World Cup 84- RP Thread (IC)

by **Free Republics** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:38 am

OOC: Normally, I've done Letters to the Editor as a Sporting World thing in the past but I figured I'd do News Magazine's letters for a change.

News Magazine

Letters to the Editor

Nova Hellstrom-Hancock

I have to say that Nova Hellstrom-Hancock is probably less qualified than Kyle Bolton to be a consul of the Free Republics. While she currently holds elected office, which is an improvement on the clowns we've been electing as consuls of late, she is a walking international incident who has written articles like "Thank Goddess for Adbots". I actually agree with most of her policy positions but I think our country can do better than a professional wrestler and lousy journalist.

George Atwood
Republic of Nessex

I'm excited that Nova Hellstrom-Hancock is running for consul. While she may have been immature and impulsive when she was younger, people change and she's become a true leader in recent years. Nova cares deeply about addressing the inequities in Republican society. I can't remember the last candidate who spoke so forcefully and with such passion in defense of important causes like gender equality and workers rights. We would truly be lucky to have her as one of our leaders.

Nadine Lind
Republic of Plymouth

Sister Polus v. South Covello

It is an absolute embarrassment to our nation that Sister Polus, a woman whom the Republica Police Department considers a public nuisance. How many people have forgotten that this woman likely aided murderers at the Olympics by wasting police resources with frivolous reports. Its ridiculous that individuals who have never been to the Free Republics can be sued in our courts over an incident that happened in another country. This is yet another example of why we need to be more like the rest of the multiverse instead of clinging to our outmoded idea of Republican exceptionalism.

Yawara Uenohara
Republic of Amolotopia

I don't usually agree with much that Sister Polus says or does but I'm hoping she wins this court case. The government of South Covello is corrupt and lawless. If the government disagrees with your political views in that country then its perfectly acceptable for mobs of thugs to assault you in public or even to murder you. While the government itself doesn't do the dirty deed of suppressing dissent, the thugs and fanatics in that country are every bit as bad as the secret police of any authoritarian dictatorship. South Covello is a nation run by fascists masquerading as liberals. Yes, the current regime is still better than the Gregoryisgodistan days but they still don't understand freedom and they still don't have fundamental civil liberties in that nation. As I teach my students at Ren Rep, part of living in a free society is learning to tolerate points of view that you disagree with or even find repugnant. Its a shame that the people of South Covello have yet to learn this lesson.

Dr. Jamie Booth
Republic of Rensylvania

The behavior of the government of South Covello is utterly unacceptable but it was inevitable. Before their revolution, the people of South Covello lived as slaves of a madman who impersonated God and murdered people for trivial reasons like being the family member of somebody who forgot to watch a World Cup soccer match. After their revolution, they predictably turned to atheism and libertinism. While that is understandable, they now live an empty materialistic existence and are deeply intolerant of anybody who advocates a more fulfilling lifestyle. Yes, Godless materialism and hedonism are appealing even to those who've grown up in the faith because we are all sinners who live in a fallen multiverse. We are all tempted by evil in this life and when we are deeply under its spell, we lash out against the righteous. Righteous people like Sister Polus who just want other people to live happy and fulfilling lives under Iesus Christus are routinely persecuted by evil and that is not acceptable. That is why she must punish those responsible for disrupting her television program in a court of law.

Samuel Lucchese
Malifornia Charter Society

Main Nation Ministry/Gossip Magazine

Can Gossip Magazine and the Main Nation Ministry just go away already? I'm sick and tired of hearing about this crap. Why must Consul Nicholls meet with the girl from the Ministry? Why does the Ministry care so much about these obviously fake sex tapes that they burn down buildings just because they think Jasper Chuter might be in there? I don't sympathize with any of them. Its too bad we can't just jail everybody associated with Gossip Magazine, seize WankTube's servers and invade the Main Nation Ministry. At the very least, that'd make men out of some of those immature boys running around these days pretending to be adults!

Orane Nadeau
Republic of Nejax

My husband died in the O'Reilly Tower fire. He worked for Gossip Magazine as an executive and died a truly horrible death. I can't believer that Scarlett the Harlot would attempt to cover up the truth! She's the one who should be impeached. I also can't believe that she's allowed the so-called "Leader" to return to our Federation. We should invade the Main Nation Ministry and burn that entire shithole to the ground!

Addolorata Moretti
Republic of Orlandiana

While what Leader did was unacceptable and he should pay restitution to the victims, it is also unacceptable that Gossip Magazine is permitted to continue publishing outright lies. Jasper Chuter should be in jail after assaulting so many women over the years and inciting the O'Reilly Tower Fire. Its a shame that the Etoile girl didn't have better parents as she's grown up a complete hellion who has no respect for anybody or anything.

Ying Chiang
Republic of Yorkoba

by **Audioslavia** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:55 am

Episode One, Chapter Four [14:45]

Previously on The Idiot Project
Episode One:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three (A)
Chapter Three (B)

by **Hampton Island** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 7:31 am

Scene: Starlight Suites Television Ad, the setting is at a Starlight Suites location

"A voiceover shows each of the following as the typical hotel amenities are stated.

Swimming pools, hot tubs, and saunas.

Fitness center.

Business center.

Deluxe hot breakfast."

Image of Dean Greene standing between Brianna and Brittany Carter (the twins) now appears. The ladies are dressed in highly provocative attire. Greene begins talking. “Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘I don’t need all that shit. I just want a damn bed!”

Brianna Carter begins talking, “At Starlight Suites, there is no bullshit. No unnecessary stuff that you don’t need. Just the absolute necessities in order to sleep. Therefore, no ridiculously high rates.”

The setting is now in a hotel room, with Brittany Carter sitting on the bed, “Just a comfortable mattress that will ensure that no matter what position you find yourself laying in, it will feel good.”

Brianna sits next to her, “It’s like if some bully on a soccer field made you get hurt, you’ll be able to bounce right back up and be fresh just like new!’

The manager, Hannah Sanders, walks into the room, dressed in professional, though suggestive attire, “Starlight Suites is always the right gameplan. Win, lose or draw, you won’t spend much. Laugh at all of those idiots spending more money at other hotels so they can have a fancy hotel logo on their complimentary pen. Make the smart decision, stay at Starlight Suites.”

The voiceover returns, “Starlight Suites promises clean hotel rooms with what you need, but no unnecessary bullshit. We have special World Cup savings plans throughout our chain. And if you want a Starlight Suites in your country, just tell us, because we’re growing. International hotels need us. We’re the affordable, clean chain.”

by **Filindostan** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 7:47 am

NATIONAL | BUSINESS | PROVINCIAL | INTERNATIONAL | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS PORTAL

FOOTBALL: WORLD CUP 84 QUALIFIERS
With Flavovespia win, can Iqbal Prasetyo salvage Filindostan's WC qualifying campaign?

Marthorpe, FLAVOVESPIA - It was a start Iqbal Prasteyo had hoped, regardless of how the result was obtained.

Taking over the helm previously held by Xavier Rinoso, Prasetyo was tasked to salvage what was left of Filindostan's slowly sinking ship - that is their hopes of their maiden World Cup finals in their sixth attempt of qualification. A return of one win in six matches have caused Rinoso to step down amid increasing pressure from fans and the federation to perform better than expected. Zero wins against lower-ranked opposition have caused the Pula Garuda to lose ground to the top two spots in Group 8, which is being currently controlled by South Covello and Ziwana.

The recent visit to Marthorpe's City Arena was the first match of Prasetyo's managerial career, which he had never experienced at club level. With him keeping the style and the tactics used by his predecessor, nobody expected the Filindos to have their mentalities changed after a barren spell of two losses after scoring first. Oh, there were some visible changes in how Prasetyo handled the team in that visit.

Of the eighteen players he called up to the match against Flavovespia, only a handful had been veterans - both keepers have not been featured heavily in recent qualifying campaigns (Cahya Kartawijaya, and Billy Abdi Amo). In fact, the only recognizable starters who featured in their debut qualifying campaign were King Tisang (missed the first half of qualifiers due to suspension), Yakob Rivas (then known as Manyakol), and Kartio Weici (rarely made the starting lineup due to Dina Satyawan, Alex Jampang, and Buknoy).

Starters: Kartawijaya; Dekker, Darmali, Weici K.; Weici J., Sirait, Tisang, Rivas, Dimara; Tam, Teterissa
Subs: Amo; Canuzares, Dimakulangan; Manurung, Nilooban; Tuhuteru, Amit

The players showed grit and their will to win, which were not noticeable in the previous matches under Rinoso, and despite the hosts scoring the first goal courtesy of Terence Daley in the 16th minute, Filindostan was able to equalize twenty-two minutes later when Ajij Tam scored his first ever international goal after being the recipient of Dian Dimara's impressive run and subsequent square ball. The two sides came into the tunnel for the halftime break dead-even, with both teams having given enough chances to score at opposite ends of the pitch.

The first moments of the second half was not much of a contest, with both teams still waited for openings or mistakes from their opposition, until the first wave of substitutions in which Shiloh Manurung and Dhaeyvid Dimakulangan entered the fray and the former made a significant impact at right-back. Going back to a 4-4-2 with two out-of-position wingbacks would have been a suicidal tactic by the caretaker manager, but this change injected energy to the slowly exhausted forwards of Filindostan, and the Perokojak forward, who had been the star forward since her appearance at the SWC 4, scored the winner in the 76th minute, when she timed her run to beat the offside trap presented by Flavovespian defenders and chip the ball past David Meehan for the winning goal.

Changing of the guard at the Filindostan camp?

At his first post-match conference, Iqbal Prasetyo was met with many questions from the Filindostani-based media outlets who accompanied the national team to Marthorpe. The first of the questions were usual questions about the first match jitters, which Prasetyo was able to answer convincingly, but proceeded to not to answer one of the questions, which may have been related to the rumors that one of the players have been axed from the squad due to an internal conflict, according to internal sources.

That incident was rumored to be the conflict between Prasetyo and regular goalkeeper Gerry Nasution, who the former did not include in his squad for the Flavovespia game. The keeper from Perokojak recently posted social media tiwits that was allegedly aimed at the interim manager and subtly confirms that the two currently have beef with each other.

It remains to be seen whether Prasetyo will include Nasution in his 23-player squad for his next match against Mustardy, but one thing is certain, the changing of the guard may be near, with several BoF66 players starting to not to be called up or leave the camp and retire altogether from international football.

Written by FSNA Staff.

Schedule - WC84Q
MD01: vs South Covello - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 2-1
MD02: at Qasden - T.V. City (Royal T.V. Stadium) - Loss, 0-1
MD03: BYE
MD04: vs Furby Island - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Draw, 1-1
MD05: at Bliuji - undisclosed city (Domitia Stadium) - Draw, 2-2
MD06: vs Squornshelan Remnant States - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Win, 2-1
MD07: ar Ziwana - Birnin-Likulu (Izula National Stadium) - Loss, 1-2
MD08: vs Mitra and Soma - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium) - Loss, 2-4
MD09: at Flavovespia - Marthorpe (City Arena) - Win, 2-1
MD10: vs Mustardy - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD11: at Vakolicci Haven and Celeria - venue to be confirmed
MD12: at South Covello - Riverview (Revolution Stadium)
MD13: vs Qasden - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD14: BYE
MD15: at Furby Island - venue to be confirmed
MD16: vs Bliuji - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD17: at Squornshelan Remnant States - Lublova (Slavnarzeczpospolitastadion)
MD18: vs Ziwana - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD19: at Mitra and Soma - venue to be confirmed
MD20: vs Flavovespia - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)
MD21: at Mustardy - Héronne (Johan Speck Nationalstadion Héronne / The Speck)
MD22: vs Vakolicci Haven and Celeria - San Marco (Filindostan National Stadium)

by **Zwangzug** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 8:36 am

Zwangzug's e-Lipogram
At last, a win!

A bumpy campaign for Zwangzug now has a lucky twist: a high-scoring win against Vilita in frigid, windy Wayr Stadium. "Vilita, obviously, is a famously tropical nation," said coach Tavish Willow. (As usual, our transcription is not word-for-word.) "But that said, this still took skill."

Jonah McCollins was first to notch a goal, with Cosmos' Banach following. But Vilita would claw its way back to try for a draw, with bicultural Nii'arala Maliiaso and Raynor City's Linvoi Warazil scoring.

This did not drain our squad's mojo, though. Oft-ailing Subroto Parida would assist his Sharag pal Munshi on what would wind up as our winning goal. And Joshua Twoni shot past Mako Canopii, scion of a goal-guarding dynasty, for a four-two final.

Now Zwangzug must play Mattijana, which is not at all as hot and humid as Vilita and can, in fact, put in a good showing on windy days, so look out!

It's fair to say that most fans did not think Zwangzug would put up nil against Tamgu or fall by four to this group's fifth slot. Similarly, a win against world-dominating Vilita was not a common pick. But football is a funny old sport.

As You Know, Bob, Vilita has a long and illustrious history, including championships in two of our past triad of World Cups. This match will probably not stand out as a high point in that saga. But possibly, for Zwangzug fans, it will mark a finish to "sack Willow!" outcry. Possibly.

Also, it's probably not a shock that Arlington's tumultuous digit four had this match off, thus not making any "history" of a bad sort.

But all is not lost for Vilita: its ally/occasional rival, Turori, won to stay top of group four. I must say, our staff is a big fan of this group, with 95X holding off Sajnur for qualification slot two. Cosumar and Saintland follow, with Ynyslas, Pink Floyd FC, and Barsland middling. Alas, Guadalajara sit bottom, trailing two no-good nations.

by **Bears Armed** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 8:46 am

Bears Armed vs. Ouna
Venue: Wimbley Stadium
Score: 1-1.

Goals
Bears Armed: Brent (#11) @ 44’ (assist: O Sarrndale [#5]).
OPPONENT: ???? (#??) @ 88’ (assist: ???? [#??]).

Red Cards
(none)

Substitutions due to Injury
(none)

______________________________________ ________________________________________

Opening Location: aboard one of the aircraft carrying the Belles to their match against Valanora, approaching Valanoran airspace:
Time: mid-afternoon, two days before the game is schedule to occur.

_______________________________________

(Urrma Kuthbearrh) “Well, at least there aren’t any storms this time.”

(Lurrsee Fane) “You sound a bit grumpy…”

(Urrma) “Well, we are going to play against a team that’s not only the group’s top seed, it’s actually undefeated during this tournament so far… and is the only team in the entire competition for hwhich that’s true, at that.”

(Steffanne Bruin) “Still, at least we know form press hrreports that these opponents have faces: I hrreally don’t like playing against “faceless” teams like Ouna’s one…”

(Karra Brent ) “Even though we actually managed to take a point from that game, in our first ‘home’ match of the series that wasn’t a defeat?”

(Steffanne) “Ayyuh, even so, for true.”

(Karra) “It’s a bit odd that this “facelessness” only happens hwith teams that we don’t have any other information about, apart from ranking, neither; almost as though Rreality itself doesn’t know anything about them…”

(Lurrsee) “Ayyuh, but I was chatting with the BATA agent rresponsible for bringing Ouna in for the game — Marrch’hon O Vurra, you’ve met him before as well — in the bar afterwards, and he said that they did have names and individually identifiable faces back hwhen he collected them in Democracity.” ⁽¹⁾

(Urrma) “Hwhat?! For true?”

(Lurrsee) “Ayyuh, for true. “Apparently their faces blurred like that to his sight, and they stopped using names in conversation even hwith each other, just before their train crossed the border.”

(Karra) “Not some deliberate plan on their part to confuse urrs, then?”

(Lurrsee) “Marrch’hon didn’t think so. He said that hwhen he queried them about the change they honestly seemed not to rrealise that one had occurred at all and to think that their identities were still as obvious as ever-had-been.”

(Urrma) “Urrgah! Weirdness and weirdness-squared! I wonder hwhether that’s hwhat happened hwith the teams from The Five Cities and Ethane, too?”

(Lurrsee) “So did I, and so did Marrch’hon, but the guide hwho brrought both of those teams in is off on another job outside the rregion at present so he couldn’t ask her.
“Anyows, he said that there was a sort of wave of multi-coloured lights that passed along the carriage as the change took place — “hrrather like the lights that happen hwhen a raven takes a ‘short cut’ between places, only not so” was the best description that he could find for this—so that’s something for people to look out for on future occasions.”

(Steffannne) “Ur’rmm… Would that have been a ‘wave’ like the one that’s just started at the back of this compartment, I wonder?”

(several of the others ) “Hwhat?”

“Urrgah!”
“Bear-on-a-Stick!”
“Hwhat?”

That wave of light glides forwards through the compartment, passing over the Belles and altering all of the players — although not their team’s coaches & other accompanying staff, as well — as it does so.
But that alteration is not into facelessness: No, instead, the Bear-Belles have all been transformed into Ponies!… Well, into beings as like RL ponies as the people of Equestrian States are (including several ‘Unicorns’ and several ‘Pegasi’, as well as a larger number of the more “natural” form), anyway… ⁽²⁾

There are more exclamations, from players and staff alike: Unlike the Ounans, and presumably any other teams who had been rendered [temporarily?] “faceless” by such an effect, the altered Belles do recognise that this transformation has happened.[/size=120]
At that moment a message over the intercom from the co-pilot in the cockpit, where these events have apparently not yet been noticed, announces that the plane is now entering Valanroan airspace.

[/size](Urrsarra Northgate [manager & chief coach]) “Hrright, I rrealise that this must be a shock to all of you, but… Settle down! If you keep moving around like that, and rrearing up, you might upset the balance of this plane… hwhich could be a bad idea…
“First, let’s find out hwhether this is something that our chaplains can fix quickly: Marra?”

A little while later:
(Marra Moon [‘One Plus Seven’ chaplain]) “Hokay, I can smell that this was a deliberate action by some conscious entity, hrrather than just a “hrriple in the fabric of Rreality” as somebody suggested about the earlier events… and I think that the changes should be easy enough to rreverse once we’re back home, but I think that these effects are too stable — Oops!, no pun intended ⁽³⁾ — for me to handle hwhile we’re abroad, even once we get back down onto the ground. Hwhether the native spirits hwithin Valanora would be more hostile to hwhatever force was involved in the change, or to me for trying to work my will now against this hwhile I’m hwithin their jurisdiction, is something that I’d hrrreally prefer not to test.
“Maybeso the Valanoran football authorities, and the W-C-C, might maybeso agree to postpone the match hwhile we go home, fix things, give our planes better prrotection against mystical attacks, and come back?”

(Urrsarra) “Maybeso, and I’ll ask unless… Planes! Hwhat about the players aboard ‘plane B’? If they are unchanged then there are enough of them for urrs to field a full team anyhows… Not exactly our usual starting line-up, admittedly, but how much difference… Well, anyhows.”

She goes forward to the cockpit, to explain things to the flight crew and communicate with the other plane. A little while later she returns, and shrugs.

[/size](Greenfinch o Barrdenn [defending coach]) “Ur’rmm… All of the girls over there are now Ponies, too?”

(Urrsarra) “Ayyuh, they are. Well, except that the two harr’aynau and Hannorra now look like Humans, more-or-less, instead….” ⁽⁴⁾

(Greenfinch) “Hokay. So, ask for a re-scheduling? ”

Steffannnee Bruin raises her right fore-hoof into the air.

(Urrsarra) “You want to say something now, Steff?”

(Steffannee) “Ayyuh!
“Why not just let us lay against Valanora as we are anyhows? This shape is already starting to feel ‘right’ enough for me to use it properly, and I can see the other girls settling down a bit so I suppose the same is true for them, and we already know from first-hand experience how the Ponies play…” ⁽⁵⁾

(Karra) “I agree with Steff… and even though the Valanorans have also played against Ponies before this, they would only have less than a couple of days to adjust to the idea of usbeing like this after we land there, too, which could give us a useful edge. Sure, why not let us play as scheduled?”

(Lurrsee) “and if we can do even half as well against Valanora as the Ponies did against us…”

(Steffannee) “Ayyuh!”

(Urrsarra) “Uh’huh, you three again.
“Still, the idea does offer possibilities… IF the rest of the team is hokay with it?”

She looks around the compartment. All of the other Belles there signal their agreement with this plan, in one way or another.,.

(Urrsarra) “Hrright, then, I’ll still contact BAAS once we’ve landed, anyhow, but unless hey say No” then we’ll go ahead like this.”

(Greenfinch) “Unless, of course, Valanora asks for a postponement instead?” ⁽⁶⁾

(Your view of this discussion, as an observer from beyond the ‘Fourth Wall’, fades to black…)

______________________________________ ________________________________________

Location: the distant cave that was mentioned in a couple of my earlier RPS during this tournament.
Time: very shortly after the above events, before the Belles actually land in Valanora.

_______________________________________

Discord — for the ‘draconic’ figure briefly revealed to you before was indeed him — giggles, rubs his hands together in glee, and does a shuffling little dance. He drops a porcelain bowl containing various lengths of both Ursine and Equine furs onto his pile of used stuff, and goes back over to the pile of un-used stuff. Just as he reaches out to lift a tuba from this, he is surprised by a voice from within a dark corner of that cave. ⁽⁷⁾

“You go too far!"

(Your view of this discussion, as an observer from beyond the ‘Fourth Wall’, fades to black…)

[color=red](I have the rest of this conversation drafted, but not enough time online available to type it out now, so… tomorrow.

_______________________________________

OOC Footnotes

1. ‘Democracity’ is the capital city of The Free Land of the IDU, and thus the administrative centre for the IDu [i]regional government as well. It was named OOC shortly after the issue for naming capitals entered use. I suggested the name as seeming appropriate, and there was a short discussion in which several players agreed (including Mikitivity, the last of the region’s five original players, whose nation had actually CTEd by then but who I was still able to contact by email; and also Grosseschnauzer, who had been the first player after those five to bring a nation into the region) and none disagreed. I had found the name in an article about the 1939 World’s Fair, in New York, which said that it had been the name for a model “city of the future” exhibited there…

2. I’ve had this basic idea in mind ever since the coincidence in timing between the Belles’ pre-qualifying ‘friendly’ against E.S. and this tournament’s hosts saying that the groups needed to be re-drawn because of ‘Discord’…

3. “no pun intended”: I really DID decide to use the word ‘stable’ there before the puniness occurred to me.

4. c.f. ‘Equestria Girls’.

5. Note that the distinctive Ursine accent has been lost while the girls are in this new form.

6. VALANORA _
It’s your choice: Play against the bears as ‘Ponies’, or play against them (IC, rather closer to the final qualifying match before the break) in their normal forms instead… If you play against them in ‘Pony’ form then Pegasi = Marra Lightning [#32; sub.], Karra Brent [#11; starts], Lurrsee Fane [#12; starts]; Unicorns = Marra O Trustyhand (#15; sub.), Steffannne Bruin [#6, starts], Sarranna White [#13, starts]; other usual starters & subs = ‘Earth Ponies’.

7. Again, it was the coincidence of timing mentioned in footnote (2) that inspired me to use him...

by **Banija** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 9:12 am

Group standings tighten as the end of the 1st half of World Cup Qualifying approaches

Gitonga Kahara celebrates a goal in wild 9-4 away victory over Casta Marina

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- There are very few times when a team can allow four goals in a game, and win. There are even fewer times when a team can score four goals in a game, and yet, have it be considered a blowout victory for the other time. And yet, on Matchday 8 in Casta Marina, that is exactly what happened. The Kadongo Kamu put 9 goals past their hosts, as there were 296 spots between the two sides in the rankings. And yet, even though the 9 goals from the Banijans made our squad the first team to pass the 30 goal mark during this World Cup Qualifying campaign, we allowed 4. 9-4 away victory- nobody in our editorial room has seen that scoreline. And Marcus Waters commented on that as well. "Well, if you like goalscoring, this was certainly your cup of tea." Marcus Waters said to a roomful of reporters after the match. "We came in here wanted to get three points, and hopefully get some goals to help our goal differential, and that is exactly what we did. But a 9-4 scoreline- credit to Casta Marina for putting up a fight. They went down 4-0 early, but they kept attacking, and were able to please their home fans. A tough out."

The Banijans were happy to get on out of there. And then, of course, the bye week came. Matchday 9 came and went, with Abanhfleft and Brenecia both coming out winners. And now, the table in Group 2 looks that much tighter. The Banijans lead, with 22 points, Brenecia is 2nd with 21, and Abanhfleft is 3rd with 22(though of course, Banija has a game in hand on both teams). It is interesting, with the top three teams in the group all having byes in the last 3 weeks of the campaign. But yet, to this point, Banija has built enough of a lead that although the other two teams in serious competition for a berth in World Cup 84 have closed the gap, we still lead with a game in hand. And that game in hand, is against Abanhfleft, at the Stadium of the Restoration.

The Pot 3 side, Banija and Abanhfleft have been opponents in a number of sports. The sport the sporting rivalry between the Banijans and Fleftics has been most apparent in, of course, is lacrosse. Any Banijan lacrosse fans will remember the pain delivered to us at the height of Abanhfleft's domination of the sport. WLC 22 and WLC 25, specifically, where Banijan dreams of lifting the World Lacrosse Championship trophy were dashed in the semifinals by the same, Fleftic women's side. Banija's height in the sport coincided with Abanhfleft's height in the sport, and it was particularly painful in WLC 22 specifically, where Abanhfleft defeated the Banijans twice on home soil in the group stages, before putting one last stake into our hearts in the semifinals.

We have met in other tournaments as well. But by our records, we have never met with these kind of stakes in this sport. Both of us fiercely competing for a berth in World Cup 84. If Abanhfleft wins this game, considering Brenecia has a bye on Matchday 10, they will go top of the table in Group 2. Even a point for Banija would keep us at the top of the table, but getting three points would re-establish the gap between Banija and the next two sides in the table. And considering how aggressive the Kadongo Kamu have been throughout this World Cup Qualifying campaign, you can fully expect Marcus Waters to go for 3 points. They went for all 3 points in Brenecia, but could not hold out on the defensive end. They will be gunning for 3 points at the Stadium of the Restoration, in front of their raucous fans at the national stadium, but they will have their hands full trying to get those 3 points.

Even though our two nations have not met at this level, it does not mean that there is no connection in soccer between Abanhfleft and Banija. Isaac Georgadis, the first Banijan national team player to ever get a national team contract abroad, played his club football in Abanhfleft. Of course, Isaac Georgiadis played for quite a long time, in the first era of Banijan soccer(WC 73-77), and he played for a club in Abanhfleft for a number of years. The first to play abroad, he blazed the trail. But what kind of game will this be? Both teams like to get forward in terms of their possession and pace of play, and there will be plenty of attacking opportunity. But it will be about finishing. The team that scores first is going to have the advantage- moreso in this game than others, because both teams can counter with pace and quality. Kahara and Jawara on our side, and on the opposing side, players like Woodward and Liner can get up the pitch in no time. It will surely be an entertaining one in Busukuma.

What lies beyond for the Kadongo Kamu? It will be a trip to Trolleborg, as 100,000 will gather at the 11th December Stadium to see the Banijans take on the champions of the Baptism of Fire. It is sure to be an electric atmosphere- even though Trolleborg have largely struggled in World Cup Qualifying, domestically, the blockbuster movie Hennige Overwin has been released about Trolleborg's Baptism of Fire triumph. That will increase hype up for their national teams, and as we are their next home game, we will feel the full brunt of that movie inspired atmosphere. The crowd will be on another level, and considering we are playing a WCC champion, that will be that much harder of a game.

A pair of tough tests before we head into the midway break. A game against an extremely talented Abanhfleft team, who is looking for a win to really kickstart their dreams of making World Cup 84. And then, of course, an away game against Trolleborg in what is surely to be an electrically charged atmosphere at the 11th of December Stadium. Both of those games, taken together, will be good measurement sticks on where the Banijans find themselves. How good are we? Can we win those close games, those gritty games, where things may not necessarily go your way? How we do against Abanhfleft, and away to Trolleborg, will go a long way in determining if this team is for real.

Other News
- The Royal Banijan Soccer Association and the Football Association of Xanneria have announced a joint bid to co-host the 76th Cup of Harmony. If chosen by the World Cup Committee, it will be the fifth major tournament that we have hosted in soccer, as we have co-hosted Baptism of Fire 67, World Cup 81, AOCAF LVIII, and World Cup 83.
- The Stadium of the Restoration is the favorite to host the final, though bid officials stress no stadium decisions have been made. If it is selected, it will be the seventh major international final that the stadium has hosted. The stadium has previously hosted the NSCF 18 Championship Game, the World Bowl XXXIV Final, the World Bowl XXXVII Final, the AOCAF LVIII Final, the 67th Baptism of Fire Final, and the 67th UICA Globe Cup Final.

by **Busoga Islands** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 9:49 am

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

Busoga Islands crucial loss to Kavagrad puts them four points behind group leaders

Busoga Islander players at a training session

DUKUMA, NORTH ISLAND- Things were going reasonably well for the Busoga ISlands in World Cup Qualifying thus far. They had taken points from all of their opponents, including splitting the spoils against the top two teams in the group- Chromatika away from home, in a thrilling 2-2 draw, and 0-0 against Mriin, in a tough, physical 0-0 draw. It had put them in a good position in the group table. Just 1 point behind Chromatika following their draw with Mriin, the Busoga Islands found themselves well in range, establishing themselves as legitimate contenders to try and overtake either Chromatika or Mriin(though can anyone overtake Mriin?) in the group, and actually keep their hopes alive to make World Cup 84 the first ever Finals where the Busoga Islands could be a participant.

But with the Busoga Islands being a Pot 4 side, there was always a risk that they could go out there and lay an egg. We are a smaller nation, trying to punch with the big boys of the world. Main Nation Ministry, Chromatika, and Mriin, all have deeper footballing cultures than ours, though we do have a decent one if I do have to say so myself. But still- a World Cup Qualifying campaign is long and hard. We aren't going to be able to match the goal differential of these bigger nations. We won't be able to have as large player pools, or anything like that. Hell, we only have 6 professional teams in our entire country, and only one of them, Lakiska SC, plays in Banija's top flight. But it is a battle that can be done. Higher odds than ours have been overcome to make the Finals.

But of course, we do have a danger of laying an egg. WE played a great game against Mriin. Think of the energy at the Dukuma Oval. The highest ever attended soccer match in the Busoga Islands, at that cricket stadium. A Pot 1 side coming in. The electricty, the energy given by both the players and the crowd. WE came away with a 0-0 draw as big underdogs, playing with an aggressive defense, especially in the back. It was a particularly draining game. And, of course, with two weeks of prep thanks to the bye, it had that much more of a heightened importance. We got that all important point, of course, but then we had to follow that up, just six days later, with a trip to Kavagrad.

It was a perfect trap game. Away games are always tough, and it was a long flight to Kavagrad. They are a solid side, just 10 spots below us in the ranking. Our defense has been nearly suffocating throughout the Qualifying campaign so far- just 4 goals allowed in our first 7 games. Beyond that, all of those were allowed in two games, a trip to Chromatik City, and a trip to the Main Nation Ministry. Otherwise, al-Shareef had kept five clean sheets, and this defensive minded team set up by Starfire was operating at full capacity. Even shutting out Mriin, who otherwise had been one of the most prolific sides in any group during the World Cup Qualification campaign.

While our defense has been stellar, our offense has left a lot to be desired. Only 10 goals scored throughout Qualifying. Allowing an early goal would always be a problem for the Busoga Islands, and it was a major problem on this night. A headed goal in the 35th minute gave the home side a 1-0 lead, and that put the onus on the Busoga Islands to respond, to create. And they did not have the creativity and conviction necessary to try and eke out the point in Kavagrad. Players like Jay Khano really struggled to break down the opposing defense, and both Birla and Kamu Jacobs were entirely bottled up. It was a frustrating game for the Islanders, as they did not create many chances, and truly did not test the Kavagrad keeper the entire game.

It was a well earned three points for Kavagrad, but a large disappointment for the Islanders. That meant they were not able to gain on Mriin while they were on their bye, nor were they able to keep any kind of pace with Chromatika, who themselves beat a scrappy Petrovsky side by a score of 4 goals to 2. What does that mean? Well, it was the first loss of the campaign for our national team. We are level on points with the Main Nation Ministry, as we have each earned 15 points through 8 games. We are both 4 points behind the co group leaders, as Mriin and Chromatika have both earned 19 points through 8 games. There is still plenty of time to make up ground, of course, as we are still in the first half of qualifying, but that sets the stage for what should be an enthralling second half between the group's top four sides, as they try to outjockey each other for positioning within the group.

The Busoga Islands will look to get back to their winning ways at the friendly confines of Orange Field, as the last game in Dukuma for the World Cup Qualifying campaign will happen, as they take on Lons. Lons is in 8th in the group table, so we will be the favorites, but certainly nothing overwhelming. And then, in the last game of the first half of qualifying, we will pay a visit to the Plane of Possibility. It is an away game, but considering they are now bottom of the table, if we want to have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup Finals, we will certainly need to get 3 points there as well. It is going to be a tough road to try and catch Mriin and Chromatika, but we have to focus on getting 3 points in each of the next two matches, to go into the midway break with momentum.

There are no matches between Top 4 sides in this group until the second half of qualifying. Considering all four of these teams will be favored in their next two games, it will be interesting to see who can handle the pressure, as contenders for World Cup 84 start to separate themselves from those whose only aspirations are the Cup of Harmony. Is anybody willing to bet that all four will go 2-0-0 between now and the break? Even though it is the time of betting, considering the fantasy football craze that's swept the multiverse in this qualifying campaign, somebody's going to drop points. But who will it be? We'll find out as the next two games set the stage for what should be a thrilling second half of World Cup Qualifying.

by **Timuria** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:06 am

Frustrating Mistake Leads to Draw

Gyatso-Kai 1–1 Timuria
Dag'da Sirata (87);Caner Turan (41)

by Tufan Nursultan

The Red Wolves have continued their frustrating series of poor performances marred by mistakes and sloppy play. This result has left any hopes for the national team well and truly obliterated with many now publicly calling for the head of the manager even seeping into the world of politics with a GMV (MP) calling for the manager's sacking in a regional debate in Uryan. While the players still publicly support the manager with several social media posts from them some are beginning to wonder if Bekir Altingunes's time is up come the break between the halves of the qualification period.

The early stages of the match should have warned the Red Wolves that Gyatso-Kai would not roll over for them, with a shock early chance falling to Sirata needing the attention of Murat to ensure it was sent safely wide. At the other end Metin Boz got a powerful header on target only for Aki Kio'los to put a strong hand to it and tip it over. From the ensuing corner Ozbek Sarikaya tried his luck with another volley, but this time found his shot careening off the bar.

As the first half progressed the hosts appeared to be more and more out of position, with Ertan Renda's weaving run leading to a chance which was tipped wide by Aki Kio'los. Another chance fell to Vatan Ercetin whose run on goal resulted in him scuffing the shot wide after failing to get any decent purchase on it. The deadlock would finally be broken by a free kick from Caner Turan which found its way into the top corner.

The second half came with a mistake from Murat falling to the feet of Song Kaoru who was unable to turn the ball in a goal line clearance from Metin Boz seeing the ball cleared. A chance fell to the Vatan Ercetin again, who wildly struck it, sending it into the stands. The following period would descend into drudgery for both sides as once again Timuria began to invite pressure onto themselves defending their 1-0 lead.

This absorption of pressure appeared to be working, until the dam finally broke and Dag'da Sirata found himself with far too much space, slotting past a sprawling Murat as the Red Wolves failed to win yet again.

What They Said After the Match:

Bekir Altingunes once again refused to speak to the press following this match, leading to us yet again having to engage in legal proceedings against the Football Federation.

Player Ratings:

Murat Yigithan 6/10

Ozbek Sarikaya 6/10

Eyup Mustafa 5/10

Metin Boz 6/10

Gokdeniz Dag 6/10

Atilla Acar 6/10

Yusuf Ihsanoglu 6/10

Tekin Yavuz 6/10

Caner Turan 7/10

Ertan Renda 6/10

Vatan Ercetin 5/10

Substitutes:

Ismail Burhan 6/10

Beyhan Enver 6/10

Man of the Match: Aki Kio'los - His team can credit the point to his excellent saves throughout the match.

Schedule and Results:
MD1: @ Pasarga W 2-0
MD2: vs Yttribia D 1-1, Halkın Güneş Çiftliği Stadium
MD3: @ Polkopia L 1-0
MD4 vs Drawkland L 3-0, Genel Sendika Stadium
MD5: @ Farfallidis L 7-0
MD6: Bye
MD7: vs Fujai, Madenci Stadium D 2-2
MD8: @ Gyatso-Kai D 1-1
MD9: vs Libonesia, Dev Halk Stadium
MD 10: @ North East Asia
MD11: vs Melbergia, Halkın Güneş Çiftliği
MD12: vs Pasarga, Dev Halk Stadium
MD13: @ Yttribia
MD14: vs Polkopia, Genel Sendika Stadium
MD15: @Drawkland
MD16: vs Farfaillidis, Dev Halk Stadium
MD17: Bye
MD18: @ Fujai
MD19: vs Gyatso-Kai, Madenci Stadium
MD20: @ Libonesia
MD21: vs North East Asia, Madenci Stadium
MD22: @ Melbergia

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:32 am

Elections - one wacky promise from each party, ranked from most to least attainable

Pirate Party Ko-oren as regional tech hub, with clear legislation on intellectual property, open source projects, and high school projects on privacy and information sourcing. Seriously. Make it happen.
Parti Démocratique Opening up municipal elections and make local governance more democratic than meritocratic. This one might actually have some chance of getting done - but will we see fully independent candidates?
Meritocratic Party A central repository for each opening position, to monitor the certifications required for similar positions. Equal job opportunities for all. We're never short on ambitious, slightly privacy-breaking plans with the Meritocratic Party...
Parti International Ko-oren as a leading force on at least one environmental, one economic, and one cultural board. The first one? Easy. The third one? Medium. The second one? Painful.
Liberal Party Broad alcohol legalisation within 10 years. Now this one isn't so outlandish, but it would go against centuries of different cultural influences.
Conservatives Use the Duodecimal system in official documents, using X and E or X and = as spellings for decimal 10 and 11. "Ko-oren's national football team, nicknamed the Dragonflies, currently sit at 1Xth in the KPB rankings and at 12th in AOCAF"
Midori! Enable each community to be self-sufficient in something, from food to packaging (at the very least). It would make every community more 'local', but probably create a lot of extra household tasks. It all comes down to free time and laziness?
Labour Party Minimum and average wage to be 20% higher than Atlantian Oceanian average. Not completely impossible but Ko-oren's industry has some catching up to do if this is the goal - which puts the centre-left firmly with the centre-right?
Parti des Regions Appoint one city in each subdivision as 'Ko-orenite Capital of [industry]' to divide business across the region. Why won't anyone think of the employees who live close to work and must now move to a provincial town far away?
Yoshima Dokuritsutou "An independent Yoshima" honestly that's the only line in their programme.
FFFP Regional experimentation with universal basic income and implementation within 8 years. The former is already on the table, the latter... has the government ever implemented something after only 8 years of testing?
Vert&Bleu No foreign tourists in Ko-oren's largest national parks! Passports must be shown at the gate, in order to protect the country's most fragile regions.
Nationalist Party of Ko-oren Less money to be spent on culture, but promoting Ko-orenite culture at the same time. Now here is a contradiction.
Parti pour les Libertés Économiques Ko-oren as Atlantian Oceania's largest economy in the next 50 years. Keep dreaming.

Fantasy - Best Value Under 10 KPB

1) Darkmania
Chosen by nobody, Darkmania has the highest score of any sub-10 team. Most people chose a different member of Group 6: Hapilopper. Quakmybush and Vdara are also picked here, and that's the full 3rd-to-6th block of Group 6. Darkmania has a much bigger upside in that they are five points ahead of the other three, though. Given Hapilopper's 10,42 points it's not that big of a difference, but Darkmania have three more fantasy points.

2) Newmanistan & Sajnur
Sajnur is almost cheating this list, at 9,94 KPB points. Still, they're in the list, and still a very profitable team to choose as they are under the 13,3 points per team average. Newmanistan is a popular choice, so both of these teams need no further hype. Sajnur is holding up very well behind Turori and 95X, with Cosumar not delivering. Wait, Cosumar isn't doing well? This is our year!!

3) Ziwana
Ziwana are the surprising runners-up so far of Group 8, behind untouchable South Covello and ahead of Qasden. They're also ahead of Bliuji (appearing further down the list). Not just that, they also cost a measly 1,80 points - so they appear in this list by some difference. They're also only picked once, with most going for Mustardy, Bliuji, Qasden, Filindostan... so who are the geniuses who picked Ziwana? Why, it's yours truly!

4) Schottia & Mareibat
Schottia is a sub-10 team? I didn't know we'd ever see the day. Anyhow, they've everything to play for under the Free Republics and Taeshan. Mareibat are in a tough group but still manage to win 50% of their matches and while they look out of the World Cup race for now, they're still a good Fantasy investment.

5) Poafmersia, Bliuji, Tornado Queendom, Greater Cebu, Kandorith, Kavagrad
Uh yeah so one point under Schottia and Mareibat there's six more teams. Poafmersia deserve a mention for being just 2,70 points - but they're not the biggest steal of the group, that's Greater Cebu at 0,20 points. They sit just under Newmanistan in Group 1, two spots ahead of Kandorith... who are in the same category having scored the same number of Fantasy points. This group is close.

Honorable mention: Bears Armed.
Chosen by many as a free Group 9 team, they're outperforming some hrranked opponents and hot on the heels of the guys in third place. They're probably done as far as World Cup qualification is concerned, Valanora and Ethane have this group on lockdown.

by **Schottia** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:38 am

SBCNEWS Online...
Football special - The Road to Cassadaigua and Baker Park. Part One

With Schottia’s World Cup campaign speeding towards the halfway point, it seems as good a point as any to take the plunge and see how our plucky lads and lassies are fairing. On the face of it, Group !! looked tricky. (I was trying to type Group 11 but actually !! might be more appropriate, so I’ll just leave it up.) Savojaran, Jeruselem, Taeshan and the Free Republics are all ominously ranked in and around the Multiverse’s top fifty, with Balqia and Geektopia also decently placed.

Schottia came into qualifying on the back of a strong showing at the Copa Rusmori in Pasarga, where they claimed a couple of sizable scalps – including Savojarna – en route to a most respectable third place. With Raven Cullen now at the reins, Schottia had a dependable manager, who seemed to be making headway with a group of players sorely lacking international experience.

Schottia 3–3 Savojarna @ Harbour Hill Stadium
Line-up: Lorrey, Corello, McGillivray, Hare, Koller, Bronte, Roxel, Soria Luna (Bánach), Cnocstanger (Larsen), Avelione, Martel-Burns (McInnes)
Goals: Soria Luna, Martel-Burns, Larsen
Are Schottia and Savojarna rivals now..? Yup, I’m calling it, sound the NS sporting rivalry klaxon! High scoring matches seem to be a thing whenever these two sides meet, and a three-all draw ensured that recent head-to-head records remain even between the two Rushmori nations. Starling midfielder, Valentine Roxel, was handed his debut in the centre of midfield, and on this showing, he looks liked like the box-to-box midfielder Schottia have been missing. It’s never helpful dropping points at home in the WCQs, but given the calibre of their opponents, Raven Cullen would have taken this 3-3 draw all day long. With players such as Krister Voynov, Mikhail Jashkin at their disposal, Savojarna are always going to get goals, and to have matched them in attack most certainly bodes well.

Jeruselem 1–1 Schottia @ Unknown
Line-up: Lorrey, Corello, McGillivray (Morham), Lyndonton, Koller, Loweson, Roxel, Soria Luna, Cnocstanger, McInnes, (Vaught) Avelione (Renshaw)
Goals: McInnes
Schottia were without the services of Maeve Bronte and Connie Martel-Burns for the trip to Jeruselem. Kelly McInnes was drafted into the attack, while Colin Loweson was handed a first senior cap in the all-important defensive midfield role. The Princesses were rightly disappointed not to win this one, passing up a number of good chances before Daenerys Taragon pounced to capitalise on a mistake from Ed Lorrey. Schottia did have chances of their own, believe it or not, and Treason’s Kelly McInnes latched onto a Camila Soria Luna pass to salvage an crucial point on the road.

Schottia 2–3 Geektopia @ Harbour Hill
Line-up: Lorrey, Corello, McGillivray, Lyndonton, Koller, Loweson, Bánach, Soria Luna (Renshaw), Cnocstanger, Avelione, Martel-Burns
Goals: Corello, o.g. Octuple-hyper-terinngathordeus
After two hard-fought draws, the next match was always going to be important for Raven Cullen’s players. Valentine Roxel had made a big player in the first two matches, and as they welcomed Geektopia to Harbour Hill Stadium, his absence was keenly felt. The Auks found themselves two-nil down inside the opening twenty minutes, as the defensive pairing of Kara Lyndonton and Michael Koller were caught out far too easily. In the second half a strike from Rian Corello and a late own-goal from Octuple-hyper-terinngathordeus made the score line look more respectable, but in truth, Schottia were well beaten in this one.

Galar 1–2 Schottia @ Unknown
Line-up: Lorrey, Hordern (Bánach), McGillivray, Hare, Koller, Bronte, Roxel, Soria Luna (Donaldson), Larsen, Avelione, Martel-Burns (Jevđenijević)
Goals: Roxel, Jevđenijević
Roxel, Bronte, and John Hare all returned to the starting lineup as Schottia travelled Galar still looking to pick up their first win of the cycle. There was also a first start for Samaj winger Annlaug Larsen, who is currently making causing a stir in Cosumar. The new additions seemed to make a difference, with Schottia overcoming an early setback, to record a victory on the road. Roxel is growing in stature with every game he plays right now, and the Premiership star got his international account up and running with a powerful strike just after half time. Jack Jevđenijević secured all three points, getting his head to a Jack Avelione cross.

Schottia 1–0 TJUN-ia @ Harbour Hill
Line-up: Lorrey, Corello, McGillivray, Hare, Koller, Bronte, Roxel, Soria Luna (Bánach), Larsen (Cnocstanger), Avelione, Renshaw (McInnes)
Goals: Avelione
A bit like waiting for busses, Schottia suddenly had back-to-back wins in the World Cup qualifiers. Despite their modest ranking, TJUN-ia are no pushovers, and David Seems’ charges gave Schottia a real run for their money at Harbour Hill. The BoF last-sixteeners were strong at the back, and with the absence of Martel-Burns in attack, Schottia found it hard to break through. In the end it took a piece of brilliance from Avelione, with the Bastion man slicing in a half-volley on the 73rd minute, to give Schottia all three points.

Balqia 1–2 Schottia @ Unknown
Line-up: Lorrey, Corello, Morham, Hare, Kamara, Bronte, Roxel, Soria Luna (Loweson), Larsen (Cnocstanger), McInnes, Martel-Burns (Bestatter)
Goals: Martel-Burns, Cnocstanger
It was a wafer thin Schottia squad that travelled to the Confederation of Corrupt Dictators to face 91st ranked side, Balqia. Notable absentees included defenders Koller and McGillivray, as well as hero of the previous match, Avelione. Schottia rode out a fair bit of pressure in the first half, and had Martel-Burns to thank for giving them an unlikely lead, turning in a McInness cross. Schottia began to play with a little more confidence after than, and put the game to bed, thanks to a 82nd minute goal from substitute, Raey Cnocstanger. Arnol Orkos did pull one back for Aduardus Vaditiq’s side, but so late in the game, it was little more than consolation.

Schottia 5–4 Welzat @ Harbour Hill
Line-up: Lorrey, Kiefer, McGillivray, Hare, Koller, Loweson, Roxel, Donaldson (Inescourt), Avelione, McInnes (Kupper), Martel-Burns (Jevđenijević)
Goals: Donaldson, Martel-Burns (2), Roxel, Koller
It has been a real theme of Schottia’s World Cup Qualifiers so far, that they’ve struggled to finish teams off. That trend continued, as they hosted 318th ranked side Welzat. The little known visitors are new to Multiverse football, having participated this summer’s BoF tournament, but they pushed Schottia all they way in Handon. The goals of Directus striker, Martel-Burns, continued to pull Schottia out of the sh*t, and her double proved crucial in this nine-goal-thriller. In an end-to-end match-up, it was a shinning bald head of big Michael Koller that delivered Schottia all three points, as he rose highest to nod home a McGillivray corner five minutes from time.

Taeshan 0–1 Schottia @ Unknown
Line-up: Lorrey, Corello, McGillivray, Hare, Koller, Roxel, Bánach, Soria Luna (Vaught), Larsen, Avelione (McInnes), Jevđenijević (Renshaw)
Goals: McInnes
It was a quintessential six pointer, where defeat for Schottia would have likely spelled the end of their qualification hopes before we even reach the halfway stage. This Taeshan side are very different to the one Schottic fans will remember, and bursting with youth talent, they were thus far undefeated in qualifying. Twenty-year-old Wilhelm Nkitilina would of course ask serious questions of the Auks defence, as would Pirates teenager, Nyk Jackson, who scooped the SPL young player of the year award last season. As expected, the Purple Knights came at Schottia in this match, and there was no hiding place the back line. In the end, Schottia left the home side stunned, as substitute Kelly McInnes slotted the only goal of the game neatly under Florian Wagner, after an incisive break away.

The result leaves Schottia in third place, and still within touching distance of the top two. Closing the gap in one thing, but claiming a qualifying spot will be a whole other challenge, with a lot of games still to be played. We have is a longer qualification campaign this cycle, and Cullen will be grateful for the additional time to let this young squad settle. The danger of course, is that a lot of these players are inexperienced, and have yet to see out a lengthy campaign like this one.

by **Timuria** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:47 am

Unfortunate Opponents See Brunt of Frustration

Timuria 5–3 Libonesia
Vatan Ercetin (47), Ertan Renda (55), Tekin Yavuz (61), Caner Turan (76), Kartal Unal (88);Libonesia #9 (12, 31), Libonesia #11 (44)

by Tufan Nursultan

The Red Wolves have at last recorded their second win of the campaign after it looked as if they were heading to a stunning and unexpected disaster against last placed Libonesia going into the half time break 3-0 down following several missteps by the defence. The result has meant some calling for the head of manager Bekir Altingunes have become quiet as they await to see further progress, but morale in the national team's camp is said to be cautiously optimistic with many feeling a corner has been turned.

The first half began inauspiciously for the Red Wolves with a mistake from Yusuf Ihsanoglul leading to an early chance for the visitors needing the attention of Murat Yigithan. These mistakes would be a sign of things to come in the first half with poor play impeding any attempt at progressing up the pitch. The visitors would draw first blood, a whistling effort that flew into the back of the net in the 12th minute.

The problems would continue for the Red Wolves with another goal coming in the 31st minute with the awkwardly stuck effort deflecting on its way into the goal. The Red Wolves would manage one meaningful attempt on goal with Ertan Renda curling his shot just wide of the far post. The half would end with one final body blow, with a third goal conceded from a corner. The Red Wolves once again faced leaving the pitch to a chorus of boos and the stadium appeared to be emptying early.

The second half showed that the Red Wolves still believed in their manager, who watched on nervously, even as Vatan Ercetin got a goal back for the Red Wolves, with a powerful header from a Tekin Yavuz free kick. Tekin would find himself assisting Ertan Renda with a clever through ball leading to Ertan chipping the visitors goalkeeper. Tekin Yavuz got his goal, a long range effort that left the keeper wrong footed, bringing the teams level.

Caner Turan would score, getting on the end of a Tekin Yavuz cross at the far post slotting the ball past a helpless goalkeeper. The stadium began, despite being only half full, to rock loudly with chants returning. Under this new found confidence and offensive potency Bekir Altingunes gave Kartal Unal his international debut. This decision would prove to be a good one, with a supreme individual effort leading to a well placed shot taking the lead to an insurmountable two goals.

The result has seen the Red Wolves climb to sixth place, with hope beginning to return, if not for qualification, but for a respectable showing.

What They Said After the Match:

Bekir Altingunes: "I've been asked, again, to apologise to the press, but frankly the intrusiveness on my personal life by some of the press recently has been very unfair to my friends and associates and I would ask you to respect the boundaries between my personal and professional life. That being said, we are simply relieved to have finally got a result we can build on, even if the first half was not ideal. We'll keep working on it as we go forward."

Player Ratings:

Murat Yigithan 5/10

Ozbek Sarikaya 6/10

Eyup Mustafa 5/10

Metin Boz 5/10

Gokdeniz Dag 6/10

Atilla Acar 6/10

Yusuf Ihsanoglu 5/10

Tekin Yavuz 9/10

Caner Turan 7/10

Ertan Renda 7/10

Vatan Ercetin 7/10

Substitutes:

Kartal Unal 7/10

Altan Seyfi 7/10

Man of the Match: Tekin Yavuz - Had a hand in every goal and got one of his own. Simply stunning despite the poor first half.

Schedule and Results:
MD1: @ Pasarga W 2-0
MD2: vs Yttribia D 1-1, Halkın Güneş Çiftliği Stadium
MD3: @ Polkopia L 1-0
MD4 vs Drawkland L 3-0, Genel Sendika Stadium
MD5: @ Farfallidis L 7-0
MD6: Bye
MD7: vs Fujai, Madenci Stadium D 2-2
MD8: @ Gyatso-Kai D 1-1
MD9: vs Libonesia, Dev Halk Stadium W 5-3
MD 10: @ North East Asia
MD11: vs Melbergia, Halkın Güneş Çiftliği
MD12: vs Pasarga, Dev Halk Stadium
MD13: @ Yttribia
MD14: vs Polkopia, Genel Sendika Stadium
MD15: @Drawkland
MD16: vs Farfaillidis, Dev Halk Stadium
MD17: Bye
MD18: @ Fujai
MD19: vs Gyatso-Kai, Madenci Stadium
MD20: @ Libonesia
MD21: vs North East Asia, Madenci Stadium
MD22: @ Melbergia

by **Flavovespia** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 12:19 pm

Flavovespia 1–2 Filindostan

Another frustrating result for Flavovespia, as their World Cup Qualifying campaign continued to fall away, with 3 consecutive losses in a row. Although these were some of the teams expected to do well, in such a competitive group, it’s hard to see such results as acceptable, with Flavovespia still rooted in 10th place, quite a distance off even 6th place now.

McCormick continued with the 4-4-2, with one change from the last game, Mark James replaced by Alexander May. Despite the goals drying up, Barkes and Daley still headed up the attacking line up, with Hall in the midfield. Filindostan had many changes however. Group 8 had seen another manager sacked and Iqbal Prasteyo was now in the dugout for the visitors.

The early exchanges saw both sides going at it with a determination to their game. There were plenty of strong, but largely fair tackles, and ambitious balls downfield. Although neither side made a very early breakthrough, the crowd in City Arena sensed that there could be goals in this game.

Flavovespia were the side to make the initial breakthrough. Steven Hall sent in a deep cross from the right wing. Terence Daley reached it first, and headed it forward into his path. Cahya Kartawijaya had expected a header to come in on goal, and was somewhat caught out, allowing Daley to hit a sweet volley into the net. 1-0 for the hosts, and a great confidence boost for Daley, who until recently had been struggling to score.

For Flavovespia and their fans, there was a lot of hope this could lead to a victory after a poor run. Even after the goal, they weren’t resting on their laurels, and in the next 20 minutes, forced Cahya Kartawijaya into a couple of decent saves. At the other end, Meehan was also called into action, making a few saves of his own.
Sadly for the hosts, their hopes of leading at half time were dashed in the 38th minute. Dian Dimara made an impressive run down the wing, beating Ian Johnson, and squared the ball in the box. Ajij Tam got there first, putting his laces straight through the ball, and at that close range, Meehan had no chance. 1-1 it was, and so it would remain for the rest of the half.

The early exchanges of the second half were tentative from both sides. It felt like a game where both were looking to not lose at that stage, instead of trying to score. There were a few half-chances, but nothing clear-cut, and it seemed like the substitutes would be key. Shiloh Manurung and Dhaeyvid Dimakulangan came on for the visitors. For the hosts, Nigel Humphries was replaced by club teammate Alan Holt, and Ian Johnson was subbed off for David Blythe.

The changes seemed to tilt the game in the favour of Filindostan, and the momentum was with them. The 76th minute saw them finish off their comeback. Ina Teterissa received a long ball over the top, and was through one on one with Meehan. Meehan came out to close the angle, but was chipped by the Filindostan forward, to make it 1-2. May and Gardner were fuming, as they felt she was offside from the play. However a VAR review proved their dispute was futile, and Flavovespia found themselves in the familiar position of being behind.

The final minutes saw Flavovespia throw everything forward. However, there were precious few opportunities, Filindostan controlling the last stages well, and ground out a 1-2 win for them, a win they absolutely needed to get their ailing campaign back on course, and a debut win for Iqbal Prasteyo. Flavovespia fell to their 3rd defeat in a row.

After picking up 0 points in the “gauntlet”, Flavovespia are just 6 points from 8 games, and now in an 11th vs 10th matchup against Furby Island in their next game. Marcus McCormick received confirmation the next day after the game he was not the next permanent manager, and that the FFA would have a replacement in place by them. There is a real feeling that the match against Furby Island is a “must win” now, and even the match at home to Bliuji needs to be a decent result for Flavovespia. No matter how you look at this, the qualifiers have been a failure for the national side so far.

Richard Crawford hired as new manager of Flavovespia

The early favourite to be appointed the next permanent manager of Flavovespia was announced as the new manager. Richard Crawford will leave his role at Stanmorn, to take over the national side. He took Stanmorn from midtable in the Super League, to their first ever title and 2 other Top 4 finishes. At club level, he has favoured a 5-2-1-2 setup. However, with some defensive issues apparent in Flavovespia, it’s possible he could retain the 4-2-3-1 favoured by Nick Cole, or another 4 defender setup.

Crawford gave a relatively brief interview to the national media after his appointment. After the usual platitudes about being hired to manage Flavovespia, and leaving Stanmorn, he was asked about team selection. On the matter of the current squad he stated “For now, I’ll look at what we have, in the current 23. If I feel the need to go to the 7 reserves, or even other players, I will give it some consideration. For the final 2 games of this half however, expect no new call ups.”

Crawford is believed to have an initial deal taking him to the end of AOCAF Cup 60. The question will be how long will the FFA give him to turn around the national side, and the expectactions for the rest of the qualifiers. It’d be a shock to see him manage to get sacked in this cycle of World Cup qualifiers, but there’s a feeling if the team can’t at least get close to the 7th place their Pot 7 seeding suggests is their benchmark, it’ll be a disappointment.

A History of Football in Flavovespia

Part 8

In 64BU, a new organisation, the Inter City Football Federation (ICFF) was established. It was born out of frustration of the GCC and their organisation of the Gold Cup, and a belief that the game could easily become more accessible and popular if clubs were more representative of cities. From 63BU, they would run their own tournament, the Inter City Cup.

The ICFF made it clear they would always strive to keep the tournament as close to a true knockout as possible. The rules for the tournament were similar to the pre “automatic Round 3 hosts” Gold Cup era. The biggest change however was only one team per city. The cities were defined by the “city-regions” that the Union of Greater Waldster (at the time the “governing” body of the nation, although FFD will not go into the politics of that). There were 36 potential teams then to enter, and for the first tournament, 31 teams were entered, and the ICFF gave St Astons City a bye into Round 2 to make the numbers work, St Astons City being the 64BU Gold Cup winners.

The tournament did attract some controversy before even starting. Many teams, especially those poised to lose out, saw the tournament as against the spirit of the game, and others derided it, calling it nothing more than a tourist attraction and “fake football”. Several teams, including the likes of Apsbrooke, Hampridge United, Henhaven Islanders and others, were founded for the purposes of playing in the Inter City Cup, with various levels of grassroots organisations versus top-down creation. 5 of the cities didn’t enter. Bavingtor, Binclestead Wood, Buchraston, Capton and Rumlington didn’t compete. There were football teams in those cities, but none claimed to be representatives of the entire region, or their claims to do so were rejected by the ICFF. That is despite Hopford Harps being allowed to, despite their links to the brewing industries in the city. In Towerhaite, Team Towerhaite were selected over Towerhaite Sports Society, which would cause a feud between the two sides that still has an effect to this day. Westwood Sports Society were granted the right to represent Westwood, despite the perceived exclusivity of the “Sports Society”.

Despite all the off-field wranglings and arguments, the tournament was actually a success. Many fans found unity in their representative teams, and attendances were considerable. The tournament also felt like somewhat of a breath of fresh air. The final, with a comprehensive highlights package televised nationwide was between Hadford Hill and St Astons City, coincidentally the same final as the very first Gold Cup. 3-3 at full time, a late winner in extra time by Thomas Marley got Hadford Hill the inaugural Inter City Cup title.

Despite criticism from some of the old guard of football, the tournament was popular. It seemed innovative in terms of media outreach and getting fans into the grounds. A sense of local identity was built up, and even by the 4th edition, Capton Club, Bavingtor FC, Binclestead Wood FC and Buchraston FC formed to compete. A few years later, Rumlington Rovers FC formed to reach the 36 team full capacity. That isn’t to say the Gold Cup, nor were any of the 3 professional leagues unpopular. They also continued onwards, as football became a growing sport in the nation.

by **Mercedini** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 12:42 pm

What's Up At The World Cup
Qualification: As It Stands
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium - Zoloroni, Mercedini

Building Momentum

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to Mercedini Sports Daily's coverage of the 84th World Cup Qualification games. When you last joined us, Merceidni were having a torrid time of it in a rather competitive group, dropping points in three matches in a row to find themselves languishing in thid place and outside of the two qualification spots that the group has to offer. Two narrow wins in a row against Eastfield Lodge and New Sarian put Dini back on track, making it a two-horse race between the Golden Eagles and Huelavia for the second and final qualification spot, with Starblaydia running away with the top spot following an unbeaten start to their run. Since then, Mercedini have found form in their group and have notched up a number of big wins which could be crucial come the end of the campaign. There is no match today as Dini are on their BYE day, something which every team will have to experiance due to the odd number of nations in each group. Starblaydia have already has their break, while main rivals HUElavia have yet to have theirs, meaning Dini have a game in hand on Los Amarillos.

Two matches remain in the first half of qualification for Mercedini, with two very different opponents to play before the first half concludes. In the blockbuster match of the round, Mercedini will face off against Starblaydia which could define who goes top of the table at the midway stage. Starblaydia have lead all the way but two draws in a row has cut their lead enough for Dini to catch them if they win in their encounter, it would be a massive chance for the Golden Eagles to gain ground on Starblaydia and to enlarge the gap between themselves and third place in the group. Dini will also have to play Tara & Cambray to round out the first half, in a game which will be seen as a must win for the Golden Eagles if they are to hold their spot in the top two. Following that, we will have to do it all over again with the second half, when all the reverse fixtures will be played out before we find out who will be present at the World Cup Finals.

Group 3                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Starblaydia                       8    6   2   0    26   10  +16    20
 2 HUElavia                          9    6   0   3    24   19   +5    18
 3 Mercedini                         8    5   2   1    24   13  +11    17
 4 Eastfield Lodge                   8    4   1   3    17   14   +3    13
 5 Competitive Solitaire             8    3   3   2    17   18   −1    12
 6 Magnaterrica                      8    2   3   3    20   22   −2     9
 7 Folmara                           8    2   2   4    17   20   −3     8
 8 Schiavonia                        8    2   2   4     8   15   −7     8
 9 Tara & Cambray                    9    2   1   6    11   15   −4     7
10 The Ross Isles                    8    2   1   5    10   23  −13     7
11 The Sarian                        8    1   3   4     7   12   −5     6

Mercedini 5-1 Competitive Solitaire
The first major result since the opening day of the camapign in Zoloroni, and it came in front of a bumper crowd due to the MFA offering free tickets and opening the stadium for anyone to come in and watch. A full-strength side was fielded by Lyndainium as he looked to make it three wins in a row and gather momentum before the bye match and the mid-qual break. Nerves were put to bed early on as a Chillotov brace put his side 2-0 in the opening half an hour with Dini looking in complete control of the match as this early stage. Shades of previous matches were ushered in as Solitaire were awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage time which was swiftly converted to halve the deficit of the visitors, with some nervy looks exchanged around the stadium as the referee blew his whistle and the teams headed into the tunnel with Mercedini 2-1 up over Solitaire in what was a accomplished performance by the young team.

In the second half, it was much of the same for Mercedini as they turned the screwand secures all three point in what turned out to be a comfortable game for the home side, something which the players and the fans welcomed with open arms. Garzallo nodded home for a third just after the restart, substitute Graszeszak slotted home following a counter attack to make the points safe from then on. A relaxed Mercedinian side then won a penalty in added time, mirroring that of the first half, Chillotov stepped up to the plate to claim his first hat-trick of the campaign in a 5-1 rout at the Sports City Stadium. Three points well earned as the campaign began to hot up.

Schiavonia 0-4 Mercedini
Not content with a win by four goals at home, Dini then increased the pressure on those at the top by winning by four goals away from home in an impressive 4-0 win in Schiavonia to reclaim the second spot in the group after both Huelavia and Starblaydia dropped points in their respective matches. After a comfortable win in Zoloroni, Lyndainium could afford to field the same eleven for the firs time in the campaign, meaning the prolific strike force were back on the pitch, and drawing the big crowds far from home. It was a tight affair in the hostile environment of Schiavonia, the front two uncharacteristic in their nature as they missed chance after chance in front of goal on a bobbly pitch which wasn't letting the ball run freely. Alas, the chances did tell in the end as Nymark added his cutting edge to the match, smashing home on the half-volley after the corner from which it came from was originally cleared. It was the only goal of the first half with many of the Mercedinian fans thinking of themselves as lucky that they were ahead as the first half came to a close.

In the second half, it was much of the same as Mercedini and Schiavonia played out a tough and hostile stalemate, with the home fans making themselves heard inside the packed stadium. Neither team could break through the opposition's defence, which obviously benefited the Mercedinians as they already held the lead at this point. Several jabs were traded between the two teams, but no knockout blow was made as time ticked down in the match. Solace finally came with ten minutes to go when Dostalok was threaded through by his strike partner to race through with only one marker and the goalkeeper to beat, he cut inside to curl a low shot into the bottom corner to double the visitor's lead and to seemingly make the points safe with time ticking away. Dini then ran up the score in added time with a third as time ticked past the 90th minute. A corner was whipped in with pace and was flicked on by Toivonen into the far side of the goal for a third to round out what was a narrow victory on the pitch, but clinical performances at the end of the day was the main takeaway from the game. Toivonen's first goal of the campaign and the third goal of the match for Mercedini, it ended up being another comfortable win, even if it wasn't deserved. To round out a clinical end to the match, Chillotov raced through with his pace being too much for the home-side's defenders as he rounded the goalkeeper and calmly rolled the ball into the net for a fourth goal of the game. It was harsh on Schiavonia who played well, but paid the price at the end of the match with Mercedini's clinical finishing and sustained endurance. It wasn't really deserved, but when the final whistle blew, Dini ran out as 4-0 winners away from home in a brilliant result to take back to the Sports City Stadium.

So there we have it, Mercedini extend their winning run to four matches in a row, twelve points gathered at just the right time as the Starblaydian juggernauts approach in the future. A win would mean Din would be tied on points with the Pot 1 side, whereas a draw would mean they would stay in contention but would mean Dini would have to hope for a slip-up from their rivals. HUElavia will be the ones who would likely benefit from the encounter as they use up their BYE match while both of their rivals play against each other. We are far from a final result in what has turned out to be an interesting qualification campaign so far. We hope you will be able to join us for all of Mercedini's future matches in the future as they aim for another appearance at the World Cup Finals. Any possibility is open for the Golden Eagles, bur from the Sports City Stadium, we bid you goodnight!

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 1:08 pm

Die Stelburger Zeitung

Sport

Goldhorns Win in Chernovets; Mandl Shines on Debut

Siovanija & Teusland’s national football team improved their record in World Cup Qualifiers to 7-0-2 thanks to an important 4-2 win over Aquitlia.

“It’s a big one tonight, we’re excited to be here in Chernovets where the fans have always been so good for us, and we know what we have to do tonight,” commented captain Raphael Klopfer. “It’s always nice to be home, and I’m looking forward to what should be a great night out there,” commented local boy and Energija Chernovets star Viktor Dimitrov. The Goldhorns were coming off a strong 3-1 away win over Squornshelous, and heading in to what will undoubtedly be the biggest match of our campaign so far, away to The Macabees, would be looking to put in another strong performance.

Gavin Hughes’ squad saw some changes from the 11 that faced Squornshelous. In goal for the first time these qualifiers was Anatoli Sveteikov. The backline saw Lyubomir Dimitrov in at left back, Raphael Klopfer and Kasper Martz the duo at centre back, and Luka Ambroz in at right back. In the middle of the park, Hughes went with Heinrich Bahr, Viktor Dimitrov and Julian Werner. Lukas Tauscher got the start at right wing, while young Lojze Kokalj came in for his national team debut on the left side. Johannes Mandl was also selected to earn his first cap on the day.

It was clear early on the the Goldhorns were in control of the match, dominating the possession. The link-up between Bahr and Dimitrov in the middle of the park was very strong, and Dimitrov in particular managed to take over the game. The Goldhorns dominated the midfield battle, forcing Aquitlia to sit back more and attack on the break. Dimitrov has become quite adept in his new role, retaining all the creativity he has while also tackling more and working to win the ball back.

It was Dimitrov that created the first goal for the national team. Taking the ball, he moved forward quickly, beating two men to get into dangerous positioning. He then played off a well-timed pass that met the run of Johannes Mandl, Mandl’s timing to stay onside also perfect. Mandl then fired a shot into the lower right corner, beating the keeper and earning him his first international goal.

One nil up, the Goldhorns would continue to work to build on their lead. A rare rush forward for Aquitlia was stopped by a great tackle from Lyubomir Dimitrov, who recovered the ball and played a pass to Lojze Kokalj. The 18 year old brought the ball upfield with pace, giving the Goldhorn fans seeing him for the first time a great show. With great skill he was able to beat his marker, causing an audible gasp from Goldhorn fans in the park. Moving closer to goal, he sent a great pass in for Viktor Dimitrov, who again found Johannes Mandl. Mandl wouldn’t miss the mark, hitting the back of the net for his second international goal, and putting the Goldhorns 2-0 up just 25 minutes into the match.

You could tell by the energy that the Goldhorns restarted with on the kick-off after Mandl’s second goal that there were going to be more goals in this one. What could not be foretold, however, was just how quickly it would come. The Goldhorns quickly rushed to press the Aquitlian midfield, Viktor Dimitrov ending up recovering the ball. He passed it back to Julian Werner, who found the run of Lukas Tauscher. Then Tauscher took off, the pacy winger beating his man then barreling in towards the goal. Just outside the box, he teed himself up with a touch then blasted it into the top left corner. It was the best goal of the day, and just 30 seconds after Mandl’s 2-0 goal, Tauscher had made it 3-0.

Aquitlia would recover before the end of the half, however, in an effort to get something out of this one. Rushing forward on the counter, the Aquitlian left winger sent in a cross that missed the head of his centre forward but unfortunately went off the arm of Kasper Martz. A clear-cut penalty, one the Goldhorns could not object to, and Aquitlia’s forward would not miss, outsmarting Sveteikov and sending it into the top left corner. 3-1 at the half, and other than the quick spell that led to Aquitlia’s goal, it had been a near-perfect performance from Siovanija & Teusland.

Coming back out for the second half, the Goldhorns had made a couple of changes. Gerold Tegeler came in for Lukas Tauscher. The move gave Hughes a chance to see more of Tegeler, while also keeping Tauscher fresh: he’d been a little slow to get up after a challenge in the later stages of the first half, and it was important for him to be ready for any role he’d have to play in the Macabees fixture. Also, Dennis Brotzmann was in for Viktor Dimitrov, the move keeping Dimitrov, who had already managed 2 assists in this one, fresh for the next game while also indicating that the Goldhorns would be content with sitting back on their lead here.

And so the second half proceeded quite cautiously from both sides, with Siovanija & Teusland probably guilty of starting to look past the remaining 45 minutes and focusing on the next match.That gave Aquitlia opportunities at times, but great goalkeeping from Sveteikov left them as mere opportunities. The Goldhorns’ best chance in the early going of the second half was a shot from Tegeler that was just over the bar.

Another goal for Siovanija & Teusland would come, however. Lojze Kokalj had put in an inspired performance in this one, and he was dangerous coming up the left side. On this particular play, Kokalj managed to get into the box but was taken down by the Aquitlian right back. The entire stadium cried for a penalty, and the referee agreed, pointing to the spot. Kokalj, who could’ve had his first international goal had he scored, instead offered the chance to Mandl, giving the FC Felsenkirchen 1879 forward a chance for a debut hat-trick. It showed maturity beyond his years, and earned him the praise of the Chernovets crowd. Mandl converted, of course, and became the first Goldhorns player in history to score a hat-trick on his debut. 4-1 now for the Goldhorns.

While 4-1 would have left everyone on the Goldhorns’ side completely happy, Aquitlia were not finished yet. They still showed belief in themselves, and worked together as a team well. Coming forward in stoppage time, a great pass from the central midfielder found the forward, who sent a shot that beat Sveteikov to the top left corner. A great effort from the visitors, but it was all for naught as they fall 4-2 to Siovanija & Teusland.

“A great effort tonight, really proud of the lads, and of course Johannes deserves a lot of praise for that effort tonight. 3 great goals. We take this result, and hope to build on it in the next one.” Speaking to the man who won the match ball, Johannes Mandl added: “The best moment of my career by far. I’ve always wanted to wear this shirt, and for things to go the way they have... special doesn’t begin to describe it.” In addition to setting the record for most goals in a debut for Siovanija & Teusland, Mandl also becomes the first FC Felsenkirchen 1879 player to score for his country.

Next up it’s a trip to The Macabees, in what is the biggest match of Qualification so far for both teams. The Goldhorns currently sit 3 points ahead of their opponents in Group 5 standings, however, the Macabees hold a game in hand over the Goldhorns. This is a true six-pointer, then, and each side will certainly be up for it. Gavin Hughes is expected to name his usual first-choice XI for the away fixture.

The next match sees the Goldhorns approach a massive roadblock on their path to the World Cup. Will they overcome it? We’ll have complete coverage as the Qualification campaign continues. Come on you Goldhorns!

Match Report
Siovanija and Teusland 4-2 Aquitlia, @ Energija-Arena, Chernovets

Lineup: Sveteikov; L. Dimitrov, Klopfer, Martz, Ambroz (Helmke 75’); Bahr, Werner, V. Dimitrov (Brotzmann 46’); Tauscher (Tegeler 46’), Kokalj, Mandl
Goals: Johannes Mandl 13’, 22’, 71’ (pen), Lukas Tauscher 33’
Stelburger Zeitung Man of the Match: Johannes Mandl

by **Squornshelous** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 1:10 pm

Markkus Holmgren shuffled forward in the supermarket checkout line. His eyes drifted, unfocused across the barrage of advertising apparently meant to make you remember that you'd forgotten you needed a whole array of small, useless items in racks beside the line. Behind him a neon-haired teenage boy who appeared to have at least one facial piercing for every year he'd been alive was chattering away on his phone, inflicting half a conversation on Holmgren. A few lines grabbed his unwilling attention:

"What did you call me?"

"I'm an Oceanian Territory?"

"Babe, I think you're pronouncing that wrong."

He's definitely right about that. Maybe there's hope for the younger generation after all. A hasty string of apologies from behind him suggested that the kid's commitment to precision had gone unappreciated. Story of my life.

Finally, it was his turn at checkout. Holmgren began emptying his basket into the kiosk's hopper. The machine busied itself sorting, weighing, and scanning his items, the tally projected above the hopper. One of the items caught his eye. The hell? Holmgren reached out and jabbed the "help" button. The list displayed shimmered, and was replaced with a crude, cartoonish representation of a human face.

"Hello, how may I assist you with your checkout this evening?"

Holmgren swiped a finger at the displayed list, and then highlighted one item. "The price on this tea is wrong. It's about five credits higher than it should be."

There was a momentary pause, then the computer spoke again. "The price for this item was changed last night at 0:13 according to corporate directives. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes."

"Changed, what are you talking about? The price doesn't just shoot up overnight. I've been buying this same tea for years, it's . . ." Holmgren trailed off as the realization hit him. There was a good reason why the price for this particular tea might have shot up overnight. Dismayed, he finished his sentence, "it's imported from Sarzonia." Holmgren punctuated his sentence with a sigh. "There's a new tariff on Sarzonian tea, isn't there?"

"I do not have access to that data. The price was changed last night at 0:13 according to . . ."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. Corporate directive. Put it back." There was a hum and whir as the small box of Sarzonian tea was whisked away to be deposited in a restocking area. The offending line disappeared from his order.

"Is there anything else I can help you with this evening, sir."

"No, I'm done here."

"We thank you for shopping with us at Ivomart, and hope to see you again soon."

"Go fuck yourself."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The tariff was enacted at midnight, and consumer data already suggests a significant decline in purchases of Sarzonian tea." Back in the boardroom virtuality, Minister Petrov observed silently as Foreign Minister Fedotenko and Minister of Commerce Ilyana Omdahl outlined the developing situation between the Imperium and Sarzonia. Omdahl had completed her precis on the immediate effects of the tariff enacted after the inflammatory response of the Sarzonian government.

"The most likely response, occuring in over 60% of our prediction models, is a retaliatory tariff on Imperial coffee exports to Sarzonia. It could be a significant blow to the industry if we do not take action to defray their losses. Minister Omdahl?"

"We have prepared viral marketing campaigns which should offset the reduction in Sarzonian purchases. Information Management has already been working to build negative connotations for Sarzonia."

Fedotenko continued, "The Sarzonians on the other hand, are limited by in possible responses by their constitution, and their fractious populace. It's almost funny," he smiled, "how the values and freedoms these democracies so often boast of often prove to be their greatest weaknesses."

Petrov waited for the low chuckles around the table to die down, then stood. "There has been one other development. Charlie King, the player who made the original comment was removed from the starting lineup for Sarzonia's match against Brenecia." He paused to allow for the full attention of everyone around the table. "They have denied any causal relationship of course, we would do the same, but Brenecia are second seed in Group 2. It's unlikely they would bench a starter for such an important match without cause. It seems that at least one Sarzonian, one Manager Kevin Connelly has some common sense."

"Hmm," High Minister Riihijarvi leaned forward over the table, "good behavior must be rewarded just as bad must be punished." He turned to Fedotenko. "Prepare a statement that the misfiled visa renewals have been located, and that the deported consular staff may return to their posts in, what seems like an appropriate length of time? Not too immediate, but not so long as to be obvious."

"Four days?"

"That will do. Hold the statement though. I want to be certain they won't do anything too outrageous in response to this tariff before we start giving them rewards. If there is nothing else, this meeting is adjourned."

by **Newmanistan** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 2:03 pm

THE ROCKET REPORT

THE DAGGER TO OUR HEARTS

by Taylor Larson,

The scene here in Jessicaville following the 1-0 loss to Sargossa was a somber one. For more information about the game itself, you can check out Brianne Henry’s recap on our website. Meanwhile, it’s me, Taylor, reporting on the social life after the game, and the scene was to be expected.

Before the match, there was a lot of excitement and overall emotion. The draw against Audioslavia had us believing that we had momentum, and if we could knock off the Corsairs at home, we could be in great shape to actually qualify for this thing, something that the 93rd ranked nation in the world is not supposed to be envisioning as a possibility. But this team has played really well, and won the games they had to, and the draw against the Audioslavians on the road had us thinking that we could step up against the juggernauts of this group as well. Just like the loss to Acronius, there was nothing inherently wrong with the effort of the Rockets, but the time for moral victories is gone. The team was unable to find the back of the net thanks to world class goalkeeping on the part of Roberto Penedo. The 28 year old member of Ciudad Soluca is making the most of his opportunity as the starting goalkeeper of the 12th- ranked team in the world, and he showed us why in this match. We did well on our end, but the 74th minute goal by Diego Alejandro Costa deflated the spirits of our fans. The Rockets did their best to try and come back, and while the fans tried to urge them on, it would be Penedo making sure his team did not slow the lead. A Newmanistan win would have made the top three very tight. Now, it’s just Audioslavia and Sargossa with a tight battle, and the Rockets now five points out. By the way, hate to say this, but the Rockets have won just one of their last four games. That’s not going to get it done.

Jessicaville often seems like it is not part of Newmanistan. People here in the southeastern part of the country have many cultural nuances about themselves that are unique, and this city is the mecca of that area. You wouldn’t have known that here. Sure, many people traveled here, but the people here were waving the sky blue just as proudly as anyone else. In the 74th minute, everything changed. Keona Wilson, of the Jessicaville metro area, told me that, “That goal just killed so much of my spirit. We were playing so well up to that point, but after the loss you just knew that reality was setting in. We were always going to be a longshot, and now we are back enough in the table to see why.” Harold Mendez, of nearby Penthoria agreed, “At the beginning we didn’t think we could qualify, then we just started playing real well that you got your hopes up. The draw to Audioslavia really did that, and now we get this. Deflating.” However, I did speak to one optimist, Jack Stolworth, of Jessicaville, “The problem is that Audioslavia and Sargossa have bloated records. They need to drop points to others and they have not done that yet. They will, so we have to hang close, just like we are now, and be ready to capitalize when we can. This is not over at all, we’ll get them. Go Rockets!!”

Stolworth’s spirit was in the minority here after the game. Fortunately, the players seemed to still be in high spirits, and they have to be. This was not a poorly played game, and up next is Greater Cebu, who’s playing well, and on the road, before concluding the first half at home with Brusseldorf. If we can get six points there, then we can still linger near the top enough to stay with a chance in the second half.

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:37 pm

Deputy vice president for international commerce Robert Gregory had his eyes on many trends in imports and exports over the years.

He could tell you when a country even the most internationally aware Sarzonian may have barely heard of became a ravenous purchaser of a particular Sarzonian product. He could tell you in a moment when a country imposed protective sanctions against Sarzonia's exports to that country.

Right now, he was explaining to his boss that Squornshelous had imposed punitive sanctions against Sarzonia's tea exports.

"Really? Over drunken comments at a bar?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And they're already having an effect?"

"Yes. We've already lost 8 percent of our total export revenue based on that tariff."

"What do you think we should do in response?"

"Well, we could respond with a modest tariff on Squornshelan coffee," he thought about it, realising that his usual trip to Annabelle's Diner would cost him about 45 cents more since that little local greasy spoon used only Squornshelan coffee.

It was the best tasting coffee at its price range by far, and he knew that people who swore by the Imperium's coffee would be hurting. He could stop at a drive through and get Delaclav coffee, although that was a little bit more pricey than Squornshelan brew.

Though with Parliament ready to eliminate the last tariff on Delaclav goods, that wouldn't be much longer, he thought. That measure was part of the new $745 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Catherina was also poised to lift its final tariff on a Sarzonian product, resulting in both Sarzonians and Delaclavs paying the same price in their respective currencies for the same goods.

"There's one other thing," the vice president said, "The last briefing we had with External Affairs suggested that it was possible that the Sarzonian consular staff would not be deported."

"We would likely be accused of escalating the situation while New Vogsphere was de-escalating matters.

"Perhaps. But Vice President Marshall is sending a statement to The Woodstock Daily Mail, The Portland Press-Herald, and SNN in which he will emphasize that Connelly's decision to bench Charlie King was not done at the Incorporated Sarzonian Government's instructions."

"True, and Carter also included a sentence that said he would have discouraged Connelly from benching King. That alone might inflame things."

"Perhaps. We're definitely living in interesting times right now, aren't we?"

"Yeah, no shit!"

by **The Sherpa Empire** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:59 pm

The Emperor was having a quiet lunch with his daughter Yahia and her husband Debashish. He had canceled a lunch meeting with Kencha Adhikari to talk about youth summer camps. He told Adhikari he was tired and he needed a break from government business, but really the Emperor was tired of Adhikari. He wasn't looking forward to the next elections with all the political bickering they would bring, but he would be glad if they brought in a new ruling party and cleared out the racist stuffed shirts like Adhikari that weren't even ethnically Sherpa, but still preached xenophobic nonsense with racial undertones.

The Emperor, Yahia, and Debashish sipped tea and ate some dainty appetizers. As they chatted, the conversation turned toward all the succession talk that had been in the news lately.

"Ugh, I don't want to talk about all that," the Emperor said.

"You know, it's all right if you want to name Wangdi as your heir," Yahia said.

"I don't want to name Wangdi as my heir," the Emperor said. "I want people to shut up and stop talking about it like I'm already as good as dead."

"We just don't want you to stress yourself out worrying about our feelings, if you do decide to leave the throne to Wangdi," Debashish said. "I didn't marry Yahia because I wanted to be Emperor."

"I know," said the Emperor. "That's why I haven't already named Wangdi as my heir. Now can we please talk about something else? Anything else. Who are the Icefall Doctors playing? Who did the paparazzi catch Changyi Ihawa talking to this week? How are the World Cup qualifiers going?"

"The Docs are playing in Jaipur this afternoon," Yahia said. "I think Akunjee's pitching."

"We lost to Brigantii, and we're playing Sarzonia tomorrow," Debashish added. "And yeah, Akunjee's pitching today."

"Akunjee's good, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah, he's one of the best pitchers in the game," Debashish said with obviously sincere admiration.

The Emperor smiled. He didn't care about baseball as much as Yahia and Debashish did, but it was still nice to see them enthusiastic about something. They chatted some more, and a thought began to take shape in the Emperor's mind. Tomorrow's game between the Sherpa Empire and Sarzonia would be in Kathmandu, which was not very far away. If he made a surprise appearance, he could put off meeting with Adhikari for another day, and it would help to quiet the rumors about his health...

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:59 pm

Terre Septentrionale blanks Trolleborg

Trolleborg City, Trolleborg - It's been a disappointing World Cup so far for Terre Septentrionale, which only scored 6 goals in 8 games, pretty strange for a team who relies on offense to win their games. Zbigniew Zajaczkowski, Sarah Surprenant and Amelia Zalwowska are all aging and our younger players who replaced them in the starting XI aren't performing to their top so far. Defensively, we thought Zofia Kwietniewska was going to allow some goals and coach Slawomir Wyrzykowski, has been criticised for starting her instead of Jennifer O'Byrne or a young Georges-Kévin Vainqueur but she's doing way better than expected.

Well this weekend in Trolleborg, they celebrated again their Baptism of Fire win with the release of a movie called "Hennige Overwin", which means "Through difficulties to triumph" in English. The movie was directed by Soren Glostrup, and let's hope this movie will be dubbed in French and Polish so we can see it in Terre Septentrionale's theathers.

About the game itself, Terre Septentrionale was slightly better with controling the ball 52% of the time and shooting the ball 14 times with 8 of them were on target. Trolleborg shot 11 times with 7 on target. The Nordiques attacked at the 33rd minute when Élisabeth Normandin passed to Tymoteusz Swierczewski who dribbled and made a short pass to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa. Cwierczakiewiczowa kicks the ball and it's a goal, Terre Septentrionale is leading 1-0 against the Baptism of Fire champions! This is the score at the halftime.

At the 61st minute, Trolleborg attacked when Rolf Valgren made a cross to Stuart Kerr who kicks the ball but once again, Zofia Kwietniewska made a terrific save and the score is still 1-0. Exacly 10 minutes later, Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz passed to Tymoteusz Swierczewski who dribbled and passed to his right to Roksana Kolodziejczyk who shoots and she scores! The Reprezentacja Nordycki doubles it's lead and is now leading 2-0 and this is the final score!

BOXSCORE

33rd minute: Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa assisted by Tymoteusz Swierczewski
71st minute: Roksana Kolodziejczyk assisted by Tymoteusz Swierczewski

YELLOW CARDS

4th minute: Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz
25th minute: Morten Troll
79th minute: Weronika Zubrowska

RED CARDS

None

Group 2

With this win against Trolleborg, Terre Septentrionale is 4th with 10 points in 8 games, tied with The Sherpa Empire and Brigantii. The top three teams - Banija, Brenecia and Abanhfleft - are far ahead and unreachable. The Northmen's inability to score killed them (weird for a team relying on offense) and now they have to fight for the 4th place. On matchday 10, Terre Septentrionale will recieve Crystalline Caverns at home, a game they can't lose, or even worse, have another stupid 0-0 draw. The game will be played at Stade NordAir in Ville Jacques-Cartier. Despite having 2 assists and playing his best game of the tournament, Tymoteusz Swierczewski will sit on the bench against Crystalline Caverns and Sandrine Fontaine will be in the starting XI. It will be her first cap with the national team.

Transfers

The market is open in Terre Septentrionale and we've got a late info saying Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa has transferred from Gornik Ostrzeszow to KKS Wlokniarz 1925 Krzczonow. She agreed on a 8 years contract with Krzczonow for an undisclosed amount of money. Alicja Jedrzejczyk also left Gornik Ostrzeszow to play with KS Ursus Trzeszczyn, while Cristiano Fernando transferred to Szczakowianka Trzebiegoszcz. He played most of his career with El Perro United F.C.

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski,
Senior writer, La tribune Septentrionale

ISideWith UK · by **Eastfield Lodge** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 5:06 pm

Portal Control Centre, Saltbed Mountains
Sometime before qualifying

It was another run of the mill day in the control centre, with the team of dimensional scientists and engineers working around the clock to maintain the Imperial Commonwealth’s only link to the surrounding multiverse. The portal as usual was acting up in some way or another, a few alarms and beeping sensors going off every now and then, but it was no different than any other day since the last big incident (involving shenanigans taking place in the now vanished state of Ossidiacqua). The portal had been decaying for a long while, leading to some bizarre time dilationary effects on the natives of the bubble universe in comparison with their neighbours across the void. Even more weirdly, this time dilation was affecting Eastfielders across the multiverse, regardless of origin or current location. Whilst normal people were ageing, well, normally, Eastfielders were ageing nowhere near as fast as them - even to the extent of gaining a year or two.

Even the days and months in the country felt like they lasted longer here than elsewhere, although no-one complained given how great the weather here was regardless of season. Not that the team could do anything about it, to be honest - a lot of the more intricate science was beyond them. They did have an expert they could call upon, but right now he was hundreds of miles away at a training camp, training for the Eastfielder football team, much to the scientists’ bemusement - why would someone so clever dedicate themselves to football, only at an international level, and with such a bang average football team at that. Of course, The Doctor being the eccentric Time Lord he is, or rather, being the clone copy of, you couldn’t exactly stop him from doing what he wanted.

The team kept going as normal until about lunchtime, when half the crew at a time left for some food. Shortly after, another sensor started beeping. A low, long, intermittent sound, hidden by a server in the corner of this minor control room, it was rather swallowed up by the many other sounds being emitted. Including that of the supervisor, Morvora Stringer, as she ate her lunch. A simple thing, some leftover pasta from last night that she found time to heat up before coming back to her desk. The computers in front of her were throwing up all sorts of minor warning signs, all being ignored as the values were still within tolerable limits. She sighed to herself, wondering why the team hadn’t updated the parameters in so long - it was something her and others kept bringing up, the tinnitus becoming annoying after a while, but nothing kept being done.

About 5 minutes later, Morvora finished her lunch and sat back, stifling a yawn as she started scrolling through her phone, reading up about the king’s latest bout of ill-health, and how it was looking increasingly likely that his son would have to take over as regent soon. Not that she cared much, the royal family were pretty down to earth individuals as royal families go, and pretty well-adjusted to boot. Any change in monarch wasn’t going to be bad for the country. Flicking on to the sports, she started reading some of the opinion pieces on the upcoming squad selection for the next qualifying cycle, and how Jane Williamson was faced with an ageing core that needed to be replaced - that much was true, in Morvara’s eyes. The likes of Emely Towers were getting on a bit, but there really aren’t many high profile options coming through the youth ranks. There were some rumours about Svante Whitfield, a young Eastfielder out in Brenecia, as a name touted to replace Towers, the Marque defender breaking through in a league well known for its physicality and defence-mindedness - although she hadn’t declared for either country, and Brenecia were also interested. VLC’s Analena Niazi was another name circulating the internet as well, the defender spearheading what was a good season for New Lodger City’s second side.

Her reverie was interrupted by her phone screen glitching, the picture going all static-y, sort of like a hacked computer you see in movies. Looking up, she saw the computer screens doing the same thing - and then something completely bizarre; the static settled, but the picture was zooming. Not zoomed, but actively zooming. Or rather, stretching, as it was expanding only horizontally. Same with her phone screen. Her confusion only lasted a few seconds, as the zoom brought into view a warning she hadn’t seen before. She stared at the screen for a moment, before leaning forwards and clicking on it. It was a sensor warning she hadn’t seen before, as she absentmindedly reached for the handbook. About 8 pages from the end, she found her answer - the sensor was for some sort of vector matrix that helped determine the polarity of the void. Her part of the team were all in the other server room, doing their routine checks on the myriad of other monitors, so she got up and walked into the adjoining server room to check - the servers were basically storage units for the output of each sensor, allowing seamless storage and checking of trends over time.

This particular sensor, going by the figures, had always been fine, varying within a particularly narrow range, but over the last hour or so, it seemed to be steadily going off the rails, for seemingly the first time ever. She dropped back a few steps, her hand going for the alarm button to raise all hell and bring everyone back to action stations. Not that it was needed, as she was interrupted by the sound of several people running very fast into a doorframe designed for one at a time. The rest of her team, plus plenty of concerned members of other teams, coming to find out what was going on. She didn’t say much, just pointed at the screen and asked “Does anyone know what this actually means? And how do we deal with it?”

MD2: Eastfield Lodge 1-1 The Sarian
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Couch - Mackenzie, Carr-Ponce, Tierney - French (<> Nagi 78’), Jeremiah-Dockson, Dad - Accardi, Farrow, Berretti (<> Cousin 65’) - Murray (<> Morales 65’)
Goals (Assists): Carr-Ponce (72’ - Accardi)

MD3: Competitive Solitaire 1-3 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Couch - Mackenzie, Carr-Ponce, Tierney - French, Jeremiah-Dockson, Dad (<> Garner 68’) - Accardi, Farrow (<> Stepanov 78’), Cousin - Murray (<> Mohd 62’)
Goals (Assists): Murray (14’ - Farrow), Accardi (51’), Farrow (54’ - Murray)

MD4: Eastfield Lodge 2-1 Schiavonia
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Couch - Mackenzie (<> Hargreaves 63’), Carr-Ponce, Tierney - French, Jeremiah-Dockson (<> Qwivotic 72’), Dad - Accardi (<> Glibin 78’), Farrow, Cousin - Murray
Goals (Assists): Murray (42’ - Cousin)

Line-up to play Magnaterrica (3-3-3-1)
Couch - Holding, Carr-Ponce, Mackenzie - French, Qwivotic, Dad - Accardi, Stepanov, Cousin - Murray

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 5:34 pm

Poafmersia 2
Alex Pickford 25'
Gisiik Moonar 66'
BOLGANO 1
Daniels Razor 44'

Starting 11 against BOLGANO:
Jabik Henderson (captain);
Alex Pickford, Konile Trasa, Qetisan Monson, Denise Pickford;
Hansel Tang, Gisiik Moonar, Daak Kalson;
Joel Haodao, Bytia Hisel, Pete Carisa

Substitutes:
Pasits Rikachz (Trasa 67')
Santik Manson (Hisel 83')
Jessie Mchargarita (Kalson 87')

They say it is easy to find out if a team has motivation to get the results and stay alive in a tough group. And the team showed the level of football with their solid performance at Libira National Stadium, as they held out to see off BOLGANO with a 2-1 win in a much different manner than before.
Starting the match without captain Danzik Hoboson for the 4th consecutive time has fueled suspicion that Danzik has fallen out with Adnan. However, that was not the case in the dressing room the morning before the match, where Shakira was begging Adnan to be given a place to start as Danzik was also in the room.
"Oh the players seem to have struggled to get good results, and I need to be back to help reduce the load of Joel. Clearly from that match against Lochario you can see how Joel is tired out from shouldering the burden."
"Shakira, so you are of the opinion that Bytia is not doing a good job?"
"I mean, she is doing well but she is also recovering from a serious injury. Mine is just a simple sprain and I am definitely better now."
"That was more than a month ago. Seriously? I know how much effort you have put in to do well but that does not mean that you should risk yourself when you had just recovered. Just ask Danzik." Adnan nods to the captain, who was waiting to speak to head coach Adnan Suliaha.
"You mean...he was sick?"
"Did you not know I had the flu which stopped me from playing the last few matches untill I came back to steady the ship last week? It was not just me who had the flu, somehow Sandi also had but his is worse than mine," interjected Danzik.
"Oh my, after so long I thought something had happened between you and Adnan. That was a really well kept secret," replied Shakira.
"As I said," said Adnan with a shrug. "I would put you on the bench if I could, but it is time I try some other people. This is a nice litmus test that I am willing to experiment with, so that I can reserve strength for the next weekend's match against Nephara."
"Okay then..." Shakira walked out of the room satisfied with the response.
Turning to Danzik, Adnan asked, "so you were looking or me?"
"I think if you want to rest me, I do not mind if you could test more defender."
"Really? I was thinking of playing you today but rotating Pasits to the bench."
"Last week, Pasits played and I think his return to the starting 11 was a bit of a shock. I don't know about what the coaches think, but I think he needs some more playing time to get back to his peak. I was speaking with him about things at his home, and he said his mother is better now but he remains worried. Give him a match where he could regain confidence, so you could start him instead."
"Konille is performing well, so he is staying. As for the second spot I was thinking of playing Alex or you, but only subbing on Pasits later. I think he needs time to get back on track. If he remains not as focused than there is no way he could be performing well."
"Whatever your decisions, but I think you could play Alex instead. Let the better players stay, I don't mind bench warming for a while," replied Danzik. Lowering his voice, he said, "Just don't let Shakira play."
Adnan looked at him. "Of course."

The match was a not-so-routine win in the eyes of the fans. Giving a bunch of player their first cap against such difficult opposition was not the best way you want to integrate them. But with many regulars expected to steal the limelight when they play this Sunday evening on Matchday 10, this could not have been a better time to rest and rotate players.
It was Alex Pickford who netted his first goal for the club in the 25th minute, after heading in the goal from a nice corner kick taken by his twin sister, Denise, on the right side of the court. Although Bytia and Hansel had a few missed chances later on, the game still seemed to be firmly in Poafmersia's court, right until BOLGANO equalised in the 44th minute. At half time however, the captain Danzik and star striker Shakira kindly encouraged the group, telling them that they were doing harder. Danzik even gave Monson, who had her first cap, some advice on how to defend against the tricks of the opposition.
The second half came, and it was Gisiik Moonar who exploited a sleeping defence to score the 2nd goal, which eventually became the winner. Although Adnan made few changes, the team failed to add to their tally, which was not much of a surprise considering that the opposition was tough to beat.
"The players did really well today, and it showed that after a good rest the players remained in form and are always adjusting themselves to fit the playing style of the opponents," said Adnan after the match. "There may be a few problems here and there, but those are not big problems and could be easily fixed. This performance would definitely give us confidence heading into next Wednesday's match against Nephara, which is a must win for us to get something out of here."
Having put his sight past this Saturday's match against Mondo and instead look at the tougher opponent in Nephara, Adnan has said that he is "confident" that his players will take the win against a side which only defeated Anthor last Sunday to give them their first win. "Nephara is definitely the boss of this stage. Having won every match since their opening day draw against BOLGANO, they are on a roll and getting a result against them would give our players a huge morale boost. After losing to The Macabees and Siovanija & Teusland, our team may not be that confident in beating in-form top tier teams, but they need to believe in themselves and achieve those results." He also promised that Shakira would be coming back to the field this weekend, though he was not sure if Shakira would start or will he come off the bench. "We will see about that."

by **Kandorith** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:08 pm

Shinonome Kyoai - International
_________________________________

Kandorith Impresses In Possession, Forgets To Finish

Group 1
Kandorith 0–0 Greater Cebu
Newmanistan 0–1 Sargossa
Islas Aaland 1–5 Audioslavia
Aimena 0–1 Pius Desurongcrandis
Joyea 0–1 Acronius

   Group 1                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Audioslavia                       8    7   1   0    21    8  +13    22
 2 Sargossa                          8    7   0   1    19    8  +11    21
 3 Newmanistan                       8    5   1   2    18   10   +8    16
 4 Greater Cebu                      8    4   2   2    16   14   +2    14
 5 Acronius                          9    4   1   4    15   14   +1    13
 6 Kandorith                         9    3   3   3    13   11   +2    12
 7 Brusseldorf                       8    4   0   4    11   15   −4    12
 8 Joyea                             8    2   1   5    12   17   −5     7
 9 Islas Aaland                      8    1   2   5    11   21  −10     5
10 Aimena                            8    0   3   5     5   12   −7     3
11 Pius Desurongcrandis              8    1   0   7     6   17  −11     3

Tenkyo, Kandorith has been notably in possession the entire game against Greater Cebu, the team just forgot one fact; Football matches are won by scoring, not holding most possession. As Kandorith tried to pry away at the defence complacency seem to have got the best of the young formation. For the larger part of the match it was obvious Kandorith was coursing towards an easy victory. Eventually fatigue set in next to inexperience of some of the younger players.

"It is a shame, this was a match which we should have won but we failed to turn around when it came to finishing", Moriyase said. "There is still much to be improved and learned, finishing is one of the things where we seem to lack from time to time. I think it is in my hands now to ensure this team to be at their highest and best performance from now on, if we still want to stand a chance."

Kandorith will face Brusseldorf next which promises to be a tough match for the team, but mostly the tough matches are also the most entertaining ones. Currently Kandorith is facing a bad spell with the recent matches, failing to win a single game out of three. Moriyase is looking towards making more chances, hopefully to find a good balance.

by **Chromatika** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:25 pm

MD9: Chromatika 4–2 Petrovsky
Goals: Etienne '2, Kim, M.S. '19, Non '39, Sierra '88
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Nichols; Xiao - Ken - Baugh - Nocturne; Ingalls - Kim., M.S.; Etienne (C) - Kim, M.J. - Reynolds; Non.
Substitutes: Croix-Pierre -> Reynolds ('63), Kuzami -> Kim, M.J. ('78), Sierra -> Non ('85)
Projected Starting XI @ Bloing: Williams; McBee - Ibex - Friedman - Rowles; Anisov - Avis; Kelly (C) - Gail - Han; Vidal.

Football Part 9: vs. Petrovsky

Jillian Nier, Football Correspondent

What more is there to say about these series of games from the Chromatiks' standpoint?

They keep winning games close, but winning nonetheless. With Kavagrad defeating Busoga, Chromatika is now tied with Mriin, Mriin leading by virtue of Head to Head results.

It really comes down to what the management is looking for. They've really had an opportunity to test everyone, and that is what matters in the long run, or so we think.

With Evans and Everdeen deciding to actually put in the likes of Ibex, Friedman, Kelly, Gail, Han, and Vidal into the next match, maybe they're starting to feel a little more pressure.

Stay with it, you two. The team is fine.

Rainbow League System Preview

9. Lhor

Nickname: Orcas
Fans: Lhorites, Orca-Watchers
Location: Lhor, Coastal District, Chromatika
Stadium: The Cove (51,265; 28,000 Seats)
History:

Manager: Margerie Pax, 41
Formation: (4-2-3-1)

Background: Located in the northeast corner of Chromatika, right by the ocean, Lhor was historically a whaling town, and now a place that is famous for its whalewatching tours. Otherwise, Lhor is famous for being the fashion Capital of Chromatika - although most of the modeling still happens in Chromatik City. A lot of young people live in Lhor because it's a small yet fashionable town. With Lhor's recent success, their fanbase has started to grow, and with Pria's team struggling, Lhor has become the premier team of the District.

Preseason Grading: brought to you by ChromatikBet.com

Fanbase: 8/10 - Lhor has a sizable fanbase who is happy with how their team has done for the most part.
Manager: 6/10 - Daniel Lucas's tenure at Lhor was made possible by how much Margerie helped him. Now, she gets a try.
Keepers: N/A: Lhor is without a starting goalkeeper.
Defenders: N/A: Lhor is without starting defenders.
Midfielders: N/A: Indira Haxon and Devora Montalbo are two twenty-six year olds who are absolutely amazing at their job.
Strikers: N/A: Lhor is without a starting striker.
Greatest Need: When the Chromatik League disbanded, all foreign players were let go. Lhor was no exception, and will need to really buoy the defense, keepers, and striker.

Next: Miners

by **Ziwana** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:53 pm

World Cup 84- RP Thread (IC)

WC84 MD9/Sarzonian Incident Part 2

Chapter 3.7: Matchday 9

Who is online