World Cup 84- RP Thread (IC)

by **Audioslavia** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 4:13 am

Script

Chapter 1.1 - Scemametrics

So you’re me and you’re making a YouTube series about the World Cup. What do you do? What do you write episodes about?
One of the more obvious ideas would be to make an episode addressing the question of which team is the best in the multiverse. The answer to that is both simple and boring.

The teams at the top of the SRS standings are there because they got to play in the eras where there were lots of World Cups per year, and much fewer active teams to compete with. All but four of these teams made their debuts before 2009. The years 2012 to 2019 are so under-represented due to how rarely tournaments are played in the modern era that any conversation about which team is the greatest is at best futile, and at worst boring.

I don’t care which team is the best. I want to know: which team is the most *ridiculous*.

[Intro]

I know what you’re thinking. “You can’t measure ridiculousness”. Well you can. There is a formula. I should know, because I invented it. With a little help from a friend.

September 2019, My colleague Defecating Daffodil and I are in the same city. We meet for food here, at the Luminosa, a restaurant that does traditional Audioslavian seafood. I’m eating an octopus and I’m telling DD of my idea to find a formula to properly measure how ridiculous every World Cup team is. I tell him I want to figure out how silly a team’s name is, and Daffodil, being a genius, suggests ‘scrabble score per letter’. It’s a wonderful idea. It becomes part of the Ridiculousness Formula. An exercise in Scemametrics.

First up, here’s how find out how ridiculous your team’s name is.

The Scrabble Metric
(((SS / LEN) * NSC) + LP) * SP

SS is the scrabble score of the nation’s name, and we divide that by the total amount of letters in the name. After doing this, we get the average scrabble score per letter.

Then we do the same again, but this time with French Scrabble. We’ve used a representative from the scrabble sets of a Germanic language and a Romance language so as not to appear too anglocentric. I considered using a slavic language too, but they’re all missing some letters and adding others and, in truth, if your nation has diacritics in its name, it’s pretty ridiculous. Seriously. Name a team with diacritics who have won a major European club competition in RL States. I’ll wait.

Unfortunately for Krytenia here, Ks and Ys are weird in French, so their score is bumped up to just over five points per letter. But we’re not finished yet.

This score is multiplied by however many ‘non-standard characters’ there are. Here, any punctuation, dashes or diacritics are viewed as non-standard characters, but so too are capital letters. Every team has at least one capital letter, so every score gets multiplied by at least one. Here, West-East Timor’s score is multiplied by four.

Penalising having more than one capital letter means the more words you have in your nation’s name, the more ridiculous you are. It makes sense. I mean which is more ridiculous, South Sudan or Germany? Papa New Guinea or Canada? The United States or St. Vincent and the Grenadines?

The average length of a nation name in this list is eleven characters. We’ve set the acceptable limit at 18 characters. If your nation name has more than eighteen characters, you get a penalty for every letter over the eighteenth. This is ‘LP’, or ‘Length Penalty’. It gets added to the previous score.

That’s that, for nations that aren’t playing Stupid Games.

Because if you play Stupid Games, you win Stupid Prizes. S.P.

We went through every nation name and checked it for the following conditions. If it met one or more of the following conditions, its total Scrabble Metric was *doubled*.

Nation’s name looks like a WiFi password
Nation’s name looks like a teenager's email address
Nation’s name contains a stupid pun
Nation’s name contains a verb
Nation’s name contains the name of an RL States Person
Nation’s name contains the name of an RL States Institution
Nation name is just a cardinal direction plus the name of an established NS nation.
Nation’s name contains arbitrary repetition
Nation’s name contains childish humour
Nation’s name is Krytenia

The first two - looking like a wifi password or a teenager’s email address - are self explanatory.

No reasonable country would have a verb in its title, so that’s ridiculous. I gave the benefit of the doubt to a few teams. ‘Partially Blind People’, for example. I assume the word ‘blind’ is an adjective. That this name describes the people in the nation. IE: ‘Partially Blind People’ isn’t an instruction.

Unnecessary repetition is stupid, and puts a strike against the names of Bearbears and Michael Stricklanttt.

Naming your nation after a rubbish central American football team is ridiculous. Calling your team ‘Alan Shearer’ is ridiculous. The fact that this happaned three times doesn’t make it any less stupid.

If your puppet is the name of your main plus a compass direction, that’s stupid. It’s like having two dogs and calling them ‘Rex’ and ‘Other Rex’. Plus, states with cardinal directions are inherently stupid on RL States in a stab-you-in-the-face-for-being-there kind of way. North Korea. Northern Ireland. Northern Cyprus. South Sudan. South Africa. Steer clear.

Unneccessary repetition also gets your name put on the list.

Any name with ‘fart’ in the title, or anything like that, gets you on the list, as does any Unneccessary repetition.

I could have put Krytenia in the list anyway for its name being a pun of a character from an RL States comedy show, but I thought it was important to state explicitly that, yes, this *is* a witch hunt against teams I don’t like.

I considered also instigating a rule that any team name that followed the adjective plus animal, vegetable or mineral pattern was silly, but I decided against it, as the names always give me a chuckle.

There are three other signs that your team may be ridiculous: First, the era they played in. If a team last ventured out on the field in the pre-Jolt era, their score gets multiplied by three. If they played with us in the Jolt era, it gets multiplied by two. There’s no penalty here for modern teams. That’s just life. Names that were popular eighty years ago sound ridiculous today. Go back through your family tree and look at your great grandparents’ names. Ethel. Doris. Velma. Cedric. Clarence. Kevin. Ridiculous.

Next up is the Redheaded Stepchild Factor. This is simple. It’s how many times a team is thrashed every cycle. How many times per cycle the team loses by three or more goals. If you typically lose by three twice per cycle, your score is mulitplied by two.

Finally we have the Fail Ratio. This is the ratio of non-qualification to qualification. If you never qualified for the World Cup, this figure is ‘1’ and your score gets multiplied by one. If you qualified four times in ten attempts, your fail ratio would be 4:6. You failed 60% of the time, so your score gets multiplied by 0.6

For these last two, the minimum score is 40%. Even if you’ve never lost by three or more or you made every World Cup you attempted, you still get your score multiplied by 0.4 and 0.4, rather than 0 and 0. It stops these metric being totally overpowered for nations from 2003 who qualified for the last 32 from a field of only 60.

These four scores are multiplied together to give a nation their Ridiculousness Score. There is one final piece to the puzzle, though. Scorigami. If your nation ever achieved Scorigami, your total score is… more than doubled. Scorigami may be beautiful, but it is ridiculous, and as such it’d be remiss not to include it here.

Finally, your score is divided by 109.3. Because. And there it is. This is how ridiculous you are.

Let’s plug a couple of teams into this formula and see what we get. I know just the candidates. In our last episode, we heard the voice of Aslotten Bederborg sa Cesky legend, William Čalrek, berate Super Llama-land for being ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Well let’s find out *who* is more ridiculous. The Scorigami legends or their greatest foes.

ABC
Era: 1 (Modern)
SS: 58
RSF: 3.33
Fail Ratio: 1 (F3:Q0)
Scorigami: Y (11-3 vs The United Squiggles)
Ridiculousness: 3.53
12th most ridiculous World Cup nation of all time.

Super-Llamaland
Era: 1 (Modern)
SS: 8.6
RSF: 0.85
Fail Ratio: (F13:Q7) 0.65
Scorigami: N
Ridiculousness: 0.04
2,616th most ridiculous nation of a list of 3,115

Unrecorded Content

Chapter 1.2 - All Aboard

<The original script for Episode 2, Chapter 1 had a section on 95X, which was scrapped due to 95X's permissions implying reproduction of its content on YT would be unwelcome[/url]. Here is what was written.

Ninety-Five X are 0.6 ridiculous. 60%. How did we arrive at that number? Well, 95X are peculiar in that two of their stats are quite good, and the other two, not so much.

First of all, the era. They’re with us right now. That’s good. No multipliers there. They tend to lose by three or more goals one and a half times per cycle. Also, not so bad, but not a reflection of their status in world football right now. This is a score that is skewed somewhat by their first cycle in World Cup football.

For years, 95X were famous for only playing in Atlantian Oceania’s regional tournament, the AOCAF, and eschewing the World Cup, a habit they only kicked in World Cup 76. They won two AOCAF Cups while having no official World Ranking.

Three cycles before AOCAF Cup 22 became their first silverware, 95X had taken part in World Cup 38’s qualifying tournament. We say ‘taken part’, in reality a young and inexperienced squad was thrown to the lions. Their group contained Ariddia, who had won World Cups 32, 34 and 36 and were looking to continue their even pace, an Ulzaxid team that would finish second in the group ahead of Jasiyun, whose domestic football competition is one of the strongest of all time. The other non-qualifiers from that group were Vilita, Starblaydia and Minilla Island, who have won ten World Cups between them. Even so, 95X only failed to finish in mid-table due to goal difference. A goal-difference very much affected by heavy defeats to the group’s front-runners.

Cycle 38
95X 2-0 Rangpur
Minilla Island 3-0 95X
95X 2-0 Starblaydia
Ulzaxid 1-1 95X
95X 1-3 Jasīyūn
Ariddia 7-0 95X
95X 1-4 Vilita
Rangpur 0-2 95X
95X 1-0 Minilla Island
Starblaydia 3-2 95X
95X 3-4 Ulzaxid
Jasīyūn 3-0 95X
95X 1-6 Ariddia
Vilita 5-1 95X
Complete Gubbings: 6

Cycles 76-83 in their Entirety:
Complete Gubbings: 6

The comparative success of their later years has gone some way to diminishing the effect of their World Cup 38 disaster, and since their return in World Cup 76, 95X have qualified for two World Cups. 25% of all they’ve entered. Their Fail Ratio is 2:6, so the score is multiplied by 0.75, and that is multiplied by 1.5. It’d be a respectable, average score if it weren’t for 95X’s scrabble metric.

How many points is ’95X’ in Scrabble? Well, there’s two possible answers. The real answer, which is ‘zero’, because 95X isn’t in the dictionary, and the Scrabble Metric answer, which is a whopping 58. ‘X’ is worth 8 points in English Scrabble and 10 in French Scrabble, so that’s 18. 9 and 5 don’t have points values in Scrabble, because they’re numbers, and there aren’t any words in the dictionary that have digits in them. We’ve given any digit a points value of 10 in English and 10 in French, making 20 each in total. It makes sense to penalise a country for having numbers in its name. I mean, what RL States country has numbers in its name? No, Kuwait doesn’t count. And neither does Tuvalu. Or Tenmark. A score of 19.3 points per character is second only to 46566’s perfect 20. The highest possible.

There are only three characters in 95X, so their score is divided by three. Unfortunately, there are three non-standard characters in 95X - yes, having an upper-case X as a third letter in a word is not normal - so their score is multiplied by three.

There’s no penalty for length, of course, though with only three characters there’s a case to be made for a brevity penalty, and they don’t fall foul of any Stupid Prizes multiplier, so their score stays at 58.

Multiply everything together and divide by 109.3 and you get a ridiculousness rating of 0.6. A little silly? Sure, but not completely. They are only 0.6 ridiculous. 60% of one full ridicule. I mean, it makes sense to me. However good 95X are at football, and they are very handy, it is, at its core, a nation named after a bus.

Previously on The Idiot Project
Episode One:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 (A)
Chapter 3 (B)
Chapter 4
Chapter 4.5
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Vilita Warns of 'Vilkaus Warns of Vilita Threat' Threat

Each of Group F's representatives seemed quietly confident of progressing to the second round when interviewed at the draw on Sunday evening. Sargossa head coach Rodrigo Defederico pointed out his side's 3-2 win over Audioslavia in qualifying and the Corsairs' comeback to win the group from seemingly down-and-out in third. Audioslavia's Wilf Lidgley pointed to the fact that Audioslavia all but had beaten Sargossa in the first round of matches and had had the group wrapped up at the half way stage and had taken their foot firmly off the gas by the time Sargossa came calling. Fellow Apoxian Gavin Hughes told a similar story, with both Siovenija and Teusland opening comfortable leads at the top of qualifying group five before sauntering down the home stretch, while star midfielder Thorsten Kramer of 1830 Cathair made sure everybody knew that all of his S&T team could flourish in an Audioslavia team, and that the Goldhorns had a red rag in their pocket for the bulls.

Only Vilita played down their chances.

Ranked number one in the world, winners of two of the last three World Cups and favourites for a record sixth world championship, many Vilitans have been wary of over-confidence. Garbage personality Nikkii Kater twii.turred a lesson from history, noting that the first time a Vilitan overplayed their team's strength they were ragdolled around their group in unceremonious fashion. 'Vilkaus Warns of Vilita Thread' had been the headline. The words have been tossed back into many a Vilitan's face in various forms over the years.

I've been Jeremy Jaffacake, G'night B <message ends, interrupted by music>

by **Starblaydia** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:35 am

Qualifying in Review
Starblaydia top Group 3 with strong performance

The was one clear message at the beginning of this qualifying campaign: the runners up in the previous World Cup should go one better. Starblaydia's defeat by Equestria in the Final of World Cup 83 was, quite simply, the greatest performance by a side in white and purple in modern times. Even better than the dream run to the World Cup 63 Final, Starblaydia haven't been anywhere near this good over a century. World Cup 47, of course, when Starblaydia became the greatest side the world had yet seen with their victory over Valanora and the record-breaking fifth World Championship.

The sort of sustained success that this national team had when the World Cup was in its 40s is bettered by only a few nations. The aforementioned Valanora, Ariddia, Aguazul and perhaps Rejistania can quite rightly claim to have been on hotter or longer streaks, for sure, as well as the likes of Cassadaigua, Az-cz, Northern Sunrise Islands, Audioslavia, Vilita, etc. who have won back-to-back titles. To actually remember, however, when Starblaydia were in the top ten and making World Cup Finals is to have a two hundred year memory, and a scant few are in possession of that.

It has been such a long time, but even so the rest of the world still looks at Starblaydia as one of the giants of the game, ready to RAWCRUSH. It's as if it's only a matter of time until they do it again and come back to menace the verdant fields of the world. Judging by their Qualifying results, they might just be able to do that in Cassadaigua and Baker Park and fulfill the mission statement that Ázëwyn Fëanáro has been entrusted with: #wewantsix.

Matchday One
Tara & Cambray 1-3 Starblaydia
Ázëwyn Fëanáro's side thought they'd kicked things off on the right foot when an early Sutter McCloud goal calmed the nerves, but it was a shakier start than the final result tells. Late goals from substitute Hope Roshanak and Arkady Krakowski were required to put Tara & Cambray away. Still, three points on the board before the Bye Matchday was all that was required.

Matchday Three
Starblaydia 5-0 The Ross Isles
The ridiculous goalscoring run began on Matchday Three, and it began at the Stadii Di Bradini against The Ross Isles. Starblaydia soared to the top of Group 3, where they remained for the rest of the Qualifiers. Two from Calindra Apelles, two from Kaori Yamaguchi and the fifth from Alan Eccleston made a five-star performance from the five times world champions with nary a goal conceded and a consummate performance.

Matchday Four
Folmara 2-5 Starblaydia
Viola Capodanno: Centurion. Starblaydia's inspiration captain made it 100 appearances for her country and led her team out as captain for the 67th time. her team rewarded her with a fine 5-2 victory to keep the pace of goals up with thirteen in just three matches. A brace from Alan Eccleston that opened and closed the game, nestling a hat-trick from Sutter McCloud within them as the two strikers ran riot away in Folmarra.

Matchday Five
Starblaydia 5-2 Magnaterrica
Three five goal games in a row is unprecedented in Starblaydi football history as again the side simply ran over their opposition. Magnaterrica managed to put two goals on the scoresheet but they'd been blown away by Starblaydia's midfield as Krakowski (2), Yamaguchi and Viola Capodanno all got on the scoresheet, with Lucy Saraviva coming on to put the final nail in the coffin.

Matchday Six
HUElavia 1-3 Starblaydia
This was always going to be one of the toughest tests in the race to Qualify, and Starblaydia came through admirably with a powerful Falka Kaumolainen header, a fifth for McCloud in five games, and a Carmine Velasquez third that finally put the game beyond HUElavia.

Matchday Seven
Eastfield Lodge 3-4 Starblaydia
Sutter McCloud made it six from six as he scored the winner in this match, but only after defender Henri Apollo got on the scoresheet for the first time in his career. Apelles added two to her personal tally after the brace against The Ross Isles, but it required the golden boy to finally edge Starblaydia into the lead

Matchday Eight
The Sarian 0-0 Starblaydia
The only game that Starblaydia failed to score in during Qualifying, the 0-0 draw away from home at The Sarian brought the dreams of a perfect record of slamming in goals from all angles crashing down to earth with a hefty bump. The team huffed and puffed but just couldn't break the resolve of Oodel Duoztiun in goal for De Bondsaari and the sheet remained clean for both teams.

Matchday Nine
Starblaydia 1-1 Competitive Solitaire
Seemingly still hungover from the 0-0 with The Sarian, the visit of Competitive Solitaire to the Stadii di Bradini provided more goals (two), but the same number of points (one) as the previous game for the team in white and purple. Lucy Saraviva came on to rescue Starblaydia's blushes with yet another goal from the bench - quite the super-sub, this one! If it wasn't for the ever-presence of Arkady Krakowski and Kaori Yamaguchi, the twenty-three year old Saraviva would surely be getting far more games - and likely goals - under her belt.

Matchday Ten
Schiavonia 1-5 Starblaydia
An eastward trip in Atlantian Oceania to the Sunshine Paradise of Schiavonia got Starblaydia right on track as they got back among the goals with a fluid five-one demolition of their neighbours. Another McCloud hat-trick made it nine in nine games for the superstar, along with Hope Roshanak's second of the Qualifiers and Theodore Sigismund's first ever goal for his country.

Matchday Eleven
Starblaydia 1-2 Mercedini
This was the match the really opened up Group 3 as anything other than a cakewalk for the team in white and purple. Alan Eccleston made it onto the scoresheet, but Mercedini were showing that not only were they determined to be right in the conversation of the qualification picture, but also that Starblaydia were not by any means unbeatable. The Group leaders were both fallible and catchable, as long as you could keep their scoring down and takes our own chances when you got them. This was, on paper, Mercedini's hardest match, and Starblaydia's most difficult home game, and it only proved correct for one of them as Starblaydia tasted their first, and thankfully only, loss of the Qualifying campaign.

Matchday Twelve
Starblaydia 3-2 Tara & Cambray
Tara & Cambray improved on the scoreline eleven matchdays previously, but to kick off the second half it was still three Starblaydi goals that sunk the lowly-ranked side. A slightly unfamiliar side saw 19 year old Marcus Jimenez mark his first full start with a goal and Hope Roshanak get on the scoresheet in the first half, but it was Calindra Apelles who was called upon to rescue Starblaydia's three points and bag the third goal that won it for the home side as they went into their second Bye match break.

Matchday Fourteen
The Ross Isles 1-2 Starblaydia
Fifty international goals. Sutter McCloud, still just 27, notched his fiftieth for his country, the winner away to The Ross Isles, a side determined to show that the 5-0 thrashing at the Stadii Di Bradini was a fluke. With 1-1 looking the likely scoreline and captain Viola Capodanno to thank for it, McCloud popped up on the edge of the penalty area to slam the ball into the back of the net. Fifty means he's ninth on the all-time goalscoring list for his country, but Sutter McCloud is barely at the peak of his powers. There's plenty more where this one came from.

Matchday Fifteen
Starblaydia 5-2 Folmara
Five-two away from home, five-two at home. Starblaydia demolished Folmarra for the second time in Qualifying as Kaori Yamaguchi netted her first hat-trick for her country, followed up by Apelles and Eccleston as Starblaydia gave their home fans what they wanted, closing in on clinching first place in Group 3.

Matchday Sixteen
Starblaydia 2-0 Magnaterrica
The trip to Magnaterrica proved to be much more troublesome for Starblaydia than the visit of the side from Arkonos, but Sutter MCloud's fifty-first goal for his nation, followed by Lucy Saraviva again from the bench make it four in a row for Ázëwyn Fëanáro's Qualification-chasers.

Matchday Seventeen
HUElavia 2-2 Starblaydia
From 2-0 down back to 2-2 thanks to the heads of Apelles and Velasquez, Starblaydia had to dig deep at home against HUElavia, who were determined to come to the home of the first five-time world champions and get at least a point, if not three. Both sides had to settle for a solitary point in their charge for the Qualification spots and with five games to go for Starblaydia, there were still fifteen points on offer with the toughest test to come last.

Matchday Eighteen
Eastfield Lodge 1-5 Starblaydia
The sixth time Starblaydia hit five goals in the campaign, national scoring records were coming tumbling down. One for Eccleston marked his fifteenth goal for his country and put him in the unofficial Rapaii 15 club, the tally that Starblaydia's first talismanic striker Nikola "Laser" Lazerevksi managed back in World Cup 15 & 16. It was followed up by Arkady Krakowski, Hope Roshanak and two from Lucy Saraviva - this time not from the bench.

Matchday Nineteen
Starblaydia 6-1 The Sarian
As if five-goal games weren't enough, Starblaydia got revenge on The Sarian for ruining their perfect run and holding them to a 0-0 draw in the first half by demolishing them 6-1 at the Stadii Di Bradini. Starblaydia's national stadium was packed with fans who got to see Sutter McCloud net his third hat-trick of the Qualfiers, taking him level with former international strike partner Aaron Cole on 54 goals for his country. The duo sit joint-seventh on the all-time list now, but McCloud's next target will be the 55-goal tally of Lubii, followed by the legendary elven winger Soronúmë on 57. The rest of the goals were scored by Alan Eccleston, Calindra Apelles and Lucy Saraviva.

Matchday Twenty
Competitive Solitaire 1-3 Starblaydia
Another revenge match for Starblaydia, with Apelles' tenth goal of the campaign, Krakoswki's fourth and a fourth in three games for Lucy Saraviva to take her tally to six and round out the end of the qualifiers with a great scoring run. The 1-1 draw in the earlier fixture between these two sides was put behind them as Starblaydia sealed qualification with two games to spare.

Matchday Twenty-One
Starblaydia 2-0 Schiavonia
Schiavona's visit was a routine 2-0 win for Starblaydia, Alan Eccleston's eighth of the campaign was matched by Krakowski's fourth as Starblaydia eased through the gears to celebrate sealing the much-contested top spot in Group Three, with automatic qualification already in the bank, taking top spot was the top seed's ultimate goal and they achieved it with a game to go.

Matchday Twenty-Two
Mercedini 1-4 Starblaydia
Mercedini away always looked to be the sternest test for this team, the game that might decide the fate of one or other of the participants, but for this match Starblaydia were already six points clear at the top, and Mercedini unusually lagging four points behind HUElavia in the second qualification spot. There was nothing either team could do but play for pride and the decimal point of KPB ranking points that would go to the victor. Sutter McCloud's hat trick, his record fourth of the Qualifiers took his tally for this campaign alone to 20, a Starblaydi record. He also makes it to joint-fifth on the all-time goalscoring list for Starblaydia. He now sits just two goals behind Jacqueline Maitland's 59, and four behind the legendary Lena Kochanska, on 61. There are literally no more humans above him in the charts, with only the coach Ázëwyn Fëanáro herself and the all-time leader Valrauncion as the two elves that top the charts at 71 and 116 goals, respectively.

Starblaydia could barely have asked for a better Qualifying campaign as they maintain their 6th place in the KPB rankings, increasing their tally to keep pace with the teams around and above them. Ázëwyn Fëanáro's side will be sure of a Pot 1 draw in the World Cup Finals and, although there look to be some strong teams in Pots 2 and 3, they'll be quietly confident of making it through to the knockout stages.

From there, anything can happen.

by **HUElavia** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 12:12 pm

HUElavia to make World Cup debut in Group C!

HUElavia finally knows their rivals for their inaugural World Cup tournament in Cassadaigua and Baker Park. HUElavia (45) will participate in Group C against Zwangzug (26), Farfadillis (9), and Banija (3), where the media has dubbed Group C as "The Group of Life." The reason for this name is due to the fact that all four teams have a realistic shot to advance past the group stage, even if there is a disparity in the rankings between the teams.

Los Amarillos will be playing in Cassadaigua, playing in two cities only: Winchester and New Lakeland. Matchday 1 will be against Zwangzug at Winchester City Lottery Stadium (59,000) in Winchester, followed by Matchday 2 against Banija at Qusmair Stadium (77,000). Finally, Matchday 3 will be at Winchester City Lottery Stadium (59,000) against Farfadillis.

While Los Amarillos come in as the second-worst ranked team to qualify and are not favorites to advance past the group stage, they have strong momentum headed into the tournament after having their best ever qualifying performance. On top of that, the team gained many fans around the multiverse and it is expected to see roughly half (give or take) of the stadiums being filled with thousands of HUElavians and supporters of the National Football Team.

The government has already made efforts to educate the HUElavians traveling to Cassadaigua about the culture and norms of the country, as well as explaining to them how they are expected to act both in and out of the stadium. Regardless, HUElavia has faith in both the teams and fans and how they plan to act throughout the tournament. All we can do is hope and pray that the team has a memorable tournament in their debut.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Chromatika** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:56 pm

MD22: Zealandiana 1-0 Chromatika
Goals: None.
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Nichols; Xiao - Ken - Baugh - Rowles; Avis - Kim, M.S.; Etienne (C) - Kim, M.J. - Reynolds; Non.
Substitutes: Ingalls -> Avis ('52), Han -> Reynolds ('68), Vidal -> Non ('79)
Projected Lineup vs. Ko-oren: Ria; Xiao - de Aea - Will - Ilya; Montague - Armageddon; Victoriane - Mora - Conrad; Andisori (C).

Jillian Nier, Football Correspondent

Let's get this out of the way. Yes, that game was horrible. Losing to Zealandiana should never have happened. Backing into the Proper is not something you want to do.

But Chromatika finished second, and they're off to play...

1. Cassadaigua (4) - Record: 1 Loss, 1-4, WC 83 Proper Matchday 1
2. Turori (11) - Record: First Meeting.
3. Ko-oren (20) - Record: 1 Draw, 2 Losses, 1-1, AOCAF 50 Matchday 3, 0-1 WC 75 Matchday 4, 0-1 WC 75 Matchday 11

It is an insanely difficult group. One of the hosts, in their own stadium? Not easy. A team who prides in defensive prowess and solid tackling. The other half of Vilita & Turori - with Vilita being a squad Chromatika has never scored against.

So who made it into the Final Twenty-Three? Let's talk about that.

Goalkeepers
Mia Ria (five appearances, six goals allowed)
Nova Williams (five appearances, eight goals allowed)

These two started about half the matches, including all the ones against Mriin, Main Nation Ministry, and Busoga Islands. Mia will really need to do better if Chromatika is to advance, but they did all right for the matches that they played in. Nova's continuance in improvement is encouraging as this new duo continues to develop.

Defenders
Zheide McBee (seven appearances)
Kai Xiao (eight appearances)
Henri de Aea (five appearances)
Kattie Will (eleven appearances)
Cierra Anderson (five appearances)
Nicole Friedman (five appearances)
Valence Ilya (five appearances)
Aysu Damjana (three appearances)

No Aoife Ruth, no Olivia An. No, and that is the right move. Zheide McBee and Kai Xiao are young and eager and definitely the future of Chromatika at right back. A huge risk but an important decision made by Evans and Everdeen. Yeri Ibex's injury means that Kattie Will will be the running-mate next to Chromatik golden boy Henri de Aea, with Anderson and Friedman being capable backups. At left back, Valence Ilya is the only one comparable with Henri de Aea, and Aysu Damjana brings the experience. Right back still remains a question, but the future of the Chromatik backfield looks three shades brighter than it did at the beginning of qualifying. As Chromatika gave up fifteen goals in three matches in the last World Cup Proper stage, they'll really be tested.

Defensive Midfielders
Alyss Montague (six appearances, one goal)
Enigma Armageddon (five appearances)
Drew Limones (four appearances)
Kai Dias (six appearances)

This will likely be Alyss Montague's last cycle as a starter for the Anomalies, and she seems hell bent on making it count. She's a solid cog in the middle of the field still, and really been instrumental in the development of Enigma Armageddon, who's taken to the new position like fish to water. The one-eyed general will man the position for cycles to come, and the only real question is whom between Limones and Dias will take it. Dias is better fit for it, but Limones is more cerebral. An interesting development to watch heading through the Proper to the next AOCAF.

Wingers
Kaytlyn Victoriane (six appearances, two goals)
Whitney Kelly (five appearances, three goals)
Retta Conrad (six appearances, two goals)
Jazmin Dragana (three appearances)

So... Why Whitney Kelly and not Meagan Thorben? Evans and Everdeen wouldn't give a solid answer, but I think it's because Kelly was more flashy throughout the qualifiers. Kaytlyn is still the starter, and one of the greatest playmakers on the squad, just in her prime. On the other side, Retta didn't have as good of a qualifying cycle as the last one, but has shown her capability. Jazmin is still good for a half hour per match. Chromatika is stacked up front. With Sylvie Reynolds and Ga-yeong Han still getting into their prime... Wow.

Attacking Midfielders
Hermaeus Mora (seven appearances, two goals)
Miranda Gail (six appearances, one goal)

One of the positions that's been lacking on the impact chart, Hermaeus Mora's creativity has been lacking while Miranda has only just been fast. This position needs to score way more often than it does currently. What is the future in the position? Not really sure...

Strikers
Keira Andisori (five appearances, two goals)
Rowena Sierra (four appearances, five goals)
Beaunia Andisori (four appearances, three goals)

Queue another column speaking about how stacked the striker pool of Chromatika is. These three have been the best this cycle. Keira Andisori is still a living legend, her sister Beaunia is actually playing better now, and Rowena Sierra - looking good as ever - had a very good cycle. Still needs to carry the team at times.

Surprises would be Zheide and Kai, Whitney over Meagan, and perhaps Beaunia over Olimpia. The fact that we can argue about who deserves it and who doesn't is very good for the welfare of the squad.

Time to show the world that we belong here once again...

by **Port Ember** » Wed Jan 15, 2020 4:54 am

Port Ember Times
Culture Journal

The World Cup 84 Fever Edition

Travel Guide to the Commonwealth of Baker Park

By Geraldine Anderson - Port Ember Times Culture Journal

The highly anticipated debut football World Cup for Port Ember - World Cup 84 is rapidly approaching, and as announced our young team will be flying to the Commonwealth of Baker Park in order to play all three of their group games there very soon.

Local travel agents have announced that a massive number of Port Emberian football supporters have announced their intent to travel to the Commonwealth in order to fly the flag and support our lads in their quest to achieve eternal glory.

According to rough estimates received from travel agents from accross the island, approximately 60 000 Port Emberians have allready bought commercial airplane tickets to travel to the Commonwealth over the World Cup period. This number does not even include the supporters hailing from our two colonies of Braziliztan and Port Arthur.

Due to the large amount of our citizens traveling to the Commonwealth of Baker Park, this article will serve the purpose of a travel guide to ensure the travelers makes the most of their time abroad.

Local Laws

It is well known that The Republic is the capital of personal liberty, with very few laws restricting our freedoms of any sort - and we are one of very few nations worldwide whom have achieved this pioneering feat. Thus it is understandable that the Commomwealth has a legal system which restricts personal liberties more than our own Republic.

It is wise to familiarise yourself with these laws, in order to stay out of jail and have more time free to support our team whilst you are there.

(For the readers whom are unfamiliour - during the previous Cup of Harmony in which our team participated, hosted within Eastfield Lodge, thousands of our traveling fans were arrested for nonsense laws within the vile dictatorship, nearly leading our Republic to war.. Let us try to avoid this situation this year?)

Recreational Drug Laws within the Commonwealth:

The cannabis recreational drug is legal to purchase, possess and use within the nation.

Although all recreational drugs are legal within The Republic, you will have to abstain and switch to a cannabis only party season whilst abroad. Not bad!

Prostitution Laws within the Commonwealth

Prostitution is a gray area within the host nation, as its not outlawed, yet the law has not given the act legal status. Thus one can theoritcally be arrested for supporting this industry, and will be charged as a misdemeanor.

Although protitution is a legal and well supported industry with the Republic, we at the Port Ember Times advise our travelling readers to abstain from your support for the duration of your trip abroad. Rather work on your 'game'....

Alcohol Laws within the Commonwealth:

Alcohol consumption is legal within the Commonwealth for all persons above the age of 18 years. The nation has a well established pub culture, and legal selling times are between 11:15am and 03:00am daily.

No complaints here! Alcohol consumption is by far one of Port Ember's favourite past time activities, and the Commonwealth enjoys almost the same level of freedom as within the Republic (except our legal age is 16 and we have no set selling times), so its all good!

Gambling Laws within the Commonwealth:

Gambling has been fully legalised within the nation and can be enjoyed fully at one of the many world class casino's spread around the nation.

This is all good news for us as we are known to be frequent flyers at casino's - and our passion will not be stifled whilst abroad.

Other Laws within the Commonwealth:

Other laws such as gun laws specifically has not been mentioned by a recent reprt received from the government of the Commonwealth. I humbly suggest that if you are unsure of a specific law or policy, to contact the Commonwealth embassy regarding your query - just to remain on the side of caution.

Climate of the Commonwealth

The Commowealth is the recepient of temperate weather patterns and only receives rain during the autumn and winter months.

For us hailing from a tropical island, constantly basking in extreme heat and humidity with everyday rain - this will be a welcome reprieve.

Currency of the Commonwealth

The legal tender of the Commonwealth is the CPB Dollar, which is equal to $1.35 NSD. Our Aurum is equal to $2 NSD, so we will benefit slightly.

It does not appear that the common NSD is in circulation, thus please ensure that you trade in your Aurums or NSD which you will require once abroad.

Specific Match Day Guide:

Map of the Commonwealth of Baker Park. Take note of the cities of Coolville; Shirley and Newport - thats where the Port Emberian national team will play!

Match Day 1: Taeshan v Port Ember

Stadium:

Name: Carrollton Stadium

City: Coolville

Capacity: 33 000

History & Description:

Although it has been the home of Coolville United FC since 1949, the inaugural BP Open Cup marked the first time international soccer matches were ever played at the ground. Since the 1990's it has been completely rebuilt one side at a time and is an outstanding venue for the spectator; with the completion of the new Paulson Street Stand, it is ready to host matches in the World Cup.

Stadium image and description obtained from the Commonwealth of Baker Park Football Association

So how do we get there!?

The town of Coolville does not possess an international airport, so I suggest you land at the Shirley International Airport located quite nearby, from where you can catch the train.

What are we doing after the match!?

So there is no large scale casino, but the pub culture is properly established. So my advice is to pick any of the quaint local pubs for our after match celebrations - or drink away our sorrows, whichever will apply that eve.

So for offday activities, you can take tours of the State Senate Building; or for the nature lovers - a trip out to the mountains. You can also hit up the Belvedere Course - a horse racetrack.

Match Day 2: Port Ember vs Apox

Stadium:

Name: Presidents Park

City: Shirley

Capacity: 29 000

History & Description:

Presidents Park retains its unusual shape and mismatched stands for reasons that have less to do with money & more to do with the desire of fans to not change the character of the ground; many campaigns to build a modern facility away from downtown have been squashed by public sentiment. Completed in 1923 and renovated and rebuilt several times, the roof on the Main Stand was for many years the largest under-truss cantilevered structure in the Commonwealth. The North Terrace has been expanded for the World Cup. Has hosted the NT more times than any other venue in the country.

Stadium image and description obtained from the Commonwealth of Baker Park Football Association

So how do we get there!?

So if match day 2 is your first match in-country, Shirley has an international airport at which you can clear in.

If you are traveling from Coolio after Match Day 1, rail or road is the way to go, and its actually close by.

What are we doing after the match!?

So there is no large scale casino, but the pub culture is properly established. So my advice is to pick any of the quaint local pubs for our after match celebrations - or drink away our sorrows, whichever will apply that eve.

So for offday activities, you can take a tour to the House of Delegates; Museum of Mining; an abandoned mine in nearby Shirley Heights; Mountain Circus - a modern amusement park or a ride on the elevated tramway through the city.

Match Day 3: Equestria vs Port Ember

Stadium:

Name: Newport City Stadium

City: Newport City

Capacity: 35 000

History & Description:

The stadium is home to the Newport City FC and the Naval Academy's football team and has been a frequent host to the NT in recent years. An extensive rebuild has increased the seating to current capacity.

Stadium image and description obtained from the Commonwealth of Baker Park Football Association

So how do we get there!?

The town of Newport City does not possess an international airport, so I suggest you land at the Ezriquay Airport located only 40 minutes drive away. From there you can use bus, rail or a rented vehicle to reach Newport City, if this is your first Match Day attendance.

If you are traveling from Shirley after Match Day 2, rail or road is the way to go. Or better yet, you can fly from Shirley to Ezriquay, and grab the train from there.

What are we doing after the match!?

So there is no large scale casino, but the pub culture is properly established. So my advice is to pick any of the quaint local pubs for our after match celebrations - or drink away our sorrows, whichever will apply that eve.

During a free day, there is plenty to do, and due to our strong passion and love for all things ocean & naval, I bet you will enjoy this city. You can visit the Commonwealth Naval Officers Academy; tour one of the NSC's oldest active commissioned ship, NSC City of Belle Haven, or make a turn at the Commonwealth Aquarium.

Article by Geraldine Anderson
Port Ember Times

by **Zwangzug** » Wed Jan 15, 2020 4:50 pm

The Bassabook Baritone

In an informal poll of my friends who love football history, most of them could not recall whether Zwangzug had taken on any of the other members of Group C--Banija, Farfadillis, or HUElavia--in the past. But when I jogged their memories, the games did ring bells. Just not for Zwangzug's performance on the field.

Farfadillis were Zwangzug's opponents in the last group-stage match of World Cup 69, at the end of the "second generation" of the national team. The temporary retreat into isolationism that followed had less to do with world-shaking events or the football association imploding and more to do with...well, there was all that nonsense with the board games that followed, I guess we don't really know. But it wasn't Farfadillis' fault. Ironically, it would be Farfadillis that had much more internal turbulence, with the destruction of Ruland and the "blackout" of their national flag epitomizing their internal strife. The country is also known for its devotion to the Cabañas effect, with Franklin Witchein-Coan annoying typesetters here when he left Spenson Suburbia for the much-cooler alliterative team, Fryi Frêndê. Perhaps their most notable contribution is the number of mathematicians that have come to study at our country's universities, in particular fleeing the ongoing violence; elite schools from Mandelbrot in Ervimnal to Bryce in the FTC boast Farf faculty and postdocs in their ranks.

Upon Zwangzug's return to WCC-organized tournaments in the WC80 qualifiers, they faced HUElavia, and promptly lost 4-0. Three players from that team remain. Subroto Parida, despite briefly cracking the starting XI, was relegated to the bench again as he continues to battle chronic migraines. Joel McJakill, then a benchwarmer, has come into his own at Keppal but is less consistent on the international scene (see: Ancherion). And Lucas Kukiseso, once a grinder, is now the captain.

But it was with HUElavia when he first rose to prominence, after a concussion at the end of the blowout left him with a temporary case of foreign accent syndrome. Despite being a native Algebraic dialect speaker by birth, he displayed the blurred consonants of a Picksall Islander for nearly half the qualifiers before recovering just as suddenly as he'd been stricken. While this might have been good news for Kim Higden, the third-string Picksall Islander who suddenly had a "friend" to converse with, it was distressing for the rest of the team. Nevertheless, Kukiseso has continued his intelligent play for Spenson, and now uses his leadership role to police cultural appropriation, to his teammates' groans.

This will, however, be the first meeting between Zwangzug and Kadongo Kamu. Banija have recently gender-integrated, with Apox-based Namakula Kawesa becoming their first female player (and two other women on the bench). Kizza Okafor shares a wonderful (double-Z) first name with the only native-born Banijan to ever manage the side. (I know this because the e-Lipogram did a great feature on him.)

The most familiar name in the group, of course, is Peak'n'Break Stadium, where we will be enjoying delicious muffins (and hopefully decent football) on Matchday Two. Mmmm.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Safety on the Agenda at Presser
Cory Norman
Daily News Metro Reporter

Ahead of the start of the World Cup here in Baker Park, a news conference was held yesterday at the Commonwealth Convention Center, which will serve as the central command post for the coordination of the various agencies working with the World Cup organizers and the FAC.

Minister of State for Justice Thomas Cassiday, Chief of Security Christopher McGee, Minister of State for Transport Ryan Marsden, Secretary of State for Immigration & Borders Lindsay Mehlberg, and Metro PD Chief Bill Lickert along with Belle Haven County Sheriff Diane Ponsby, all spoke about various issues related to overall safety for visitors from Baker Park & abroad, and plans for certain matchday restrictions.

"We have brought together the largest combined public safety presence in the history of the Commonwealth for this event," Cassiday opened his remarks by saying.
"We're aware that previous editions of the World Cup have generally gone off without trouble, but we felt it would be better to be prepared for eventualities rather than wish we had taken extra steps."

McGee emphasized that the National Guard police units of the 3rd Battalion would be augmenting local police presence around venues, and provide coverage for areas where the usual officers would be patrolling. "We expect to have members of the Protection and Military Police Services, the Criminal Investigation Division in undercover roles, the National Police Service, with a company of reserves called in for the first couple of weeks, and one company of the Frontier & Border Patrol aiding local departments. In total, around 3200 personnel will be spread out across the country."

Mehlberg wanted to assure foreign visitors that their safety was important to the government. "We have been working with the various nations who will be participating here so that their citizens understand the rules & laws, that we have available to them access to consular services in case of any emergencies that might arise and to have them make us aware of any issues with persons who may be potential concerns."

Marsden briefly outlined a few temporary safety procedures that will be in effect across various public transportation platforms. "There may be occasional spot checks at stations and aboard ferries, trains and subways, but these will be carried out in the least intrusive manner possible. We remind all visitors to have identification on their person at all times."

Chief Lickert was comfortable with how his preparations for crowd control and additional traffic issues had come together. "We've used the same template that served us well for the AOCAF, and for the Lacrosse Championships and NSCF games. The latter experience will come in handy for the matches at Gleason, although we expect fewer potential problems there with classes not being in session. We may not need to have the same restrictions that we've used there for UC games."

A question arose about the circumstances that may arise should there be an appearance of the notorious Sister Maria Polus of the Free Republics in the city during the tournament.
"Well, the Sister is certainly welcome to enjoy a stay in the city, as long as she not one of those 'concerns' the Secretary mentioned," Lickert replied. "As long as she abides by the laws, I can't imagine why we would need to introduce ourselves to her," as laughter erupted in the room.

Cassiday stepped in to expand on that point. "Of course, the Secretary of State knows more about her status to enter the country legally than I do, but it should be stressed that she will not be allowed to broadcast live from anywhere in the Commonwealth, as her network is regulated as 'objectionable content' under the Telecommunications Act, restricted to off hours broadcast windows via satellite. She is free to record any program and return with the footage to the Free Republics to air."

Mehlberg closed the discussion on the subject. "We have no indication from the government of the Free Republics that Sister Polus is under charge for a crime, nor is she a convicted felon. She will be welcomed at any point of entry, just as all other visitors. As the Chief said, as long she intends to abide by the law, there won't be any drama. As the kids say, 'don't bring none, won't be none'"

by **Port Ember** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:22 am

Port Ember Times
Sports Journal

The World Cup 84 Fever Edition

Exlusive Interview with Peter White

By Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports Journal

The following article is a trasnscribe of a recent interview between the author and the President of the Port Ember Football Association (PEFA) relating to the future of football within our nation:

Erica Davies:

"Peter I wish to heartilly thank you for the oppertunity of interviewing you. It is well known that you have a serious dislike to communicate with the media, so this is an honor."

Peter White:

"Good Morning Erica. It is a pleasure! Oh and I do not have a dislike to communicate with the media, I have a dislike in chitchat. I will speak to the media when there is a good reason to do so."

Erica Davies:

"And today is indeed a good reason! I wish - our entire nation wishes to know what the future holds for Port Emberian Football."

Peter White:

"Ah yes, I can believe that. For many years football was merely a hobby in the eyes of our nation. But now after our debut international successes, the nation has underwent a 'Footballing Revolution'. We have so many young players who is knocking on the doors of our local clubs, for the first time in history we need to open new additional clubs to accomodate this massive influx. We have had 14 professional football clubs in the past, but now we have received registration applications for a staggering 42 clubs! This number also includes applications from our two colonies, which will form part of our league for the first time ever."

Erica Davies:

"Thats is simply amazing! Before we go more into local details - lets speak international level.."

Peter White:

"Well offcourse! The nation is firmly caught up with this 'World Cup Fever' trend with good reason. The lads surprised the entire world by qualifying. Whilst the odds are stacked solidly against us, I know that they are ready to take the world by storm yet again. Whatever the result will be, we will remain proud of them and stand behind them all the way."

Erica Davies:

"And what about post World Cup plans?"

Peter White:

"Well for the short term, we need to keep playing on the international level in order to grow, so we are aiming to sign up for the next Independant Cup, if it will be hosted in this cycle. And then for the future, I would really love to see our nation play host to an international tournament, however no plans have been tabled, its just a dream of mine."

Erica Davies:

"I have also not heard of any Independent Cup plans yet - however I hope that changes soon. As for your vision of hosting one day, which tournament do you envision us hosting?"

Peter White:

"Well not the World Cup yet, we need some hosting experience before we can consider that. But it does not really matter which one - they all play an important role. For example the Baptism of Fire; the Cup of Harmony or perhaps the Independent Cup."

Erica Davies:

"And who would you like as co-hosts?"

Peter White:

"Well I cannot awnser in an official capacity since we will need to open dialouge with the appropriate football association first offcourse.. But in an informal capacity I can share my own opinion and not of our entire organising body.. I would personally like to co-host a tournament with either Hapilopper or Timuria. But we will host with any nation whom we have friendly relations with."

Erica Davies:

"I must admit - that revelations shocked me a bit. Is Timuria not our rivals?"

Peter White:

"I consider them a sort of 'friendly rivals'. This is the team who beat us in our first ever international match - and played us again on our opening match of the Cup of Harmony 75 (which ended in a draw). This is not a unpleasant rivalry - this is the sort where both teams looks forward to play each other and give each other hell. Its a good way to gauge ourselves on our personal growth. They are indeed a fun team and nation."

Erica Davies:

"That makes sense. What about Hapilopper? You berated their management in the international media did you not?"

Peter White:

"That statement is a good example of why I do not speak to the media. I never berated them! I only offered friendly advice in an attempt to safeguard their amazing international reputation in a friendly yet honest manner. I have only the deepest respect and love for their nation and team."

Erica Davies:

"Noted. Applogies if I rubbed you the wrong way... Anyway, lets go back to the local plans for our football.."

Peter White:

"Well we are now launching an entire new league, starting fresh, using our new international experience and passion as a foundation. The league will consist out of 3 professional leagues. The highest tier will be known as 'The Premier League', consisting out of the 14 best clubs in the nation. The bottom 3 teams will be relegated to League 1 at the end of the season. 'League 1' will be the second highest tier consisting out of 14 clubs. The top 3 teams will be promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season - and the bottom 3 teams relegated to League 2. 'League 2' will be the lowest tier of the tournament, consisting out of 14 teams, and the top 3 teams will be promoted to League 2 at the end of the season.

These clubs will hail from the Republic itself and from our colonies of Braziliztan and Port Arthur.

Furthermore we will ensure that the sport grows as we will support the teams with prize money for every game won and we will expand our support in areas which we will identify in the future."

Erica Davies:

"Thank you Mr Smith for your input. We look forward to see what heights can achieve in future!"

Article by Erica Davies
Port Ember Times

by **Kita-Hinode** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 12:57 pm

WORLD CUP QUALIFIER BREAK
Five manga to read during the Break
Written by manga afficionado Taichi Namekuzei.

MASHU, SOMEI-YOSHINO - It's that time of the year, where we prepare ourselves for the trip to World Cup-land (this time Baker Park and Cassadaigua) for one of the multiverse's most important yearly events, that one cup where teams from across planes of existence and reality gather up for the chance of claiming dominance at the sport of association football. So, while you're waiting for your plane or just waiting to talk with your boss about getting a break from work for a while to watch the tournament, how about you check some manga?

RADCHESTER 2013
Shonen Slide, Miss Bliss
Following the cultural expansion of manga that happened in the most recent years, the Hinodejin Empire wasn't alone in producing high-quality manga. Efforts from Damukuni were never ignored but work from the region of Emirates of Futurnia saw a spike in relevance and quality with writers like Morrissey's Miss Bliss (a pen name for Mariah Summer Montgomery). Miss Bliss created, three years ago, the manga known as Radchester 2013. Based on her experiences of the country during a period known only as "The Troubles", the manga tells a story about midfielder Mitch Winfield. Nicknamed Winnie by his friends and teammates, he starts out as a player for the Kickstonians, a premier club of the Football Championship and the biggest representative of the power on the hands of the ultra-conservative government of Gylonhall.

By the first chapter, Winnie is on the run out of Kricketon, pelted by rocks and empty bottles of beer after coming out as a homosexual. Distraught, he flees to his hometown of Radchester. Almost quitting the sport, he meets a man named Justin Commerce, the manager of the local Championship side. With each chapter, we're introduced to the wild cast of the series, all in the build-up to the biggest match of the season: the last matchday duel between Winnie's new team, Radchester and the Kickstonians. Later seasons (including the one we're currently in, season four) serve to show Winnie's personal life and how he finds support for his lifestyle in a country facing the full effect of a clash between generations, new ideas being found to be in full conflict with the conservative elite. While a very political manga, Radchester 2013 is a massive hit in Hinode with groups of all ages and might be pretty good for a read, even if you're more interested in the sport itself rather than the background.

LUCAS JOGA BONITO
Megastar Plus, Nobu Ito
Lucas Monteiro was a surprise in the Anglia Pokémon Tournament, spurned into the competition in order to guarantee tickets to a music event for a very important friend. In the end, however, he was played by the friend, who actually used him to get them for her and her boyfriend. Distraught, Lucas lost in the very first matchday before being found by a man from far away lands... well, as far as the mountains between Anglia and the region the man came from, Caledonia. The scout insisted on bringing Lucas Monteiro to Caledonia, where he could play for their national team. After a lot of talking, Lucas enters the field for one of the finer sides of Caledonia, Hibernia Boudicca.

From there, we end up watching the two Monteiro brothers as they go through the pyramids of the two rival regions, aiming to represent their new homelands at the World Cup. While the technical, smart and charismatic Matt Monteiro lights the scene in Anglia; we get to see his brother Lucas facing the troubles and trepidations at Caledonia's burgeoning football league, including the shenanigans with the "Classic Firm", the two powerhouses of the league from the capital of Midcastle, the Saints and the Cloverleafs. Definitively a must-read, especially if you're familiar with Pokécards Underground, which is where this spun off from.

BELLEZA FC
Seinen Kiss, Mayu Kobayashi
Often compared to Radchester 2013's later seasons, Belleza FC takes place in an alternate timeline where the Hinodejin Empire borrows from countries such as Lisander and Baker Park, having separate leagues for men and women. The titular Belleza FC is actually named Mashu Belleza FC (with elements from both Hellowenia and Pascal), a team famous for promoting young talent from the city of Mashu to the higher echelons of football. We follow the protagonist Mayu Sakazaki, a nineteen-year-old prospect that refuses to believe that men and women shouldn't play together, causing her to do double duty as herself and pretend to be a man by wearing a full costume of superhero The Hurricane.

With a rather colourful cast, we end up spending a good chunk of time learning about the manga's characters and the world around them, which makes for a surprisingly good read in spite of some weird attempts at humour. Fun stuff most of the time.

THE MANAGER
High-Class Manga, Ryuunosuke Minami
Few people expected a publication such as High-Class Manga to have something deemed interesting to the masses: it has had a pretty solid run with very niche manga that targetted mostly an older audience, mature enough to understand more touchy subjects while also being astounded by the fantastic art employed by the High-Class Guild, a group of drawers/animators that are renowned throughout the Empire for their good skills. The Manager managed to bring the High-Class style together with an interesting story: former national team star Kaoru Miyazaki hung up his boots and now plies his trade as a manager.

With little interest in higher jobs, the entire series is about how Miyazaki decides to pick the worst teams possible and raise them up to be world-beaters. It's not all rosy, however. With every move, he finds new enemies, some even being former friends if not flat out players that he considered being his family. A read for those who are absolutely fine with bittersweet moments but the manga itself manages to avoid going too deep in such moments.

BIG BANG FOOTBALL AND OTHER ADVENTURES
Badfish Daily, SODA 58
On the other hand, we're back to... wait, no, we're in Non-Descriptia, a place that "is totally not Anglia or anything related because Badfish Daily doesn't want to get sued". Recently promoted to the Second Division, the Anime Society of Newport has a big problem on their way: they're not a very good team and got promoted via some massive technicality and multiple rejections from other teams to get promoted to that level. With a money boost from their promotion, the Anime Society team does manage to bring in a cast of questionable young players that hope to impress in the big leagues.

With a very unusual type of football deemed "whatever it's necessary for a win", AS Newport faces all sorts of foes to survive at the second tier while also dealing with their intercity rivals FC Newport, backed by "Mr. Big Bang" Charles Bronson, a former bodybuilder with some sort of vendetta against the plucky small-time team. Will the Anime Kids survive at the top tier and still get home to watch their favourite anime, "Pretty Cure Jacqueline Bresselina"? That's for you to find out via reading the off-the-wall humour that Big Bang Football delivers.

by **Banija** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:27 pm

No longer a Cinderella, strong Banija side head to Cassadaigua with something they've never had before- the weight of expectation

Players pose in front of the team bus after landing at Brattleboro International Airport

BRATTLEBORO, CASSADAIGUA- World Cup 84 is finally upon us. After a long Qualifying campaign, the 32 teams who will descend upon the Commonwealth of Baker Park and the Matriarchy of Cassadaigua to contest the most prestigious trophy in all of sports has been decided. It's that time of year where we can all huddle, put aside our disagreements, and unite behind our country, eh? And the Kadongo Kamu find themselves in a strange position. After four straight World Cups where just the bare minimum was acceptable, after the miracle run to a bronze medal at World Cup 83, Banija has seen quite a large change in fortune. The 83rd World Cup cycle was, by any account, the most successful cycle to date for the Banijan national team. Up and down, we outperformed any of our prior selves. We started the cycle by winning the U18 World Cup, also known as the Sporting World Cup. That was the first international trophy that any Banijan national team has brought home, in this sport, at any level. It was a great moment for the nation, as our youth making deep tournament runs is good for us going forward. Even now, we have two players on that team who are on this team, one of whom is a starter, already contributing to the cause for the full Kadongo Kamu side.

And then, think of the journey that we went on with the senior national team. So much joy, so many barriers broken, and yet... a sense of almost. Even though no trophies were gained at the senior level, no fans can complain at the incredible amount of progress that the Banijan national team made in the 83rd World Cup cycle. All, of course, at home, with the RBSA, down to friendlies, deciding to play every single game of the 83rd World Cup cycle in Banija. And that started, of course, with AOCAF LVIII. Co-hosting the tournament with our close allies, the Commonwealth of Baker Park, we were able to do something we have never done before- get over our AOCAF hump. In our first three AOCAFs, we had strong performances- but ultimately, not strong enough. In AOCAF LV, our first ever one, we were eliminated by Qasden, our regional rivals within the Glorious Southwest. In AOCAF LVI, we got to the quarterfinals once again, where we fell to a Vilita & Turori side in extra side that was on its way to establishing a bonafide dynasty at the World Cup. And in AOCAF LVII, we fell to a strong Cosumar side, where we played the Azure Dragons tough but were just not a match for Tidesson and Cosumar.

But we were finally able to make it over that hump. And with this tournament on home soil, the nation was descending into a craze about this national team. We were decently ranked, but nobody thought we were contenders- especially considering how we always seemed to fall in the quarterfinals of the regional championships. But then, came that game against Mriin. It is one that will go down for all time, at least for the Banijans. We finally broke through. WE were no longer that team with potential- that potential was here, and it was arriving all at once, on home soil no less. From that game on, many fans of the Kadongo Kamu thought that we were the team of destiny. It was a crazy tournament, with big names going down early, and we were here, thinking we could ride the home energy wave all the way to the AOCAF Final. So when we played Cosumar, who had vanquished us in the last 8 the tournament prior, we won a wild game 4-2 to advance to our first ever Final. And who was in front of us? None other than our archrivals, Equestria.

We've never beaten Equestria. And in this World Cup Cycle, the best in Banijan history, the Equestrians have also launched their strongest ever run in international football. There's something that needs to be done to resolve that, and it's hard to say what. And so that confidence, that team of destiny, against their archrivals who would love nothing better than to be crowned at their archrival's national stadium. We went with nervousness, we dared, we played hard, but ultimately, Banijan fans were set to watch the Equestrians celebrate their first ever major tournament victory on their own home field. And the Equestrians didn't just stop there. But this isn't the story of Equestria. When we won our bid to co-host the following World Cup, alongside Equestria, we did it for many reasons. But on the field, most people thought the story would be the same. This team made a miracle run at AOCAF LVIII, but yet, the next tournament was the freaking World Cup. Could we hang with the best of the best for two tournaments in a row, even if that second one was on home soil? Probably not. With Starblaydia, Qasden, and Taeshan in our group, the ceiling for this team seemed to be a Round of 16 exit- good, but nothing particularly special.

And then, that's when the second miracle run started. What a tournament World Cup 83 was- getting the whole nation behind the Kadongo Kamu, everyone going mad. Defeating the five time world champions Starblaydia on the final day of the group stage to not only punch our ticket to the knockout stages, but to win the group to boot. And who then loomed? None other than the then #5 nation in the entire multiverse, South Covello. Of course, a nation that the Banijans had a near diplomatic spat with during World Cup 81, because they think goats are friends, not food. Crazy, right? Anyways, South Covello was right to be favored on the field. But if you think the diplomacy was wild, you then saw this game. A game that was 0-0 after 100 minutes ended up 2-2 after 120 minutes, and Lemuel Bereket made the save of a lifetime in the ensuing penalty shootout to push the Kadongo Kamu past an elite nation and to a place where you never thought they'd go- the World Cup Quarterfinals.

Of course, then you saw you they were up against. Vilita. The World number ones. The two-time defending world champions. A team that was a five-time world champion in their own right, and at that point, had won 3 of the past seven World Cups. The overwhelming favorite to win their third World Cup trophy in a row, and to truly set themselves apart from prior dynasties. And then, of course, we all know what happened there. The greatest upset Banija has had in this sport, all the way since World Cup 79 Qualifying- when this team, returning from the shadows of RBSA bankruptcy, took down a then #4 Chromatika side to truly announce to the world that we were back. And that is how we started our own meteoric rise up the KPB rankings. After two wild victories against top 5 teams, the magic ran out, as we were taken down at the Stadium of the Restoration by Starblaydia. But not much pain there- that Vilita match gave us hope. We won that bronze medal, and greatly celebrated that, our greatest performance to date on this stage.

And so after that, the team experienced many retirements, with leading veterans like Chibuzo Afolayan hanging up their boots. We had risen from 22nd to 5th in the multiverse. But with so many changes in the squad, could we keep up all that we had built upon in the past cycle, trying to dethrone Equestria? AOCAF LIX seemed to start well, but we weren't always at our best. Still, 9 wins and a draw in the group stage is a strong record. However, all sorts of problems were exposed by Ko-oren, as we had our earliest ever elimination from the AOCAFs- in the Round of 16 at the hands of the Dragonflies. And pessimism followed, when the Banijans scheduled them in a pre-Qualifying friendly and, once again, could not break down one of the multiverse's most dominant defensive sides. But just when fans of this team were wondering what this team's ceiling really was, came that friendly against Valanora.

You saw the headline- we are coming into this World Cup with expectation. That is not only because of the ranking we have, 3rd in the multiverse and the highest ranked team playing in Cassadaigua. It is because of how we've performed. That 4-1 victory over Valanora, a GSW rival, the most successful nation in this sport probably ever, was just a friendly, but it served as the launching pad for our World Cup Qualification campaign. There were hiccups- namely, blowing a 2-0 halftime lead in Rozelle to Brenecia to have to settle for a 2-2 draw, and then, the 1-0 loss to Trolleborg at the end of the first half of Qualifying. But largely, everything was great. 17 wins and 2 draws over the course of 20 games, good for 53 points out of a possible 60. Our performance allowed us to move two spots up the world rankings, and solidify our place in Pot 1. And even since Qualifying, this team has looked strong. We hosted the Afro-Carribean Heritage Festival, a mini-tournament between Osarius, Cobrio, and Ziwana, to celebrate our common roots. The Kadongo Kamu dominated at home, scoring 15 goals over the course of three games and taking home the minor trophy. Of course, the mini-tournament was in Banija.

But you have to judge this team against the true elites of the world- and our 1-0 win away to Baker Park is probably confidence inspiring. Don't get it twisted- our dominant performance at the Heritage Festival was certainly worthy of inspiring confidence in fans, considering the way we won each of those games. But our tough win in Baker Park, considering the quality of opponent and venue, is probably more telling. We've always been able to generate offense- this team scored 15 goals in three games at the Heritage Festival, and 67 across 20 Qualifiers. Goal-scoring is not an issue. But can we defend against the best of the best? For at least one night, we did. Of course, it was a friendly, so say what you want about it. But we scored an early goal, courtesy of Ilman Jawara, and were strong in the back. We defended in depth, and Kuma Bultum really ensured that there would not be much space for opposing teams.

The backline will have their hands full at this tournament. Matchday 1, we open with an opponent that we've never beaten- Farfadillis. We played them at World Cup 82, and fell to them. It is going to be quite a clash- both teams like to get up-field, and have no shortage of attacking talent, so this is going to be an up and down, back and forth kind of game. Add in the fact that these two are neighbors within the Glorious Southwest, and it is a showdown that many neutrals will enjoy tuning into. Who knows what will happen when this pair of top 10 teams meet? Here's what we do know- it will be a wild and fun one. The winner, of course, is 50/50. Now, of course, for the rest of the group. On matchday 2, we get HUElavia, who are in their first ever Finals and ranked 45th in the multiverse. Very similar to a Banijan team at World Cup 80- in both rank, and happy to be here. On Matchday 3, we get Zwangzug, ranked 26th. It's very possible that both teams could be fighting for a berth in the Round of 16 if either defense can't handle things against Farfadillis.

Marcus Waters spoke to us about the expectations that this team faces. "While AOCAF LIX was undoubtedly a disappointment, after this Qualifying campaign, and the last World Cup, the expectations for us our heavy. While I do not want to say what specific round we need to win or lose in, we understand the scrutiny that faces a team as we get closer to our goals. This is something we welcome- it means that the world is taking is seriously, it is taking us for who we are, and it means that we have built a program that is ready to reach Finals in major tournaments. Not that i necessarily agree with this, but many media members, from what I've read, would say that the Quarterfinals are our bare minimum." Whether he's right or wrong, many Banijans would be hoping for that. No longer happiness with just being here, no longer happy with just the Round of 16. When the bar raises, you know that you have succeeded in the past. But can we reach this new bar? That will surely be decided in the coming eyes, as the eyes of the multiverse turn to Cassadaigua and Baker Park.

by **Taeshan** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:09 pm

by **Drawkland** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:32 pm

E L I T E ...

Approximately 30 minutes later, Sarah, Cam, and Nicole were all breathing heavily and tired out.

"Dammit ... I should've done my stretches beforehand," Sarah sighed, crouching to stretch her leg.

"Rookie mistake!" Mike Rodney exclaimed jokingly, standing alongside the trio. Unlike them, he didn't seem to be terribly tired out at all. Part of the Eleven had walked out of the court and were likely going to the locker room area to shower and change. The rest had walked over to the scorekeeping box to check the stat-tracking system report.

Elias Keys fiddled around with the screen, and suddenly the holoprojector on the far side of the court lit back up to show the stat report.

"Look at that! You guys have played one game and Cam's already better than Dominic!" Elias called out with a chuckle. The rest of the Eleven present all broke into laughs and "oooooh"s at Dominic's expense. He was having none of that.

"You know what? Fuck you guys!" he waved his hand dismissively and walked out of the arena to presumably return to the locker room as well. The lighthearted jeers and jokes followed him until he was out of earshot, and the remaining Eleven eventually circled back around to normal conversation.

Cam left Sarah and Nicole where they were stretching and chatting with Mike. She walked up to Elias at the console and leaned in to see what he was fiddling with. Presently he was playing a clip from earlier in the game where Jaxon Madison had drawn the defense to him by faking a shot, and instead passed the ball to a wide-open Cam who scored easily.

"Oh, that was definitely my favorite play from the game!" Cam said, smiling.

"Really?" Elias asked, scrolling a bit. "The system says this was your most athletically prominent highlight from the match." A new clip came up, showing Cam making a shot via leaping dive between two defenders.

"I forgot about that one! Probably got dampened in my memory because I think I had a defensive breakdown on the very next play."

"Yeah, that was coincidentally one of your lowlights." Elias clicked a couple buttons and a clip of Cam tripping over her own feet and falling on her face popped up. Cam chuckled at herself and looked around the screen, with all its various panels and lists and data.

"So you dug up all these clips in the five minutes we've been standing here?" Cam asked, suddenly curious.

"Oh no, the system does all of that automatically. I told you, it keeps track of everyone simultaneously does all the computation itself." While Elias was explaining, he pulled up a diagram that showed Cam's movements through the entire match. It looked like a big purple scribble, with some symbols in various spots. "It's sorta like an AI honestly, a real primitive one. It took a long time for me to work out the kinks."

Cam nodded, and suddenly something clicked in her head. "How long did it take you to make this system, exactly? I didn't even know you knew comp sci or anything like that. I took you all for just some funny jocks."

"Everything isn't what it seems, Cam! Besides, I'm really the only one that knows anything about programming." Elias laughed. He turned back to the screen and continued scrolling for something. Cam noticed he didn't answer the question.

"Seriously though!" She said, keeping a lighthearted tone as to not sound suspicious. "I know the Storm got something half as advanced as this and it took a team of computer geeks to make it up to snuff. And you said you did this all by yourself?"

"Yeah, well, I mean, the rest of them helped a little bit. I guess it wasn't all me." Elias was suddenly really trying to focus on the screen, and mumbled. A couple of the other Eleven who were standing a few feet away looked over their shoulder at him.

"But this must've taken years! Especially since I doubt you were working on this thing full time." Cam insisted. "Like did you start this thing when you were in college or something? Before you guys even got really famous?"

"Like, sorta ..." Elias was mumbling again. "Listen, it was awhile ago when I started, I don't remember the full details of like the day and hour I started working on it. Sorry."

"That's weird, because just a second ago you were acting all proud about knowing the ins and outs of this thing," said Cam. Now the rest of the Eleven assembled were all stealthily looking at the pair at the console. Nicole and Sarah had also just taken notice of the conversation.

"Okay! Okay! You got me!" Elias threw his hands up in the air, turning to Cam with a start. "I got some outside help with it."

"Then why were you acting like it was all you? Were you lying to me? Are you lying to me now?" Cam was so close, she could feel it. "It feels like you're trying to hide something from me!" Out of her line of sight, one of the Eleven facepalmed and the others were looking at each other with expectant grimaces.

"Listen, listen, I think you're blowing all of this out of proportion." Mike spoke up. Hestepped past Nicole, towards Cam. "We're all tired after this and the match earlier, I think it's best if we-"

"Oh my God! I can't take it any longer!" Nicole interjected. "We know, okay! We all know! The three of us, that is. Ellzidan told us. Iarocav too."

"About the computer thing..?" Mike turned back to Nicole, confused. The other half dozen gathered were giving each other incredulous glances. Clearly this isn't where they expected the night to go.

"No! No, no, not the stupid computer- gah!" Nicole was so amped up she couldn't speak straight. "The immortality thing!"

The words echoed throughout the almost cavernous facility. Nobody spoke for a few tense moments, mostly because nobody knew how exactly to react to this rather bombshell of a revelation.

"Um ... I'm gonna be honest, not sure what to say here. This is kinda new ground for us?" offered Jaxon Madison.

"You said Iarocav and Ellzidan told you? Like the literal Drawkionels??" Septimus Xander asked right after.

"Yes, they did." Cam confirmed. Even she was shocked that they had thrown the truth out there like that. The rest of the Eleven were looking at each other quizzically.

"But why?" Mike asked. "Did you ask them? Were you suspicious or something?"

"Well, not really." Nicole replied. "Ellzidan sorta, like, hinted to us what happened. But we didn't really know. And so then we asked Iarocav, because Ellzidan's take was really sinister, and he told us what he knew. The stories didn't line up though so we don't even really know the truth. We don't know what to think, really."

"This is just really strange," Jaxon started. "We've had people become suspicious, usually really creepy stalker types, and ask us. But that's easy to deny because they don't have any real proof. But word from the Drawkionels themselves? We can't deny that, right? Or am I dumb and did we just fold too early?" Jaxon turned to look at the guys standing next to him.

"No, I think we're pretty much backed into a corner." Septimus confirmed with a nod. "Usually the weirdos that think they have us down are people who don't have to kind of clout to be walking up to the leaders of the country and ask them questions about famous athletes."

"So we're weirdos huh?" Sarah chuckled, standing up. She had just finished her stretches. "I'd say the weirdos are the ones hitting on us despite being, what, 10 times our age?"

"Woah okay, hold on!" Mike protested, while mostly everybody else laughed, including Nicole. It helped break the tension of the mood a little bit.

"Could you just tell us the truth?" Cam asked, serious once again. "It's been eating at us for months, and we just want to know what you guys really did. Please."

The guys looked at each other again. Most of them gave slight nods, and Jaxon turned to the girls. "Did you guys plan to stay the night? We have guest rooms and everything."

"Yeah, we saw them," said Nicole. "We brought overnight bags, I think they're in the lobby still."

"Okay, it's real late right now. Why don't we all get some rest, and we'll tell you guys in the morning. How does that sound?" Jaxon proposed.

"Sure!" said Cam. She was inwardly elated to have finally cracked the puzzle, kind of. Finally, all those months of curiosity would finally be put to rest. Nicole and Sarah were feeling the same way.

"Alright. We have a separate locker room if you guys want to use it, it's over there," Jaxon pointed to a door next to the Eleven's locker room. Everybody shuffled over, speaking quietly among themselves. It was going to be an interesting morning ... or so they thought.

The morning did not go as planned. In the shared guest room, Nicole found a note waiting on the nightstand next to her bed.

Nicole (and Cam and Sarah):

We are so sorry about this. Just remembered about some stupid DISC media event we have to do across the country. We all got woken up for our flight early this morning ... probably 3-4 hours after you're reading this.

We're serious about telling you guys everything. We promise. Raincheck on that, for real. We can maybe catch a date in the second half of qualifying, we'll see how things line up. Just do us all a favor and keep this under wraps, okay? We've gone like several centuries without our cover being blown, we'd like to keep it that way.

Sorry again about leaving you guys here. Cam's car got moved to the garage. The facility does most things on auto so don't worry about locking up or anything. Just leave whenever you feel like it. Maybe play around in the main hall if you want, just be safe.

We'll see you soon. I'll see you soon, too.

-Mike
(and everyone else too)

by **Nephara** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:54 am

It was a long flight to AO, particularly for a military freight plane carrying a giant boulder in the hold. But it was worth the trip. The Cormorants, right now, needed all the help they could get.
Third seeds. Third seeds! Not even the best in the pot at that! They'd been shaded out of relevance over the course of qualifying, the rug pulled from beneath their feet. When was the last time they'd been seeded that low? Hell, had they ever? Not since... not in thirty-two years. So for pretty much the entire squad's lifetime... they were the worst players, in that time.
Twenty-two years since they won it all. One quarterfinal in the past two decades. This truly was a lost generation, and the nadir at that. No wonder, then, they'd turn to a rock that vaguely resembled a reminder of the glory days...
The plane touched down. Cautiously, a number of burly figures in green filtered out to help the Godhead free. Some of the more engineering-inclined of their number brought out ropes and pulleys, and in well-practiced time managed to get it moving between them, walking back to the pub where the rest of the Murder were waiting.

The mood was oddly solemn, with the match to come the next day. Against who? Oh, you know - just the Free Republics, still among Nephara's fiercest rivals in sport despite years without a meeting. So no pressure, then.
Nepharim don't lose well, either gracefully or constructively. The atmosphere within the pub was one bracing for the humiliation of defeat. Hoping for better, but after so much...
Many of these fans were in their twenties, too. They couldn't remember the World championship, or barely could. They had lived their lives backing a side that had been defanged, its reputation as perennial champions undermined and eroded. Now they were just dark horses at best, and underachieving mercenaries at worst. But they always won a game. Always. Except last time they didn't, and that still haunted them. First seeds, one point, all the good work done by Michael Brandon finally slipping away. Half of them still wanted Strauss' head, and the ones that didn't just thought the job was too big for one person to fix.

The manager herself was fretting, as well she might. She could probably avert the title of being Nephara's worst-ever manager, such was the magnitude of Amethyst Fegelein failing to even qualify in her first year in charge and failing to make it to a second at all. But failure here probably would put her in second, yeah.
The Godhead's impact was clear to her... well, no. The Godhead was a symptom. What lay underneath it was a move back towards tradition, and really, that could be blamed on her captain's decision to start keeping Annals like the Free Companies of old. And, God, she knew many of her charges were sleeping around, and drinking (in moderation, well before any matches) and certainly bickering. Like maybe more recent sanitation of the team had bled its edge away, and maybe behaving like pricks would somehow magically bring it back.
She was prepared to concede she'd bought into her hype to some degree. How could she not? The press had been screaming to give her the job ahead of more seasoned candidates, and two poor tournament performances later, here they were. But she'd made changes, worked on the defence, got the team to tighten up. Maybe get a little more cynical. That was what the Godhead liked, in her dreams-- no, stop it. That was projection, her therapist had said so in plain terms.
There'd be no chances taken. Everyone in the world could predict the Starting XI that would take the field at the refurbished State Fairgrounds, with Rowena Strongbow overcoming a thigh scare that had briefly threatened to derail everything, when so much of their play came down the left. Perhaps she still wasn't fully-fit, but she'd take Strongbow at 90% over pretty much anyone else. The fact that Strongbow plainly despised her was incidental. She was needed.
It might be Strongbow's last Cup. It would be Hawke's, as she'd told basically every magazine under the sun. And Strauss just prayed she wouldn't be following suit as, despite everything, she...
... well, no, she didn't enjoy it. Every day was a fucking misery, honestly, and the pain had outmuscled the pleasure long ago. But if she quit, the press won, and there was no way in hell she'd have that. She'd win the Cup and shove it in Karin Rietveld's stupid smug weasel-face, and then go out at the top, just the way Tess Riether had.

At this stage, Ferena Rauch, Rovena Stride and Gabriel Lockheed had picked up the nickname in Close's Annals as the 'Crimson Trio'. All three were young, all three played for Treason and all three had clung to one another in an unfamiliar environment. And he was rooming with all three.
"Sleep," said Rauch, firmly. "The book can wait."
"The book cannot wait. The thoughts have to be fresh in my head, otherwise I might as well cool my heels 'til retirement. Maybe write an autobiography."
"That sounds like the better idea," Stride chirped. "Rake in the cash."
"I'm already raking in the cash. I'm at Brinemouth. Trust me. They take care of you up there."
"Yeah, but can you really... well..." Stride glanced to the other two. "No, he's not the type."
Close put down the pen and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Lockheed bit. "Not the type to what?"
"You know. Go gambling and whoring, invest in pyramid schemes, lose everything a decade after retirement. Lots do. I don't think he will. You won't, Mar, will you?"
"Not planning on it, no."
"Still, I'm gonna write an autobiography. Or get it ghost-wrote, maybe." Stride clicked her tongue. "'Making Strides.'"
Rauch cocked her head. "What?"
"That's what I'd call it, it'd be 'Making Strides. I mean, you get it, Rena. Stride? Like--"
"Yeah, I get it. Just... you're like twelve years old, it seems a bit early to be plotting all this out."
"Well... he isn't the type. I am the type, I think. I just get a rush, you know? I want to do shit, you know? And I could see that going bad, so... nest eggs, you know, that's reassuring. That it might not all be over after the first time it blows up."
Lockheed raised a heavy brow. "And the second?"
"Write another book, yeah? About recriminations and shit. Not sure about a title for that, though. Ro Z, maybe."
"Huh? ... Oh. Wait, I still don't get how it applies to--"
"Fine!" Close snapped shut the book. "I give in. Let's all turn in before I think about how far I could throw any of you off this balcony."
Rauch grinned. "Whatever you say, skip."

It did not take many drinks for those of the Murder who were sequestred away in the pub to sing.
At first, they sang of glory. Of the Lukas Strongnesse Tackle, Cathy Stokes' loyalty, Rook Harm's capacity for violence and Gerhard Thunder's alleged beer-can cock. Of Catheline Stockinger and Rook Cathar, of Hadrian Belfast, the universe's Number 5, and his legendarily cynical professional foul to protect another trophy win over the Sunrise Islanders. They sang of the hundred thousand (rounded up) who'd witnessed Nephara's greatest hour, the legendarily slow double pivot of Ashdown and Rainsford that had dominated the world, philosopher-queen Penumbra Amokachi and the nerveless Scylla Vyntra. They sang of the impact that the Long Marches had left on the world.
And after the police turned up with about seven noise complaints, those who had made it to the next leg of the pub crawl were in a more solemn mood. The classic marching dirges got a run-out, the tale of the sojourner Roxi Fenwick, the tragedy of the forgotten legion, the three scorned lovers of Skyspike Tower. The windswept plains of Nephara had overcome many tragedies in its time.
Eight hours sleep - more realistically, five or six for most of them - had a way of restoring the spirits. There would be no dirges at the stadium, and no dwelling on the past, either. For ninety minutes, if they were lucky, they might even have some hope again. And as the first ball ran out of play for a goal-kick, those in green behind the Republican goal sucked in their lungs and prepared to bellow a chant very much of the blood-pumping present...
"WHOOOOAAAA... YOU FAT BASTARD! YOU FAT BASTARD! YOU'RE! SHIT! CUUUUNT"

by **Recuecn** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:26 am

"The Group H average is eighteen point five, with a range of twenty-six between Starblaydia and... 'Rekoychin.' W--We definitely said that wrong, but... what are you gonna do about it?"

Jacques Tremblay, manager of the RNFT, fumed as he listened to TSPN radio. "Quoi, is it that they've never heard anyone mention the name of our nation before? It's not like the universe exists solely in a text-based medium where you never hear the names of other countries spoken aloud, or something!"

You could practically see the smoke coming out of Tremblay's ears as he muttered bitterly to himself. "What are we gonna do about it? What are we gonna do about it!? I'll--I'll write a strongly worded letter, that's what I'll do about it!" He grabbed a pen as if he was picking up a gun and threw himself into his desk chair.

TSPN:

Normally I begin my letters with "Dear...," but it didn't feel appropriate, since at the moment I can't fucking stand you. What sort of shoddy reporter doesn't give his own name and then doesn't bother to learn the correct pronunciation of the subjects he's reporting on!? I'm counting on taking out my frustration on your entire nation's soccer team next time we meet--which looks like it won't happen unless we both make it to the semi-finals, so... see you there, I guess. But in the meantime, allow me to give you a brief lesson (hint: rhymes with Reçueçn) in pronunciation.

Reçueçn has seven letters. And sure, it could use an extra vowel in there, but it's lucky it got as many as it does, given the ridiculously arbitrary fashion in which it was named. One would hope that les cedilles (that's those C's with the fives underneath, like so: Ç) might clear up some of the confusion--en français (note the accent!) a cedille means that before certain vowels, a 'c' is pronounced as an 's'--but they only seem to make it worse. So here's a quick rundown of how to say each letter in our name so you can stop messin' up (hint: rhymes with 'Reçueçn Cup', as in, "unqualified Reçueçn made it to the Cup proper twice in a row, bitches").

R: as in "regret," as in, "You're going to regret this."

E: as in "retract," as in, "You better retract your ~~statement~~ pronunciation."

Ç: as in "receive," as in, "If I don't receive an apology I'll send my lawyers after you."

U: as in "consequences," as in, "You will face the consequences for your thoughtlessness."

E: as in "blessing," as in, "It is a blessing for you even to be in a world cup with us."

Ç: as in "city," as in, "Words like 'city,' where the 'c' is pronounced with an 's' sound, are so un-scarce in English that it's inconceivable none of you imbeciles perceived that."

N: as in "in," as in, "We are in the world cup again, so deal."

Hopefully this clears some things up. At least we can all agree on what the best color is (we appreciated your title for Group H, even if it brings Starblaydia to mind first for most people).

All the worst,

Jacques Tremblay

P.S. If you say "reegret" for regret, "reepent" for repent, or "reetract" or "reeceive" or anything else... good for you. Knock yourself out saying "Reeçueçn." Ce n'est pas un bon français.

by **Port Ember** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:19 am

Port Ember Times
Sports Journal

The World Cup 84 Fever Edition

World Cup Fever Affects Private Sector

By Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports Journal

The so called 'World Cup Fever' which have engulfed the Port Emberian nation have now managed to spread into the highest echelons of the Port Emberian private sector as well, as large companies have stepped forward mere days before the Port Ember National Football Team is scheduled to travel to the Commonwealth of Baker Park, to throw their weight behind the national effort in their dream to shock the world.

The first major business who have stepped forward and have become the main sponsor for our young team, is none other than the famed Gudfrey's Trading Company.

As most readers would now - Gudfrey's Trading Company is the largest Import/Export Conglomorate within the Republic, and arguably the most successfull and far reaching in the multiverse of its kind. The owner, Ms Jolene Gudfrey is one of the most beloved and famed billionaires within the Republic, who enjoys a rock star like popularity within the Republic.

As the main sponsor, Gudfrey's Trading Company has contributed a undisclosed sum of money (but reportedly a massive sum) towards the team in order to cover all the expenses of the entire team during their debut World Cup stint, including but not limited to travel expenses, food & drink, accomodation, new kit and whatever they may require. Ms Gudfrey has also announced that she would pay the entire team a undisclosed - but large sum of Aurums as prize money for every match which they are declared the victors.

Another popular company - Reaver Industries have pledged their support shortly after, also contributing a large sum of finances in support of the team for the duration of the cup. Their most noticable contribution however, is the Tour Bus which they have given to the team. This luxury bus is fitted with all the best and possible luxuries - and safety feautures one could imagine, and will ferry the entire team in style and comfort to and fro during the cup.

Reaver Industries is a well known and loved industrial giant, best known for their work in the automobile industry, and is by far the largest car manufacturer within the nation.

The last native industrial giant whom have joined the fray is Umberlee Shipyards - the largest and most famed Naval Shipyard within the region. Besides also contributing an large but undisclosed sum of aurums to the team, their most noticable contribution to the team comes in the form of a luxury yacht. This company has managed to secure the lease of a luxury yacht - Grian, (which means Sunshine, yard number 17-4123, built in 2017.), a Cineal Class yacht[/url], from the legendary Silverport Dockyards - a legendary shipyard company hailing from The Free Lands of The Selkie - for the duration of the cup.

Thats right my dear readers - our team will travel to the Commonwealth on a bloody fancy yacht!! They will also reside on this yacht during their time within the host nation. In my own personal opinion, considering that Port Ember is a tropical island nation hailing from generations of piracy and trader history- this is perfectly fitting - and totally badass.

There is also rumours floating around that Umberlee Shipyards will build/have build a yacht for the team which will then permanently belong to PEFA in future. I will keep you updated on these rumours.

Another surprise sponsor to our team is the very same Silverport Dockyards, hailing from The Free Lands of The Selkie, (the same company who owns the leased vessel). This company will sponsor all the food and drink onboard of the vessel for the entire cup period, and they have even hired a couple of Selkie Folk Rock musical bands for the duration of the tour, to provide onboard entertainment to the team.

It is honestly awesome for so many 'big players' to step forward and throw its heavyweight support behind our young underdog squad, and will surely motivate the Port Ember Dragons to fight even harder on the pitch for glory.

Erica Davies
Port Ember Times

by **Sajnur** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:21 am

World Cup Qualifying: Summary of Sajnur Results

by **Taeshan** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:13 pm

To Whom It May Concern,

CC: Jacques Tremblay

Subject: Tough Shit

I've been given the impression that I'm going to how did you say..."regret this", but I think you are sadly under the impression that I give a shit. Now you may think your tough because you've qualified for two World Cups, and that means you are like "better at qualifying" than most and "At least better than Darmen" at this sport, but let me lay it out for you. No one knows who the F*** you are. I couldn't even find your godforsaken nation on the map.

Now let me spell it out for you. Or I would if I gave a shit, but like if it is a C sound or an S sound, I could not care less. Like here's a list of things I care about.

Roller Coasters
Global Warming
That Time I Cried Myself to Sleep After Watching Cats
What Happened to Saugeais?
Soccer
Hockey
Football
But Really What Happened to Saugeais?
Rugby, but only Rugby Sevens because it's fast paced
Curling
Water Polo
The Olympics
Why that cute girl at the gym looked at me
Seriously though, Why did she look at me like that?
and last but certainly not least,
Saugeais, what the hell happened to Saugeais

Anyways, my point is. If you want your name to be pronounced correctly, may have an easier name to be said. You ever thought about that? No you obviously haven't. Secondly, maybe just be average at soccer. Taeshan has done it for over a century, and everyone knows how much we suck. Be better.

Sincerly.
Me*

*This joke mainly aimed at our Zwangzug based readers

by **Vilita** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:45 pm

Jungle Cats Leave Defense behind in Qualifiers

World Cup 84 Qualification

Group 14:

Vilita (1)
Krytenia (46)
Castanya (221)
Mattijana (60)
Gopnikea (UR)
Fetra (283)
Zwangzug (33)
Tamgu (113)
Alenburg (154)
Hampton Island (UR)
Ancherion (83)

Tivali Ring Stadium, Alikki-Corra, Vilita :: While the Vilitan National Team had never been accused of being particularly defense-minded, they would hit a new level of Takilan territory as they entered into the qualifications for the 84th World Cup to be held in Cassadaigua and the Commonwealth of Baker Park. While the Jungle Cats never conceded more than 2 goals in a single match during the World Cup 83 campaign until their Quarter-Final elimination by Banija, they would concede three goals or more in three of their first ten matches during World Cup 84 Qualification. It would be the most goals the Jungle Cats had conceded over a 10 game stretch since the opening 10 games of the World Cup 80 Qualifiers. Over that stretch Vilita went 8-0-2 only slightly worse than the 8-1-1 record they posted during the first half of World Cup 84 Qualifying after being unexpectedly held by former Atlantian Oceania Regional Champions Krytenia and later in the first half being defeated on the road at Zwangzug as the black & white flagged side signaled their intent to make a serious run at stealing a spot in the World Cup 84 Finals.

Vilita 3 - 1 Hampton Island
Goals: :: 50' Cywrenta Vlintejni:: 58' Sipke Tarala:: 62' Nii'arala Milaaso
Team: Vernasa Sanamun, Linkat Cjinder (Clarana Refiami 73'), Inbekira Ajhabekk, Lohani Riiyaaw, Polaox Torerun, Limu Katarakhna, Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, Cywrenta Vlintejni (Jyuola Mtalata 81'), Jurzen Devmiko (Cavuna Aquafek 45'), Nii'arala Milaaso, Sipke Tarala

Vilita 4 - 1 Ancherion
Goals: :: 12' Enzoril Alabonni:: 38' Sipke Tarala:: 60' Polaox Torerun:: 87' Kudii Davasarii
Team: Hanauma Ranbomahi, Jirak Trikala, Mileke Drokasorna (Linkat Cjinder 77'), Rojara Tiones, Jurzen Devmiko (Kudii Davasarii 72'), Polaox Torerun, Limu Katarakhna, Cavuna Aquafek, Tenziki Kulakao, Sipke Tarala (Nii'arala Milaaso 45'), Enzoril Alabonni

Vilita 2 - 2 Krytenia
Goals: :: 4' Enzoril Alabonni:: 71' Fishtii Blikala
Team: Mako Canopii, Jirak Trikala, Inbekira Ajhabekk, Linkat Cjinder, Jyuola Mtalata (Cywrenta Vlintejni 19'), Polaox Torerun (Sipke Tarala 71'), Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, Jurzen Devmiko, Limu Katarakhna, Enzoril Alabonni (Berali Tzufarei 60'), Fishtii Blikala

Vilita 2 - 1 Castanya
Goals: :: 26' Mileke Drokasorna:: 76' Enzoril Alabonni
Team: Mako Canopii, Rojara Tiones (Va'a-Rio Kiwavn 63'), Linkat Cjinder, Mileke Drokasorna (Jyuola Mtalata 45'), Limu Katarakhna, Polaox Torerun, Cavuna Aquafek, Cywrenta Vlintejni, Westii Yahaya (Vernasa Sanamun 81'), Enzoril Alabonni, Fishtii Blikala

Vilita 2 - 0 Mattijana
Goals: :: 10' Jurzen Devmiko:: 82' Limu Katarakhna
Team: Vernasa Sanamun, Jirak Trikala, Inbekira Ajhabekk (Tenziki Kulakao 65'), Inteali Koranjo, Jurzen Devmiko, Limu Katarakhna, Polaox Torerun (Cywrenta Vlintejni 45'), Cavuna Aquafek (Va'a-Rio Kiwavn 63'), Jyuola Mtalata, Enzoril Alabonni, Fishtii Blikala

Vilita 6 - 3 Gopnikea
Goals: :: 20' Tenziki Kulakao:: 31' Linvoi Warazil:: 32' Tenziki Kulakao:: 49' Tenziki Kulakao:: 76' Linvoi Warazil:: 77' Westii Yahaya
Team: Mako Canopii, Lohani Riiyaaw, Jirak Trikala, Rojara Tiones (Sipke Tarala 58'), Limu Katarakhna, Westii Yahaya (Lentali Purama 62'), Jurzen Devmiko, Polaox Torerun (Kudii Davasarii 63'), Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, Linvoi Warazil, Tenziki Kulakao

Vilita 3 - 1 Fetra
Goals: :: 25' Sipke Tarala:: 35' Limu Katarakhna:: 71' Va'a-Rio Kiwavn
Team: Striitca Virahat, Lohani Riiyaaw, Mileke Drokasorna, Inteali Koranjo, Lentali Purama (Cilamara Issah 75'), Polaox Torerun, Limu Katarakhna (Va'a-Rio Kiwavn 67'), Jyuola Mtalata (Fishtii Blikala 45'), Cavuna Aquafek, Nii'arala Milaaso, Sipke Tarala

Vilita 2 - 4 Zwangzug
Goals: :: 10' Nii'arala Milaaso:: 89' Linvoi Warazil
Team: Vernasa Sanamun, Jirak Trikala (Intikko Kuhilana 20'), Linkat Cjinder, Mileke Drokasorna (Jurzen Devmiko 45'), Cavuna Aquafek, Limu Katarakhna, Cywrenta Vlintejni, Polaox Torerun, Jyuola Mtalata, Linvoi Warazil, Nii'arala Milaaso (Fishtii Blikala 45')

Vilita 7 - 3 Tamgu
Goals: :: 30' Cywrenta Vlintejni:: 36' Intikko Kuhilana:: 37' Intikko Kuhilana:: 45' Nuola Brenzil:: 55' Nuola Brenzil:: 75' Sipke Tarala:: 76' Polaox Torerun
Team: Mako Canopii, Rojara Tiones, Lohani Riiyaaw (Kudii Davasarii 69'), Inbekira Ajhabekk (Intikko Kuhilana 26'), Lentali Purama, Polaox Torerun, Limu Katarakhna (Nuola Brenzil 45'), Cywrenta Vlintejni, Linvoi Warazil, Sipke Tarala, Enzoril Alabonni

Vilita 6 - 2 Alenburg
Goals: :: 7' Limu Katarakhna:: 11' Limu Katarakhna:: 22' Kudii Davasarii:: 27' Enzoril Alabonni:: 43' Enzoril Alabonni:: 85' Linkat Cjinder
Team: Vernasa Sanamun, Linkat Cjinder, Rojara Tiones, Mileke Drokasorna, Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, Limu Katarakhna, Polaox Torerun (Nii'arala Milaaso 65'), Cywrenta Vlintejni, Kudii Davasarii, Enzoril Alabonni (Jurzen Devmiko 45'), Sipke Tarala (Jyuola Mtalata 67')

At the midway point of the World Cup 84 Qualifications, the Jungle Cats had stayed steady enough despite a few speed bumps to take a comfortable lead in the standings heading into the second half of the campaign. While the #1 ranked side in the multiverse were atop the table there was no room to take anything for granted as the second half of World Cup 84 Qualifying would be a long enough campaign that it could account for an entire qualification in previous World Cup cycles such as the World Cup 66 campaign. In fact, there were many similarities between Vilita's 10-match World Cup 66 campaign and the first half of the World Cup 84 Qualifiers in the run up to Cassadaigua and Baker Park. After an early shock defeat to an Iwanawin team that earned their nameplate in defeating the Jungle Cats on the opening match day, Vilita went on a high scoring 10 game run averaging just under four goals per match for a total of 37 goals. Vilita also scored 37 goals in their 10 match World Cup 84 first half campaign.

Leading the way for the Jungle Cats at the halfway point was Marine Coast United utility player Enzoril Alabonni with 5 goals in 7 matches. While Alabonni plays all over the field for the Mariners, they have become a regular in the support striker role for the National Team. Just one goal back in the leader board from Alabonni would be the living legend Sipke Tarala who propelled the Vilitan National team to Back-to-Back World Cup titles and now plays in the highly regarded Nepharim Domestic League System for Sabrefell Athletic; and Limu Katarakhna the top scoring midfielder on the team with both appearing in all 10 of Vilita's first half matches and scoring four goals a piece.

Top Vilitan Goalscorers - WC84 Qualifying First Half

1.  7 [5] - Enzoril Alabonni:: Marine Coast United
2. 10 [4] - Sipke Tarala    :: Sabrefell Athletic (NPH)
2. 10 [4] - Limu Katarakhna :: Eastal Lunar
4.  5 [3] - Linvoi Warazil  :: Raynor City United (VAL)
5.  6 [3] - Tenziki Kulakao :: Yeaddin Owls

Group 14                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Vilita                           10    8   1   1    37   18  +19    25
2 Mattijana                        10    7   1   2    20   12   +8    22
3 Ancherion                        10    6   1   3    22   17   +5    19
4 Zwangzug                         10    5   2   3    12   12    0    17
5 Krytenia                         10    4   4   2    18   12   +6    16
..................................................................

It was a much different story - or perhaps the same one on the other side of the pitch however as the Vilitans managed just a single clean sheet over the 10-match stretch over the first half of the qualification campaign. The lone shutout came in the 2-0 victory over Mattijana on Matchday 5 with Kiiarana City net minder Vernasa Sanamun between the pipes for the Jungle Cats. It wasn't all glory for the youngster however as they were responsible for conceding 7 of the 18 goals the Jungle Cats dug out of the net in just three other appearances during the campaign.

It was a tiring haul for Vilita in the first half constantly traveling away and back with no two matches consecutively either on the road or at home. The trend would continue once more as the campaign wrapped up with ten more matches alternating between Home and Away each round as Vilita looked to secure their place in Cassadaigua and Baker Park.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

World Cup 84 Media Notes
(For Immediate Release: contact Sasha Henderson, FAC Director of Media Relations for further detail/questions)

Welcome to the Commonwealth!
The Football Association of the Commonwealth of Baker Park is thrilled to welcome all visitors, team supporters, National Team officials & entourages and media from around the multiverse to our nation. The 15 survivors of the 20 match qualifying tournament who were drawn to compete in Baker Park will face off over 31 matches to determine the finalist who will vie for the World Cup Championship at the Dagan Airways Stadium in Concord Heights.

Who Are Ya?
Of the 16 nations participating in the group stage here, only one are making their World Cup debut; Port Ember advanced from their group as the 86th ranked nation at the start of WCQ, on their second attempt at making the multiverse's biggest sporting event.
Of course, Baker Park qualified for the World Cup Final at EqueStar 80 on their maiden attempt, which made them the second nation in the Modern Era of the NSWC to do so; they will face off against the first, Drawkland, in the Opening Match at the BBP National Stadium on matchday 1.

Group of Death? Tournament of Death?
Group E has been cited by many pundits as this tournament's 'Group of Death', the one where there will be a significantly high ranked team eliminated early. However, the entire half of the draw being contested here is certainly no walk in the park for any of the competitors.
The #1& #2 sides in the world, five times WC winners Vilita and defending Champions (as well as back to back AOCAF holders) Equestria are playing in the Commonwealth, meaning on of them will eliminated in the semi-final at the latest. In fact, six nations that spectators will witness here represent a total of 18 past champions, along with another 15 runner-up spots (and add in the Free Republics, that total rises to 16).

BP by the numbers
--The opening match for the host side will mark several milestones. The match against Drawkland will the 200th home fixture in the history of the National Team, and will also be the 96th match Manager Pamela Scott will take charge of, which will break the tie she holds with former manager Trevor Richmond for that honor.
--It will be 160th NS Era match for the Commonwealth, and 570th overall.
--It will mark the 60th NT appearance of D Derick Briggs and M Daisy Callum, and the 70th for M Jamari Bozeman, which will extend his record.
--the 74,662 spectators at the Inaugural Match of the BBP National Stadium, a 5-2 defeat to World Cup co-hosts Cassadaigua, marked the largest crowd to witness a soccer match in history in the Commonwealth, as well as the largest crowd to witness a sporting event in an enclosed stadium.

by **Turori** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:41 am

Cocoa-bo Look to Capitalize on World Cup 84 Fever

Concord Heights, Cassadaigua :: When the Turori National Team take to the field at the Dagan Airways Stadium in the opening fixture of World Cup 84, they will be doing so with representation from Turori's National Citizen Squad. Despite a disappointing early exit from World Cup 83 that dropped Turori 9 places in the World Rankings, the Citizen Squad had already earned far more lee-way in becoming the first Turorian side ever to advance beyond the Quarter Finals with back to back Semi-Final appearances during World Cup 81 and World Cup 82. There will, however, be some Cocoabo on the emergency reserves roster including the Goalkeeper, Cocoabo #86, and the talented attacker Cocoabo #91 who recently agreed a deal to transfer into the Audioslavia domestic league to become the first Cocoabo to 'leave the nest' and play full-time competitive domestic footsport outside of the Cocoabo Forest. While it is believed that Turorian officials have inquired about dispensation to potentially use the Cocoabo in the third and final group stage match against Chromatika in the unlikely event that the Turori National Team has already had its fate decided going into the final matchday, it would otherwise take a series of unlikely events to see any of the Cocoabo on the pitch for the Eels.

There will still be plenty of Cocoabo in Cassadaigua one way or the other however as some will be contracted by the Turorian sweets company Cocoa-bo to support their marketing activities including the possibility of setting up some exhibition matches sponsored by Cocoa-bo between Turori's National Cocoabo squad and some of the local domestic sides in the Matriarchy. Cocoa-bo successfully integrated itself in southern Cassadaigua after an initial failed attempt to gain a foothold in the countries bustling hub, Concord Heights. Company officials had seen Concord Heights as critical to their planned expansion into the Region of Rushmore and were resigned to leaving the entire region with their tail between their legs. Cassadaigua had long been on the radar for Cocoa-bo having been one of the finalists for their first expansion that ultimately went to Esportiva and the former Gregorian lands of South Covello. Once it came time to revisit Cassaidaigua the Cocoa-bo expansion team thought it would be a slam dunk. They had already printed the marketing material they just had to show up and let the locals indulge.

Unfortunately, either the marketing team undersold the product or the citizens of Concord Heights just weren't ready for a new delectable in their lives. Whatever the reason, the Concord Heights experiment was wrapped up and materials were sent down to a dock near Starksville for CoCoCo logistics to pick up and return to the nearest major Cocoa-bo hub.

One Cocoa-bo associate volunteered to drive a truck full of Cocoa-bo goods themselves so they could get a free trip to visit the family of their significant other in Starksville. When the Cocoa-bo branded truck showed up the locals took notice and the associate decided to open up shop right there on the front porch of the family home. Within hours, #Cocoa-bo was trending on twii.tur in Cassadaigua and the momentum wouldn't stop from there. Cocoa-bo expansion specialists quickly got to work looking to find a suitable location for the associate to set up a permanent Cocoa-bo outpost in Starksville. It wasn't the home base that Cocoa-bo had planned for within Rushmore but it was the seed the company needed to grow both within Cassadaigua and the region of Rushmore for the first time.

Cocoa-bo will be looking to leverage their foothold in Starksville to make Cocoa-bo the delectable of choice for the Citizens of Cassadaigua through an aggressive marketing presence in Cassadaigua and Baker Park.

The Cocoa-bo stadium in Starksville will host three group stage matches including the opening match for South Covello against Brenecia in Group D and Turori's Matchday 2 clash with Ko-oren that could have major implications over which team is able to advance to the knockout rounds.

The World Cup will kick off however with Turori playing the host nation Cassadaigua in Concord Heights at the Dagan Airways Stadium. Cocoa-bo will look to have a large presence in the city in an attempt to re-establish a major presence that lasts long after the World Cup in Cassadaigua is over. Cocoa-bo will be looking to position themselves as the Official Delectable Partner for World Cup 84 in addition to opening temporary Cocoa-bo kiosks at all World Cup Venues throughout Cassadaigua and Baker Park.

:: Cocoa-Bo Eatery

Cocoa-bo, an establishment taking its name directly from the beloved national animal of Turori, started as a small dessert shop in Kionao. However, it was only after they added chocolate topped drinks to their menu that their popularity started to soar. As more and more patrons scooped up their chocolate flavored pick-me-ups, demand for the Cocoa-bo product skyrocketed and soon new franchised locations were popping up all throughout Turori. Shifting to more of a social 'hang-out' then just a casual place to drop in, get a dessert, and leave, the new locations started adding small foods such as Bagels for the morning, Soups and Sandwiches for Lunch or Dinner and Salads for the entire day.

Cocoa-bo has expanded outside of Vilita & Turori. Their first regional location was opened in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega and Cocoa-bo has opened temporary locations during major internationstatal events such as the World Cup Finals with past locations appearing in Drawkland and Cosumar. Cocoa-bo has a permanent presence in South Covello and is also continuing to grow its presence in Starblaydia, the Equestrian States and the Free Republics. The company continues to further increase its image by partnering with Motorsport teams and expanding the company footprint across Atlantian Oceania and beyond. Cocoa-bo are also the kit sponsor for Mliona-Lpaka AFC in the Vilitan League.

Cocoa-bo's largest current markets are, in order, Turori; South Covello, the Equestrian States, Vilita and the Free Republics

While Cocoa-bo now has an important regional hub in Starksville where they can easily launch product throughout each of the eight host cities in Cassadaigua, its presence in the other host nation, Baker Park, is quite different. While Cocoa-bo focused on pop-up shops and then graduated to permanent dedicated Cocoa-bo branded Cafe's in places like the Equestrian States and Cassdaigua, the Multiverse's 'favorite delectable' regularly appears in the cold section of the supermarket in Baker Park thanks to a relationship with the BCEL Beverage Company.

In a first-of-its-kind relationship, the Cocoa-bo Expansion team set up an experimental new business line that established a licensing arrangement with BCEL to be the exclusive producer and distributor of Cocoa-bo liquid and semi-liquid consumables throughout the Commonwealth. While BCEL offerings don't come with the optional whipped topping and cherry on top the recently deployed partnership has already been a hit with consumers in Baker Park craving the Cocoa-bo flavors they had tasted abroad. The BCEL has also produced a number of signature flavors under the Cocoa-bo name including the Baker Park special; a mix of white chocolate, caramel & nutmeg that has garnered enough support on twii.tur to be included in Cocoa-bo's World Cup 83 promotional campaign "Tastes of the Multiverse".

Cocoa-bo will be looking to partner with the BCEL Beverage Company at the World Cup 84 finals to establish Cocoa-bo locations offering local BCEL produced Cocoa-bo drinkables as well as offering a selection of traditional non-drinkable products from the Cocoa-bo Cafe Classics line. The Cocoa-bo marketing team has already prepared a new selection of Commonwealth of Baker Park themed 'Everything is Better with Cocoa-bo' material to be used to help promote the relationship between Cocoa-bo and the BCEL throughout the World Cup 84 host cities in the Commonwealth.

by **Port Ember** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 2:11 am

Port Ember Times
Sports Journal

The Port Emberian Dragons prepares to face off against Taeshan as part of the World Cup 84!

World Cup 84 Fever Edition

Pre Match Analysis & Interview

By Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports Journal

The highly anticipated World Cup 84 has finally arrived as Match Day 1 is upon the Port Emberian side.

Port Ember's national team will square off against Taeshan in their opening match of the World Cup 84, to be played at the Carrollton Stadium, - situated in the city of Coolville - within our gracious host nation of Baker Park.

This match marks the very first time that these two teams will meet on the football field in history - and our national team is considered to be the underdogs of this match.

Team Stats Analysis

Taeshan:

This team is currently ranked as the 24th best team in the world on the international ranking system, and posesses a almost legendary footballing history and a very strong and developed football culture and infrastructure.

This team was crowned the champions of Copa Rushmori 22; Di Bradini Cup 19 and the Cup of Harmony 35. They have also qualified for the World Cup proper to a total of 9 times. They have also hosted the Cup of Harmony 55 and the Copa Rushmori 14.

This team clinched the second position in their group in the qualifying stages, picking up a total of 43 points total, with 13 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses. They scored 28 goals whilst allowing 9 goals to be scored against them. This team have picked up a average of 1.4 goals scored per game in the qualifier season, whilst achieving a average of 0.45 goals conceded per game. This team have achieved one of the best defencive records in the season.

As this is the opening match, no result statistics is available as of yet.

Port Ember:

This team is currently ranked as the 48th best team in the world currently and has proven to be a formiddable and adaptable new team on the international field.

This is only the second international season in which Port Ember is partaking, and they have managed to jump to their current ranking in only that short period. This team managed to rock the foundation of the international football community by qualifying for the World Cup proper, despite the odds being firmly stacked against them.

This team enters their opening match on a very positive note due to currently being on a 10 game winning streak which they build up during the qualifier season - and offcourse the fact that such a young, inexperienced, dark horse and underdog team managed to outperform so many other great teams to earn the honor to represent their nation in this Cup.

They clinched the second position in their group in the qualifying stages, picking up a total of 43 points total, with 14 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses. They scored 51 goals whilst allowing 31 goals to be scored against them. This team have picked up a average of 2.55 goals scored per game in the qualifier season, whilst achieving a average of 1.55 goals conceded per game. Our young underdog team have achieved the second highest offensive stats within the group - a miniture sign of hope in this difficult upcoming times.

As this is the opening match, no result statistics is available as of yet.

Team Analysis - Port Ember

Offense:

This team is known for their highly aggressive offences and legendary counter attacks, with world class strikers. The striker duo also seems on excellent form lately.

Midfield:

Traditionally the strongest component of this team, under command of the amazing Reddington. The midfield is a dangerous element to its oponents, acting as an attacking defence and sets up the front line well with attacking oppertunities.

Defence:

The backline is displaying a better form than normal, yet is still not its strongest compoment, focussing more on fluid attacks and counter attacks.

Goalkeeping:

Analysts have nothing but praise for Peter Smith the starting goalie. The young man is a legend in the making.

Substitutes:

The team has a impressive line-up of substitutes, whom have received field time recently, adding possible depth to the team when needed. The extra attention they have received from the assistant coach is sure to play a important role as well.

Team Morale & Cohesion:

This team seems to have obtained a legendary level of composure and morale, standing united against any opposition. Their previous ten wins in a row, have boosted morale immensely.

Current Form:

This team is on a current 10 game winning streak (amassed during the Qualification Season), and has the looks of a champion team at the moment.

Typical Gameplan: Their typical system of tiring out and frustrating their opponents in an attempt to pull their 'Bait Ambush' is a risky play which can easily go wrong and concede a goal. However when it works, it is highly effective.

Team Analysis - Taeshan

Offense:

This team is a highly (read SUPER) defencive orientated team, focussing and specialising on shutting down the pitch in spectacular fashion. Launching an attavk against them is basically the same as running into a brick wall.

For this reason this team does not focus on offence, and only launches carefull probing attacks when the opposing defence breaks down.

Midfield:

As this team is a highly defencive orientated team, focussing and specialising on shutting down the pitch in spectacular fashion - their midfield is basically just an extention of their backline. An impressive wall like midfield is fielded in other words .

Defence:

This team is a highly (read SUPER) defencive orientated team, focussing and specialising on shutting down the pitch in spectacular fashion. They finished the qualification season with only 9 goals conceded - one of the best records in the entire season.

Goalkeeping:

Analysts have nothing but praise for the starting goalie, and have proven to be a goalkeeping machine between the sticks.

Substitutes:

The team has a impressive line-up of substitutes, whom have received field time recently, adding possible depth to the team when needed.

Team Morale & Cohesion:

This team has all the signs of a professional and unified team, and appears extremely motivated.

Current Form:

This team is on excellent form and has caused plenty of upsets.

Typical Gameplan:

The best defencive play I have ever seen.

Starting Line-Ups

Port Ember

Goalkeeper (GK)(#1): Peter Smith.

Center Back (CB)(#2): Josh Richards.

Center Back (CB)(#3): Jason Lee.

Full Back (LB)(#4): Alex Kuhn.

Full Back (RB)(#5): Russel Pierce.

Attacking Midfield (AM)(#10): Ray Reddington.

Defensive Midfield (DM)(#6): Steven Packard.

Wide Midfield (LM)(#8): Jason Chamberlain.

Wide Midfield (RM)(#11): Eric Tosaír of the Tribe of Waterford

Central Forward (CF)(#7): Leon Moult.

Central Forward (CF)(#9): Danny Nicovic.

Taeshan

Goalkeeper (GK)(#1): Florian Wagner

Center Back (CB)(#4): Randall Abl Bakr

Center Back (CB)(#8): Daigo Coshan

Full Back (LB)(#22): Santiago Santiago

Full Back (RB)(#11): Geoffrey Klingenberg

Attacking Midfield (CAM)(#10): Alson Figueroa

Defensive Midfield (CDM)(#6): Yoshimi Hirahito

Wide Midfield (LM)(#18): Shiloh Morgenstern

Wide Midfield (RM)(#11): Nycolas Jackson

Central Forward (RS)(#7): Abriel Torres

Central Forward (LS)(#9): Wilhelm Nkitilina

Team Kit

Port Ember have announced that they will play with their primary kit in their upcoming match.

An Analyst's Input - How do we win this one?!?

"Well this is going to be a monsterous game. Our opposition is one of the best defence orientated teams on the planet and they very rarely allow a goal through due to their legendary backline & midfield 'wall'. Our team's traditional 'Bait Ambush' play will not work here since the opposition plays too defencively and will thus never overcommit on an attack. Our newest strategy of locking down the midfield will also not work here, simply because they bolster their midfield with their backline - and they are more technically skilled when compared to our midfield. Our only hope here is to throw caution to the wind and blast them with a relentless barrage of daring attacks, in an attempt to exhuast and overwhelm them. Luckily we are quite good at that sort of play - and hopefully that will work here!" - Gerhard Black, Football Analyst and Journalist for Port Ember Times.

Pre Match Interview with Coach Stuart Baxter:

Erica Davies:

"Coach, its almost unreal, us being here for the actual World Cup when the entire world said we could not..."

Coach Baxter:

"Thank you Erica! It is indeed an unreal feeling. But now the time for celebration and talking has ended, its time once more for our lads to work harder than anyone else and bring home the rum!!"

Erica Davies:

"So coach, Taeshan's Purple Knights is next. How are you feeling?"

Coach Baxter:

"Well the reality of actually being here is still quite unreal honestly. Each and every match that we are about to play is against a legendary team, so there is not a single chance to have a bad day. The group stages consists out of only three matches, so losing even one match will end you. But all that said, we are here and there is nothing more we can do besides play our very hearts out."

Erica Davies:

"Well said coach! So in an recent interview the team manager of the Purple Knights basically said that our team is the weakest link in the group and basically holds a 'Taeshan will defeat PE and thats it' sentiment. What do you have to say about this Coach?"

Coach Baxter:

"Well Erica he was probally not wrong. You might remember that I told you before that I believe that we are not ready for this level of football yet, and I think we are going to be outclassed in every game we are about to play. BUT again, do not mistake my words as a sign of defeat. Even if Taeshan wins tomorow, they will have to bleed for it. It will be a game which they will remember to the end of days. Remember - a Port Emberian ALWAYS dies bloody!"

Erica Davies:

"Well said coach! Well thats all for today - and we as a nation hope you all the luck and fortune for tomorow!"

Article by Erica Davies
Port Ember Times

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:48 am

Chromatika vs Ko-oren @ Victoriaville's Cassgo Stadium (Capacity: 74,000)

Described at best as a rural city, and at worst as a place that has very, very little going on, Victoriaville hosts our first match, pitting the colourful Ko-orenites against the monochrome Chromatik. We haven't seen many matches between these teams, but both have been yo-yoing between the World Cup and the Cup of Harmony. The best-known face (at least to us) is assistant manager Katherine Everdeen, who has played for her native Equestrian States - and now that is a national team that has appeared before us quite a bit. Most Chromatik play abroad, another contrast to the Ko-orenite roster, where only a handful of players earned their money in foreign leagues at the start of last season. One last difference is the average age of each player: the starting Anomalies are on average 27,4, the average starting Dragonfly is 24,7. This could paint a picture of a talented Green and Blue squad on the rise, but truth be told, we've never been this far up the KPB rankings before, except for a brief spell in the 10s. Also, despite Victoriaville's reputation, it has one of the larger stadiums in Cassadaigua's side of the Cup, almost larger than any stadium in our own archipelago.

Ko-oren vs Turori @ Starksville's Cocoa-bo Stadium (Capacity: 70,000)

More sponsored goodness over in Starksville, where a couple of coincidences match up at the exact right time. Cocoa-bo, a Turori-based company, sponsors a stadium off in faraway Rushmori Cassadaigua, only then to have the Turori national team qualify for the World Cup (which is not an exception), then invite the Turori national side to play in the Turori sponsored stadium - so we wonder if there's going to be any home cooking, and if this match feels like an away game. This match is going to be the hardest, as this is probably the one we need to win in order to stay in contention for the Round of 16. Ko-oren has managed to sneak into the knockouts from the third and fourth pot a few times, and we find ourselves out of the second pot once again - so we have to deny at least one team that's mathematically better. Against a squad full of UICA Champions' Cup winners, AO Champions' League winners, AOCAF champions, and even a previous World Cup winner, this is no simple feat. Turori has an even older squad than Chromatika (at an average age of 31,2!! Thanks Altariiz) so if youthfulness is a positive factor, that's the one thing we have going for us.

Cassadaigua vs Ko-oren @ Grande Mountain's Peak’n’Break Stadium (Capacity: 66,000)

The best was saved for last! The Dragonflies face their opponents in the order they appear on the KPB rankings, from worst to best - and as added fun, the third opponent also host the tournament. If we worried that the Turori game would feel like an away trip just from the name of the stadium, this is definitely going to feel like a hostile crowd. Chasing a third title from 4th in the KPB, the Fillies are going all in. At 27,7, the average Dagan is just a few years older than the average Ko-orenite starter. The one edge that we might have is that the Dagan defence is a relatively new unit and almost surely less cohesive than our defence - and on top of that, the Fillies haven't had the opportunity to strengthen the team during the qualification stage, the one thing that qualification's good for.

Head coach Juliasterinthen faced his firing for most of the qualification stage, but then miraculously pulled the team back in the race, and then secured a World Cup berth with a game to go. In the process, the team went back to the top 20 (at 20th, mind you) and absolutely in the list of 'teams that we don't want to face'. Our scorelines might be very predictable (at a near 100% chance that neither team will score more than two goals), but the Ko-orenite team always has a chance to get points off of better teams. The famed defence has been too big a hurdle for many.

The goal for this World Cup is to make the second round - ever chasing the white whale that is the quarterfinals.

by **HUElavia** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 6:20 am

HUElavia Game 1 Intro

Today, generations of HUElavians get to witness something that has been worked on for several decades: Playing in the NS World Cup. Today, we get to show our colors to the NS Multiverse, from the chanting and singing, to the jumping that's made our stadiums rumble. Today, we get to witness our Amarillos make history.

We come in with a young squad, led by our captain, Mendieta, who wants a good memory headed into retirement. We've had a great midfield with the likes of Gallego, Rocheteau, and Rossi who have instrumented goals. We've had two great up-and-coming wingers in the likes of Cristiano and Navarro who have scored spectacular goals. We've had three ladies in the likes of Hamada, Ramirez and Smirnov who have been amazing as the first 3 women to play for the National Team. We've had a solid duo of Goalkeepers with Armelino and Lobato going crazy for saves.

While we might not be favorites for The Group of Life, all of HUElavia is excited to finally witness sporting history. Today, regardless of the result, we're proud of this team and prod to be a part of the tournament.

Game One: Zwangzug-HUElavia.

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:25 am

Time to Play,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The time for hype is over. For months we have been getting excited about watching half of the World Cup here in our soil during a campaign that our national team was ranked #4 in the World. After two excellent runs in the last two Cups, it is a very real feeling that we could win it all right here. It is probably not fair, but nothing else will be deemed a success. As we begin, I want to talk about interesting facts about this team.

1) They are ready to play: Dominant friendly campaign.

Manager Stephanie Sweeney and the Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence embarked on a pretty aggressive campaign of friendlies to prepare the team for the World Cup. It started with the Wonder Cup, which is something that I will talk about by itself, because it played a different role then the actual friendly schedule. We don’t pay that much attention to friendlies, or can otherwise forget about them pretty quickly. Here’s a recap on the scores:

Cassadaigua 8-3 Baker Park

This was a stunning result as we met up with our co-hosts for the first time. Rachel Schanke ran wild on the Bees with four goals. Baker Park tried a more offensive tactic and it backfired for them greatly at Dagan Airways Stadium. After the match, Schanke told reporters, “it was a lot of fun to score all of those goals. We know that Baker Park is a much better team then this, and that they were just trying some things out. That is something that everyone will try to do, and they got valuable information on what not to do in the future. Their back end was out of position more often then not, and I think they were frustrated by the circumstances that were keeping them out of position.”

Cassadaigua 3-0 Chromatika

A score that is even bigger to look at right now with Chromatika being in our group. This game was played in Brattleboro, which is also the site of our matchday two game against them. The Chromatiks are a well-liked team in the nation, and can often be a side that Cassadagans will show support towards other then the home side. They had a strong qualifying effort, but in this match, Kelsey Morgan completely stonewalled of their offensive efforts.

Cassadaigua 5-1 Squornshelous

The nation of Squornshelous has a lot of history in the World Cup, and we enjoyed welcoming them to New Lakeland for the game. Both Hannah Ranucci and Rachel Schanke had two goals in the match, with a total of three goals coming directly off of corner kicks delivered impeccably by Sierra Mattison.

Cassadaigua 6-0 Tamgu

In Grande Mountain, the Fillies welcomed the aspiring nation of Tamgu for a friendly, but did not take it easy on their guests. Sweeney used more of a makeshift lineup in this match, and a big game by Meghan Wolcott, three goals and an assist, may have gone a long way in getting her a starting spot on the national roster.

Baker Park 2-5 Cassadaigua

The only road game played in these friendlies saw the Fillies be the opposition at the inaugural match at BBP National Stadium in Belle Haven. The amazing facility will host the third place game, among other contests. There was a lot of fanfare, and rightfully so, about the game and this stadiums. Those lucky enough to get a ticket were loud in their support before the match, but the Fillies would crash the party on the field. Off the field, it was still a party. As for the match, it was a thorough game by our squad, with five different goal scorers. After the match, Hannah Ranucci complimented the fans, “This was a great atmosphere. I think this is a great stadium, and the fans were great. Everyone here in Belle Haven has a great stadium, and I wish everyone the best here. Thank you to everyone who worked on the construction of this stadium, and to all of the fans who enjoyed the event. It was an honor to be the opponent here, but as you can understand, we have our own business to take care of and this was a very important game for us to back up the result we had in Concord Heights. For this squad, this is another example that shows that we are ready to play.”

Cassadaigua 2-0 Taeshan

The final friendly of the campaign, and the second that was played at the mid-qualifying mark was a great test against a highly defensive minded squad in Taeshan. Taylor Connolly, the President of CASE was thrilled to get interest from Taeshan in the match, and Stephanie Sweeney could not contain her excitement to agree to the match. “Tactically, Taeshan was a great test, given their defensive prowess. You look at how they played during the qualifying period, and I think they have a chance to do some damage this year. We played well against them, and were truly up to this challenge.”

While we can look at the qualifying campaigns of the others, we can take these results for the Fillies: a 6-0-0 record, with 31 goals scored and just six conceded. Let’s hope they didn’t peak too soon!

2) The Wonder Cup was pretty good, too.

The Wonder Cup was a competition that not a lot of people paid attention too, despite some well-accomplished nations sending squads to it. For Cassadaigua, a large assembly of players was sent, and the competition was used as friendlies to work on this roster. There were a lot of different lineups presented, and this included the knockout stages as Sweeney did not really play to win the tournament. There were some faces that really achieved in this, with Meghan Wolcott and Preston Newfeld being the biggest names, but also do not count out Madison McClain, who was one of the longshots who made the most of it and now sees herself as a part of this team. Of the Wonder Cup, Sweeney said, “We allowed a lot of people who were on the bubble of getting on this roster a chance to show their stuff. We knew that we had some people who would be moving on from the team as we’re not Valanora, so there is no eternal life here. People like Rachel Brenner and Caitlyn Mayer, among others who’s best years are behind them are still playing well at home in Cassadaigua despite their age, but in as far as being on the national team, some changes were made. Meghan (Wolcott) was a player we had on our radar to be inserted into the lineup, and she justified that. Madison (McClain) was really impressive. She really stepped it up as a part of this team, and she will be valuable for us moving forward.”

3) Jessica Curran is still around, and partly an assistant coach.

36-year old Jessica Curran has been a rock of our defense since World Cup 78. She is still playing for Concord Heights at home, and doing an excellent job, but her biggest issue has been stamina with lasting the full 90 minutes. She plays hard, and is absolutely a mastermind with the understanding of the game and its strategies. Because of this, Curran has been seen as an obvious choice to manage a domestic side when she retires, and she has made no secret of her desire to do so. Her experience as a player on the national side makes her a natural to be an assistant coach of Sweeney’s in the future, but that future is partly beginning now. Curran was named to the national team in a reserve role, and you have to think that if there is any opportunity along the way for Sweeney to get her into a match somewhere that she will do so. Otherwise, Curran is really here to be a defensive coach for this team. The back end does see three new starters, but two of them have been part of this team for a while. Curran says that, “I am very excited about watching our new group of defenders take the baton from us and show what they can do. During the friendlies that we played, they have done a fantastic job, so I would not doubt them at all here.” As for herself, Curran says, “I’d love to be out there but obviously I know that I am not one of the best options now. I am grateful to have logged the playing time that I have for this team over the course of my career. I am not really expecting to get into one of these games, so I am hoping to be an asset for this team in other ways.”

Caitlyn Mayer, Chelsea Monroe, and Rachel Brenner, also all former players on this team are also serving as a part of Sweeney’s coaching staff. Of the staff, Sweeney told us, “I could have selected established coaches, but at this level, people who have been through it on the field can provide valuable insight. I have regular coaches here with me as well, and as a unit we will be sure to work well with one another to make us the best we can be.”

4) Opening Ceremony is in Belle Haven

I have had some people ask me what the opening ceremony plans are in Concord Heights. Well, they are officially taking place in Belle Haven, Baker Park. Queen Cassie II will be in Belle Haven for the ceremony, as will Taylor Connolly and other CASE dignitaries before they come back to Concord Heights for our own festivities at home. There will be some amazing pre-game fanfare at the Dagan Airways Stadium, but officially the opening ceremony is in Belle Haven. Don’t miss it, by the way, as it will be televised or streamed here by multiple entities.

5) Cassadaigua vs Turori is sold out. Where to watch the game?

If you were not able to get a ticket for the opening match, there are still many places for you to watch the game with a large crowd. In Concord Heights, all you need to do it go to the stadium at the University of Concord Heights, and it will be televised there on many large television monitors. Tailgaiting will also be available in the parking area, so a fantastic event is expected there. One option, that is also sold out now, was to purchase one of 1,000 tickets to watch the game in the Royal Courtyard at the palace. Concord Heights Beauty School will have several areas on campus to watch the game with a crowd as well, and even created a separate designated area exclusively for fans of Turori.

Other cities will have their own designated areas to watch the match, with many of the universities in locations that are hosting games of other nations being the place to assemble to watch our match in a large crowd. This will keep these fans separate from those watching the match taking place in the different city.

Of course, I highly suggest attending one of the other matches if it is close to you. We have fifteen other excellent squads in our country that will put on a show, and it will be great chance to mingle and get to know people from these nations who are as passionate about their national squad as you may be about our squad.

by **Sargossa** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:26 am

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Sport

New Group, Same Bulls

Blanco Borrayo reports from Baker Park;

Booed off after a home defeat to Acronius, the World Cup looked a whole world away as Sargossa slipped further behind luminaries Audioslavia and a Newmanistani side looking to make a mark again back on the global stage. Then came a crucial home win over The Bulls and qualification was placed right back upon the table. As Audioslavia took their collective feet off the gas and the Rocket’s trajectory peaked a run of sixteen points from the final eighteen available saw the Corsairs leapfrog both their rivals and claim top spot in Group 1. For a nation whose World Cup appearances had been spotty at best in the past this was a seventh straight qualification. A fanbase that were despairing after Acronius were now booking flights to Ezriquay and Belle Haven.

So to a group draw that spat out a group that looked like a curse but could prove a blessing. For much of its thirty four World Cup cycles Sargossa has flown largely under the radar. So sitting in a group with two bona fide legends of the beautiful game should allow that to continue unabashed.

Somewhere on a shelf in Alikka-Corra sit five World Cup titles. But two years ago Vilita were foiled in their attempt to become only the second nation in history to lift three successive trophies. The Jungle Cats have bounced back by qualifying from Group 14 for this tournament by a country mile, scoring seventy nine goals in the process. Unsurprisingly the Corsairs have a losing record against the Atlantian juggernauts, with just a single victory from their eight previous encounters. And that came way back during qualifying for World Cup 58. Most recently Sargossa lost a seven goal thriller to Vilita in the last sixteen of World Cup 81.

Somewhere on a shelf in Cathair sit two World Cup titles. But that’s a mere drop in the ocean in the decades or possibly centuries of history Audioslavia have with the World Cup. Nine times the Bulls have stepped out at the final itself, with seven of those campaigns ending in crushing disappointment. With our own six defeats in nine Copa Rushmori finals it’s a record to which fans in Sargossa can relate with more than most. Corsairs and Bulls should hold little surprise for each other, having reached the tournament via the same qualification group. The sides shared home victories in an effort that saw Sargossa finish four points clear of Audioslavia. But that win in Soluca was a first ever Sargossan triumph over the Kontrapuntzeka in five attempts. A second would be most welcome.

While all neutral eyes will surely be on Vilita and Audioslavia perhaps Sargossa will be offered the chance to sneak through unnoticed. But to achieve that a lot will depend on the result of the first group game against debutants Siovanija & Teusland. The Goldhorns were runner’s up to Nephara in Group 5 and are one of the lowest ranked nations to make the Finals. During World Cup 81 qualifying the Corsairs struck five past Siovanija & Teusland before one of those inexplicable home losses we like to regularly sprinkle in. With the Bulls and, in particular, tournament top seeds Vilita to come, both nations will know that their entire campaigns could hinge on the result of matchday one.

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