WC 82 RP Thread

[Oberour Ar Moro]

⁂

From: Brianne Talbourdet
Sent: May 20, 1762 at 10:58 AM
To: Sieg d'Ableges
Subject: Antenne Sports response with Kadvael Heault responses

Sieg,

Antenne Sports finally got back to me regarding your essay's section on Kadvael Heault. I'll be referring to that for the fact-check.

Yours truly,

Brianne Talbourdet
Fact-Checker at Intitre Magazine
8 Rue de Immarcescible, Suite 702, Regium 773007
Office Number: 43 28 97 246, ext. 6774
E-mail: btalbourdet@intitremagazine.oam

---

The respect Kadvael Heault has earned is equal to the demands he makes of his players.

"Oberour Ar Moro football has a system. This system works, we know that it works. As manager, my job is to find the players that will do the best in this system."

Brianne: You wrote in your notes “OAM system works find players”
Sieg: Have you ever interviewed someone? Are you able to write every sentence they write down? Besides, no one is as articulate as they would like to be.

When I asked about this dedication, he said this went both ways: "I think what my players and I agree with is this: What matters are abilities on the pitch and what can be offered to the team. What’s outside the stadium is not very relevant."

Brianne: Nothing like the sentence “What matters are abilities on the pitch…” wasin your notes, but it was in an article titled “Inside the Managerial Mind of Kadvael Heault”.
Sieg: Is Heault going to complain that I clarified his thoughts?

"The players and the coaches, we’re listening to one another. The only criticism the players need to take is mine. They are going to hear a lot of voices, but they need to ignore them."

Brianne: Your notes aren’t very extensive. Couldn't you record them on tape?
Sieg: Saying that you are recording an interview makes the person you're speaking with become self-conscious, so you do not get as good a quote.
Brianne: You then change their quotes.
Sieg: For the better.

Heault leaned back in his chair, sliding up the sleeve on his tweed jacket to unclasp his watch and rub his wrist, before putting the watch back on.

Brianne: According to the e-mail I got, Heault doesn't wear watches.

“I had never managed at the Parade Grounds before I became the national team manager” Heault noted.

Brianne: Heault never coached at the Parade Grounds while managing Regium Immortal, as Patrons and Regium Immortal were in different divisions.

“It’s a completely different atmosphere from La Regratiere Stadium. The Parade Grounds have 9,000 more seats, but it feels utterly different. La Regratiere Stadium is more central in the city, while the Parade Grounds are further out, yet when the national team is playing, it feels like the center of the universe. To some players, some coaches, that can be overwhelming.”

Brianne: The Parade Grounds have 8,670 more seats than La Regratiere Stadium. The Parade Grounds are in the Père-Blesse neighborhood, while La Regratiere is in Aiguille-à-Fil, much closer to central Regium.

Heault leaned over his desk, chuckling. “You know I had never even gone to a game at the Parade Grounds before I coached there?”

Brianne: The e-mail from Antenne Sports said that Heault attended a Patrons-Cyrene Bay game at the Parade Grounds in 1754, and that there is documentation of it.
Sieg: He did not mention it during the interview. He must have forgotten.

He leaned back again and shook his head. “I’m not even sure I had seen a match played at the Parade Grounds until I started with Antenne Sports last qualification.”

Brianne: Antenne Sports said that Heault of course had seen Oberour Ar Moro qualification games at the Parade Grounds, if only on television, before his appointment as national tea manager. Beyond that, is it going to make any difference at all to note that the only evidence that you spoke with Heault at all in your notes is the word “stadium” underlined?
Sieg: We had a long discussion about the Parade Grounds, which I recounted in the interview, with changes for clarity.

“When the Parade Grounds are at full voice the stadium feels alive. Last qualification, watching that team, it felt different while watching it. The team felt different, the stadium felt different. You could feel it even through a television screen. Like when you watched the team draw against Rannoria or Swibia in the second half of qualifying. It felt...dark...grim.”

Brianne: According to the e-mail from Antenne Sports, Heault was very disappointed in the Oberour Ar Moro WC81 qualification effort. But he did not recall this part of the discussion at all.
Sieg: He must have forgotten in the seven years from the interview and now.
Brianne: This isn’t in your notes. You could have convinced yourself it happened. Or you are taking liberties again.
Sieg: If I liberties in my writing, it is because it makes for a truer experience for the reader than the actual facts. That is the way I have always written. But here, I know Heault spoke about the dark feeling coming from the Parade Grounds
that he felt while watching.

Heault’s eyes widened with self-awareness and he started to laugh. “I think I’ve been described as grim, so it was grim bad, not grim good.”

Brianne: The e-mail from Antenne Sports said that Heault does not consider himself as being grim.

⁂

---

Eura 2-1 Oberour Ar Moro
@ Bastion Arena, Bastion

Goals
28‘: Dion Underwood, Eura
33‘: Liam Armstrong , Eura
77‘: Kerrian Odierne, Oberour Ar Moro

Oberour Starting XI
GK Laurens Desainctvictori
LB Gwion du Bourc-la-Reyne
RB Lunen Margas
SW Josselyn Pessiere, Captain
SW Phelippon de Gentilli
LM Roparzh Ricouart
RM Peterne de Courbueil
CM Jerian Pellier
LW Eneour Pique-Pain
RW Ruran l'Ermite
ST Kerrian Odierne

Oberour Substitutes
65' Out: Phelippon de Gentilli; In: Marzhin Petit
72' Out: Lunen Margas; In: Acacius Thibault
81' Out: Peterne de Courbueil; In: Beran Pinon

Eighty-Second World Cup Qualification Schedule
WIN DRAW LOSS

MD1: Overour Ar Moro 2-2 Eura
MD2: Drawkland 5-4 Oberour Ar Moro
MD3: Oberour Ar Moro 1-1 Lochario
MD4: Rakivland 4-4 Oberour Ar Moro
MD5: Oberour Ar Moro 3-0 TigerSharkistan
MD6: Audioslavia 2-2 Oberour Ar Moro
MD7: Oberour Ar Moro 5-2 San Rocca
MD8: Darkmania 3-4 Oberour Ar Moro
MD9: Oberour Ar Moro 4-2 Kevagaria
MD10: Eura 2-1 Oberour Ar Moro
MD11: Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2) v. Drawkland (5-2-3)
MD12: Lochario (3-4-3) v. Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2)
MD13: Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2) v. Rakivland (1-4-5)
MD14: TigerSharkistan (2-2-6) v. Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2)
MD15: Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2) v. Audioslavia (8-1-1)
MD16: San Rocca (0-3-7) v. Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2)
MD17: Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2) v. Darkmania (5-1-4)
MD18: Kevagaria (1-3-6) v. Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-2)

[Jeruselem]

Princess Katya and her friend Bianca Dallas after Jeruselem managed 0-0 draw with last placed Gor Kebab at Dazza Dallas Stadium

Katya: Say, what's going on. We can't even beat the last placed team at home.
Bianca: I know but nothing to do with me, I'm just the goalkeeper. Not my job to score goals.
Katya: Well, we didn't lose but this was a one game we should have won easily.
Bianca: Yeah, we should have won this but that's two points we haven't got
Katya: Now we pretty much play three of top seeds in the group, we can't afford to loss any of those
Bianca: Nova Anglicana and Main Nation Ministry seem to be the form teams, one loss each. We need to beat them to have any chance, we have beaten Nova Anglicana.

Katya: We have the potential to top this group, the capability but we haven't got there yet.
Bianca: Yes, it's frustrating.
Katya: Our offense was a bit off today, there were so many clear chances to score.
Bianca: I can't do much about that, the goalkeeper has to do her job. I did my job, they didn't do there job.
Katya: We've scored 6 goals in the last two games, we're far more capable. We score four in one game but we conceded 3 goals as well in that one.
Bianca: Oh yes, that game. That was a frustrating game for me, we committed forward too much and our defense failed to adjust when they countered.

Katya: We've always had an issue with simply not scoring enough goals, as well as fragile defenses.
Bianca: Well we dont have worst defense, we just need those idiots to score the goals.
Katya: I can imagine why managing is frustrating, you have a team with potential but don't always deliver when required
Bianca: We've had far too many games where our defense just doesn't work either, of course it makes the keeper look stupid
Katya: Yeah sometimes you can't do everything
Bianca: You don't want to piss me off, you know what to expect. Lots of swearing

Katya: Still single?
Bianca: Err yes, guys don't like dating people like me.
Katya: People with no filters are seen as being rude and anti-social
Bianca: I will never be as charming as someone like you, you have gift of the gab
Katya: At least people can't complain you're not telling them what you think
Bianca: Yeah, with me ... you get what you see

Katya: You come out as an aggressive person though, even though you aren't trying to be
Bianca: I'm assertive not aggressive, although I do admit to can be a bit loud
Katya: Being loud, well makes people think you're trying be aggressive and assert more authority
Bianca: Well, I am easily triggered. I guess it's a good thing
Katya: That's why Hamish likes to annoy you, everyone ignores his stupidity but he does find you easily triggered.
Bianca: Yes, that's why he likes talking to me. Just to annoy me because everyone else ignores him.

Katya: He annoys people for a living
Bianca: Especially his mother ...
Katya: Maybe he likes you because you are in some way, like his mother.
Bianca: Well, he's not dating me. He can **** that idea off. He's the last person I would date.
Katya: Eh, he's like that because of his Dad. His Dad is really annoying sometimes, not on purpose. But Hamish ... he does do things on purpose
Bianca: I'm sure there's some stupid girl who likes him, it's not me.

[Abanhfleft]

(OOC: Bysantia and Nottinhaps' BoF rosters were used for this.)

███BYSANTIA 1 - 2 ABANHFLEFT
POPERO (8')       McGINNIS (53')
                  ROOS (63')

              ABANHFLEFT 6 - 2 NOTTINHAPS
  WINTER-SLAUGHTER (18')       COPELAND (64')
McGINNIS (31', 56', 78')       NAJMI (88')
             LINER (49')

█ASHAIE 3 - 5 ABANHFLEFT
  (33')       ERIN (5')
  (35')       RUSEV (9')
(90+2')       McGINNIS (10')
              LINER (47')
              DOLAN (80')

        ABANHFLEFT 2 - 2 COMPETITIVE SOLITAIRE
       LINER (36')       ANNEVELINK (80', 86')
McGINNIS (52' pen)

---

Now comes the part where the mettle and strength of Locomotive Imgortur will be well and truly tested. Locomotive hadn't exactly had the toughest start to the season (barring the game on matchday two against Wanda Island, and even then they'd managed to steal all three points from under the Wanderers' noses then) and at the moment they were sitting at a respectable fifth place in the Premier League table with 16 points to their name. But now they were approaching the part of their schedule this season that the fans were very much afraid of: in five weeks they would have to play three of the biggest teams in Abanhfleft as well as a former Premier League champion. And on matchday ten, they were about to face former Premier League champion Admiral Porcusces. Sure, Locomotive were at home, but Admiral were currently second in the league, behind Ludogorets Markovsky only on goal difference. And with Ludogorets away to Thereisnogodistan, the Foxes were surely licking their lips at the opportunity of leapfrogging the Foresters to the top of the table.

Something has to be said about Admiral's most famous player of the current time, Tristan Lee, coming into this game, of course. At 35 years old, he really shouldn't have any business running around and scoring goals in the Fleftic Premier League. And yet here he still was. He had even said something about it himself: "As long as the team wants me, and as long as I can still keep doing it, I'll still keep playing." Sure, Lee had retired himself from international football, but international football was a completely different beast from the Fleftic Premier League. And Lee had recognized that the national team needed to rebuild and rejuvenate, and that there was no longer going to be any place in the side for an old man like him.

But while there might be no place left for Lee in the national team, it was very much a different matter altogether in the Premier League. It was on the back of Lee's 20-goal haul, especially that run where he scored in 12 straight games (still an FPL record) that had helped Admiral to their first and so far only Fleftic Premier League title in the 2019-20 season, and like a fine wine, the man had only improved with age. Of course, he was never going to be able to beat other teams with his speed, but then again his speed was not his greatest asset when it comes to scoring. It had more to do with his ability to just be in the right place at the right time and score a tap-in or a header. Hence Klearchos Kazantzakis's instructions to his team to not give Lee an inch of space inside the box, and had even deployed a 5-3-2 formation to ensure that there would always be more Locomotive players in the box than Admiral ones.

The thing about Tristan Lee though is that the more that you try to stop him from trying to score a goal, the more likely it is that he will actually score. That was pretty much the only explanation that both Kazantzakis and Locomotive central defender Antonis Harisis could come up with when Lee bounced off of Harisis and leaped the highest to get his head on the end of Stephen Oyenusi's cross, opening the scoring with only eight minutes elapsed in the game.

Things would only get worse for the Engineers. Twenty minutes into the game, Admiral had already gotten their fifth corner of the game. Imari Lefisse made an inswinging kick, and Oyenusi, the Abajan left back who had assisted Tristan Lee's goal, would be the next Admiral player to find himself on the scoresheet. Still, there was room to be optimistic. Locomotive were only two goals down and still had over seventy minutes left to play. They had come back from bigger deficits in smaller amounts of time. The comeback was still very much possible.

Except it wasn't. With everyone so busy packing up the box and trying to keep Tristan Lee and other Admiral players getting into the box, there were not enough players getting themselves in attacking positions, and Locomotive never really got a lot of opportunities inside Admiral's box to strike a blow against the visitors. Sometimes someone would pop off a speculator from outside the box but more often than not it was not even on target. And in the handful of times that Loco did get themselves a shot on target, Ikenna Obama was on hand to snatch the ball from the air and snuff out attempts to score from a rebound or a mistake on his part.

Through all that, Admiral still kept the pressure on Locomotive, and with only fifteen minutes left to play the visitors finally found the back of the net again. And who else would it be but the one and only Tristan Lee, this time scoring on the half-volley to turn Locomotive's chances of getting back from improbable to outright not happening. Lee's second goal well and truly took the wind out of Locomotive's sails. Even Klearchos Kazantzakis, normally a very active and excitable manager who always walked around his technical area shouting instructions at the players, found himself feeling deflated after Lee's second goal (the guy was actually supposed to be substituted off before he had scored his second) and Kazantzakis retreated to his bench and sat down, teeth gritted and giving him a wincing expression. The Internet would have a field day with his image in the days immediately following the game.

But it wasn't over just yet. No, Admiral Porcusces still had just about enough time left to deal another blow to the Engineers. Elbert Judd, the young striker who had come on to replace Tristan Lee, scored his first goal of the season within minutes of his coming on, and it was an absolutely spectacular goal as well; a well-executed and well-timed bicycle kick. Certainly most other people would appreciate it for the thing of beauty that it was. Locomotive fans would just see it as salt being rubbed further and deeper into their wounds.

And Locomotive hadn't even played the big teams yet.

[Brusseldorf]

Los Alrededores marched out of the tunnel, onto the pristine grass. One by one they gazed up. The Imperial Hippodrome was truly a spectacular sight. The amethyst-coloured stands rose impossibly high, guarding each side of the field. Far above, the roof closed over in a flamboyant platinum detail.

Craig joined his colleagues on the sidelines. There was a noticeable tension amongst the other coaching staff. None wanted to openly admit, but the pressure was immense. Craig had been lamenting the day he would have to make a response to the Holy Empire’s dominant 5-0 opening. Noises like dull firecrackers going off continued to signal the arrival of more and more fans to the stadium by portal. The crowd was an ever-increasing mass off eclectic reds and yellows. Craig consoled himself that the fans would back him no matter the result. No, this was something more personal. Los Alrededores had survived that first encounter with the Holy Empire. But Craig had lost something on the pitch that night. His naïvety had been robbed.

He couldn’t get that back.
But he didn’t have to be happy about it.
Craig allowed himself a determined smile.
This one was for him.


“...can only be described as an utterly tenacious performance, Los Alrededores managed to hang onto a 2-2 draw with the World No.12 Holy Empire...”

Harry spat out his coffee. They had done the unthinkable.

“...The Holy Empire’s Limerick-Writing Elf scored in the 12th minute. Joshua Kensington responded with a goal of his own, just before halftime. A 77th minute rocket from Phil Lataste put Los Alrededores ahead, but Providence could do little to stop Prince Isaac’s 80th minute tap-in. The result sees a massive improvement from Brusseldorf’s initial loss, however it was not without some drawbacks. The Brusseldorfen side attracted three yellow cards on the night, including an accumulative second for Andrea Zidane, which sees her suspended for one match. The game was not without some minor controversy, as a dispute arose after a group of travelling Brusseldorfen fans became unauthorisedly boisterous. The situation was resolved however, an error with paperwork to blame.


The Match Schedule is as follows:

March 10th:  Brusseldorf               0-5           The Holy Empire
March 11th:  Libertas Omnium Maximus   3-3               Brusseldorf
March 12th:  Brusseldorf               3-1            Dritten Asopie
March 13th:  Eastfield Lodge           1-2               Brusseldorf
March 14th:  Brusseldorf               4-2                 Sulsuland
March 15th:  Brusseldorf               3-3                   Acapais
March 16th:  Santa Regada              1-3               Brusseldorf
March 17th:  Brusseldorf               3-3                Quakmybush
March 18th:  Qasden                    2-1               Brusseldorf
March 19th:  Mid-qualifying Break
March 20th:  The Holy Empire           2-2               Brusseldorf
March 21st:  Brusseldorf               vs    Libertas Omnium Maximus
March 22nd:  Dritten Asopie            vs                Brusseldorf
March 23rd:  Brusseldorf               vs            Eastfield Lodge
March 24th:  Sulsuland                 vs                Brusseldorf
March 25th:  Acapais                   vs                Brusseldorf
March 26th:  Brusseldorf               vs               Santa Regada
March 27th:  Quakmybush                vs                Brusseldorf
March 28th:  Brusseldorf               vs                     Qasden

Transcript of the Haiku presented by Ximénez post-match:

Thank you for the match
This result has me impressed
Well wishes for you

[Banija]

Banijan World Cup 82 Qualification Review


National team players celebrate goal away to Brenecia in Matchday 4 of World Cup 82 Qualification

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- With the kicking off of the second half of the World Cup 82 Qualification campaign, the Kadongo Kamu find themselves in an excellent spot. Just taking a look around the Qualification tables, we can see chaos being brought onto all kinds of World Cup Qualification groups. We asked the key question going into the campaign, and that was how the Banijans would respond to the pressure of being favorites? They were given an interesting challenge, with the World Cup 80 champions Brenecia, historic rivals Eshan, and their closest neighbors, Geisenfred, all in their World Cup Qualification group.

There was no guarantee that the Banijans would be able to meet the challenge. While they have been helped by surely having one of the easier qualifying groups, we can take a look around to see the chaos thrown around onto other World Cup Qualification groups. In Group 7, just two points separate the 4th place Crystalline Caverns from the 1st place, and pot 1, Pasarga national team. Banija’s largest rivals, the Equestrian States, two points off of the pace for the 2nd qualifying spot in Group 15, are in serious danger of missing the World Cup Finals entirely. They are ranked 10th in the multiverse. And then, in Group 13. The world champions, the multiverse’s top ranked side, VIlita, are in danger of missing out on Valanora & Apox after a stunning loss to the Busoga Islands, though they are just three points off the pace for top spot in their qualifying group. Giants of the global game, from the aforementioned sides, to Starblaydia and South Covello, to wherever else, are in danger of missing out on a trip to the Finals. It reveals the simple truth- World Cup Qualifying is hard. And Banijan fans know that better than anybody, failing to qualify for World Cups 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, and 79.

It is a long, and chaotic process. That is why this start by the Banijans- and let’s be clear, it’s just the start- has been so confidence building. They are in 2nd place in the group, the other automatic qualifying spot in Group 1. The best part about that, however, is that they are 5 points clear of third place HUElavia, who are certainly putting up a valiant fight, having been the group’s only side to take the full three points from Brenecia this campaign. And, of course, the Banijans have already played their two toughest games, earning 2-2 draws away to both Brenecia and Eshan. With 8 games left in the campaign, that puts the Banijans in a comfortable position to make the World Cup Finals.

Here, we’re going to talk about what the campaign. What has gone right for the Banijans, what are the surprises of the campaign so far, and what we need to do to accomplish the key goal- clinch a berth in World Cup 82.

What has gone right- the defense

Coming into the campaign, it seemed as if the back line would be a worrying part of the team for the Kadongo Kamu. But a major reason that they find themselves unbeaten after the first 10 games, and they find themselves in a good position in terms of Qualifying, is because the back line has been so strong. Since midway through the World Cup 80 Qualification campaign, the Banijan national team had used a pair of Herzegovina City defenders in the back with great success- Abate Brehanu and Zinnah Atieno, at center back and right back, respectively. It has been a success, of course, but they, having aged, are no longer starting for the national team. There were questions- who was going to pick up the slack?

Ensa Camara, of course, returned as the anchor of the defense, on the left side. The 21 year old Hoima defender, Kawsu Kaba, has joined the senior side as a starter, pairing alongside Jalang Ba. They are flanked by Obey Chidiebere on the right. And, of course, last cycle, the Banijans could never seem to settle on a goalkeeper, rotating Lemuel Bereket and Jumu Sanneh. But Bereket has finally been granted the #1 jersey. The pre-qualification friendlies went poorly for Banija, especially in the back, but since the qualifier have started, they have been playing extremely well. Lots of good communication, and it seems that they have finally figured out how to play with each other, with them tied for the group’s best defense with only 10 goals allowed through 10 games thus far.

They have been helped a lot by their central midfielders, usually Ablie Kah or Amadi Uche, but consistently Kizza Okafor as well, coming back and playing defense. They play defense as a strong unit, which allows them to weather the storm throughout the game, especially away from home. They have a trio of clean sheets, and it is that depth and that strength that will allow them to stay strong for many years to come.

Biggest surprise- Squad Depth

There has been a number of positive surprises. But the biggest surprise, one that has helped the Banijans, has probably been their squad depth. Their ability to rotate the squad, against various opponents, has helped the team race towards their ultimate goal, which is World Cup Qualification. During the ferocity of the marathon that is known as World Cup Qualification, the ability to play the same XI, 18 games in a row, is almost impossible. Too many miles flown, too much taken off the body. And yet, even when you don’t play your first choice XI, those points are still important, are still crucial to the success of the campaign.

The ability to rotate the squad has paid great dividends for the Banijans. Kizza Okafor, of Lakiska SC, has started 3 games, and has come off the bench in 6 more- playing 9 out of 10 qualifiers, the most for any of Banija’s bench players. But he is not the only one who has played significant minutes in this World Cup Qualification campaign. On matchday 7, when the Banijans played host to Xanneria, Namakula Kawesa, coming off the bench, became the first woman in Banijan history to score a competitive goal for the Kadongo Kamu. Alanso Tamba has spelled the captain on numerous occasions. Players like Ephrem Selassiee coming on as well.

This goes to both young players and veterans. Abate Brehanu has played in 7 career World Cup games, as well as numerous Champions Cup, Globe Cup, and AOCAF matches- and yet, him being 33, was relegated to the bench. He has accepted his role, and has, in the words of Marcus Waters, the manager, been an ‘incredible help’ in mentoring Banija’s younger defenders, like Kawsu Kaba.
That depth, the ability to rotate the squad, is important. Look at the key three game stretch coming up. Against the struggling Grod Island squad at home, Banija is giving players like Afolayan, Yitebarke, and Kahara all a rest, while letting Tamba, Jobateh, and Ugonna get valuable experience, along with Okafor and Kawesa- five changes from their regular starting lineup. But of course, it’ll likely be the first choice XI when they got away from home on Matchday 12, and that again when the massive return leg of Brenecia to Busukuma is scheduled to take place. If they can keep up the consistency of the entire squad, they’ll be able to qualify for the Finals.

What they need to do to qualify

To start this section off, we’ll give you the words of Marcus Waters, when asked of the team’s position after their 2-2 draw in Rosaria, to Eshan. “You know, we have not accomplished anything yet.” He said. “We have half the entire qualification campaign to go, and while, undeniably, it’s a great start with the gap we’ve built, those leads can evaporate quickly. We’re barely halfway through qualifying, and we are in the business end. Leads can evaporate. It’s littered all throughout the history of Qualification, but we need to look no further than our own. IN World Cup 80 Qualification, after 10 games with 8 to play, we were 7 points off the place for the last playoff berth, and in 7th place in the group. We, of course, all know how that went. But let that serve as a warning to us- HUElavia is only five points behind us, and Eshan 7. Nothing is decided until it is mathematically wrapped up, and we cannot take our foot off the gas petal. It is certainly possible for us to not go to the Finals, and we cannot act like we have until it is formally clinched.”

Many national team observers agree on that basic point- of course, just because we are doing well now, does not guarantee success for the rest of the campaign. Naturally, the expectation would be that the national team would make the World Cup now, but anything campaign. The goal for the national team, however, must be to clinch a spot in the Finals before the final qualifier. On matchday 18, it’ll be a bus ride, across our eastern border, to Geisenfred. That will be a tough one, as any border battle is. Throw what you know out the window- if we’re relying on a result in that game to get us through, that will be incredibly difficult. The atmosphere will be dialed up to 11, as Geisenfred would love the chance to spoil their next door neighbors making a third consecutive trip to the World Cup Finals. That is certainly possible, of course, if the team keeps it together.

That will start with our upcoming game, against Grod Island. A team that we fairly easily dispatched away from home in Matchday 2, should be a game that we should win at home here. They will certainly provide a tougher challenge now, but anything less than three points would be a disappointment. They are 6th in the group, with 12 points, so a solid, decent, midtable squad. Still, there is a talent gap in favor of the Banijans, even if some of Banija’s second choice players are playing. A win will get the second half of the campaign going strong, and furthermore, put pressure on Eshan and HUElavia to keep up.

Then, of course, will come their away game to New and Improved Peru. A fun team, the Banijans easily dispatched of them, 4-1, at home on Matchday 3. This one has all the makings of a classic trap game. An unranked team, a team that the Banijans have already beaten, and this is the matchday before the biggest game of the campaign- at home, against the World Cup 80 champions, Brenecia. It will be easy to think ahead- but the national team cannot get caught in that trap. New and Improved Peru can surprise, as they did on the opening day of the qualification campaign, beating the defending Baptism of Fire champions, Xanneria, 5-1 away from home. If the Banijans are caught sleeping, they can easily be caught in that trap. It’s a fun country- with all kinds of party opportunities. The national team has to look to the veterans to keep the team focused, and get the three points that they are travelling to the country for.

Ultimately, the Banijans find themselves in pole position, which is a good reflection on their team, and especially on their manager. This campaign, however, is far from over. But these next two games, as with all qualifiers, are important. The Banijans will want at least four, to continue building the gap between themselves, HUElavia, and Eshan. However, what are they looking for? They are absolutely looking to get six points in their next two games. If they do, they should be able to build their cushion, and gain some momentum as they build towards what will surely be a massive clash with Brenecia on Matchday 13, at the Stadium of the Restoration.

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

The Complete Brusseldorf Haiku Cycle
By Isaac, Prince Imperial (Holy Empire World Cup 82 Captain)

Brusseldorf are next
They are overperforming
Cherry trees blossom

Now we take the field
The opposing team looks on
I scratch my buttocks

The Elf scores early
And then an equaliser!
Pond water ripples.

But then a surprise.
Brusseldorf now take the lead.
Leaves fall in autumn

I then score myself
I help to claw the game back.
Koi play in the lake.

In the first match we
Won 5-0 away from home.
The plum's fruit tastes sweet

Humbled now we are.
Unable to win at home.
All is transience.

My buttocks still itch.
Who knows why I share this now.
But they really itch.

I tell you the truth.
I have asked my staff to make
A buttock scratcher.

It is hard to scratch
The spot where they are itching
With just my hands.

They started to itch
When we took the field last night.
I don't know why.

I hope they don't itch
During the next match we play.
That would distract me.

Still, but anyway;
My congrats to Brusseldorf
(Itchy bum aside).

[Valladares]

Several months after the Valladar General Election, the electoral race in the Mountbatten state, the second most populated and most important one of the Valladar union, was still abuzz with the announcement of a referendum to decide on an eventual split of the state by half. And the campaigns for both of the options were heated, with the new Partido Hispánico rulers strongly supporting the secession and appealing to the vote from the Spanish-speaking population of the eastern half of the state. On the other hand, the Liberal and Labour parties, both of them long considered the state's traditional rulers, joined forces to move their English-speaking voting bases in the capital city Carloburgo and surroundings and advocated to keep the status quo. But it was in Columbus, the old Valladar capital where both the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking populations were nearly even, where the campaign grew more aggresive with both sides exchanging attacks and statements aiming to discredit their rivals, and several demonstrations ended up with fights between both sides and the Federal Police having to act and dispel them by force. The polls also reflected the extreme polarization throughout the state, with the last one before the referendum showing a technical tie between the "Yes" and the "No", and the other ones also failing to give out a clear winner. The conditions for success for either option were clear: first, voting turnout had to be higher than two thirds of the electoral potential of the Mountbatten state. With 8,737,582 people being able to vote in the state, the threshold to be met by the referendum was of nearly six million voters. With only two options on the ballot, the rest of proceedings was simple: whichever option that was chosen by half of voters plus one would win. Furthermore, the result was binding, meaning that a victory for the "Yes" would officially open the secession process and enable the Hispanics to present a bill to the State Assembly like they tried, unsuccessfully, on Inauguration Day, whilst a victory for the "No" would halt everything, until at least the next General Election and a renewal of the Assembly.

And so, the big day came. The polling stations opened at 8:00 am with the National Anthem as usual, and whilst it was a rainy Sunday in most of the state, participation was massive and thousands of voters flocked throughout the day to cast their vote. Even though this process was just a regional issue, it was carefully followed all over the country with special coverage in most TV channels and radio stations. Around noon, the office of Prime Minister Jefferson Pratt delivered a statement congratulating the citizens of Mountbatten on their participation in the democratic process, whilst urging for supporters of both campaigns to "accept the outcome of the referendum with dignity". With the closure of polling stations at 4:00 pm and the start of the counting process, both campaigns started gathering their supporters in Carloburgo and Columbus to wait for the announcement of results. Both sides were confident in achieving a victory, and commended their voters on their participation. At 7:00 pm, the results were finally announced by the Mountbatten Electoral Magistrate, Mr. William Morrison. According to the question: Do you agree with an eventual split of the Mountbatten state into two states with full rights into the Valladar Union?, the votes were distributed as follows:

YES: 3,703,358 votes (51,25%)
NO: 3,522,706 votes (48,75%)
Total of valid votes: 7,226,064
Null votes: 113,505
Total of votes: 7,339,569 (Abstention: 16%)

The result, albeit with a narrow margin, was clear, and sparked celebrations not only among the Hispanic leaders and their followers, but also everywhere in eastern Mountbatten, with the excessive amount of smoke left by the firework displays in Los Chorros and other suburbs of Greater Metropolis even causing trouble to the operations of Stanford-Miller International Airport, the main gateway into the nation. The Valladar national football team was among the main ones affected by the temporary suspension of operations at the airport, seeing their departure to the nation of Competitive Solitaire to play a decisive World Cup qualifying match delayed by 3 hours. At 7:30 pm, Álvaro Montillo, Speaker of the Mountbatten State Assembly, along with the rest of the Hispanic Deputies, appeared on stage to address the "Yes" supporters and, of course, inform them about the steps to follow after this victory:

"Today, we have written another glorious page in history. Once again we were able to prove that the population of Eastern Mountbatten wish to follow their own separate path. Even though we have gotten along with our fellow English-speaking countrymen and women for most of Valladares' history in a same territory, it is time for each side to have their own destiny. Tomorrow, and supported by the popular will expressed and the legitimacy earned in this referendum, the Partido Hispánico de Mountbatten will present to the attention of the State Assembly the Bill of Separation, thus formally activating the protocol of secession from the Mountbatten state. And, in order to make sure your will shall be respected, here we are promising to you that we will take all the necessary measures to ensure this goal will be achieved! The road we are about to travel will be long and hard, but the sight of our ultimate goal will keep us strong! ¡Que viva la secesión!

Meanwhile, the event prepared in Carloburgo by the "No" campaign ended without much fanfare. The supporters left the Carloburgo Convention Center with disappointment in their faces, and no-one appeared on stage to deliver any sort of speech. Instead, around 8:00 pm, several Liberal and Labour leaders issued a joint statement in which they, as main leaders of the "No" and in sort of an unexpected move given the previous background, acknowledged the outcome of the referendum but warned that their wish of protecting Mountbatten's unity would remain unchanged and they would focus their efforts on defeating the bill to be presented to the State Assembly the next morning. The official stance of both coalition parties was ratified in a dinner held at the house of former Mountbatten Governor William Davies by Labour Deputy Corinna Collins, who used a common phrase to describe the events that took place and foresee what was awaiting further down the road:

"They might have won this battle, but they're not winning the war. And this war is just beginning..."

[Starblaydia]

Unbelievable, Jeff!
SFA to complain to WCC over use of Krytenian referee

Starblaydi Football Association Chairman Tororin Halatyrion will lodge a formal protest with the World Cup Committee, of which he was so recently and briefly the President, over the appointment of Krytenian-born referee Jeff Wilson for their Matchday 10 encounter in Kabishawan, Filindostan. In what many witnesses, both live in the stadium and watching on various steams, variously described as a 'swindle', 'robbery' and 'travesty' perpetrated by a referee who was either 'an obnoxious, trumped-up, farty little smeghead', a 'brain-dead, pompous, stupid-haired git' or a 'cancerous polyp on the anus of humanity', Starblaydia ended up on the losing

It wasn't the first half at the seventy-thousand capacity Filindostan National Stadium that was the problem. In a fair even, good-tempered match, Starblaydia found themselves 3-1 up at as the half time whistle blew. Sutter McCloud opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the qualifiers, making it ten in sixteen appearances for the nineteen year old star. Using what is widely becoming a golden left foot, McCloud's low strike from inside the box Strike partner Aaron Cole wasn't to be outdone, though, doubling Starblaydia's lead with his sixth of the campaign as he headed in at the back post from a deep cross by Arkady Krakowski. Bienvenido Arespacochaga pulled one back to keep the hosts in the game, getting the better of Theodore Sigismund to slot the ball past Amari Ollarion. Ázëwyn Fëanáro's restored the two goal lead, however, with a free kick from Sterling Renshaw that slammed against the post and fell kindly at the feet of Cole, who bundled the ball into the net amidst a scramble of bodies in both white and red shirts.

The second half began just as it did the first, with referee Wilson's classic accented "Starblaydia, ready! Filindostan, ready! Three... Two... One..." and the high pitched screech of the whistle marking his own little catchphrase. His decisions through the rest of the match, however, would be much more headline grabbing. It all started after ten minutes played, when McCloud was played through by Kota Sato, breaking past Graci and into the box. Braham quickly came across to cover and clattered into McCloud, sending the youngster sprawling and the ball rolling, completely untouched. Play on, waved the referee, despite loud protests from every Starblaydi in attendance, and the video replay at home showing the Venividicci defender simply running in to the Yeaddin Owls striker, immediately throwing his hands up and praying that the ref hadn't just spotted the foul he'd just accidentally made. Evidently Mr Wilson didn't notice it, with a goal kick being awarded.

Shortly afterwards, the Starblaydi crowd appealed for a foul on captain Viola Capodanno, not quite drowned out by the Filindostani fans as Sutikno left his opposite number in on her backside as he won the ball. With one of their defensive shields taken out of the game and Filindostan on the break, Ina Teterissa sweeping home on the end of a flowing move that tore Starblaydia's three man defence to shreds and left Ollarion totally stranded. More of the same was in store a further six minutes later, as from an inswinging corrner 'Buknoy' Salcedo rose highest in the penalty area to blast the ball past a stricken Ollarion. Again Starblaydi hands immediately went up for the foul, claiming that Ollarion had been blocked from getting to the ball by a couple of well-placed Filindostani players who had obstructed her on purpose. Jeff Wilson was having none of it, booking two Starblaydi players for dissent, including the goalkeeper, as the Filindostani fans celebrated their equaliser.

It got even worse for Starblaydia, barely two minutes later, when Hasna whipped in a cross from the left-hand side. Bienvenido chested the ball neatly on the turn, both leaving Sami Viipuri for dead and placing the ball exactly in the right spot to smash the ball into the back of the net from seven yards out. The crowd went absolutely crazy, but the assistant referee on the far side had her flag up long before the ball had rippled the net of the Filindostan National Stadium. Offside, Bienvenido definitely was, easily a rule-breaking step ahead of Viipuri as the ball was played in, giving the Starblaydi defender and star foreign signing of the Starblaydi expat cllub Vegai FC in Velestria absolutely no chance of getting to the ball. Wilson conferred with his lineswoman at great length, hand cupped over his mouth to help guide the sound to her in the middle of the roaring cauldron of 70,000 people. For what seemed like an eternity the cameras focused on the yelled conversation from a yard away, like a club at 2am when nobody can quite understand what anyone else is saying, but everyone's having a great chat anyway. Eventually, though, the goal was given and Wilson blew the whistle, pointing to the centre circle. Four-Three to the home side.

Starblaydia were incensed, equally as emotional as the bouyant Filindostani fans who'd seen their team turn 3-1 into 4-3 in the space of twenty-five breathless minutes of the second half. But we weren't finished then, not by a long shot. With a couple of changes made by Ázëwyn Fëanáro, Starblaydia's zip returned and they tried to get back into the game. They thought they had when Calindra Apelles' sublime bit of skill sent Mercy Kaufman racing away down the right flank. Trapping the ball at the corner flag, Kaufman immediately nutmegged Graci Tessin and pushed past him, darting into the penalty area and blasting a low cross into the six yard box which Aaron Cole dutifully smashed high into the roof of the net. The men and women in white thew their arms into the air in celebration, but those hands quickly were placed on their heads in disbelief as Wilson indicated a free kick by the corner flag in Filindostan's favour. Quite for what, no Starblaydi knew, as if anything Kaufman had actively avoided fouling Graci as she both made something of a fool out of, and brushed past him on her way to the box. But, no, a foul had been given. This piece of officiating was so blatantly biased, denying Starblaydia such a clear valid goal, that Ázëwyn Fëanáro not only gave the fourth official an ear bashing, but she strode down the touchline to scream her protest at both referee and linesman. The slightly cooler head of Sterling Renshaw prevailed, however, as he corralled his manager and artfully prevented her from getting in too much trouble. Nevertheless, Fëanáro was given a stern talking to by Wilson, using the international gesture for 'cut it out' and the very obviously mouthed 'final warning'.

So when, as the game was beginning to reach its conclusion, a long ball over the top towards the Starblaydi goal proved the decisive moment. Maria Reyes, on to both solidify the back line and provide a creative force moving into midfield, did her job by protecting space, blocking the striker, and easing the player into empty space in order to allow Ollarion to collect the ball. But, no, Wilson blew his whistle. He pointed the the penalty spot. Reyes had fouled Sanada, apparently. Nobody had seen it. Nobody had appealed. Nobody thought it was a penalty. Nobody except the man from Stanton. Even the Filindostani players and fans couldn't quite believe it, but given it was. It was the final straw for Fëanáro, who burst onto the pitch, remonstrating, point and shouting at the Krytenian referee. That was also Jeff Wilson's final straw, as he sent Fëanáro to the stands, with her needing to practically be dragged off by her players, a combination of the cooler heads of Capodanno, Renshaw and Tupu Alofa. Bienvenido stepped up, scored, and sent Filindostan into a 5-3 dreamland.

Between the assistant coach Jerzy Makuszewski and captain Viola Capodanno, Starblaydia steadied the ship. They knew that even the merest hint of transgression would bring a foul against them, while they were finding little to no help from the referee if they were fouled themselves. They needed to play a perfect game in the remaining few minutes in order to get back into it. Past performances in these Qualifiers wouldn't have suggested this was something that they could do, but they managed it nonetheless. When Kaori Yamaguchi struck the ball cleanly from just outside the box with her right foot, the bend and dip and power of the ball was perfect to take it past Abram in the Filindostani net. There was literally nothing that Wilson could say against it, so he was duty-bound to give the goal. Five-Four as the match moved past the ninety minutes, with a minimum of four minutes added on for all the shenanigans.

When Yamaguchi was up-ended in the box by a slide tackle in a moment of madness from Johnpaul Arizala, a terribly timed swipe of his leg that completely missed the ball and sent Starblaydia's Under-18 World Cup winning midfielder into the air and then into a heap on the ground as the ball rolled away harmlessly, even the Filindostani fans knew that the game was up. This was it, Starblaydia would equalise with absolutely no time left, and it would be 5-5 and something to tell the grandkids about. But then Jeff Wilson, unbelievably, pointed to the corner of the six yard box and signaled for a goal kick. Dumbfounded, barely even able to register their outrage, Starblaydi players simply stood and stared as the resulting and lengthy goal kick saw Wilson put his whistle to his mouth and blow for the end of the match. Five-Four to the home side was the result, consigning Starblaydia to their third defeat in ten matches, languishing on fifteen points from a possible thirty.

Starblaydia will have to do without their manager for the home tie against Omerica, maybe for even longer if a more lengthy ban is imposed for her behaviour towards Mr Wilson. This would mean she'd miss the match against Cassadaigua, one of the remaining eight games that now all feel like must-wins for this Starblaydia side. This result propels Filindostan into the automatic qualification spots, four points ahead of Starblaydia, with Cassadaigua a further five points ahead. That's right, Starblaydia, the 17th best side in the world on paper, are lagging a full nine points behind the group leaders. The only 1st Seed in a worse position is Barunia, a full ten points behind in Group Four.

Short of an eight game winning streak and some favourable results along the way, Starblaydia can kiss goodbye the thoughts of top spot in this group. If the trend continues, though, they may only have the Cup of Harmony to look forward to, something they've not had to think about in over forty years. Games, competitions and even entire Qualifiers can turn on a knife-edge. If Starblaydia had managed to win this, coupled with Polkopia's loss to North Quadana, Starblaydia would actually be in the second spot right now. Each time the opportunity comes within reach, it is snatched away from them. The Cassadaigua loss. The Tiiwark loss. Plus, now, the third game in a row without a victory., something that hasn't happened since the bad old days of World Cup 76, two Cups before Fëanáro took over. Something is going very wrong here, although quite what that is nobody seems to be able to identify.

It remains to be seen how much the Halatyrion complaint could accomplish, but an administrator with the clout that this World Cup winner and Hall of Famer must obviously have, should not go unnoticed when lodging a formal protest. Meanwhile Starblaydia will be looking to pick themselves up and keep up the pressure on both Polkopia and Filindostan, who sit above them in the table. It's only three points, and then one more. The problem is that Starblaydia have to find them the in kinds of places where they haven't necessarily been able to find them so far.

Like Cassadaigua.

[Kita-Hinode]

EMPRESS SATOMI THE SECOND
Empress breaks record of challenges beaten in a single day
THE CELESTIAL CAPITAL OF TENTAI CITY - Another day in the Celestial Capital of the Empire saw Empress Satomi the second, the twenty-five-year-old leader of the Hinodejin Empire wake up, take a bath, eat breakfast, watch a morning soap opera, oversee the final details of an immigration treaty with the nations of Eshan and Ethane, have lunch, take a one hour nap, get up... and face thirty-five challengers for her crown on a row. The Gauntlet was certainly uncommon, although the Empress, after having finished beating up the final opponent of the afternoon, believed that the surplus of challengers was a result of opening the Empire to foreign challengers and also the fact she took the previous day off to watch a movie with fellow royal family members. "I guess that's the case. It probably would've been 36, but some guy from the Free Republics had to be an idiot and bring a gun. Subdued him and sent him back home on a cage, the nerve of him," said the Empress.

The Hinodejin throne is passed via combat under strict rules. The battles are under ANSF rules, thus prohibiting dirty hits such as eye-gouging or any sort of groin attack, which are thus answered with a disqualification. Other things that are banned from the contest are the use of weapons such as swords or any other cutting objects, guns, magic and nuclear attacks. The fight takes part in an unlimited number of five-minute rounds with half-minute breaks between each round, with possible winners being declared via knock out, tap out or walk out. Because of this, it's very common for members of the royal Asakawa family to be always in perfect health and peak body conditions, not to mention tons of experience in several kinds of martial arts, with most defences usually not lasting more than half a minute to a single minute. The winner is, thus, declared the new ruler of the Hinodejin Empire, although the challenge is restricted to not include former prisoners of any country, in order to prevent the possibility of the Empire end up being used as a weapon in any sort of revenge.

The original record was of thirty-five victories by the first Queen of the Empire, Queen Satomi, the former Western Sunrisian queen Mizzelline. Empress Satomi the Second awards her victories to her immense fighter backstory, but also to her weekend training sessions, which include fighting wild bears on a regular basis. Any interested parties on facing the Empress should visit their local Hinodejin embassy, being aware that they'll have to pay for their accommodation and visit to the Celestial Capital, although hospital bills (and the possible burial costs) will be paid by the Empire.

[Taeshan]

I often think about the things I could do instead of watching the Taeshan Purple Knights lose a football game like they did in Free Republics last night. I could take my dog for a walk, I could talk to my wife, I could read a bedtime story to my kids. Yet for the last half century I have watched one of the worst nations in efficiency for qualifying for the World Cup, continue to fail to qualify for the World Cup. A Cup of Harmony, and a Copa Rushmori, and over a 1000 games of mediocrity. If you think about the amount of things I could do instead of watch the Purple and Gold lose games to teams better than them, lose games to teams equal to them, and lose games to teams worse than them I would have a lot of time back in my life.

The simple fact is this team is bad. They aren't going to qualify for the World Cup, they still have two tough road games and sit 4 points behind the leaders. Even if they manage to win both of those games, they would still need to finish the rest of the term unblemished, and that seems unlikely. They are a bad side, and they don't get better. They don't grow youth prospects that know how to score goals, they don't make players that are worth anything. The Federation continues to fail to do much of anything in the TSL either. The Champions' Cup hasn't seen a Taeshani side perform better than mediocre since Real Atlantea won the league enough times in a row that they were grandfathered in to the semi-finals, where they still managed to lose. Why do we insist on continuing to play soccer if we're not good at it. We should have funded the baseball team again instead of the soccer team. At least we've won the World Bowl in the last century.

[Pasarga]

"Do you think that the squad is starting to under perform due to its reliance on Thor during the first half of the qualifiers? I know he came out of the gate strong, scoring six goals from the opening four games, but since, he has not quite been the same and that the Wanderers could not find a single goal in Torgos against some low level squad that most of us have never heard from is concerning."

"While it is true that for a man of his age, that playing in every qualifier might be a bit much, you also have to take into account that Thor is one of those once in a generation strikers that you use until they say they can not go any longer. While he might not have the same trophy case as Tobias Möller, Thor has proven over his career that he is the better striker. That being said, having the likes of Romano and Jager should mean that the attack is always at full throttle even when Thor and Kárpáty are not at their best. The dropped points against Devonta and Najaf have indeed put the Wanderers in a bit of a precarious position, with them previously having run rampant through the group to now only holding on to second by a mere point."

"That is my concern, we've allowed our rivals to overtake us in the table, as the Corsairs have quite taken advantage of our dip in form with hitting the ground themselves. That is not to mention how well the Remnant States have played, one could argue that they might even be the more stern test left for the Wanderers given that we will have the Corsairs in Pasarga for the second match. With their impeccable defensive record and our sudden inability to find the same scoring touch that we had in the opening four rounds of the qualifiers gives great cause for concern that this team might fall victim once more to the curse of choking away favorable positions in its terrible lack of consistency. One could even argue that over the past forty years that the only thing the national team has been consistent on is its own major inconsistency, not just from cycle to cycle but from international break to international break."

"That is the burden of playing matches over the course of a year compared to the concentrated nature of a tournament or for domestic clubs with their league and cup play, getting to play with the same team week in and week out to build up that form and familiarity. National team football is and has always been a bit of a crap shoot, those who manage to find not only skilled players but those who can find chemistry with their teammates in such a confined matter are the ones who rise to the top. We saw it with the Wanderers two decades ago how a bunch of young players who came up through the youth team were able to find ways to gel all the way to the tune of a World Cup title. Finding that magic is rare but when you have it, you must grasp it with both hands and ride it out for as long as you are able."

"Form is fleeting but class is forever, is that what you're trying to say?"

"Something along those lines, more to the point, the Wanderers will merely have to do the work that is expected of them and hopefully catch that magic that they had at the start of the qualifying process if they wish to book a ticket to Apox or The Eternal Empire at the end of the qualifying marathon."

[Cassadaigua]

Stadium Sponsors Announced,
by Hannah Carson, Business Correspondent

As the second half of World Cup Qualifying begins, we have some business news to report as more sponsors have been signed to have naming right for Cassadagan sports stadiums. This includes one international sponsor. We’ll start in Brattleboro, however, where Five Star Mobile was named as the head sponsor for Brattleboro Stadium. Many might have thought they would pursue Concord Heights, but then again, Brattleboro makes perfect sense for a tech company. Jessica Lindgren, a spokesperson for Five Star Mobile said of the agreement, “We are proud to know that going forward that Brattleboro Stadium will be known as Five Star Mobile Stadium. The city of Brattleboro is a perfect fit for us, since many of our employees are graduates of Brattleboro Technical Institute. We explored many options and possibilities, but this is all about the fit, and this is it.” Lindgren states that they will be happy to work with Banija-based Regional Transit Corporation, who attained naming right for the arena in Brattleboro. “It’s natural that we will work with them, and make sure their technology and our technology can help citizens of Brattleboro in working together.”

Meanwhile, the smaller city of Northbury did not see much interest as bigger companies were looking at bigger cities, but petroleum distributor Cassgo stepped up to be the main sponsor of both the stadium and the arena. Cassgo has about 12,000 gas stations throughout the matriarchy, making it the fifth largest brand in the country. Deepak Patel, a spokesperson for Cassgo told us that, “This be great chance for Cassgo. Like Northbury, we are looking to grow and have more gas stations throughout the country. We have a lot of stations now but we can do even better. Now, all of our fans will think Cassgo when in Northbury and we can become stronger.”

Personnel in Grande Mountain accepted the Zwangzug based Peak’n’Break to be the official sponsor of Grande Mountain Stadium. The company known for the tasty breakfast muffins has had an international presence in the past, and now can become more well known in Cassadaigua. The breakfast goods market is relatively untapped in Cassadaigua with no company that would really be considered as having a stranglehold on the market. It’s generally an industry with different leaders in different regions. Peak’n’Break has a great opportunity to be successful here. Liz Trafelski, a spokesperson for the newly named stadium told us, “We are happy to bring in a company that both women and men can enjoy and appreciate. It’s a nice fit for the city, and for this region. I look forward to a successful partnership.”


Next City:
City: Winchester
Stadium (Soccer, Gridiron, Baseball): Winchester Stadium
Arena (Basketball, Hockey, Concerts, etc): Winchester Arena
Seating Capacity- Stadium: 74,550
Seating Capacity- Arena: 17,720
International Competitions: Regular fixture in all competitions we host, and often gets playoff games.


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- 307,413
Average Age- 59
Wealth*- Above Average
Crime*- Well below average
Men’s Rights*- Average
Education Level*- Above Average

Cultural Trademark- The anti-Brattleboro in that while Brattleboro is a younger city, demographically, Winchester is a place that a lot of retired people have migrated too, to get away from big city life. In the process, they created a big city themselves, but you’ll notice that this city doesn’t have same kind of pizzazz as others. You’ll find more bingo halls then bars in the city, and residents only agree to allow the city to be used for international events because of the money you’ll bring in to the city. So that they can gamble it away playing bingo.

Despite the older demographic, the stadium and arena are modern and well maintained. This would seem to be a great place for any company targeting seniors.

Universities within:
University of Winchester
(this is not really a college town)


Fillies Outscore Britaen,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The two biggest games in Group 14 yesterday had a combined 17 goals. Who said soccer was boring? Well, truth is that Cassadaigua, Starblaydia, and Filindostan would probably feel a little better not getting involved in 5-3 or 5-4 shootouts. The match between Starblaydia and Filindostan was interesting, and quite an eyeopener that Filindostan pulled off the win. Did the coaching change really make that much of a difference? With their win, Filindostan remains five points behind us in the group, and are in second place. Starblaydia is 4-3-3, and in a surprising fourth. Polkopia squeezes between the two nations. Despite our five point advantage, no one associated with our team is going to feel comfortable right now. And they shouldn’t. Heading into this game, we had only won two of our last five games, and even in this win, we still needed four goals in order to beat last place Britaen. Thankfully, we got five. Stephanie Sweeney, the head coach has certainly not glossed past that, “I am not looking at the rest of the group right now and thinking we are comfortable. We have a scary lead right now, one that could give you a false sense of security. We have a lot to improve on, because we are not playing our best soccer right now. Our next clash in The Sherpa Empire is tough, that is a damn good team. They have proven that they have a winning culture, and will be tough to top on their home field.” Following The Sherpa Empire, Cassadaigua hosts Starblaydia, then travels to Filindostan. Sweeney is well aware of that upcoming schedule and told us, “These next three games could see that lead evaporate real quick.”

In the 5-3 win at Concord Heights Stadium, the Fillies found themselves in a tougher game then they would have wanted, especially early on. Britaen notched the first goal, coming in the 8th minute, when Kristen Speller missed a shot that she should have stopped. Speller was very frustrated after allowing the goal, took the ball, and kicked it across the field in disgust. Jessica Curran and Hannah Shanley calmed her down pretty quick. Cassadaigua got the goal back in the 22nd minute, on a Sierra Mattison strike. Twelve minutes later, Mattison delivered a perfect corner into the box which was fired home by Hannah Ranucci to give Cassadaigua a 2-1 lead . Though as much as they wanted to go into halftime with the lead, Britaen scored in the first minute of first half injury time to send us to the intermission all square at two, frustrating the home crowd.

In the second half, Cassadaigua looked to establish themselves as the better team, and controlled play for a while. This would be rewarded in the 57th minute, when Zack Pierce put the Fillies ahead. But more frustration would ensue, as the visitors scored another goal that most feel Speller should have been able to stop, and in the 69th minute, we were all square at three. Not too long after, coach Sweeney subbed out Rachel Brenner in favor of fellow Rachel, Rachel Schanke, and the team transitioned into a 4-3-3. The 19-year old Schanke showed her promise real quick, only being on the pitch for two minutes before picking up a big goal, coming in the 80th. She was not done, and more insurance was picked up as a counter attack to Britaen rush worked well, and Schanke scored her second. This gives Rachel four goals for the campaign and hopefully a shot in the arm for the team.

Captain Hannah Ranucci credited Schanke, but also said the team needed to pick up Kristen Speller, “When you think of all the times that Kristen has bailed us out, trust me, that list is much longer then the list of games like this one. So we knew that we needed to back her up, and thankfully, we were able to do so. This is an important three points for us as we move into a group of critical games for us.”

[Saltstead]

This should be read with a grain of salt and not as a reflection of my own personal beliefs.

DE REGALĖ HEGĖST
Honest and Impartial Since 1990

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Oᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ: Guilty Until Proven Innocent: the Official Line of the Controlled Media on Patriots
The lying press and their useful idiot stooges happily smear patriotic Saltsteaders with no proof while letting blatantly criminal degenerates slide

Ashwell — Don’t let the fake news media lie to you: you can’t assume anything. The game has gone so far that anything you think you see is now suspect.

The extent to which the mainstream media have gone to demonise hard-working, God-fearing patriots is every reason to suspect that the “attack” on the Blue Brigade supporters at the politically correct, traitor-honouring “Ashwell Ferdinand Torregrossa International Airport” is a hoax perpetrated by the radical left to garner sympathy. If a real patriot were to carry out an attack like the mainstream media claims this was (which looks more like the kind of thing the “antifascist” left would do to anyone who knows better), would not be stupid to raise suspicion by being so conspicuously identifiable with such a slandered group as the Red-Black Army.

Now if this seems like some kind of nutty conspiracy theory to you, welcome to the first honest publication you’ve ever read in your life. Now before you go, let us ask you this: why wasn’t anyone killed in this attack? Why are all the so-called “victims” expected to make “a full recovery”? Why were the “perpetrators” apprehended so quickly? Why do we not know the names of these “perpetrators”? What kind of “legal reasons” could the police have to not tell us who they’re slandering now? Everything about how this incident was staged, how it took place and how it has been “reported”, is suspect. It is inherently suspicious and no one should believe the mainstream media narrative for a minute.

This is the modus operandi of the cultural Marxists and social justice warriors who want to destroy our Saltsteadish civilisation: harp on about any patriot who happens to do something wrong, while making excuses for your fellow traitors. And if you can’t find something to smear patriots with, just make something up! This has been their tactic to impose their unpopular agenda on the unsuspecting public with the cooperation of their political, media and celebrity stooges. These fools are so out of touch with reality and with the will of the people that they have to do anything and everything to bend the world to their whims to reconcile their hallucinations with our own world.

We honest Saltsteaders need to fight back against these liars and reclaim our news, our politics and our culture for our people and for truth. The slow march of traitors into the mainstream of our society and the rise of self-loathing Saltsteaders should concern anyone who loves this country. This nation is under attack from the inside and the institutions that are supposed to “check” authoritarianism are clearly not doing what they claim is their purpose, but are in fact aiding and abetting the regressive left in its mission to destroy our people.

This entire story is a hoax and no one should believe it for a moment. Don’t be surprised when we find out that these “attackers” are far-left cultural Marxists who hate Saltstead and everything we true Saltsteaders stand for. If the police ever release their names, that is…

David Thomassen is a proud patriot and Saltsteadish Freedom Party member of the Federal Diet for the city of New Ashwell. The views expressed in this article are those of Mr Thomassen and do not necessarily reflect those of De Regalė Hegėst.

Comments (15)
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Mariė-Ann van Hågen | 49▴ 0▾
It’s clear that this was a false flag attack set up by the mainstream elites to silence anyone who disagrees with them. These traitors need to be sued for slander.

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This comment was removed for violating De Regalė Hegėst’s Free Speech Policy.

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Christian Backer | 1▴ 51▾
I can’t wait for police to confirm that these attackers were in fact far-right. The egg on this rag’s face will be beautiful

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…show more content…

[Mercedini]

82nd World Cup Qualification MD10
Lisander vs. Mercedini
@ Estádio Albert II - Soria, Lisander

FINAL SCORE

WCQ | MD10

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LISANDER 0
MERCEDINI 2
Dostalok 51' (P), Karlovic 90'

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Soria, Lisander
Attendance - 42,219

Mercedini are seemingly the only line of defence to stop Lisander from running away with the group as the Golden Eagles peg back the world's 134th ranked side by two goals to nil, away in Soria. The win means Mercedini are guaranteed to be the only team in the group to do the double over Lisander, and stretch their winning run over the green and gold to four matches, reinvigorating the hope that Mercedini could finish top of a World Cup Qualifying group for the first time. A converted penalty from Dostalok put Mercedini in front at the start of the second-half, but the points were only made safe when Spartangrad youngster Johan Karlovic curled an effort low into the corner from a breakaway as the clock ticked into added time at the end of the match. The win sees Dini continues their good run in qualifying and reduces the gap to first down to two points. It also allows teams further down to catch up, as the Equestrian States, Garifunya, Krytenia and Kandorith all also won their matches to keep their qualifying hopes alive for the time being. With the spontaneity of results flying around the group, making sense of it all has proved to be difficult when deciding who will finish at the top come the end.

Lisander were sitting pretty in top spot of Group 15 following the conclusion of the first half of matches, with The National five points clear of their nearest rivals in the group, and also holding a six point buffer in the qualification spots, meaning it would take at least two matches for Lisander to be caught if they dropped points. For Mercedini, a good start followed by a more than shaky middle third meant they only wrapped up second place on the final match-day with a 3-1 victory away at Pratapgadh combined with the Equestrian States inexplicably losing to Indusse away from home. It means Lisander's only loss came at the hands of the Golden Eagles, with the overachieving underdogs coming far since their 5-1 loss in Zoloroni on opening night. Lyndainium and his men only need to hold their current position in the group to guarantee their second successive qualification to the World Cup Finals, but securing top spot would undoubtedly make it just that little bit more comfortable for them.

It's rare that Mercedini go into a match against a nation top of the group and still consider themselves top of the group, but given the circumstances with the Equestrian States falling away and other teams not putting together a solid points run, Lisander was seemingly an anomaly in the group of nations top of their respective groups. Dini had already beaten them handsomely in their own back-yard, so now it was time for the players in blue and black to test their metal away from home against the team running away with the group following an eight-match unbeaten run which included seven wins. The Estadio Albert in Soria was noticeably smaller than other stadiums so far in their World Cup travels, but was a solid stage for the two teams as the fateful twenty-two entered the cauldron surrounded by green and gold with specs of blue and black dotted around the arena as thousands of Mercedinians travelled to Soria to witness what could have been a poignant moment in the group for both teams.

The match kicked off with all of the furore you would expect in a tie featuring the two teams at the top, with both managers fielding solid starting elevens to ensure they gave themselves the best chance at claiming all three points from the match. Only one major chance from the two teams that faced each other in Zoloroni, as Lisandan midfielder Tassio Camden was unavailable for selection due to 'personal reasons'. The fans were rowdy during the first half with green and gold flags flying high in the stadium, with the Mercedinians fans turning up the volume everytime their team threatened to move forward. The first big chance of the game fell to hosts with replacement midfielder Lukas Hiltmann feeding a perfectly weighted diagonal ball for AS Virtus 1904 winger Christian Nantel to chase, the winger busted a nut (not literally) to get to the ball before it rolled out of play and controlled it well to move the ball away from Di Sansev long enough to send in a low cross towards the arriving strikers. Yoann Dawson was arriving with outstretched leg, but the ball simply rolled in front of the striker's boot to roll free, to which Dosic hoofed the ball upfield to safety, any contact would've likely resulted in a fabulous Hosset save, or a well-worked Lisander goal. Those fine margins proved to be the difference in that chance, and it proved to be once again at the other end of the pitch. Mercedini were moving forward at speed (which is almost always a dangerous thing) with Chillotov and Dostalok waiting for the moment to strike. Garzallo was taking his sweet time with making his mind up, with players calling for it in the centre. He laid it back to Nymark who didn't delay in giving it to Chillotov as he tried to hold off his marker, he couldn't get a clear shot off so gave it back to Nymark who blasted the ball into the bottom corner for the first goal... or so they thought. The referee had already blew his whistle for an offside infringement as the ball was travelling through the air, the celebrations were short lived for the visitors, replays showed that Chillotov was marginally offside from Nymark's first pass, ruling it to be the right decision from the linesman. Those were the biggest two chances for either side, Dini had edged the opening half in terms of possession and chances but Lisander were more than just in it. Both challenging the top but nothing to separate the teams as they went into the half goalless.

Fifteen minutes later, it was time for Soria to experience another forty five minutes of action between these two premier sides, with Lisander thrown into the limelight of this campaign with a stellar run seemingly from nowhere, but they had another half of football until they were on countdown for the end of the campaign. The Golden Eagles got the match underway for the second half with both sets of fans returning to their seats following the interval. Mercedini came out swinging with their renewed energy levels from their half-time oranges from one of the local Soria grandmothers. She was thanked by the visitors by opening the scoring via a penalty to blow the match and the group wide open. Dini were enjoying sustained piece of possession in front of the host's goal, Garzallo curled a shot towards the goal which was tipped wide of the post by the goalkeeper. At the subsequent corner, Chillotov was hauled down in the melee of players, it was seen by the referee who instantly blew his whistle to award the penalty, even if the was a quick moment of controversy after Dosic headed in at the far post after the fact. Dostalok stood over the ball on the penalty spot as the referee gave his final words to the goalkeeper before allowing play to continue, the Starling striker took a long run-up before thrashing the ball down the centre for 1-0, with Dostalok celebrating with the rest of his players in front of a small group of travelling fans in the corner of the stadium.

That set Mercedini's stall out to see the game through, and they wasted no time in asserting their dominance on the group's top team at the start of the day. News was coming in from other matches across the multiverse, with four other matches in play involving Group 15 teams which were all of interest to the teams playing in Soria. The Golden Eagles were going close on numerous occasions since the goal but couldn't break the Lisander defence down enough to force a mistake or the break through needed to find a second goal and potentially see out the match. Lisander looked threatening on the counter attack with anywhere between four and five players involved in the attack which stretched the Mercedinian defence to their limits. Hosset was having a particularly good game in defence as he attempted to maintain a clean sheet for the match, a rare occurrence at these qualifiers thus far, he made numerous saves to deny the host's front line. The seconds were ticking away on the Lisander fightback.

After all the efforts from the team in green and gold, Mercedini made the points safe as the second ticked over into added time, this time coming from a counter attack of their own. A pressing move from Dostalok and Karlovic forced the breakdown in possession and gave the pairing the ball with only one defender to beat. Both of them had to race down two-thirds of the field to get to the goal, but Dostalok beat the last man with a long ball forward towards Karlovic who was already well ahead of everyone on the pitch. Karlovic was past the last man but just before the half-way line to ensure that the offside flag wouldn't be raised to deny another goal. Only the Mercedinian fans were cheering at this point as the youngster who plays his domestic football in Eura had the freedom of the Estadio Albert to pick a spot. Karlovic rolled the ball between the sprawling legs of the home side's goalkeeper for a second goal which would wrap the game up as two minutes of added time was indicated by the fourth official.

All that was left for Mercedini to do was see out their clean sheet, which they did with little trouble following the kick-off. On paper, this would seem like a routine result for a team ranked over one hundred places higher than their opponents, but Dini had to win this match to close the gap on the match's opponents in the group table. Mercedini seem to have done everyone in the group a favour by pegging back the runaway group leaders for a second time in the campaign. The gap between the two teams has been reduced to two points, with the Equestrian States beating Indusse by a single goal to keep the Ponies two points behind the qualification spots. All in all, a solid day at the office for the Golden Eagles, it finished Lisander 0, Mercedini 2.

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

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

A GUIDE TO THE QUALIFIERS FIRST HALF
A Retrospective and
And What To Look Forward To

So, we're already halfway through. By now, fans have a rough idea of who can actually make it to the finals, and who will simply trail behind. Some groups have been straightforward whilst others are blown wide open with as many as four to five teams in the race.
Group One is of the former however, as Brenecia has managed to only lose points twice, and currently stand in first, losing only to HUElavia at home, no less. At this point, it's most likely the leaders and Banija going through, but HUElavia is back on the rise, and shouldn't be discredited, despite their gap of five to qualifying. Returning with some sustained attacking football, they have been a pleasure to watch and might still have a chance yet.
Group Two is one that seemed that it would have a very interesting four horse race to the finals, but it has been in a certain point of view, a letdown. Everyone expected Eura to be leaders, and they indeed hold that position with 26 out of 30 possible points. Audioslavia however, has given them a run for their money, losing only by a single goal away. However, it's the draw against Oberur Ar Moro which puts them behind. Considering they have home advantage next time, it won't be a surprise if we see them top the group, should they not commit any silly mistakes. The Kick Corps of Drawkland are suffering a stagnant period at the moment, in which Drawkland is having a harder time keeping the balls out, conceding 18 already. Although many would've considered them to be clear contenders, it might be the Cup of Harmony again for them.
Group Three has been one for conversation and not only because it has the unfortunately named nation Quakmybush. Although it all seems done and dusted, with Qasden and the Holy Empire, the real source of conversation are the smaller sides. Both Brusseldorf and Libertas Omnium Maximus have had great campaigns so far, currently occupying third and fifth, respectively. L.O.M. has seemed like a tough place to go to during the Qualifiers and their constant threats at goal put them at mid-table despite the shortcomings of their defence. Last night, we witnessed an amazing occasion in which Eastfield Lodge lost away, in a fantastic 5-4 match. Brookshire and the boys are indeed performing terrifically.
Group Four has had many twists and turns but the usual suspects have assumed their places as the Main Nation Ministry and Nova Anglicana seem to be the ones going further. Jeruselem have established themselves as a team not to be reckoned with and yet still show some weaknesses clearly. Still, they've been a side who's easily adapted to change and currently sit third, three points off. Barunia's mid-table position has surprised many, being one of the highest names in such a position. Their susceptability to counter attacks and late minute winners have been their core problem and have left them in a very complicated situation at halfway.
Group Five welcomes the great fairytale of World Cup 82 in the form of Bongo Johnson. This previously unknown side are currently second in their group only losing for the third time last night... against the leaders, Damukuni, albeit at home. Ethane however seems to be the question on everyone's lips currently sitting in fifth, six points from qualification, as Ko-oren and Siovanija & Teusland try to make a run for it, despite the group's many draws.
Group Six stands at a crossroad in who will lead it, as Darmen and the Free Republics lead with the same points, with the exact same records. Taeshan and The Maccabees just slightly behind. As for the question of who will win, it is important to highlight the Free Republics loss of 5-1 away at Darmen.
Group Seven saw the slow rise of Sargossa to the top, although a few matches ago Pasarga were the ones in first. Despite this, the S.R.S. have also made a front to the two bigger teams, but their draw last night stopped them from climbing to the runners-up spot.
Group 8 holds the Selecção itself, and it's been an extremely bumpy ride for them and despite this, they still hold an outside chance. They held a good match against Juvencus away, and that may be a sign of better things to come. New Lusitania and the Alpine Union are two/three points from qualification and it's an extremely open group, with South Covello unsafe. Either way, it's more than evident that World Cup 82 is Juvencus' time to shine, the question is if New Lusitania will join them.
Group 9 has Nephara plain sailing with all thirty points, meaning they're the strongest link, with Baker Park and an unknown minnow named Wallenstein fighting for second. The miners of Tinhampton are said to be another one of the underperforming sides, managing only half the points possible and being on a negative goal differential.
Group Ten has 95X leading the way in what has been a very well contested group, in which a particular oddity of the top three best attacks being outside qualification (Olastor, Kita-Hinode, Kelssek). There's also Turori, who has been an efficient side, like the leaders, scoring under 15 goals.
Group Eleven has many known names and was always going to be a good one. Qusmo had the early lead but has since then fallen to third, as Cosumar and Saltstead taking the joint lead, the former with 26 goals scored. Qusmo's recent lack of form in the last few games has put them on an Even Goal Difference and four points off. Chances are it's another Cup of Harmony for them, where they get to defend their success.
If you want goals, look no further than Group Twelve. It's been a ridiculous amount of goals here, with Farfadillis having the best attack (38 [!] Goals). The Merchants of Mriin aren't too far behind though as they have 34 goals and are only three points behind, meaning that these are most likely the two that will advance from this group. Despite the leaders strong goal margins their only loss (to runners-up Mriin) was of 1-5 at home, meaning they can be beat, and well, on their off day. Beepee has managed to score twenty goals, placing fourth in the group with 15 points. However, the competitive nature of the group means they end up with a negative goal difference, conceding 24.
In Group Thirteen, Competitive Solitaire had been the early bird but have since then dropped to fifth in a group where a new Valladares, Abahnfleft, Savojarna and Vilita are above them, meaning two big teams will be out before the finals begin. At the moment, it's the Savojars and, most surprisingly, Vilita, albeit three points off with a +22 differential.
In Group Fourteen, it's the women of Cassaidagua that take the lead, as Filindostan try to tackle a first world cup. The surprise of this group is no doubt Starblaydia, who reside in fourth who lost yesterday 5-4 against the runners-up, but are still three points from them as Polkopia stay third in what has been a journey of ups and downs. IA finalists Omerica are seventh confirming the tournament's criticism from major federations as they lead a dissapointing campaign.
Group Fifteen placed the Equestrian States in a predictable lead. However, they are now third after an unprecedented level of success and form by a new generation of Lisander players, who lead the group. Mercedini have been the most consistent however as they have remained around second during the entirety of the first batch of games. Clearly one big team will have to be excluded from the biggest Football competition of the Multiverse.
As we can see, there's still plenty to play for as the Selecção gets ready to also call in some different people and experiment despite their injuries. Guerreiros should be returning any day now, meaning that the weaknesses on the left side will be mitigated. All of the action, from the best games here on STL.


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MMXIX

[Darmen]

NIB concludes probe into Valladar Election interference with three arrests
FLV splinter group to blame - interference minimal

NIB agents lead one of the arrested out of court

ROGERTON - The National Investigation Bureau announced yesterday that they had concluded their investigation into alleged interference with the recent Valladar general election. Three individuals were arrested and charged with funneling illegal campaign funds to the Partido Nacional, which finished in a surprising second place in the Westlands election results.

While the identities of the three individuals have not been release, the NIB has identified them as members of the Combatientes por la Libertad de Valladar (CLV) a splinter group of the Frente de la Libertad Valladar (FLV) which has taken a more militant stance then the FLV since the latter entered mainstream politics. The individuals are accused of illegally sending the Partido Nacional $75,000 dollars to fund campaign activities.

"It is unlikely the funds made any real difference in the choices of Valladar citizens on election day," stated Special Agent-in-Charge Adelmar Fairclough, "In our opinion, the results of the election would have been unchanged had the Partido Nacional not received the illegal funds."

When asked if the arrested individuals would be extradited to Valladares to face charges there, Fairclough indicated they wouldn't, "In our opinion, extradition is unnecessary. We have however given the relevant Valladar authorities the details of our investigation for them to review, and if they decide to do so, pursue arrests of individuals in Valladares."

Efraín Flores, leader of the Lista de Valladar, applauded the NIB's efforts and reiterated that his own party's internal investigation had cleared them of all wrong doing. "From the beginning, I believed the organization I lead was not involved, and the investigations have confirmed that. This group of individuals has acted in bad faith, contrary to the way which we believe is most beneficial. Individuals and groups, regardless of whether they are Darmeni or Valladar, must work together to foster healthy relationships between the two peoples and nations."

The individuals will go on trial within the next several weeks. They will likely face sentences of four to six years in jail.

Other Headlines

• Defense Secretary reveals plans for military modernization
• All Greens defeat The Macabees, 3-0
• Stock Market on the rise, but does it tell the full story?
• More international flights coming to Scott City soon, says Airport CEO

[Omerica]

The Daily Meme
All Memes, All the Time!

The Eighty-Second Meme World Cup 82: the Five Best Memes from the Pitches of the Multiverse

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5. The Drawkian strategy for cup winning exposed!

Starblaydia, Drawkland, Barunia. All of them have apparently just not bothered to give two shits about qualifying this cycle. It almost makes you wonder what their motives could possibly be… Almost. Eh, I’m sure this is just an innocent coincidence.

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4. Let’s not rush into this

This is a serious decision whose consequences must be carefully thought out and examined. We can’t just go rushing into one or the other willy nilly. What if we make a massive mistake from which there is no hope of recovery within the lifespan of the known universe? What will we do then?

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3. I think you might still have to wait a little longer

God, Omerica, you lot need to take it easier on yourselves. I’m pretty sure Eastfield Lodge are more notorious serial failures than you and I don’t see them posting pictures of skeletons like this. I’m not even sure if this is adequately respectful of the deceased. Just tone it down a little and you’ll get there eventually.

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2. idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Everyone and their Krytenian loves a good savage meme like this. It’s always good to remember that when you’re feeling down about your team sucking goat testicles, even five-time world champions can’t always get it right. I mean, when you can’t even beat the likes of Tiiwark, there’s a problem.

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Trash has never looked so good

As the old say goes: if you’re going to be bad at something, you might as well look good doing it. The United Republican Soccer Federation has clearly taken that adage to heart and we thoroughly salute them for it. o7

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Possibly, but I’m not quite sure

I hear that the entire dictionary in the United Republics of Omerica is printed backwards. That’s probably the most reasonable explanation for why words don’t seem to mean the same thing there as they do elsewhere or, at the very least, it’s the best one we’ve found yet.

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Why didn’t we think of this before?

Think about it. Really think about it. How many riots and deaths have been caused by sore losers? If we didn’t play any football games at all, think of all the lives we might save! We’ll take that Security Council Commendation now, please.

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1. truth

The best memes are those which are poignant and speak truth to power. This meme speaks to the heart of the nature of clickbait internet culture and our desire for instant gratification. We should all take a moment to appreciate the genius of this visionary and question why we always seek to …show more content…

[Lisander]

Foot-blog.ls

What did you expect? A Cinderella Story?
Without our star player and against Mercedini, The National is brought back to the ground from their collective dream.

This is what the Qualifiers have to say to those who do not strive enough, such as Starblaydia, Krytenia and Lukas Hiltmann.

Andreas Fox must have several things on his mind right now. For the match against Ancherion, and for all of them from now, if Lisander wants to reach the final tournament of the 82nd World Cup, losing must be out of the question. The first of them must be to take Lukas Hiltmann out of the eleven starters, immediately. He's too young to be burned like that. He should be on the junior teams, not being improvised on the main team. Victor Egremont is already training with the team, but has not yet reached 100% of its form. Based on post-match interviews in Soria, I believe Fox will advance the fourth midfielder, and play with Heretier in the making, Neville and Nantel making the transition to Dawson and Amati on the right and left ends respectively, while Somerville will be centered to the precise finalization he knows how to do so well... We should see longer passes in the next matches, to cover the space Camden left to play in the field of diapers and baby talc. The Camdens had already left the hospital, as our partners in hockey-nation.ls advanced in this excellent article.

But let's stick to the facts. We need to admit we got a little euphoric. A series of seven wins after a drought of nine games without winning was all we needed to cheer up our fans who did not come very excited. What you saw yesterday in Albert II, you have not seen each other for a long time. A crowded stadium, and the crowd making a lot of noise. We almost thought we were invincible. But we are not. Fortunately, for us, the Krytenia elf was still in charge when we played there. Now that they have a decent coach again, it will be difficult to hold them.

Cinderella's story is over. Our mid-field king went to take care of his queen of hockey and the little princess of them who has just been born. We have to move on, even if the carriage turns pumpkin again. We still do not see anyone ahead of us.

[Filindostan]

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FOOTBALL: WORLD CUP 82 QUALIFIERS
Toh silent over referee criticism

SAN MARCO - 'A win is a win'

This is what Ethel Toh said in a post match conference after Filindostan managed to squeak past five-time world Champions in Starblaydia, thanks to a probable shoddy refereeing from Jeff Wilson, a Krytenian referee who administered Group 14's most crucial match on Matchday 10.

She instead focused on how the Pula Garudas strived after being 3-1 down in the first half. She did not mention the exact efforts of the players though and praised herself and assistant manager Xavier Rinoso for pulling the strings for the Filindostani tactics, and she issued a warning to the Polkopia team visiting the Filindostan National Stadium for the next matchday.

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Written by FSNA Staff.

Schedule - WC82Q including friendlies
PQF1: at Equstrian States - Cloudsdale (Sky-High Coliseum) - Draw, 5-5
PQF2: vs Qusmo - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 1-0
PQF3: at New Lusitania - Leiria (Estádio Dom Dinis) - Loss, 1-2
MD01: at Starblaydia - Jhanna (Stadii Di Bradini) - Draw, 1-1
MD02: at Polkopia - Peeto (Marshupov Arena) - Loss, 3-5
MD03: vs Omerica - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Loss, 3-4
MD04: at Cassadaigua - Concord Heights (Concord Heights Stadium) - Loss, 1-4
MD05: vs Abristan - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 3-1
MD06: at North Quadana - Undisclosed location in North Quadana - Win, 2-1
MD07: vs Tiiwark - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 2-0
MD08: at Britaen - Undisclosed location in Britaen - Win, 3-2
MD09: vs The Sherpa Empire - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 4-2
MQF1: at Apox - Dwile (The Garganaut) - Loss, 1-5
MD10: vs Starblaydia - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 5-4
MD11: vs Polkopia - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD12: at Omerica - Ville du 28 Mars (Stade de l’Indépendance)
MD13: vs Cassadaigua - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD14: at Abristan - Undisclosed location in Abristan
MD15: vs North Quadana - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD16: at Tiiwark - Undisclosed location in Tiiwark
MD17: vs Britaen - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD18: at The Sherpa Empire - Changsha (Hunan Territorial People's Stadium)

[Audioslavia]

Meme Machine
Lidgley's Meme Game Improves in Line with Audioslavian Fortunes

After months of criticism in the press not for his team's fortunes, but for his inability to use any memes from at least the last ten years of internet history when tweeting, Wilfred Lidgley has apparently stepped up his game.

After last night's hard-fought victory increased the Bulls' buffer zone to eight points over nearest rivals Drawkland and the threat of non-qualification for World Cup 82, Lidgley apparently took to twitter and turned his sights to other groups and to the plight of rival nations therein.

Krytenia's mixed fortunes for the last 68 10 or so cycles have seen the side struggle to qualify for the World Cup on occasion. It is, surprisingly, Calanian rivals Starblaydia who find themselves mid-table and with their hopes dwindling fast this time out.

Osarius, Starblaydia, Krytenia and Vilita have eleven World Cups between them. Neither are currently in the top two in their group. Vilita, perhaps most surprisingly for the reigning champions, are fourth

Starblaydia's rocky form perhaps reached its nadir last night with defeat in a nine-goal thriller to Filindostan, who now occupy second spot in the group.

There are two subdivisions of the WCC: The NSFS and the SQIS. Two sub-organizations that take it in turns to do the organizational parts of the tournament. This time out its NSFS, though SQIS here is the recipient of fictional Starblaydia's ire

This could be either Krytenia or Starblaydia, who were both doing well in the late 20s.

The typical butt of Audioslavian humour, Krytenia are having to watch two younger and sprightlier teams fight it out at the top while they make a late charge

It isn't yet known whether or not Krytenia's decision to enter the World Cup later than most, and to squeak in due to withdrawals, was on purpose in an attempt to get an easier group. Either way, it hasn't seemed to have worked.

Top seeds Barunia were sat in ninth after seven games. The Suns have, to be fair, mounted a comeback since

Its unknown whether Lidgley made this memes himself or stole them from elsewhere on the internet, but one thing is sure: He no longer seems to be fixated solely on memes from 10 years ago. Kudos to him.

Next week: Maybe we'll report on Audioslavian football properly.

[Mytanija]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Dear Elena,

When we were hanging out around Patrijarh Stolica, we discovered an abandoned warehouse nearby. We would go from time-to-time, to smoke weed and have a few bottles of cheap lager each. It was somewhere we could relax, away from our families and our mundane lives. We could chase thrills by exploring the cemetery at night, or we could go there and sit around, talk about dumb things and ignore the fact that we would have school the next day or homework to do. The homework never got done, even if we did still go to school intermittently.

Once a couple of the lads turned 17, they decided they would move out of their family homes and start squatting at the warehouse. I decided to follow them, I had had enough of living at home and this was a chance to live freely, with friends. We supported ourselves by stealing copper wiring from, well, anywhere we could find it and then selling it to a building supplies shop whose owner didn’t ask too many questions. We also occasionally held squat raves after stealing a sound system from an electronics store. We’d charge kids entry and the best thing about it was that it was more or less all profit, we had no overheads, and we’d steal the electricity supply of nearby buildings. Kids would come, pay their five Corun entry, take copious amounts of MDMA and then leave as if nothing had ever happened. The Policija never shut us down once.

Eventually we began to climb the walls of the cemetery more regularly and we began to notice that some parts of the wall were high enough that we could jump onto the balconies of the adjoining apartment buildings. Once we noticed this, it wasn’t long before we all became fully immersed in a life of crime. Personally, I began to steal from apartments in more affluent neighbourhoods and my climbing skills improved to a point where I could scale the façade of a multi-storey apartment block with consummate ease.

Despite the fact that we were immersed in a life of crime I must admit that at times I felt almost… towed, to certain places in order to commit a burglary. It was almost mystical, the attraction certain apartments had, I couldn’t understand why or how I knew, but there was almost an instinct that told me whether somewhere was worthwhile or not. In contrast to this mysticism, I also occasionally spent up to a week at a time canvassing a neighbourhood before a target came to me. I had to feel harmony with the area and then, once I’ve reached that point, it’s almost like a movie scene: a place attracts me and there is something valuable waiting for me in the end.

One thing I do remember vividly is a dream I had, at the age of around 18, where I stole five paintings from a museum. I took it as a portent. I knew that one day I would do something great.

Generally speaking, we all worked alone. We lived together in the warehouse, squatting, but we would go out and look for our own targets, working together would have drawn too much attention and it was always easier to only have yourself to rely upon. No shared responsibility if things went wrong. Nobody to blame. I would scale walls, leap between rooftops and pick locks. Once inside an apartment we found that looking for jewellery first was the best way to go: it was valuable and easy to sell. I never felt a connection to it, though.

A burglary that took less than a couple of hours could often yield enough cash to support a six month trip to Ebor, back to Visoravna. Except now, I could live extravagantly in the city itself, walk along Mosor Street and buy fine clothes from the designer stores located upon it before heading onto the Marina where I’d attend a party on a yacht with the sons and daughters of celebrities and politicians. If I was lucky they may have gotten a little bit too drunk on their parents money and I’d be able to steal more valuables from the yacht and I’d sell them as quickly as I could, Ebor was run by the Mafiya back then and still is, in some ways.

Sometimes I would return to an apartment many times without taking a single item. This may sound ludicrous, but there was method to the madness. I did it in order to find the most expensive-looking items. I adopted this strategy when robbing the apartment of a fashion designer when I was about 21. I – essentially – lived in the apartment for almost a week, I’d spend my time sawing into their safe and didn’t disturb the occupants whatsoever. I’d come and go as I pleased, slowly but surely ensuring I could open the safe and eventually I did. More jewellery. It was sold speedily again and netted a nice profit.

About a week later I saw comments in the newspaper, the designer had found the jewellery gone and – obviously – reported the crime to the police and the papers got wind of the news. The designer had been asked what he thought about the criminal responsible and said that he had ‘a grudging respect’ for my style and that he ‘admired my temerity’, praise indeed. The only shadow to the crime was that in turned out to be his daughter’s jewellery, the only heritage she got from her deceased mother. We can’t have it all in this life though, sadly.

My confidence grew to a point where I felt indestructible and invulnerable when I was committing my crimes. Once, while fleeing the Policija across the rooftops of Esca, I took refuge in an empty apartment in an extremely fashionable area of town. I thought, fuck it, and proceeded to turn the apartment over to find any jewellery I could. A crime within a crime! Suddenly, the owner returned and I could see he was drunk and was with a similarly inebriated, much younger girl. I hid in the bathroom adjacent to the man’s bedroom. I couldn’t get out without crossing the room!

I thought I had had it, that they would stumble upon me. But, they were drunk and instead it took a turn I would prefer it hadn’t: they began to kiss and in the end – through the narrow door of the bathroom – I had to listen to them make love, it went on all night! Eventually the old boy ran out of steam and they fell asleep. I then tiptoed past them, checking to see if they had left any watches or necklaces anywhere for me to take and made good my escape. I have taken many risks in my time and sometimes much worse ones, but that is probably the most comical I can remember. I always perform well when confronted with these sort of obstacles, though.

---

“Well, yeah, I think he was exaggerating a bit.” Elena said, her editor listening intently. “He didn’t always make good choices! He was telling me that there was one time he was driving through suburban Esca and started to run out of fuel. He realised he’d left his wallet at home, but for some reason he did have a toy handgun on him.”

“Right. So what?” Her editor interjected impatiently.

“Well, he decided that he’d hold up a delicatessen for two hundred Coruns. He managed to fill the tank, but a witness at the deli reported the licence plate to the Policija and he was arrested, spent a year in prison.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, it seems he’s the real deal.”

“We need to get as much out of him as possible, we could publish these letters and make an absolute killing.”

“I’d like to keep the source confidential if we do get to that point, the Policija would have a field day if they could put him behind bars and it’d ruin any work I try and do in the future!”

“Sure, but you’ll also be a star for being the one to get this scoop, how could anyone believe it is actually him unless we reveal the source? It could just be a story we’ve made up!”

“That’s not really the point though, is it?” Elena replied. “Look, he’s trusted me with these letters and we’re not even one-hundred percent certain it’s him who’s sending them or if it’s someone he trusts, just that the timing seems to point to it being him.”

“Yeah, but if we can get him to tell us about the break-in at the Central Art Museum and those paintings then we can be sure that it’s him. Do some digging Elena, come on. I’m not going to publish anything without some more concrete details anyway, so try and get him to talk!”

[Valanora]

Here Be Dragons

Are they the opposition or your enemies?

MD11 cutoff for Groups 8-15

[Mriin]

Here Be Dragons

There's still plenty of time left to impress the world.

MD11 Cutoff for Groups 1-7

[Qusmo]

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. After running out to the group lead with all nine points from three matches, Qusmo had a bad run of form, earning only two points in their next five matches. Rumours of Avarn-Oxolt Ban’s imminent dismissal from the national team, however, were put to rest with a hard-fought victory over Saltstead which, combined with other results, makes the table look much friendlier to Qusmo at the halfway mark of qualifying, followed by a public statement of support from Fuzpon Qusma. Qusmo is now fourth in the table, four points away from Cosumar & Saltstead in the qualifying places, & they are still in the hunt - though it certainly won’t be easy. With that, let’s get to our first question, from a viewer in Polan.

What are Qusmo’s chances?

Much better now, after their match against Saltstead. Let’s run through the scenarios. If Qusmo had drawn, Saltstead would be leading the group with nineteen points, followed by Cosumar with eighteen. That’s not a major change, but Qusmo would only be in fifth with twelve points. They would have to make up a six-point gap with Cosumar or a seven-point gap with Saltstead. Similarly, if Qusmo had lost, they would be in seventh place with eleven points. They would have to surmount a seven-point gap behind second-place Cosumar or a ten-point gap behind group leaders Saltstead.

Now, Qusmo has a manageable four-point gap from both Cosumar & Saltstead to work with, & only Sajnur stands between them & the two teams in qualifying position on the current table. Qusmo needs to make sure it keeps the teams below it in the table at bay, leapfrog Sajnur, & surpass either Cosumar or Saltstead in order to claim one of the top two spots. If Qusmo can do that, they will qualify for their first ever World Cup.

They will start that quest with an important match on Matchday Ten, as they host Sajnur. The first international match to be hosted at Mastad Poldanza, Qusmo-Sajnur will pit the third- & fourth-ranked teams in the group in a critical match for both. Qusmo dispatched Sajnur one-nil in both teams’ opening match of the campaign, but Sajnur is playing like a completely different team. They earned only one point in their first four matches, but they have won each of their past five matches to ascend all the way to third place at the midway point, with those wins coming against teams like Mytanija, Mattijana, & Cosumar - the only time the Vanquishers have been vanquished this campaign.

The fact that Qusmo won in Sajnur might make one think that they will win again in Polan, but can they be the first team to take points away from Sajnur since Matchday Four? It will be imperative to Qusmo that they get all three points, to claim third on the table & keep pace with Cosumar & Saltstead, projected to win against Vartugia & Alluersia, respectively; however, things are shaping up for a much tougher match than how it may first appear.

Sajnur has had several breakout stars from this campaign, & their talent will be on full display to open the second half of qualifying. Piotr Laghiev has been a brick wall in the goal; despite a shaky defense, they have single-handedly kept Sajnur in many matches, & they could stymie the inconsistent, somewhat sputtering Qusma attack. If that is the case, Sajnur has the offense to capitalize, with players like Jessica Siafik directing things from the middle of the park, functioning as the Sajnuran answer to Ilinx-Kepex Zev. Even unlikely players like fullback Kahala Murje have become heroes at home, with Murje scoring the winning goal against Cosumar to secure Sajnur’s first-ever home win. If Qusmo gives Sajnur an opportunity, players like these could be known to a much wider audience very soon.

Next, Qusmo will play Kavagrad. This is a match they won three-two in their first home match of the cycle, but things have the potential to change as the tie comes to Kavagrad. The Redhearts made it all the way to the semifinals of the last Independents Cup, & they have shown that they can hang it tough with most any opponent. They have yet to lose a match by a multigoal margin - a feat that Qusmo has not been able to replicate - & currently sit in fifth place, only two points behind Qusmo. If Qusmo & Kavagrad both win on Matchday Ten, their Matchday Eleven clash could be a battle for third place in the group.

Qusmo will have to navigate a visit to yet another country with political turmoil, as Kavagrad has seen its president ousted in a decisive vote of no confidence result. Qusmo has had to play in the midst of political uncertainty on this level or more only twice before: during their first Tour of the Multiverse, when their friendly against Banija was moved to the Samseongoloondongjang in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec as a result of war in the country, & on Matchday Eight against Alluersia, which has just declared independence from West Guiana. Both results were two-goal defeats for Qusmo.

The Banija match may be a poor example, of course, as that was long ago, against a better quality team, & in a friendly; however, it is worth looking at Qusmo’s performance in Alluersia. Despite being near the foot of the table, the two-hundred-fiftieth-ranked team in the Multiverse was able to secure a two-nil victory against Qusmo; many have speculated that this might be attributable to distractions from the volatile situation. The Redhearts seem to be a team of higher quality than Alluersia, so Qusmo needs to focus on limiting distractions on this away trip; otherwise, Kavagrad will take advantage of them.

Next for Qusmo will be Mytanija, a team that is ninth in the rankings but still extremely dangerous. The Mytanars suffered through a seven-match winless run, lasting from Matchdays Two through Eight, highlighted by a five-match losing streak from Matchdays Three through Seven. They have only managed to defeat Velestria & Vartugia. That might seem like Mytanija will be a pushover opponent; however, they are far from it.

Mytanija is a team of storied history & massive potential, & we would be shocked if the team’s first half form carries over to the second half. Asking them to qualify, needing to surpass seven teams on the table & finding themselves ten points adrift, would be quite the tall order, & we do not expect them to get to the World Cup this cycle. However, they will be playing to restore their pride & build momentum heading to tournaments like the Cup of Harmony & the Copa Rushmori - where they have had recent success, making the quarterfinals of both tournaments in their latest editions.

They may not be the most realistic choices to qualify, but Mytanija will want to at least play the spoiler - & especially against Qusmo, in a Rushmori derby, in the return leg of the fixture that signalled the beginning of Mytanija’s five-match losing spell. They have the talent to make life very difficult for Qusmo, too, both in terms of personnel & management; Lev Repin’s creative 4-6-0 formation forced even the famously tactically rigid Avarn-Oxolt Ban to switch tactics to try to combat the Mytanars. Can Qusmo do it twice in the same World Cup Qualifying campaign? Doing so would go a long way towards their hopes to make that campaign a success.

After Mytanija will be a massive clash with the top team of the group, both on paper & in the table: Cosumar. The Azure Dragons are simply a class above; they are fully expected to advance to the World Cup & even have success there. Cosumar are perennial World Cup quarterfinalists, & we do not expect them to crash out any sooner than that this cycle, either. However, that means that every match a team plays against Cosumar is a bit like playing with house money.

Four teams were able to earn a point from their encounter with Cosumar & one was even able to earn all three, so earning points against Cosumar can be done; the question is whether Qusmo will be able to do it. They key will be stopping the Cosumarite attack. Cosumar has scored twenty-two goals so far, easily the highest in the group, at seven goals ahead of Mattijana’s second-rated offense.

Qusmo might seem up for the challenge, as their strength is in the defense. However, they have been much shakier in this campaign. They have conceded twelve goals thus far - the same number they conceded in the twenty-three matches the team played across the entirety of World Cup 81 Qualifying & through the quarterfinals of Cup of Harmony 73 - including three against Cosumar on Matchday Four at Mastad Qusma. That challenge will be even greater at the imposing Farris Crowley Memorial World Cup Stadium at The Royal Palace in Ramusok. This will likely be the most difficult match of Qusmo’s entire World Cup 82 Qualifying campaign; the team will hope it can make something of it, but they also surely have to hope that they won’t need to in order to qualify.

Next up for Qusmo looks to be an easier match on paper, as Qusmo host Vartugia at Mastad Atlema. Vartugia is in the midst of a seven-match winless streak & a four-match losing streak. However, the last match they managed to take points from was their match against Qusmo, when they played on a field wholly unsuitable for play. Qusmo will go into the match at Mastad Atlanta hoping that the result in the return leg will be different - & it should be.

Qusmo is simply a team of higher quality than Vartugia. Vartugia was the only team which competed in Baptism of Fire 69 not to earn a single point in its six-match group stage. It only has five so far after nine World Cup 82 Qualifying matches, & it is on a dreadful run of form. They have the group’s worst defense; their twenty-two conceded is a mark seven worse than the joint-second-worst-defenses in the group, of Mattijana & Mytanija. Critically, Qusmo was kept from scoring in that draw against Vartugia; however, this may prove easier in Atlem.

Qusmo’s offense had an awful time trying to get absolutely anything going while they were visiting Vartugia, with a field so irregular as to be unquestionably nonregulation. Vartugia will not be able to rely on such underhand tactics to secure a point in Atlem from another scoreless draw, however, & Qusmo is expected to take full advantage of this. At the very least, they likely need to in order to advance to the World Cup; more lost points to the goat-managed Pot 10 minnows cannot be afforded in the midst of an attempt to catch up in a group of this quality.

After Vartugia, Qusmo will get to play another lower-ranked team in the form of Velestria. The Gryphons will be hosting the match, & that has proved to be a phenomenal advantage for them thus far. Velestria has the best defense in the group, with only five goals conceded so far - the same number as Qusmo had conceded at this mark in their last cycle. They have only conceded one of those goals in Velestria, & that mark has been set over the course of four matches against very good opposition: Kavagrad, Mattijana, Saltstead, & Cosumar.

Velestria has had some success against Qusmo, too, having maintained a clean sheet to secure a point in Tracam. Qusmo may have a torrid time at Hartford Park, as their offense has been well-documented as inconsistent. Qusmo has only the seventh-best offense in Group 11, with eleven goals. On the other hand, Velestria is not much of an attacking threat, with only three goals in nine matches, an abysmal record. Qusmo may be expected to focus little on defense & much on attack, given that Velestria isn’t much of an attacking threat but needs to be broken down in order for Qusmo to earn three points.

Breaking down Velestria may be a tall order. The team is only seventh in the table now, but they have yo-yoed throughout the midtable & are better than their positioning on the table shows. Much of that success is attributable to the formidable goalkeeping unit Velestria has produced. Diamond Gregory has just transferred to KF Poldanz as Pug Qusmyra’s record incoming fee for a goalkeeper, but they were not the ones to begin the qualifying campaign for Al Gyzhon; that honour goes to Chris Banker. Though Banker has never before been capped for their national team, they & Gregory have combined to create a deeply formidable defense, with six clean sheets, including five in succession from Matchdays Two through Six in succession. Qusmo will have to hope that it does not fall victim to another clean sheet streak when they visit Southampshire.

Following their visit to Esportiva, Qusmo will host the reigning champions of the region at Mastad Qastyra. Mattijana may be somewhat of a surprise atop the Esportivan podium, & their performance so far in this World Cup Qualifying campaign has given voice to many of their team’s doubters. They only have three wins so far; coupled with two draws & four losses, that earns them sixth place on the table, with eleven points total. They have the group’s second-best attack, but they also have the group’s joint-second-worst defense. Kevin Krychowiak is an encouraging young player at rightback, but much of the other players in the defense have failed the team, succumbing against lesser-quality opposition.

However, Qusmo should not overlook this fixture. The Marmots have been consistent for years in Esportiva, finishing on the podium in each of the past four regional tournaments, reaching the past two Campeonato Esportiva finals, & finally becoming regional champions in the twenty-third & latest edition of the tournament. That was expected to be a boost to lift Mattijana from Pot 4 into serious contention for a place with the top thirty-two in the Multiverse. Though that hasn’t happened yet, there ought to be no question that Mattijana are good; they just haven’t fulfilled their potential thus far. Just look at the result when Qusmo visited Mattijana on Matchday Seven: Mattijana eviscerated the Qusma defence en route to a five-three win.

The key to Qusmo’s match against Mattijana will be exorcising the dæmons from the last time the two encountered each other. The Qusma defense has not been so exposed in such a big setting since World Cup 80 Qualifying against Ceni. It caused a minor crisis for Fuzpon Qusma & sparked whispers about Avarn-Oxolt Ban’s job. Qusmo played well in the first half, racing out to a three-one lead, but their second half play was abysmal, as they conceded four within a single half to squander that two-goal lead. That was a key moment, as Qusmo lost a golden opportunity to go six points ahead of Mattijana with a win. Mattijana could have been dealt a massive blow, but they went from seventh all the way to third over the course of forty-five minutes. If Qusmo finds itself in a similar situation again, needing a win to keep pace while Mattijana needs a win just to survive, they will need to make sure that they turn out a worthwhile performance for the full ninety minutes.

Qusmo’s brief homestand will continue in the same city of Qanz, but with a different stadium & a different opponent; on Matchday Seventeen, the Qusmi’y are scheduled to play Alluersia at Mastad Qusma. Alluersia is not a bad team, but they are only ranked two hundred fiftieth in the world, & they are one of only two teams in Group 11 which have scored less than one goal per match on average. In short, tthey are a team Qusmo needs to be able to beat if they want to qualify for the World Cup. Unfortunately for Qusmo, however, that may not be easy, as they have already tried to take three points from Alluersia once, & they failed to collect any.

That match against Alluersia weighed heavily in Qusmo, & it is what allowed talk about a sacking of Avarn-Oxolt Ban to emerge in the mainstream of the public sphere for the first time during the manager’s tenure. It was at the end of a poor run of form for the national team, which provided the powder, but the Alluersia match provided a fuse - & Avarn-Oxolt seems fortunate to have poured water on things before they got out of hand. They will have the advantage this time, however, as the match will be hosted in Qusmo instead of Alluersia; this is important because Alluersia has an increasingly fragile domestic political situation which the Qusma government believed necessitated a military presence. This reportedly deeply unsettled the players on the team, & it helped contribute to Qusmo’s poor match.

However, Alluersia was good enough to capitalize, to the tune of a two-nil victory. After only earning one point in their first four matches, Alluersia went unbeaten in four consecutive matches, including wins over Mytanija & Qusmo in succession. A humbling five-one loss to Cosumar in Ramusok to end the first half of qualifiers might take the lustre off, but it shows that Alluersia is capable of putting together a good run against some good opposition; Qusmo will need to make sure that it gets its heads focussed & is ready to play against what they have learned the hard way could be a feisty opponent.

Finally, Qusmo will end their World Cup 82 Qualifying campaign in Saltstead, at the King William VII National Park in Ashwell. Saltstead is the Pot 2 team in the group & currently second in the table. There are no playoffs scheduled for this round of World Cup Qualifiers, but this match could well serve as one; it is very possible that the winner will qualify to Apox & Valanora.

If that proves to be the case, neutral fans of defensive football could be in for a treat. Qusmo, of course, is known for its defense, & Avarn-Oxolt Ban has made it clear that they intend to place more focus on regaining Qusmo’s defensive form in the second half. Meanwhile, Saltstead has a deadbolt defense, with only seven goals conceded in their nine matches thus far. They had drawn before, but they were the last team to remain unbeaten in Group 11 - until they visited Qusmo on Matchday Nine. Saltstead & Qusmo have played each other twice before, both in competitive matches - in the Round of Sixteen of Cup of Harmony 72 & on Matchday Nine of World Cup 82 Qualifying - & the teams managed to keep three clean sheets. After fulltime & extra time in Vilita, neither team could score a goal, so Saltstead advanced on penalties; after fulltime in Qusmo, the hosts also kept a clean sheet, though they were able to take three points by scoring three goals.

Qusmo will need to keep that going once again. Saltstead has the experience of playing in such a high-pressure match that could give them a spot in the World Cup, & they have come out successful in their last test of the sort: the World Cup 81 Qualifier against Drawkland. Additionally, they now have the home advantage. Further, they have the advantage in the table after the first half, with a four-point margin coupled with a seven-goal edge in goal difference. It is likely that Qusmo would have to win this match, not draw it, if they are to advance. That means that Qusma strikers will, once again, have to have a great day - otherwise, they will likely be testing their mettle against the likes of Starblaydia in the Cup of Harmony.

Qusmo faces a tough task ahead of it. It can ill afford to drop any points for the remainder of the campaign. Both of the top two seeds, both in rankings & on the table, have earned eighteen points in the first half of qualifying; they are on pace, then, for thirty-six overall. If that comes to pass, Qusmo would need at least twenty-two points from these final nine matches in order to qualify. That is the equivalent of seven wins, one draw, & only one loss. Perhaps Qusmo could lose to Cosumar & still qualify, but that would require going unbeaten in all eight of their other matches, & only dropping points once, & likely winning on the final matchday in Saltstead. It will certainly be a tall order for Qusmo - as it would for any team.

But at least Qusmo still has a chance.

Group 11
Alluersia 0–1 Saltstead
Qusmo 4–3 Sajnur
Mattijana 0–0 Kavagrad
Velestria 1–2 Mytanija
Vartugia 0–4 Cosumar

Ps Group 11                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cosumar                         10    6   3   1    26    9  +17    21
 2 Saltstead                       10    6   3   1    14    7   +7    21
 3 Qusmo                           10    5   2   3    15   15    0    17
 4 Sajnur                          10    5   1   4    15   16   −1    16
 5 Kavagrad                        10    3   4   3    13   10   +3    13
 6 Mattijana                       10    3   3   4    15   15    0    12
 7 Mytanija                        10    3   2   5    16   16    0    11
 8 Velestria                       10    2   5   3     4    7   −3    11
 9 Alluersia                       10    2   3   5     8   15   −7     9
10 Vartugia                        10    1   2   7    10   26  −16     5

Qusmo starts off WC82Q second half with high-scoring win
Qusmo 4–3 Sajnur
Mastad Poldanza, Polan, Qusmo (cap. 68 000)

---

GK  Vanza-Jerat Gep
CB  Cunix-Betva Tla
CB  Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
58’ Zenon-Gerol Kal
CB  Lynul-Savar Mal
58’ Yelto-Alfan Ono
DM  Jerat-Jonto Jan
75’ Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
CM  Ilinx-Kepex Zev
AM  Gavax-Nenzi Abe
LM  Helek-Nenzi Ono
RM  Ilinx-Ibilx Tla
ST  Prant-Pertz Gor (06’, 37’)
ST  Xilit-Zaxac Yol (44’, 86’)

[Turori]

Ups and Downs continue for Top Seeded Turori

Cocoabo Enrichment & Enhancement Project Headquarters, Cocoabo Park, Cocoabo Forest :: The Cocoabo had never stopped training even though they had been left out of the schedule for the Turori National Teams World Cup 82 Qualifying Campaign. They continued to play demonstration matches on a weekly basis at the Cocoabo Park Arena to the adoration of parks goers. They continued to hone their skills and perfect their craft, waiting for the call. There was even some talk of the Cocoabo preparing their own Eagle's Cup-like competition but calling it the "Cocoabo Cup". Their trainers watched from afar as Turori's National Citizen Squad struggled to perform against weaker opposition.

While they had won their opening match of World Cup 82 Qualifying, a slim 1-0 tactical triumph over little known Bohr away from home, it was still three points to start off their campaign.

---

Turori [1] - [0] Bohr

:: Turori Goalscorers :: :: 16' Meldi'ita Mungwaii

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 60% :: Shots on Target: 6 :: Corner Kicks: 7

:: Bohr Statistics :: :: Possession: 40% :: Shots on Target: 2 :: Corner Kicks: 2

---

Turori Eels Lineup v. Bohr ::
[GK]G.Q Disterfred II
[D.]Tarek Edgeli, [D.]Oani Moralziia, [D.]Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Moumouni Verre'elali
[ML] Indelli Nura'amura, [MC]Daliora Toru'u, [MC] Saito Koshiki, [MR] Lati'ala Giaoka
[FC]Inamari Altariiz, [FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii
BENCH::
[FC]Mirana Gotuai, [FC]Wiztsana Iretziia
[M]Timi'sala Koarena, [M]Kentu Umaka'a
[U ]Nua'oma Aikiki, [D]Biliki Rona'atu'i
[GK]Wiyauw An'maude

Turori [0] - [1] Olastor

:: Turori Goalscorers ::

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 52% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 6

:: Olastor Statistics :: :: Possession: 48% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 9

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Turori Eels Lineup v. Olastor ::
[GK]Wiyauw An'maude
[D.]Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.]Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.] Oani Moralziia
[ML] Kentu Umaka'a, [MC]Saito Koshiki, [MC] Indelli Nura'amura, [MR] Timi'sala Koarena
[FC]Inamari Altariiz, [FC]Mirana Gotuai
BENCH::
[FC]Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii
[M]Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [M]Mbdiai Akarenaa
[U ]Turakia Diijelhma, [D]Tarek Edgeli
[GK]Timaala Hualtia

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It was the Turori National Team's second match of the World Cup 82 Qualifying campaign that really started to signal something was wrong. A dysfunctional Olastor side traveled onto Turori's home turf at Eels Park in the purpose built sporting utopia of Eelandii and comfortably left with three points and all the spoils as Turori's National Citizen Squad and their aging attacking corps failed to deliver any meaningful attempts on target, never truly looking as if they were to score a goal.

It would become a familiar storyline for Turori's National Citizen Squad who would score just one goal in their opening three matches of the World Cup qualifying campaign. Some could potentially make an argument that the uncomfortably long bus ride to the away match at 95X on the third matchday may have potentially contributed to the lack of impetus the Eels showed against their Atlantian Oceania regional rivals. Nonetheless, lost points were still lost points and Turori had lost 5 points out of 9 that they were playing for over the first three matchdays.

Seemingly understanding the hole they were digging for themselves, Turori's National Citizen Squad finally began to show a little bit of fight on matchday four when they fell down 0-1 early against former Summer Olympic Games host nation Kelssek at the site of one of the country's olympic sporting venues. After changing their shape in the second half the goals finally came in through Inamari Altariiz and Wiztsana Iretziia to propel the 6th-ranked Turori National Team back on top for good as they would record just their second victory of the campaign.

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Turori [0] - [0] 95X

:: Turori Goalscorers ::

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 57% :: Shots on Target: 2 :: Corner Kicks: 3

:: 95X Statistics :: :: Possession: 43% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 9

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'Turori Eels Lineup v. 95X ::
[GK]G.Q Disterfred II
[D.]Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]Tarek Edgeli, [D.]Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.] Dmitri Levada
[ML] Kentu Umaka'a, [MC]Saito Koshiki, [MC] Timi'sala Koarena, [MR] Lati'ala Giaoka
[FC]Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC]Nua'oma Aikiki
BENCH::
[FC]Mirana Gotuai, [FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii
[M]Daliora Toru'u, [M]Indelli Nura'amura
[U ]Mbdiai Akarenaa, [D]Mikki Mayelli
[GK]Timaala Hualtia

Turori [2] - [1] Kelssek

:: Turori Goalscorers :: :: 61' Inamari Altariiz :: 63' Wiztsana Iretziia

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 57% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 7

:: Kelssek Statistics :: :: Possession: 43% :: Shots on Target: 2 :: Corner Kicks: 5

Turori Eels Lineup v. Kelssek ::
[GK]Timaala Hualtia
[D.]Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]Tarek Edgeli, [D.]Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.] Moumouni Verre'elali
[ML] Indelli Nura'amura, [MC]Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Mbdiai Akarenaa, [MR] Timi'sala Koarena
[FC]Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC]Inamari Altariiz
BENCH::
[FC]Mirana Gotuai, [FC]Nua'oma Aikiki
[M]Lati'ala Giaoka, [M]Daliora Toru'u
[U ]Mikki Mayelli, [D]Dmitri Levada
[GK]Wiyauw An'maude

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In what seemed a trend that would certainly be quick to reach its half-life, the Eels had doubled their total goalscoring output of the Entire World Cup 82 Qualification campaign in their performance against Kelssek. Then, one matchday later, they would double it once more when they performed completely counter to their form smashing three goals past Cosneolta in the second half of an otherwise tame matchup at the Almintora National Stadium. Inamara Altariiz' second goal of the campaign led things off for Turori before the defender Lulu Pumaziiri doubled the Eels advantage just minutes later. Then, in the closing moments of the match with Cosneolta looking to desperately find a way back into the game, Timi'sala Koarena sprung the young substitute attacker Nua'oma Aikiki free and the youngster made no mistake one-on-one with the charging Cosenolta netminder for their second career international goal. Aikiki's first career international goal came during the World Cup 81 Qualifiers as the opening tally in a 4-0 matchday eight triumph over then-63rd ranked Jeckland.

With their overall goals scored tally having been increased from three to six in a single match it certainly appeared as if the Turori National Team had shaken off whatever had plagued them over the first three matchdays and were set to battle back into their rightful place atop the Group Table. Just when it seemed it was all going to be ok for Turori's National Citizen Squad, however, they hit a flaw on Matchday six in the form of a Nation they traveled to for a World Cup 82 Qualifying match named "Flaw". Ranked 307th in the world very few had even realized 'Flaw' was a nation before the Turori Eels traveled there on Matchday six but there would be no question that after 90 minutes of play at the Flawed Stadium the name would not soon be forgotten. Despite being separated by more than 300 places in the official world rankings, the home side willed themselves to secure a point against a disappointing Turori National Team who failed to put pressure on their opponents until late in the match. While Meldi'ita Munwaii's goal appeared to right the ship for Turori and they certainly looked the more likely to net a winner late on, it never came and Turori's National Citizen Squad had dropped their third result in just six matches. The result was an inquiry into their performances on the World Cup Qualification Campaign thus far and a call to Cocoabo Park to inform Turori's National Cocoabo Squad that they might be called upon after all if the Turori National Team dropped any more points to lower-ranked opposition in World Cup 82 Qualifying.

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Turori [3] - [0] Cosneolta

:: Turori Goalscorers :: :: 57' Inamari Altariiz :: 59' Lulu Pumaziiri :: 80' Nua'oma Aikiki

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 62% :: Shots on Target: 5 :: Corner Kicks: 9

:: Cosneolta Statistics :: :: Possession: 38% :: Shots on Target: 3 :: Corner Kicks: 4

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Turori Eels Lineup v. Cosneolta ::
[GK]Wiyauw An'maude
[D.]Tarek Edgeli, [D.]Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.]Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o
[ML] Indelli Nura'amura, [MC]Timi'sala Koarena, [MC] Daliora Toru'u, [MR] Mbdiai Akarenaa
[FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC]Inamari Altariiz
BENCH::
[FC]Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC]Nua'oma Aikiki
[M]Lati'ala Giaoka, [M]Saito Koshiki
[U ]Turakia Diijelhma, [D]Dmitri Levada
[GK]G.Q Disterfred II

Turori [1] - [1] Flaw

:: Turori Goalscorers :: :: 64' Meldi'ita Mungwaii

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 52% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 9

:: Flaw Statistics :: :: Possession: 48% :: Shots on Target: 5 :: Corner Kicks: 11

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Turori Eels Lineup v. Flaw ::
[GK]Wiyauw An'maude
[D.]Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]Oani Moralziia, [D.]Amakli Inuro'o, [D.] Mikki Mayelli
[ML] Mbdiai Akarenaa, [MC]Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Indelli Nura'amura, [MR] Timi'sala Koarena
[FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC]Inamari Altariiz
BENCH::
[FC]Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC]Mirana Gotuai
[M]Daliora Toru'u, [M]Kiidallen Aeroluzzi
[U ]Wiztsana Iretziia, [D]Majid Jedidi
[GK]G.Q Disterfred II

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