World Cup 83 - Roleplay Thread

[Amazonesta]

The Amazonian Observer
Amazonia City's Largest Newspaper

Amazonesta reaches agreement with the World Cup 83 Host Committee to host World Cup Playoff Group


FFA Chairman Rodrigo Herrera at a press conference announcing the partnership

AMAZONIA CITY, AMAZONESTA- The Federación de Fútbol de Amazonesta(FFA) has just had its biggest moment since almost the very beginning of its foray into international football, when the national team, against all odds, went 7-0-0 in excellent form and won the 61st Baptism of Fire in Ceni/Red Blackiland. That, of course, remains the proudest moment in Amazonesta's brief international sporting history. Since then, unfortunately, it has all been downhill for the Amazonestans. They entered World Cup Qualifying four times- World Cup 74, 75, 76, and 79. They attempted to enter World Cup 77 Qualifying, but their paperwork was denied by the World Cup Committee due to the incompetence of the FFA. Ever since World Cup 79 ended, however, this country has almost completely disappeared from view in terms of international football.

Now, of course, Amazonestans have not disappeared entirely from the global football scene, even if the national team only lives on in the trophy books of the World Cup Committee and the NS World Cup Hall of Fame. There are plenty of footballers competing in foreign domestic leagues, though of course, without the exposure of a national team, their numbers are certainly dwindling. But there is one place where Amazonestans are still plying their trade- Banija. There have been connections for years between the FFA and RBSA, and quite a few Amazonestans have made their way there through the years. There are 3 Amazonestan managers in the Banijan system, and six Amazonestans in the BSL- proving that this is still a place where they, at least, look for talent.

And now, of course, the FFA and RBSA's connections continue to pay off. They have, of course, announced that Amazonesta will host a World Cup Qualifying playoff group- specifically, Group 6. A press conference by FFA Chairman Rodrigo Herrera confirmed this. "This is a big moment for the Bolivarian Republic, and I am glad that I am here to make the announcement. Big matches will be brought to Amazonestan shores- this is a big moment for the World Cup and Amazonesta. Four teams will get to tour our beautiful nation, with a spot in the World Cup on the line. In a time where many may have forgotten about Amazonesta, this will surely put us on the map again. We welcome all to our country."

Group 6 consists of the reigining champions of the Baptism of Fire, Hapilopper, who are looking to become the first team to qualify on their first try since the Commonwealth of Baker Park in World Cup 80. They will be joined by Barunia, Tinhampton, and the reigning champions of the Cup of Harmony, Kita-Hinode.

Basic National Information
The Bolivarian Republic of Amazonesta is a single party socialist state, with the country's sole political party being the Vanguard Republicano del Pueblo(VRP), whose name in English is the Republican People's Vanguard. It is present led by Gabriel Martinez, who is the Secretary-General of the VRP, and by definition, is the Executive President of the Bolivarian Repubilc. There are, of course, no elections in Amazonesta. The country is also aggressively secular, with most forms of public religious expression illegal.

The VRP is relaxed about many things within Amazonesta. Drinking coffee, smoking marijuana, public consumption of alcohol, etc... Are legal. The country does not bill for healthcare on demand, but considers foreign countries responsible for the healthcare costs of their citizens, so the healthcare bills of any non-resident foreign fans are billed to the applicable embassy, who then is expected to sort that out for themselves. Prostitution is legal. the Amazonestan peso trades at 25 pesos to the NS Dollar, and the temperature of the country is generally fairly hot, with temperatures expected between the 70s and 90s farenehit for the World Cup Qualification Playoffs.

Matchday 1
Hapilopper (167) v. Kita-Hinode (24) @ Estadio Nacional(Amazonia City, Amazonesta, capacity of 95,000)
Barunia (33) v. Tinhampton (37) @ Estadio de la Revolución(Puerto Santander, Amazonesta, capacity of 43,000)

Matchday 1 will occur, of course, in two different places. There will be one match each day at the gargantuan national stadium, and one match at another site. The national stadium holds 95,000, of course, and is located centrally within the nation's capitol, Amazonia City. The national team plays matches there, and hosted home World Cup Qualifiers there when they were competing in the World Cup. It is a city of almost 2 million people. Amazonia City is the beating heart of Amazonesta. The nation's only capitol, it is where the organs of government, both party and state, are located. The city has many attractions for tourists, and heavily promotes the many socialist musuems within its borders.

As for the Estadio De La Revolución, it is a fairly new stadium within Amazonesta. Puerto Santander is the country's 5th largest city, wtih a population of around 477,000 in the city proper, though almost 2 million live in the city's metropolitan area. As you can tell by the name, it is a port city. The stadium is named after the country's socialist revolution, as the previous stadium was, most unfortunately, and horrifically, named after a former Amazonestan King. Naturally, that could not stand.

Matchday 2
Kita-Hinode (24) v. Tinhampton (37) @ Estadio Nacional(Amazonia City, Amazonesta, capacity of 95,000)
Hapilopper (167) v. Barunia (33) @ Estadio De Los Rojos(Guadalupe, Amazonesta, capacity of 49,000)

There is a game, of course, that will occur at the national stadium. But there will also be a game in Guadalupe. The country's second largest city, at 1.2 million, it is home to Estadio De Los Rojos(The Stadium of the Reds). It is named after 'The Reds' in general, the nickname for socialist forces who fought, and eventually won, the Amazonestan civil war to led the VRP to take over the country like they have today. The founder of the VRP, the late Generalissimo Sorrel Aroca, who led the VRP to victory in the civil war but was assasinated in the first, and to date, only free and fair Amazonestan election.

Matchday 3
Barunia (33) v. Kita-Hinode (24) @ Estadio Nacional(Amazonia City, Amazonesta, capacity of 95,000)
Tinhampton (37) v. Hapilopper (167) @ Estadio Mocoa(Mocoa, Amazonesta, capacity of 45,000)

There is, naturally, a match at the national stadium. But the group's other match will take place at Estadio Mocoa, in AMazonesta's 3rd largest city- Mocoa, Amazonesta. The city has a population of 890,000, and is rapidly growing. This city is considered the manufacturing hub of Amazonesta. The country's local auto industry is based out of this city, and Government-owned auto companies have many factories in this coastal city. Mocoa is a city within Amazonesta that expects to reach 1 million people within the next 5 to 10 years, and is a city that is aggressively looking for immigrant communities to help work in their factories.

[Silver Beach]

The Silver Standard
Silver Beach's #1 source for news!

Silver Beach will host a World Cup Qualifying Playoff Group


Silverians wave flags at national day celebrations

ZION- The Hebrew Republic has participated in World Cup Qualifying on 13 different occasions. And on each occasion, it all remained the same- there would be no qualifying for the World Cup Finals. They've had some great times, but mostly, some rough times. Times like 9-1 losses to Cafendeu that happened so long ago, that Cafendeu barely exists anymore. Of course, 12 times they entered as the Kingdom, and only once, did the modern version of Silver Beach- the Hebrew Republic- get a chance to enter World Cup Qualifying, but of course, it was always going to go nowhere. Silverians did not stand a chance.
-
We, of course, have not re-entered qualifying since World Cup 80. This edition of the nation is still young- at this point, just 21 years old in its modern form, in the new land, and time and ability to simply focus on the sport has not been there, so they had to withdraw from World Cup Qualifying, and largely, away from the international sporting stage. But of course, relationships were formed at the highest levels, and one has been leveraged with the RBSA to the great benefit of Silver Beach- World Cup Qualifying Playoff matches will be held in this country. Specifically, Group 5.

Matches will be held in three cities. Caesaria, with a population of 644,000, will host two matches themselves. Then, of course, there will be travel to Nova Aros, the country's second largest city, for two more matches. And lastly, they will go to Zion, the capitol, on Matchday 3, for the final two matches. It'll give Silver BEach a chance to really return to the national stage, and to show the world what the Silverians have built in their little corner of Sonnel since Silverian Jews were forced to leave their homeland before it was destroyed.

Basic National Info
The History of this nation has been long chronicled. But the modern Hebrew Republic is one that is seen as progressive and democratic. While, of course, a state called the Hebrew Republic, and one built for Jews originally, it is a secular, progressive republic. Things like abortion on demand throughout 9 months of pregnancy are recognized rights, gay marriage, strong LGBTQ rights, and a strong liking of refugees, considering many of people themselves were refugees to this land in Sonnel.

This sport competes with gridiron for the attention of Silverian hearts and minds. Bringing this tournament to the shores of Silver Beach, of course, means that high level, competitive, foreign soccer will be brought to the country at almost exactly the right time. Many are excited, and bars are stocking up on extra beer for what is expected to be a weeklong party atmosphere within the country.

Matchday 1
Newmanistan (237) v. Saltstead (31) @ Caesaria Field in Caesaria, Silver Beach. Capacity of 23,000.
Eura (7) v. Mytanija (60) @ Western University Athletic Complex in Caesaria, Silver Beach. Capacity of 33,000.

A pair of stadia will be used in Caesaria. Of course, wtih the country being so new, not all of the stadiums are brand new, but none could truly be considered old or aging. Western University Athletic Complex, however, is brand new. The just opened on-campus complex is located on the outskirts of Caesaria, and will host both gridiron and soccer for Western University. It is, of course, a grass field, and is supposed to be conducive towards amplifying crowd noise.

Caesaria Field, however, is a smaller, soccer-specific venue in Caesaria. Intended for professional use, it is expected to be used by a rumored Silverian national league that is expected to come to fruit at some point soon. Regardless, the stadium sits only 23,000, but is known for having excellent sight lines for fans. Caesaria itself is known for being the country's second largest port city, just 15 miles east of the country's far northwestern border.

Matchday 2
Saltstead (31) v. Mytanija (60) @ Novo Aros Park in Novo Aros, Silver Beach. Capacity of 31,000.
Newmanistan (237) v. Eura (7) @ Kavim Arena in Novo Aros, Silver Beach. Capacity of 39,000.

And now, to the country's south. Novo Aros is a major city of its own right- a city of 2 million people. It is easily the biggest and most important city in Southern Silveria, a region that is largely undeveloped. The region of Southern Silver Beach is largest agrarian and rural, and consists of a lot of forest and arable farmland. The soil is rich in the region, and in Novo Aros, you have a thriving center of the region where a central marketplace is located, and food and other agricultural products can be shipped, quickly and efficiently, to Zion and others cities in the North.

Novo Aros Park is the city's original stadium, built not long after their arrival in Sonnel. The stadium, of course, has a capacity of 31,000. As for Kavim Arena, the stadium is fairly new itself. The city's second major stadium, it is built in anticipation of the arrival of a national league to Silver Beach.

Matchday 3
Eura (7) v. Saltstead (31) @ The Silver Regional Transit Arena in Zion, Silver Beach. Capacity of 47,000.
Mytanija (60) v. Newmanistan (237) @ The Port Authority Stadium in Zion, Silver Beach. Capacity of 25,000.

And on the final matchday, the four teams will go the nation's capitol, the nation's first settlement- Zion. The Silver Regional Transit Arena of course, is the national stadium, and is sponsored by the Regional Transit Corporation of the Kingdom of Banija, headquarted in Rosaria, Eshan. It is the country's biggest city, with a population of 2.5 million, and is located in the north central part of the nation, along the coast. It is the country's biggest port as well.

Zion, of course, is the cultural heartbeat of this nation, and it only makes sense to have games here. As more fans pour into the country as the group stages advance, Silverian officials believed that this city would be best suited to host the final batch of games.

[Banija]

Busukuma confirmed to host World Cup Qualifying Playoff Group as other groups go to Amazonesta; Silver Beach


Overview of Busukuma

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- The Royal Banijan Soccer Association, after many weeks of deliberation, have finally decided the plans for their three World cup Qualifying groups. Group 5, of course, will be hosted in the Hebrew Republic of Silver Beach. Group 6 will be hosted in the Bolivarian Republic of Amazonesta. And the last, Group 4, shall be hosted within the capitol city of Banija. That's right- three stadia will be used within our nation's capitol, none of which are the national stadium, to host the campaign's most condensed playoff group. Busukuma officials said that they were 'more than capable' of hosting the large influx of visitors expected for the short playoff campaign, while RBSA officials said that this decision meant, that while Busukuma would be extremely busy, that they were putting fans first by minimizing travel costs, and ease of hotel booking- you could use one for the whole stay.

And without further ado...

Busukuma Basic Information

The City of Busukuma and the National Capitol Region have coterminous borders. There is, of course, no governing structure for the National Capitol Region- it is simply used to give an equivalence between Busukuma and the 7 other regions in the country. Busukuma has been Banija's capitol city for over 400 years. Busukuma was controlled by minority tribes for most of its existence. However, Puritan Mormons, the country's dominant religion, believe that God revealed to Kabonero III, the first Emperor in the Puritan Mormon area, to conquer the south and declare his capitol at Busukuma. So Kabonero III violently fought his way south, and after a series of brutal, costly battles, conquered Busukuma.

As the national capitol, many important institutions are headquartered here. From the Lukiiko, to Mujaguzo Palace, to the RBSA and the Olympic Committee, many institutions are headquartered in this city. Three professional soccer teams represent this city in Banija's league system- two in the BSL, and one in the regional leagues.

Matchday 1
Omerica (45) v. Kelssek (65) @ Capital Grounds in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Capacity of 29,400.
Savojarna (32) v. Krytenia (50) @ Lukwago Field in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Capacity of 37,000.

Of course, the Capital Grounds will be host to Capitol City FC, who ply their trade on the second level of the Banijan football pyramid, toiling away in the Lower Coastal League. The Capital Grounds are one of the largest stadia on the second level of the Banijan pyramid, and its capacity is one of the key reasons that Capitol City FC are considered contenders every year to not only win the Lower Coastal League, but to get promoted. Alas, that has not happened.

Matchday 2
Kelssek (65) v. Krytenia (50) @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Capacity of 49,000
Omerica (45) v. Savojarna (32) @ Capital Grounds in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Capacity of 29,400.

Matchday 3
Savojarna (32) v. Kelssek (65) @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Capacity of 49,000
Krytenia (50) v. Omerica (45) @ Lukwago Field in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Capacity of 37,000.

Mugisha III Memorial Stadium is the home to the Busukuma Force, a mid to lower tier side in the Banijan Soccer League. Lukwago Field, however, is home to the former champions of the Banijan Soccer League, Busukuma Athletic Club. Of course, the fact that the city's more dominant and popular club has a smaller stadium has long been a cause of confusion in Busukuma political and sporting circles. Mugisha III Memorial is named for the grandfather of the current monarch. Busukuma AC has been trying to expand Lukwago Field for years, but alas, cannot get approval for reconstruction.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Everything is on the line in Banija

Following Savojarna's late 0-1 home defeat against Mriin, the team had to rely on an unlikely slip-up of the group favourite against last-placed Zealandia. Unsurprisingly, Mriin did not do us the favour of slipping up at home and drop points to the outsiders, surpassing the Savojars who had a bye on that day. The Savojars will be mourning their surprise defeat by the hands of Petrisi, which had ultimately cost them direct qualification, as they head out to Banija to contest the new World Cup Playoffs. Unlike any previous World Cup the Savojars participated in, the playoffs are no longer contested in a KO match. Instead, four teams meet up in Banija to contest a single round robin, mimicking the typical format of a World Cup group, with the winner qualifying to the final event. The groups, based on the results of the teams in the qualifying campaigns, were drawn yesterday, sorting Savojarna into the Banija-based Group 4. Who awaits us there?

First off, we'll hit top seeds Krytenia. In a doable Group G, the Krytenians came second on goal difference behind Mercedini, losing out on direct qualification on the final day by a 0-0 at home against former Number One team Schottia, who have been no more than a shadow of its former glory, coming sixth with only two victories and four draws. They favour an offensive 4-3-3, which may offer openings for the fast Savojar midfielders and strikers - with a lack of width in the midfield, the aggressive fullbacks of the Northlights could find a lot of space ahead of the defensive line. Jurtanen will strive to overload the wings in this match, but the Krytenians can put up numbers themselves and may exploit any openings on the Savojar flanks. Expect a high-scoring game, decided by whose offensive line will be more productive. Most importantly, the question on our side will be whether the Savojar Magic Rectangle can circumvent no-nonsense defensive midfielder Murray Schwarzkopf, and whether Voynov can exploit the offensive nature and lack of speed of wing-back Thomas Scott. A good start here could set the tone for the campaign. Prediction: 3-2 Savojarna

Omerica awaits us in the second game. Nominally the second-best team of the group based on the KPB rankings, they are only fourth going by WCQ performance. However, that number might be a bit distorted by a group featuring the unbeaten South Covello and the strong Anthor and Eraman, who contested for the playoff spot until the very end. Omerica only won their spot on the final matchday, beating Eraman 3-2 away. Omerica's balanced playstyle can be seen as a slightly more defensive variety of the Savojar approach. Lining up in a 4-2-3-1, they share the offensive fullbacks and the cut-inside wingers, but put an additional man into the central midfield as opposed to the nominal two-top of Jurtanen. With Bolton often dropping back, and Soares driving up from behind, their formation might even resemble a 4-3-3, which would put a challenge to Andersson and Hoyman as they have to control three men between the two of them in order to control the central midfield. However, just like with the Krytenians, advancing fullbacks play into Savojarna's strong wingers. This could allow Voynov and Jashkin to cut behind the Omerican defence. These two teams are tightly matched, both playing into each other's weaknesses, and will hopefully provide us with a great match. Prediction: 1-1.

Finally, Kelssek will be the last team to face the Northlights. On 21 points, they just about scraped into the third pot, suffering from a 4-0 defeat in Sargossa on the final day. However, behind the dominating Sargossans, Kelssek edged out Drawkland and Osarius to secure qualification for the play-offs. The nominally weakest team by KPB points will almost certainly be a must-beat opponent in order to make the World Cup. Like Savojarna and Omerica, they are a moderately offensive team with a deep squad, but have been very variable in their tactics and lineup. Hence, we have a notably harder time than usual to predict this game. Much might hinge on captain and star Ruslan Demetriev, playing in Eura and pulling strings in Kelssek's midfield. The records from qualification suggest that Savojarna's best bet will be to play aggressively, breaking down the Kelssekian defence early on, as they have proven to struggle with scoring. However, the Savojars should be wary of over-extending, as Kelssek have a strong defence and might be dangerous on the counter. When behind, the final game against Sargossa proved that there might be an opening for some scoring late in the game. Prediction: 2-0 Savojarna.

This would leave us with seven points, enough unless Omerica pulls off their own victories over Krytenia and Kelssek. However, we expect them to open with a narrow victory over Kelssek, probably struggling hard against their defence but still breaking through with a late 1-0 or 2-1. Following that, we have the predicted draw to the Northlights. In the final round, we predict Krytenia to be a tough challenge for Omerica, who lack Savojarna's offensive firepower. Hence, they won't be able to match the Krytenian assault and lose 3-1, leading to the Savojar team making their second ever World Cup ahead of Krytenia, Omerica and Kelssek.

[Juvencus]

Juvencus 5-4 Koyoland

Squadra advances to play-offs stage after a thriller


Squadra manage to turn a could-be disaster into a triumphant qualification to the play-offs stage

Juvencus XI:
GK:Taddeo Bulgari
CB:Dudu Madeiros(Yellow card 21')
CB:Nicolò Bassi
CB:Izotz Ibarra(Assist 83')
CDM:Nino Russo(Subbed for Firmino Maçon, 58')
CDM:Clovis Bret
RM:Ekain Zuñiga(Subbed off for Júlien Cantù, 62', Júlien Cantù, Goal, 83')
LM:Angelino Alberighi
LF:Joaquim Martell(Goal 56', Assists 44', 74', 90+3)
RF:Brunella Tafani(Goal 90+3')
CF:Santo Silvestri(Goals 44', 74')

Koyoland XI:
I think the new trend is #NamelessTeams, as this team was no different than our previous opponents. They were kinda sweaty as well.

Amidst heat waves like those(The temperature hit an incredible 36C mark in the game's duration), you'd expect matches to be slow and boring. However the last matchday of the qualifications stage for the world cup's 83rd edition was nothing short of exciting and in fact, it was a real nightmare as the gli attacanti saw itself being 2 goals, on a number of occasions from very early on. However, the team managed to turn the tables around during the 2nd half, which was exciting, yet scary.

Both teams entered the stadium really shyly, Koyoland had nothing to lose, since they had last everything anyway, the gli attaccanti really had everything to lose. The spotlight was on the usual superstars in Martell and Silvestri. However, it was also on coach Scordato as he had decided to change the lineup for better or worse by putting Brunella Tafani on a spot she's not quite used to, on the right flank of the attack. First minutes come in and the Koyoland side is bombarded by the gli attaccanti. A great volley by Silvestri is saved by the Koyolander keeper's cat-like reflexes and yet another opportunity, this time by Tafani hit the crossbar. From then on, the Koyoland side started to dominate the game. Firstly in the 18th minute, a chance by a midfielder of the team was blocked by Dudu Madeiros, who seemed to be the only defender doing his job today. However, he was later yellow-carded after pushing a Koyolander player inside the box. The penalty was capitalised by the kicker and Koyoland managed to break the ice, while simultaneously breaking every single Juven's knees and freezing the entire stadium. Soon enough, the Koyoland side managed to put another one past the gli attaccanti's nets. The machine started fuming by that point on and after a barrage of opportunities in the last few minutes of the first half, the gli attaccanti managed to capitalise. A great set-piece a bit outside the box by Martell to Silvestri with the latter's rocket shot going inside the Koyland net before the goalkeeper could even react. The half-time result was 1-2 and the anticipation was high and the number of questions regarding the gli attaccanti's ability to reverse-sweep an important game like this was even higher.

And with Koyoland increasing the lead by 2 once again, with an incredible header by the attacker, all questions seemed answered and it all looked as if Koyoland would pull one of the most major upsets in history. However, the Squadra wouldn't let this happen and like a bunch of wolves, they rushed forward. A barrage of opportunities was either saved or went outside, mostly by Silvestri. Ekain Zuñiga was tackled by a Koyoland defender, who saw the yellow card. He was tackled around 35 meters away from goal. Martell would be the kicker as well as the capitaliser of that opportunity, as his seemingly perfect shot couldn't be saved by the Koyoland keeper, reducing the difference to one goal. However the Koyoland side would be quick to answer to that by increasing the difference yet again, after a miscommunication by Bassi and Ibarra let to the ball being intercepted by the Koyoland forward with the latter scoring. Soon afterwards, a new name of the team came in, Júlien Cantù, in Zuñiga's position. With him, the flow of the game changed to a much more offensive one, as his freshness and more offensive playstyle allowed the team to push even more forward quickly enough. Silvestri managed to score yet another goal in the 74th minute, reducing the difference to one once again. However the exhausted Koyoland side wouldn't be able to increase the difference again. And Cantù, being the golden sub, scored the equaliser soon afterwards, giving hope to everyone in the stadium as well as the hudreds of millions of people in Juvencus. Another siege followed, with a lot of opportunities going to waste but eventually, Tafani would score a screamer at stoppage time to give the team a spot in the play-offs stages which will be played in the Crystal Empire against opponents such as The Macabees, Crystalline Caverns and Brusseldorf, all of them new opponents for the gli attaccanti.

[The Macabees]

THE WITCH EMELIE, XV
Previous: I, II. III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV


Janis awoke in a cold, damp cell, lying on a hard bed that felt more like a rock. When she rolled over to her side, the springs beneath the mattress creaked as if they were a hundred years old and for a moment she thought she was falling through, as the mattress sagged in the middle. Where was she? How had she gotten here?

Rising to sit at the edge of the bed, she looked around. Directly in front of her, against the other back corner of the cell, was a porcelain toilet with no cover or seat. There was a towel rack against the other wall, although nothing hung from it. Otherwise, the cell was bare. No more than six feet in front of it there was a barred cell door, presumably locked tightly. A walkway extended parallel to it and across this walkway there was another cell, and another woman sleeping in her bed. The woman's eyes were open though, and they were looking intensely at the awaken Janis. She shivered. This was not a place she wanted to be in.

Slowly, memory began to return to her. An image of Dario, of Targul Frumos and then Manzanar de Gorezca, flashed across her mind. Then, it was gone again. Gradually, she began piecing the last few days together. It all finally came back to her, including the big man with the baton who began striking her on the shoulders, face, and stomach. Lifting her shirt, she still saw the bruises there. And as she began to come to terms with it, there was a loud, raucous clanging noise against the bars of her cell door. She hadn't seen the big woman come, but there was a prison guard in full attire banging on the bars with her nightstick.

"Get up, sunshine," said the woman with a gruff, nasty voice. "Some people are here to see you?"

Janis rubbed her eyes. "Who?" she asked.

"You'll find out soon enough, so get the f*** up," barked the guard.

Begrudgingly, Janis did as she was told.



Emelie was working in her office on the day Janis was arrested and Dario escaped into Safehaven. She lifted her head when four heavyset Penzlon Security officers walked into it, briskly knocking on the inside of her door (which was open). "Dr. Reverie?" one with a mean-looking face said.

"Um, yes, that's me," she answered, quietly.

The same one replied, "We need you to come with us."

"Why?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

"This will be easier if you cooperate, ma'am," said the same officer.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She began rising, but then sat down again. "Wait," she said, "am I being detained?"

"Yes, ma'am," said the officer. He unfolded a piece of paper and handed it rudely to her, almost smashing it into her hand. "Here is our warrant issued by Judge Yori Jeermal of the Municipal District of Beda Fromm. You can see your name there and legal allowance to apprehend you. Now, if you will please come with us."

"What if I don't want to?" she asked, combatively.

The large officer laughed. "One way or another, you're coming with us."



They put Janis in a large, empty room with mirrored walls on all sides. There was a small table in the middle surrounded by three chairs, one on one side and two on the other. She sat on the side with a single chair. It had been an eternity ago when she had been brought here and her stomach was rumbling, not to mention her throat parched. She must not have had anything to eat or drink in over a day. Not to mention, the quality of sleep she had must not have been very good, for she was so deathly tired that she could hardly keep her eyes from closing. Maybe a little food would help with that.

She was about to speak up, in case maybe someone was there observing her, when the one door in and out of the room opened. A bright light came in from the hallway outside, which was painted with white walls and floored by white marble. Two people walked in. She recognized them. They were detective Ineke Marissi and investigator Leender Zuilek.

"Good morning, Janis," said the investigator, his voice surprisingly sweet.

The detective did not seem in such a good mood. In fact, she said as much. "You really took us for a ride there, at least for a while. Nobody who runs gets away, though. Everyone gets caught, sooner or later. The irony is that it didn't ahve to come to this. This could have been so much easier."

"I didn't do anything," said Janis.

The investigator smiled. "We never said you did."

"Why are you so nervous?" asked the detective. "What are you hiding?"

Janis moved to stand, but she noticed then her ankles shackled to the ground. Hitting the table with her fist, she shouted, "I want a lawyer!"

"We can get you one, if you'd like," said the detective. "But, I think you're going to want to make this easier for us and just cooperate. How has not cooperating helped you, so far? I'm curious."

"I. Want. A. Lawyer!" she shouted again.

Ineke rolled her eyes and sighed. "Why can't this ever be easy?" She looked at Leender and nodded. "Go get her one. Let's just get this over with." They both stood then and walked out. They left her there for another eternity, without food, without water, without rest. Janis slammed her head against the table and fell asleep.



"What am I being arrested for?" cried Emelie. "This makes no sense, I didn't do anything!"

"That's not what we've heard," said the big guard, who was sitting in the back of the rig with them, baton in hand.

She looked at him. "What did you hear?"

He laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes, I would!" she yelled. "I really would! I'm a doctor! I have many important things to do! The success of the imperial football team relies on me! At least, in large part..."

The guard laughed again. "I'm sure killing two players really helped them a lot." Then his eyes widened in surprise and he closed his mouth, muttering shit.

"Murder?" she asked. Then she too closed her mouth.

[Timuria]

Qualification Ends With a Bang

by Tufan Nursultan

Timuria 6–1 Lavize
Vatan Ercetin (16, 55, 67), Tekin Yavuz (70), Ismail Burhan (75, 80);Lavize #9 (30)

The national team ended their qualification campaign with an excellence win over Lavize leaving them with 20 points from the qualficiation campaign and a solid third place in the group. While many will be disappointed that the team will not be going to the World Cup, there was never any reasonable expectation for this team to do as well as it has and many will be delighted with this overperformance.

The match began as many do for the Red Wovles with a period of defensive uncertainty as the focus was on getting an early goal. One did arrive in the form of Vatan Ercetin's well placed shot that sneaked in by the post. The national team would squander this narrow lead as sloppy play allowed the visitors to equalise in the 30th minute. The first half came to close with the teams justly level.

The game continued to be a relatively equal affair, as both teams created decent chances, however it was the Red Wolves who would take the lead as Vatan Ercetin found the back of the net again. Vatan managed to get his hat-trick with a long range effort that fizzed along the ground past the fingertips of the sprawling goalkeeper just before he was substituted. Tekin Yavuz managed to get a goal only 3 minutes after coming off the bench, with a long range effort the slipped through the goalkeepers grasp. Fellow substitute Ismail Burhan scored from a powerful header from a Tayyar Ozel corner.

The final significant action of the game was another goal from Ismail Burhan, who had a great match from the bench. The match ended with a standing ovation for the team who left the field as heroes for their efforts.

What they said after the match:

Bekir Altingunes: "Reflecting on the whole qualification, I feel very happy with what we've done and I'm happy to have ended on such a fantastic performance. We'll have to take stock and try to understand what we did wrong. Because we can't be scoring 3 goals a game and then failing to qualify that's on me and I'm going to try to get this team to the next level."

Player Ratings:

Saban Inekci 7/10

Ozbek Sarikaya 6/10

Osman Hasanoglu 6/10

Eyup Mustafa 7/10

Gokdeniz Dag 7/10

Atilla Acar 7/10

Yusuf Ihsanoglu 7/10

Tayyar Ozel 7/10

Ertan Renda 7/10

Caner Turan 6/10

Vatan Ercetin 9/10

Substitutes:

Ismail Burhan 8/10

Tekin Yavuz 8/10

Man of the match: Vatan Ercetin - He more than earned his hat-trick as he dominated the opposition.

With the conclusion of the qualificaitons we can confirm that the 17 winners of our promotion have been sent the information they need to claim their 10,000 Demirs.

Schedule and editor's predictions with the results so far:
MD1: vs Kavagrad, Manat School Sports Centre, L 0-2, Result: D 1-1
MD2: @ Kiryu-shi, W 1-0, Result: W 4-3
MD3: Bye
MD4: vs 95X, Tim-Enerji Park, L 0-3, Result: L 2-3
MD5: @ Balqia D 2-2, Result: D 3-3
MD6: vs Valanora, Hisar School Field of Excellence, L 1-4, Result: L 3-5
MD7: @ Lavize D 1-1, Result W: 4-3
MD8: @ Kavagrad L 1-3, Result W 3-2
MD9: vs Kiryu-shi, Maden-Is Stadium W 2-0, Result W 3-1
MD10: Bye
MD11: @ 95X L 0-4, Result D 4-4
MD12: vs Balqia, Manat School Sports Centre D 1-1, Result D 1-1
MD13: @ Valanora L 0-4, Result D 2-2
MD14: vs Lavize, Belediye Park W 1-0, Result W 6-1

Total points won: 17

[Hapilopper]

Damukuni Stadium, Damukuni
Right after World Cup Qualifier Match 12: Hapilopper 5-1 Damukuni
Thom Perkins had a tear in his eye. All he asked his players to do on this day was just play as hard as they possibly could. He told them there was no shame in going out fighting and getting their ass kicked, but there was no honor in not fighting at all. On this glorious evening in Damukuni, the Hapilopper National Football Team did exactly that. They played as if their lives depended on it. It seemed as if they played with a greater intensity than ever before, and the result showed.

Oh boy, did it ever show, too.

The final score from the match shows that Hapilopper knocked off the Damukunians 5-1. The score shows that Ernie Stevenson scored four goals – in the 2nd, the 25th, the 54th and the 87th, making one hell of a statement that, yes, he should be included in the World Cup’s Team of the Tournament. The fifth goal, scored by “Beautiful” Bobby East, in the 89th, was the cherry on top of what had been one of the most important victories in the brief history of the HNFT. They did all they needed to do that day to make it to the World Cup.

Unfortunately, they didn’t qualify that day. Brenecia qualified out of the group, easily dispatching Bolgano 6-2. Hapilopper would instead be a part of the qualifying playoffs, and would be part of one of six groups of four teams that would be playing some of the most cut-throat football anyone had ever seen. To say the least, the end of Group N had stunned observers, and by the night’s end, memes telling the difference between that group and virtually every other group had made the rounds on social media.

Thom wasn’t upset with not qualifying at all. He was proud of his men. They had been asked to play the match of their lives, and they did. The team fired on all eight, or 10, or 12 cylinders that night, and some observers suggested that this was a sign that, even if Hapilopper didn’t make it out of the playoff round, they would be here for the long haul. So would Thom.

“Gentlemen, I asked you to play hard, and you did,” he said. “We did all we could. All we have to do now is beat whoever’s in our way, and that impossible dream will become reality. Gentlemen, win, lose or draw, I’m fucking proud of all of you.”

When they got the group assignment, the HNFT realized, almost instantly, that they had a tall order ahead of them. There was Kita-Hinode, the defending Cup of Harmony Champions, the 24th ranked team in the world. There was Barunia, the 33rd ranked team in the world, and Tinhampton, the 37th ranked team in the world. The gut check was off the page. This one was going to be a tough one, no matter how it was spun.

There would be no easy matches in this playoff round, but the worst was right out of the box – the match with Kita-Hinode would kick things off. The Hinodejin Empire National Team, also known as the Poltergheists, had a lock on last place in their group at one point before they got their proverbial shit together and won the last six matches of the group phase, finishing a well-earned 2nd place in their group.

As the Haps looked at just what the Hinodejins had been able to do, they looked at each other, shook their heads and got really quiet, before Cooter Harris, the team’s goalkeeper, spoke up.

“Gentlemen, we’ve got no other choice,” he said. “Let’s raise some hell, work our asses off and hope for the best.”

The players nodded their heads in agreement. This would be a hard road ahead, but they had no other choice but to face it head-on.

Estadio Nacional, Amazonia City, Amazonesta
Just before World Cup Qualifying Playoff Match 1: Hapilopper vs. Kita-Hinode
The Haps, motivated to raise some hell like never before, had been in Amazonesta for several days, getting used to the environment and preparing for three matches that would make or break this team’s chances for making World Cup 83. The training had gone quite well, too. The players were operating as one cohesive unit. They had never played a team like Kita-Hinode, but that didn’t matter. Before the World Cup Qualifiers had gotten started, they had never played a team like Brenecia or Polkopia or Damukuni. But they handled themselves quite well, all things considered.

And now, here the HNFT was, sitting in the locker room, just prior to one of the most important matches of their lives. Again. This first match would possibly make or break them, and yet, once again, here they were, perfectly at ease. If they made it, well, that’s awesome. If not, well, at least they tried.

And here was Thom Perkins, once again, ready to lead his men into battle. He didn’t know what else to say. So much had already been said. So much had already been made of what the Hapilopper National Football Team had done. So he just spoke from the heart.

“Gentlemen, I know I’ve said this before, but I think it still rings true,” Thom said with a smile. “If we just play as hard as we can, and just play our game like our lives depend on it, we’ll do just fine. I don’t know if we’ll win or not, but to tell the truth, I don’t think a lot of people had us going this far. I think a lot of us expected we’d be dead meat in the qualifiers. I think a lot of us expected we’d be out after the so-called ‘course correction’ in the second half of the qualifiers.”
Some of the players chuckled. They had heard of that so-called “course correction” that bit a lot of teams in the ass, and helped teams like Kita-Hinode get back on track.

“You know, though, we made it to the playoffs,” Thom continued, as happy as a clam. “We just need to play three of the best matches we’ve ever played, and we’ll make it. I don’t know how this match will turn out, but promise me, gang, that you’ll never give up until the final whistle. Never let up until you’ve reached your goal. Never slow down until you’ve crossed the finish line. The Hapiloppian Spirit was based off tenacity, overachievement, and that desire to see to the task until it’s reached its completion.”

The emotions were coming forward. Thom was speaking from the heart, and it was getting to the players. These were the stakes.

“Hapilopper was built on a belief that if you work hard and never give up, no matter how long the odds, you will win,” Thom continued. “Nobody had us winning the Baptism of Fire. They said we’d all butt heads and we’d collapse. Nobody had us beating teams like Brenecia or Polkopia or Damukuni. But we beat all three of them. We did it because, like I’ve said before, WE ARE HAPILOPPER, AND WE WILL DO THIS!”

The players cheered loudly and headed towards the tunnel, whooping it up like never before. Those words had gotten to them. They didn’t know how their match with Kita-Hinode would turn out. They did know, however, that if they ended up losing on this evening in Amazonesta, they’d go down swinging. They were determined to raise hell like never before.

[Recuecn]

[OOC: Gerauld Firaut, as mentioned previously, is my submission for the team of the tournament.]

"Now boarding flight 957 for Atlantian Oceania. As we prepare to board this flight, we'd first like to welcome aboard our national football team, whom our airline is proud to serve on this flight as they take the first leg of their journey to New Cloudsdale where they will pursue World Cup qualification. Now boarding flight 957, Reçuecian National Football Team only."

"It's time for me to go."

"I don't know why this is still always so hard for me." The families of the football team had been allowed through security to see them off, and Gerauld Firaut's wife Samantha was their with their young daughter Rebecca, whom she held in one arm. She managed to do this while clinging to Gerauld in a tight hug, as if refusing to let him pull away from her to begin his journey.

"It's hard for me too," said Gerauld. "But I know exactly why. It's because I love you so much. I don't want to be away from you. But play-offs are just one week, and I'll be back before you know it."

"I know you have to go," said Samantha. "But I don't want you to leave without me telling you one last time how much I love you too." Her face was buried in Gerauld's shoulder as she hugged him with the arm not holding Rebecca, and Gerauld wondered, unable to see her face, if she might be crying. This was a little bit unusual--typically Samantha was not quite this emotional when he left. Perhaps because he would be away longer this time? It was true that this was a unique trip in that rather than leaving for a single qualifying game, the play-off group stage would be almost it's own mini-tournament with a longer time commitment--and no home games.

Gerauld put one last tight squeeze into the hug, then slowly pulled away. "Good-bye now! I love you!" He was still waving goodbye and looking over his shoulder as he stepped onto the jetbridge and out of sight of his family. All his teammates had already boarded ahead of him.

With the goodbyes out of the way, Gerauld could focus on the job he had to accomplish: Keeping out goals and being the backstop for his team. It would take a lot of preparation. 95X, Abanhfleft, Siovanija & Teusland--all of these teams, judging by their recent performance, were more challenging opponents than those Reçueçn had faced this far. Maybe Qasden had been an exception. But this was going to be difficult.

Gerauld refused to let himself fall into the mindset that many of the fans had so readily accepted. The team's supporters were incredibly hyped up that the team had made it to the play-off groups as an unranked nation. Of course some had hoped to qualify outright, but that had been unlikely from the get-go. Now, although the excitement would hopefully buoy up the team's performance, there was almost an attitude that the team had already accomplished its goal. Gerauld didn't accept this. The goal was to qualify for the world cup, and with it now almost within reach, this was no time to settle for a participation award.

The flight attendant, looking at Gerauld's face as he stepped from the jetbridge to the plane, greeted him warmly, but with a touch of concern; his jaw was set, his expression was grim--almost one of anger, the flight attendant thought. But this was not anger, this was ambition. Gerauld was determined to do his best, no matter the price.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Die Stelburger Zeitung

Sport

World Cup 83 Playoff Preview

If your heart rate hasn’t yet settled down from the ending to the Goldhorns’ World Cup 83 Qualification campaign, we forgive you.

But there’s much more drama to come, as Siovanija and Teusland’s national football team have advanced to the Playoff round of the World Cup. Drawn into Group 3, one of the 4 teams competing in New Cloudsdale will advance to the World Cup Final. Let’s meet those teams, and analyze their chances as well as those of the Goldhorns.

The first match of the playoff round will see Siovanija and Teusland take on Reçueçn. Reçueçn are relative newcomers on the international stage, and are in fact unranked going into the tournament. That won’t last long, however, as they gave a very good account of themselves in Qualifiers. The Unicorns finished 2nd in Group U, and conceded only 5 goals during the Qualification tournament. That’s an exceptional record, and stood as the 4th best defensive record amongst all teams in Qualifiers. Reçueçn’s backline is led by goalkeeper Gerauld Firaurt, who has made a name for himself this tournament as a very strong keeper. He also serves as a leader for his national team.

Reçueçn line up in a 4-3-3 formation, however their team mainly focuses on defence. It has clearly worked for them so far during Qualifiers. One area the Goldhorns can exploit, however, would be in attack. Reçueçn scored only 13 goals in all of World Cup Qualifiers. Amongst the teams involved in the Playoffs, that is the second-worst record. If Siovanija and Teusland can break down the wall that is Reçueçn’s backline, they’ll give themselves a very good chance at a win. That is, however, much easier said than done.

After that match, the Goldhorns will next take on 95X. This will certainly be the biggest challenge for the Goldhorns in the Playoff stage, as 95X are ranked 36th in the world and put up a strong performance in Qualifiers. They are a very balanced team, with a good offensive and defensive record throughout the tournament. They scored 30 during Qualifiers and shipped 19, which was enough for second place in Group R.

95X also play a 4-3-3 formation, and only lost once in all of Qualifying, a 4-1 defeat away to Valanora. As mentioned, this will be a very tricky game for the Goldhorns. 95X provide a balanced approach to the game, and they’ve had success in this tournament so far doing just that. The Goldhorns will need to be at their very best to beat them on matchday 2.

After all of that, Siovanija and Teusland will face Abahnfleft on the final matchday of the Playoff. The Fleftic team are ranked 39th in the world, but they underperformed in Qualifiers. They were, in fact, the lowest seed amongst the ranking of Playoff teams. Abahnfleft earned 18 points in Qualifiers, tied for the worst amongst playoff teams. In addition, they are the only team in the Playoff stage that had a negative goal difference in Qualifiers: -2, thanks to 21 goals scored and 23 conceded.

A usually attacking side, the Fleftic team didn’t seem to get it going in Qualifiers, and in fact sat 6th place in Group T at the halfway point. A strong ending to the campaign was much more becoming of the team, and they managed to reach the Playoff stage. The question for them heading into the next round will surely be which version of the team will show up. It’s sure to be a massive match as well, because on the last day at least one of these two teams will likely be playing for their lives in the World Cup.

So, we’ve taken a look at the teams Siovanija and Teusland will face in the Playoff stage. Now, let’s take a look back at the Goldhorns themselves. The last weeks have been full of drama for the national team. Desperate for a win at home against Quakmybush, the Goldhorns were 2-0 down at halftime and it seemed as if the World Cup dream was over. Second half goals, however, from Michael Ribbeck, Thorsten Kramer and a late header from the captain Raphael Klopfer secured the win and all three points. When a few days later the Squornshelan Remnant States lost 4-1 to The Holy Empire, the Goldhorns’ place in the Playoffs was booked.

The Goldhorns had a decent attacking performance in Qualifiers, scoring 27 goals, good enough for 2.41 per game. Michael Ribbeck was the main leader of the line, with 8 goals during the campaign. Ivo Romanov and Krasimir Kynev were also key performers, with 5 goals each. Offence has never been an issue for the Goldhorns: they have been able to score. Against the Squornshelan Remnant States, the stingiest defence in Group H, the Goldhorns scored 5 goals over 2 matches: the Confederates gave up 14 the entirety of Qualifiers. Even in poor matches against The Holy Empire, the Goldhorns scored 5 goals total. Not once in Qualifiers was a clean sheet kept against Siovanija and Teusland.

The Goldhorns also showed a great ability to grind out results during the Qualifiers. Winning goals against Quakmybush and Anollasia in the second half of qualifiers, when wins were all-but a necessity, came in the later stages of the match. A man and a goal down at home against the Squornshelan Remnant States, Michael Ribbeck scored in the 82nd minute to save the draw which would eventually be the result that secured the Goldhorns’ place in the Playoff. The Goldhorns lost only twice in the campaign, both times against The Holy Empire, ranked the 4th best side in the world. There’s no shame in that, and despite some other hiccups (two draws against New North Carolina) the Goldhorns overall had a strong campaign.

The area that Siovanija and Teusland will need to improve, however, is at the back. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the issue was: pretty much all of the defenders individually had strong campaigns, and the introductions of Edgar Steimle and Pierre-Louis Lotbiniere as some young blood in the fullback positions was much-needed and a key addition to the team. However, the Goldhorns conceded 27 times in Qualifiers, a total of 2.25 per game. That is a very poor number. Only 2 clean sheets were kept in all of Qualifiers. A pair of 3-3 draws against New North Carolina and Anollasia were major offenders in the poor record. If you subtract the 11 goals conceded by the Goldhorns against The Holy Empire, you end up with a record of 16 goals shipped in 10 games, a defensive record of 1.6 goals against per game. That is better, but still not good enough. The goalkeepers have to take much of the blame for this. Yanko Zhelyaskov was alright in 8 appearances, but didn’t keep a single clean sheet. He looked shaky catching the ball at times as well. Viktor Venev, on the other hand, played 2 games and kept 2 clean sheets. Will Gavin Hughes keep his faith in Zhelyaskov to improve, or will the number 1 shirt in the Playoffs go back to the old reliable in Venev?

The Goldhorns reached this stage thanks to a combination of strong team cohesion as well as brilliant individual displays from key players. Thorsten Kramer was probably the team’s best player throughout the Qualifiers, and he was the main factor in the final day comeback against Quakmybush. His technical skill has only continued to get better, and the 1830 Cathair midfielder is a true star for his country. The Stelburger Zeitung would nominate him as the team’s Man of the Qualifiers, and for any Tournament XI. Brilliant performances also came from Michael Ribbeck up front and Karl-Heinz Jager at the back, while almost every outfield player could look back with pride on his performance at these Qualifiers. If these performances continue and the team continues to appear in sync, there is no reason why the Goldhorns can’t manage to pull off a great upset in these Playoffs and advance to a first-ever World Cup Finals.

The goalkeeping issue must be sorted out, however, if this is to happen. That had been the team’s biggest weakness throughout Qualifiers, and the national side will need the performances of a lifetime from either Venev or Zhelyaskov if they are to advance.

The Zeitung will bring you all the updates from the World Cup Playoffs, as the Goldhorns travel to nearby New Cloudsdale to renew their chase for the World Cup dream. Come on you Goldhorns!

Match Report
Siovanija and Teusland 3-2 Quakmybush, @ Draistadion, St. Jakob

Lineup: Zhelyaskov; Steimle (L. Dimitrov 66’), Klopfer, Jager, Lotbiniere; Romanov, Kramer, V. Dimitrov (Kostov 82’), Kogler; Ribbeck, Kynev (Reichwein 45’)
Goals: Michael Ribbeck 54’, Thorsten Kramer 77’, Raphael Klopfer 81’
Stelburger Zeitung Man of the Match: Thorsten Kramer

[Kita-Hinode]

MOSTLY BENEFITIAL
Chapter One: Constelado Hokuto (Part One)
Written by sportswriter and general office room weirdo Shinji Boisbriand-Kagawa

Howdy. So, we're in the year twenty-one forty-one, not too far away from the end of the year, in fact. The next year will be pretty important for one reason, it'll be using the number that represents life as a whole yet nobody really knows why it represents life as a whole besides being the answer to almost all problems, whether you want it or not, to every problem that has ever existed in a piece of paper. Forty-two, as it turns out, is also a pretty important number for this one team that used to play in the capital city of the Empire. Said capital city was also the 42nd city to be built by the Hinodejin and also used the code 42 for telephonic matters. In order to speak to someone from Hokuto, you had to add 42 before their telephone number, otherwise, you'd probably end up getting a number from your own location instead. Telephones are also important to this because it represents one thing that snowballed into Constelado Hokuto's fate, its' demise: lack of communication.

CHAPTER ONE - THE LEAST HINODEJIN CITY IN THE WORLD

With the full support of my advisors, my loving husband and King Jun-Seo and my three daughters Tomoyo, Sakura and Kaori... I hereby announce that the United Kingdom of Kita-Hinode and Hwangju shall now be henceforth referred to as the Hinodejin Kingdom. However, to properly show that we're a union of respect, not condescendence, the capital will no longer be in the city of Hokuto, but rather, the Hwangju's former capital, now renamed as Kanshiro.

The city of Hokuto is always an interesting sight, even to this very day. Namely for how, despite being a capital, it never got ridiculously big. Today, the Empire believes in building some pristine cities at key parts of the Empire. Karishi, Moshika, Miyako, Misei and the current capital, Tentai are examples of places that were other cities in the past, suffered all sorts of damage and are now rebuilt in quick Hinodejin fashion. Hokuto was built from the ground up but even then, it wasn't a priority of the Empire. It was mostly used as the place the Queen would be at but almost everything else would be spread apart throughout the land. The high-tech industries landed on Kameria, factories and blue-collar jobs in Burakuriri, tourism in Nashihana, Somei-Yoshino as a whole would end up being the business province but they made sure to leave Hokuto as a city that only really had the first-ever Hinodejin castle, one that looked an awful lot like the ones you'd get on the other side of the Empire ages after that.

What followed was mostly fear for those who lived at Hokuto. What would happen to their city now that the Queen decided to dish it for a shiny new place on the other side of the ocean? A lack of certainty hovered above the locals as a result, some of those choosing to move out of the city, regardless of whether they were born there or not. Have you ever heard of a certain team called Noot-Noot Mishinogayama? Founded by a Hokuto native that decided to move to a colony in the middle of nowhere instead of living at the actual capital of the Empire. Actually, let's pull into a tangent because the guy who founded Noot-Noot Mishiongayama is a legend in his own right.

TANGENT ONE - JIN NARGUASAKI, POOL LEGEND
Now, truth to be told, I might have undersold the story of Jin Narugasaki. Born in Minamimachi, Narugasaki enlisted to work for the Hinodejin navy once that was created with nothing but a smile and a golden coin that his family kept from their move to this realm. In his new job, Jin travelled throughout the world, visiting all sorts of places, including some of the Empire's colonies. He also started to play pool in the fine (and not so fine) establishments scattered across the world, if not flat out introducing the game of pool to many inhabitants of our little new world.

And then, one day, after having done all that, he decided to collect his prize: becoming the very first pool legend. Presenting himself as a nobody that wasn't very good in the game of pool, Narugasaki fooled privateers, pirates, hooligans and all sorts of shady folk in games of pool, amassing a small fortune to himself. And to think he only did that with his old smile and his gold coin, right? Pretty insane stuff. Of course, then the mafia from Kowkoon caught up with him and he played his way out of their hideout because their mistress, the Pirate Queen, insisted she could beat him if given the chance.

The pool game between Jin and the Pirate Queen represented here by a kangaroo beating up a dinosaur.

After that one final story, he returned to Hinode, preparing to live in peace at Hokuto. By then, the riots were in full effect and he soon realized that he'd be in some deep trouble if he stuck around. So he wisely left for Mishinogayama, started a club based after a penguin using his fortune and then passed away at the age of 77. So, you know who to thank for that penguin crest people seem to be so fond of.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

PLAYOFF BOUND!

By Taylor Larson,

The game took place in Eshan, but Emperor Michael I Stadium in Pocono City was still sold for the contest, as fans took to the stadium to watch the game on the giant TV’s and have a fun, festive atmosphere. On the line for the Rockets was a playoff spot, and they needed to get the win over the pot two nation in order to advance. Throughout the Empire, fans got together as well, but no longer was the scene as lively as it was here in Pocono City.

Twenty nations are World Cup bound. The other ten spots will be determined by this extra playoff round taking place on neutral ground. I’ll cover those details later on in this article. Pot 1 teams expected to be in the top twenty, and those that are heading to the playoffs are likely disappointed. It was anticipated that the playoff round would consist mostly of teams ranked in, say, the top 60 or so. Perhaps a couple Cinderella’s would creep into the mix, like a reigning Baptism of Fire champion or something. If you had picked Newmanistan as being one of those Cinderella’s most people would call you crazy. That was even more the case when our only pre-qualifying friendly saw Cassadaigua defeat us by a touchdown, 7-0. That would not be the way to get this thing started off right.

Newmanistan did attempt to qualify for World Cup 80, but that was meant in a figurative manner more then anything else since we debuted in the 40th World Cup. The Rockets played as one would expect them too, and because of that there was no special fever for the sport as we see today. Soccer fans were appeased by the attempt, but the reality was soon that we are just not as good as others at what is the world’s most popular sport. For World Cup 83, there was a roster overhaul from the previous team and the hope that we could at least be the spoiler for other teams in the group. I wrote in my preview, before we even played a game that,

“The group is a seven-team group and Cosumar is the best team we will face. They probably have a baseball game or two they will use as motivation to try and pummel us and get revenge on, so that will be really tough. Eshan and Lochario will be hoping to get the group title ahead of Cosumar, and that’s really the role Newmanistan is going to have right now. Be someone’s spoiler.”

Cosumar did win the group, and did so handily. I was trying to look at when this team really looked like they could be that spoiler, and I get taken to a matchday 3, 2-0 road victory in Lochario. The team did not do particularly well in their first two games, starting 0-1-1, drawing Fevhader and losing to Ouna. Against Lochario, the Rockets got great goalkeeping from Ryan McNamara, and the fans were quickly very frustrated at their own team being unable to score against our team. Robert Coffman, an expert soccer analyst from Putnam Lake reported that, “Lochario only saw the rank in us. When the rank is a three digit number beginning with a two, it is a match you are expected to win when in their shoes. They didn’t execute well, and we took advantage of it. But I tell you this, this team came alive to the boos from the home crowd towards that home team that they created with the strong road win. They were the spoiler that day that people hoped they could be. Even better, they had a their bye week after to let it sink in more, and then they blew out Shatla at home in the game that followed.”

The schedule continued on, and more games were played. Newmanistan was not winning all of them, but after the midway point, something begin to happen with Eshan. They were pressuring Cosumar for a little while, but then were falling apart, and not getting results. Meanwhile, the Rockets were taking care of business and getting points against teams that ended up finishing in the bottom of the group, and Eshan was still dropping points. Closer and closer the Rockets were getting, and soon the whispers of “is second actually within reach?” became aspirations of, “if they (Eshan) don’t want second, let’s go get it!” On Matchday 12, Newmanistan routed Shatla again, and were now in second place. However, Cosumar and Eshan loomed on the schedule. They played well in defeat against Cosumar, and that sent us to this showdown against Eshan.

Eshan is not a nation we have much history with. They began in the international scene during our long hiatus, and climbed the ranks to get into pot two. It was too late in qualifying for their fans to only see us as that team with a rank in the 200's, and with their team on a slide, the boo-birds were rampant. Newmanistan feasted on that, and were the better team right away. The Rockets scored the first two goals of the match (Beyer 16', Schaefer 29'), and went into intermission with a 2-1 advantage. Playing the underdog is something that our team was enjoying doing, and as the home team hoped for a quick equalizer, the only quick goal came from Derek Schaefer, in the 51st minute, to give Newmanistan a 3-1 lead. As the clock ticked away, the fans were more and more upset, and remember, they needed to beat us, not just draw us. In the 83rd minute, their second goal was too little too late, and came when many fans had already made their way to the parking lot.

At the referee’s final whistle, the Rockets celebrated in the center of the field, knowing they got that playoff spot. They would have had the tiebreaker on Lochario, so whatever they did was irrelevant. More then likely, there were not many celebrations amongst other teams heading to the playoffs that were happy to have gotten one of those spots, but this Rockets team has defied the odds to get there. The next stop is not Banija or the Equestrian States, but it is Silver Beach (cue an intern saying this is proof that we were playing on the beach), the site of our playoff group. Newmanistan will be a massive underdog in the playoff group, but they were a massive underdog to even be there in the first place, and look, here they are.

Newmanistan now has a round robin, in Group 5 played in Silver Beach against Eura, Mytanija, and Saltstead. How much do you want to bet those three are thinking it will be a three team competition for the group title? Just like Eshan and Lochario thought they would be fighting to be in the playoffs. The first opponent is Saltstead, and Newmanistanians have already gobbled up their allotment of tickets at Caesaria Field. Getting to this point is a monumental achievement for us, and no one else is in this group is thinking that, especially Eura. So, maybe, this underdog has a few more surprises in store.

[Saltstead]

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... Seelandes Nyren — the one source for the day’s events in Sealand

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EURA STRONK
Saltstead’s fucked

They see us victorin’, they hatin’

Caesaria, Silver Beach. Nice try, Stallions. ❧

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[Apox]

Apoxian Second Half of Qualifiers - World Cup 83

Juvencus 0-1 Apox Blake-Tatum 33'
JVN: Bulgari -- Madeiros, Bassi, Ibarra -- Russo, Bret (Zabala 88') -- Zuniga, Christian -- Etxeberria (Vives 77'), Silvestri (Tafani 65'), Martell
APX: Spitfire -- Quillisi, Scott, Jekyll, du Plessis (Redmond 60') -- Menheniot -- Townsend, Palmisano J. (c) (Bridges 73') -- Quintero, Blake-Tatum, Ephraim-Garza (Hannibal 73')

Apox started the second half of qualifying with a solid win against second seeds Juvencus, surviving the hardest game of the second half of qualifiers and maintaining their unbeaten record in these so far successful qualifiers. Lunar Dusk named a strong team against Juvencus, with only Bryton Menheniot playing from outside the nominal first choice team and Menheniot being just as good as Drawbridge in any case. A bright start by Juvencus was crushed following on from a counter attack set off by Menheniot himself, feeding the ball through to Imriel Townsend who in turn crossed into the box to set up Blake-Tatum for the goal. That makes three games in a row where Blake-Tatum has scored, as she continues her good qualifying campaign to date. Despite recovering to build pressure throughout the second half, Juvencus cannot find a way through the strong Apoxian defense and marshalled by Imhotep Jekyll in the centre of defense, they ratchet up their fifth clean sheet of the campaign.

Apox 3-0 Britonisea Koyaanisqatsi 22', Oakstone-Sandoval 55', Britonisea OG 88'
APX: Rasmussen -- Quillisi, Gandhi (Lancaster 83'), Jekyll (c), du Plessis -- Mormentor -- Townsend, Blinkman -- Koyaanisqatsi (Demetrius 66'), Oakstone-Sandoval (Arrowsmith 66'), Euristithanes
BRI: Not supplied

Another game, another win as this time a heavily rotated Apoxian side take on group minnows Britonisea. From the start, the Britons line up with the intention of stifling the flowing Apoxian attacks and they almost immediately succumb to Apoxian pressure, as Euristithanes powerful shot from well outside the box bounces out off the bar. It doesn't take long for the Apoxian side to gain an advantage though, and Archibald Koyaanisqatsi's headed shot beats the Briton's keeper. The second half offers more of the same, and Miriam Oakstone-Sandoval adds another goal to her already impressive return of seven goals in nineteen national team starts. The rout is completed right at the death, as Pluto Blinkman's wayward shot is deflected in off the hip of the Britonisea central defender.

Xanneria 0-2 Apox Ephraim-Garza 51', 82'
XAN: Miller -- Goddard, Fillmore, Borelli -- Stegall, Hailey, M. -- Hailey, G., Presentino (Criss 76'), Saigon (Peralta 55'), Leymore (Wright 67'), Trenton
APX: Spitfire -- Fox, Scott, Lancaster, Storm -- Drawbridge -- Townsend (Magarhatery 80'), Palmisano, J. (c) -- Quintero (Arrowsmith 70'), Blake-Tatum (Palmisano, L. 58'), Ephraim-Garza

Unbeaten Apox secure qualification to World Cup 83 with three games to spare with a good win over growing rivals Xanneria at Hawthorne, the game this time not marred by events occurring on the pitch. Tregatta Spitfire seemed unphased by her previous concussion and had a strong game while Lunar Dusk took the precaution of selecting Vivian Lancaster over Osmosis Gandhi for the match. The player of the match is undoubtedly Clarissa Ephraim-Garza who has really stepped up throughout qualifying and is now one of the real lynchpins of the side. Her two goals in the game made all the difference as the team successfully saw off wave after wave of attacks from the bizarrely laid out Xannerian formation, relying on a firm defensive foundation as well as the ability of Eusebio Drawbridge to prevent opposing attacks and set off counters to overcome the crowded Apoxian half. Lunar Dusk stated after the game that "it is intensely satisfying to have achieved qualification so early in the campaign." He also stated that although he will do some rotation of squad options in the remaining games of qualification, the sides will still be "strong teams" out of respect to remaining opponents Paratan, Koyoland and Acronius.

Apox 1-0 Paratan Fox 81'
APX: Rasmussen -- Fox, Scott (Gandhi 45'), Wallis-Iqbal, Belgrave -- Menheniot -- Magarhatery, Palmisano, J. (c) (Pentameter 45') -- Demetrius, Mochan, Hannibal
PAR: Not supplied

Apox left it late but managed to secure a win against lowly-ranked Paratan to maintain their unbeaten record in this qualification campaign. Lunar Dusk chose to play an almost entirely second string side, with the young Wisdom Mochan charged with the important role of being the main striker for this game. Despite sustained Apoxian pressure, the home side failed to get a breakthrough in the first half. This makes the charges of Lunar Dusk all the more bold, taking off captain James Palmisano and defender Brevin Scott at half time. In the end, the goal was fortuitous, with Ayrton Fox taking a late corner, the ball ricocheting off a Paratan defender and coming back to Fox. He fired the ball back into the box, but mis-hit, and the attempting cross turned into something of a wonder goal. Onto the next match!

Koyoland 0-4 Apox Blake-Tatum 10', 66', Ephraim-Garza 42', du Plessis 84'
KOY: Not supplied
APX: Spitfire -- Quillisi, Gandhi, Jekyll (c), du Plessis -- Drawbridge (Mormentor 80') -- Townsend, Bridges -- Quintero (Koyaanisqatsi 67'), Blake-Tatum, Ephraim-Garza

Another dominant win for this marvellous Apoxian side who are now just one game away from going unbeaten in qualifiers for the first time. Even with the home advantage, Koyoland were unable to survive the waves of flowing attacks by this incredibly confident Apoxian side. It didn't take long for the scoring to start, Marcy Blake-Tatum continuing her lethal form with a great volley from just outside the box. Clarissa Ephraim-Garza continued to show her increased goalscoring role for the team as she nets again, to take her tally to three goals in three games for the national side. A Townsend assisted, Blake-Tatum headed classic later and the game was all but sealed, with Chardonnay du Plessis increasing the confidence in the win in at the death after a marauding run.

Apox 3-1 Acronius Acronius OG 6', Koyaanisqatsi 33', Palmisano, J. 70'
APX: Spitfire -- Fox, Scott, Jekyll (c), Redmond (Storm 78') -- Drawbridge -- Blinkman, Palmisano, J. (c) -- Koyaanisqatsi, Palmisano, L. (Oakstone-Sandoval 55'), Ephraim-Garza (Euristithanes 78')
ACR: Not supplied

And so Apox round out an unbeaten qualifying campaign! And they did it based on the foundations of a firm defense, the goal which slipped past the diving figure of Tregatta Spitfire being just the four one conceded by Apox this entire campaign. However, it was Acronius who scored first, albeit deflecting Eusebio Drawbridge's cross into their own net. Archibald Koyaanisqatsi later got himself on the scoresheet to give Apox the two goal advantage. It wasn't to last long though, as Acronius brought the deficit back to only one goal three minutes later. It was a similar story of pressing play by the Apoxians though in the second half, and the fresh legs of Miriam Oakstone-Sandoval certainly helped - indeed it was her who set up captain James Palmisano to score in the seventieth minute and almost guarantee the unbeaten streak. Apox then, have cruised through this campaign and will certainly be excited to be returning to the World Cup proper. Lunar Dusk, at the moment at least, has only burnished her reputation, losing only once in a pre-tournament friendly to Darmen since she took over from Luxulya St. Cleer after the Campionato.

[Kelssek]

AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED TRANSCRIPT – YK5T (NORTH BURNABY) 08:06:55 22AUG

“...highway 42 north, left lane is blocked just after Desjardins Street exit. There is one incident on the transit system, eastbound line 5 trains will not stop at Oakridge station for at least the next 30 minutes due to a police intervention on the platform there. Mix of sun and clouds and a high of 28 today.”

[MARK GARFIELD] Thanks Gordie. ‘Police intervention?’ That’s a new one. 8:07 here on the Morning Show with SportsTalk 860. Got some free agent speculation from the Kelssek Water Polo League coming up later this hour but we’re kicking off with football today. Kelssek got crushed against Sargossa, 4-0, in the World Cup qualifiers. They move on now to the playoff round, still with a possibility of qualifying, and manager Kirk McDonagh did tinker with the side a bit knowing the result wasn’t crucial. So how much can we actually take from this? NSN analyst Simone Hartley joins us, what do you think Simone?

[SIMONE HARTLEY] Good question. A lot of people do think this experiment blew up a little because of the score. And you could say it wasn’t a good idea to pull something like this when you also know there are some really tough matches ahead in the playoff round, you want to keep the rhythm going.

[MARK GARFIELD] Kelssek were probably not going to win Sargossa away, though? In any case, even if they’re not putting youngsters to start and experimenting with a back three which this national team, this edition at least, has never really used before?

[SIMONE HARTLEY] That’s true. This kind of was a funny situation because this was hyped up quite a bit, you know? This was do or die, in or out, and then after the Sargossa-Drawkland match, it became irrelevant.

[MARK GARFIELD] Because now Drawkland couldn’t catch Kelssek and Kelssek couldn’t catch Sargossa. Just explaining for those not up to speed on this.

[SIMONE HARTLEY] That’s right. On the flip side, there wasn’t much in it for Sargossa either. So it’s hard to gauge because in terms of qualification, the match actually made no difference.

[MARK GARFIELD] Was there anything to take away from this Sargossa match, then?

[SIMONE HARTLEY] Actually, that question was asked to coach McDonagh in the post-match. Here’s what he said.

[KIRK MCDONAGH (RECORDING)] What I told the players is that I’m looking for them to show me who had pride in the shirt, and show me that you can play on this team. The score today wasn’t as important as seeing what kind of attitude they bring. Players like Louis Kuelvic, Cory Greenwood, Remy Dionne, who have the ability but don’t often get a chance to show it. That’s what a match like this gives you the chance to evaluate.

(inaudible)

Well they won four nil, so how seriously do you think they took it? I can’t read their minds. You’ll have to ask Sargossa that.

[SIMONE HARTLEY] Kelssek now travel to Banjia for three matches against Omerica, Krytenia, and Savorjana that will determine who qualifies for the World Cup finals. In this round robin the team with the best record will qualify. And these are not going to be easy matches, Kelssek is the lowest-ranked team in this group.

[MARK GARFIELD] But still going to be exciting matches to watch. These are all big names. For fans who remember the glory days back before the hiatus, this is gonna be huge.

[SIMONE HARTLEY] Absolutely, this really could help put football back on the radar for a lot of casual sports watchers. You know, the chances are not great, but they exist and if the team can sort out their finishing they have a chance. That’s really been a weakness in the qualifications.

[MARK GARFIELD] Now those matches are to be played in Busukuma. What’s that like?

[SIMONE HARTLEY] For those who are travelling this promises to be a real feast of football. With several sets of fans in one city, people are really looking forward to a party atmosphere.

[MARK GARFIELD] Big anticipation coming your way. Thanks, Simone.

[Krytenia]

We're Off To Banija! Oh...
By Rami Niblick in Busukuma, Banija

THE irony of how we ended up here is not lost on many Cyan Army members. After a qualifying campaign that focused on Krytenia's defensive inconsistencies, their failure to clinch the automatic spot in the end came down to a failure to launch up front. Perhaps that's a little harsh on the likes of Selly Kennedy and Chris Naismith - certainly, their failure to score wasn't for a lack of trying - and yet, here we are.

This, though, ain't your grandfather's playoffs. Oh no.

For a start, it's a round robin - one played in a neutral venue to boot. Secondly, it's one from four in a scrap for the ages. And finally, because sometimes the universe is a Starblaydi-loving bitch, we're in the unquestionable Group of Death™.

Still, it could be worse; at least we avoided Eura, the team ranked seventh in the world. As it happens, the lowest-ranked team - our one-time Cyan Cup rivals Newmanistan - weren't so lucky. There but for the grace of Margaret and all that.

In the words of former manager Francisco Vazquez García, then, "back to the forge; we go again". Savojarna will be first up for the Dragons; let's hope their team is as ill-prepared as Savojar Sports' website, which is espousing their team's ability to exploit Murray Scwarzkopf and Thomas Scott - neither of which have pulled on a Krytenia jersey in anger since the first half of qualifying. With only one place at the finals up for grabs, though, both sides know nothing less than a win will suffice. Onward!

[Omerica]

|national football| |club football| |basketball| |rugby| |volleyball| |lacrosse| |tennis| |cycling| |golf|

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World Cup 83 qualification: “Don’t celebrate yet, mates, we’ve still got work to do”
Victory in Eraman keeps Omerica’s qualification dream alive, but the bloody blue playoff road to the finals will be bloody rough

Busukuma, Banija — The qualifying playoffs were always going to be rough. With twenty-four groups each putting their winners through to the World Cup finals in Equestria and Banija, only six sets of tickets would be left. With the necessity to eliminate three-quarters of group runners-up, any playoff format would be brutal.

The road here was not pretty. After keeping pace with South Covello for much of the first half of the group stage, Omerica fell hard off the wagon. With Omerica suffering three defeats in the second half of the campaign—only one of which could reasonably be forgiven—victory on the final day of the group stage was the only thing that could keep in the Incorrigibles in contention and, thanks to the machinations of the schedule, would guarantee Omerica progression to the playoffs. Luckily, the Incorrigibles were able to get the job done; Omerica took the lead early and extended before halftime, surviving a comeback from a valiant home side to take the game 3–2.

After a campaign record that would have seen the Incorrigibles eliminated in most groups, the Incorrigibles could breathe a minor sigh of relief that qualification was still a distinct possibility. No celebrations on the pitch or in the changing rooms—manager’s orders. Rather, reflection and preparation for the games ahead. “We took it home at the death,” Red Bolton stated, doing his best Captain Obvious impression. “Wasn’t the prettiest or most efficient campaign, but it got half the job done.”

As a reward for their triumph or (depending on your perspective) punishment for their failure, Omerica were drawn into playoff Group 4, which will shortly be washing over the Banijan capital Busukuma with all the blue it is humanly possible to muster. Seriously, it will all be blue. Nothing but blue. An ungodly amount of blue. There will literally* be a team wearing blue in all six games.

In short, there will be a bunch of blue in the Banijan boulevards of Busukuma.

Matchday 1 — Kelssek at Capital Grounds
Group D runners-up: 6–3–3 (22 goals scored, 19 conceded)
Thirteen-time finalists, Les Patriotes last appeared at the finals for the 55th World Cup, the longest absence among Group 4 teams. For context, the length of time between Kelssek’s last finals appearance and the lone World Cup appearance of Omerica—the team that come closest to matching Kelssek’s absence—is more than twice as long as Omerica’s current qualifying drought.

However, playing moderately attack-oriented football, they managed to escape a rough brawl with Drawkland and Osarius—two sides that have sadly crashed and burned from their glorious heights—as well as the brief challenge by New Saria (really just the Sarian with a different coat of paint). The unfortunate incompetence of their rivals led them to this stage, but their challenge to Sargossa fell off a cliff by the end: Kelssek were just a single point behind Sargossa on matchday eleven, a margin which ballooned to nine by the end. That’s a story that ought to sound familiar to Incorrigibles supporters…

They’re also the only team in the group to not be equipped by ediraf (pedant alert: ediraf should always be spelled in bold, lowercase type), but whatever. The real crime is being eligible to compete in the Independents Cup and not doing it. After all, if they can make it to the qualifying playoffs for the largest sport competition in the world, clearly they can make the IAC a touch more competitive than it is at the moment. Give us a challenge, please. D:

Matchday 2 — Savojarna at Capital Grounds
Group A runners-up: 7–2–3 (31 goals scored, 16 conceded)
Like Omerica, Savojarna have only made a solitary appeareance at the World Cup finals; unlike Omerica, they’ve done it fairly recently, being among the last thirty-two at EqueStar. Like Omerica, they lost three games in the main stage of qualifying; unlike Omerica, they actually managed to win a majority of their games. Like Omerica, they conceded sixteen goals in the main stage; unlike Omerica they actually managed to score more than two goals per game (on average).

The lone team in this group to have qualified for the finals in the last decade, they’d ideally like to extend the Incorrigibles’ run of failure to a solid two decade conga of disappointment and humiliation. They also had the lead in their qualifying group right up until the very last match: Mriin came within striking distance of the Savojars after defeating them in their final main stage game, leaving the 32nd-ranked team powerless as the goats on boats bested Zealandiana 4–2 to claim top spot for the first time in the campaign—with bonus points for doing it at the only time that matters.

Savojarna and Omerica play in superficially similar styles, with four players in two front lines contributing to the attack and two midfielders deeper down the field, at least one of whom plays box-to-box. Both feature a lot of movement between positions, with the exact shape both teams take being highly situational. The major difference is that the Savojars focus on physical prowess, whereas the Omericans make more effort to master the technical aspects—most notably the Omerican favourite: set pieces. We imagine they’ll be conceding a lot of those.

Matchday 3 — Krytenia at Lukwago Field
Group G runners-up: 8–2–2 (34 goals scored, 25 conceded)
The most prolific qualifiers in the group, West Starblaydia Krytenia have made 38 appearances in the finals, though none since the 76th edition in Ceni and Electrum. Krytenia danced toe-to-toe with Mercedini the whole way through the group stage, losing out on an automatic place on a tiebreak. And here we were thinking that an undefeated team being drawn with a top-ten side would be justifiably peeved about missing the finals…

The only side not to primarily feature a shade of royal blue on their home strip, the Kryties play the most unapologetically attacking football in the group. Manager Alexander Sampson took over in the middle of a match and, despite some hiccoughs at AOCAF, established the Dragons as a side that is Pretty Good™. While (contrary to popular belief) they’ve not had the services of the unflappable Murray Scwarzkopf or Thomas Scott for virtual eons, they recovered from a slow start to start trading the lead with Mercedini a couple times by the end and if they had scored a single goal more against the Golden Eagles, they’d already be in the World Cup finals and Mercedini would be fighting in this group.

So, thank god they didn’t, we guess… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Mercedini would perhaps be the only opponents more terrifying than Krytenia, though they’d ruin the consistent blue motif. But Krytenia are plenty intimidating on their own, so it’s not worth much. Let’s take the advice of every Nepharim after the 74th World Cup final (remember when we beat the world champions…) and not re-roll the dice on the reality we’ve been dealt.

This group is easy at all. Even Newmanistan, Hapilopper and Reçueçn over are formidable opponents in this vicious, winners-take-all, no-second-chances format. Anyone could qualify from these groups, if we’re being honest—except Abanhfleft, of course. Only time shall tell which shade of blue reigns supreme.

*EDITOR’S NOTE: We advised the author against using the term “literally”, but dropped our objections after finding out that all three teams wear some shade of blue at home. We apologise for any burst blood vessels you may have experienced. ⚜️

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For your reading pleasure
▶ “I stick out like a bloody sore thumb”: The experiences of the Krytenians making the trip to Banija for the qualifying playoffs
▶ Get ready, Seafoam Islanders: United Republican Soccer Federation confirm a friendly against Qusmo at the Seafoam Athletic Park
▶ “I’d like it here if there was coffee”: Omericans flock to Busukuma ahead of a long-awaited chance to return to the World Cup finals
▶ COUNTERPOINTS: Let’s all go to Atlantian Oceania… and just never leave — what Omericans can gain and lose by defecting from the IAC

United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, AM 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA

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Eraman 2–3 Omerica
World Cup 83 qualifying group stage — Matchday Fourteen
Old Sample, Sampleville, Eraman
Goalscorers: Anri Limus 41’, 68’; Édouard Bouchard 26’, 81’ – Red Bolton 30’
Omerica line-up: Drew Durant; Julie Boulos – Aristide de Felice – Charity Kayode – Fernand Michelakakis; John Soares – Elise Bianchi; Clemente Affini – Red Bolton (captain) – Maria Nelissen; Édouard Bouchard
Substitutions: de Felice > Emily Michelakis (51’) – Michelakakis > Marine Roldan (60’)

Omerica v Kelssek
World Cup 83 qualifying playoffs — Matchday One
Capital Grounds, Busukuma, Banija
Omerica line-up: Drew Durant; Julie Boulos – Aristide de Felice – Charity Kayode – Fernand Michelakakis; John Soares – Elise Bianchi; Clemente Affini – Red Bolton (captain) – Maria Nelissen; Édouard Bouchard

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[Brusseldorf]

LOS ALREDEDORES MAKE HISTORY

Brusseldorfen football fans will be jubilant this morning as they wake up to find Los Alrededores sitting in a playoff booth. In only their second run at the World Cup, the national team has the opportunity to make finals. Celebrations have ramped up following a miraculous series of tiebreaker matches, which required Brusseldorf to win, and international upstarts Tornado Queendom to finally taste defeat. The qualifiers have also seen the rise of new national relations, with Brusseldorf and Sajnur deciding that both their equally matched teams would make great rivals heading into the future. The Brusseldorfen kitmaker also extended a hand of friendship, putting forth concepts for Sajnur’s consideration.


An ecstatic Boronia scores a goal for his country

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Mario Sánchez smiled. Not a small, hidden smile, but a massive beaming grin. It was the first time he’d smiled in a few days. Los Alrededores was his life, and it had looked like it was all going fall down. But miracles were definitely abound. His prayers had been answered. For the first time in history, Los Alrededores had made it to playoffs.

[Crystal Ponies]

The Crystal Empire of Equestria
World Cup 83 - Qualifying Playoff Sites

Introduction

The Crystal Empire is a member country of the Equestrian States, located in southwestern Atlantian Oceania, occupying the northern quarter of Equestrian sub-continent. The nation is inhabited primarily by Crystal Ponies, as well as several other species which thrive in the country's arctic climate. Despite the Crystal Empire's inhospitable environment, the Empire's natives are exceptionally kind and welcoming, even when compared to their southern Equestrian neighbors. The Crystal Empire is presently ruled by the Crystal Princess, Cadance, who is an adopted member of the Equestrian Royal Family and currently is serving as the President of the World Cup Committee.

Crystopolis

The capital city of the Crystal Empire, Crystopolis is also the nation's largest population center. The city is built in a symmetrical pattern around the Crystal Palace, a towering spire several hundred meters in height, which serves as the Princess's personal home and the seat of the Imperial government.

Crystopolis will host all Playoff Group 1 matches.

Venues
Imperial Arena (cap. 69,740) in Crystopolis, CRY - Club: Crystopolis City - Hosting: 1v4 (MD1), 1v2 (MD2), 2v4 (MD3)
Crystopolis Coliseum (cap. 35,870) in Crystopolis, CRY - Club: Crystal Fair HC - Hosting: 2v3 (MD1), 4v3 (MD2), 3v1 (MD3)

Crystal City

Crystal City is the Crystal Empire's second-largest city, located in the country's far north, is home to many of the Empire's mines for precious stones and natural resources. Crystal City also has one of the Empire's largest non-equine populations as a result of foreigners immigrating to seek their fortune in the city.

Crystal City will host all Playoff Group 2 matches.

Venues
Heartland Stadium (cap. 46,750) in Crystal City, CRY - Club: Crystal City United - Hosting: 1v4 (MD1), 1v2 (MD2), 2v4 (MD3)
Ruby Point (cap. 21,485) in Crystal City, CRY - Club: Sporting Crystal City - Hosting: 2v3 (MD1), 4v3 (MD2), 3v1 (MD3)

[Busoga Islands]

Team Dressing Room before Main Nation Ministry match

Berihu Abeselome walked around this dressing room. Returning to the Crystal Empire- a nation where he had spent the majority of his professional playing career. But to come back to this country with these kind of stakes, at this kind of level? It was an intense moment of feelings for him. Now, of course, Ruby Point was not Crystalopolis City- no, it was in the smaller Crystal City, playing at a stadium that was in the second tier of the United Hoofball Association's legendary 10 tier professional pyramid.

The Busoga Islanders, though the lowest ranked team in this group both on points earned in World Cup Qualifying, and in the actual KPB rankings, did have a slight advantage- there was a lot more familiarity with the Crystal Empire on this team than with any of the other three sides in this group- Ethane, Chromatika, and the Main Nation Ministry. Not to mention, the nation was flat out closer- the Buosga Islands already resided in the Glorious Southwest. Chromatika was elsewhere within Atlantian Oceania, while both Ethane and Main Nation Ministry came from other regions entirely.

After Abeselome sat down, it was Starfire who would walk to the center of the circle. It was a big moment for her, just as it was for many on the team. There would be a trio of Equestrian managers in these Finals- the managers of Banija, Apox, and the Equestrian States were all Equestrian, and she wanted to join her national compatriots at the sport's biggest tournament. It was, naturally, a big moment- if her country sent four managers to the World Cup? THat'd be something. And hers would be the biggest accomplishment of all, of course- taking a nation to the Finals that had never been there, from the 92nd rank.

That was unlikely, however- the cut throat nature of the playoffs that would certainly be entertaining, but leave little margin for error. With only the group winner going to the finals from each group, the intensity and entertainment would be great for the bottom line. But not just talents would matter here. The pressure was immense on each side- which team could play the mental game properly? Not get rattled? The margin for error in a group like this was absolutely miniscule, and players would be on edge, knowing that just a single mistake could ensure their trip to the Cup of Harmony, as opposed to Banija and Equestria.

"Guys, when the media talks about backing into the playoffs, know this- they're full of bullshit." Said Starfire. "There's no such thing as backing your way in- we earned it fair and square. Forget about our last three games, forget about the qualifying campaign- we have three games to prove that we belong on this stage. And let me tell you, we absolutely do. We've got some tough games coming up. But this is the playoffs! We should be excited. That stadium has so many Islander fans there, making the short journey. Just remember- go out there, stay disciplined, and play your heart out for them. Those kids who look up to you, who believe in you- we were written off at the beginning of qualifying, and we'll be written off here, as well."

"That doesn't matter. We know we can go toe to toe with anyone. We've done it with Vilita on three occasions- our last match notwithstanding. Who says we can't beat the Main Nation Ministry? Let's go out and prove it, let's show the world what the Islands are all about!" The team put their hands in a circle, did a team cheer, and then the knock on the door was heard. The starters were wanted to lineup, and the mascots were waiting. The team went out, feeling nervous but excited for this opportunity in Crystal City...

[New Cloudsdale]

The Sky Colony of New Cloudsdale
World Cup 83 - Qualifying Playoff Sites

New Cloudsdale is an overseas territory of Equestria, located far to the southwest in the corner of Atlantian Oceania. Much like Cloudsdale, the Equestrian city which the territory is named after, New Cloudsdale is a cloud city and primarily inhabited by pegasi and other creatures with the ability to cloud-walk. For non-cloud-walking visitors, enchanted amulets are provided free of charge prior to arrival. The city-state's primary purpose is as an inter-regional travel hub, as well as one of Equestria's first lines of defense against foreign invaders. Thus, New Cloudsdale is home to a large contingent of Royal Armed Forces serviceponies.

New Cloudsdale will host all Playoff Group 3 matches.

Venues
Atlantian Coliseum (cap. 39,500) in New Cloudsdale, NCL - Club: New Cloudsdale Colonists - Hosting: 1v4 (MD1), 1v2 (MD2), 2v4 (MD3)
Southlook Stadium (cap. 9,639) in New Cloudsdale, NCL - Club: Storm Point Sentinels - Hosting: 2v3 (MD1), 4v3 (MD2), 3v1 (MD3)

[Chromatika]

Recap of Matchday 14: Euran Oceanic Territories 2-1 Chromatika
Goals: Sierra '52
Starting XI: Ria; McBee - Anderson - Ibex - Damjana; Thorben - Limones - Dias - Conrad; Sierra (C) - Bird.
Substitutes: Han -> Conrad ('48), Will -> Ibex ('62), Vidal -> Bird ('77)
Recap: Chromatika fell flat on the last matchday as the Expats were able to take a victory.

---

Chromatik Team Statistics Through Qualifying
Green Players to be Starters in Playoff Group Stage
Orange Players to be Reserves in Playoff Group Stage

GOALKEEPERS
GK Jillian Nier   Caps: 4 Minutes: 360 Goals Allowed: 6
GK Mia Ria        Caps: 5 Minutes: 450 Goals Allowed: 10
GK Nova Williams  Caps: 3 Minutes: 270 Goals Allowed: 3

RIGHT BACKS
RB Olivia An     Caps: 4 Minutes: 237
RB Aoife Ruth    Caps: 6 Minutes: 393
RB Zheide McBee  Caps: 6 Minutes: 450

CENTER BACKS
CB Heri de Aea      Caps: 8 Mintues: 607
CB Yeri Ibex        Caps: 7 Minutes: 561
CB Kattie Will      Caps: 6 Minutes: 454
CB Cierra Anderson  Caps: 7 Minutes: 338

LEFT BACKS
LB Valence Ilya  Caps: 4 Minutes: 360
LB Aysu Damjana  Caps: 6 Minutes: 487 Goals: 1
LB Miles Austic  Caps: 5 Minutes: 243

RIGHT MIDFIELDERS
RM Molly Thorben  Caps: 8 Minutes: 534 Goals: 1
RM Whitney Kelly  Caps: 5 Minutes: 223 Goals: 1
RM Laure Etienne  Caps: 4 Minutes: 284

CENTER MIDFIELDERS
CM Hermaeus Mora      Caps: 5 Minutes: 375
CM Mimi Kuzami        Caps: 5 Minutes: 371
CM Enigma Armageddon  Caps: 4 Minutes: 255
CM Alyss Montague     Caps: 5 Minutes: 450 Goals: 3
CM Kai Dias           Caps: 5 Minutes: 368
CM Drew Limones       Caps: 4 Minutes: 341

LEFT MIDFIELDERS
LM Jazmin Dragana       Caps: 3 Minutes: 239 Goals: 1
LM Xi Xe                Caps: 3 Minutes: 113
LM Retta Conrad         Caps: 8 Minutes: 481 Goals: 5
LM Ga-yeong Han         Caps: 3 Minutes: 153
LM Andrea Croix-Pierre  Caps: 3 Minutes: 94

STRIKERS
ST Keira Andisori      Caps: 5 Minutes: 442 Goals: 2
ST Kaytlyn Victoriane  Caps: 5 Minutes: 340 Goals: 7
ST Rowena Sierra       Caps: 6 Minutes: 297 Goals: 3
ST Miranda Gail        Caps: 2 Minutes: 112 Goals: 2
ST Olympia Vidal       Caps: 7 Minutes: 394 Goals: 3
ST Beaunia Andisori    Caps: 4 Minutes: 308 Goals: 4
ST Victorina Bird      Caps: 3 Minutes: 257 Goals: 1

Notes:

1. Aoife Ruth takes over starting right back spot.
Ruth, who had two more appearances during the qualifying cycle, showed better poise when working under pressure, leading to this change. Olivia An seems to have taken the decision in stride, as she and An are good friends.

2. Aysu Damjana works best off the bench.
Valence Ilya has really stepped up his efforts, and Damjana has been really helping him.

3. Alyss Montague still has some left to give.
The Chromatik vet will be in the Starting Lineup against Ethane, and she really deserves it off of the set piece prowess and the pace she sets.

4. Retta Conrad maybe Chromatiks' future at left midfield.
She has really taken the media and populace by force, and will have a chance to really cement it.

5. Beanuia Andisori rounds the roster out instead of Miranda Gail.
Gail has been hobbled of an right ankle injury for three matches or so; the younger Andisori has been far more busy. This isn't a death knell for Lightning's national team hopes, but maybe just not this cycle.

---

Playoff Group Day 1: Ethane vs. Chromatika
Starting XI: Nier; Ruth - de Aea - Ibex - Ilya; Thorben - Mora - Montague - Dragana; Andisori, K. (C) - Victoriane.
Preview: Rather cutthroat matches ahead. Only the winner qualifies. First stop? Ethane.

[Eura]

emplor.eur/main/sport/football
PLAYOFF GROUP BECKONS FOR UNDER PRESSURE EURA
Senior players look to regain form as Brandon admits his job is on the line
Report by our Euran international team correspondent Isabel Haynes

After what so far must be Eura’s most underwhelming World Cup qualifying campaign in decades, the national team face a gruelling, winner takes all playoff group against three other teams to qualify for the World Cup. How did Eura get here and what awaits them in the upcoming showdown to scrape into the final tournament?

When the initial draw was made for qualifying for the 83rd World Cup, most commentators felt Eura had been handed a favourable outcome. Ko-oren had been a tough opponent in the past and Dreamplanet could play, but there was little serious consideration of the possibility of Eura failing to qualify. This was despite the unusually short group schedule – only 12 games – and Eura drawing a lot of games during qualifying for the previous campaign. Instead there was a sense of optimism, especially after a strong debut campaign for Michael Brandon and his team in the Copa Rushmori, soured only by an anti-climactic and undeserved defeat in the final to Pasarga. Early results bore good tidings with wins over Torisakia, Dreamplanet and Western Bjornaic, interrupted only by a draw with Freeport. Underwood and Sharp were already in the goals along with several midfielders. So far so good was the consensus opinion after the first four games and the arrival of Monica Rowland from Nephara seemed to boost morale even further.

The penultimate game of the first half of qualifying was a key home tie against second seeds Ko-oren. Eura were the better team but were set up with the wrong tactics to break down a solid away side, and spurned numerous golden chances to win. A 2-2 draw left Eura three points adrift of Ko-oren, although with a game in hand it was in their hands to take top spot. They travelled to Flavovespia, second bottom of the group, and took a second half lead through Rowland’s second goal for her “new” country. Eura did not find another goal and were punished in the 88th minute by a gut wrenching equaliser for the home side. It was not the first time Eura have suffered an unexpected draw or defeat to a much lower seed in qualifying, but in every previous instance they had recovered quickly. Michael Brandon appeared unperturbed. At this stage there were elements of frustration appearing in many publications including this one. However there was still no real awareness of what was to come.

Next Eura travelled to Torisakia hoping to complete a double over them. Instead they were caught off guard by their opponent’s confidence and aggression. Torisakia’s deadly duo of Jordan Kallian and Tide Wallace embarrassed Eura’s supposedly world class defence and went into the break 2-0 up having also missed a penalty. The visitors dragged themselves back into it pretty quickly with a neat Dion Underwood goal. It was looking like classic Eura; concede a silly goal or two, come back anyway to outscore the opposition and win. Their opponents had no intention of following that script. They went 3-1 up with half an hour left leaving the prospect of a Euran victory looking very remote. It took a heroic intervention from Oscar Coltrane to save the game, the kind of unstoppable performance that is all too rare now from the veteran Sabrefell Athletic midfielder. He assisted Townsend for the second Euran goal before netting the equaliser himself from outside the area.

What had previously been a wobble was now officially a cause for concern with Brandon admitting in interviews that his side’s performances had been “short of the standard Eura expects”. Memories were fresh of Eura’s litany of draws under Daniel Belgrave in the last qualifying campaign. Many began to ask if Brandon had actually changed much for the better. He publicly hit out at these claims, an unusual outburst from the ever calm Nepharim, perhaps expecting that things would get better rather than worse. Eura hosted Dreamplanet in Bastion, having beaten them 4-3 away, desperately requiring a win to right the ship. One half passed without a goal despite a number of good chances for both sides. Brandon dropped the 4-5-1 at half time and brought on Sharp for Griffiths. This seemed to work – Sharp ran the offside trap expertly in the 51st minute and buried it, putting Eura 1-0 in front. Dreamplanet countered and Eura, historically so good even compared to other very successful teams at burying games like this one, faltered far quicker than anyone could have imagined. A dreadful mix up in positioning between Ben Hall and Charles Roberts allowed Luis Silva to lob the ball over the former and score an equaliser. With only minutes remaining of the game and as Eura poured forward, the latter was robbed in midfield, allowing a pass to Silva who assisted Miguel Benedito for an unlikely winner.

Full time at the Bastion Arena brought a chorus of boos for Eura that had not been heard for years. Indeed, this run of form was unprecedented. With the next game it became record breaking. On the road to Freeport the Euran’s drew 2-2. Thorn Bristle and Torvald Royle had given the home side a shock 2-0 lead before Eura drew level through Underwood and the increasingly influential Brian Bond. A win was on the table when Eura won a late penalty, but Liam Armstrong is no Sam Needle. Just as he did against Free Republics in an infamous World Cup knockout defeat, he rattled the post with his effort leaving Eura winless in five games. The impact of this result cannot be understated. Conversations about Eura struggling to take the automatic qualification spot had given way to anxious, head in hands nightmares of Eura not even making the playoffs. For the first time Brandon genuinely looked dejected in his press conference. There was no hiding it anymore. Sensationalist coverage dominated the airwaves for days. Even the much heralded Directus Post resorted to a headline that actually read “EURAGEDDON”.

Those readers of a foreign persuasion will need context to explain why this result was followed by what can only be reasonably described as a moral panic in the Euran press and public. This was the first time that Eura had failed to win five WCC sanctioned fixtures in a row (or at least five qualifiers) in about thirty years. Having only won three of nine qualifiers, they were now fighting tooth and nail to save a playoff spot against Dreamplanet and Freeport, while Ko-oren were cruising nine points clear at the top of the group. A complete exit from the qualifying stage at the first hurdle was now a realistic possibility for the first time in recent memory. Eura have now been on a long run of consecutive qualifications stretching back to their very first, the 60th World Cup, threatened only a handful of times by needing to win knock out playoffs rather than qualifying automatically. There are few comparable runs of consistent qualification that we know of, although the record for such a run must lie with one of the old great footballing nations like Valanora or the Holy Empire.

That first qualification for the 60th World Cup is a memory that is the subject of national folklore, and it’s vital to understanding why the prospect of failure to reach the main tournament has shocked Eura’s public discourse so deeply. Having attempted and failed to qualify just over half a dozen times before that, Eura not only qualified but went all the way to the final. They lost there to the Holy Empire but Lee Sharp’s Golden Boot winning goal tally, the heroism of figures like Belgrave and captain Steve Thompson, and dumping out so many favoured countries on the way inspired Eura to become the huge footballing force that we arguably are today. It announced a behemoth of a nation to the world stage. The country has been through a traumatic war and several Prime Minister’s since then, yet it has also become more influential and richer than ever before, progress accompanied by a footballing revolution that has catapulted the national team and league to vaunted status in the game. Eura has become everything it dreamed of, and football has become a proxy for its global image.

Fans of less fortunate nations will no doubt sneer at the Euran meltdown over a few dropped points. How could such a country lose so much sleep over one potential trip to the Cup of Harmony? To be fair, they are not wrong to point out the emotionally charged absurdity of it all. It is a measure of how spoiled Euran fans have been for so long that the very idea of failing to qualify for the World Cup should elicit such horror and panic. This is especially the case when their team has been possibly the most successful in the world since their debut World Cup, bar maybe Vilita - twenty three consecutive World Cup appearances and five finals, winning two, a record that is hardly a cause for regret. Nevertheless the remarkable reaction to Eura’s qualifying perils runs a lot deeper than being brought back down to earth. After all, Euran’s have gotten used to other kinds of disappointment such as “bottling” in the World Cup and Copa Rushmori - Brenecia to South Covello, Electrum to Savojarna – all and more have been the messenger of Eura’s misfortunes at some point. But more importantly it suggests that for Euran’s, failing to qualify would represent a regression to a bygone era both in footballing terms and in the wider national story, and a departure from the confident and powerful Eura they know today.

All of this history and sentiment is why what others might have seen as a bad run was something of an existential crisis for Euran football. A win was an absolute necessity in the next game. Fortunately their next opponents were bottom of the group Western Bjornaic. Normally Eura rotate their side against teams like Western Bjornaic. Not on this occasion. They played full strength and although they were not at their best, Eura won out 3-1 with goals from Griffiths, Underwood and the newly converted Rowland, starting for the first time and making an enormous difference as a leadership figure. Suddenly the group table looked healthier. Results went Eura’s way on the following bye matchday with Freeport and Dreamplanet dropping points. Then came another shock. It was not the result that was the problem. Eura earned a goalless draw away at runaway group winners Ko-oren. A win was really needed but this was theoretically the hardest fixture of qualifying. It was results elsewhere that caused such mirth. Dreamplanet’s revival had been dashed against the rocks by previous results, yet Freeport were somehow still going strong, winning their penultimate game to put themselves in control, a point clear with one game left. If Freeport won their final game, it was out of Eura’s hands.

Assistant manager Tom Riley handled the pre-match media ahead of the final game against Flavovespia. Michael Brandon was conspicuous by his absence from the pre-match press conference. It was however understandable, as he was taking extra time to prepare his team for the most important game of his time in charge of the national team. When the players walked out into the Bastion Arena they were greeted by one of the most roaring receptions the stadium has seen. All of the criticism and fury was still simmering in the background somewhere. That could wait until another day. On this particular evening, Eura was united. Brandon reverted to 4-2-3-1 and instructed his players to make war on Flavovespia. The visitors did not relent even though they were out of contention for qualifying themselves. They thwarted Eura at every turn and, not for the first time in this qualifying campaign, the gritty underdogs took a demoralising lead against the lumbering first seeds. Flavovespia captain Steven Hall had scored the equaliser in the opposite tie that had knocked Eura off track in the first place, and this time he turned provider with a cross that was headed in by Scott Coleman. At half time Brandon blinked and brought on Rowland for Talbot hoping to change the game. The second half promised to be a nail biting affair with Eura needing two goals at least.

Every minute that passed without a Euran goal seemed to confirm the worst fears of every blue and gold heart watching. Deliverance sometimes has to come from the unlikeliest of avenues and that was the case in this situation. From an apparently harmless Townsend corner that was firmly headed away, out of form centre back Charles Roberts chested the ball down and lashed a total rocket of a volley into the top left hand corner. The least likely scorer other than Eura’s goalkeeper had changed the game. Minutes later, Eura came forward again, full of confidence with Rowland now driving the midfield relentlessly. Right back Scott Coles sent in a tantalising back post cross that Underwood couldn’t reach, and substitute Bond was there to powerfully push the ball in off the inside of his left foot from close range. Flavovespia tried their best to re-establish themselves in the game and created a couple of chances that induced nervous silence from the Euran crowd. Eventually Eura’s increased pressure told once more. Coltrane hustled his way through the box and maybe got a bit lucky to win the penalty, but a penalty it was, and he had no trouble sending David Meehan the wrong way from the spot. Before the final whistle had even blown, news filtered through that Freeport had failed to beat Dreamplanet. Eura had finished second in the group after all.

The qualifying stage of this World Cup has been nothing short of torture for Eura’s loyal following so far. Eura finished second in Group M with only five wins from twelve games, which is not a record that can be defended by anyone, not that they have tried. Serious reservations remain over large swathes of the squad and their mentality. Previously reliable players like Talbot, Blake, Griffiths and others have come under intense scrutiny. Of the players to feature regularly over the twelve games only a handful have come away with their reputations enhanced – Bond continues to be a revelation and Rowland is already being credited with a key role in turning things around. It also remains to be seen whether or not Eura’s late recovery in the last few games was the beginning of a real revival to qualify via the playoffs or nothing more than a stay of execution for a later date. All these thoughts will be playing on the mind of Michael Brandon right now as Eura prepare for an intense three game playoff group to decide who will win the remaining qualifying spots to the World Cup, based on neutral ground in three different cities in the Hebrew Republic.

In an interview after the previous game Eura’s manager was strangely sanguine about what his team have to do to reach the World Cup off the back of a tumultuous qualifying campaign. ‘We’ve got to play three games, and in my book we have to win all of them to be sure of anything. Our guys learned that the hard way against Sargossa at the last World Cup, it’s basically the same setting now. You win one you won’t qualify, you win two you might, you win three you’re sorted. That is the attitude we have to take. There’s no point over analysing things beyond what’s in front of us.’ Awaiting Eura in this playoff group are three challenging opponents who cannot be underestimated. First up will be Mytanija, or as Euran’s have come to know it Mytannion, to be played in Caesaria. It’s always been a fascinating Rushmore derby and on this occasion the stakes are all the more significant. Next will be Newmanistan, playing Eura in the breadbasket city of Novo Aros. They are the lowest ranking team in the group by far but repeatedly upended expectations in their qualifying group making them a potentially formidable opponent. In the final game Eura must face Saltstead in the Hebrew Republic’s capital city of Zion. Saltstead are a side with proven pedigree in recent years and to beat them Eura will need to be on top form.

Any inklings of team news have been few and far between ahead of the first game against Mytanija with Brandon keeping a tight leash on his players and imposing an informal media blackout. However there is a reasonable expectation that the usual back four will start, possibly only Stanley Burns breaking through ahead of Ben Hall, and that Rowland will start ahead of Talbot. Many voices on social media have been pleading for Bond to start ahead of Griffiths or as part of a front two with Underwood. It is unlikely though that Brandon will start with two forwards after experiences earlier in this campaign. He has shown no sign that his Eura team will not persist with their current version of 4-2-3-1 and based on Brandon’s previous record any abrupt or radical tactical changes remain unlikely. Instead he may opt to shake things up by playing more experienced players due to the high level of pressure to get a result in the upcoming matches. Eura will be only too aware that they are seen by others as a beatable scalp at the moment, and that to restore the fear factor they sometimes create, the entire squad will need to up their game from recent performances. Senior players will need to lead the way to achieve this. The likes of Coltrane, Underwood, Coles will be required to step up above all others and show their country what they are made of.

[Banija]

This is a song about the last year that a team from outside the Old Firm won the Scottish Premier League... Can you take a guess for which year this is?.

[Equestrian States]

WORLD CUP 83
EQUESTRIA & BANIJA

Playoff Groups 1-3 - Match Day 1 Cutoff

Have some cutoff tunes.

Results