AOCAF LVIII Everything Thread

by **Banija** » Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:52 pm

This cutoff will bring us the sound... of silence!

Blue means clinched a berth in the knockout stages.
Green means team has won the group.

Group A
Third Asopia 1–0 Busoga Islands
Ko-oren 1–2 Baker Park

Group A                  Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD    Pts 
1 Baker Park              3    3   0   0     5    1   +4     9
2 Ko-oren                 3    1   0   2     2    3   −1     3
3 Third Asopia            3    1   0   2     1    2   −1     3
4 Busoga Islands          3    1   0   2     1    3   −2     3

Group B
Farfadillis 2–1 Greater Spokane
Qasden 0–2 Saltstead

Group B                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD   Pts 
1 Farfadillis            3   2  1  0    5   3  +2    7
2 Saltstead              3   1  2  0    4   2  +2    5
3 Qasden                 3   1  0  2    3   3   0    3
4 Greater Spokane        3   0  1  2    1   5  −4    1

Group C
Geisenfred 0–1 95X
Vilita & Turori 1–0 Audioslavia

Group C                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD   Pts 
1 Vilita & Turori        3   3  0  0    3   0  +3    9
2 95X                    3   2  0  1    5   3  +2    6
3 Geisenfred             3   1  0  2    2   2   0    3
4 Audioslavia            3   0  0  3    2   7  −5    0

Group D
Equestrian States 1–0 Eshan
Rabastorian Union 2–2 Krytenia

Group D                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States      3   2  1  0    2   0  +2    7
2 Eshan                  3   2  0  1    4   1  +3    6
3 Krytenia               3   0  2  1    2   4  −2    2
4 Rabastorian Union      3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1

Round of 16
Baker Park v. Saltstead @ Sportsmen's Park in Belle Haven, Baker Park
Vilita & Turori v. Eshan @ Collins Park in Oceana, Osheana, Baker Park
Farfadillis v. Ko-oren @ State Fairgrounds Stadium in Springfield, Baker Park
Equestrian States v. 95X @ Queen Victoria Stadium in Ezriquay, Ezra, Baker Park

by **Ko-oren** » Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:46 am

Don't tell me the odds...

... of any nation advancing to the knockouts from a AOCAF (50%, usually), with just three points (uhh...%) and a negative goal difference (why? what did we do to deserve this %). We can tell you that the odds are minimal.

And yet

one team, in recent history, not only preceded our feat, but did something even stranger. AOCAF LIV. There is a Cocoabo Zone and a Tropicorp Zone - and if you missed that, Ko-oren wasn't actually in that AOCAF. All of our favourite teams to hate were there, though: from Quebec, to Osarius, Starblaydia, Vilita & Turori, Eshan, 95X, Farfadillis, and the Equestrian States, to just name a few. In fact, our current AOCAF hosts weren't in that one either.

Direct your attention to the Tropicorp Zone, Group 5. Mriin play Semarland in a moderately anticipated opening match, both score a single goal, and most of the media attention in that group is directed towards V&T, who've just won 5-0. For the second match, V&T deal with the anticipation well and beat Semarland 3-1 - while Mriin score three goals of their own against the first round losers, Oceanian Spaam. Unfortunately for them, Spaam also score three and Mriin now sit on two points, but well in reach of the next round as long as they can surprise the tropical duo. Not exactly likely, but not impossible, either. Mriin didn't enter the tournament as complete pushovers, to say the least. With a draw between Spaam and Semarland in the final round, Mriin have pretty decent odds as well.

Mriin are down 2-1 late in the game when the fans just glance over to the score in that other game. Semarland and Oceanian Spaam, seconds away from the final whistle, are in deadlock. 1-1. With this score, Mriin have the best goal difference (-1) and as long as the S-teams don't score, they can pull this off on goal difference. Well, they do. Mriin advance with a -1 goal difference and two points. Overall, they've scored 5 so there really wasn't anything wrong with the stats by themselves, as long as you don't look over to the points column and see that completely insane 2 there.

The hype doesn't last for very long: Mriin lose the very next game, against Tropicorp, 1-0. Vilita and Turori don't really have the tournament of a lifetime either: they lost to Eshan on penalties. Tropicorp and Eshan would go on to make the semifinals, then both end the tournament on a loss: Eshan to Cosumar in the 54th final, Tropicorp to Valanora in the third place playoff.

This deserved so much more. Mriin @ AOCAF 54 lives on inside of us.

Going back further, we get some crazy formats with groups of six and stuff. It's a good thing the Dragonflies missed those tournaments, too. The 32-team AOCAF turns out to be a recent thing. All we can do is enter the time machine and go back in neat increments to find a group stage of four teams and then see if a team made it out with three points or fewer. One thing we learn from this time machine is that the Dragonflies of old used to be good, like, did we really make the knockouts regularly, easily, and even go on to the semis sometimes?

And then we hit the 46th one. Group A. With Cosumar, and Valanora, and Mangolana (I told you this was a while ago) and Naitpyge, which is pronounced exactly as you spell it.

The opening round doesn't tell us a lot. While Legalese tie Ko-oren 0-0 in Group B, Valanora and Naitpyge do the exact same thing in Group A. Cosumar and Mangolana get the same number of points but actually score goals in the process: 2-2. The second matchday can't separate these teams either. While Ko-oren defeats Semarland 2-0, Valanora and Cosumar both score two, Mangolana and Naitpyge both score 1. All teams now have a 0 GD with 2 points. The number of goals for/against differ, though: Cosumar has been involved in all shootouts (4-4), then Mangolana (3-3), then Valanora (2-2), and lastly Naitpyge (1-1). Basically, whoever wins on the final day, goes on to the next round. And given there are only six groups, even the third placed team makes a case.

And there we are. Valanora wins 3-1 over Mangolana, meaning that the Elves go on while Mangolana goes home. The other match... ends 1-1, so Cosumar end second, with three points, zero victories, and a 5-5 goal difference. Naitpyge finish third, with the same number of points, but with a 2-2 goal difference. Why that means Cosumar are better is beyond us. Everyone knows sorting by goals against over goals for is the way to go.

Anyway, Cosumar and Naitpyge manage to advance because there is a shortage of groups. And so, two teams pretty much like us (minus the negative goal difference) have advanced as well! This group has supplied the 8th, 12th, and 13th seeds - in six groups. Valanora and Cosumar (1-0 over us, it's a true Round of 16 then) survive the round, Naitpyge goes out 3-0 to Audioslavia. In the quarters, the Elves survive once again, 3-0 over Mendoya, while Cosumar loses 2-0 to 95X.

Valanora ends up with the trophy, 5-2, over Audioslavia.

So, the one question that remains for us now: are we a Cosumar? Or are we a Naitpyge?

by **Banija** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 8:00 am

Banija defeat the Lions of Sand and Sea by a score of 2-0 to advance to AOCAF LVIII Knockout Stages

Chibuzo Afolayan celebrates a goal against the Sultanate of Oontaz on the final day of group stage play

BUSEMBE, KITARA- There is quite a bit of oxygen here for the AOCAF LVIII, which is now coming towards the business end of the tournament- group stage play is over, and the knockout stages are here. It's relatively simple to understand now. It's single elimination, it's do or die, it's leave it all on the field or spend the next however many years thinking about regrets. And that is true for every one of the 16 teams remaining, including the Kadongo Kamu. Look at the margins in some of the groups. The Busoga Islands losing a 3 way tiebreaker to a team that it beat on the field, Ko-oren, missing a crucial opportunity to advance to their first ever knockout stage entry in a major tournament. And heck, they finished in last place in that group. 95X taking down Geisenfred in a winner-take-all match over in Baker Park. Saltstead, knowing that anything less than three points would see the Cup of Harmony runners-up knocked out in the group stages, came through with a big time 2-0 win over Qasden, after opening the tournament with an extremely disappointing 0-0 draw against Greater Spokane. The margin for error in the group stage at a major tournament is already small, and here, that margin has shrunk. Now that we’re reaching the knockout stages, the margin for error is shrinking, and it will continue to shrink further as we go deeper into the tournament.

And now, we are in the knockout stages. For the fourth time in four editions of this tournament, the Kadongo Kamu have reached the knockout stages of the AOCAFs. But, for the first time, the Banijans have reached this stage as winners of their group. The last three editions, they reached the Round of 16 as group runners-up. Now, of course, they upset group winners in each of the last three editions of this tournament in the Round of 16, including famously defeating Eshan on penalties in AOCAF LV, that was, to that date anyways, one of the most important wins in Banija history. But how did we get here? What was the path that the Banijans took to winning Group E, and getting a matchup with the Euran Oceania Territories, rather than with GSW rivals Siovanija & Teusland?

Well, on Matchday 1, the Banijans took care of business in a thrilling, 4-3 victory over Iskandervale. Of course, this meant that many were asking if the Banijans could take care of business in the back, as allowing three goals against a team that is not that deep, at home, is something that will cause most fans to worry. Especially since the Banijans, who were up 3-1 at one point in the game, seemed to have the game on lockdown and cruise control. It was the match, however, where Chibuzo Afolayan passed Kiggwe Mavuto, one of the candidates for RBSA Executive Chairman, as the all time leading scorer for the Kadongo Kamu. On Matchday 2, however, the Banijans took moves to shore up the back line before their second match, against St. Emelie, in Hoima.

They made a pair of changes to the back line. The first thing they did, was bring on Abate Brehanu, the 33 year old Herzegovina City defender, who is likely, though not confirmed, who is rumored to be in his last tournament with the Kadongo Kamu, and have him start for Kawsu Kaba. The last member on the national team from when they had the trio from the Herzegovina City back line make up three of four members of the Kadongo Kamu back line. The second, was making Ephrem Selassiee the starter at right back. They seemed to have found a winning combination in the back, as the team had back to back clean sheets, against Saint Emelie, and then in the game against the Sultanate of Oontaz. The defense, ever since the changes made to the lineup, has been much stronger for the last two games of this tournament, than it was in the first, against Iskandervale. On Matchday 2, they had a tough struggle against Saint Emelie. A team that went to the quarterfinals of this tournament the last time around, they were always going to be dangerous, even playing against this Banijan squad with their passionate home support. It was a tight, rough, and sloppy game- very physical, quite a few fouls were called. The Banijans even had three yellow cards in this one, with Ablie Kah, Jalang Ba, and even Kiggwe Basamula, who came in off the bench, had a yellow card of his own.

It was a 1-0 win for the Kadongo Kamu, however, as they were eventually able to break down the Saint Emelie defense to finally put a ball in the back of the net. The game’s lone goal happened in the 68th minute. A Saint Emelie corner kick led to them bringing a number of players forward, in the hopes of trying to go for a win here, considering they lost on Matchday 1. The ball was caught in the air by Lemuel Bereket, and he looked immediately to distribute, and he saw Banijan star player Gitonga Kahara streaking down the sideline. He hit the winger in stride with an almost perfect throw, and it became a three on three, with Kahara racing with the ball down the right sideline, Okparro running up the middle, and Afolayan coming up the opposite sideline. Afolayan raced up the sideline and received a near perfect through ball from Kahara. He was in, one on one with the goalkeeper. He took the shot and saw it saved, but Okparro received the rebound at about the 18, and was able to chip the goalkeeper and put the ball into the back of the net. It was the game’s lone goal, and it put Banija into the lead, for good. They came out with three points, and have clinched a berth in the knockout stages after the Oontaz game finished.

When they played the Sultanate of Oontaz, they played a team that was definitely known as a familiar opponent to the Banijans. Why? Because even though they’ve never played in WCC competition, they’ve played twice before in this tournament, both in games with high stakes. In Banija’s first ever AOCAF, AOCAF LV, they played Oontaz in a game that was a do-or-die Matchday 3 group stage match. A must-win for the Banijans to advance, they were able to be victorious over the Lions of Sand and Sea, and get to the knockout stages in their first ever appearance in the regional championships. But the next tournament, AOCAF LVI, also in the Equestrian States, was hugely important as well. Both teams advanced to the knockouts, and they played each other in the Round of 16. The Banijans and Oontaz had a knockout match against each other now, which made the stakes even larger than AOCAF LV. Fortunately for the Kadongo Kamu, they eliminated Oontaz from the tournament for the second straight tournament, defeating them and getting to the quarterfinals, where we fell in extra time to the eventual champions, Vilita & Turori. And, of course, that tournament was the start of the golden age of football in Vilita and Turori, as Vilita went on to win the next two World Cups, while Turori made the semifinals of the next World Cup, while making the final of the ensuing tournament. Guess who they lost to in both tournaments?

We didn’t face Oontaz in Mriin, but now in the same group again, the Banijans and Oontaz had this match against each other. Both teams had advanced to the knockouts- but Oontaz needed just a draw to win the group and get a better draw for the Round of 16, while Banija needed to earn all three points in front of 70,000 at Star Field. The Banijans decided that they were going to put the pressure on the Lions of Sand and Sea both early and often, and Oontaz was happy to try and play it out for a draw- winning the group with the host nation in it would surely be a big victory for them. They have a defensive style already, and they really packed it in here. It would take about an hour, but eventually, the Kadongo Kamu would find a breakthrough. An unlucky handball led to a free kick for the captain, and Afolayan was not going to miss this opportunity. Afolayan lined up the ball, and went to take the free kick. He bent the ball up and over the wall, and into the back of the net. The captain had his second of the tournament, and 60 minutes in, the Banijans finally had a 1-0 lead. They moved to hold the lead, and yet, they countered with ferocity, and it would be Gitonga Kahara scoring the backbreaker against the Lions of Sand and Sea.

And now, of course, it’s time for the knockout stages. Who is Banija’s opponent? None other than the Euran Oceania Territories. Chaos reigned in Group F, as Valanora, the five time World Cup winners, were knocked out in the group stages. Instead, fellow GSWers Siovanija & Teusland made the knockout stages, as well as the Euran Oceania Territories. They will be playing at the Wolf’s Den in Busembe, Kitara, for the chance to take a flight to the Moravica region for the quarterfinals. While the Banijans will certainly be favorites, Marcus Waters warned his team not to take anything for granted. “WE’ve been underdogs in this positions, and even if we’re favorites now, that is no excuse to lower the intensity. We have to take this tournament one single game at a time, and this is our first opponent. There is quality, and physicality, all over the field. Their players are playing in top 5 leagues across the multiverse- in Eura, in Nephara, which shows the quality that they have. It is a tossup high between our sides. Our home fans, of course, will get behind us, and make the Wolf’s Den an intimidating environment for the away team to enter, as it is every week when the Timberwolves play at home in the BSL. I encourage our fans to be loud and energetic, bring the noise, bring the drums, bring the positivity- that will help put us over the top in this tournament.”

We, of course, don’t have a score prediction here either. But expect a close, evenly matched game between two squads who certainly want to make the quarterfinals. Expect electric energy from the fans in green, as well as those wearing blue. There will certainly be fireworks down at the Wolf's Den.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Is this BP's hour?
Frank Armitage
Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

The Commonwealth National Team will look to continue their run of excellent performances when they face off Saltstead in the round of 16 match at Sportsmen's Park.

As co-hosts, Baker Park were assured of being one of the top 8 seeds drawn for the group stage, but they also earned the right on merit, ranked 7th on the region prior to the opening of the tournament.

With Vilita & Turori, Farfadillis and Equestria still alive in this half of the draw, the Bees will need to get the maximum performance from the side to have any shot at getting further than did in the last tournament in Mriin. The three matches played have not been things of beauty, but all have been clinical, uncomplicated, and efficient.

So, the question heading into the knockout stage on many people's minds--is this where we make our splash? Is this confluence of co-hosting, with a team of players who nearly all have come up through the current regime at the FAC Training Center, and the circumstances presenting themselves the harbinger of the nation's first senior level appearance in a semi-final? Or the final itself?

There is a very real possibility that ahead of the next World Cup cycle, there may be another reshuffle of some of the backroom staff; success brings attention, and there are a lot of officials from leagues, clubs and associations throughout Atlantian Oceania here for the tournament and that certainly means that behind the scenes business is being conducted.

On a different note, all of the 24 matches played during the group stage here have attracted near capacity crowds, but the contrast between the sporting infrastructure in the Commonwealth and other nations we have participated in tournaments previously is coming into full focus.
It will be difficult for the FAC to look into making bids for future competitions due to the lack of large stadiums throughout the country; frankly, only Rogers Stadium, Collins Park and Sportsmen's Park are sufficiently up to a standard for a Baptism of Fire or a Cup of Harmony, with Springfield and Ezriquay serviceable. Keller Field looks more outdated and insufficient everytime we beam TV signals abroad, and at the end of the day, we should larger stadia for a nation of our size.

Hopefully, the windfalls of this event will be numerous across the board: for the playing squad, for the nation's soccer fortunes and for our self-image.

by **Equestrian States** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 7:36 pm

Low Expectations
The Realistic Fan Site for Equestrian States Sports

Five Flops From Filippe Fatinho
by Downtrodden Crankyface

Equestria secured the top spot in Group D and a berth in the second round of the AOCAF Cup tonight with a 1-0 victory against a rather disappointing Echani side. After Pristina Shine put the Ponies in front in the 18th minute, heading in a cross from Aaron Aiza, the Echanis pressed the attack. However, led by Manechester City's young striker Filippe Fatinho, the Echanis didn't make much of their chances. In fact, it seemed the hefty forward was more interested in drawing a penalty call than actually scoring. The Equestrian goalkeeper's name - Gentle Breeze - about sums up what it took for young Fatinho to throw himself to the ground. The referee - thankfully - wasn't as blind as a bat pony at noon and refused to grant the Echani's calls for penalties.

The Ponies will face 95X in the second round next week, the first time the two sides have met at the senior level despite coexisting in the same region for some time now.

by **Mriin** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 8:12 pm

Maal Memoirs
Sports
No Rest for the Weary

Yon Kegant
Hoima, Banija

For the second AOCAF in a row, the Reavers have finished with solidly the best record in the AOCAF group stages. Maybe the purists will point to Vilita's triplicate one-oh wins, but balls to that when you can outscore your opponents by ten goals in three games. In fact, it was perhaps the most domineering line any team has put up in groups in a long while--certainly as long as we've been entering. Here's a quick breakdown of the best records since AOCAF 54, alongside the Reavers' record for comparison:

AOCAF 58                Pld   W  D  L  GF  GA   GD  Pts 
Mriin                     3   3  0  0  12   2  +10    9
Cosumar                   3   3  0  0   6   1   +5    9

AOCAF 57
Mriin                     3   3  0  0   8   2   +6    9*
Baker Park                3   3  0  0   7   2   +5    9

AOCAF 56
Equestrian States         3   3  0  0  10   1   +9    9*
Mriin                     3   2  0  1   7   3   +4    6

AOCAF 55
Equestrian States         3   3  0  0  13   3  +10    9*
Mriin                     3   1  1  1   5   6   −1    4

ACOAF 54
Oontaz Dert Li Ng         3   3  0  0  12   1  +11    9
Mriin                     3   0  2  1   5   6   -1    2
                                                       * home field advantage

Oh. Well, I suppose Oontaz Dert Li Ng 7 - 0 County Davidson is a match most people won't remember off the top of their heads, and that's 2/3rds of the goal differential from one game. So all they needed to do to claim this particular title was beat and pull four goals ahead of... Krytenia and Legalese. Alright, fuck this, moving on. (How in the multiverse did we advance to the Ro16 in 54 and 55?)

As you might regretfully remember, last cycle the Mrii squad was riding high with the top seed in a format of the MNL's own devices. It would match them up with the second-best third place team; surely an easy matchup was coming so that they could make a second straight deep run, right? Nope, surprise Farfadillis. A team that's quickly become our number one rival even as their homeland finds new and inventive ways to fall apart. How they got dismantled by Saint Emelie, I can't offer any explanation; all it seemed to do was enrage the beast and plonk it right in our path. Xíxì Êns slaughtered the back line, a sharp wit that Tom Benedict has honed while he blossomed for Sabrefell Athletic, and there was no coming back. Surely another easy trot through the group stages wouldn't be so punished? Well, perhaps it’s not as much of a punishment in this day and age as Farfadillis, but you never like to see 5 World Cups and multitudinous AOCAF trophies lined up on the other side of the pitch. Yes, it’s the purple peril, surely thirsting for vengeance after we punted them to the third place play-off two cycles back.

Mriin versus Starblaydia is arguably the juiciest round of sixteen matchup, at least in terms of current power level. Banija v. Eura would be marquee, to be sure… not so much for their Oceanian Territories, even while they’re overperforming. Eshan, Ko-oren, and 95X could have been heavyweight challengers to the cove, the Farves, and the ponies (respectively)... if you go back five or ten cycles. As it is, while it’s still anyone’s game, they would very solidly be considered upsets should it come to pass. Perhaps the strongest challenger mathematically is Baker Park versus Saltstead, but just typing that out put me to sleep. So if you want an exciting, evenly matched game--you know what to tune in to.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

and it's time to send 4 more worthy nations home, so a nice soothing cutoff
https://youtu.be/rY95slFibLM

Round of 16
Banija 3–2 Euran Oceania Terr.

Siovanjia & Teusland 3–2 Oontz Dert Li Ng

Mriin 3–2 Starblaydia

Cosumar 1–0 Tropicorp

Quarterfinal matchups:

Banija vs Mriin @ Star Field, Herzegovina City

Cosumar vs Siovanjia & Teusland @ Kabonero III Field, Istria

by **95X** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:50 pm

Alix Ajax scored the lone goal in the 26th minute, leading to a 1-0 victory for 95X over Geisenfred. With this win, 95X advances to the Round of 16, where they will face Equestrian States.

"Say, journalism in 95X isn't what it used to be."

by **Vilita and Turori** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:57 pm

Vilita & Turori March On One at a Time

While the Vilita Jungle Cats may be the reigning World Cup Champions, it seems that Vilita and Turori's Eel Cat Things have been heavily influenced by the Turorian Karela Style thus far in the Commonwealth of Baker Park for the 58th AOCAF competition. After a nervy 1-0 victory over Geisenfried on the opening matchday, the AOCAF 56 champions hit the heart of their Group C schedule as they would square off against long time rivals 95X and Audioslavia.

While 95X were two-time AOCAF champions they were a nation with a roller-coaster history of ups and downs. They were very much a side on the upswing however and were looking to make a big splash against the de-fact greatest footballing nation in the multiverse by virtue of Vilita's status as reigning World Cup Champion and #1 Ranked Nation in the multiverse and Turori's status as reigning World Cup Runner-Up and #2 Ranked Nation in the World.

Many of the star players from the World Cup 82 Finals were not in the Commonwealth of Baker Park, however, as Vilita and Turori were comprised mostly of teams of young players and veterans. Some of the rising stars were there and it would be one of Vilita's budding young defensive prospects that made the difference in the critical match-up against 95X. Yeaddin Owls defender Rojara Tiones headed home an in-swinging corner kick from the veteran Tripate Falcon in the 35th minute in what was the only moment of true excitement in an otherwise lackluster match. The Eel-Cat Things would hold on for the win which would also ensure their place in the knockout rounds despite still having a match to play against Audioslavia.

Fifteen cups prior, it was back to back duels as Audioslavia fought with Vilita and Turori for Atlantian Oceania regional supremacy. The funding had been pulled back from the bulls development systems however as their sporting leadership seemed content with their accomplishments having won a pair of World Cup and Regional Titles during their period of resurgence. Now all that stood in the way of Audioslavia and an embarrassing early exit from the AOCAF competition was the first place Eel-Cat Things. While the Bulls would survive nearly an hour it would ultimately end in favor of the Vilitans and the Turorians once again. For the third straight game, Vilita and Turori were victorious thanks to a single goal and a stalwart defensive performance and a clean sheet from Vernasa Sanamun.

While the Eel-Cat Things had advanced with the minimum possible goals scored for a team that had a perfect 3-0-0 record, they were neither the only team to survive the group stage without conceding a goal nor the only one to have scored 3 or fewer goals with Ko-oren having advanced with a negative goal differential and the Equestrian States topping Group D with just two goals scored and none conceded.

Vilita and Turori's opponents, however, would be Eshan who finished Group D with two victories and four goals scored over three games of qualification. The two would clash at Collins Park in Oceana with Vilita and Turori looking to make it four wins on the trot and have already proven that all they need to do it is a single timely goal.

Vilita & Turori [1] - [0] 95X

:: Vilita & Turori Goalscorers ::
:: 35' Rojara Tiones

:: Vilita & Turori Statistics ::
:: Possession: 59%
:: Shots on Target: 3
:: Corner Kicks: 3

:: 95X Statistics ::
:: Possession: 41%
:: Shots on Target: 2
:: Corner Kicks: 4

Vilita & Turori Eel Cat Things Lineup v. 95X ::
[GK]Vernasa Sanamun, [D.]Lohani Riiyaaw, [D.]Jirak Trikala, [D.]Rojara Tiones, [ML] Intikko Kuhilana, [MC] Limu Katarakhna, [MC]Kudii Davasarii, [MR] Tripate Falcon, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC]Nii'arala Milaaso, [FC]Enzoril Alabonni
BENCH::
[FC]Mirana Gotuai, [FC]Kala'a Yuliizala, [M]Lati'ala Giaoka, [M]Purapal Eskiiy, [U ]Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [D]Jirijii Januaa, [GK]Striitca Virahat

Vilita & Turori [1] - [0] Audioslavia

:: Vilita & Turori Goalscorers ::
:: 59' Mirana Gotuai

:: Vilita & Turori Statistics ::
:: Possession: 60%
:: Shots on Target: 4
:: Corner Kicks: 9

:: Audioslavia Statistics ::
:: Possession: 40%
:: Shots on Target: 5
:: Corner Kicks: 3

Vilita & Turori Eel Cat Things Lineup v. Audioslavia ::
[GK]Vernasa Sanamun, [D.]Jirak Trikala, [D.]Lohani Riiyaaw, [D.]Amakli Inuro'o, [ML] Tripate Falcon, [MC] Limu Katarakhna, [MC]Daliora Toru'u, [MR] Purapal Eskiiy, [FC] Turakia Diijelhma, [FC]Enzoril Alabonni, [FC]Nii'arala Milaaso
BENCH::
[FC]Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC]Mirana Gotuai, [M]Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [M]Intikko Kuhilana, [U ]Kala'a Yuliizala, [D]Rojara Tiones, [GK]Striitca Virahat

by **Banija** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:11 pm

All we ever hear from you is blah blah blah... And all we ever do is go jah jah jah...

Cause we don't even care about what they say! Cause it's cutoff time now!

AOCAF Round of 16
Baker Park 3–2 Saltstead
Vilita & Turori 2–1 Eshan
Farfadillis 1–0 Ko-oren
Equestrian States 1–0 95X

Quarterfinal Matchups

Baker Park v. Vilita & Turori @ Rogers Stadium in Endborough, Endover, Baker Park

Farfadillis v. Equestrian States @ Collins Park in Oceana, Osheana, Baker Park

by **Vilita and Turori** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:21 pm

Eel-Cat Things double up Eshan, Hosts up Next

Collins Park in Oceana, Osheana, Commonwealth of Baker Park :: After a very deliberate performance in the group stage where Nili Ylimaiina's Vilita & Turori Eel-Cat Things secured a trio of 1-0 victories to top Group C and advance to the knockout rounds.

Their opponents for the Round of 16 would be Eshan who by virtue of their victories over Krytenia and the Rabastorian Union would finish second in Group D behind the unbeaten Equestrian States. Like nearly the rest of the Baker Park half of the AOCAF 58 group stage, Group D went exactly as the pundits predicted it would with the 5th ranked Equestrian States advancing along with the 8th ranked nation in the region, Eshan. In fact, only in Group B did one of the top two ranked nations in a particular group fail to advance to the knockout rounds. In that group the pace was set by defending champions Farfadillis who easily topped the group but it was a tight battle for the second spot which was won on the final match-day by Saltstead, the 20th ranked nation in the region, defeating 16th ranked Qasden 2-0 to knock the Qats out of the AOCAF competition.

As Saltstead were one of the highest ranked '3 seeds' in the draw, however, it wouldn't make much of an impact of the makeup of the Round of 16 Matchups in the Baker Park region which were all effectively 1v2 Matchups seeing a Top 10 nation paired up against a 10-20 ranked nation.

The lone exception would be at Collins Park in Oceana where the regionally ranked 4th Vilita and Turori Eel-Cat Things would do battle against the 8th ranked team from Eshan who found themselves bumped out of Pot 1 in favor of the 9th ranked host-nation Banija during the initial draw as Banija took their assigned placed in Group E.

After a disappointing Round of 16 exit during the previous seasons AOCAF Regional Tournament, head coach Nili Ylimaiina seemed to be taking few chances with their lineup, abandoning Vilita and Turori's traditional goalkeeper rotation policy and sticking with Kiiarana City's Vernsa Sanamun who had yet to conceded a goal over 270 minutes of play in the competition thus far.

There were also some big names in the field for Ylimaiina and none bigger than rising Vilitan star Nii'arala Milaaso who would be joined in attack by another Vilitan - the utility player and playmaker Enzoril Alabonni. It would be Milaaso who would provide the early impact for the Eel-Cat Things with a 16th minute tally to get the match off and running. If the group stage was any indication, it would then be time for Vilita and Turori to hit the brakes and put up the wall in front of Vernasa Sanamun.

Eshan weren't going to be thwarted too easily however as they pressed the Vilita and Turorian defenders constantly forcing a string of corner kicks as they looked to level the scores. As the Eshani bombardment continued, however, the threat was still there from Vilita and Turori who for the first time all competition were able to put the ball in the back of the net more than once. It was Alabonni who had found space in the counter attack and the scrambling Eshani defenders hauled the Marine Coast United utility player down just outside the penalty area. It was perfect placement for the veteran Tripate Falcon in what many were wondering could be their final internationstatal tournament appearance. Falcon curled the effort around the wall and inside the post to give the Eel-Cat Things a 2-0 lead at half time.

Eshan weren't pressing quite as hard in the second half down 2-0 as they seemed to be in the first down just a single goal but did find a spark of life in the 82nd minute when Sanamun was beaten for the first time in the competition cutting the Eel-Cat Things lead down to a single goal. Vilita and Turori were able to batten down the hatches however and would not let Eshan have another quality scoring chance through to the final whistle, escaping with a 2-1 victory that would propel them back to the AOCAF Quarter Finals.

The Eel-Cat Things had been handed the toughest draw of the Round of 16 and had passed the test with flying colors. Next up would be the host nation Commonwealth of Baker Park at the Rogers Stadium in Endborough, Endover. While Vilita and Turori had the hardest draw of all top-seeded nations in the Round of 16, the hosts had one of the softest with Pot 3 nation Saltstead who the Bakers struggled to hold off ultimately advancing to the relief of the home fans in attendance at Sportsmen's Park in a 3-2 shootout result. Something will surely have to give in the Quarter Final as the high flying Baker Park attack square up against the abnormally defensive Vilita and Turori Eel-Cat things with a place in the AOCAF 58 Semi-Final on the line.

Vilita & Turori [2] - [1] Eshan

:: Vilita & Turori Goalscorers ::
:: 16' Nii'arala Milaaso
:: 41' Tripate Falcon

:: Vilita & Turori Statistics ::
:: Possession: 53%
:: Shots on Target: 7
:: Corner Kicks: 3

:: Eshan Statistics ::
:: Possession: 47%
:: Shots on Target: 6
:: Corner Kicks: 11

Vilita & Turori Eel Cat Things Lineup v. Eshan ::
[GK]Vernasa Sanamun, [D.]Jirak Trikala, [D.]Rojara Tiones, [D.]Lohani Riiyaaw, [ML] Purapal Eskiiy, [MC] Tripate Falcon, [MC]Limu Katarakhna, [MC] Kudii Davasarii, [MR] Lati'ala Giaoka, [FC]Nii'arala Milaaso, [FC]Enzoril Alabonni
BENCH::
[FC]Mirana Gotuai, [FC]Nua'oma Aikiki, [M]Intikko Kuhilana, [M]Daliora Toru'u, [U ]Kala'a Yuliizala, [D]Amakli Inuro'o, [GK]Striitca Virahat

by **Farfadillis** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 5:36 pm

The Freisan Farf Freitball Francitian hereby presents the Farf roster for the 58th Edition of the AOCAF Cup
Nation Name: The Oulandish Lands of Farfadillis
Demonym: Farf (plural Farves)
Team Nickname: La Vherderoja
Honours: AOCAF Cup 43, 48 and 57 Winners

Kits
Provided by ediraf

STYLE MODIFIER: +5

STAFF
Manager: Ichi Tuzzio - Age 55
Assistant: Friekder Dandalleion - Age 56

GOALKEEPERS
#1 - Íüé Tgô - GK - Age 30 -

Dí Maozöxê

#12 - Lafayette Tifoxé - GK - Age 36 -

Jungle Strike

#23 - Joan Fer Muus - GK - Age 29 -

Lasupi

DEFENDERS
#2 - Kósa Bajnok - CB - Age 29 -

Crisisbless

#4 - Ezequiel Marchiondo - RB - Age 25 -

Jungle Strike

#6 - Baldomero Teijeiro - LB - Age 23 -

Treftadaeth Alliance

#14 - Drì Lsôs - RB - Age 20 -

Dí Maozöxê

#15 - Moisés Fermández - LB - Age 23 -

Bastion

#16 - Çìríkò Ûsêtêrnìx - CB - Age 19 -

Dô Fäéýkô

MIDFIELDERS
#3 - Groaré Sasca - CM - Age 32 -

KF Koflir

#5 - Sürgân t'Öéséné - CM - Age 22 -

Marine Coast

#8 - Lüí Wçêíl - LM - Age 28 -

Spartangrad

#21 - Faragó rue Cazade - OM - Age 22 -

René Skaé

#11 - Lázár Eleonóra - RM - Age 33 -

Holdenberg

#13 - Zsolgar Zsase - CM - Age 26 -

Mâ Âlâmëómë

#17 - Lojes de Sájajo - RM - Age 24 -

Cassandra City

#19 - Enrique Delrío - OM - Age 30 -

La Nueva Avenida

#20 - Lancelot Mojica - CM - Age 21 -

Avenida Victoria

#24 - Vínseslâdís Wìjìnì - LM - Age 24 -

Dí Maozöxê

STRIKERS
#7 - Oskar Holsteiner - ST - Age 26 -

Holdenberg

#9 - Xíxì Êns - ST - Age 27 -

Sabrefell Athletic

#18 - Edmün Çídh - CM - Age 16 -

Mâ Âlâmëómë

#22 - Stiin Siorrha'Asione - ST - Age 34 -

Mallox

Captain: Lázár Eleonóra
Vice-captain: Xíxì Êns
Penalty taker: Oskar Holsteiner
Corner kick taker: Lüí Wçêíl (both sides)
Free kick taker: Lüí Wçêíl (both sides)
Best players: Xíxì Êns, Lüí Wçêíl and Faragó rue Cazade

Tactics
The more complete the circle next to the player's name is, the more adept at his role he is, compared to the position's other possible roles

Ichi Tuzzio is much more of a strategist than a purist, and it shows in his approach to tactics. This is perhaps the (believe it or not) least attacking tactical set-up in the history of the Farf national team.

In goal, Íüé Tgô will be your traditional sweeper keeper. He will try not to be too messy with how he deals with the ball, though. Don't expect him to try to dribble past two or three defenders. The defense will consist of Kósa Bajnok, Ezequiel Marchiondo and Baldomero Teijeiro. Bajnok will be tasked with starting counterattacks with precise long balls and also defending the massive hole in defense that this formation leaves. He's not that good with the ball on his feet, truth be told, but he is fantastic at reading the game and has great physical presence, which alleviates the pressure on the Farf defense considerably. Marchiondo and Teijeiro will help him out defensively, but Marchiondo will still prefer to play wide. The two of them will be extremely tired by the end of any match, since they'll be running up and down the pitch the entire time, as well as trying to keep as narrow a defensive shape as possible. Teijeiro will look for the underlap since he's right-footed. Marchiondo will look to overlap for the same reason.

The midfield will be the traditional Farf midfield of one holding midfielder, two offensive ones and two wingers, but with a twist! One of the offensive midfielders has become a traditional centre midfielder, and the holding midfielder has been given some attacking duties. But what is this? Another twist! Faragó rue Cazade has been told to play further back in a new, hard-to-describe tactical role. The wingers have both been assigned more defensive roles, though they're still attacking ones. In essence: Sürgân t'Öéséné will be playing the fancily-named role of segundo volante. He'll be responsible for recovering the ball as any other holding midfielder, but he'll also look to arrive late at the box and go for perilous long shots or some smart assist. Groaré Sasca will be your classical centre midfielder, though, as a natural offensive midfielder, he's still adapting. On the left wing, Wçêíl will be running up and down the pitch, while coordinating his attacks with Teijeiro. He'll try to run down the flank consistently and go for crosses, though he's got a pretty dangerous right foot so you can expect him to suddenly cut in, too. On the right wing, Eleonóra will be expected to just sort of do his thing. Defend as much as he can at his age, and then use his still-somewhat-impressive pace to get in as many corners as possible, as well as the occasional run towards goal that he likes so much. Faragó rue Cazade will be tasked with dirty work in midfield (though not nearly as much as t'Öéséné and Sasca), while also being tasked with joining the offense as often as possible from further back, in much the same role he used to play. He's basically been given double the duties. Expect him to tire out and get carded often.

Xíxì Êns, Farfadillis' best player, who destroyed defense after defense in Farfadillis' AOCAF Cup win last edition, will play as a false nine. He's rather minuscule, but it's hard to get him off the ball. In this role, he creates space for his teammates by dropping deeper and confusing the defense. He's fantastic at creating chances, so watch out for that. Also very good at finishing them, so overall a very troubling player to face, specially in this set-up. Finally, his partner up front will be Oskar Holsteiner, a forward that has everything needed to score goals. His job will be to finish the job whenever the ball gets to him.

The team will look to play a vertiginous game, with few passes wasted on recycling possession. Farves live to have the ball at their feet, but also to do something exciting with it. Expect them to press, counterpress and generally look desperate to recover the ball. The further up the pitch you manage to go with the ball, the more in danger they are. However, if you do lose the ball while attacking them, they'll almost always try to start a counterattack. They're very adept at it with their direct passes and astonishing pace, so try to make your chances count. Finally, the three-man defense will obviously use the off-side trap, as it's a natural choice with such a high defensive line and three players.

When holding a lead, the team will be much more eager to recycle possession and wait patiently for a goal. In that case, passes will still be direct, but less so. When chasing a game, though, expect some of the most urgent football the Multiverse has to offer.

As a final note, the players are quite versatile and can and will switch roles for periods of time at some point. Players likely to switch with each other are Êns with rue Cazade, Wçêíl with Eleonóra, and Wçêíl with rue Cazade. However, it's worth noting that whenever a switch includes rue Cazade, the other player will play a much less demanding role; that of a shadow striker. They'll be attacking midfielders that try to surprise the opponent by going forward aggressively as if they were strikers. Expect this to happen more often when chasing a lead.

The bench consists of players of similar characteristics to the starting eleven, with the exception of Wìjìnì, who can play basically anywhere up front (including the wingers) and Lancelot Mojica, who can play anywhere centrally.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:08 am

Stelburger Zeitung

Sports

Goldhorns' Road Runs Through #1 Cosumar

Siovanija and Teusland’s national football team have, for a second straight tournament, advanced to the Quarterfinal stage of the AOCAF.

It’s quite an achievement for a young side compared to many of the nations that regularly compete in the tournament. In three appearances, the Goldhorns have reached the play-off stage in each: a 2-1 loss to Mriin in the Round of 16 in AOCAF LVI, the famous 5-4 win over Vilita and Turori followed by a 1-0 defeat by Valanora at AOCAF LVII, and now a 3-2 win over the Sultanate of Oontaz here at AOCAF LVIII.

Oontaz was a familiar foe for the Goldhorns, with the teams having played an important match at AOCAF LVII that determined qualification from the groups. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Krasimir Kynev and Michael Ribbeck both scoring important goals. On the final matchday, the Goldhorns were defeated by the Equestrian States while Oontaz could only draw the Busoga Islands, sending Siovanija and Teusland through. Now, the teams met again, and this time there had to be a winner.

Oontaz drew first blood, scoring an early goal off a free kick that came from the head of Eduardo Estevez. But the Goldhorns regrouped, and went 2-1 up by halftime thanks to goals from Michael Ribbeck and Ivo Romanov. While Siovanija and Teusland took a more counter-attacking style in the second half, aiming to hold onto their lead, Oontaz pressed forward and found their equalizer off the boot of Macario Cortes, a nice curled finish that beat Yanko Zhelyaskov to the near post. The Goldhorns, however, were determined to win on the day, and now it was their turn to push for a winning goal. The move came off a beautiful opening pass from Thorsten Kramer, finding the run of Mario Kogler, who fired a shot past Karim Ansarifarid in the Oontaz goal. His first as a Goldhorn, and it would stand as the final marker of this one. 3-2 to the Goldhorns.

Another somewhat familiar foe awaits Siovanija and Teusland in the Quarterfinal. The Goldhorns have only faced off against the Vanquishers of Cosumar once, and it was arguably the worst performance in the history of the national team. Cosumar v Siovanija and Teusland was the opening match of AOCAF LVI, and the Vanquishers ran out with a 4-0 victory. It wasn’t even the loss that upset fans, for that was expected. The play of the Goldhorns was abhorrent in the match: not a single shot on target, and they seemed to simply give up after going 1-0 down. Now, a few years and tournaments removed, what is different?

Well, firstly, the Goldhorns’ lineup. 5 of the 14 players involved on that day weren’t on the plane to Banija, and 2 more no longer regularly start for the team. Thorsten Kramer isn’t still finding his game with the national team, and Raphael Klopfer has fulfilled his potential to be a great leader for the team. The backline is definitely stronger now, with the Klopfer-Jager pairing a strong partnership, supported by Lyubomir Dimitrov and Lutz Daschner. Up top as well, things have changed. The day the Goldhorns played Cosumar, Michael Ribbeck was a SW Stahlberg reserves player hoping to get his chance in the first team. Since then, he’s been capped 36 times and scored 28 goals for his country. He and Krasimir Kynev have formed a dynamic duo in attack. At AOCAF LVIII, the Goldhorns have scored 14 goals in 4 tournament games, good for second best in the tournament so far. Ribbeck has 5 of those goals.

Things have also changed, however, for Cosumar. The Vanquishers came second place at AOCAF LVII, losing in the final against Farfadillis. Cosumar also reached the Quarterfinal stage at the World Cup, a massive achievement. And, the Azure Dragons are number one in the AOCAF rankings. They’ve scored 7 goals in their four matches so far, and have only given up 1, against Starblaydia on matchday 3. One of the top attacks at the AOCAF in the Goldhorns will meet one of its best defensive forces in the Vanquishers.

Other factors for the Goldhorns to look at are also found in history. Siovanija and Teusland have, for the most part, played well against higher-ranked nations. We seem to love the underdog status as a nation in sports, having reached the World Cup of Hockey Quarterfinal on the first try. Some of the biggest moments in the history of the national football team include the 4-2 win over Mriin in World Cup 80 Qualifiers, and the 4-2 win over Qasden to qualify on the final day of the group stage at AOCAF LVI. Another obvious example here is the 5-4 win over Vilita and Turori last AOCAF tournament in the Round of 16. The luck has always seemed to run out, however at the Quarterfinal stage: at the Baptism of Fire, it was AOCAF co-hosts Baker Park that ended the dream with a 3-1 win. Valanora were 1-0 winners and ended the Goldhorns’ storied run at AOCAF LVII. The question today, then, is which side of history will the Goldhorns be on?

Elsewhere in the Quarterfinals, other big matches are in play. Hosts Banija will take on Mriin, with the winner of that match taking on the winner of the Goldhorns and Cosumar. Banija will certainly be wanting a big win on home soil, but Mriin were exceptionally dominant in the group stage, scoring 12 and shipping only 2, before getting a 3-2 win over Starblaydia in the Round of 16. On the Baker Park half of the draw, the co-hosts will take on Vilita and Turori. The Eel Cat Things recovered from their AOCAF LVII upset loss by... becoming World Cup Champions (Vilita) and runners-up (Turori). Not bad, and they’ll be favourites here while the hosts will be looking to pull off an upset. Defending AOCAF champions Farfadillis will take on the Equestrian States to round out the Quarterfinal matches.

We’ll be here with complete coverage of the AOCAF Quarterfinal, as Siovanija and Teusland take on Cosumar. Come on you Goldhorns!

by **Banija** » Sat Jun 15, 2019 11:20 am

Banija triumph in 3-2 thriller over the Euran Oceania Territories to advance to fourth consecutive AOCAF Quarterfinal

Gitonga Kahara celebrates late winner against the Euran Oceania Territories

BUSEMBE, KITARA- The Kadongo Kamu went into their AOCAF Round of 16 matchup with a mission- advance to their fourth consecutive quarterfinal. And against a hot Euran Oceania Territories team, they were given quite the challenge, as their opponents left everything on the field here at the Wolf’s Den. It was a tight game, it was a physical game- it was one that really could have gone either way. The crowd was extremely engaged, and it was an emotional roller coaster, as both teams trailed at one point in the match before taking the lead. And it was not a win without consequence for the Banijans- Okonkwo Okparro was the recipient of a very tough tackle, and had to be taken out of the game in the 55th minute- throwing Namakula Kawesa onto the field for a knockout stage match, making it the first time that a Banijan woman has played for the senior side at a major tournament knockout match. And that will also make the quarterfinal the first ever major tournament match where a woman started for the Banijans . But, of course, more on that later. I’m sure we’re all wondering about the game, right? What exactly happened at the Wolf's Den?

The Banijans, fired up for the electric atmosphere of the Wolf's Den, of an AOCAF knockout game in Banija, came out with their blood pumping and taking the game directly to the Euran Oceania Territories. With all that adrenaline going through their veins after a particularly loud national anthem, it was Assefa Yitebarke who had an opportunity in only the 3rd minute. Beating a defender on the dribble, he launched a shot about 20 yards out from goal, and it troubled the keeper, Bart Jones, forcing the 35 year old goalkeeper into a full extension dive to make the save, so early on in the game. On the ensuing corner kick, the [i[Kadongo Kamu[/i] had yet another opportunity to score a goal, but they could not take advantage of it. Jalang Ba was able to rise above the crowd and power a header home, towards the near post, but he could not get it on target as he hit the post, and the ball bounced away for a goal kick. Still, an excellent sequence for a motivated home side.

The Banijans kept the pressure up, and in the 11th minute, they were able to break through behind this Euran Oceania Territories side. Okonkwo Okparro, Banija's #10, had a piece of attacking brilliance himself. He was able to beat a pair of defenders on the dribble coming up the middle, and as he approached the 18, he passed it towards the sideline, to Gitonga Kahara. He hit the ball one time towards the back post, and Ablie Kah, the central midfielder who had been racing towards the spot, was on the back post. He headed the ball going forward at about the 6, and this time, the Banijans would not be denied at the near post as he put the ball into the back of the net to see the stadium explode, as the Banijans led by a score of 1-0. An explosion of noise, as he sprinted towards the far corner and slid into a mass of celebrating Banijans. Getting ahead of themselves- were the quarterfinals of the AOCAF, once again, in sight?

Ahh, but of course, the Banijans weren't going to roll like that. This is the knockout stages of the regional championships- there was no easy path, there is no easy road. And a team like the Euran Oceania Territories, who embodies the spirit of Skorji Oslograd so much, is never out of a game, even down 1-0 early in a raucous road environment. Oslograd is one of, if not the singular, most interesting personality of AOCAF LVIII. Oslograd is never short of passion, he's always going to be aggressive, and he's going to make sure that they keep you on your toes. Think of the leagues that these players ply their trade in day to day. In Eura. In Nephara. In Audioslavia. And after the goal, the Banijans seemed to try to step on the gas once more, and even had a counter-attack in the 17th minute, where Yitebarke hit the post, with the stadium on the verge of an explosion of noise. It was that point where Oslograd was finally able to rally the troops, and get them going.

They started to control the possesion and the flow of the game, and even get some good opportunities on net. Pierre-Louis Le Tonnelier, the 26 year old's 'everyman fan favorite' launched a rocket from about 25 yards, that had Lemuel Bereket scrambling and just barely getting a hand on the ball. Creating something from nothing- and this team was going to continue to get decent looks. Bereket had to parry away a pair of shots from UICA Champions Cup winner Tom Duffy, and it was clear to anyone watching the game that the tides were turning away from Banija. But it would be the 35th minute where things would be most problematic for the Banijans. Peter Chadwick bent the ball in on a corner, and it was Kurt Strong who rose above the crowd, and powered a header home. The goal was certainly, and much deserved- the score was level again, at 1 goal a piece.

The Euran Oceania Territories continued to try and pile it on. But there was a scary moment for Okonkwo Okparro. Of course, with Oslograd, the Euran Oceania Territories were always going to be aggressive. In the 39th minute, Okparro was leading a counter-attack, and he was the recipient of an extremely hard tackle by 32 year old central midfielder Samuel Freeman. Okparro came out of the tackle holding his ankle. It was a hard challenge, and considering he didn't get the ball, a straight yellow card was given. Unfortunately for Banija's attacking midfielder, he got the worst of the tackle. The Banijans played 10 men the rest of the half, trying to give Okparro time to recover. But the Euran Oceania Territories would certainly take advantage of this. A foul by a Banijan player in the 1st minute of stoppage time set the EOT up with a free kick just as the half was dying, and Willem Ajax beautifully bent in a free kick. The score was 2-1, and the referee simply blew the whistle for the half after the goal. It was quite the strike. But the Banijans, who had started so well, were now down 2-1, and the news went from bad to worse, when Okparro was confirmed as not returning to the match.

So Namakula Kawesa came out to start the second half, in the biggest international match of her own career. She had to pick up where Okparro left off- 45 minutes, and the Banijans needed, at bare minimum, a singular goal to force extra time. Her and her side went forward with all kinds of vigor, knowing that, in the AOCAF that they were co-hosting, to be eliminated at their earliest ever stage, on home soil, would be quite the embarrassment. Gitonga Kahara had an opportunity in the 51st minute, and Yitebarke had one in the 55th- both saved by Bart Jones. As the clock ticked and we reached the hour mark in the match, Marcus Waters tried to spark his side by taking off Ablie Kah, and bringing on Abesalom Yitay of Mynda Electra. Yitay did provide energy on his international debut. A substitution that, while unconventional, was just another move in Marcus Waters excellent history of man management. And in the 67th minute, Yitay started the sequence that led to the equalizer, giving a through ball to Kahara, who was able to get into a one on one with a goalkeeper. He chipped the ball over the goalkeeper's head, but hit the crossbar. The ball bounced softly to the ground, and Yitebarke was there to clean up the rebound. And just like that, 67 minutes in, the squads were level at 2 goals a piece.

The Banijans weren't going to rest on their laurels- they wanted to continue to push forward, to go and try to get that win. A largely dominant second half showing continued for the Banijans, as the crowd energy egged them on, and pushed them forward. In the 74th minute, a Jalang Ba header on a corner kick was cleared off the line by EOT defender Kurt Strong. In the 78th, Chibuzo Afolayan froze the goalkeeper on an excellent free kick, though while he beat both the wall and the goalkeeper, he could not beat the post, as the ball hit the top of the crossbar, and bounced out. The tensions, naturally, were rising. The Banijans pushing, trying to get a winner, knowing all the while that the EOT was fully capable of countering. But in the 83rd, they finally did it. Gitonga Kahara curled in a beautiful goal from about 18 yards out, and just like that, the Banijans led once again, by a score of 3-2. The stadium was rocking, and the Banijans were sent into ecstasy.

They took off Yitebarke, and brought on Kiggwe Basamula as an extra midfielder, and the Banijans packed it in and closed them out. Marcus Waters had this to say about the Banijan victory. "This game was an incredible game- hats off to the Euran Oceania Territories. They pushed us to the brink. But once again, hats off to our men and women who played for the Kadongo Kamu today. We left everything on the field, and that's all we can ask for. I want to also recognize the fans today. What energy they gave us, this place was electric. There is belief in this country that we are capable of greatness, and I encourage the fans to get even louder and more energetic for our next game in Herzegovina City."

After this thriller, Banija's next game will be against the satyrs of Mriin. A random Fun fact about Mriin- they're the only team left on this half of the bracket that does not have a Herzegovina City FC player in their final 23. The other quarterfinal in Banija has Cosumar and Siovanija & Teusland playing at Kabonero III Field. And the Herzegovina City FC central midfield pairing, Harald Fireblade and Dennis Brotzmann, will be on opposite sides of the pitch, with Fireblade playing for Cosumar and Brotzmann for Siovanija & Teusland. And, of course, Brehanu playing for the Kadongo Kamu. A strong showing for the club in this tournament, with the reigining BSL MVP Rosie Tyler and the Equestrian States still in it, and who can forget Aaron Aiza, who rocketed to stardom winning titles in Banija? He's also still playing.

It will be a fun one. It will certainly be quite the crowd at Banija's oldest stadium, Star Field, trying to cheer the Kadongo Kamu to their first ever AOCAF semifinal. And yet, at the same time, Mriin had a dominant group stage, putting up 5 goals against their opponents twice. Which of these two squads will earn the right to play in Hoima for the semifinal? We'll find out soon enough, at Star Field.

And, as always, remember to find this magazine for coverage of all things Kadongo Kamu.

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Sat Jun 15, 2019 11:46 am

FSF resolves legal technicality blocking int'l transfers amidst AOCAF win

by Julie Nicholson
Courier Sports Editor

K A L D U K O S I C -- Every holo-TV in the Fiefdom Soccer Federation's downtown headquarters was tuned into the events unfolding in Jinja City last night. Nearly every employee was in the office working late. A watch party, perhaps?

Suddenly, if you happened to get off the elevator on one the federation's three floors high in Dragonbreath Tower, you would've heard a loud chorus of cheers break out from one of the conference rooms. Puzzled, you would've looked at one of the 3D hologram displays and seen the scoreline still at Cosumar 0-0 Tropicorp in the 14th minute. What could the FSF officers and staffers possibly be cheering about already?

Well, in this rare instance, they weren't watching the Cosumar national team's AOCAF knockout match at all. They were gathered last night for a... conference call. Yes, a conference call. An all-important one. One that was the final negotiation in a series of calls and meetings with the King's Congress in Ramusok in the calendar year since the last transfer window.

As you may recall, mere days before it was set to open, the Silver Key Party (the conservative wing of Congress) struck a rare victory by wedging some desired immigration control measures into a multi-partisan bill that was primarily about pension fund regulations. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the verbiage contained a technicality that forced the FSF to deny new incoming international transfers. It made it practically impossible for Cosumarite clubs to sign non-Cosumarites without any history of employment here (or, more specifically, impossible for them to be compensated appropriately) and added a punitive tariff to any potential transfer fee. Foreigners already under contract in Cosumar were fine, but all 18 Härlighet Ligan clubs suddenly found themselves blindsided by the news that they would only be able to pursue domestic transfers. Months worth of scouting scrapped - just like that.

Life moved on, however, and the HL's 27th season proceeded as scheduled... just with a little more young domestic talent featuring in prominent roles than usual. Several really stepped up. Taka Masatoshi at Mallox. Jakki Montelius at Pelethas. Domé Odóma scoring goals for fun on Fevelo. Even Marigold Belladonna at CCFC - the champs - finally got her chance to shine. Many Härlighet Ligan analysts have since argued that the forced sabbatical from giant transfer spending was a blessing in disguise for the league - assuming it was a temporary measure.

The FSF executives in that conference room were cheering up a storm because they had received verbal confirmation - at last - that they'd be able to declare Cosumarite shores Open For Business in the next transfer window.

The Silver Key Party had fought tooth and nail to make sure their little victory in Congress was not repealed, but some of them must have been Härlighet Ligan fans... because they were surprisingly eager to work with the Federation to carefully construct the language for a legal loophole that the sporting industry alone would be able to exploit. After months of back and forth (and back and forth) between legal teams, the loophole passed Congress as an addendum to the original pensions bill.

You'd never heard such guffawing from a conference call room. Executives were seeing green, now free to imagine their clubs bringing in and selling the shirts of a Kara Ciogach of Brenecia, or a Faragó rue Cazade of Farfadillis, or a Reay Cnocstanger of Schottia.

If you'd turned the corner to use the office's bathroom and walked by again five minutes later on your way back to the elevators, you would've been just in time to witness Ville Pakkanen's opening goal - ultimately the Vanquishers' winner - in the 19th minute. It was a great goal. The wingback had been played in on the right side of the box by Mokumdarian's through ball between two Tropicorp defenders, then striking the finish across the goalkeeper to the far post with precision.

But the resulting cheers in the heart of the Cosumarite federation, you would've noticed, were oddly subdued in comparison to the celebration that had broken out after hanging up with Congress five minutes prior.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2026
Quarters mark 100 NS matches for Bees
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Writer

When the Commonwealth National Team walk onto the pitch at Rogers Stadium, it will mark another milestone in the history of the FAC, events which seem to come along with regularity these days.

The match against Starblaydia to mark the 500th match played all-time was a friendly warm up for the World Cup, but this opportunity against Vilita & Turori marks the 100th match played in the NS Sport era, and it comes against a team whose constituent parts are the top two ranked teams in the multiverse. Although most of the players on this roster are not regulars on the individual national squads, they still represent the wealth of talent that can be called upon to compete at such a high level. They seek their 13th trip to the semi finals, while BP seek to advance that far for the first time since the Baptism of Fire. Currently, Baker Park are on a 9 match unbeaten run since that Starblaydia 4-1 victory at Keller Field.

All eight of the matches in the round of 16 were decided by a single goal--four by the score of 3-2, two by a 2-1 margin and a pair of 1-0 shutouts; as we have whittled our way down the last eight, the survivors represent 7 of the top 9 ranked teams in the region, while only Siovanjia & Teusland, at 13, are the exception.

A brief preview of the four matches:

Cosumar vs S&T at Istria—The number 1 ranked Vanquishers are the deserved favorites, having conceded only a single goal in their four matches in the Kingdom, but the Goldhorns have shown they can put the ball into the back of the net, having scored 11 in the group stage and 3 in their win over Oontaz.
In the end, we think experience comes through, although not easily. Go with the runners-up from last time. Cosumar 3-2 (AET)

Banija vs Mriin, at Herzegovina City—The co-hosts face off against the previous hosts, the latter having dominated Group G while the Kadongo Kamu didn't overwhelm their opponents, but improved each match. The Banijans have played in a lot of big matches over the past few cycles, and will have the crowd with them, but will need their best effort yet defensively against the Reavers if they want to move on. In a surprise, we're going with the visitors. Mriin 3-1

Farfidillis vs Equstrian States, at Oceana—The defending champions remain dangerous and surprisingly, the Ponies have never really done well in this tourney. Can they send their captain, Cloud Chaser—who will retire at the end of the competition--out on a high note? Or will the Farves reach their 10th semi final?
This one feels like penalties, so flip a coin. 1-1 (AET)

Baker Park vs Vilita & Turori, at Endborough—The five time champions have been efficient in their work in the Commonwealth, with three 1-0 wins in the group phase and a 2-1 win over Eshan last time out. On paper they don't appear to have a huge advantage over BP, but games aren't played on paper. How good are the Bees, who have realistically played the easiest slate of opponents in the tournament? Can the crowd will them through to another famous win here at home, or are they destined to be gracious hosts and bow out? Our head says go with the chalk, but we are opting to bet with our heart this once. BP 2-1

by **Equestrian States** » Sat Jun 15, 2019 8:04 pm

Low Expectations
The Realistic Fan Site for Equestrian States Sports

Farfadillis is Gonna Fuck Shit Up
by Downtrodden Crankyface

Of the 58th AOCAF Cup's four quarterfinal fixtures, none will be more interesting to neutrals than the meeting between Farfadillis and Equestria.

First, in terms of combined talent, none of the other quarterfinal pairings come close to matching the Ponies and La Vherderoja. The Farves are the defending AOCAF champions while the Equestrians finished fourth at AOCAF 57, not to mention both teams are also currently among the top ten in the World Cup rankings.

Second, the fixture is a sub-regional rivalry, as both Equestria and Farfadillis call the Glorious Southwest home and have a shared history when it comes to hoofball. The Ponies and La Vherderoja have faced each other twice in the Cup of Harmony over the years and also met in the playoff round during World Cup 63 qualifying, which - of course - the Farves won to reach their first ever World Cup finals. Surprisingly, the two teams have not met in a competitive match since then, their intervening meetings at the senior level all coming in friendlies.

Finally, the Ponies and La Vherderoja represent two opposing styles tactically. The Equestrian defense backed by arguably the multiverse's top goalkeeper, Gentle Breeze, is an immovable object, as the Ponies have yet to concede a single goal in this tournament. Meanwhile, the Farf offense is an unstoppable force, one of the highest-scoring teams at virtually every tournament they play in. One of the two will crumble before the final whistle blows in Oceana, but who will it be?

...Naturally, my money is on the Ponies blowing it, as per usual. The Farves have a championship pedigree the Equestrians can only dream of, and nothing would be more appropriate to end Cloudchaser's tenure as national team captain than a crushing defeat in a high-profile knockout match. Farfadillis 3-1 Equestria.

by **Mriin** » Sat Jun 15, 2019 8:27 pm

"FUCKI--" Karii couldn't even finish her swear before eating dirt. Mercy Kaufman had just spun past her quicker than her brain could process, and trying to turn all that mass on a dime... well, physics has some objections.

Mara wasn't any happier. Reina had ranged forward--as if Karii was going to win the ball back just like that--and Pia was still tied up on Cole. It was just her between this hotshot and the equalizer. Kaufman was patient, knowing she had all the space she wanted; if she was going to hang on that long, at least Mara could give her a parting gift. A pang of--what is that, surprise? Regret?--flashed through the winger's eyes as all seven feet of keeper was suddenly hurtling towards her. But she's a professional, a Starblaydi, so of course she got the snap-shot off. It sailed up and swiftly nestled into the net. But the landing--in some fashion an attempt to avoid the train passing by--was far from clean, and as her ankle buckled she crashed to the grass.

If Fëanáro was perturbed by one of her players being stretchered off the field without so much as a card to show for it, she didn't show it. On comes Eccleston to search for the winner.

The two Malias had been jiving well all match, nailing every pass and spotting through balls that had netted them an assist a piece. When the team was rotating around them things were balmy, but the backfield had spontaneously broken down and left them stranded more than anyone would like to admit. As if trying to avoid that problem entirely, they came off the line hot and pressed hard. Capodanno juuuust misjudged Yonen’s stride and was rewarded with bouncing off a brick wall, the satyr staggering just enough to produce her worse pass of the game--by the luck of the draw, it just happened to be on the wrong side of Tia for Sato to take advantage. So, Sato did as he does--a brazen challenge that makes you question Tia ever really had possession.

But as soon as Sato popped back to his feet, he had to turn tail. Reina, in her signature Too Far Forward style, had just collected the ball in stride and torn past. Capodanno pulled off and heroically attempted to sacrifice herself to slow the play down, but Reina is one of them sneaky-fast backs and manages to vault past. Finally Viipuri makes himself big and cuts her off, forcing a quick jink to the ride and side-hoofing it Solara, who’d watched this develop like a tiger salivating over an injured antelope.

But she wasn’t the only one watching, of course. Sigismund had seen that look on her more than anyone wants to, and while he’d had a pretty good track record of sending her off-target in the premiership… the last time they’d really gone at it didn’t quite pan out. But there was no changing the past, only the present, and he cut in to bodyblock the inevitable charge. Solara blasted into the box, a step out of Viipuri’s reach, bearing down on the Athletic back, before planting her right hoof directly between them. There was a lurch in Sigismund’s stride--he’d already fucked up. The challenge came late, a messy collision that sent them both to the ground as the ball rattled the back of the net.

It was the Super Cup all over again.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

And we are the cutoff for the Banijan half of the quarterfinals...best of luck to the 4 nations!

by **Banija** » Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:13 pm

One....

Two....

Three....

This is cutoff man!

Sokode! De! De! Sokode! De! De!

AOCAF Quarterfinals
Baker Park 4–2 Vilita & Turori
Farfadillis 1–2 Equestrian States

Semifinal Matchup

Baker Park v. The Equestrian States @ Keller Field in Belle Haven, Baker Park

World Cup 81/82/83/84

It Happened One Night
Frank Armitage
Mail on Sunday Chief Soccer Writer

Reporting from Endborough:

The City of Endborough woke up on the morning after the night before wondering if the party they hosted had really occurred, or was it all just a dream?

The immediate environs around Rogers Stadium in West Endborough were the ground zero of the celebrations, while across the White River in Endborough City, almost all the of the establishments in the main downtown entertainment district, centered around 9th Ave and McKenna Street, were forced to close early due to having depleted their stock.

When Annabeth Westmoreland's insouciant chip into the Vilita & Turori goal in the 91st minute of Baker Park's 4-2 victory in the quarterfinals of the AOCAF set off wild celebrations not only in Endover, but across the Commonwealth, only the most cynical could not help but feel the outpouring of national pride taking place.

The win sees Baker Park earn themselves at least two more matches: the semi-final date against Equestria and either the AOCAF Final at the Stadium of the Restoration in Busukuma, or the consolation game at Keller Field between the defeated semi-finalists.

But to start at the beginning, the story took several twists no one could've expected. From the kickoff, V&T—who technically are the 4th ranked side in the region, but in reality are the best soccer nation (well, nations) playing at this moment—knew what the job they had to do consisted of, and they got down to work within the first minutes after kickoff. The Commonwealth didn't appear to have let the emotions of the occasion overwhelm them, but it took a bit of effort for them to get into a rhythm in the game, forced to build-up from their defensive third against a disciplined midfield alignment. The Eel-Cats were quite efficient as they punished turnovers by the hosts in the middle of the pitch into quick counter attacks, although they didn't always turn that into decisive options nearer the BP 18 yard box.

They say one makes their own luck, and the Bees were a bit unlucky on the first goal, but V&T proved their class; the veteran midfielder Purapal Eskiiy dispossessed Lorenzo Taborn, flicked a through ball to Kudii Davasarii, who fed Enzoril Alabonni for a straight forward strike past Caroline Gordon at the near post, and it was 1-0 just on 13 minutes.

The goal seemed to shake off any residual nerves that the Commonwealth might've had, as they picked up their play noticeably soon after the restart. Veronica Navarro undressed the left wing Intikko Kuhilana, but could only hit the side netting on her shot, Jamari Bozeman playing Alex Sandoval into a space where the forward seemingly had an open net to shoot at, thwarted at the last second by Jirek Trikala, and Bozeman himself making a run into the Vilita box to pick up a pass, only to be let down by a second touch that allowed Eskiiy to recover and block the shot.

Defensively, Baker Park began to close off options down the right side for V&T, as Westmoreland and Nick Haller combined to disrupt buildup play, aided by Bozeman tracking back to help.
The pressure paid off when Haller took the ball cleanly from Tripate Falcon, moving it for Bozeman, who flicked it on to Sabrina Patton; at the last moment she pulled the ball back for a streaking Taborn making a far post run, and a deflection popped the ball into the air. Reflexively, Taborn nodded the ball into the upper corner past Vernasa Sanamun, and it was all even with 20 minutes to go in the first half, Taborn wrestled to the ground on the celebration by his friend Navarro.

The sides seem to reach an equilibrium over the next long stretch of play prior to halftime; a sloppy pass and subsequently foul by Taborn, for which he saw yellow, set up the next chance for the Eel-Cats just on the stroke of the 45th minute. The resulting free kick was covered well by the Bees, but a lightning bolt shot from 25 yards by Limu Katarakaha beat Gordon's outstretched glove by just a fraction. It was 2-1 Vilita & Turori as the 47,000 inside the stadium roared their appreciation at the whistle.

Jessica LeClair came on at the start of the second half for Sabrina Patton, in a surprise to most everyone in the stadium. Following the match it was reported Patton had been overcome by nausea and dizziness in the dressing room.
Whatever the cause, it seemed to rally the Commonwealth side straight out of the tunnel to kick off, as Bozeman took the ball 30 yards into the V&T half, traded passes with Westmoreland, fed the ball to LeClair who one touched it straight back to Bozeman, who then fired a booming right foot shot to the lower far corner that Samamun had no chance and before all the supporters had returned to their seats, it was 2-2.

Whether it was a specific change in the game plan or just the adrenaline from being an unexpected sub, LeClair pressed the Eel-Cat central defensive trio closer and more physically than Sandoval & Patton had done up to that point, a move that would pay dividends as the match progressed.

Play devolved back towards the sort of short bursts of excellent soccer from both sides that had been the hallmark of the 20 minute period leading up to the break. Few shots from either side were on target, with close misses split both ways 3-3 during the period leading up to the final 15 minutes.

Pamela Scott made a change at that point, bringing on Tracy Vasillias at centerback in place of Eric Herrara, and there was a subtle shift in the formation, with Haller and Navarro playing a bit deeper, Westmoreland, Taborn and Bozeman narrowing the center and Sandoval rejoining the high press against the back line of Vilita.

The substitute made her presence felt within a couple of minutes of her insertion, as she broke up an attack 22 yards from Gordon's goal, pushed the ball towards Taborn, who spotted Navarro streaking down the touchline and dropped a 40 yard pass into her path, which she crossed towards LeClair after one touch; the Haskins Blues Ladies forward knocked it down for her running mate Sandoval to put away on 79 minutes, 3-2 to Baker Park and now a gut check for the visitors.

On came Nua'oma Aikiki for an ineffective Kuhilana, and V&T began to push the tempo, while the alignment shift by the Bees meant that they were playing something like a 4-1-3-2, looking to clog up all the passing lanes except on the outside.

Scott used her final sub to bring Tony Santos on for Sandoval with 5 minutes to go, and the Busukuma AC striker seemed to be overcome with emotion as he made his way to the bench.

Wave after wave of attacks by the Eel-Cats were promptly turned back into the V&T half of the pitch, and as soon as the 4th official indicated there would be 3 minutes of additional time, LeClair's persistence paid off, as she chased Rojara Tiones, who had the ball about halfway between the midfield stripe and the edge of his own penalty area; his attempt to switch the play to the right was sliced, and Westmoreland anticipated the trajectory, beat Loshani Riyaaw to the spot and with one touch to settle the ball, lifted it with her left foot over Samamun, who was well off his line. It took one bounce inside the six yard box and nestled into the back of the next, Westmoreland sprinting the entire way in chase and swinging from the crossbar in celebration.

The final whistle brought about celebrations not seen in the Commonwealth since the playoff match against Qasden during World Cup 80 qualifications, and the Vilita & Turori side waited, gracious in defeat, to congratulate the victors.

Post-match comments:
Jessica LeClair: "You always have to be prepared to go on at a moment's notice, and oddly enough, my dressing cubicle is right next to Patty's (Sabrina Patton). She sat down and said she felt really lightheaded, and I yelled for the physio right then. She said I think I'm going to be sick, and they rushed her off to the toilets. I was really concerned for her, because we go back a ways to when we faced off against each other at club level, and she's become such a great friend. When Pam told me to go and warm up, all I could do was think about her and what I needed to do to get ready."

Lorenzo Taborn: "I couldn't believe that the ball popped up off the deck like that, because I was gonna one-time it with my right when Sabs cut it back. It was completely just instinct that made me lean forward to head it."
(asked about the celebration by Veronica Navarro). "Oh god, Ronnie is completely mental, and that's why I love her. She's been such great friend all these years we've been on teams together, we're like brother and sister, we're family, the two of us. I hope that pass I laid for her squares us up from the BOF!"

Annabeth Westmoreland: "You dream about scoring goals like that. No disrespect to the Vilita team for that celebration. They are the best team in the multiverse, we don't have any less respect for them than we did before the match. So proud of the team right now."

Manager Pamela Scott: "I was extremely concerned when I came into the dressing room and Sabrina was throwing up and the others were concerned. In your mind you start thinking 'is it food poisoning, is it some virus, who else might be affected?' But it's my job to deal with the situation as it is unfolding. Honestly, Jessica was not supposed to be the emergency sub, but she'd scored in the last match, and I probably wasn't being rational at that moment. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good—relative to my decision—and I think we were every bit as good as they were tonight. Now it's another hurdle to clear."

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:59 pm

Vanquishers set sights on hosts Banija in semifinal after 6-2 thrashing

by Toira Carib
AOCAF Beat Reporter

I S T R I A -- Siovanija and Teusland have had a promising tournament here in Banija but once again found themselves on the wrong end of a four-goal hammering from Cosumar in the Quarterfinals. The Vanquishers cared not for the Goldhorns' touted progress, scoring five times during a ruthless first half blitz that carried some deja vu from AOCAF LVI.

The Cosumar national team advanced to its third consecutive AOCAF knockout stage on the back of its defense this time, allowing only one goal in the five matches since they reconvened. The script flipped in their quarterfinal match, however. S&T were the first team to break through the Cosumarite defense for multiple goals. This time, fortunately, Alexander Pearce's attack was able to emphatically carry the day. It was already 6-0 before the first was conceded.

There was never an ounce of suspense or uncertainty in this one. Right back Ville Pakkanen scored his second in two matches in the very first minute, cutting inside and blasting the game's first shot into the roof of the net, leaving Lyubomir Dimitrov on the floor. It was a perfect start, and strikers Vega Zeale-Riddick and Romikk Valgard followed it up by each netting in the space of four minutes to make it 3-0.

With the players in blue and gold in visible shock, Pearce screamed for his troops to press forward and exploit their opponents' temporary mental vulnerability to put the match truly out of reach. That's exactly what they did. Foot to throat. Zeale-Riddick struck again and, just before S&T could escape to the dressing room for a half time reprieve, Raphael Klopfer scored an own goal when his slide tackle on Valgard instead poked the ball past his keeper.

Although Klopfer stole that goal from him, Valgard would get a second of his own soon after the interval, finishing off a slick team move to ratchet the scoreline up to an astonishing 6-0.

To their credit, the section of Siovanijans remained steadfast in their support and their team gave them something to cheer for in the 65th minute when Thorsten Kramer spliced through the middle and slipped a cool finish around Shjegrzh Na'Kefir. Rozelle star Ivo Romanov got another goal back by scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time. While many of the eliminated Goldhorns collapsed to the ground in disappointment at the final whistle, their fans gave them a rousing reception - recognizing their spirited efforts to play for respect in a much better second half.

Meanwhile, hosts Banija are on the brink of playing an AOCAF Final on home soil after topping Mriin 3-1 in their own quarterfinal match over in Herzegovina City. While such an occasion would be a massive boon for Banijan soccer, one daunting hurdle remains: the #1 ranked team in the region. Cosumar will be brimming with confidence following their biggest win out of six consecutive victories. The Vanquishers won't be short on motivation either, eager to get back to the final to avenge their heartbreaking loss on penalties there in AOCAF LVII.

With both teams' sights set squarely on Busukuma, we should be in for a real treat tomorrow night. It will be intense, desperate, and fueled by a little bit of hatred in Hoima (you think Banijans have forgotten that 1-0 last time around??). In other words, it will be Atlantian football at its finest.

Regardless of the result, AOCAF historians might one day look back on this week's semifinal as a defining chapter in what is starting to become a real regional rivalry on the level of Cosumar-Chromatika.

by **Banija** » Mon Jun 17, 2019 3:03 pm

Banijans qualify for first ever AOCAF semifinal with 3-1 win over Mriin at Star Field

Banijan players celebrate Gitonga Kahara(#11) scoring the opening goal against Mriin in the AOCAF Quarterfinals

HERZEGOVINA CITY, MORAVICA- The history is not only there- it is long enough to be traumatic for fans of the Kadongo Kamu. AOCAF LV, their first ever AOCAF- making a stunning run to the quarterfinals. Winning a do-or-die game against the Sultanate of Oontaz to even advance to the Round of 16, and then winning on penalties in the Round of 16 against Eshan before eventually falling to Qasden in the AOCAF Quarterfinals. But then, of course, they came back in AOCAF LVI, an emotional one that also occurred in the Equestrian States. They fell to the Equestrian States, their archrivals, in the group stages, by a score of 2-0. They advanced past the Round of 16, once again against the Sultanate of Oontaz, before falling the quarterfinals, once again, to a stronger opponent- the eventual champions, Vilita & Turori, who won that tournament en route to becoming the center of the footballing world. And finally, the last tournament, this time, in Mriin. Many figured, that at the previous two tournaments, the team was too young, too inexperienced. But this could no longer be true for AOCAF LVII. They had been to a pair of World Cups at that point, even advancing to the knockout stages in one. But, once again, they could not overcome the nation in front of them. It was a tight, and closely contested, game against Cosumar, before superstar Bryger Tidesson buried Banija’s semifinal hopes with a second half winner.

So forgive the Banijans, forgive the fans of the Kadongo Kamu, if there was apprehension heading into this match. Sports fans have a way of remembering their demons, and those can hang like a cloud over a sports fans. Just look at the way the 3 consecutive semifinal World Bowl losses effected the national gridiron team, the Serpent Eagles. All that tension was felt here, at this match, and even more, considering the fact that this game was on home soil. And as the stadium was packed to capacity, with about 5,000 satyrs or so in the Mriin fan section, and the rest of the stadium filled with drums, and everyone wearing green, there was more energy here than we’ve ever seen for a Kadongo Kamu match. Even more than we probably saw when they played Turori in the Round of 16 in World Cup 81. At least for that, an early knockout stage exit was expected. But here, the hope, the tension, the belief that maybe, just maybe, this was their year? The tension was all across the stadium, and nerves were being frayed. Would the home support be enough to push the Kadongo Kamu to a place they’ve never been before, where they fell the last three tournaments running- to the semifinals of the AOCAFs?

With the loud belting of the national anthems, it was clear that those, at least inside Star Field, thought that it might happen. Or that they’d been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid. Or both. But regardless, the game kicked off with Assefa Yitebarke knocking the ball back to Namakula Kawesa, who was making her second start in the tournament as Okparro was still injured. He is officially listed as day-to-day on the injury report, of course. But anyways, the match. The Banijans started off almost wildly, with tons of energy against the region’s 6th ranked side. Flying all around the pitch, an aggressive tackle by Kizza Okafor saw the Lakiska central midfielder pick up a yellow card in the early stages of the match, just the 5th minute. The tackle in question came when Solara Vol, the Mrii #10, received the ball at center field and was almost immediately take down, without any contact on the ball. The card was much deserved. But the attention that the Banijans played to Solara Vol, reflected some of the strategy that Banija typically uses against Pristina Shine(though, we should note, Banija has used that strategy 4 times against Pristina Shine and all four of those games ended in losses). The Pristina Shine strategy, as it is informally named. For those who haven’t watched a Banija v. Equestria match, the strategy is simple. The star player will be physically punished. Now, of course, satyrs are bigger than the average Banijan player- but well timed tackles, ensuring physical play, while being wary of the referee, can stop that star from getting into a rhythm. Of course, as always, Marcus Waters would not confirm nor deny the existence of the strategy, but that was an early showing of what Banija would do to try and slow down the Mriin attack.

Mriin is a very strong side, a side that went to the final of this very tournament, in AOCAF LVI, before falling to the machine that is Vilita & Turori. They are led by Solara Vol, who, if you haven’t heard, most recently went out and won the UICA Champions Cup with the Sabrefell Moths of Nephara. And much of Banija’s defensive strategy went to slowing her down. While Okafor was quite reckless about it, getting himself a yellow in the very early stages of the match, this was the way that Marcus Waters strategized to slow down the attack. The Mrii satyrs are bigger and faster than Banija’s midfielders and attackers, and they were going to try and impose themselves on the game. The Banijan strategy was about not letting the Mriin attackers get into a rhythm, and that’s exactly what happened. They were frustrated and slowed down by the Kadongo Kamu, who wanted to burn the visitors, and the previous tournament hosts, on the counter-attack. They had the opportunity to do just that in the 33rd minute. An interception by Ablie Kah had the Banijans sprinting forward on the counter-attack. A ball was played over the head of Mriin defender, Karii Bruun, who leaped for the ball to head it, and it was just over her head, leading Kahara to receive the ball and essentially be in on goal. He buried his one on one with the goalkeeper into the bottom corner towards the near post, and the stadium exploded with noise. The game was 1-0 to the home side.

So much pressure in this match, an AOCAF Quarterfinal, for two nations who are looking to be crowned Kings of Atlantian Oceania. And the strategy the Banijans were employing was starting to frustrate Mriin. Abate Brehanu, the grizzled veteran Herzegovina City defender, was part of this strategy himself. He had a hard foul on Solara Vol right before the half, and earned himself a yellow card. Tensions flared briefly then, but that was nothing compared to what would happen later on in the match. Early in the second half, there was a moment where the Banijans were pushing Mriin, and the Banijans had a moment of brilliance. A corner kick was looped in and, unsurprisingly, a Mriin defender rose above the crowd to head the ball out. But the ball bounced to the feet of Namakula Kawesa, the smallest player on the pitch. She took one step right, and blasted the ball right towards the goalkeeper in the center. But fortune favors the fortunate, so does it? The ball hit the back of center back Maas Halder, and ricocheted towards the corner. The goalkeeper didn’t have a chance with that large of a change of direction, and the ball went into the net for Banija’s second goal, this time in the 49th minute. Namakula Kawesa raced towards the corner, and the decibel numbers were going through the roof after that second goal.

Mriin knew that their campaign was on the line- they needed to push forward. The Banijans, relatively organized at the back, continued their strategy of trying to frustrate Banijan ambitions. But there was a moment where tempers flared, and it became a big moment in the match. Solara Vol, once again, was the victim of a hard foul by Abate Brehanu- the veteran center back who was already on a yellow card. But then, something snapped inside of Malia Yonen. She was frustrated, vocally, at the treatment Solara Vol was getting from the Banijan defense. She walked right up to Brehanu and they got into a shouting match, and she shoved him. Was it more of light shove? A moment of madness for the central midfielder, and she would pay. Something rare at this level, though it could be understood at this stage- a double red card. Brehanu got his second yellow for the original foul, and the referee was harsh with Malia Yonen, as she saw red from the referee. And just like that, in the 58th minute, both teams were down to 10 players. How would that change the match?

The Banijans wanted to shore up their defense, so they brought on Kawsu Kaba in the back and took off Yitebarke, meaning that Afolayan and Kahara were the only two attackers for the remainder of this game. Kaba had struggled in this tournament earlier- would bringing him on work here? This matchup that was suddenly 10 v. 10 opened up some space for the Mriin attack, especially in the center, and lessened the danger of a counter-attack. Kawsu Kaba made another error at the back, fouling Solara Vol in the box to give away a penalty. The Champions Cup winner, naturally, slotted the ball into the upper corner, and all those drums playing, all of those chants, died down a little. The score 2-1, and with Mriin having the momentum, would Banijan nerves fray?

This was not an easy position to be in- and yet, the Banijans maintained their confidence. They stayed with their style of play, and even with the margin for error narrowing, they were able to maintain their lead. Lemuel Bereket came up with a few huge saves. Ensa Camara, the left back, had the game seemingly of his life, as the Zakhoro defender was making big tackle after big tackle against Portia Taani. And then, in the 88th minute, a corner kick was awarded to Mriin. The tensions rising, once again, as basically the entire Mriin side was up for the corner kick, to do everything they needed to do to ensure that the game would be level once again. The goalkeeper was even forward. And the cross came in, and Kaba, of all players, rose above and headed the ball out. It went to Kahara, who kicked the ball as far as he could down the field. And who was out there, racing towards the ball, with an empty net? Namakula Kawesa. She got to the ball first and essentially rolled it into the back of the net, making the score 3-1 and allowing Star Field to breathe a huge sigh of relief. The score was 3-1, and the ref, a few minutes later, blew the final whistle. Mriin was defeated.

The fan celebrations were electric. The players celebrations, even after an emotional draining victory, were extremely, but yet, short-lived. Marcus Waters summed it up nicely. “We have gone further than we have ever gone in this tournament- and that is something to be proud of. But remember, you don’t’ enter a tournament, and then have it on home soil, just to get to the semifinals. While we are happy here, there is no time for drawn out celebrations from the players. We are here to put the past behind us, to chart a path forward. But don’t think about that- think about this tournament, think about the here and now. To our fans, the many fans of the Kadongo Kamu, enjoy how far we’ve come. Look at what we got. But remember this- we didn’t come this far, to come this far. The semifinals, while quite an achievement, is not the goal. We’re gonna be ready for Cosumar in Hoima.”

Cosumar, once again, is between the Kadongo Kamu and their goals. This matchup is quickly turning into a rivalry. Big games with lots of meaning define rivalry, and in this sport, you also have the added dimension of connections between the two countries. Banija and Cosumar, while on opposite sides of Atlantian Oceania, have a lot of connections. There is a major Banijan emigrant community in Goldstaff, Cosumar, enough so that they provide a team, the Goldstaff Cocodragons, to the Greater Banijan Hockey League. And that does not even begin to describe the footballing connections between the two nations. Two managers of the Super 5 clubs of the Banijan Soccer League are from Cosumar. One, of course, is Alvin Burnsides, who has developed a fearsome attacking side at Istria City FC. And the other, the former Cosumar national team player, Brian Emerson. He played for the national team for a number of years, and had an impactful career as a manager. And in four seasons at the helm at Herzegovina City FC, he has established one of the most fearsome sides in BSL history. 3 league titles in four seasons doesn’t tell the whole story. You add on that he made the UICA Champions Cup group stage in 2 of the past three seasons, and that those two seasons were the only two times, ever, that a BSL side made the group stages of the UICA Champions Cup. And then, the fact that he took Herzegovina City on a miracle run to the final of the Atlantian Oceania Champions League. You then must add on then that, between Burnsides and Emerson, they are the only managers to take a team to the knockout stages of the UICA Globe Cup- Emerson via the Champions Cup, and Burnsides by winning his group at the UICA Globe Cup.

The connections go beyond management, though those managers have made quite the impact here in the Kingdom. Look at the players. Wenceslaw, a center back in the BSL, has been a consistently strong center back in the Banijan Soccer League, being the center of solid defenses for the Hoima Warriors for quite a while. Harald Fireblade, who is in the final 23 for the Vanquishers, has made three appearances at this tournament, and is the starting central midfielder for Herzegovina City FC. And then, you talk about the Banijans who ply their trade in the Härlighet Ligan. Ensa Camara plays for the Zakhora Aces, while Gitonga Kahara plays for OAS Royal FC. While we were robbed of the only club teammate matchup with Abate Brehanu suspended for the semifinal, due to his red card in the quarterfinal, there are still more than enough storylines to make this a juicy semifinal.

Then, of course, the last key ingredient of rivalry- big games against big time opponents. And these two played in the AOCAF LVII quarterfinal, if you may have heard. Cosumar defeated them, 1-0, when Bryger Tidesson broke a late deadlock in the second half. The opportunity for revenge for Banija, of course, cannot be far from their minds. And at Mavuto Field, a brand new stadium, in front of 75,000 in Hoima? Both teams want to make the short trip South, to Busukuma, rather than get on a plane and fly east for the bronze medal match. With the stakes here even bigger than their last game, this is a perfect chance for Banija to prove their mettle. Are they a big time nation in this sport? Can they truly be considered among the best that Atlantian Oceania has to offer? If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and that cannot literally be more true than in this semifinal, when the Banijans take on Atlantian Oceania’s top ranked side, Cosumar. Banija will have its challenges here, including how to replace the suspended Abate Brehanu, but this is quite an attractive semifinal.

While we won’t make a prediction, we will make a note here- this has been an excellent tournament for the BSL so far. While the Banijan Soccer League got good news with an extra UICA spot, there is more good news this summer. Each of the four semifinalists in the AOCAFs has at least one BSL player in their 23. Sandoval(Busukuma AC) and Haller(Kitara AA) play for Baker Park, while Harald Fireblade(Herzegovina City FC) plays for the Vanquishers. Rosie Tyler(Herzegovina City) plays for the Equestrian States, and of course, the Kadongo Kamu count 12 BSL players in their ranks. So regardless of the result, Randolf Cherry is a winner, and Brian Emerson, the Herzegovina City manager who has players on three different sides in this semifinal, is also a winner.

And, as always, go Banija!

World Cup 81/82/83/84

"Here for the buildup leading to the Semi-Finals of the AOCAF, I'm David Blake alongside Aiden Donnan and Gary Kostka, live from the plaza outside Keller Field. I'm told they hope the fire marshal doesn't notice if they try and cram a few more spectators into the stadium for this one than they had for the opening match. We've seen a lot fans in purple around the stadium throughout the afternoon and early evening, there seems to be a lot of good camaraderie among and between the two sets of supporters.

Now, the teamsheets are in, let's have look at the lineups:

for the Equestrian States, Pearly White always has a wealth of talent to call upon, and she'll put out an experienced group with longtime number 1, Gentle Breeze behind a back four of Brix Hamilton and Krysia Bailey at the fullbacks and Rumble alongside Arctic Lily at the center of defense; the captain, Cloudchaser alongside Aaron Aiza, who will square off with his club teammate Westmoreland in the center of midfield, Luminesce and Apple Cobbler on the wings and Rainbow Blitz in the middle, with Pristina Shine up front, the prolific scorer for the Ponies.

for the Commonwealth, Pam Scott makes 5 changes to the side that defeated Vilita & Turori, with Kyle Moyer coming in for his 3rd start and he'll be backing up Derick Briggs, Tracy Vasillias, who makes her fourth start after playing the final quarter hour in the last match and Sarah Foreman, making her third start, on for Emily Arnold, Tony Santos gets his 50th start for the national team after he picked up his 50th cap in a brief cameo in the last match, only his 2nd ever appearance as a sub, and Annabeth Westmoreland, Lorenzo Taborn and Veronica Navarro keep their places in midfield, as does Jamari Bozeman, who scored on the occasion of his 50th cap for his country last time out, and Alex Sandoval will be paired up front by Missy Tilton, in for Sabrina Patton. Patton will be available off the bench after checking out ok following her episode in the dressing room at halftime in Endborough."

Note: The Equestrian States supporters will have the East Stand (top of the picture) and part of the adjacent main seating area.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

We're down to the Final 4, who will be the team to stay in the Kingdom for one more match, and who will be coming over to Baker Park for the consolation?? We'll know soon enough...

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