AOCAF Cup LIX - Everything Thread

[Hapilopper]

The Crownlands, Manehattan, Equestria
82 minutes into the Hapilopper-Equestria match (if you want to call it that)
Pristina Shine had just fired one into the back of the net late in what could loosely be considered a match between the top-ranked team in the region (and possibly the world), Equestria and the upstarts, Hapilopper. The score was now 8-1 in Equestria’s favor, and goalkeeper Cooter Harris was having none of it. He was sick and tired of having goal after goal go into his net. This was the fault of everyone else, god damn it, and he was being made to be the fall guy!

Recently, Cooter had experienced some crises of confidence, stemming back to the last World Cup qualifier, followed up by a debacle in the Cup of Harmony, and let’s not even talk about that Champions Cup where the HNFT was treated as a mere punching bag by teams like Vilita and the like. A lot of the blame had been pointed squarely at his shoulders, and the fact he had been named the starting goalkeeper for the AOCAF was too much for a lot of Hapiloppians. Now, it was payback time.

As Pristina and the rest of the Equestrian team were celebrating yet another goal, Cooter picked up the ball from the back of the net and fired it at her head as hard as he could throw it. The rest of the HNFT rushed over to calm Cooter down, but to no avail. Months of frustration had boiled over into this moment.

Fortunately, the ball missed Pristina’s head by inches, but the point was made. Cooter wasn’t going to take it anymore. Ernie Stevenson, Sweet Stan Long and Colt Delaney (who was completely unrelated to any of the Equestrian players) had to hold Cooter back, while other members of the HNFT had to profusely apologize to the team from Equestria for this sterling performance from a normally level-headed, mild-mannered gentleman. But it got worse. The referee showed Cooter the red card, and it was all the three players could do to keep him from charging at the referee.

“What is wrong with you?” Ernie asked. “Christ, it’s not like we’re playing some group of scrubs, we’re playing the World Cup champs!”

“Oh, like that’s some kind of excuse?” Cooter snapped. “We’re supposed to be on their level! God damn it, Ernie!”

Cooter shoved Ernie to the ground as he stormed back to the locker room. Ernie got up, composed himself and went over to head coach Thom Perkins, who could only shake his head at what he was seeing. It was clear that Cooter Harris was in the middle of a full-fledged meltdown in front of over 90,000 fans in the beautiful Crownlands Stadium. This wasn’t just a temper tantrum. This was a full-fledged level-seven meltdown being aired on live TV.

The team played the last few minutes with 10 men and Colt Delaney in the net. Colt made several key saves to keep the match from going 9-1, but it’s not like it mattered anyway. Equestria had mopped the floor with Hapilopper.

When the team came back to the locker room, they found the place an absolute mess. Chairs had been thrown. A glass table had been smashed. A wall had been punched in. Food and drinks splattered all over the locker room, and a trail of blood leading to the showers. That’s where they found Cooter, sitting in the showers, water running, blood pouring from his right foot.

“The FUCK are you doing?” Thom asked.

“I can’t take it anymore,” Cooter shouted with the zeal of a homicidal maniac, his voice getting louder and louder with every syllable. “I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

The room got deathly quiet. The players and the coaching staff realized that Cooter had absolutely snapped. The mental anguish associated with giving up that many goals and losing the matches he had lost was just too much for him. He had put so many high expectations on himself, and he had failed them.

As medical personnel tended to Cooter’s foot, it became clear that he would be out, at least for the group stage of the AOCAF and maybe beyond. There was serious talk that Cooter would even be kicked off the HNFT. He nearly was during the Cup of Harmony, and this represented his last chance. Now he had blown that chance, and his future seemed extremely cloudy.

(OOC: Xanneria (who owns Cult of MB) suggested to me earlier the idea of the Cult of MB being a bakery fronting a weird cult located in Hapilopper.)
Motherbread’s, Upper Perimeter Road, Pinkerton City, Hapilopper
The same time
Two of the three drivers from Team Blue, Taylor Henderson and Frank Bronson, as well as team consultant Chet Byrd, had just parked at a Motherbread Bakery for a lunch break while the team was testing at the nearby speedway in Pinkerton in preparation for the next NSSCRA season. Most everyone from Team Blue loved Motherbread Bakery and the bread they produced. They just didn’t know what went on behind the scenes, and frankly, that was for the better. So consequently, none of the three suspected anything when they saw a note on the door.

“It’s closed,” Taylor said.

“What do you mean it’s closed?” Frank replied. “Usually they’re packed around lunchtime.”

“The note here,” Taylor explained. “It says ‘Closed until further notice, personal reasons.’ I wonder what those personal reasons are.”

“An entire restaurant closes for personal reasons? That’s messed up,” Chet said. “I wonder if someone died in the store or something.”

Nobody suspected anything, and the three drove across the street to Whackadoo’s, a popular local eatery in the Pinkerton area renowned for their Breakfast in a Cup and some real good fried chicken. It was there that Chet picked up a Pinkerton Daily Times, which led this day’s paper with a story about declining graduation rates in the city’s two high schools.

As he sat at the table, a random individual, who looked to be around Chet’s age, decked out in the colors of Northern Pinkerton High School, saw the newspaper and went on a tirade at Chet.

“Can you believe they had the audacity to run that story today?” the man shouted, an obvious Pinkerton drawl coming out. “I mean, of all the days, today! I tell you, they’re making us all look bad!”

“Why? What’s today?” Chet asked.

The man’s eyes got real wide. Frank and Taylor looked at each other and then at the man, who was about to go in a rage.

“What the hell do you mean what’s today?” the man shouted. “This is the biggest day of the year! The most important moment in those kids’ lives! The most important thing those kids will ever be in! How can you not know what’s today? You some Hapilopper City boy or something?”

“Uh, we’re just here for business,” Frank chimed in. “Is it some football game or something?”

“Is it some football game,” the man mockingly responded. “It’s Northern and Southern! The Pinkerton Classic! Y’all are new here.”

“Just curious,” Frank said, slightly put off. “We’re just in town for a test. Do you know what’s going on with Motherbread’s? Said they were closed for personal reasons.”

“Those weirdos? Who knows. Maybe something about their bread or something.” the man said before walking off and ranting that these interlopers from Hapilopper City had no idea about the big football game between Northern Pinkerton High and Southern Pinkerton High.

“So, gang, tell me,” Chet said, trying not to laugh. “You ever knew anyone that peaked in high school?”

Taylor and Frank laughed.

“Shit, I don’t even keep track of anyone I went to high school with,” Frank chuckled.

“My ex-boyfriend was a football star in high school but he couldn’t get in college,” Taylor replied. “So now he works at a Mel’s unloading things from trucks.”

“Man, I’d hate to be that way,” Chet chuckled. “He have any ambitions?”

“Hell, I don’t know,” she replied.

[Dogsmouth]

Well. It was better than she was expecting, there's no denying that. Meredyth was sat at the top of Caldwell's bleachers, which weren't terribly high, but feel terribly lonely after everyone clears out. Taking care to keep her cigarette as dry as anything can be in this weather, she glared up and down the empty pitch.

There was never any question about the end result. There couldn't have been. The Vilitans and Turorians weren't phased by the rain or the mud in the slightest, finding a clinical finish before ten minutes were up. News didn't spread quickly in Dogsmouth, but everyone was keeping an ear out about this whole "AOCAF" thing, and Hapilopper's complete destruction at the hooves of the ponies had made its rounds. There'd been a primal fear of each Dogi in the stands that this match would go the same way, and by quality it probably should have. But it seemed the cove-ers may have been cowed, just a bit--upon closer inspection, despite their still ostensibly high rankings, Turori had dropped drastically in the last cycle. And the Vilitan champion high had likely run out, while the Equestrians were certainly still high on that. So they held back, and the score wasn't run up as everyone trudged around miserably. Amelia had done some good work covering ground and preventing some of the 'free' chances you expect to see an unranked nation give out, and Cynthia did manage a shot on goal. That it was well-handled by the keeper didn't matter much, it was the one chance the home team got to cheer. That it took them another hour to find the second goal--it was a mercy.

A few errant squawks broke her out of her reverie. "Fucking hell, are they nesting here again?" she muttered, crushing out the cigarette and making her way down. The bleachers were built atop an old wooden structure, and while the town council always makes sure it's structurally sound it's had a few... aesthetic holes worn into it. Crows were a constant nuisance in Barkham, giant ones that could abscond with pets and ruin gardens. And sure enough--once she'd rounded out back--there was the distinctive smattering of straw with a pair of beady red eyes glaring from the darkness. "Now I've got to get Mira out here to scare 'em off. Just what I needed today."

With a sigh, she set off. The animal control-slash-pet store was halfway across town, but they'd still be open at this hour and that's a problem that really needs to get fixed ASAP. And the really good steakhouse that never closes their goddamn windows is on the way. She'll have to find a way to keep her mind off that. Who the fuck were they playing next? Visiting Bolgano, right? That's the make or break game of this tourney, as far as she was concerned. Two unknown backwaters going at it, and if they could overcome being away--their first away game, after a who-knows-how-long flight--well, that'd be a big milestone. And it'd be just about the only thing they could achieve that puts them in the range of 'had a good tournament.' There wasn't much more they could do to prepare, aside from the usual drills. No takeaways to take away from today's game. Playing stronger opposition to learn from how they exploit your faults--it's a core part of any competitive thing, of course. But when the gaps are that big there's nothing constructive to be gleamed. Fuck, there's the smell.

With a rumble from her stomach and some involuntary salivating, the decision that the crows can fuck themselves and wait was made.

[-Anthor-]

Anthor 2–0 Bolgano

'17 Stacks
'50 Rigsby (Pen)

VAUMORT- With the thrilling screech of the officials whistle, international football is off again in Anthor as the Warriors started their fourth AOCAF with the home match against Bolgano, a relative new entrance to international footballing, especially Atlantian Oceania's regional tournament which is perhaps the most competitive out of the many across the multiverse. All though it wasn't quite the thumping that many, including myself, were contending for, Samantha Broughton none the less managed to go in and secure a laudable, firm victory in her first appearance as an manager, and Anthor's international one at that, thanks to a international first off of Cedric Stacks head-in off of Padmore's corner, or Rigsby's shot from the penalty after the Bolgano bigman Noldmad, with the Warriors leaving their home crowd content, yet pleased with a 2 nil victory over Bolgano.

Celebrations aside, the complexity of the tournament is about to ratchet itself up dozens of degrees as we move into the second game of the short group stage, with perhaps the toughest matchup coming next as the Warriors will head in as the away team in the battle against Valanora, one of the most historic and legendary national teams across the entire multiverse; this will be Broughton's first real challenge, and perhaps one of the stiffest she will ever face. In light of how well the Warriors performed together, and Broughton fully testing out the capabilities of her depth as she rested no less then 5 starters in the Bolgano match, though 2 did later make appearances as subs in the game, Broughton has gone a step further and also announced she will be changing the formation the squad uses heading into game two, and I have a funny feeling it's going to be that classic 4-4-2 she and Greenwood used all the time at Evesham. Assuming that is the case, I imagine the lineup will play out something like this. Assuming that does happen, I will be most intrigued to see how Cartwright and Wardell teamed up in the center of the pitch for neither have much experience playing there, Cartwright has nearly always played a defensive back in recent domestic seasons and Wardell hasn't done it aside from a few handful caps since he graduated to the first team three years ago. However much that comes into play, Bissette's speed on the edge, as well as Stark's tenacity and craftiness I think will provide more then ample chances to keep Rigsby and McKenzie fed for shot attempts that hopefully are well placed and converted into goals, they'll be facing a world class test in the Elves keeper be it Sean Smørdal, Brynjar Eide or Camilla Johnson.

In addition to that, Allandren Fresco who will be the Marauder's leading forward more then likely has one of the most accurate shots from anywhere he tries it that I've ever seen, and has made a career off of much well deserved international renown; putting Cartwright in the center of the pitch with his defensive abilities makes sense, as it will try to ensure that passes to him are shut down there or clogged up in any of the lanes, but it will be even more crucial that wall of four defenders, something the Warriors haven't traditionally run with in any of their international matches, will have to work well; it will be up to long-time team veteran Richard Holloway to try and ensure that Sampson, Stone and Stacks as well as himself are all coordinating well together to ensure what is undoubtedly going to be a very vicious and skilled Marauder offensive can stay shut down. Manager Samantha Broughton hinted at that in a post-match interview after the Bolgano match-up when questioned by on the scene reporters, who asked the newly minted manager on her expectations of the squad ahead of their battle with the elves, where she said "Obviously, it will be an extremely difficult match for us, and I'm not sure expecting a victory or a close match is very realistic, but what we can do and what we will continue working towards in training camp is playing a good, clean game that keeps it close, and obviously with a little hope and maybe some golden boots, we can make it 2 wins. Holloway and his boys will be key for us, if we can keep our own side of the pitch locked down, I think we will be able to get it to the outside flanks and move the ball forward and we will have do it well every time, for I doubt we'll get many chances."

A well said statement from her; stretching out the pitch and playing with a defensive mindset that supports a quick, powerful counter-attack may just be the perfect tactics to use in this match, but every player will have to be playing with some of their best efforts, any errors can simply not be afforded against such a successful team and one early mistake may doom the match entirely, though that will certainly be something that Broughton and her captain, Jason Rigsby, will have to manage for above all, a squad with low morale is much like a car with no engine; useless.

[Mriin]

I'm writing this from a Panera, which should be worth a little bonus in and of itself ;)

"...why are we here, again?" Olaana had gotten used to fine dining around Maal thanks to her Angels paycheck; it'd been years since she'd been in a sandwich shop like this.

"Can't you smell it?" Otalia mimed like she was sniffing a fine whine above the bread counter, before rankling her nose. "I don't know. I was real hungry after the game and something made me really want to get a sandwich on some good, fresh bread."

"My question still stands."

"Just order a dang sandwich so we can sit down."

---

Olaana picked at the turkey--the meat seemed fine, but the lettuce looked well past its prime. "Not how I imagined I'd celebrate my first start, honestly." Maybe if she could keep talking she'd forget how hungry she was.

"I know, I know, I don't know what came over me." Otalia at least seemed a bit more enthused over her grilled cheese. "It was a weird-ass game, too."

"Right? They were wearing aprons. Like, actual aprons, like the workers here have. The hell was that?"

"I'm more concerned how they almost kept up with us dressed like that. It'd been a hot minute since I'd seen live minutes, sure, but that's still disconcerting."

"Come on, Otty. You know never to judge anyone in these competitions by their appearance. It's a wide world out there. A consolation goal when we were three up ain't nothing to worry about."

"Where are they even from? I've never seen any 'Motherbread' on a map."

"I heard tell they're actually from Hapilopper, somehow? Like it's a microstate hidden somewhere there?" Olaana tried to remember where she'd heard that, but the memory somehow escaped her. Wasn't that just a few hours ago?

"I guess that'd explain why they didn't have subs. Could probably barely scrounge up eleven people who could play anywhere near this level."

"Yeah, probably. But that's gotta be extra embarrassing for the Hapiloppians. You get creamed 8-1 and your runt only loses by two?"

[Sarzonia]

Bryan Ostrom's day couldn't have gotten off to a worse start.

The Sarzonia manager slept through the alarm on his phone and inadvertently pulled the phone cord out of the wall during a night of fitful sleep, so the 5 a.m. wakeup call didn't get through to his room.

He didn't wake up until the sun poked through the window of his hotel room. He looked at the clock and stared at it. 7:58.

He didn't think of anything at first but then he heard the banging on the door. Assistant manager Kevin Connelly was at the door.

"Bryan! We were supposed to gather the team at 5:30!"

"Wha- what time is it now?"

"Eight!"

"FUCK!" Ostrom was always a hard ass about punctuality and had been known to fine players for being five minutes early, expecting them to be at least 10 minutes early for training and film study.

Connelly had conducted the meeting with the team in Ostrom's absence, but now a manager who was loath to accept excuses for tardiness now had to explain himself to a team of teenagers and barely 20-year-olds. He decided as he gathered the team that he would run four laps around the stadium before the team began warmups, which would have been double the punishment he would give a player.

The match itself was anticlimactic despite Sarzonia starting with a 4-0 hole just 18 minutes in. He sent reserve goalkeeper Glen Baker to spell a shellshocked Carlton Sandt, who made three breathtaking saves, but gave up a soft fourth goal.

"The first three weren't your fault," Ostrom told Sandt. Horace Sandt would later impart those same words to his baby brother via text. Still, Ostrom read the look on his keeper's face and knew he had to massage his player's wounded psyche. He noticed that his teammates encouraged him as he sulked toward the bench, with team captain Ian McKinley giving him a hug.

The display also galvanized the Stars, who got a lucky bounce and an own goal to make the scoreline 4-1 at the half. Midfielder Clayton Wilson notched the first goal by a Star in the 66th minute of play, but Sarzonia's unexpected dominance of the last 15 minutes only resulted in b.c. etter possession and a slight closing of the gap in total shots and corner kicks.

Still, the Stars were seething about a performance they wished they could have back. Following the match, Ostrom announced that Baker would start the match against Tropicorp, but emphasised that he had planned to do so before the tournament began.

"Carlton will start the match against Banija," he said.

As for Ostrom, he made sure to sleep on the opposite side of the bed at the team's next hotel.

[Equestrian States]

-AOCAF CUP LIX COVERAGE-
Hot Take's Hot Takes: AOCAF MD1 Edition
Taking every match seriously is a good quality for a team... but maybe not that seriously
by Hot Take

Hapilopper just isn't that good at hoofball.

Okay, that's being a bit too harsh on the poor Thrashers. The Hapiloppians absolutely exploded onto the international stage last cycle. First, they won the 70th Baptism of Fire without dropping even a single point in the tournament; an impressive start to say the least, but more than a few Baptism champions have gone on to do precisely nothing after their initial triumph. Take the Ponies' own Baptism, for example: Wight and Equestria both debuted at Baptism of Fire 45 and have gone on to hoist the World Cup trophy, but does anyone aside from sports historians remember tournament champions Azrael? Not really.

Of course, Hapilopper's winning streak didn't stop at the Baptism of Fire as so many had before, and the Thrashers won their first five qualifying matches, including a remarkable upset of Brenecia, and held the top spot in Group N until the Brenecians finally overtook them with a few matches remaining. The Hapiloppians did hold out to reach the playoff stage, but were ultimately eliminated and slogged through a rather dismal Cup of Harmony campaign.

Thus, while Hapilopper may have entered this year's AOCAF Cup draw as an unranked side, they did not do so as a team devoid of experience or prior success. Equestrian manager Pearly White spoke extensively in her pre-tournament and pre-match interviews and press conferences about "respecting the opposition" and taking each match as seriously as the Ponies had in their victorious AOCAF and World Cup campaigns. Yes, the Ponies were defending Atlantian Oceanian and World Cup champions and sat atop the regional rankings, but they would consider unranked Hapilopper a legitimate threat to their quest to win a third consecutive major tournament. Pearly White picked a lineup with most of her usual starters, and sent them out to bring home three points to start the campaign. The Ponies obviously expected a proper hoofball match.

What instead ensued in Manehattan was a slaughter, plain and simple.

I'm not going to bore you all with a goal-by-goal account of the game. You can learn all you really need to know about the match by just looking at the final score: Equestria 8, Hapilopper 1. Heck, you could argue that even that doesn't do the "Manehattan Massacre" justice. The Ponies systematically dismantled the Thrashers in front of a crowd of jubilant purple-clad supporters who at least had the awareness and decency to stop celebrating each goal quite so raucously once Aarón Aiza pushed the score to 6-0 with over 30 minutes left.

The Ponies might have even been feeling a bit of sympathy for their clearly-outmatched opponents, at least until Hapiloppian goalkeeper Cooter Harris went completely insane after Pristina Shine completed her hat-trick in the 82nd minute. You can read all about that particular incident elsewhere on this site and in blogs from around the multiverse decrying Harris's ridiculous attack, so I won't drone on for twelve paragraphs here about how he's a menace to the sport and/or should be arrested on assault charges. After the furor had calmed a bit, however, the Equestrians clearly no longer had any reservations about running up the score on 10-man Hapilopper. Manager Thom Perkins was fortunate that he still had a substitution left to bring on backup Colt Delaney, because if he hadn't the Ponies would have almost certainly gotten to double digits for the first time in their history. As it was, the seven-goal margin of victory matched Equestria's record in a competitive fixture, set back during World Cup 61 qualifying in a 9-2 rout of Hutt River.

Now, I'm not going to say Pearly White and the Ponies should sit back and relax in the group stage where they are overwhelming favorites to at least advance. Equestrian hoofball fans know all too well, from both perspectives, that low-ranked sides can and will upset the titans of the multiverse and spoil their campaigns from time to time. However, in hindsight, it was definitely overkill to run out a nearly full-strength squad against Hapilopper. I don't believe for an instant that Pearly White will go easy on the squad selection going forward, though rotation should be expected given the lengthier group stage, but I do think the Ponies have more room for error than they're used to.

Hopefully, the next time Equestria plays Hapilopper, ESPN won't have to preface the broadcast with a graphic content warning.

[95X]

Almost everyone on the 95X NT received phone calls with garbled messages or static during the Cup of Harmony. Though slightly frightening, an assistant coach that went missing was everyone’s concern. 95X Head Coach Katelynn State decided to try calling his wife, who answered the phone and had heard from him; he was stuck in a protectorate of 95X due to “weather” and relayed a message that the team should stay in Eastfield Lodge for as long as they could. Although this seemed like a strange request, they did.

“Hey, where are the guys?” Zedex Sinclair asked when they landed at home.

“I’m sure they’re around here somewhere,” State responded. They were happy to be home, but something had changed they just couldn’t quite figure out.

---

95X 4, Farfadillis 3

With its new lineup and their new international “home” of 95X International Stadium, Alix Ajax is by far the best current 95Xer on the team, scoring three of the four 95X goals in the game. Natalie Notgnirrah scored a goal in her 95X National Team debut.

[Freeport Isles]

Match Day 2 Cutoff

AOCAF Cup LIX
Match Day 2 Results

Group A

Starblaydia 3–2 Chromatika
Nellietopia 2–1 Schiavonia
Cosumar 4–1 Audioslavia

  Group A                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Cosumar                         2    2   0   0     5    1   +4     6
2 Nellietopia                     2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4
3 Starblaydia                     2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
4 Chromatika                      2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
5 Audioslavia                     2    0   1   1     1    4   −3     1
6 Schiavonia                      2    0   0   2     1    3   −2     0

---

Group B

Tropicorp 3–0 Sarzonia
Banija 3–2 Torisakia
Demot 0–2 Saltstead

  Group B                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Banija                          2    2   0   0     5    2   +3     6
2 Saltstead                       2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
3 Demot                           2    1   0   1     4    3   +1     3
4 Torisakia                       2    1   0   1     6    5   +1     3
5 Tropicorp                       2    1   0   1     4    4    0     3
6 Sarzonia                        2    0   0   2     2    7   −5     0

---

Group C

Baker Park 3–0 Cult of Motherbread
Sultanate of Oontaz 1–1 Mriin
Lochario 4–1 Timuria

  Group C                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Baker Park                      2    2   0   0     4    0   +4     6
2 Mriin                           2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
3 Lochario                        2    1   0   1     4    2   +2     3
4 Sultanate of Oontaz             2    0   2   0     2    2    0     2
5 Timuria                         2    0   1   1     2    5   −3     1
6 Cult of Motherbread             2    0   0   2     1    6   −5     0

---

Group D

Ko-oren 1–5 Vilita & Turori
Bolgano 3–0 Dogsmouth
Valanora 2–0 Anthor

  Group D                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Vilita & Turori                 2    2   0   0     7    1   +6     6
2 Valanora                        2    2   0   0     3    0   +3     6
3 Anthor                          2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
4 Bolgano                         2    1   0   1     3    2   +1     3
5 Ko-oren                         2    0   0   2     1    6   −5     0
6 Dogsmouth                       2    0   0   2     0    5   −5     0

---

Group E

Hapilopper 3–1 Gyatso-kai
Qasden 1–0 Busoga Islands
Equestria 2–0 Siovanija & Teusland

  Group E                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Equestria                       2    2   0   0    10    1   +9     6
2 Siovanija & Teusland            2    1   0   1     2    3   −1     3
3 Qasden                          2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
4 Busoga Islands                  2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
5 Hapilopper                      2    1   0   1     4    9   −5     3
6 Gyatso-kai                      2    0   0   2     2    5   −3     0

---

Group F

Krytenia 2–1 Euran Oceania Territories
Farfadillis 1–0 Flavovespia
Freeport 1–1 95X

  Group F                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 95X                             2    1   1   0     5    4   +1     4
  Krytenia                        2    1   1   0     5    4   +1     4
3 Farfadillis                     2    1   0   1     4    4    0     3
4 Euran Oceania Territories       2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
5 Freeport                        2    0   2   0     4    4    0     2
6 Flavovespia                     2    0   0   2     0    2   −2     0

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2029
BP look to go far in AOCAF
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Writer

The Commonwealth National Team head into the 59th edition of the AOCAF Cup with a much different stature than they held prior to their co-hosting duties at the last regional championship.

Their run to the semi-finals and subsequent 3rd Place finish has raised the team up to third in the latest regional rankings ahead of the tournament being co-hosted by Freeport & Chromatika.

The group stage will follow along the lines of the World Cup, with six teams in a double round-robin played on a home & away basis; the final 16 will then square off in the host nations in single elimination format.

The draw for Group C ended up pitting Baker Park against Mriin--the nation who eliminated the bees for the World Cup--as the final match in both halves of the rotation.

The squad is made up of many players who participated in the qualifying for WC83, but didn't make the final cut, as well as a fresh dose up & coming products of the under-21's. Only three players--veterans Kyle Moyer, Eric Herrara and Eddie Wagner--are in their 30's, but there is plaenty of experience to call upon, even if most of the starting XI from the World Cup are missing.

Manager Pamela Scott is anxious to see the debutantes in action alongside the remaining vets in meaningful action; she expressed her satisfaction that the group phase would be extended, giving her the chance to have an expanded squad.

Equestria are considered the odds-on favorites, as the defending champions as well as the reigning World Cup holders. But there are no shortage of contenders that will look to knock the Ponies off their pedestal; aside from the Bees, challenges should come from Vilita & Turori, Banija, Cosumar, Farfadillis & Valanora. There is a reason why this competition is said to be tougher to win that the World Cup itself.

home match venues:
MD2--Cult of Motherbread @ Queen Victoria Stadium, Ezriquay
MD4--Sultanate of Oontaz @ Olympic Ground, Mansfield
MD6--Lochario @ Scotland Stadium, Endborough
MD8--Timuria @ President's Park, Shirley
MD10--Mriin @ Keller Field, Belle Haven

[Gyatso-kai]

::: Runway 28B, Roku Capital International Airport, Zhaoyang District, Republic City, Gyatso-kai:::
0050 hours, Republic Time (UTC+8), 17 October 2019.3

As Kad'e Tay'haai stepped off the plane, putting his feet back onto Avatarian soil, he let out a long sigh of relief. It had only been two days away, but they were an incredibly long two days, and he could not help but be curious...

Curious as to how The Bisons sat at 0-2 in the AOCAF Cup tournament.

Curious as to how both of his starting goalkeepers had let in two unanswered goals in the final minutes of the game.

Curious as to how his men had scored in the opening half, only to sit back on their heels and just watch as their opponents broke through and brought balls into their nets with almost no effort.

Bzzzt bzzzzt bzzzzt

He felt his aPhone vibrate in his pocket, but instead chose to ignore it. He looked back towards the plane, and could see his men were not in the best of spirits. In fact, if he didn't know any better, Tay'haai could swear he was looking at a platoon of soldiers coming back home from a rough tour. Each had their heads down, headphones in to drown out the world around them, and focus inwards. Or at the very least, that is what Tay’haai hoped they were doing.

Tay'haai turned his head away from the plane and back to the tarmac. It was almost 0100 in the morning, and thankfully, no one was there to greet them upon their return; no cheering crowds welcoming the triumphant players home, no news crews to film them stepping off the plane, and no microphone-laden reporters asking any myriad of questions. He could not imagine how well an interview would go at this hour after that defeat. He could see his men making their way to the team bus to be transported away from the airport and to The Republican; an impressive multi-story hotel just blocks away from the Stadium of the Republics. Tay’haai could not begin to imagine what the crowd would look like at the Qazan match. Normally, “The Bowl” as it was called by the locals sat well over 83,000 excited fans who loved to cheer on their national teams, or for the Republic Premier Football League, the R.C United team. However, after two very disappointing losses, he wondered how many Avatarians would come out to watch the team potentially lose on home grounds. Normally, after getting to the hotel, Tay’haai would call a meeting with the team to discuss the previous game and to prepare for the next, however, he had already had the post-game meeting with the team before disembarking; the typical post-loss speech about how the team needs to improve, how we cannot let two losses define our time in AOCAF, and how we must bounce back. He certainly hasn't felt inspired giving the speech, and he could feel that his men weren't inspired either...

Bzzzt bzzzzt bzzzzt

His aPhone vibrated again, and again, Tay'haai did not even look to it. This was not how the tournament was supposed to start, this was not how he was supposed to make his debute as Head Coach, and this most certainly was not how The Bisons were supposed to return to the MultiVerse stage. They were almost certain that they would win the match against Hapilopper, given that they had allowed EIGHT goals in their last game, and the Hapilopper keeper had a full blown meltdown in front of a packed Equestrian stadium and the world. Initial reports (though media had been quiet on the subject) had stated that after being ejected, the Hapilopperian keeper - by the name of Cooter Harris - had injured his foot in the locker room after destroying whatever he could get a hold of and might be out the entire tournament.

Well ... Their backup sure did a hell of a fine job stopping us.

Near 60 minutes of play, fifteen shots on goal, and he had stopped all of them. In the first 30, he had faced eight shots and let one in, which had been off a strong corner kick and, in Tay'haai's opinion, just got lost in the commotion and was a lucky break for The Bisons. Yet, their team came back and tied the game at the 62nd minute, before scoring the go-ahead goal at 80' and then the game winner just seven minutes later. Not the style of play The Bisons had been developing for the past several months.

Bzzzt bzzzzt bzzzzt

For the third time, Tay’haai’s phone rang and he decided it best to answer. He looked to the screen, and read the number that flashed across it. It was a number he knew rather well, and was kicking himself for not answering sooner.

A swipe of the phone and, as he brought it up to his ear, he mustered up what strength he could to prepare for this call.

”Hello?”

Kad’ika my boy. How are you? I’ve been trying to reach you for some time now.

Former Head Coach of the National Team, and now President of the Avatarian Leauges of Association Football, His Honorable Vhett Boba. The man who had formed the National Team into what it once was, the man who Tay’haai was taking over for, was calling him at three in the morning... and he had ignored his previous three calls...

”My apologies, Your Honor, I was...”

Oh don’t ‘Your Honor’ me, Kad’ika. We have known each other far too long for the honorifics. Just as I told you all those years ago, it’s Bo’buir.

“Sorry, buir. We had just landed and I was lost in thought.”

Oh, I bet you were ad’ika. Tell me, Vhett trailed off, almost as if he had stepped away from the phone. What are your plans in the morning?

“Mine, sir?”

No, Kad’e, your mothers, Vhett laughed before clearing his throat. Yes yours. I’d like to talk with you a bit before the morning runs.

Never a good sign when your boss wants to talk with you in person before noon...

”Of course I am free Bo’buir. We have the team meeting at eleven-hundred hours, then practice until thirteen.”

Excellent. I’ll meet you at The Republican at oh-eight-hundred. I’ll have them buzz your room and you can come down and we can go for a nice walk. The Greens are not that far from the hotel, Vhett sighed. The Greens, otherwise known as Zhaoyang Gardens, was a massive 290 hectare green space just outside of The Republican. Plenty of natural space for Vhett to be at home; born in the most rural of Mandalorian Provinces, Olankur, he always felt more at home in the countryside then in the middle of the city. Tay’haai, on the other hand, had been born in Lopauk, a urban sprawl of a province located on the Central Islands just across the bay from Republic City.

”Sounds good, Bo’buir. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Also, Kad’ika. Try not to worry too much.

“Oh sir?” Tay’haai was a bit taken aback by the statement. ”And why is that?”

Do you remember our first World Cup?

“It was a long time ago...” Tay’haai sighed, struggling to remember all the way back to the 57th World Cup.

Let me refresh your memory, son. Sarrbia, Khytennia, Bergnovinaia, Milchama, Osairus, Crotunda, Cosumar, Northern Bettia.

“Sir?”

Those were the eight teams we either drew or lost to in World Cup 57. It wasn’t until Kelssek that we were able to get into our stride and win a pair before Mapletish took us down 1-nil at their home stadium.

Tay’haai took a deep breath before looking up at the team bus. He was always the last to board, and he could see, even through darkened windows, that many of his men were watching him pace while on the phone.

As I said, Kad’ika. Sometimes the Gods like to test our strength a bit before we are rewarded. Consider this your test, and maybe tomorrow we can draw our first victory.

[Vilita and Turori]

The coaches will select the squad from the National Player pool. The latest known members of the National Player Pool are listed below, grouped by position and sorted by projection 'Depth Chart' position where the top player listed is most likely to be named the first player selected for that position, and so on. Depth chart positions are determined by performance in pre-cup training sessions, as well as performance and average ratings in the Vilitan League competition and previous appearances for the National Team.

HEAD COACH: Nili Ylimaiina
Was regarded as the 'next great thing' in a long line of Vilitan forwards when he made his debut for Kiiarana City, Ylimaiina would ultimately live up to the billing at the International Level more than just at the domestic level. Playing for Arcticala Inlet, Eastal Lunar, Strike and Colonial Sile; Ylimaiina won 2 Stellar Division titles and scored just over 100 goals. Ylimaiina was born in Vilita but also contains Starblaydi blood on his Mother's side. The striker had great success for the National Team, serving as the primary forward during Vilita & Turori's AOCAF 42 Championship Winning side. Ylimaiina would become a regular in the Jungle Cats roster and was in the starting lineup for the World Cup 68 final, won by Vilita. After finishing out his competitive playing career at Colonial Sile but not wanting to hang up the boots completely, Ylimaiina returned to the capital region and became Player/Manager of Tivali City as well as taking the call to lead the Vilita & Turori Eel-Cat Things in AOCAF 54. Despite an uninspired performance at the helm during AOCAF 55, Ylimaiina returned to lead the Eel-Cat Things for AOCAF 56 in the Equestrian States and the joint Football Association's patience was rewarded as the former Vilitan National Team star led Vilita & Turori for its first AOCAF title in 15 cycles.

GOALKEEPERS:

Vernasa Sanamun [ - Kiiarana - ]
GK ( AGE: 19 :: [ NT CAPS: 9 :: NT CLEAN SHEETS: 3 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 8 :: V&T CLEAN SHEETS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ] : Tropicorp Cup :
Sanamun came through the academy at Kiiarana and was promoted to the senior squad at the age of 15 after the departure of Super-Llamaland netminder Lukas Bernholm following the clubs relegation from the Vilitan League. Made two group stage appearances for Vilita & Turori in AOCAF 56 at the age of 17 as the Eel-Cat Things eventually earning first ever regional silverware as a player. The youngster impressed helping Kiiarana City to the Tropicorp Cup title and promotion back to the Vilitan League and became a regular fixture with the Vilitan National Team after making their internationstatal debut in goal for the Jungle Cats as they opened up their World Cup 81 Qualifying campaign against Kernovi and Rewgwlas. Sanamun appeared twice in World Cup 81 Qualifying for the Jungle Cats without conceding a goal earning the young netminder the gloves as Vilita competed in the 7th Cup of Champions competition, ultimately conceding their 1st international goal against in the fourth match of their career, the Cup of Champions semi-final against Banija. The impressive performances however earned Sanamun trust and a place on the team for the World Cup 81 finals. Sanamun would start two matches - a group stage defeat to Cassadaigua and the Round of 16 victory over Sargossa as Vilita would go on to win the World Cup.

Striitca Virahat [ - Alikki-Corra Academy - ]
GK ( AGE: 18 :: [ NT CAPS: 1 :: NT CLEAN SHEETS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 1 :: V&T CLEAN SHEETS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 82 : ]
Virahat is the latest goalkeeping prospect to come out of the Alikki-Corra Academy behind such former Vilitan National Team netminders such as Kalek Intafel. Was part of the roster for Vilita & Turori's AOCAF 56 championship team but did not appear in any matches. Made their internationstatal debut for the Vilitan National Team as a substitute during World Cup 81 Qualifications in a 2-0 victory over Mercedeni.

Timaala Hualtia [ - Inland Peaks FC - ]
GK ( AGE: 18 :: [ NT CAPS: 4 :: NT CLEAN SHEETS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 1 :: V&T CLEAN SHEETS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: None
Hualtia came through the Eelandii Academy and instantly developed as a future Turori National Team prospect. Played one season for Sporta Eelandii before their relegation from the Vilitan League prompted Hualtia to make a switch to become the starting goalkeeper at Inland Peaks during Season 59. Made first Turori National Team start during World Cup 82 Qualifying in a 2-1 victory over Kelssek. Made first ever World Cup Finals start in the World Cup 82 Semi-Final helping Turori to a 6-3 win over Farfadillis to advance to the Nations first ever World Cup Final.

DEFENDERS:

Jirak Trikala [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
D C ( AGE: 23 :: [ NT CAPS: 33 :: NT GOALS: 2 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 15 :: V&T GOALS: 6 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ][ : AOCAF 56 : ] : Vilitan Cup : Tropicorp Cup :
Although born in Vilita, Trikala moved to Tropicoast at a young age and could always be found on the footsport pitch. Trained briefly at the Obaiobao Academy on Turoki Isle before returning to Tropicorp and joining Tropicorp FC. Scored 3 goals in Tropicorp's Season 54 Tropicorp Cup Championship campaign. Trikala's first season in the Vilitan League wasn't especially impressive but the defender provided solid performances as Tropicorp finished impressively in 4th place in the Declasse table. These performances caught the eye of the scouts at Jungle Strike FC who snapped up the young defender as part of their rebuilding project after two consecutive finishes outside the top 5. Trikala got their first taste of triumph with Strike FC during Season 57 as Vilitan Cup Champions. Scored the winning goal for Vilita & Turori in the AOCAF 56 final against Mriin. Was Vilita’s starting central defender in their World Cup 81 Final victory over South Covello.

Lohani Riiyaaw [ - Cassandra City (COS) - ]
D RLC ( AGE: 18 :: [ NT CAPS: 5 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 0 :: V&T GOALS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 82 : ]
Riiyaaw was trained at the Tivali City Academy until the age of 16 when they had the opportunity to sign their first professional contract. Instead of staying local with Declasse side Tivali City, Riiyaaw took the opportunity to move internationally. After attracting the attention of foreign bidders, Riiyaaw eventually signed a deal with Internationstatal high-flyers Cassandra City of Cosumar where they earned Runner-Up medals in both the UICA Champions Cup and Atlantian Oceania Champions League in their first season of competition.

Amakli Inuro'o [ - Bastion (EUR) - ]
D RLC ( AGE: 17 :: [ NT CAPS: 11 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 0 :: V&T GOALS: 2 ] )
TROPHIES :: None
After making their debut in Turori’s 3-0 World Cup 82 Matchday 5 qualifying match against Cosneolta, Inuro’o would become a regular in the Turori National Team squad eventually becoming a starter for key matches as Turori advanced to the World Cup 82 Final.

Rojara Tiones [ - Yeaddin Owls AFC - ]
D RC ( AGE: 18 :: [ NT CAPS: 7 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 11 :: V&T GOALS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ][ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Rojara Tiones progressed through the training programme at the Owls Castle Academy before getting a call to train with the senior team at Yeaddin Owls AFC for Vilitan League Season 58. Tiones was a member of Vilita’s World Cup 82 Championship winning team, having watched the final from the bench as an unused substitute.

Jirijii Januaa [ - KT Itzalovalle (AUD) - ]
D LC ( AGE: 37 :: [ NT CAPS: 109 :: NT GOALS: 15 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 0 :: V&T GOALS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 68 : World Cup 77 : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ] : UICA Champions Cup : UICA Super Cup : UICA Series 'B' Champions Cup : : Vilitan Cup :
Januaa began his career at Kiiarana City but after City failed to secure promotion back to the Stellar Division during Season 41, Januaa was recruited by Nycflala Kater to make the switch across town to play for Kiiara-Torra starting in season 42 before spending 3 seasons at Mliona-Lpaka. During Season 46, Januaa transferred to Jlinal-Cove FC but the move was short lived as Januaa returned to Mliona-Lpaka and helped to guide the team to the 68th UICA Champions Cup title. After spending 20 seasons in the Vilitan League, Januaa left the Stellar Division for Audioslavia and KT Itzalovalle.

Biliki Rona'atu'i [ - Cednia Beach AFC - ]
D LC ( AGE: 20 :: [ NT CAPS: 9 :: NT GOALS: 2 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 8 :: V&T GOALS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ] : AO Champions League : : Vilitan Declasse :
Trained at the Alikki-Corra Academy, Rona'atu'i moved on to Inland Peaks FC during Season 55 and become a crucial part of their Declasse Division record setting championship season resulting in promotion back to the Stellar Division. Signed for Eastal Lunar after arriving in the Stellar Division but only spent one season there before earning a starting position at Colonial Sile for the Season 57 campaign helping Colonial to a third place finish in the League table. After a season and a half in Sile, Rona'atu'i returned to their native Turori by joining Cednia Beach AFC and helping them to the 31st Atlantian Oceania Champions League title.

Moumouni Verre'elali [ - Tropicorp FC - ]
D RLC ( AGE: 18 :: [ NT CAPS: 6 :: NT GOALS: 1 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 3 :: V&T GOALS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: : Vilitan Declasse :
Made their debut for the Turori National Team at the age of 17 on the opening matchday of World Cup 82 Qualifying against Bohr, eventually making six appearances for the Eels over the course of the campaign.

MIDFIELDERS:

Limu Katarakhna [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
M/F ( AGE: 21 :: [ NT CAPS: 37 :: NT GOALS: 6 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 19 :: V&T GOALS: 8 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ][ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Limu Katarakhna came through the academy system at Colonial Sile and impressed greatly upon making their debut midway through Season 54. After Colonial Sile failed to qualify for UICA competition in Season 56, the young athlete able to step in anywhere on the field made the switch to Eastal Lunar FC. Katarakhna made their international debut during AOCAF 45 for the Eel-Cat Things but did not commit immediately to playing for Vilita or Turori internationally. After the success of the Cocoabo Squad during World Cup 79 however, the highly touted prospect acceped an invitation to be apart of Vilita's World Cup 80 Qualifying playing pool. The decision would prove to be a good one as Katarakhna was part of Vilita’s World Cup 81 and World Cup 82 championship squads including their first career World Cup Finals goal during the World Cup 82 Quarter Final against Apox.

Tripate Falcon [ - Makosile - ]
M C ( AGE: 35 :: [ NT CAPS: 119 :: NT GOALS: 22 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 1 :: V&T GOALS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 77 : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ] : Vilitan Cup :
Vilita & Turori Dual National. Member of the Cednia Beach AFC squad that won the Vilitan Cup during Season 43, and subsequently went on to win the 50th UICA Globe Cup, the first ever UICA Top-Level Champions from Turori.

Purapal Eskiiy [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
M RC ( AGE: 38 :: [ NT CAPS: 121 :: NT GOALS: 30 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 3 :: V&T GOALS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 68 : World Cup 77 : World Cup 81 : ][ : AOCAF 42 : ] : Vilitan Declasse :
Up and coming youngster who can trace lineage back through Lake Bekk and Starblaydia, was a member of the Vilita & Turori regional squad that won the AOCAF 42 Championship. The young Eskiiy broke into the Vilitan lineup during World Cup 68 and started in the World Cup Final, scoring the goal that changed the momentum of the game in the Jungle Cats favor.

Daliora Toru'u [ - Yeaddin Owls - ]
DM C ( AGE: 24 :: [ NT CAPS: 36 :: NT GOALS: 4 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 18 :: V&T GOALS: 2 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Toru'u made a debut for the Yeaddin Owls at the age of 17 and cracked into the first team immediately with 4 goals and 4 assists in their debut Season 54 campaign.

Kudii Davasarii [ - Cednia Beach AFC - ]
M LC ( AGE: 22 :: [ NT CAPS: 14 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 14 :: V&T GOALS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ] : AO Champions League : : Tropicorp Cup :
Davasarii was one of the first players brought up through the Tropicorp system and helped the club earn their second Tropicorp Cup title and subsequent promotion to the Declasse Division for Season 55. Davasarii's four goals during Season 55 helped the team to an impressive 4th place finish in the table. Davarsarii's strong play earned a transfer to Cednia Beach AFC for Stellar Division season 57. Won the 31st Atlantian Oceania Champions League title with Cednia Beach AFC.

Kiidallen Aeroluzzi [ - Rammsissil - ]
DM C ( AGE: 21 :: [ NT CAPS: 6 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 13 :: V&T GOALS: 2 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ] : Vilitan Declasse :
Aeroluzzi joined Rammsissil from Surf Jettica at the age of 17 as the eventual Declasse Champions looked to bolster their squad ahead of a season 57 Stellar Division return.

Intikko Kuhilana [ - Makosile - ]
DM C ( AGE: 20 :: [ NT CAPS: 7 :: NT GOALS: 1 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 11 :: V&T GOALS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ][ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Kuhilana was perhaps too young when being called into the squad at Jlinal Cove on an emergency basis to cover squad gaps as they struggled to keep fit during Vilitan League Season 55. Strong performances did catch the eye of Makosile United, however, who snapped up the youngster in order to fill their own gaps left by departing players following their relegation from the Stellar Division.

Lati'ala Giaoka [ - Yeaddin Owls - ]
M RLC ( AGE: 20 :: [ NT CAPS: 8 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 15 :: V&T GOALS: 2 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Lati'ala Giaoka impressed from a young age at the Owls Castle Academy and earned their first professional contract with the Yeaddin Owls at the age of 16. During Season 56, Giaoka became the youngest player to appear in a Stellar Division match for the Owls since Mako Canopii made their debut at the age of 16 during Vilitan League Season 50.

Mbdiai Akarenaa [ - Real Azuris (COS) - ]
M LC ( AGE: 28 :: [ NT CAPS: 13 :: NT GOALS: 2 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 13 :: V&T GOALS: 6 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Akarenaa started out at the Eelandii Academy before signing a professional contract with Cednia Beach AFC during V-League 47. Akarenaa's time in the Vilitan League didn't last long, however, attracting international interest from Exton FC in Apox. After a few seasons in Apox, Akarenaa returned closer to home moving back to Atlantian Oceania to join Cosumarite club Real Azuris.

FORWARDS:

Nii'arala Milaaso [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
F C ( AGE: 20 :: [ NT CAPS: 40 :: NT GOALS: 21 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 20 :: V&T GOALS: 11 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ][ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Born in Vilita to a Turorian and a Starblaydi, Milaaso came through the Eastal Lunar Jr. Academy winning the Tropicorp Youth challenge with the Jr. Astronauts and was adjudged to have the 'DNA of Champions' based on their multi-cultural upbringing. Milaaso had a breakout season during Vilitan League 57 as the 18 year old netted 11 goals in all competitions and was widely regarded as the third best forward in the league behind National Team duo Sipke Tarala and Berali Tzufarei. Miilaaso made their international debut at the end of World Cup 79 qualifying against The Steel Coast, scoring late to net their first international tally on their debut. Was named Galacticos Youth Player of the Season at the age of 18.

Enzoril Alabonni [ - Marine Coast United - ]
D/F C ( AGE: 20 :: [ NT CAPS: 18 :: NT GOALS: 8 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 12 :: V&T GOALS: 3 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : World Cup 81 : World Cup 82 : ][ : AOCAF 56 : ]
A young prospect originally from Mavaloiao, Enzoril Alabonni moved with their family to the main Island to be trained by Marine Coast United at the Crosaibi Academy. The Mavaloier has height well above the others in their age group and as such often switches between a center-back role and a role as an aerial target in attack.

Nua'oma Aikiki [ - FC Almintora - ]
F C ( AGE: 18 :: [ NT CAPS: 16 :: NT GOALS: 4 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 3 :: V&T GOALS: 1 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Brought up through the youth system at FC Almintora. Made their international debut on Matchday 3 of World Cup 82 Qualifying and then scored their first career international goal on Matchday five of World Cup 82 Qualifying against Cosenolta.

Mirana Gotuai [ - Iskara Daii (STR) - ]
F C ( AGE: 33 :: [ NT CAPS: 22 :: NT GOALS: 9 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 9 :: V&T GOALS: 2 ] )
TROPHIES :: [ : AOCAF 56 : ]
Originally of the Mist City Floatzels in the Sunrise Islands, Gotuai has become a world traveller spending time at Sardin United in Pasarga before completing the three-region trifecta and moving back to Alantian Oceania to play for Iskara Daii of Starblaydia.

Kala'a Yuliizala [ - Inland Peaks FC - ]
F C ( AGE: 17 :: [ NT CAPS: 0 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 3 :: V&T GOALS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: None
A key member of the youth movement at Inland Peaks FC, Yuliizala’s early call up to the senior squad domestically attracted the attention of the Vilita and Turori coaching staff who called the Turorian striker into the AOCAF 57 squad.

Turakia Diijelhma [ - Owls Castle Academy - ]
F C ( AGE: 17 :: [ NT CAPS: 2 :: NT GOALS: 0 ] :: [ V&T CAPS: 0 :: V&T GOALS: 0 ] )
TROPHIES :: None
Diijelhma made their international debut on the multiverse’s biggest stage as a substitute in Turori’s 2-1 World Cup 81 Round of 16 knockout round victory over host nation Banija.

I Give My Opponent Permission To:	
		====================	
		Choose Scorers: Y	
		GodMod Goalscoring Events: Y	
			
		Injure Players: Y (Limited to Duration of Competition)	
		GodMod Injury Events Y (Limited to Duration of Competition)	
			
		Red Card Players: Y   (TG After RP is Posted to Inform)	
		Yellow Card Players: Y	
		GodMod Other Events: Y	
		===================  

[Timuria]

Tempers Flair as Red Wolves Fall

by Tufan Nursultan

Lochario 4-1 Timuria
Ghittin (25, 76), Kagun (67), Soladin (81);Eyup Mustafa (34)

Two red cards left the Red Wolves reduced to nine men as they failed to offer any resistance to Lochario on their trip to the Terinn Sports Complex Stadium. The result leaves the national team with a sole point from their first two encounters of the tournament and with a long way to go panic is not setting in, but a deep sense of unease has already begun to creep into some analyst's observations on the team. Bekir Altingunes's side appeared to turn the corner on the defensive side of their play with their credible and hard fought 1-1 draw in the opener, but now many tough questions will have arisen for him to find a quick answer to before the team move onto their toughest opponent in the group.

There were signs early on in the match the Red Wolves might be overmatched with them overextending in attack and leaving themselves open to the counter attack, an early warning came from Ghittin who forced a very good save from Iskender Nur in the 13th minute. The deadlock would be broken by Ghittin who was put through on goal by Dakir and slotted the ball home after round Iskender Nur. The sense that the Red Wolves were frustrated began to show as Eyup Mustafa got a yellow card for kicking out at Kagun.

Eyup Mustafa would make up for his recklessness by scoring from a towering header from a Caner Turan corner, leaving Vasquez helpless as the ball sailed past him. The half would round out with more roughness on both sides, with neither team being able to put together consistent play because the match was interrupted so frequently by fouling. The final significant chance of the first half fell to Vatan Ercetin who put the ball over the bar from 7 yards out in an unusual display of profligacy from the striker.

The second half opened with drama as a frustrated Azer Erdinc contested a header and elbowed Soladin in the temple, resulting in a yellow card, however his arguing with the referee earned him a quick second yellow. The Red Wolves now down to ten men struggled to muster any offensive impetus with Ertan Renda taken off in favour of Yusuf Ihsanoglu. Iskender Nur was kept busy in the following period, with the team struggling to keep up with their opposition down a player, eventually resulting in a Kagun goal from the edge of the box swerving past a sprawling Iskender Nur. Shortly after that a frustrated Eyup Mustafa committed on foul too many and found himself collecting a second yellow card leaving the Red Wolves with nine men and even fewer offensive options as Ragip Eyuboglu was taken off for Yildiray Sabuktiginoglu.

Ghittin would grab his second goal of the match after sprinting past an exhausted Levent Ahmedoglu chipping the ball effortlessly over Iskender Nur in the 76th minute. The final significant chance of the match for Timuria fell to Atilla Acar who shot from range and stung the palms of the host's goalkeeper as he tipped it wide. The scoring would be rounded off in the 81st with Soladin finding the ball at his feet after a goalmouth scramble and poking the ball home.

The defeat leaves the Red Wolves with a lot of questions to answer and a solitary point from the first two matches as the sit in 5th place in the group. Elsewhere in the group Baker Park comfortable saw of the Cult of Motherbread with a comprehensive 3-0 victory and Mriin ran into some difficulties as they drew 1-1 against Sultanate of Oontaz.

What they said after the match:

Bekir Altingunes: "There are a lot of very uncomfortable questions that have come up because of that match, the only thing I'm thankful for is the fact that these questions have been put to us early on and not when we're a significant way through the group stage. I don't want the team or anyone else to use the red cards as an excuse for today's result, even if we'd had 11, 12, 13 players on the pitch we would still have lost and lost badly. That means we really need to get our act together, because the matches are not going to get any easier and I can't be here talking to you after another performance like that."

Player Ratings:

Iskender Nur 6/10 - Were it not for him the result would have been even more lopsided, but it's hard to grade him very positively after conceding four goals.

Hasan Maratov 6/10 - Despite his lack of experience at this level he came off relatively blameless in a mundane performance on his part.

Eyup Mustafa 5/10 - Got his first goal for the national team, but also got himself sent off, this may be giving the management a pause regarding returning him to the starting XI.

Levent Ahmedoglu 6/10 - Another case of the newer player at this level showing a level of competence and composure that more experienced players lacked.

Gokdeniz Dag 5/10 - Had a hard day especially when the team went down to 10 men, questions are now being raised about his overall fitness.

Atilla Acar 5/10 - No one will ever fault the effort he puts into every match, but this just wasn't his day.

Azer Erdinc 4/10 - Lost his cool more than once and got himself sent off, not a good look for only his second match.

Ragip Eyuboglu 5/10 - Was kept quiet and looked unable to produce anything positive.

Caner Turan 5/10 - Got the assist from the corner but never really got going.

Ertan Renda 6/10 - Had to be taken off due to the red card, but was not excelling prior to that.

Vatan Ercetin 5/10 - Vatan cut a frustrated and often isolated figure in this match and that seemed to impact his composure. Not a good day for the usually prolific striker.

Substitutes:

Yusuf Ihsanoglu 5/10 - Came on in the middle of the team's meltdown and couldn't really stabilise the situation.

Yildiray Sabuktiginoglu 6/10 - Showed good fitness and awareness, but he wasn't put in a position to succeed today.

Man of the Match: Ghittin - Was a constant thorn in the side of an overmatched and exhausted defence, more than good value for the award. If he continues to play at this level Lochario stand a chance of going far in the competition.

Player of the game for Timuria: Iskender Nur - It's odd to praise a goalkeeper who just conceded four goals, but his ability to produce saves prevented this from being even more embarrassing and for that mercy we salute him.

Schedule and results:

MD1: vs Sultanate of Oontaz D 1-1
MD2: @ Lochario L 1-4
MD3: vs Baker Park
MD4: vs Mriin
MD5: @ Cult of Motherbread
MD6: @ Sultanate of Oontaz
MD7: vs Lochario
MD8: @ Baker Park
MD9: @ Mriin
MD10: vs Cult of Motherbread

The next match: The Red Wolves will be returning home to play group leaders Baker Park who will be coming off a strong performance in their 3-0 victory over Cult of Motherbread, Bekir Altingunes has been forced into two changes with Metin Boz sliding into the starting XI for Eyup Mustafa and Yusuf Ihsanoglu coming into the side after the two red cards.

[Flavovespia]

Farfadillis 1–0 Flavovespia

A spirited performance from Flavovespia saw them fall just short of taking points against Pot 1 Farfadillis. There were positives to take away from the performance, but it can’t completely gloss over losing the first 2 games in a row for Flavovespia.

Flavovespia lined up in numbers 1-11 once again, but found themselves unsurprisingly on the back foot early on. A testing shot from the edge of the box in the 2nd minute was deflected onto the post by Dobson. 6 minutes in, and from a corner, May headed clear off the line.


That’s not to say Flavovespia spent 45 minutes just defending. A quick one-two in the middle of the park for James King get a half-chance, which he hit well, but not hard enough to beat the keeper. Upfront Mason was struggling to hold off the defenders, with Hall and Coleman receiving littler service.

41 minutes saw Farfadillis and the home fans call out for a penalty after Maddox fouled the winger breaking into the box. VAR however ruled the foul occurred outside the box. The curling free-kick was met by Dobson, who was having another decent performance. At half time it would be 0-0, Farfadillis playing well but being frustrated by Flavovespia.

At the half-time break, Mason came off for Ramon Martin, who was making his first start in the AOCAF. Keen to liven up the attack, Martin’s first touch was a drilled shot, but only into the side netting. Flavovespia continued to have chances few and far between, Maddox and Moore sitting deeper against their stronger opponents.

Farfadillis once again had a great opportunity in the 66th minute, but when the winger broke clear of Maddox, he went for a lofted cross. A bad decision against a 2m tall keeper, who caught it with ease. Dobson was defying some of his critics with strong performances.


78 minutes, and Farfadillis finally got a breakthough. Johnson had replaced Maddox, but he couldn’t stop the powerful attacks of Farfadillis down the right flank. A low cross was drilled in, beating the 3 Flavovespian centre backs, and the #10 had little difficulty flicking it past Dobson. 1-0 to the hosts.

With a roll of the dice, Flavovespia reverted to a 4-2-3-1, May being subbed off for Guoliang Fu. However he couldn’t provide anything down the left flank. On the opposite side, Hall was finding space, but the centre backs looked comfortable dealing with balls into the box, especially with the midfield tracking back. There were no late opportunities from a set piece, as the game drew to a close.

1-0 against a nation as strong as Farfadillis isn’t a terrible result, but it means Flavovespia are still looking for points. Concern is growing over the fact it’s 7 international losses in a row now, with the team looking to find some form soon. A match at home to Pot 5 Freeport is next, arguably a match Flavovespia have to get points form, preferably 3.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Die Stelburger Zeitung

Sport

Goldhorns Prepare For Milestone in Marzig Debut

Any leftover negative thoughts from the Goldhorns’ 2-0 loss against Equestria were left behind as the national team touched down in Borograd Monday, holding a quick media session at the Milan Dimitrov International Airport before pushing north to Pomorie/Marzig for the next AOCAF match against Hapilopper.

It was, in fact, all smiles from the Goldhorns as they discussed the tournament so far and what was to come. The Equestria loss had both negatives and positives. The defeat was in fact the first time the Goldhorns had not scored in a competitive match since the 0-0 draw with Ko-oren in World Cup 82 Qualification. On a better note, the Equestrians are the defending World and Regional champions, and the Goldhorns put in an overall strong showing against them.

Equestria’s Pristina Shine was unplayable on the day, scoring within the first 10 minutes to give the home side the lead in front of a Wild Grounds crowd eager to see their World Champions in action. The Goldhorns defended well after that early goal, however, and Yanko Zhelyaskov in particular was having a good day in goal. The Jager-Klopfer partnership was again solid. The Goldhorns had several counter-attacks, but could not put anything past Gentle Breeze. Michael Ribbeck had the Goldhorns’ best shot on the day, putting a shot just inches over the crossbar that would’ve beat Breeze to the top right corner had it been on target.

In the later stages, the Goldhorns tried to push further forward and get one goal to salvage a draw, but that left them open to a cutting attack from Equestria, who broke forward and put the ball past Zhelyaskov, courtesy of Shine again as she continues to bear down on her country’s all-time scoring record. The final result was 2-0, with the Goldhorns having put in a solid effort against the world’s best team.

The Goldhorns are still in a strong position in Group E despite the loss, however, thanks to their opening day heroics at the Nationalstadion against Qasden. Michael Ribbeck opened the scoring for Siovanija and Teusland with a well-placed shot from just outside the box in the first half, before Olympia Borograd midfielder and Qasden captain Icarus Darsten equalized for the visitors off a great effort from nearly the same place as Ribbeck’s shot. The Goldhorns, however, would find time to win it in the second half: Thorsten Kramer swung in a free kick that Ribbeck met with his head for his second of the game, giving the Goldhorns a 2-1 lead that they would hang on to. It was an important win to get things going, the 2nd seed in the group defeating the 3rd.

Focus for the Goldhorns now shifts to the first international match to be played in Pomorie/Marzig at the Vest-Marlebucht Stadion. The 30,000 seater is home to TSV Marzig of the Republikaliga. Kasper Martz is the only current Marzig player in the squad, while Ludwig Reichwein played for the club for most of his professional and youth career to date before joining FC Teussen Stelburg. The match will also serve as an important milestone for Thorsten Kramer.

Kramer will become the first player in the national team’s history to reach 100 caps when he starts against Hapilopper. Having made his debut in the very first game the Goldhorns ever played, a 3-1 win over The Cereal Isles in Baptism of Fire 67, it has been a long road for Kramer. He’s played in all-time memorable matches such as the 4-2 win over Mriin in World Cup 81 Qualifiers, the ‘Miracle of Northbrush’ 5-4 win over Vilita and Turori at AOCAF 57, and scored the winner in a 4-2 win over Qasden at AOCAF 56 to send the Goldhorns past the group stage for the first time. He’s also played in his fair share of heartbreakers as well, the 3-1 loss to Baker Park at Baptism of Fire 67, the 6-1 defeat to Kita-Hinode that stands as our worst-ever loss, and the 6-2 loss to Cosumar in the Quarterfinal of AOCAF 58.

Through it all, however, he has been a perfect professional and in many ways has become the symbol of the national football team. Across 99 caps he has scored 19 goals and assisted 43 times, and was named to the World Cup 81 Team of the Qualifiers. “It’s going to be a special day no doubt, I’m looking forward to it and I hope we can cap it off with a good result,” commented Kramer.

Some of his teammates also spoke of his value to the national team: “Indescribable. Not many people can do what he can on the pitch, and we’re so much better with him in the lineup. You see Thorsten on the ball, you know something is going to happen,” commented star forward Michael Ribbeck. “He was such a good influence when I first came into the team, he always looks after the young guys and is a real leader within the squad. On the field and off the field, he’s a key guy for us,” commented former Teussen teammate Karl-Heinz Jager.

There will be a small ceremony for Kramer before the match to honour the first centurion in the national team’s history. Traditionally, each player receives an edelweiss flower for each international match they play in, as well as a traditional Alpine hat on the occasion of their first appearance. For his 100th cap, Kramer will receive an Alpine hat with an edelweiss attached, as well as other commemorative gifts. The STFA also announced that this will be the protocol for all future players reaching 100 caps, and beyond that should they reach 200 or, more unlikely, 300. While Kramer will be the first to reach 100, two other Goldhorns could join him this tournament: Raphael Klopfer sits on 97 caps while Ivo Romanov sits on 95. Others bearing down on the achievement are Viktor Dimitrov (86) and Lutz Daschner (80).

While attention will be on Kramer, it will also be on the task at hand: a match against Hapilopper. The visiting Thrashers suffered an 8-1 thrashing at the hands of Equestria to open up their campaign, but recovered with a strong 3-1 win over Gyatso-kai. The Baptism of Fire champions will certainly be a tough match for the Goldhorns, who will need to be at their best to secure the 3 points.

There has been some talk pre-match of the situation in Marzig relating to fan troubles. The city of Pomorie/Marzig produces by far the most violence in Siovanija and Teusland football, but local Chief of Police Artem Solnikov has put out a statement dissuading fears before this game: “Much of the violence at football in the city is limited to the Pomorie/Marzig Derby. There is no reason for travelling fans from across our country, or those visiting from Hapilopper, to be worried about the situation. TSV Marzig have previously played in international football competitions with no issue, and with the eyes of Atlantian Oceania on the city tonight, there is no reason to expect anything other than the best behaviour.” The Marzig ultras group ‘Knights of 1896’ will not be in attendance at the match, nor will Pomorie ultras ‘Guards.’ The Knights were refused ticketing privileges by the STFA and are thus boycotting the match, and the Guards are boycotting as a result of the game being played at the Vest-Marlebucht-Stadion rather than Pomorie’s stadium. The Pomorie/Marzig Constabulary as well as the Siovanijan State Police will be present in the city on gameday to ensure a pleasant experience for all fans. Mayor of Pomorie/Marzig Stepan Vilov stated that the match is ‘a perfect way to build bridges between our communities. I will be in attendance, and I encourage all citizens of Pomorie/Marzig to attend or watch the match with their neighbours. Our city is hosting the world and we should feel proud.’

Siovanija and Teusland take on Hapilopper from the Vest-Marlebucht Stadion on matchday 3 of the AOCAF 59 Group Stage, and we’ll bring you all the action from this important match. Come on you Goldhorns!

[Ko-oren]

the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad AOCAF

Two matches in, and we wished everything about this tournament was different. The Dragonflies finally showed their class at the World Cup, thundering to another Round of 16 exit, then set their sights on Atlantian Oceania to show that they could finally hang with the big boys and girls again. From a 14th place, a lot is possible, especially in the first two rounds. With the power balance not yet established, a 'smaller' team like Ko-oren could upset the Elves or the Vilitans & Turorians.

Exactly the opposite happened, and a 0-1 and a 1-5 defeat later, we're with our backs against the wall with eight games left to play. The writing on the wall was apparent, with two mediocre showings in the pre-AOCAF friendlies. A massive Ko-orenite delegation of 40 players was on the sidelines for the first friendly, against region-mates the Busoga Islands. It was a sight to behold, filling up the sideline, the bench, and the two rows right behind the dugout, in the smallish national team stadium, not often used, the Suzumebachi Stadium in Katashi. The city in Yoshima had been the talk of the day before, the actions by the baseball team that had just finished playing there in the World Baseball Classic filled the papers - but then there's football in town and everything is forgotten. Whether it's a clever propaganda turn or just a lucky draw that two national teams played in Katashi on consecutive days, we'll never know. Anyhow, the distraction from the separatist members of the national baseball team was quickly forgotten as Juliasterinthen called up 40, played a total of 25 players (all eleven players were substituted at half time, with three more substitutions at the 80th minute), then dropped 10 from the squad ahead of the showing at Darmen. Our all-green rivals from Rushmore, who used the friendly to prepare for the Copa Rushmori (which is normally quite popular on Ko-orenite TV as long as the AOCAF isn't scheduled at the same time), invited the remaining 30 players to Northumberland Stadium.

The first friendly finished 0-0, both squads unable to score. The first half team resembles our regular AOCAF starting XI somewhat, but couldn't force a goal. The second half team was composed almost entirely of players that would later be dropped, and they couldn't do anything either. Juliasterinthen subbed in a few pinch hitters at the 80th, trying out a different tactic for when the Dragonflies desperately need a goal (turning the 5-3-2 into a 3-4-3), but that didn't break the deadlock either. With a smaller selection, the same scenario repeated itself away in Rushmore, only this time there were 18 players on the field for Ko-oren in total - and Noya eventually scored, then Ardouin gave the ball away for the equaliser some four minutes later.

This stunning form was continued into the Valanora match. The 3-5-2 was a great match for our 5-3-2, the wide midfielders perfectly fitting in our man-oriented defence, keeping our wing backs busy. The Dragonflies really tried to keep the ball away from the Vanorians via a possession-based exercise, but couldn't keep the counterattack at bay and eventually Faeron Soldarian, earning a wage in Audioslavia, scored the only goal of the match. The good news is that Fresco and Nygård barely could get a shot on goal, even though Nygård was dangerously close for some attempts. Her shots were enthusiastic enough, but lacked aim as her attempts veered away from the net time and time again. She was replaced for Schreiner, but the strategic plans for both teams weren't changed too much and the status quo was maintained quite easily. Janoreirinthen was the man of the match for Ko-oren, by some distance, putting Vaugrenard in dangerous positions in the Vanorian box. The striker responded to these pinpoint passes by whiffing on the attempt for three shots on goal, one of them even remotely close to an important equaliser.

The team then fell apart against Vilita and Turori.

[Bolgano]

BOLGANO 3-0 DOGSMOUTH
The first victory in this AOCAF at Fedek Park

After the defeat against Anthor, the team prepared physically and mentally against the weakest opponent of the group, Dogsmouth, before the game, Tom Evans said the following:

We prepare enough to win this match, hope for the best and I am happy to return to this city.

These words were taken as polemic since in this city, he turned from Hero to Villan, after winning the SuperLeague for the next year descending to SuperLeague 2, the owners of Fedek ASS were not happy with this statement and decided not to stop playing to Evans or if they won't be rejected at Fedek Park.

After the incidents before the game, the Bolgano team decided not to let Evans play for this game, leaving the controversy even worse.

In addition to a few starting players, the game was undoubtedly a quiet game for Bolgano, scoring Birgot at 23, and Frizzel at 40.

In the second part Tom Evans was seen entering, where he was booed by all the people of Bolgano, Razor let him continue playing and fell to everyone in the 70th minute when he made a Chilean and nailed it in the angle, despite that he had to Leave the game 2 minutes later due to the bad behavior of the Bolgano fans.

James Razor received a fine of $ 500,000 from AOCAF, where he was paid, the next game against Ko-oren will not have our dear 10, due to this problem.

[Oontaz Dert Li Ng]

The views and opinions expressed by the conspiracy theorist pretending to be a reporter does not necessarily reflect mine and is only stated here for roleplaying purposes.

Gaetano Bernardeschi's final press conference as Pridnestrovia men's national football team manager
Stein-los, Pasarga



Pridnestrovia Press Officer (PPO): Mr. Bernardeschi will now take your questions.

Press (PRS): Sir, a 5-0 loss for your side in your last game as manager of Pridnestrovia. I believe that it's the biggest losing margin that you've ever had with this team. What can you say about the performance of the team today?

Gaetano Bernardeschi (GB): First of all, thank you for coming. Second of all, the performance was absolutely atrocious. The team did everything the absolute opposite of what I had trained them to do for three years. It's unforgivable.

PRS: Well, that was blunt and to the point, sir. Are you speaking like this because this is your last match with the Pridnestrovians?

GB: No, of course not. I'm sure that if you were in my position, you'd say the same thing about this team. Absolutely no backbone, no fight. I told them to not be afraid of the big teams but when we needed it most, they forgot that most important of lessons I've taught them. Next question.

PRS 2: Sir, you have been criticized by many people, both in your home country of Abanhfleft and in Pridnestrovia that your style of football, because of its heavy emphasis on defense, has unnecessarily sacrificed the team's attacking firepower. What do you say to these criticisms?

GB: You know, son, you're not the first one to ask me that question and I'm sure that you won't be the last one. The Pridnestrovian Football Union brought me into the team to steady its defense. I tell you, what good is the ability to score 5 or 6 goals or more if your opponenta can score the same amount against you? Yea, I set my teams up for defense but I don't forget about the attack. Don't let the critics make you think otherwise. I know how to get a team to score. How do you think I've lasted in this professiom long enough? That's all that I'm going to say about this matter. Next question please, and this will be the final one. Yes, you over there. The one with the bathroom brush and foil hat. What's your question?

PRS 3: Sir Gaetano, have you heard of the Sporting Conspiracy?

GB: I don't think I have, son. What's this about?

PRS 3: Sir, I cannot believe that you have not heard of this! Sir, the Sporting Conspiracy is the nefarious plot of certain nations which have been successful in the field of sport to deny other more deserving nations of titles and silverware. Have you not wondered, sir, why on the occasion of Pridnestrovia's match against Sargossa, the tournament officials suddenly declared a postponement of the current Copa Rushmori? Sir, have you not wondered how in the previous Copa, hosts Qusmo had been declared 2-1 winners against Pasarga before the result suddenly turned 3-2 in Pasarga's favor?! Do you not think it curious or weird, sir, that these two incidents have one common factor linking them together? Are you not aware that there is something muy going on with the Copa Rushmori!?

PPO: Over there, security! The man with the toilet brush and tinfoil hat.

Tournament security arrives to escort the man in the tinfoil hat out of the press conference. The man resists, forcing the security personnel to physically drag the man out.

PRS 3: You all think that this will silence me? You're all wrong! The truth will be revealed soon! Pasarga, Valanora, Nephara, Brenecia, the Equestrian States, Omerica, the Free Republics, South Covello, Starblaydia, you will all be revealed for what you all truly are! He is finally dragged away and out by security.

PPO: Does anyone else have any real questions for Mr. Bernardeschi?

PRS 4: Yessir, over here. Now that you are once again out of contract, do you have any plans moving forward?

GB: Well, as far as my plans go, I plan on going back to the family vineyard and drink one of our 2019 reds. It was one of our best harvests ever and demand is still through the roof. If I plan on going back to football? Of course. There is always a team out there that needs my sort of expertise. I am confident that I won't be out of a job for long. Thank you all. That will be all. I will accept no more questions. Now if you will all excuse me, I have a plane to catch.

[Sarzonia]

It wouldn't be fair to pin blame for the first loss by the Sarzonian Under 21 football team in this 59th AOCAF tournament on goalkeeper Carlton Sandt. To a player, the team pointed out the score could easily have been 6-0 or 7-0 when manager Bryan Ostrom mercifully pulled Sandt out of the team's eventual 4-2 loss to Torisakia.

The same could not be said of reserve keeper Glen Baker. He allowed a goal off a poor clearing attempt by midfielder Clayton Wilson, and that was really the best he could say about his own performance. He allowed one goal when he attempted to roll a ball to team captain and defender Ian McKinley and it slipped out of his hands and caromed into the goal. He allowed another when his attempt to punch the ball clear caromed off the outside of his right hand and onto the boot of a Tropicorp midfielder while being nowhere near position to make a save. Twenty-six minutes into the first half, the Stars were staring down a 3-0 deficit.

It only got worse. After the third goal, Baker jawed at the official and called him a pejorative still directed against the LGBTQ+ community in Sarzonia and drew a direct red card.

Ostrom said he didn't see the slur or hear it at the time it happened. He just knew Baker said something to draw the direct red and he let his keeper have it as he stormed to the dressing room. It forced him to sub out Wilson for Sandt as the Stars were forced to a 10-player lineup. It forced Sandt to quickly overcome any shellshock from the loss to Torisakia and dispelled any thought of turning to Baker for the next match, as he drew the automatic one-match suspension for a direct red card.

"I didn't have any idea what he would have said to the referee," Ostrom said. "I just knew it was bad. I told him, 'look, we can't have you or anyone else mouthing off. We don't have the luxury of great depth and we're not in position where we can afford to not show maturity."

When a Delaclav reporter noted the word Baker said, Ostrom became visibly irate.

"I want to look at the tape," he said. "If he said that word, he's going to be suspended for the next three matches. We don't tolerate that here."

Baker declined to be interviewed immediately after his ejection and then in the dressing room after the 3-0 defeat to Tropicorp. However, he called a press conference the next morning.

"First of all, I had a long conversation with Coach Ostrom and my mother," he said. "I watched the tape after my shower and I'm really embarrassed that I said what I said.

"I apologize profusely to the LGBTQ+ community, to the supporters, to my teammates, to coach Ostrom, to the Stars organisation, to everyone I offended with my poor choice of words. There's no excuse for what I said. It was wrong. I know it. I accept full responsibility and I'll make sure I never use that word again and I'll call out anyone who does say that word."

Baker lowered his head for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued.

"I was raised to respect everyone for their differences. I fell short. I'm sorry."

He then answered a myriad of questions. Ostrom announced the team would suspend him for the next three matches, and defender Pat Meyers would serve as the emergency backup goalkeeper for Sandt.

"Glen knows better," Ostrom said. "We all do. I'm absolutely furious that any of my players would have said something like that. Heat of battle isn't an excuse. We will get better from this experience. We have to."

Meanwhile, it doesn't get any easier for the last place Stars (0-0-2, two goals scored, seven goals conceded). Their first match in Woodstock will be moved to Nottingham Pavilion, a football-specific venue seating 18,200 on the outskirts of town due to lack of ticket demand at Joe Gibbs Stadium. In addition, a water main break at the stadium caused the pitch to be flooded. Since the pitch contains natural grass and the drying boilers underneath the stadium were removed for maintenance two days prior.

Box office officials announced 5,800 tickets were still available as of press time.

[Banija]

Kabaka - King
Luguba - Queen Consort
Sarauniya - Queen Mother
Isebantu - Crown Prince
Omugabe/Omugaba - Prince/Princess
Omulangira/Kyabazinga - Duke/Duchess
Kagere/Kiweewa - Lord/Lady
Katikkiro - Prime Minister
Waziri - Foreign Minister
Lukiiko- Parliament
Kiongozi- Leader of the Opposition

Setting is the Hoima Convention center at the Collective Resistance Union Party Conference

Katikkiro Kizza Makoni was sitting in one of the behind the scenes rooms, here in Hoima. The resolute politician, Party conference season was the man's favorite time of the year. He enjoyed being around the party's delegates, being around members of the base, getting away from Kasubi House and the Lukiiko and the media in Busukuma. He was the first Katikkiro in the post-independence period to govern with a single party majority, after all of his opposition basically made the CRU the only party left that didn't either A. have a major corruption scandal, or B. get into government with Matthias Mutebi and get the country's ass kicked in a war with the Equestrian States.

His own time at the top was very interesting. He was in his 9th year of power now, riding out the full five year term last time around, and now in the 4th year of his second term. For him to win a single party majority was hard enough, but to be able to repeat- well, his legacy was ensured. But he was going to go for something that would be absolutely unprecedented- try to be Banija's longest serving Katikkiro ever- or at least, since Quebecois colonization. There were some long serving Katikkiros in the period before colonization, but of course, since the position became an elected one, nobody had served three full terms. The first served an 11 year term, and there was one other with an 11 year term- but otherwise, Banijans did not like to give the same guy three cracks at the apple. And it made sense. It was the sign of a healthy democracy- power alternating between different political parties, power alternating within political parties.

But Makoni was going to go for something unprecedented. While CRU poll numbers were falling, and many suspected that they would not win a majority, there was still a shot at becoming the largest party. He had done some important things- establish a publicly owned corporation to operate Banija's newly discovered oil fields was his biggest accomplishment, and although he couldn't wrest the fields from Mavuto entirely, he had what he thought was a good deal- a majority of the profits would go back through the government. He ended gender segregation within Banijan professional sports. He was in power for two World Cups on Banijan soil, alongside numerous other major sports tournaments, that all went off without a hitch. And even though the Katikkiro had failures- the Guardian Council blocking the execution of Matthias Mutebi, for example, or his failure at the beginning of his term to prosecute Hatabu Danso, for example- his term was by and large successful.

He saw that the party's poll numbers were going down, however. This was for two major reasons. The first, of course, was that his party's push to have Mutebi re-tried and given the death penalty, and taking it to the Guardian Council, was seen as an overreach and abuse of power by many. When the Guardian Council rejected his government's request, it was a major defeat. That led to the second reason, which was fatigue in the Collective Resistance Union. They had been in power for 9 years running, and at the national level especially, that was rare. While they had won a majority of seats in every region except for the Moravica Region last time around, their polling numbers right now were lookign even with the People's Protection Movement.

There was one way to try and steady the tide- go for an election now. He knew that if he waited until the Lukiiko expired, there was a strong chance that the PPM could overtake his party outright- and then they'd be in power, likely in a coalition with the Christan Patriots League. This was something that he could not allow. He was sitting with the party Chairwoman, Andrea Luzago, and talked to her about his plan.

"Andrea, great to see you here." Began the Katikkiro.

"Thank you for the invite, Mr. Katikkiro." Replied Luzago. "You wanted a report on the party's readiness for a general election?" She Said.

"Absolutely." Replied the Katikkiro. "We've done a good job keeping the lid on our electoral plans- this is something that I wanted to be absolutely sure of. But looking at the opposition, looking at the platform that the delegates are close to approving, this is something that has to be done. We can really etch our names into the record books for this government and accomplish so much for this country- but not if we go out and lose."

"Well, Mr. Makoni, here is what I have prepared." She began. "The first thing we looked at, was party funds. WE have money in the bank- we probably have equivalent funding to the People's Protection Movement, which is a serious advantage for us. The Transportation Workers Union, the country's biggest, is ready to back our party once again. While the Education Associations are split regionally, in the important regions, they will back us. Right here in Ankole, in Kitara, and of course, in the capitol. In Moravica they are likely to swing towards the Free Justice Party, which brings up another problem but we'll get to that. WE have our troops on the ground, so to speak, and they'll be ready to fight for you and the party.

"In terms of regional polling, the numbers are not good. In Moravica in particular, we face a problem. Of course, our history of poor showings in Moravica have always caused us to need to run up the score, so to speak, almost everywhere else in the country to maintain our majorities, but our numbers in Moravica are cratering. In eastern Istria, especially in the Rukunbi District, where we hold our 9 seats, we face some serious issues from the FJP. While Rukunbi Southeast is almost assuredly going to stay in our hands, the rest of the region's seats are up for play. The Free Justice Party wants to establish itself, and they know where to hit us- it only takes a loss of about 15 seats to lose our majority, and while we're projected to lose that right now in the proportional vote alone, getting first could get us enough overhang seats to get back into the majority. For now, however, this is where we find ourselves.

In Kitara, in particular, we face some problems. This was one of our strongest regions in the last election- winning 22/30 seats, and over 57% of the popular vote. Only right here in Ankole, and in the capitol, did we have a better run. But our chances of repeating success there are slim. As you know, the party in Kitara is in disarray. There is a bitter divide over who should lead the regional party, and how they want to target. While our seats in Southern Kitara, outside the capitol, remain safe, it is the seats in North Kitara, closer to the Moravica border, where we face some problems. The People's Protection Movement knows that they are confined with their strength in Moravica and weaknesses everywhere else, and North Kitara is fertile recruiting ground. It makes sense- they won the last regional election there only a few months ago, off the backs of votes in the north, by the Moravica border. At the national level, they are going to campaign hard there, and we'll have a run for our money. That is a potential seat loser. The PPM got 30% of the vote there, but if it goes up a little bit more, and they pull us back under 50, we can really start to lose seats in the region."

"Overall, however, I think we are ready. By our own projections, we should be capable of leading a coalition with the FJP as our junior partners- assuming, of course, the FJP don't bottle it, which is certainly possible."

"That is good enough for me Andrea." Said the Katikkiro. "Thank you very much for your detailed report. The cabinet is mostly united on this, but I wanted this report first. I'll announce it tonight- cabinet will meet to make it official when we get back to Busukuma." When he was done speaking, Andrea left the room. All of a sudden, rumors of an election starting hitting twii.tur. He knew that would happen- that's the nature of politics. But they were ready.

Later that day, Party Leader's Speech

Party Chairwoman Andrea Luzago was on the stage, giving an introduction for the Katikkiro. "Kizza Makoni, of course is next to take the stage." And the conference delegates and attendees cheered loudly. "Our party's leader, he has brought the Collective Resistance Union from an afterthought to a majority! He has transformed the party and the country! From ensuring that Banija's natural resources would be enjoyed by all Banijans, to ending gender segregation in sports, this is a Katikkiro that has left his mark permanent for the 99% here in the Kingdom. The working class, our farmers, our laborers, are seeing incomes rise in a much more inclusive society. Let us welcome Makoni to the stage!"

And a thunderous applause was had while Kizza Makoni walked onto the stage. "My friends, Banija, thank you so very much!" Kizza Makoni said into the microphone as the applause died down. "I would like to give thanks to all of you for your support. What we have accomplished together over the last 9 years... Has absolutely been impressive. This has been a team effort, and the effort of our delegates, our door to door people, cannot be denied. I am blessed by God to be the face of our movement- but it is not me alone who have accomplished this. They say we lucked into power- but that cannot be further from the truth. In the last two election cycles, we have knocked on more doors, handed out more flyers, delivered a winning message to the people."

"As many of you know, our accomplishments together have been historic. But we must keep moving forward! We cannot rest on our laurels, as that is how parties like ours get swept out of power. But we must continue to move forward! We must continue to fight! We can continue to provide a message of inclusion, provide a message of upward mobility, and most importantly, grow the economy of Banija to match our neighbors here in the Glorious Southwest- to become an advanced economy like Equestria, like Valanora, like Geisenfred, like Hapilopper and Timuria, just to name a few. We need to work to invest in our schools, ensure that we have investment in technology, that we train Banijans in foreign languages, that we make Banija more equal socially.

I believe that we have the capability to take our case to the people." He paused, for the big announcement. "This is why, I am choosing to make this announcement here. We are going to take our case to the people." The room, originally shellshocked, started to cheer. "When we get back to Busukuma next week, the cabinet is going to meet, and we'll vote to recommend a dissolution of the Lukiiko to the Kabaka, and schedule immediate elections. It is time for our party to take the case to the people, once again." And the cheering was loud in the hall- they all, of course, liked the idea of an early election. The speech went on for about an hour. He talked about many priorities- some new, some old. Those education ones. And some radical proposals that would surely generate pushback- like allowing coffee to be sold to non-Mormons within the country. But politicians and commentators reacted with shock to the news, as the Katikkiro had the initiative. Could he defy the odds and win a third term?

[95X]

95X 1, Freeport 1

Sometimes, youth and eagerness are an asset. In the current case for 95X, it led to a slow start and a single-goal draw.

Alix Ajax carried the team the best they could, but it wasn’t enough for the win and it was clear some of the players were good players still getting used to top-level international play.

It was said off the record that Jordyn Foureleven ‘really reminded’ several people of Jordyn Third, a former and disgraced 95X pro soccer player. She laughed it off, saying she understood where and how things could be confusing.

[Hapilopper]

Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City
AOCAF 59 Matchday 2: Hapilopper vs. Gyatso-kai
Over the course of the last few days, tension had gripped the Hapilopper National Football Team. Cooter Harris, the goalkeeper for the team since day one, had gone berserk after giving up an 8th goal in the first match to Equestria, throwing the ball at the head of Pristina Shine, getting red-carded and generally making an ass out of himself before demolishing the team’s locker room, and his right foot, right through a glass table. While the injuries to his right foot were bad enough, the Hapilopper Football Association had decided that was the last straw. Cooter was off the team and wouldn’t be asked to come back.

Meanwhile, authorities with Hapilopper had spent the days between matches feverishly apologizing to the Equestrian National Hoofball Team for Cooter’s actions. They were appalled by Cooter’s outburst and hated the fact he had freaked out like that in front of 90,000 fans at the stadium and millions more watching across Atlantian Oceania. It was an embarrassing scene, and they were desperate to prove that it wouldn’t happen again. Consequently, Cooter was gone. In fact, his future with the Hapilopper City Soldiers, his club team, was in question, as Soldiers owner Ashley Gordon was said to be just as incensed at what she had seen.

Regardless of that incident, over 60,000 were packed in the 50-year old Capital Stadium to witness another match from the Hapilopper National Football Team. The fans had known that the HNFT had gone through a rough patch as of late, but that wasn’t going to dim their enthusiasm. A slump had to have been inevitable considering the team’s white-hot start of winning its first 15 matches. As the fans took their seats, started pounding their drums and waving their flags, they noticed some unusual quirks with the field on this day.

Because of the tight schedules between AOCAF matches and World Baseball Classic games, fans could still see the dirt sliding pits where the bases and home plate stood. Those sliding pits were visible on the football pitch, and it looked pretty strange in a football match. Such was the pitfalls of having a multipurpose stadium, but any attempt at replacing it had been hugely rebuffed by both Hapilopper City officials and fans, who actually liked the stadium.

Fortunately, the sliding pits had no impact on the match itself, and something felt different about this match. It must have been something Thom Perkins had said to the team, or the fact Cooter had left the team. The players felt loose. They felt almost at ease. In fact, the team’s enthusiasm harkened back to those magical days in the Free Republics when they ran roughshod over every other team in the Baptism of Fire en route to picking up the trophy. They were here to win a football match, and have fun in the process. As the team walked out, Ernie Stevenson turned around to the fans behind the tunnel, pointed to each of them and raised his fist in triumph. The fans cheered loudly in response. It was a sign he was going to do something pretty awesome on this day, but he wasn’t specific as to what.

And all things considered, the match was pretty awesome. It was a well-played game of football between Hapilopper and Gyatso-kai, that looked pretty equal for the first 30 or so minutes. That’s when a Bison forward took advantage of a magnificent corner kick to give Gyatso-kai a 1-0 lead and concerning the Hapiloppian faithful in Capital Stadium.

In the 62nd minute, however, Beautiful Bobby East saw something that few others in Capital Stadium, either on the pitch or in the stands saw. He saw an opening, even as Hashimoto Isamiru and Uthan A’den were giving him fits. For all intents and purposes, Beautiful Bobby, who had the ball, nutmegged Hashimoto and sending the ball right into the open feet of Ernie Stevenson, who was more than happy to give his midfielder – and over 60,000 in Capital Stadium – what they came to see. A goal. The score was tied.

In the 80th minute, Ernie was tied up with defenders. The smart move. The Bisons looked like an intelligent football club, and keeping Ernie occupied with defenders was something that any smart football team would do. Unfortunately for them, Steve Erickson was not occupied with defenders. As a matter of fact, he was wide open, track-meeting it across the pitch, almost unmolested. The general idea was, since Ernie had done most of the scoring for Hapilopper, it would be a good idea to keep the top goal scorer occupied and the other players might have trouble scoring. But Steve would throw that philosophy on its ear and fire it right into the goal from 15 yards out to give Hapilopper a 2-1 lead.

In the 87th minute, Ernie decided to show the world what “Fun and Gun” was all about. He shimmied and sashayed around Bison midfielders and defenders, and he had a huge smile on his face as he turned up the jets as he came up to goalkeeper Aki Kio’los. Aki went one way. Ernie went the other. It was 3-1 in favor of Hapilopper, and that’s how it ended.

For the first time in months, the Hapilopper National Football Team felt good about itself. There had been times recently where the team wasn’t sure what its future would look like, and in fairness, they had taken some real ass-whippings lately. Losses to sides like Vilita, Drawkland and Equestria had kind of put them in their place. But the HNFT wanted to show the world that they were here to stay. At least for this evening, the team had its mojo back.

Pinkerton City, Hapilopper
That same day
To be charitable, Pinkerton City was not the nicest place in all of Hapilopper. While places like Hapilopper City and Buckridge were “multiversal cities,” places that anyone from the multiverse could come in and have the time of their lives with the latest in technology, culture and entertainment, Pinkerton, well… wasn’t that. Jobs were hard to come by. More than a few people lived in poverty, and a lot of others were fortunate enough to live paycheck to paycheck. There was an air force base north of town, which employed a good number of people, either at the base directly or through support businesses whose survival was directly tied to the base. There was also a college, Pinkerton State University, with about 13,000 students, but the general consensus among many within the city was that they didn’t care if PSU existed or not.

Not far from the center of downtown was a newspaper, the Pinkerton Daily Times, which employed a number of top journalists hellbent on getting the story. Leading them was Doug Schroeder, a fierce advocate of the free press, and someone you’d like to keep on your side. Schroeder and government reporter Kirk Brown had heard rumblings of something strange going on with Motherbread’s on Upper Perimeter Road on the north side of town, but that was it. Doug, consequently, asked Kirk to keep his eye on it and ask questions when it was necessary.

One thing that Doug and Kirk couldn’t help but think, however, was that it seemed strange that Motherbread’s closings coincided with times that a team called “The Cult of Motherbread” was playing in the AOCAF. Both men were sports fans and they had heard about this national team that just appeared out of nowhere in its first AOCAF tournament.

“Doesn’t that seem kind of strange?” Doug asked.

“Yeah,” Kirk replied.

Kirk went back to what he was doing - reading more hate mail in response to his story about graduation rates for the city's two high schools, a story that unfortunately came out on the same day that the two high schools, Northern Pinkerton High and Southern Pinkerton High, faced each other in a gridiron football match. Kirk, of all people, should have known that academic performance was irrelevant when there was a football game to be played and won. It didn't matter how many kids graduated on time, it only mattered who won the big game, right?

[Timuria]

Insights Into The Team: Mehmet Karaman

Following the match against Lochario

Mehmet sighed as he made his way back towards the locker room of the stadium, frustrated at his helplessness. The way the team had performed frustrated him as it did all his teammates, but he was stuck on the bench with no real prospect of seeing the field. As he walked the corridors he thought about how he had come to accept that his role was to be a limited contributor and emergency stopgap, he was okay with that still. He entered the changing room muttering to himself as the lights were off "Goddamn it, where is it."

"Hello?" Called the familiar yet startling voice.

Mehmet paused then slowly turned exhaling as he relaxed at the sight before him, "Vatan? What are you doing here?"

Vatan sniffled slightly, "Oh. Nothing." He stood up and finished packing his bag as Mehmet thought for a second as he spotted it.

"Ah, my phone." He grabbed it and held it up awkwardly, almost hoping it would indicate that he wasn't sent to look for him. "Are... are you coming with us to the hotel."

Vatan exhaled, his breath almost catch as he shrugged, "I told coach I'd make my own way back to the hotel, I wanted to see some sights you know? We don't get to travel very often."

Mehmet nodded as he placed his phone in his pocket, "Well we can always walk back together, I'd love to get a bit of sightseeing done. Or just get away from the others."

Vatan smiled, "Yeah. I'm not really feeling up to... yeah it's just a bit hard right now."

Mehmet walked over and gave the obviously pensive man a punch on the shoulder, "Hey, it'll be alright we all have matches like that."

Vatan shook his head, "Yeah I guess it's just. I'm not used to it I guess."

Mehmet opened the door for his younger teammate and the pair began to walk out of the stadium at last, "Well it's not your fault Eyup and Azer lost their minds tonight."

"Yeah, but even if they'd stayed on the pitch I doubt I would've played better." Vatan looked down as the fresh air hit them both, "How do you do it?"

Mehmet looked over to his colleague with a raised eyebrow, "Do what?"

"You know what. You're so calm and relaxed, even though you're on the bench and you don't have control, how do you do it?"

Mehmet smiled and put an arm around Vatan, "Look it's not that I'm a special person or anything like that, it's just that at a certain point you realise that when things are beyond your control you just have to do your best despite those things. Like you did today."

"But I played terribly and we got beaten really badly?"

"Sure. Sometimes we can do everything right and still end up falling short, sometimes the people we face are simply better at it than us or have had better preparation or maybe we all have an off day. There are loads of reasons why we might not have everything fall our way."

Vatan shrugged his elder colleagues arm off him as he looked around, "I guess that makes some sense. I just don't know if I can be so relaxed about it, when I'm out there on the pitch."

"It makes sense that you'd feel that way, I mean if you think I should be feeling agitated think about how Ismail should feel? Yet he's there with me on the bench hoping all of you pull it out of the bag."

Vatan smiled at that, "That's true, maybe the coaching staff will have him play instead of me, I've been so out of it lately."

Mehmet sighed as he paused to rub his forehead, "Just get a good night's sleep Vatan, I promise it'll feel less terrible in the morning and we've always got more matches to win."

Vatan yawned, "Yeah, I'm actually pretty tired."

Mehmet began to speed away towards their hotel for the night, "Well we better get a move on before you fall asleep in the street."

[Chromatika]

MD1: Schiavonia 0–1 Chromatika
Goal: Andisori '77
Starting Lineup: Ria; McBee - Anderson - Will - Ilya; Thorben - Kuzami - Armageddon - Conrad; Andisori, K. (C) - Andisori, B.
Substitutes: Ibex -> Will ('55), Montague -> Armageddon ('67), Sierra -> Andisori, B. ('82)

---

MD2: Starblaydia 3–2 Chromatika
Goals: Victoriane '24, Kelly '51
Starting Lineup: Nier; McBee - de Aea - Ibex - Ilya; Thorben - Mora - Kuzami - Conrad; Andisori, K. (C) - Victoriane.
Substitutes: Kelly -> Thorben ('48), Montague -> Kuzami ('64), Sierra -> Victoriane ('71)

---

It wasn't until after Matchday 2 of the fifty-ninth edition of the Atlantian Oceanian Championship of Football that Silian Parker took to the podium to answer questions from reporters. After the Chromatiks' loss to Brenecia at the end of the last World Cup cycle that had cemented their fate to a zero-point showing, Parker had declined to comment; he had neglected any and all inquiries for his presence in the offseason between the World Cup and the AOCAF; and after the narrow victory over Schiavonia to start the affair, it was Keira Andisori and Alyss Montague - the power lesbian couple of Chromatika - that had answered questions from the press.

It had been stated by Parker in an official notice to the Chromatik Football Federation that he would be stepping away from Chromatik football after this cycle. There were rumors already of who could possibly replace the man that had led Chromatika after political turmoil all those years ago. Some were saying perhaps Daniel Lucas, he of the Lhor Orcas and once-Chromatik footballer. Others stated that it was time Chromatika went abroad and looked for a Manager who had experience from one of the traditional powerhouses - Valanora, Nephara, Brenecia, Vilita, Turori, Starblaydia, Equestria, and the like. Dark horse candidates from the Chromatik Collegiate Football Association were being considered as well, but the CFF was remaining tight-lipped, partially because they were in the process of vetting candidates, and partially to give Silian his due.

Parker spoke in measured, even tone when he answered the questions this night after the Chromatiks had fallen just short of the comeback and fell to Starblaydia by a score of 3-2. The Starblaydii, fresh off of their second place finish in the last World Cup, are one of the favorites to win the tournament; the fact that Nier put up a solid showing and the defense held them to even just three goals is something to be celebrated. Kaytlyn Victoriane, fresh off her hundredth cap against Schiavonia, scored a screamer, and the team looked cohesive.

When asked about why he was stepping away, Parker was cordial - he said he needed a new challenge. When asked where he would end up, he wouldn't comment. Then, it was all about Nellitopia, their next opponent.

It seems that, drama and all... Parker is still Parker, and the Chromatiks are on course, for now.

[Freeport Isles]

Match Day 3 Cutoff

AOCAF Cup LIX
Match Day 3 Results

Group A

Audioslavia 0–2 Starblaydia
Schiavonia 0–3 Cosumar
Chromatika 5–0 Nellietopia

  Group A                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Cosumar                         3    3   0   0     8    1   +7     9
2 Starblaydia                     3    2   0   1     5    3   +2     6
3 Chromatika                      3    2   0   1     8    3   +5     6
4 Nellietopia                     3    1   1   1     2    6   −4     4
5 Audioslavia                     3    0   1   2     1    6   −5     1
6 Schiavonia                      3    0   0   3     1    6   −5     0

---

Group B

Saltstead 1–3 Tropicorp
Torisakia 2–4 Demot
Sarzonia 2–4 Banija

  Group B                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Banija                          3    3   0   0     9    4   +5     9
2 Demot                           3    2   0   1     8    5   +3     6
3 Tropicorp                       3    2   0   1     7    5   +2     6
4 Torisakia                       3    1   0   2     8    9   −1     3
5 Saltstead                       3    1   0   2     3    5   −2     3
6 Sarzonia                        3    0   0   3     4   11   −7     0

---

Group C

Timuria 0–5 Baker Park
Mriin 3–0 Lochario
Cult of Motherbread 1–0 Sultanate of Oontaz

  Group C                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Baker Park                      3    3   0   0     9    0   +9     9
2 Mriin                           3    2   1   0     7    2   +5     7
3 Lochario                        3    1   0   2     4    5   −1     3
4 Cult of Motherbread             3    1   0   2     2    6   −4     3
5 Sultanate of Oontaz             3    0   2   1     2    3   −1     2
6 Timuria                         3    0   1   2     2   10   −8     1

---

Group D

Anthor 0–0 Ko-oren
Dogsmouth 0–0 Valanora
Vilita & Turori 5–2 Bolgano

  Group D                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Vilita & Turori                 3    3   0   0    12    3   +9     9
2 Valanora                        3    2   1   0     3    0   +3     7
3 Anthor                          3    1   1   1     2    2    0     4
4 Bolgano                         3    1   0   2     5    7   −2     3
5 Ko-oren                         3    0   1   2     1    6   −5     1
6 Dogsmouth                       3    0   1   2     0    5   −5     1

---

Group E

Siovanija & Teusland 4–2 Hapilopper
Busoga Islands 2–5 Equestria
Gyatso-kai 2–1 Qasden

  Group E                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Equestria                       3    3   0   0    15    3  +12     9
2 Siovanija & Teusland            3    2   0   1     6    5   +1     6
3 Hapilopper                      3    1   0   2     6   13   −7     3
4 Qasden                          3    1   0   2     3    4   −1     3
5 Busoga Islands                  3    1   0   2     4    7   −3     3
6 Gyatso-kai                      3    1   0   2     4    6   −2     3

---

Group F

95X 1–1 Krytenia
Flavovespia 3–3 Freeport
Euran Oceania Territories 2–3 Farfadillis

  Group F                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Farfadillis                     3    2   0   1     7    6   +1     6
2 95X                             3    1   2   0     6    5   +1     5
  Krytenia                        3    1   2   0     6    5   +1     5
4 Freeport                        3    0   3   0     7    7    0     3
5 Euran Oceania Territories       3    1   0   2     4    5   −1     3
6 Flavovespia                     3    0   1   2     3    5   −2     1

[Gyatso-kai]

So I had originally intended to post the first part of this RP before the conclusion of MD 3, so I am just going to put them both beneath spoilers for the sake of others’ having to scroll.

::: The Republican Hotel, Zhaoyang District, Republic City, Gyatso-kai :::
0800 hours, Republic Time (UTC+8), 17 October 2019.3[/i]

Kad’e Tay’haai could not stand the idea of the Director of the Avatarian Leagues, His Honorable Vhett Boba, let alone his former National Team Captain, to be standing in the lobby of a grand hotel waiting for him to come down. The man had earned mountains of respect from both players and coaches alike through the Avatarian Republics., and Tay’haai was not about to show even a minuscule ounce of disrespect towards the man.

[]Hence why I got a mere four hours of sleep. Maybe we should push the practice back a bit to give the team their rest. [/i]

As Tay’haai sat in one of the most plush chairs he had ever sat upon – the rich velour of the arm rests embracing a mahogany outer frame – he glanced down to his timepiece, something he had been watching for near on fifteen minutes. As he sighed, Tay’haai suddenly noticed something. A pair of footsteps, ones whose pace could be heard from easily one hundred yards away. It was a sound Tay’haai had learned at a younger age where this man was the center of his young footballer universe. Even now, the sound brought Tay’haai to a bit more heightened alert as he stood, adjusting his jacket as he turned to face, with the man who had summoned him from bed.

”Good morning, Bo’buir. Tay’haai said as he bowed.

Good morning Kad’ika. I trust that you slept well. Vhett returned the bow before turning back to the front of the Republican.

Tay’haai shrugged slightly. ”Not especially, but I am sure that is just the constant flying. “

“I take it you do not enjoy flying?”

“Not exactly,” Tay’haai sighed. It is just that I would rather be out on the pitch training than sitting in my room. I never feel like I get any real work done unless I have my feet in the grass.”

“I was much the same, Kad’e Vhett smiled as he patted Tay’haai on the back. However, that is why we are going to go for that walk this morning before your morning practice. Get you connected with the ground and see what work we can do.

As the two man began to walk out of the lobby, Tay’haai could only hope that Vhett was right... Maybe he did just need to touch the earth...

::: Lake of Peaceful Reflection,, Zhongyang Gardens, Republic City, Gyatso-kai :::
0820 hours

The walk from The Republican to the Zongyang Gardens had taken literal minutes, though, meandering through the park and fields to one of the larger lakes nearest the boundary of the park took a bit more time.

The Lake of Peaceful Reflection was a rather accurate name for the lake before him. With sound design having diverted most of the sounds from the surrounding Zhaoyang District away from the park, Tay’haai swore he couldn’t hear a single car. From dense bushes around the outer periphery to the strategic diversion of traffic lanes and flight paths from Zhongyang, the bustling capital of the Avatarian Republics seemed to almost disappear.

”So tell me, Kad’e,” Vhett motioned to a large bench before taking a seat himself. ”Any thoughts on how to solve our problems here?”

“The only thing I can think of is that we just do not have the stamina.”

“Do we not train stamina? Laps, cardio, distance running...”

“Sure we do,” Tay’haai, frustrated, leaned forward on his knees. ”Maybe the other teams are just more experienced than us, and this Cup may just be a wake-up call.”

Vhett hit Tay’haai on the back, and gave a quick scoff. ”Ad, we are literally two games into a ten-game contest. Isn’t it a bit early to be throwing in the towel?”

Tay’haai leaned back into the bench. He sighed, turning his head to the side. ”Maybe we pulled Aki too soon.”

“You think?” Vhett smirked. ”You gave the guy a single game, and when he let in one extra goal, you decided it was best to go with another inexperienced goalkeeper, who then let in two more goals.”

“You know I am a bit impulsive.”

“A bit?” laughing, Vhett put his hand on Tay’haai’s back. ”I coached you on The Bisons for nearly ten years. If there is one thing I do know about you, it is you are quick to change anything that isn’t working. Remember back in ’61 against Bears Armed?”

Tay’haai struggled at first to remember, but he knew where his old coach was going. But let’s humor him, Tay’haai thought as he shrugged.

”We lost to them by a single goal; one that you felt you had let through as it came right after a long pass you attempted to Skirata.”

“Your point, buir?”

“My point is I found you out on the pitch at four in the morning launching balls into these orange buckets you must have picked up from a hardware store. Those buckets were set out at intervals of five meters . You spent hours drilling every distance you could get on them, until your balls were sailing effortlessly into whatever bucket you so picked.”

“And it worked? We didn’t lose a single match until ASMV in the Quarters...”

“Which, as a team, we were simply not ready to face such an impressive opponent who had us simply running circles. But you know what? We put in the hardwork and used ’63 as a practice pitch to push us into ’64 where we had a seventeen-game point streak.”

“Before we blanked and got three straight losses in the World Cup Proper.”

“You need to see the bigger picture,” Vhett himself signed before standing up before Tay’haai. ”Sometimes things don’t work out, and sometimes all the mucking around with a team will do is mess with the chemistry being built.” Sitting back down, Vhett brought his voice a bit lower. ”Back when you were on the team as a player, you could control and fix your issues; perfect a kick, work on passes both short and far, whatever you wanted. However, when you are the coach, you cannot fixate on one player’s errors and fix them. That is what you have assistants for.”

“Fair...”

“And did any of your assistants agree with you starting Zhao over Aki?”

Tay’haai laughed, ”Actually, both Bai’a and Kenshin were against it.”

“Ha!” Vhett held his stomach as he laughed. ”The best two keepers in the history of our team tell you not to do something and you say ‘Nope. I’m right’?”

Rolling his eyes, Tay’haai just leaned back. ”I get the point.”

“You have to let a player find his rhythm. And that means maybe losing a game or two or three until he gets into the swing of the tournament and then you will start seeing some wins in that column.”

Looking down to his timepiece, Vhett stood up. He motioned for Tay’haai to follow, and began walking back through the park. Vhett was right; Tay’haai should have defaulted to the experience of the Top Two keepers in Bisons’ history, but he let that ‘Head Coach’ mentality get to his head. He’d apologise to them later after the staff meeting. Get them a good bottle of tihaar on the way to The Bowl, and after the Qazan game – win or lose – they could start strategizing for Equestria.

Because with how they have been schooling teams in the Group, it was looking like that would be the game to test the Bisons’ the most...

Pulled from Avatarian Sports Blog KickMeWhenImDown.blogstain.gki

So we did it! We finally won our first match of this AOCAF Cup tournament. Man, I tell you, I've missed seeing the Bisons on the MultiVerse stage! Haran, I haven't been able to watch mvplay since I was 9 years old and we completely bombed out of World Cup 68 and the NSC pulled us from ever registering for another. Something about scandals in the ALAF or something...

Doesn't every professional sports program have "controversial happenings"?

But back to that game! To see Song score two goals in three games is wonderful! He is such a presence both on and off the pitch, and being such a Mando Fanboy, having our star represent FC Mando so we'll is definitely not something I am unhappy about.

What I was unhappy about is how Qasden scored first and we didn't answer right back! In the opening minutes, to allow the opposing team to just march up the centre, seeing Kio'los come out of the box and try to stop a quick advance, only to watch him dive for the ball and it go sailing over his sprawled out for ... Heartbreaking.

But Song had us! The Bisons played a solid defense game for the rest of the half, and came out on fire in the second! Song put the ball back at 49' and the celebration at The Bowl was so loud it was as if we had won the entire tournament!!!

Though nothing compared to the sounds heard when Dag'da got the go-ahead and put us in the lead at 81'. He's a Skirata... He plays well, holds himself well, and damn, if he can not find an opening well! His father, A'den, I watched growing up, and the similarities are surprising. Even my father says Dag'dais turning out like his father with that same victory strut he does on the sideline after a victory.

Have to admit... It was nice to see them be so unashamed to celebrate a win! To see the flag waving, hear the people cheering, and to just be excited again!!!

I cannot wait for tomorrow! Sure... Equestria will probably wipe the floor with us, and it will likely cement our place at the bottom of group standings, but hey... That's football.

And there is always next year.