz music played in an old jukebox. Rigo was drinking an orange juice, Faj chose a cold tea.
-So, we have lost again.- Balto sounded calmer than expected -Well, at least we tried.
-At least we tried…- Janus ruminated that idea a while -It’s funny, in the Baptism of Fire we went from losers to the finals, we almost won. Now… well now we are being humiliated in every game.-
-This isn’t the BoF, Primlid warned us that we will be facing more serious teams. Well, I hope we achieve a victory in the next match.-Janus didn’t know if that was a joke or a daydream.
-Don’t be so confident- He opted for the second option -It’s against the ninth best in the world, we are screwed.-Faj laughed.
-the ninth in world ranking losing against the ninth in the group ranking, what a history.
He was joking.
-Well, it will be a good experience. Matiq will not participate and Qalti traveled back to Balqia because his father is ill. We will endure an entire game against a team in the top ten. It will be fabulous indeed.
-You are a good player Balto, your biggest failure is try to be a star.
-You are pretty good too Balto. Your advance today was pretty good, I hope Leo play as well as he did today. The guy was giving his fullest, the enemy advance in the twentieth minute was great, I mean, after so much pressure from the advance their counter attack was unpredictable. Our strength is in the middle Charles too is doing a good job, that guy is though.
-Yeah, but don’t forget the guys in the back. During the enemy advance in the thirtieth minute the guy who saved us was Markus and Kuld, unfortunately their job is always ignored, I mean, they really do their best there, almost in every game they block some weird move of the enemy.
-It’s funny to have the same surname as a teammate, in the first game of the BoF Primlid gave me the instructions that he designed for Markus. Well, at least I use some moves of that sheets.
-I know, once Leopold told me that he was expelled from a restaurant in Ethane because they thought he was trying to use my name.
Both of them laughed.
-I almost forgot to mention, but why didn’t you advanced when they gave a breach in the second half of the game?
-Oh, it was too risky. -Faj take a sip before answering -Primlid is trying to risk less in the games to assure a victory. If you analyze our tactics are far less aggressive than in the beginning of the cup. For example, in the last fifteen minutes of the second time I could have advancedby the left and try to score, however Primlid instructed me to avoid advancing alone, and so I tried to maintain the ball but failed.
- Unfortunately our strategy is failing, they broke our defenses too easily in the begin of the second half. They just score that goal because Adrianus was too slow to intercept their forward.
-Nah, they played really well, unfortunately, better than us.
After that silent grew between the two. In the background only the jukebox and the men in the corner could be heard, both girls left the building and the barman had a smile in his face.
-How do you got so popular?-Rigo wanted to ask that for a time, and that opportunity was excellent to do so.-I mean, the people love you.
-It’s because of my beauty face-Faj smiled-but being serious, I like to turn every game in a show for the people. My background helps a bit, but the main attraction is the patriotism and interaction with the fans.
-Unfortunately my background isn’t as dramatic as yours.
Faj smiled again -Well, the son of the greatest businessman of the sports sector in Balqia becoming a professional player is pretty curious.
Rigo never liked the fact that the position of his father helped him to ascend in the professional life, the sense of achievement was never a thing that he appreciated completely.
-Well, at least I am here.- he take a look in his watch.-It’s late, let’s go. Andrec will kill us if we don’t do good in the training.
Both of them got up.
-The guy is too stressed after the last game. I wonder what’s going on.

[Qusmo]

A Blog

I HATE GOATS

So apparently Qusmo CAN”T SCORE GOALS Thats bad. But Qusmo is still doing well. If Spony Luq Television can do it, I can do it too. Let’s do the third-of-the-way analysis.

Lets look at the DEFENSE. There job is to STEP GOALS & they’re DOIG IT. Match one against Sajjur: they SHUT THEM OUT. Match two against Kavagrad: they were already up by three so they just let two in JUST TO MAKE IT INTEERESTING. Match three against Mytanija: they SHUT THEM OUT TOO. & in matches five & six against Vartugia & Velestria, Qusmo SHUT THEM OUT TOO.

But there’s a problem with the Cosumar match, number four. Qusmo “conceded tree goals.” Well guess what? They only did that tecause the WORLD CUP CCOOMMIITTEE decided to RIG the match.

Let’s take a look at thet first goa by Cosumar. Ther are THREE problem with it: first, Cunix-Betva Tla was suposed to have “stepped on some random Cosumar person’s foot.” But guess what? It’s called FOOTBALL. You’re SUPPOSED to use your feet, & also the other person’s feet. Cunix-Betva Tla wasn’t a goalkeeper the last time I checked.

Second, some person called “Horatius Charmancer” is supposed to have scored. WHAT THE HECK KIND OF A NAME IS HORATIUS CHARMANCER? A MADE UP NAME I’ll tell you that.

& third there was apparently some type of “goal line technology” that was used to say that the goal went in. But guess what? Xynat-Evela Cuf PUNCHED THAT THING OUTTA THERE. I mean, it only BARELY went in, so it can’t REALLY count, right? At best, it should only be HALF a goal, not a FULL one.

Now let’s look at the SECOND goal. The referee decided to award some kind of PENALTY even though ALL YELTO-ALFAN ONO DID was shove a player from the opposing team to the ground in the penalty box as they were clear through on goal. HOW IS THAT A PENALTY? Ill tell you what: back in MY day, you could HIT the quaterback. Now they won’t even let you TOUCH them. What kind of a world are we living in where you cant HIT PEOPLE in FOOTBALL?

Oh wait - maybe that was the other kind of football. I dont know. You never know against the se Cosumar people, do you? Sorry sometimes I get a little bit confused. I used to play some gridiron back in the day & I was pretty good at it but then I got eightteen concussions. That was too bad. I was only able to play eleven seasons after that. So I’m sorry if I get a little mixed up.

BUT I”M NOT MIXED UP ABOUT THAT THIR GOAL & I’M NOT CONFUSED EITHER. That Romikk Valgaarrdd person shouldnt even BE ON THE PITCH. In fact the only reason they even let them is because theyre GOOD. If that wasnt true then Qusmo wouldnt have let it in because the Romikk person wouldnt be on the pitch to score it.

So there you have it: Qusmo’s defense hasnt conceded a single LEGITIMATE goal in their first six qualifying matches - & THEY NEVRE WILL BECAUSE THEYRE THE BEST. But the offense isnt doing as well.

Qusmos offense hasn’t scored a goal since the fourth minute of matchday four. Apparently theyre only allowed to score in the minute of the number that the matchday is. So that means that Qusmo hasnt scord in TWO HUNDRED SIXTY MINUTES. That’s A LOT. & that’s BAD because scoring goals is GOOD. In fact, a litt-leknown fact is that you need to score goals to win. & winnings good.

Unfortunately Qusmo hasn’t done a whole lot of winning lately. They started off with their typical two wins to open qualifying, like in World Cup 80 Qualifying & World Cup 81 Qualifying & World Cup 82 Qualifying. They even got ANOTHER win to top it off against Mytanija in match number three. & Qusmo started to keep it up against Cosumar. They were ahead 1-0 before they lost. But then they lost & Qusmo hasn’t scord since.

Okay, I can kinda-sorta understand not being able to score against Cosumar. They’re really good. They ALWAYS qualify to the World Cup, they ALWAYS advance to the knockout rounds, they ALWAYS win a knockout match, & they ALWAYS lose in the quarterfinals. & they can do that because they have people in their country from all over the Multiverse, even not on their planet. In fact, they even have people who aren’t people on their team. & I can undestand Velestria - well, not really, but they’ve kept FIVE STRAIGHT clean sheets, INCLUDING one against Cosumar, so apparently they have to have a pretty good defense, too. But one match DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME AT ALL.

That match was number five against Vartugia. Vartugia is LITERALLY the ONLY TEAM in the ENTIRE FORTY-FOUR TEAM Baptism of Fire 69 that didn’t earn a SINGLE POINT - A SINGLE WIN, A SINGLE DRAW - in ANY of their SIX MATCHES. THAT’S SIX LOSSES OUT OF SIX> & GUESS WHT? THEY”GE MANAGED BY A GOAT. IT”S LITERALLY JUST A GOAT> CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? & QUSMO WASN”T ABLE TO SCORE A SINGLE GOAL AGAINST THEM> HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

I’ll tell you how: because the wOrLD BOYS CLUB CUP COMMITTEE decided to RIG IT. They let Vartugia play on a pitch that was a TRIANGLE. & it was A THIRD of the size of a NORMAL field. & the pitch was FULLY FLOODED. THIS IS NOT A HYBERPOLE. IT WAS LITERALLY UNDER THREE FEET OF WATER. I KNOW THE WBCCC IS REALLY SUPID, BUT HOW STUPID CAN THEY BE? HOW OBVIOUS & CLEAR & BLATANT CAN THEIR RIGGING OF THE GAME BE?

This is an OUTGRAGE - but I know that I won’t be angry ALONE. No, my blog has SKYROCKETED in popularity - in fact, maybe even SPACEROCKETED - since I published my last blog post. I CAN’T EVEN EXPLAIN IT. I posted that article with FOUR regular viewers but it got FOURTEEN MILLION VIEWS. That’s AMAZING. IT’s INCREDIBLE. It’s a GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY.

The GOVERNMENT wants to “EPAND OUTWARDS TOWARD RUSHMORE” & “JOIN THE COMMUNITY OF RUSHMORE” & BLAH BLAH BLAH. So they want to introduce the ENTIRE REGION - & the ENTIRE MULTIVERSE - to THE FINEST PARTS of QUSMA CULTURE that WE AS A COUNTRY can POSSIBLY OFFER THE REST OF THE MLTIVERSE. & THE FACT THAT QUSMI’Y LIKE ME REPORT THE TRUTH MUST BE THE BEST PART OF QUSMO. THAT’S HOW THEY HOPE TO PROVE TO EVERONE THAT QUSMO IS GREAT & THAT WE SHOULD BE ACcEPTED BY OTHER NATIONS.

Well, GUES WHAT? I REFUSE to be used as some PAWN in some government PLOT. I WILL PERSEVERE & I WILL UNCOVER THE TRUTH. & in fact, some peope have even decided to JOIN ME>

I’m talking about someone from Lisander called QUINTINO THE PREACHER. They’re a RIP-OFF & a KNOCK_OFF of the WONDERFUL BLOG that I have worked SO HARD to create. On the oter hand they’r not afraid to spread the TRUTH so that’s all that matters. So I SALUTE the LYING OPPORTUNISTIC MONEYGRUBBING FRAUDSTER because whoever they are they’re spreading the TRUTH. At the very least they’re a whole lot better than those awful Vlartugan GOATS.

Group 11
Alluersia 1–1 Mattijana
Qusmo 0–0 Velestria
Saltstead 2–0 Vartugia
Sajnur 2–1 Cosumar
Kavagrad 3–2 Mytanija

   Group 11                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Saltstead                        6    4   2   0     9    2   +7    14
 2 Cosumar                          6    3   2   1    13    5   +8    11
 3 Qusmo                            6    3   2   1     6    5   +1    11
 4 Velestria                        6    2   3   1     2    3   −1     9
 5 Kavagrad                         6    2   2   2     9    8   +1     8
 6 Mattijana                        6    2   2   2     8    8    0     8
 7 Sajnur                           6    2   1   3     6    9   −3     7
 8 Vartugia                         6    1   2   3     5   11   −6     5
 9 Mytanija                         6    1   1   4     7    9   −2     4
10 Alluersia                        6    0   3   3     3    8   −5     3

Qusmo fumbles another opportunity, fails to score once again
Qusmo 0–0 Velestria
Mastad Tracama, Tracam, Qusmo (cap. 60 000)

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GK  Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB  Cunix-Betva Tla
CB  Zenon-Gerol Kal
58’ Yelto-Alfan Ono
CB  Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
DM  Yunal-Julad Waz
64’ Gavax-Nenzi Abe
CM  Ilinx-Kepex Zev
AM  Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
LM  Helek-Nenzi Ono
RM  Forzu-Ralox Kal
75’ Ilinx-Ibilx Tla
ST  Prant-Pertz Gor
ST  Xilit-Zaxac Yol

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

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

DRAWS GALORE
New Lusitania 2-2 Kernovi
AlgarveArena (Att: 34,567)

Coming from Eastern Prussia with a draw, the Selecção flew straight to Faro Airport so they could play their next game against Kernovi in the Algarve. A good crowd pulled through in the southern stadium, as the match went underway. Rafa Guerreiros injury meant there was one change on the team sheet, and that was the inclusion of Rúben Vinagrete in the starting eleven. The first half saw good chances by both, including Kernovi hitting the bar and Gama scoring if not for a hand. This was all capitalised by the goal of the half, whose play started by Mário which managed to pass it to Silveira which saw Gama open and so made a through ball towards him, the recieved only needing to put it away. In the second half, Kernovi managed to score two goals, against the run of play, and, giving them the upper hand. The first came from a corner kick, in header. The second one came from a counter-attack, one that came from a Lusitanian corner in which the Kernovi defender hoofed the ball upfield and managed to get it to a forward which only had two defenders and the goalkeeper to worry about, shooting a curved ball into the net.
On 78 minutes of play, New Lusitania managed to equalise the match with a goal by Silveira. A corner played short, passed to Mário who managed to get it to Fernando who created an aerial ball which Silveira turned into an amazing volley. A draw and one team leaves New Lusitania with a good result as the home side ends up dissapointing.
FULL TIME: 2-2

POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS and REACTIONS
I: Yet another draw here tonight. Is it a fair result?
VSC: We played very well, and I think the game went the correct way throughout, we dominated that first half but were much weaker when it came to the second half.
I: Does it pose a problem for the overall classification?
VSC: Too many draws aren't very good, we're at least picking up points and it keeps us going but it won't get us up there on it alone. We've been a complicated place to go to but we have to start winning games, that's for sure.
I: Has the injury of Rafa Guerreiros inflicted a lot of damage?
VSC: The Selecção is known for having good alternatives in the National Pool but I'd be lying if I said Guerreiros isn't one of the best in his position and therefore his absence will shake things up a bit. We know he won't be available for another four matches minimum and we will have to work around it.
I: Thank you for your thoughts Victor.


STATS (LUS/KRV)
Goals: 2/2
Shots: 11/6
Shots on Target: 9/5
Corners: 6/4
Fouls: 2/3
Cards - Yellow: 0/0
Cards - Red: 0/0
Posession %: 60/40

THE HUB
GOALS: André Silveira (3), Gama (2), Jota (1), Nevais (1)
ASSISTS: Fernando (2), Silveira (2), 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

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MMXIX

[Xanneria]

Climbing the WC Social Ladder
Steve Stevenson for football.xan

The trend for Xanneria had always been, play close to teams ranked higher. Well against Geisenfreind that trend was bucked, and in the best way possible. a 3-1 victory over Geisenfreid has lead to the first points of qualifications for the Maroons. A hat trick by Glenn Hailey was all the Maroons needed as the Maroons beat out a struggling Geisenfried team ranked 90th in the world. They did so with the usual Gusto and attacking finesse of a drunk Rhino. Clearly the Geisenfield team wasn't ready as two quick goals from Hailey put up the Maroons 2-0, while it took a while a goal on a corner kick by their start centerback did bring the game closer. The game was much needed win for the Maroons, a slide to a sub.500 W/L record, something Xanneria prides themselves on. Next game will be a match up vs Porabasta a country new to the international scene and ranked a lowly 298th a lowly 115 spots below Xanneria.

Xanneria - 3

G Hailey 9' 20' 68'

Geisenfreid - 1

Forward ??? 50'

Then came Porabasta, a team without a home and ranked super low, who struggled against the rest of the field. While they did manage one win verus lowly Grod Island in the opening week, and they struggled as well versus Xanneria, in a game marred by weather, something that has historically caused Xanneria's speed to mute itself, the soggy field slowed down play but not Chuckie Van Horn, a goal on a penalty kick gave Van Horn a chance and he sailed the ball over the head of the Porabastian Keeper. As it turned out that goal would be the only one in the game, leaving a 1-0 win on the books for the Maroons. While that game is out of the way a huge test looms for Xanneria. The Nation of Banija is next, a looming Powerhouse whose #2 in the group and could post a real test for the Maroons. But, the nation itself is in greiving after their king died and it could be a chance for Xanneria to take advantage of the Solemn Banjians. What will happen? We'll see in the next game.

Xanneria - 1

Van Horn 63'

Porababsta - 0

[Mriin]

aroundthehorn.mrn

Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey

No, I won't be talking about our good friends from the Lodge today. Nor even our neighboors Osarius, who have their own disturbing temporal abnormalities. Nay, the subject of today's article is Group Twelve fifth seeds Melbergia. The match itself was a rather droll affair--the Melbergians are skilled drivers and know the art of parking well, featuring Group 12's best defense by half of the second bests'. But the classic foil to such teams has always been the same: you only need one goal to win. Even the up-to-now ravenous Reavers knew they had what they needed after Tali'raia slipped past Arne Ahlquist in the blink of eye and finessed one past Matthew Kinsella in net. Bring on Mako, let him noodle up front to keep them busy, but keep the wingbacks back and cover your ass at all times for three points.

What's got me most interested in the Melbergians are these WCC records I've dug up on them. This is one of those nations that despite ostensibly being an AO sportsball participant, there just isn't anything someone like me would know off-hand about them. So digging I went, and what I found was fascinating: Melbergia has a relatively long history, first entering in World Cup 58 with scattered qualifying attempts throughout the sixties. Up until World Cup 67, the last the nation would enter for thirteen cycles until their reemergence two cycles back. But take a look here: Comparing their 67 roster to their 80 roster reveals some sort of temporal shenanigans might be going on. That gap for most nations was roughly twenty-six years--fifty-two if you're Audioblaydi--and yet it seems the star Melbergian players only aged four years in the same time. Now, temporal fuckery is far from new to WCC events, but typically we have a little more information on what happened in the meantime. Ossidiacqua's time wall, the Osarian time war, the Equestrian time skip, all familiar events to any well-read football aficionado. But the Melbergian Mystery has no such cultural penetration, and there's nothing we can do but wonder until they elect to provide that story for us.

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

HOLY EMPIRE HERALD

EMPIRE CONDEMNED FOR CRIMES AGAINST SENTIENCE
Sulsuland Poetry Festival Brings Condemnation of Imperial Defence
By Anna Comneno

Amidst shocking scenes in a hole in the ground in Sulsuland, the Holy Empire raced to crushing 5-0 victory inside the first 30 minutes last night following a pre-match poetry festival involving recitations from the Imperial back line of Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings, Grunthos the Flatulent, and Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz.

Though the Sulsuland team escaped the carnage by slapping wet cod fillets (kindly provided by the Holy Empire prior to kickoff as humanitarian aid) over their ears, all 15 home fans in attendance committed suicide in rage and despair after being forced to listen to the visiting defender's contributions to culture.

The poetry festival began by Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz reading out a selection of his recently published collection Freddled Gruntbugglies: The Drama of Building a Hyperspace Bypass. As the screams of the Sulsuland damned echoed around the hole in the ground, Grunthos the Flatulent, Poet Master of the Azgoth of Kria started in on his epic ode 'My Genitalia Produce a Cheesy Substance'. By now the local fans were attempting to chew their ears off in an attempt to escape the horror, but the final blow came from Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings's short eight-line poem 'Say, I Hear You Like Fish Here'. The brains of some home supporters are rumoured to have spontaneously exploded rather than be forced to listen to Jennings's masterpiece.

The primarily naked Sulsuland players - many of them wearing only loincloths and cod fillets - were understandably shaken by events, and were rapidly overwhelmed by the superior visiting opposition. Juan Tzimisces and Simeone Di Bradini are rumoured to have asked their team to ease off in the second half in order to avoid a metaphorical on-field massacre accompanying the off-field massacre.

Outraged World Cup Committee officials are said to be actively seeking a rare public censure of the Imperial side. 'We've let them get away with all sorts of nonsense over the years' said one individual, speaking on condition of anonymity 'but this one really takes the jaffacake; slaughtering the poor innocent Sulsus who just wanted to watch a match of football at the local hole in the ground - likely in the forlorn hope that free fish was going to be distributed to the poor - is an unforgiveable crime against sentience'.

The Holy Empire Football Association was said to be ordering a full investigation. 'It's certainly embarrassing' said a figure believed to be close to Juan Tzimisces. A full inquiry is to be instituted over the events, and Jeltz, Grunthos, and Jennings are believed to be banned from further poetry readings in Ordinary Reality until the inquiry has been completed. 'We might let them read their poetry at home matches' said the Tzimisces contact, 'but only if specifically requested by the opposition'.

As an interim measure, the famous Slobbodovanian folk band Sbrskj Krk Trkrj (or, as you are saying in your language, "Let Us All Rejoice in Harmonious Melodies of Glorious Motherland"), who represented the Holy Empire in World Cup 64, are rumoured to have been invited to replace the Imperial back line on an interim basis at poetry slams until the completion of the inquiry, though Jeltz, Grunthos, and Jennings will continue to actually take the field - likely with duct tape over their appropriate vocal organs.

[Tinhampton]

OOC: Forays of Folly is taking a cycle-long break. In the meanwhile, please enjoy this tale of conspiracy, conspiracy theory, conspiring conspirators, and flat-out dodgy blokes who seek to manipulate the Tinhamptonian population and Football Association towards the end of 2018-ish...

Previous instalments of Air Conditioning: Prologue I, Prologue II, Episode I, Episode II

---

AIR CONDITIONING - episode III, Tinhampton, Tinhampton, November 2018

It was a triumph, this time, of pure concrete. Now, however, it has succeeded only in failure: a failure of safety, a failure of interior design, a failure of defence. Within, there is nothing but blackened steel crate after blackened steel crate; a few emergency workers and one rogue photojournalist may or may not be there are the scene. The Transpella parking lot has stood for thirty years, but today is the end, and the man whose presence within its grasp is the symbol of that declaration is a tired bobby half on the beat and half on it.
As a man and a woman of increasing familiarity approach, he yells "NO ENTRY, YA SCALLYWAGGERS!" as if he is a pirate and this the loot ransacked from a dubiously-salvageable ship. This has become a scarce yet regular routine for him today, having to tell off perhaps a few dozen other people, as flustered as his wizened face - even more so than the two allies that he is staring up against - would suggest. Her face is one of disappointment, his one of bemusement, but the policeman's? One of exhaustion. He can barely tolerate any further role in this nonsense.
"I'm willing to assume we don't know how thi---"
"Yes, I recognise you from other places, Mrs Talbot - those other places. Huge fire right behind me happened a few hours ago... it's eleven o'clock, so one-and-a-half hours. It's all gone there, millions of dollars lost and hundreds of cars lost, you can't get yours out... not you, Benny, I don't think you even own one."
"Oh 'eck, I don't because I'm poor and I want to save the enviro... I honestly don't know what you say that word is! Yes, I've been untrustful of the moneywadders over time and time again and I don't be cordial with you police lot either." Hinting at only the subtlest controversy, his attempted advance with napkins that had the hundred-dollar banknote printed on them fell well short of his expectations - was an officer of the law never supposed to accept bribes, or only those with Young's face upon them instead of Miller's? "Come on, tell us what's happening, isn't it?"
"Sir? I suppose---I suppose that we can't really tell you, there's still an investigation underway now and I don't think it'ld be right for me to leave any comment of any sort. We can't rule out anything yet either!"
"I'm telling yous now, sir, those immigrant terrorists pulled one on us! They came into this country looking for jobs and other such nonsense but that was a lie! I can bring in my mate Steve to testify about the bloke who did this if you want. How many dead bodies are there over there?"
"At least one. He was found laying upon one of t'entry ramps." Silence. A full and complete moment of silence, inadvertent it was.
"Now then, PC... oh, yes, sorry, you're still PC Wilkins, but why did they send you out here today? Are you going to do anything about Steve? Have you..."
"The bloke might never be IDed, but we have CCTV all over the place beyond the car park, this being Tinhampton - we're continuing the case and the chase until we can sort this, maybe in a week or two, maybe in a few months. Who knows?"
"The fire brigade people will, I suppose you'll be negging them for that!"
You'll be seen on your way, you have nothing to worry about from foreigners or anywhat else. If it turned out to be an electrical fault or whatever happens, it'll be on the news soon." And with that, they both nodded and walked back home: but which?

TO BE CONTINUED

---

IC - Know Your Characters: Naomi Talbot, Chairwoman of the TFA - "Benny Helland," pseudonymous socialist - Jake Wilkins, sorta-bent cop - A character whose speech is presented without colour is a background/walk-on character

[Apox]

Here Be Dragons

Victory in the World Cup allows your nation in the place of all time greats forever.

MD7 Cutoff for Groups 8-15

Scores

[Cosumar]

Here Be Dragons

MD7 Cutoff for Groups 1-7

[Mytanija]

FSM, REPIN MEET FOR CRISIS TALKS IN ESCA
RUN OF FIVE STRAIGHT DEFEATS HAS MANAGER WALKING ON EXTREMELY THIN ICE

by Nevenka Planinc

FSM have scheduled crisis talks with manager Lev Repin ahead of the penultimate game of the first-half of qualifying for World Cup 82. A run of five straight defeats, including three against lower-ranked opposition have the coach in a precarious position. A relatively solid start comprising of three wins and three draws (although only two of which were in competitive fixtures), has given way to a run of form that many believe will result in Repin – a bona fide Mytanar footballing legend – being shown the door.

Defeats against Qusmo, Saltstead, Sajnur, Kavagrad and Alluersia mean that Mytanija sit bottom of Group 11 with a measly four points from 7 qualifying fixtures. There was a feeling of optimism surrounding the team heading into the qualifying campaign, buoyed by promising results in pre-qualifying friendlies and a group draw which – whilst tough – engendered the expectation that the teams ranked above Mytanija would drop plenty of points given the high-level of opposition to be found throughout the group. This expectation hasn’t affected anyone as badly as it has the Hoops, though.

Any early hopes of pinching an unlikely qualifying spot have already vanished and although there clearly needs to be discussion between the FSM and the manager, it is unclear as to what exactly they will be said when the meeting occurs in the capital.

The final two games before the midway point of qualifying are at home versus Cosumar and away to Vartugia and many will expect that the run of five straight defeats will increase to six as the Hoops face the highest-ranked nation in Group 11 next. It would perhaps be harsh to expect Repin to manage two wins from these final couple of games before the halfway point, but given the current situation, the FSM may require that as a bare minimum for Repin to save his job.

Since the lost against Qusmo, Repin hasn’t been quite as experimental with his line-ups or his tactics and whilst the team were perhaps slightly unlucky in defeats to Sajnur and Kavagrad, the performances against Saltstead and Alluersia were some of the most abject in recent memory and the early promise of Repin’s reign has dissipated entirely. He has increasingly cut a forlorn figure on the sideline as games have got away from his team and hasn’t seemed to have the answers when they have gone behind. It is difficult to see how he will be able to keep his job without an immediate improvement.

For his part, he still believes that he is the man for the job: “I wouldn’t have taken the position if I didn’t have faith in my ability as a manager. I’m too proud of playing for this country to tarnish my reputation by failing as a coach, the results have been poor, I cannot argue with that assertion – however, many have been close defeats and all but one have only been by the odd-goal. I don’t think it will take too much to turn things around and I still think I can do great things with Mytanija.”

The national team currently sit 11 points behind group leaders Saltstead and there is a belief that the FSM will shift their post qualifying group draw target of a 3rd place finish in Group 11 to merely matching the country’s seeding and finishing 5th.

The lofty ambitions of an outside shot at qualification based on good performances in the previous Cup of Harmony and Copa Rushmori showings under Robin Hjik as well as the pre-qualifying friendly results under Repin are now being swept under the carpet a little, with unnamed sources inside the FSM going as far as to say: “we didn’t know how far off the mark we were, other nations have improved and whilst our players are mostly of good quality we perhaps got ahead of ourselves in moving on from Hjik. His pragmatism is ideal when you aren’t one of the top nations in the group, he would have ground out solid results against the lower-ranked countries that Repin has lost to and perhaps played for draws against the likes of Qusmo and Saltstead.”

Repin, an extremely proud man, will be hurt by the fact that people inside the FSM are commenting as publicly as they have done – particularly given the staunch backing his predecessor, Robin Hjik, received throughout his reign. The ‘unnamed sources’ are likely to be the same people who will be involved in the decision making process regarding whether or not Repin keeps his job and given Repin’s pride and history with the Mytanar national team, it is likely he would have expected a little bit more loyalty from those people. This may well be the lowest point of his entire career and having to answer questions – that will undoubtedly come ahead of the game against Cosumar – about those comments will hurt him deeply.

Perhaps the only player to emerge with much credit from the first-half of WC82 qualification is Jasno Odonelec, he has been a creative presence whenever he has been on the pitch and has hit 4 goals in 6 games. Following the defeat to Alluersia he was asked his opinion on the team’s performances thus far and backed his manager one-hundred percent: “We’ve not been good enough and I don’t think the gaffer is to blame, we’ve had the chances to kill games off and we haven’t and that’s allowed some extremely good teams to get back into the game. You can’t do that at this level and they’ve punished us each and every time. I think we need to improve both in taking our chances and when defending. The gaffer has set us up to win games with the tactics and we’ve just not carried things through as we should have done. I love playing for him and think it’d be a bit short-sighted to not see the good things he has done with us.”

For many supporters, the good things that Repin has done with the team are in short-supply. The approach may be more expansive than under Hjik, but the results have experienced a marked downturn and as a football manager – perhaps the most clear-cut example of a results-based career – it is that that Repin will be judged upon. He will hope that the FSM see things the same way as Jasno Odonelec. The likelihood of that being the case is extremely low, however.

Repin, whilst having a reputation only surpassed by Robin Hjik in Mytanar football, may need an extremely difficult two wins from his next two (at home to Cosumar and away to Vartugia), in order to merely have a chance of saving his job.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

It was left to Tom Cassidy, the Attorney General, to make the announcement under the 20 minute rule. He drafted a brief statement and picked up the phone on the PM's desk, ringing through to the attendant in the Private Member lounge.

The lounge was a room at the back of the chamber which was used by members of Parliament to meet with staff, constituents or one another. It was the Smoking Room of years gone by, and had several couches, chairs and half a dozen small vestibules, with curtains at the front. Generally, the Speaker held court here during votes, recesses, and other times when it wasn't convenient to go back to his office.
Greg Faber was there, and the Speaker, David Kosik had been alerted, so when Cassidy told the man answering the phone to have the bells sounded, the word was relayed. A floor messenger was neaarby and told to inform the Clerk. Within 60 seconds, the familiar two tone signal that sounded throughout the entire Assembly side of Parliament House--usually to announce that votes were taking place--began, as well as flashing messages on the CCTV screens. Immediately following the 45 seconds of that, the Five Minute bell--a single tone repeated twice for an additional 30 seconds--rang out.

Cassidy arrived at the lounge several minutes later, and briefed the Speaker on the situation. He said that no one knew any concrete details, so it might not even warrant an appearance from the PM today. The Clerk had joined them and they went over the motions to be made and how the calendar would have to be altered.
The chamber was nearly full as the session was resumed.

Mr. Speaker: Order. Order. Pursuant to the Rules, the Chair recognizes Thomas Cassidy.

Mr Cassidy: Thank you Mr Speaker, I beg leave of the chair to move that the Assembly rise and return at a time in the future when business can resumed. On behalf of the Prime Minister, it is my duty to inform the House of an incident which has occurred in the Kingdom of Banija, where there has been an attempt on the life of Kabaka Albert III. We have been in contact with the Ambassador, Mr Johanssen, to have him find out whatever news can be ascertained. Additionally, it is reported that the Foreign Minister of Eshan has also been shot in the same incident. Of course we are hoping for the best, and share our concerns with both nations at this time. The Secretary of State is reaching out to Eshan as we speak, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is seeking out advise and comment from other nations in the region.
Unfortunately, this is all the news we are able to share at this time, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister will address the House at a time when there is more information available. On that note, I ask the chair that the question be put."

Mr Speaker: Is there a second?

several members: yes

Mr Speaker: The Question is put--Shall the House rise and the sitting be adjourned? All those in favor say Aye.

members: Aye

Mr Speaker: all those opposed, say No. In the opinion of the Chair, the Ayes have it. The sitting is adjourned. Thank You. Sergeant at Arms.

(lineup vs Blaneu--Moyer; Arnold, D Haller, Messer; Santos, Callum, Bozeman, Fernandez; Sotolongo; Jones, Patton)

[New West Guiana]

*Background noise, the ticking of a clock, and hushed whispering*

President Louis De'Cader has now been in power as the head of state of West Guiana since a military coup de'ta in early 2012, his transition was quite easy he had no major enemies besides that of the coup'd president Jackson. The coup for the most part was popular among the citizens and even the National Congress, who felt that Jackson had over stayed his welcome, but were not in the position to impeach him. It has been nearly ten years since the coup and for the most the country has seen no external conflict, but despite appearing to be united internally the lie couldn't be further from the truth. De'Cader has presided over the country with an even hand, but those who have been less ethically assimilated to the rest of the country have always shown their teeth when needed.

One of the more fierce minorities in the nation have always been the Legalites that reside in the north along the Legalese boarder, they have waged war against the country during the 1980-83 war, they sought to be a free nation of their own and hoped to be adsorbed by their ancestral homeland. Neither occurred, matter of fact while they were called the Republic of Southern Legalese, the Government of Legalese has never recognized their claims and have ignored the claims. No less than a year ago they changed their name to Alluersia along with their regional capital which formerly was called Legalese City(the same name of the nation of Legalese) to Je'Kara. A move that was recognized for the most part by many and applauded, however others like De'Cader saw the move as much else, a move towards separation. Not only that move hinted towards the Alluerisan getting ready for something else, in that same year they started to issue their own currency(angering many) and started to build up their own security force.

All these moves by the autonomous region of Alluersia was duly noted, however De'Cader was urged not to take swift action and move in the military to restore order, which he has many times in the past done. Talks of greater autonomy were discussed, and the Department of State and Defense Department granted the Alluersian government the right to have a security force under the stipulation that all members may not carry automated rifles, and no guns larger than 45 mm. Armored personal carriers with no gun attachments were also granted. De'Cader though has remained suspicious and has since increased the number of infantry to Ft. Pillywith located near Alluerisa or with in 200 miles of Je'Kara.

Looking out the window, with his arms folded behind his back, he gazes out over the bustling modern city of Gemsbrook, the capital of West Guiana. Without turning he sharply asks a simple question, "Tell me General Markus, does your team know whether or not Haggord or his bastard nephew are planning anything beyond that soccer team. Knowing Adam he is planning much more, or he has regulated many of those roles to Mr. Wilkerson."

General Markus cleared his throat before replying in with his thunderous voice, "We have yet to establish a direct connection between Mr. Wilkerson and Mr. Allerson, we know they have ties but aren't sure..." His voice trails off.

Turning around, De'Cader carefully sits at his desk and looks around the room with all of his cabinet seated in a semi-circle around the desk, tapping a finger on the desk he sighs, "General,....." Rubbing the palm of his hand against his face, "Don't waste my time, we all know that Allerson and Wilkerson have a past with one another, don't tell me today that this Alluersian team is not connected back to Wilkerson in some way. Secretory Salmon, surly your department must know something."

Secretory Salmon a petite older woman made history when De'Cader appointed her as the first woman to head the Department of Defense, shuffling through a few papers she made a quick glance before speaking, "Mr. President, as far as the NIA has discovered Mr. Wilkerson has shown no further aggressive actions against this country besides urging for a independent Alluersian state. My team and I have submitted a report to your office a few hours ago detailing plans should they move for a independence movement."

"I'm sorry Secretory I have not received that report yet, however I simply can't trust that this soccer team is the end of the discussion."

"Mr. President." Another voice spoke up, it was coming from Shelly Darls the Commerce Secretory, "should they declare their independence my department has plans that we can put into place with in hours that will cripple their economy. Considering that fifty percent of their economy is manufacturing, government manufacturing we will close these plants and move these processes to other factories in the country."

"Yes, however the plants in Hanover are the only ones designed to manufacture the electronics that are needed in our missile and aircraft's." Secretory Salmon interjected.

Darls pressed on and refuted, "AirMaster has five factories that produce the exact same parts and the National Labor Party in congress who have for years argued government waste might be willing to support closing these factories, saving the government roughly sixty-two million dollars a year."

De'Cader nodded his head slightly, "Though I have been against using government contractors to produce the parts for our military, I will consider your plan should Haggord and the Alluersians take further action, though over time I have less favored military action. But i want everyone in this room to understand, that should they seek external assistance, we will mobilize."

[Indusse]

indusse win and lose the matches: indusse defeated pratapgadh 4-1 on the first indian classico the day before yesterday and lost a match yesterday and indussean goals were scored by baskar and aaryan and the match witnessed the injury of butea. thats all for today and i am declaring support to all newzelandians who were affected by the terrorist attack at christchurch. #christchurch live, #anti-terrorism,#peace

[Natanians and Nosts]

Ioan Mihailescu
A Natanians and Nost Comedy


Translated into English by:John Marcus César

Characters:
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:A virtuous proletarian,relatively well in life.
Ioana Mihaela Ionescu:His wife,less virtuous than him,but who loves him.
Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu:His daughter.
Ion Mihai Petrescu:Banker.
Mihai Peter Petrov/Petroff:Journalist,serious,quite drunkard sometimes,Ioana Mihaela Ionescu's choice for Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu.
Márcus Carolus Ionescu:Chief of police
Mihai Ioan Ionescu:Ioana Mihaela Ionescu's brother,wants to hekp her with some of her plans,sometimes he suggests some plans himself.
Josef Cláudius Constantinescu:Police officer
Cícero Petre Arcidoveanu:Aspiring palaeontologist,Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu's love interest.
Mihai Ioan Teodorescu:Cícero Petre Arcidoveanu's friend.
Cáius Márcus Vladimirescu:Cícero Petre Arcidoveanu's boss/adviser.
Carolus Ioan Moraru:Ioan Márcus Mihailescu's friend.
Claudius Ion Marques:Ioan Márcus Mihailescu's boss.
Albert Paulus Torje:Ioan Márcus Mihailescu's firend and co-worker.
Rafael Fábius Iliescu:Ioan Márcus Mihailescu's co-worker.
Mihaela Andreea Torje:Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu's friend.
Márcia Geovanna Alb:Ioana Mihela Mihailescu's friend.
Octávia Geovanna Alb:Márcia Geovanna Alb's mother and Ioana Mihaela Ionescu's friend.
Március Ioan Albulescu:Márcia Geovanna Alb' father.
Police officers,bar frequenters,diverse number of neighbours,passers-by,etc...

Location:A not small,but not that big city.

Act I
Scene I

Ioan Mihailescu and Ioana Ionescu are at their room.

Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:So my love,can you decide already,we will get late to the Albulescu dinner.
Ioana Mihaela Ionescu:Octávia Geovanna will understand.Besides the car has not arrived yet!
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:Yes that,you made me rent a car.
Ioana Mihaela Ionescu:Oh don't complain my love.Also,which one do you think I look best at?
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:This one,it reminds me of the blue one you wore when we first met!
Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu[outside,behind the door]:Mum!Dad!The car has arrived!
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:I'm going my dear!Just beware![now to wife]I'll leave my dear,love you![goes to door]
Ioana Mihaela Ionescu:And I love you too![now to self,lower]And hopefully Mihai Peter will be able to be there,to coquer Ioana's heart!

At the living room:Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu sitting,Ioan Márcus Mihailescu arrives,car's conductor is at door

Ioana Mihaela Mihailescu:Dad he has hit the door some three times.
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:[opens door]So you are Mr. Petrescu?
Choffeur:Yes sir,that would be me.I brought thee this beautiful car with the best horses we have,to drive for thee tonight.
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:That's good![turns face to daughter]Ianuța,go see if your mum has finished already.

Ioana Mihailescu goes and comes back some time later,her mother comes right behind

Ioana Mihaela Ionescu:Wasn't it worth the wait my love?
Ioan Márcus Mihailescu:You're always beautiful,you don't need so much time!Let's go now,before they think we gave up,or that we disrespect them.

---

EDIT:Formating typo

[The Sherpa Empire]

The hike down to the city was longer than Danu remembered it. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but as he started to pass some familiar landmarks, he realized he was not imagining it. The walk really was longer because some of the outlying parts of the city were not there. There was no trace of them. When Danu found his way into neighborhoods that were inhabited, they were quieter and less densely-built than he remembered. A space that he remembered as a bicycle repair shop was instead a park, and what he remembered as a small row of townhouses was instead a shack with a large yard where goats were grazing.

All the people he saw were nicely dressed and could pass for ethnic Sherpas. It seemed like a nice neighborhood. A couple of people smiled and waved, but Danu was conscious that he didn't belong. He didn't know these people, and he didn't have any of the paperwork he needed to live among them.

He saw a "now hiring" sign in the window of a small restaurant and he went inside to see if he could earn some money. (He already knew the rupees from his own timeline were different from the ones in this timeline, so he could not spend them here.)

The owner of the restaurant asked him for ID. Danu explained why he didn't have one. The owner of the restaurant was understandably skeptical and called the police. Danu allowed them to take him in for questioning.

In Lukla, Khumbu Capital District, at the imperial palace:

Holy Emperor Karsang III was done with his official business for the day, so he went to see what his family were up to. His daughter Yahia was planning to get married in the fall, and her fiance had been spending a lot of time around the palace while they planned the wedding. The Emperor found the two of them lounging around talking about music. Yahia's fiance was introducing her to some of his favorite songs from outside the Empire. He played something that sounded touching and sorrowful and beautiful.

In the town of Spring Hill, Nova Scotia
Down in the heart of the Cumberland Mine
There is blood on the coal and the miners lie
In the roads that never saw sun nor sky
Roads that never saw sun nor sky...

The Emperor didn't understand all the words, but he was happy to see Yahia and her fiance enjoying each other's company.

In the town of Spring Hill, Nova Scotia, down in the heart of the Cumberland Mine:

There is blood on the coal and the miners lie in the roads that never saw sun nor sky. It is the aftermath of an earthquake that caused the mine to cave in. The air is full of dust. Karsang Sherpa picks his way through the mess, praying that there will be no more aftershocks and he will be able to reach the surviving miners without another cave in. He has a mask to keep from breathing in too much dust, but the air under the mask is sticky and damp and stale. It all seems senseless, people putting themselves through all this, risking their lives -- and for what?

He knows this isn't what his life is supposed to be. He would be Emperor of the Sherpa Empire if his father hadn't been deposed by the fascists. Sometimes he dreams of sneaking back into the Empire and assassinating the Führer, but he knows he'll never actually do it. He's met some of the leaders of the Resistance and talked to them about restoring the monarchy, but talking to revolutionaries is easier than going out and fighting the revolution yourself.

[Brusseldorf]

The last thing Merkel noticed as she plummeted down the side of the Government building was how much cooler she felt. That, and the tingling sensation near the bullet holes. She pressed her hand to the wounds and passed out.

Eli crawled to the edge of the shattered window. If she wasn’t dead already, she would be when she hit the ground, he thought. Just before he pulled away from the abyss, A blue glow enveloped Mrs Nejem’s falling body. She disappeared with a flash of light. Eli didn’t notice.

Harry Matthews of 7 Morley Drive, Keohampshire, turned on his TV. He’d just got back from the nursing home, and wanted to relax. As much as he loved his father, he was still unsettled by the nursing home each time he visited. He put on the kettle and tried to take his mind off things with the football. Harry cursed under his breath, he’d just missed the game. An obnoxious advertisement started, so he switched to the news. The TV anchor was looking concerned.
“... still taking place to find the former First Lady. After the death of her husband several weeks ago. Mrs Merkel Nejem has disappeared. Police suspect suspicious circumstances, and are urging witnesses or close friends of Mrs Nejem to come forward with any information...”
Harry frowned. He liked Mrs Nejem, she’d come to his workplace once. She was a respectful and intelligent woman. He hoped they found her.

Merkel awoke to the distant sound of jazz. She rolled onto her side and wiped her hair away from her face, wincing as she loosed small pieces of dust and soil into her eyes. Her chest and neck ached terribly, and she wondered if anything was broken. As she lay still on the ground, her head suddenly started to spin. There was a heart-wrenching pull in her chest, like her head thought she was falling out of the sky. Merkel propped herself upright and tried to convince herself that she wasn’t falling, that she was safe on the ground. Her brain couldn’t deal with the conflicting information. She dry-wretched and passed out.
Merkel came to. The blood red sky hung low above her. It was still daytime. As she gathered her senses, she realised that she was at the bottom of a large crater. She slowly got up, first on one knee, then a hand, then another. Her chest screamed in pain as she stood upright. Merkel collapsed, panting. Her hand clasped her chest, fingers pressed against two small holes. A painful memory flashed across her mind. Eli’s snarling face. The snared barrel. The bullets slamming into her. The open sky. Then... here.
Merkel pushed the nightmare away. There was a pounding in her chest. Her eyes darted about. She had no idea why she was here, or why she was alive. Merkel just wanted to see her children again. She wanted to see her husband again.
She got to her knees and began to crawl up the side of the crater, ignoring the pain. The music was still playing. It gradually became louder as she neared the top of the crater. The view from the top was horrifying. For miles and miles stretched unending craters and blasted earth. As she stumbled across the uneven ground, the music grew louder still. She was getting close.


OOC: continuation of a saga involving Brusseldorf, My Prime Minister and his wife, The evil new Prime Minister, alternate worlds, portals, jazz, and now, football

[Ko-oren]

We still don't have a captain

Bongo Johnson's unbeaten series is over, and what a way to end it. The low seed surprised everyone by winning their first five straight games, but they're back on earth with two losses against top seed Ethane and second seed Ko-oren. It turns out that they have a very talented group, but they inflated their status a little by mostly playing the little guys. Damukuni and Ko-oren have already joined the nation named after its famous founder (by the name of Bongo Johnson) on 15 points, while Ethane is just a little behind on 13, as is Siovanija and Teusland. The race for the top only heats up more with so many teams so close together. Effectively, there is going to be a direct match for the top spot every single round - it's almost inevitable that there will be a Top 5 vs Top 5 game.

The Dragonflies are starting to gel much better. It's a night-and-day difference from the start of the cycle, but Juliasterinthen stuck with the same eleven players and it's paying off. Van Schelven remains a top-tier defender that is very hard to get past even at his young age, and as a result, it's mostly the other four defenders that take turns going forward to join the attack. Some of these combinations have proven more successful than others: Mizuno has a great sense of space, speed and direction and has hit some incredible 20+ metre passes, even to put Tsuchida in 1-on-1s. Brogley has the capability of widening play considerably and providing empty space for Longchambon and Vaugrenard whenever he goes up. Dalton and Lampshire don't hurt the attack, either.

The single goal (we still win our matches by one goal, often 1-0) of the day came on a counterattack, something that the Dragonflies are getting more and more lethal at with the extra defender up front. Van Schelven intercepted a risky pass that would have given Bongo Johnson a great chance at 0-1, then launched Longchambon on the right wing with a deep ball. Brogley sprinted forward on the left side, Vaugrenard sat back a little to provide a 2-3-1 at the front: Yokota next to Odell, then the fullback, attacking midfielder and second striker. Tsuchida was trying to read the movement of his colleagues in order to decide how to best tap in the 1-0. Longchambon then crossed it into Vaugrenard, who saw one teammate and two defenders in front of him, passed it wide to Tsuchida. The Advance Alara striker had to adapt a little, debated between shooting and passing again, then decided on the latter. Brogley now appeared in front of the goal to take the pass and convert it into a powerful shot from two metres out - 1-0. The visitors were a lot more careful from here on out, but it didn't matter. The Ko-orenites kept a clean sheet easily, and have moved on to 15 points and a great defensive record.

Two more games until we've seen everyone once and the group hopefully starts making a little more sense.

Hopefully, by that point, the team has settled into a rhythm even more so that the personal vendettas have disappeared. From that moment onwards, we should get a clearer picture as to who the next captain of the Ko-orenite National Team will be.

[Jeruselem]

Dazza Dallas Stadium, after Jeruselem lost to Main Nation Ministry 1-0
Princess Katya and Jeruselem coach Kaz Sallad

Katya: We don't seem to have much luck at home
Kaz: Nope
Katya: All our wins were away, some were pretty close
Kaz: Well, the good news is the Group 4 table is pretty tight and we're far from out it
Katya: Top seed is like 2nd last, that's just weird
Kaz: This group is far from predictable

Katya: We actually played pretty good today too, only let one goal
Kaz: I think it was bloody offside too, but nevermind
Katya: Bit of a stop start game, hard to score when the ref keeps on stopping people from scoring
Kaz: Yes, when unrelated fouls to the actual goal stop goals being scored
Katya: Unlike our last game
Kaz: That one was the ref deciding to do nothing, which I actually prefer

Katya: We still got like ... 11 games left, I guess we aren't out of it, far from it
Kaz: We got most the group bar one team in contention
Katya: We end up in there kind of groups, all the time
Kaz: I have noticed that.
Katya: Hamish is behaving himself, I guess after causing us to not win a game. He did learn something
Kaz: I think it was more to do with his Mum getting upset

Katya: Say, what you think of Bianca?
Kaz: Oh her, she's load of fun. Not
Katya: She's got no filter, no someone who want to work on TV.
Kaz: At least she doesn't sugar coat things but she's a bit too honest sometimes
Katya: She likes to drop a few select words of ... explicit language
Kaz: Yes, that's fun when she's not happy.

Katya: As you know, I went to school with her. I was a lower grade though
Kaz: I bet she was popular with the teachers
Katya: Yeah, no one wanted to talk with her.
Kaz: Well I'm not surprised with that, most of the team tries to avoid her. Except Hamish, I guess he's used to someone directing explicit language at him.
Katya: He just likes to annoy people, and she's really easily annoyed.
Kaz: You don't have to try to annoy her.

Katya: She's good at what she does though
Kaz: It would help if she had social skills
Katya: She was handy when bullies were hassling me, she came along and they ran off.
Kaz: Was she violent?
Katya: Nah, when she tells people to fuck off - she really means it and that death stare
Kaz: She does use it a lot, on opposition strikers. They don't like looking at her

Katya: She likes being in control
Kaz: Yes, I guess that helps keep the defenders on their toes.
Katya: Bet the defenders get an ear full when they aren't doing their job
Kaz: Yes, I guess it's good thing.
Katya: At least, she's predictable.
Kaz: True, at least you know how she's going to behave.

Katya: She's actually quite smart, it's just no one likes her.
Kaz: As long as she does her job
Katya: I think our offense needs to a better job, we lose because we don't score enough goals
Kaz: We spend too much time in our own half. Say, why you they call you Queen of Dragons?
Katya: I look a lot like that character.
Kaz: Sometimes you are a bit a dragon.

Katya:
"Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons"

Kaz: You watch too much TV
Katya: I love my cosplay
Kaz: Oh yes, your Mum is the same.
Katya: That's why she married an actor.
Kaz: Well, you're a bit of actor yourself.
Katya: No money in acting these days

[Balqia]

-What a beautiful day, isn’t it?
Grigorius E. Janus was shorter in person, his blue eyes and dark hair remembered his son, however his face was narrower. He took a look in Viktor before sitting. The stadium was crowded, however their cabin only had three people, Andrec, Janus and Mrs Inga, Gregorius secretary.
-Oh, the game will soon begin, please, sit down.
Andrec followed the order instinctively. Down there in the field the match started, the opponent’s forward advanced and the midlefielders tried to stop them, the ball however arrived arrived in the goal area, the score was only avoided thanks to Kalniq. The enemy started with advantage.
-It’s an honor to be here Mr Janus, you are surely proud of your son. Rigo is…
-Rigo is a rebel, he is as smart as his mother and as stubborn as his father. I am not here to talk about Rigo. I am here for business, and business alone.
In the field the Republican team advanced again, they penetrated the defense easily, the forward passed through the middle and back as they were statues. In the goal area he kicked the ball so quickly that even the goalkeeper couldn’t catch it, the ball hit the goal post.
-Mr Andrec, our team is in the penultimate position. How do you explain that?
-W-Well, as you can see the World Cup is a more mature event, the BoF was disputed against other rookies, we shouldn’t think that our team will do as well with so many professional teams competing with us.
Faj was advancing with the ball, the team was able to steal the ball and start to advance slowly, the defensive tactic was evident, the team barely recovered dominance in the own field, however the forwards tried an advance, the enemy defense however was tougher and soon a reaction followed.
-You have lost or drew to teams below our ranks. That’s not what I was expecting of you.
The enemy team recovered the control of the field, they were advancing. The defense could barely stop them, Kuld stole the ball but soon Kalervo recovered it, he advanced to the goal and kicked the ball, it missed for centimeters.
-You must understand that I do not control the entire team, the individual performance is responsibility of the players and the collective is work of Primlid and Mariko. I just manage the team and do the administrative and financial choices. Even the Staff management is left to Kruma so we can guarantee an efficient management.
The Balqese team recovered its composure and was advancing again, Faj sent the ball to Putiniq, when the opponent defense advanced to stole the ball he sent it to Rigo. The forwards advanced, the goal area was close, the goalkeeper was trying to place himself, it was a clean shot, however when the ball was kicked it passed right above the goal.
-So why did you received all the credit for the BoF?
-W-well, as y-you can see… the baptism...I…
-You have used it to take so many money. Mrs Inga, how many in investments I have directed to the National Team?
The secretary looked at her cellphone and responded with a robotic voice.
-231.450.893,03 Golden crowns in direct investment to the team, of which G₡33.890.000,00 where spent by Mr Andrec in dubious investments.
The enemy have recovered control of the field and of the ball. Their forward was advancing again, he missed the goal, but when the ball returned to the field they soon stole it and advanced again. Both times they missed the goal by centimeters. The pressure could be felt, anyone could see that the republican team had total domain of the field, until now the National Team was able to maintain the stalemate by pure luck and a focus in defense.
-How…-Andrec could barely speak, the account he was using was extra secretive, he even bribed the director of the bank to maintain secrecy about it.
-You are too greedy Mr Andrec, even a dead skunk would stink less. Lucky me, one of my friends in the Orsaw bank told me about this account. Oh, and the intelligence agency was informed about it too. It’s a matter of time before they discover who is the owner of this pile of filthy gold.
The balqese were having a hard time in the field. Again and again the republicans were advancing, Stefano was exhausted and anyone could see that, it was a matter of time before a goal was scored. Primlid should be thinking at full speed right now, just like Viktor was doing in the moment.
-You can’t. If they discover about this they surely will follow the track to you. It will be suicide.
Kaesar stole the ball and started advancing in a desperate attempt to retake the offensive, however the republican team soon recovered control.
-How lucky I am to have friends in the government, including some people in the agency, ain’t I?
Again a ball almost entered the goal. Kalniq was substituted by Ozot. The game resumed and again the republicans advanced, the Balqese team tried to do some offensives, all of them failed, the game surely was lost, however the National Team didn’t drop the bone and was trying to advance against the opponent. In the cabinet the silence grew until Mr Janus said with a smile.
-By the way, your wife is a lovely person, she offered me to visit your house someday.
-W-What… when?- Viktor knew that he had lost, but that was just… low.
-Yesterday I could talk to her, she gave me your address, a beautiful place, built with some ugly acts.
The crowd cheered when a goal was scored, obviously by the republicans. Mr Janus got up and went to the door.
-You will not watch the rest of the game?- Viktor tried to sound friendly, he failed.
-I have seen enough.
-It’s just a wave of bad luck Mr Janus, we will surely recover.
-I hope so... You know, I hate few things. But there isn’t anything that I hate more than bad investments… I wonder, was you a bad investment Mr Andrec?
With that he left the room. Viktor was alone again. When the interval begun he bought a hot dog and a juice. Grigorius was right, he have seen enough, the second half was just like the first, the republicans didn’t score any goal this time, but they didn’t needed to do so, the game was already lost.

[Cassadaigua]

Naming Rights Project, Next City:

City: Grande Mountain
Stadium (Soccer, Gridiron, Baseball): Grande Mountain Stadium
Arena (Basketball, Hockey, Concerts, etc): Grande Mountain Arena
Seating Capacity- Stadium: 68,362
Seating Capacity- Arena: 19,143
International Competitions: Used in all tournaments hosted by Cassadaigua and typically sees actions at least through the quarterfinals, and possibly the semifinals.

Sponsorship Packages Available:
– Full Scale Stadium Naming Rights (For Stadium)
– Full Scale Stadium Naming Rights (For Arena)
– Secondary Sponsorship Opportunity (Can include soccer sideline advertisements, outfield wall for baseball, boards in hockey, etc).

City Demographics (Know the market!)
Population- 2,724,516
Average Age- 42
Wealth*- Average
Crime*- Above Average
Men’s Rights*- Below Average
Education Level*- Average

Cultural Trademark- Grande Mountain has a unique history within Cassadaigua as being a place where men’s rights protests are the most common, and the least peaceful. Violent is not the right word, but the most aggressive protests happen here. As the Queen tries to progessive and push for more gender equality for men, it is in Grande Mountain where there is significant resistance.

There is a pretty intense rivalry now between Grande Mountain University and Seth Johnson College. Grande Mountain University, despite claiming and releasing public statements that they are becoming a more inclusive campus, has in reality, not stepped up to that. They are iconic in past Cassadagan history for being where some of the most extreme and nastiest exploitation of male students have occurred. Seth Johnson College is an all men’s school, only two miles away. It is progressive, but the student bases of each institution do not co-exist well. There is not violence over it or anything, but there is simply dislike and disrespect for the other.

Those past college age often stand with their collegiate allegiance, if they have one, and still things can be very divisive, no matter how old you are. If it wasn’t for all of this, Grande Mountain is a beautiful city which is at a higher elevation, as you may have anticipated. It’s the type of city that might be yearning for an international sponsor for its stadium and arena, because of major Cassadagan companies likely opting to stay away from potential controversy and make it seem like they are siding with one side or the other

Universities within:
Grande Mountain University
Seth Johnson College
Central Cassadaigua University
White Mountain College


*- In Comparison to other Cassadagan cities



Rachel Schanke vs Sutter McCloud, A Tale of Two 19-year Olds,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times


Rachel Schanke, 19 years old, perceived as Cassadaigua’s next big striker.
Sutter McCloud, 19 years old, perceived as Starblaydia’s golden boy.

Same age, same position, same hopes for nations with multiple World Cup titles.

Rachel Schanke, given a kit number that reverses her legendary grandmother’s old number (now retired)
Sutter McCloud, given a kit number that is legendary in his nation for those who have worn it.

Expectations are high on both, and both make the current fans of their respective nation remember their glorious past while aspiring for more glory in the future.

Rachel Schanke, Substitute.
Sutter McCloud, Starter

The paths of Rachel Schanke and Sutter McCloud seem to be heading in the same direction right now, meeting in the same qualifying group, as two nations hope to see their star shine for a very long time. They have the same birth year, but one is being more aggressive with their young phenom then the other nation. This begs an interesting question.

Is Starblaydia rushing Sutter McCloud?
Or
Is Cassadaigua being too conservative with Rachel Schanke?

McCloud has been impressive as a junior, and even though he looked a little out of his league a little bit when we beat Starblaydia on the road, that is simply part of the growing pains for a young player. At 19, the road is never truly golden, and as they say, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” Sutter will learn from that, and should be much better when he goes to Concord Heights.

Rachel was impressive too, in her Di Bradini Cups. Being the team’s leading scorer, and appearing as a reserve in World Cup 81, and she has picked up a couple goals already in qualifying in thus tournament. She has not looked out of place, she has simply not been given the same opportunity. Current starters Hannah Ranucci and Caitlyn Mayer are doing a great job, so the need to use Schanke as a starter just is not there for us as it seems to be with Starblaydia, even though they talk about their own logjam at the position.

There is no right or wrong answer. Both nations have proven that their formula can win championships. Perhaps the biggest explanation for this is the explanation of fluid time. Gotta love it. In World Cup 83, Sutter will be 23, and Rachel will be 21. Amazing how that works. Guess that’s why we’re more patient!

[Audioslavia]

Eura Mean One, Mr. Leach
Bulls Beaten at the Bastion

John Leach's 81st minute header was all that separated Audioslavia from hosts Eura on a tense night in Bastion.

With top spot in the group at stake, both sides played a cautious game, neither wanting to make the first mistake. First half chances were limited to set-piece opportunities, with Oscar Coltrane going closest with a spinning, dipping effort from twenty-five yards which Bulls' stopper Calixto could only watch cannon off the angle. Audioslavia's best chance came from a free-kick too, with Sterling whipping in a ball that caught two deflections before dropping at the feet of Robert Jégou. Jégou, under pressure and needing to get an improvised shot out from between his feet, could only manage to hook a snap-shot wide of the upright. With one of the final acts of the first half, Eura would rattle the Audioslavian woodwork once more, with Coltrane's whipped corner finding the near-post head of Dion Underwood, who could only redirect it off the outside of the near post.

Audioslavia started the second half brightly, with RIckson Marañón entering the fray in favour of Ignacio Borjon. Marańón's speed and creativity immediately caused problems for the home side. In the forty-eighth minute, the Audioslavian number seventeen cut inside from the left and feinted past Talbot to bear down on goal. A wayward flick put the ball out of Kuznestsov's reach, but a botched clearance saw the ball drop kindly for Leo Sterling who struck the ball with a devilish amount of top-spin. Intentional or not, the ball skittered off of goalkeeper Griffin's legs and behind for a corner, with Griffin seemingly not to aware of the save he'd made. Marañón would be involved in two further chances in the early stages of the second half, curling an effort wide of the far post from the corner of the area and directing a reverse ball through to Kuznetsov on fifty-five minutes that the striker controlled, turned with, and shot low and hard across the goalkeeper. On this occasion, Griffin was ready, diving low and swatting the ball out of its path towards the far corner in a superb reaction save.

Lesser sides may have crumbled under the pressure, but the Euran fans in attendance simply would not let that happen. Buoyed by their urgent chanting, Eura started to get themselves back into the game and before long, Audioslavia were having to defend for their lives. Dion Underwood rattled the woodwork for a second time, sweeping a low cross into the underside of the bar and out, before first Holmes and then Talbot brought out superb stops from the Eura-based Calixto in the Audiosavian net. Valentini and Cesar-Chavez were brought on for Sterling and Oljer as Audioslavia sought to defend a valuable point, but to no avail. In the 81st minute, Coltrane found the head of centre half John Leach who beat Lomax to a looping ball and powered it into the roof of the net, with Robertson unable to defend it on the line.

Having used all their substitutes and playing what amounted to a 5-4-1 formation with only Marañón and Kuznetsov as true forward players, Audioslavia's fightback crashed against the shores of the Euran defence.

Final Score: Eura 1, Audioslavia 0.

Audioslavia go into Sunday's game with Drawkland at risk of dropping out of the qualification spots all together if they are to lose. Manager Wilfred Lidgley has suggested raising morale by introducing his players to a cat he's just seen pictures of. The cat is funny because it looks very grumpy.

[Zwangzug]

To whom it may concern,
Grande Mountain, Cassadaigua,

Greetings from Zwangzug! Like you, our country shares a commitment to beautiful mountainous views, university education, and athletic diversity. We also have some semblance of an economy and look on with concern at your violent protests recognize your unique gender dynamics.

Peak'n'Break breakfast food would like to sponsor your stadiums because that's totally a thing that normal countries do why not. We specialize in game-time muffins, as well as other tasty baked goods. Previously, our company has sponsored the World's Fair Play Trophy, as well as opening a branch at a stadium in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega.

All the best in your diversification of nomenclature, and long-term sporting history.

~Dominic Lenski,
Peak'n'Break

(Sanger 19, Hirsch 61; Twoni 36)

[Velestria]

---

READING-UPON-WYCHESTER — Olympic Reading maintained a stranglehold on Series A of LigVezia for nearly two months and it looked as if they were in prime position to widen their lead post-MD12, however since then in the final three games before the first half of the season ended and 418 looks to begin Olympic Reading’s fury has largely looked to have faded from the side and lackluster performances have begun to hit hard at strong points, the A.C. 317 Roses who haven’t won the league title since 402 look like challengers halfway through the season as the Roses string together three wins in the past three games and since matchday 10 have earned 12 out of all 15 possible points in Series A point. Meanwhile, Battlebrook United, a team who nearly finished relegated last season is suddenly warming up, knocking Olympic Reading down a peg as the settle into the third spot, ahead of Peachtree City F.C. on goal difference. Poor results through recent weeks including a focus on preparation for the Velish League Cup has resulted in a change of fortune and fall in the table for early season favorite, Olympic Reading; leaving some to believe Reading is down and out from the running for the Series A title trophy, the Levegpravasha, league premier in English. With fifteen games left in in the season as the second half opens up after Christmonth great, the Roses are slight favorites over both Battlebrook and Reading, Reading finds themselves sitting four points back needing to string together a couple wins in a row to maneuver back into the top spot.

Olympic Reading’s best form game during the first third of the season after matchday 4 when they continually sat tied for the first place running alongside the Doverhampton Wanderers who themselves have fallen just short of Velish League Cup qualification and sit in fifth place on the league table after fifteen games played and halfway point through the season. Olympic Reading has placed its best while its been allowed to flourish playing natural football, i.e. its game short of having expectations, this was especially shown in convincing yet quiet 1-nil victories over favorites like Azurea and Vegai who have simply been atrocious through the first half of the season, Reading has looked like a team which has a ton of fire power to consciously challenge for the league title, as seen by incredible performances over the first fifteen matchdays. While yes, we don’t know if title pressures have begun mounting on Reading and whether or not its had an impact on the squad, what we do know is that there is a clear and obvious slump effecting the effort and abilities of this team and it’s gotten perhaps a bit worrisome to deal with in Reading-Upon-Wychester, in a city which is now suddenly taken over by football and seems to actually pay attention to things happening on the pitch. Olympic Reading has had a tough go over the past few weeks during its slump primarily because its just been a tad bit unlucky, yes there was the 4-1 wreckage of a loss to Avispa Orleans which could’ve and should’ve been entirely avoided, especially since that was Avispa’s second win of the season — big whoop for Avispa Orleans as they struggle to get out of the relegation zone despite equally horrendous if not worse place from both Pyracantha and Sporting Illyrius. Olympic Reading could of course right the ship but it’s hard to argue that the slump cannot be attested to suffering through some tough and harsh losses recently due to suddenly having a target on their back as this new best team in LigVezia Series A. And like any team that’s good, they’ll be attacked from every side because no one wants another team to be the best side, they need to learn to stand up to adversity, and not settle or a meek position and fall out, especially since fans actually seem to have begun to believe in this team and the idea of success for it.


But there’s actually a good thing to look at for Olympic Redding, now as they really get into the grueling cold and early months of the new year, where temperatures will be frightenly low and we’ll definitely see some snow-piled fields, Olympic Reading is no longer the cream of the crop and definitely can now sit back and work their way back up the tablet his time playing their football that they know they can play and succeed at with, this time around there’s definitely no target on their back hindering them and telling them they’re not good enough to do it, so now the team just needs to focus no coming together and making moves and stride that will benefit them and push them father in their goal of winning the league. Because winning the league, that should be every teams goal and it doesn’t matter what you have to do to get there, a winning the league would be a huge step in the development of football for Olympic Reading and the city of Reading which seems to have not won a major championship in a sport at all, a win here would help to solidify their place as one of the better league sides and help to really give the team something to have its own claim to greatness to. And there’s no saying that Olympic Reading can’t do it…they’ve already proven they can beat the best and be the best, they beat Azurea 1-nil already, thumped Vegai 3-nil at Cloudshire and shown that thy have the ability to be a great team in LigVezia. It just right now comes down to putting all those pieces together, letting everything click for Cornelius Armstrong’s squad who clearly look like they could be something special. And it’s only a 4 point difference and there’s 15 games left to play in the season, so much could happen over the course of fifteen games and if Va Olympiq already proving they have what it takes to win, there’s no saying that they can’t outmaneuver and outplay the Roses and Battlebrook down the stretch of the season to get back into first place.


Yes, losing a five point lead and ideal spotting in the Velish League Cup is not good or helpful to any team, but look there are things to be pleased about for the squad right now — 1) Olympic Reading got drawn into by far the easiest of the two groups in the Velish League Cup, yes they got both of the Series B teams who are surging on offensive firepower but they look like the best team of all in by far and could easily dust themselves out of that group with four games and four wins in hand. Next, Battlebrook hasn’t looked stellar but has looked alright, since its only a point difference it’s a foregone conclusion Battlebrook will fall back down in a few matches, the top four teams are probably looking to separate themselves from fifth and below right now and a continued push will probably prove to be great for a change of place for Olympic Reading, I’m sure they’ll easily catch both Battlebrook and the Roses who are surprising us this season with their run of form as of late. The Roses can and will be caught, either by having to juggle lineups between the Velish League Cup and Series A or simply because they’re not playing the best of football, history shows that weaker teams are commonly filled for the Series A play while teams try to win the League Cup which brings for more cash and a CEDC spot.

Don’t be counting on the way things are right now being how all things end, this is far from the be all-end all gloom and doom that has overtaken Reading, the city shouldn’t be too worried with the way things are, in fact this is a cause for celebration, two seasons ago you just made it into Series A, now you’re competing with two other decent teams for a title? You have Cornelius Armstrong for a manager, he’s a brilliant tactician who will definitely help to get the team into better positions as the jostle for league position and a chance to win it all on matchday 30. Meanwhile a look to the World Cup Velestria drew with Group 11 leaders Saltstead with a quiet 1-1 draw, a great game in net from national team netminder, Diamond Gregory who conceded one goal and stopped 7, on the other side of the floor, Evans Thirdgray found the back of the net in the 47th minute for Velestria.

(169) Velestria 1–1 Saltstead (28)
_{------------------}
—

(3-2-3-2) — 23 - Gregory; 2 - Borell, 3 - Avery, 15 - Woodhill; 5 - Singleson, 6 - Sa'kiera; 7 - Ingles, 8 - Thirdgray (19 - Kelly 65'), 9 - Utamara; 10 - Goddard [c], 11 - Clark
Scorers: Thirdgray (47')

VELESTRIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - PRE-MD8
Goalkeepers: 23 - Diamond Gregory (KF Poldanz, QUS), 1 - Chris Banker (Peachtree City F.C.), 12 - Carson Mashely (Inter Arce, SRA)
Defenders: 2 - Matt Borell (Azurea), 3 - Viva Avery (Azurea), 15 - Jason Woodhill (Olympic Reading), 13 - Davis Larson (Doverhampton Wanderers), 14 - Kerry Fedbourne (Rovers F.C.), 4 - Haroni Beaver (Athletic Letson Town, ETN)
Midfielders: 5 - Carson SIngleson (Peachtree City F.C.), 6 - Na'ore Sa'kiera (Blue Strike Calix), 7 - Vronin Ingles (Rovers F.C.), 8 - Evans Thirdgray (Rovers F.C.) - 9 Furusawa Utamara (Johno United, DAR), 16 - Frank Kaiser (Peachtree City F.C.), 17 - Morgan Iyyrivia (Sporting Illyrius), 18 - Kelly Joes (Blue Strike Calix), 19 - Henderson Kelly (Rovers F.C.), 20 - Gilbert Jennifers (Vegai F.C.)

Forwards: 10 - Chris Goddard (Unattached), 11 - Augusta Clark (Olympic Reading), 21 - Brent Davis (Rovers F.C.), 22 - Hoyt Acovina (Cortana City Academy)