Field Hockey World Cup 18 Everything Thread

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:07 am

Welcome to Ko-oren for the 18th Field Hockey World Cup! You may now post your rosters and roleplays. You can find the sign-up thread with the winning bid here, some more information on the sport here, and the previous World Cup here. Cutoffs will be around 21:00 CET (15:00 EST, 7:00 AEDT).

group a @ straudum, hazel arena (18,500)
Lo Santano
Christos
Lisander
Ko-oren

group b @ sterrenwolde, noorderkroonpark (14,500)
NeoChronus
Chromatika
Rhaecia
Terropo

group c @ laringen, duivelsveld (13,700)
Korpocracy
United States of Devonta
Sarzonia
Liventia

group d @ rozenvoorde, het rode paleis (9,500)
Esperanto-Komunumo
Mattijana
Resarkia
Islas Aaland

group e @ vleugelberg, vleugelbergerveld (9,600)
Vangaziland
Xanneria
Bolgano
Natanya

group f @ turnaarde, tempel van turnaarde (6,600)
Kriegiersien
HUElavia
Al-Khalifiya
The Sarian

group g @ genehof, waterveld (6,100)
Tyranis21
Pratapgadh
Eastfield Lodge
Barunia

schedule
draw: 29-jan - 30-jan

md1: 3-feb: 1v4, 2v3
md2: 4-feb: 4v3, 1v2
md3: 5-feb: 2v4, 3v1
md4: 6-feb: 4v1, 3v2
md5: 7-feb: 3v4, 2v1
dramatic pause
md6: 10-feb: 4v2, 1v3

quarterfinals: 12-feb
semifinals: 13-feb
final: 14-feb

by **Bolgano** » Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:33 pm

FHWC18-Rosters

Goalkepers
#1 Jonas Thomas
#12 Zack Volton

Fullbacks
#2 Daniels Petrok
#3 Wilson Rodriguez
#4 Victor Vitiers
#13 Ryan Kolsons
#14 Frederic Polsen

Halfbacks
#5 Thomas Vicelli
#6 Ross Kartley
#7 Emeric Driess
#15 Lewis Hits
#16 Taruko Mishiota

Fowards
#8 Grabiel Villanueva
#9 Bautista Collár
#10 Benjamin Clots
#11 Peter Bals
#17 Samuels Rioti
#18 Thomas Cerri
#19 Patrick Shiff

Coach: Augusto Vuloz
Formation: 3-3-4
Style: +1

by **Pratapgadh** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 12:06 am

Pratapgadh Men's National Hockey Team

STAFF

Manager: Ramesh Ambani
Assistant Manager: Karan Desai
Head Coach: Mukesh Agarwal
Assistant Coach: Abhinav Upadhayay
Medic: Kartik Gadkari

RP PERMISSIONS

Feel free to do anything except god modding and killing my players.

MORE INFORMATION

Style Of Play: +3.00
Nickname: Red Sticks, The Red Men
Association: Pratapgadh Hockey Federation (PHF)
Captain: Divakar Pandey
Vice-Captain: Gourinadan Nandi
Most Goals Scored by: N/A
Matches Played: 0
Matches Won: 0
Matches Drawn: 0
Matches Lost: 0
First Match: N/A
Biggest Win: N/A
Biggest Defeat: N/A
Appearances in FHWC: 1
First Appearance in FHWC: Field Hockey World Cup 18
Best Result in FHWC: N/A
Matches Played in FHWC: 0
Matches Won in FHWC: 0
Matches Drawn in FHWC: 0
Matches Lost in FHWC: 0
First Match in FHWC: N/A
Biggest Win in FHWC: N/A
Biggest Defeat in FHWC: N/A

KITS

WIP

WIP

FIXTURES & RESULTS

WIP

PLAYERS

(C) = Captain
(VC) = Vice-Captain
No. of Forwards = 8
No. of Midfielders = 6
No. of Defenders = 6
No. of Goalkeepers = 3
Total = 23
Number Name Age Position Birthplace
Starting
#12 Bhupendra Rajwa 23 Forward Gurdaspur, Gurdaspur District, Eastern Punjab
#32 Arvinder Sewari 22 Forward Chandigarh, Chandigarh District, Eastern Punjab
#66 Prem Thakkar 24 Forward Vadodara, Vadodara District, Gujarat
#84 Divakar Pandey (C) 28 Forward Hanumangarh, Hanumangarh District, Rajputana
#80 Devilal Pandey 25 Forward Hanumangarh, Hanumangarh District, Rajputana
#39 Kailash Deshmukh 26 Midfielder Trimbakeshwar, Nashik District, Maratha Pradesa
#60 Bhaskara 27 Midfielder Takshashila, Ompur District, Western Punjab
#40 Adorbad Naanwala 23 Midfielder Bhavnagar, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat
#9 Salman Farooqi 28 Defender Rajendragadh, Rajendragadh District, Sindh
#11 Gourinandan Nandi (VC) 29 Defender Suryapur, Suryapur District, Gujarat
#51 Gajanan Mishra 25 Goalkeeper Chittorgarh (Capital), Chittorgarh District, Rajputana
Substitutes
#78 Talwar Handal 22 Forward Amritsar, Amritsar District, Eastern Punjab
#72 Bisman Sodhi 21 Forward Gurugram, Gurugram District, Eastern Punjab
#99 Bheem Phogat 19 Forward Pandavaprastha, Pandavaprastha District, Eastern Punjab
#3 Dilip Sarabhai 20 Midfielder Karnavati, Karnavati District, Gujarat
#22 Zarhawar Barazani 22 Midfielder Pushpapur, Pushpapur District, Gandhaara
#18 Kaushal Srivastava 21 Midfielder Bundi, Bundi District, Rajputana
#47 Hrithik Dhanuka 19 Defender Jodhpur, Jodhpur District, Rajputana
#59 Kushal Rawat 24 Defender Ajayamer, Ajayamer District, Rajputana
#7 Vijay Deshpande 23 Defender Mumbai, Mumbai District, Maratha Pradesa
#96 Dwaraka Shastri 21 Defender Chittorgarh, Chittorgarh District, Rajputana
#15 Arjun Thakur 19 Goalkeeper Indraprastha, Indraprastha District, Eastern Punjab
#5 Hafeez Bukhari 21 Goalkeeper Ompur, Ompur District, Western Punjab

by **Barunia** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 3:24 am

Barunian National Hockey Team
Field Hockey World Cup 18

Team Information
Nickname: Los Lunas / The Moons
Playstyle: Defensive
Team Colours: White with sky blue trim (Home); Dark red with yellow trim (Away)
GK colours: Red (Home); Yellow (Away); Green (Alternative)
Co-Captain: Janice Hughes
Co-Captain: Luciana Perez
Coach: Tiffany Grouch

#  Ps  Name                    Sex  Team
1  GK Lydia Finch               F  Delmars City
12 GK Matthew Watts             M  Whitefeather HC
23 GK Lonnie Jones              F  North Islands Broncos
2  SW Carrie O'Donnell          F  Edwardton Eels
13 FB Christie Helm             F  Edwardton Eels
3  FB Luciana Perez             F  North Islands Broncos
14 FB Rupert Harricourt         M  Lilyford Dolphins
4  FB Liam Spiers               M  Delmars City
15 FB Madison Holmeyer          F  Notre Dame HC
5  HB Bell Gordon               F  Trinity Reds
16 HB David Burton              M  Odessa United HC
6  HB Adam Cooper               M  Whitefeather HC
17 HB Kelly Garnett             F  Porthaven Piranhas
7  C Janice Hughes              F  Newland Bulls
18 C Stefanie Morris            F  South Drophsort Iron
8  LW Faith Burroughs           F  Porthaven Piranhas
19 LW Rhonda Bowles             F  Edwardton Eels
9  RW Sarah Thorpe-Martinez     F  Delmars City
20 RW Stephen Brady             M  Newland Bulls
10 FW Michael Brown             M  Delmars City
21 FW Simon Lamont              M  Odessa United HC
11 FW Linda Elwes               F  Edwardton Eels
22 FW Raymond Friend            M  Newland City HC

Formation: The Barunians usually run a 3-3-4 formation, but consider themselves a defensive team. They employ a specialist sweeper to hang back in the circle and provide an additional defender. Additionally, in midfield one of the two halfbacks will usually hang back in case of a turnover, allowing the centre and other halfback to go forward. The two wingers are listed as forwards, but can play the length of the pitch. Their main job though is to set up goals by either runs into the circle or penetrating passes to the forwards. The Barunians also commonly employ a 4-3-3, removing a forward in favour of a fullback.

RP permissions
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Injure my players: Y, but I choose the severity. Nothing that would definitely put them out for a game.
RP other events: Y
Hand out Green or Yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out Red cards to my players: N
God mod goals/injuries/other events: N
Style Mod: -2

by **HUElavia** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 10:50 am

HUElavia National Field Hockey Team

Goalkeepers:
#1- Gabriel da Silva (M) (22 Years Old)
#13- Natalia Rodriguez (F) (20 Years Old)

Defenders:
#2- Antionio Soares (M) (26 Years Old)
#3- Leticia Santos (F) (23 Years Old)
#4- Hector Sanchez (M) (23 Years Old)
#5- Raquel Rivero (F) (25 Years Old)
#16- Tamara Perez (F) (19 Years Old)
#18- Nikhil Pavlov (M) (19 Years Old)

Midfielders:
#6- Marcia Silva (F) (20 Years Old)
#8- Carlos Zubizarreta (M) (26 Years Old)
#10- Lin Chang (F) (18 Years Old)
#14- Laurence Bernard (M) (19 Years Old)

Forwards:
#7- Rafael Moreno (M) (22 Years Old)
#9- Felicia Santos (F) (19 Years Old)
#11- Fabio Gomes (M) (21 Years Old)
#12- Angelina Garcia (F) (17 Years Old)
#15- Luca Romano (M) (22 Years Old)
#17- Mizuki Sato (F) (17 Years Old)
#19- Aurora Fernandes (F) (18 Years Old)
#20- Orlando Gallo (M) (23 Years Old)

Formation: 4-2-4 (Or 4-2-2-2)
Style Mod: +1.5

Starting XI: 1 da Silva, 2 Soares, 5 Rivero, 3 Santos, 18 Pavlov, 6 Silva, 8 Zubizarreta, 7 Moreno, 9 Santos, 11 Gomes, 20 Gallo

Captains: Soares, Zubizarreta, Rivero

RP permissions

Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Injure my players: Yes, but nothing severe
RP other events: Yes
Hand out Green or Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: No
God mod goals/injuries/other events: No

by **Kriegiersien** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 6:06 am

Kriegiersien Hockey Team

The Kriegiersien delegation starts as always in their

Coaches:
Mike Stick
Maike Stick

Team Doctor:
Bertie Bonesaw

Mental Coach:
Jane Patrick

TEAM

Goalkeeper
Marion Saunders
Vishal Hall

Defenders
Bartlomiej Martins
Zakariyah Swift
Finley Mayo
Tracy Koch
Tiegan Parra
Anil Tanner

Midfield
Abul Hanna
Farrell Moreno
Clark Workman
Jac Wilks

Striker
Sammy Broughton
Koby Nunez
Zakk Lee
Kalum Cannon
Elisha Oliver
Everett Oakley

RP permissions:
Whatever is cool and doesn't totally brake the game

by **Tyranis21** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 1:26 pm

Coaches:
Kirabo Adesida
Hunter orr
Team doctor:
Ahto Kõiv

Mental Trainer:
Evangelos Papaioannou

TEAM

Goalkeepers:
Marcos Labropoulos
Tighearnán Mac Gafraidh

defenders:
Aviv Cohen
Einar Tuft
Manuel Damaschin
Armando Valdivieso
Nicholas Bondar
Momcilo Rovcanin

Connection:
Dragoje Pantelic
Ljubisav Mijailovic
Clark Sarloh
Mark Jackson

Attacker:
Jacob Hammarberg
Eddie Byström
Arnold Syrén
Kenth Dahlquist
Samuel Kinberg
Donald Dahlquist

RP permissions:
hurt my players: Yes, but nothing serious
RP other events: Yes,
distribute green or yellow cards to players: Yes,
distribute red cards to players: yes
God mode goals/other events: No.

by **Christos** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 6:28 am

Team Name: Christos Emperors
Mascot: Emperor Cal/ Empress Bess (Looks like a King Penguin)
Jersey Colors: Orange, Blue, White
Jersey Colors (Alt): Blue, Orange, Black)

Head Coach: Miranda Powers
Assistant Coaches: Timothy Wells, Tia Jong

Fowards
Philip O' Donnell (M) #13
Maria Kim (F) #5
Charles James (M) #7
Opal Khan (F) #18
Victor Holt (M) #3
Charlie Cork (M) #2

Midfielders
Linda O' Rorke (F) #4
Jamal Terse (M) #9
Oliver Turns (M) #11
Mandy Dolphin (F) #1
Fran Delonte (F) #16
Cletus "The Wind" McMahon (M) #19

Fullbacks (Defensive Players)
Christopher Yates (M) #14
William Crystal (M) #15
Daichi Perrin (M) #6
Kim Il Grump (M) #10
Erin Downer (F) #17
Pauline Dean (F) #12

Goalkeepers
Roger Patel (M) #20
Ivanka Knowles (F) #8

RP PERMISSIONS
Choose my scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod Injuries to my players: No
Suspend my players: Yes
Godmod suspension events: No
Godmod other events: Yes

by **Xanneria** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 9:17 am

FIELD HOCKEY TEAM OF XANNERIA

Field Hockey as a sport is mostly played in the south eastern portions of Xanneria, and is consider a game mostly played at ritzy private schools. Al though it does have a reputation of being slightly more acceptable than Lacrosse though.

XANNERIA MAROONS FIELD HOCKEY TEAM
Starters in Maroon

Goalkeepers

#1 Alyssa Hamilton
#10 Shayla Gordette

Defenders

#20 Leon Borell
#21 Mallory "Tough Cookie" Jenkins
#22 Dawn Sanchez
#23 Micheal Roberts
#24 Kelvin Kincaide
#25 Sandra Conway

Midfielders

#10 Julia Ortega
#11 Kenny Kline
#12 Patricia Matts
#13 Berty Rouse
#14 Mark Lumina 
#15 Jennette Lumina
#16 Leandra Lewis
#17 Paul Porter

Forwards

#2 Dawson Breesze
#3 Hasad Waasi
#4 Yvette Powers
#5 Marco Brown
#6 Mac Johannsseen
#7 Briann Fauster

COACH: McKenna Dawes-Henrickson
TRAINER: Bradley Henrickson
FORMATION 3-4-3
STYLE: +4

RP PERMISSIONS
Choose my scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod Injuries to my players: No
Suspend my players: Yes
Godmod suspension events: No
Godmod other events: Yes

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 9:19 am

Sarzonia Stars

Style modifier 0 (balanced between attacking and defence-oriented)

If my opponent RPs first, they may:
Choose my goalscorers - Y
Godmod goalscoring events - N
Injure my players - N
Godmod injury events - N
Give my players disciplinary cards - Y (no more than one or two; this is not a dirty side by any stretch of the imagination)

Manager Brad Richie (42)
Richie was the team captain and a midfielder on the last Stars team that competed in field hockey and won gold at the 15th edition of the sport's ultimate competition. He originally asked former manager Harry Cartwright to come out of retirement, first as the manager, then as an assistant manager, but he declined.

Assistant Manager Bill Houlder (38)
Holder will work with the defensive team and favours a physical style of play that was akin to how he competed as a player on the Stars' championship-winning team.

Goalkeepers Coach Dave Finney (34)
Finney will parlay his experience as a goalkeeper on the Stars into his guidance of the team's goalkeepers this go round.

GOALKEEPERS
1 Matt Marchment, 34, 5-11, 175 pounds (Woodstock Miracle)
Marchment was the starter for the championship-winning Stars and he believes he still has one good run left in him.
30 Christian Barker, 22, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds (Portland Mariners)
Barker is just a rookie, but he won the starting job with the Mariners in training. He started the season 5-1 en route to a 10-3 record. He will sit behind the veteran Marchment.

DEFENDERS
2 Joe Hall, 26 5-foot-11, 180 pounds (Nicksia Nobles)
Hall has spent three seasons in Nicksia after being born just north of the border with Delaclava in a sleepy town. He admits he's still not used to the city life. Speaks with a slight Delaclav accent.
3 Aaron Carlson, 27, 6-foot-5, 215 pounds (Catherina)
The only starter who plays in a foreign country, even if Sarzonians sometimes question whether Delaclava counts as one, Carlson brings a physical presence to the Stars backline.
5 Nick Haney, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds (Portland Mariners)
Another player who figures to use his size to his advantage, he also brings speed to the back four and will be counted on to shut down faster attackers.
11 Ben Adams, 35, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds (free agent), team captain
Adams will be counted on as the experienced hand for a team that otherwise largely lacks international experience.
13 Elisse Mathers, 23, 5-foot-4, 145 pounds (free agent)
Mathers is still trying to latch onto a team in the Sarzonian league, but with it still containing only four teams, she's having trouble landing a spot.
14 Josh Jacobs, 21, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds (Joe Gibbs University)
He plays more of a central role in reserve. He starts for his college team as a central defender.

MIDFIELDERS
6 Paul Tomlinson, 28, 6-foot, 185 pounds (Ravenna Rollers)
He plays a rugged defensive midfield position and is unafraid to mix it up, even with bigger players
13 Quentin Barker 32, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds (Woodstock)
Barker, who was one of the youngest players on the last Stars team to compete in field hockey, is now one of the veterans. He now makes up for lost speed due to an ACL tear with a sixth sense for positioning and his ability to anticipate where his teammates will look for him.
14 Christian Candele, 23 (Nicksia), 5-foot-9, 155 pounds
The younger brother of Jonathan, he shares his brother's ability to distribute the ball, but is more disciplined defensively.
16 Vickie Nelson, 27, 5-foot-6, 135 pounds (Nicksia)
She’s learned to be an opportunistic offensively and a total pest on defence. That scrappiness led Richie to install her in the lineup.
17 Joy Windsor, 21, 5-foot-4, 115 pounds (Woodstock City College)
Windsor is lanky and fast, but needs to develop some bulk to be considered for the starting lineup.
20 Enrique Salvador, 20, 5-foot-8, 160 pounds (Somerset University)
He provides depth at playmaking/offensive midfielder and can be a sparkplug off the bench.
ATTACK
10 Allison Campos 27, 5-foot-10, 160 pounds (Corcorran FHC – semipro women’s team)
Even though she doesn’t have the professional or major college pedigree of the rest of the team, Campos is a pure goal scorer and a surprisingly physical presence. She’s arguably the toughest player on the team.
12 Joe Cartwright, 19, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds (unaffiliated)
Cartwright is the grandnephew of the one Sarzonia manager who took the team to a championship victory. He is finishing up preparatory schoolwork prior to starting at Joe Gibbs University in Nicksia in the fall.
18 Deontae West, 25, 5-foot-9, 171 pounds (Portland)
West is known more for getting in space and being creative with the ball than he is for brute force. He’ll be counted on as a vital substitute when the team needs offence late.

by **HUElavia** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 2:05 pm

HUElavia returns to the FHWC with hopes of a good tournament!

Los Amarillos once again participate in a Field Hockey World Cup, in their 2nd appearance, which is the first time in several years that the tournament has been held. It's been so long that records of the squad that had participated years ago have apparently been lost, and all that stands is the results of the matches, that had HUElavia finish 4th in Group A with 7 points in a record of 2-1-2 and just barely missing out on the Quarter-Finals.

This time around, a generally young squad of players are brought here to Ko-oren where Los Amarillos will play in Group F against Kriegiersien, Al-Khalifiya, and The Sarian. These three opponents seem to be newcomers to this tournament, so pre-tournament predictions see HUElavia possibly taking the group. For this tournament, since there are 28 teams (instead of a well rounded 32), the Group Winners will advance to the Quarter-Finals while it seems that the best ranked runner up will advance to the Quarter-Finals. The players to look out for includes goalie da Silva, defender Soares, midfielder Zubizarreta, and forward Moreno.

There will be a sizable group of fans traveling to Ko-oren looking to support the team, in hopes of adding yet another trophy into our cabinet. Although, the interest back home is roughly in the hundreds of thousands, but there is hope that if the team performs well, more fans will come out to support the team in this tournament.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 6:04 pm

Brad Richie looked out as the Sarzonian national field hockey team practice. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses even though the sun was beginning to set on the field at Nottingham Pavilion.

He told a reporter for a local tabloid that it was due to sensitive eyes after he'd had laser surgery the week prior, but he admitted the real truth to Harry Cartwright after he sat down in the coach's office.

"I really wish I were back out there," he said. "I miss playing."

Cartwright peered over his glasses at Richie with his eyebrows arched and a wry smile.

"I know, Brad," he said. "You miss the camaraderie with your teammates. You missed getting a chance to defend the title on the pitch."

Richie nodded, then picked up the saucer next to his left hand and put it within inches of his lips. He thought for a moment, then set it down.

"Yes, I miss all of that. But I miss being able to joke around with the fellas even more. I don't know if I like being a manager of guys I played with."

Cartwright nodded. As the former manager himself, Cartwright declined being in a formal capacity as manager or even assistant manager. He felt his time had long since past. But he agreed to serve as a mentor to Richie to help guide the younger man through his paces as a manager of a national team. He could be a sounding board. He could be someone who would tell him if he overreacted to a misstep by a player or if he answered a question at the press conference inappropriately. One thing Cartwright couldn't do was offer more than sympathy for Richie's plight. Cartwright last played the sport so long ago that even the oldest players on the last Stars team were barely in their teens.

"I can't draw on my experience to help you with that," Cartwright said. "You're going to have to figure out where to draw the line yourself. It has to be real, though."

Richie turned and saw the tablet computer bearing the group draw for the World Cup. The Stars would be placed in Group C along with Korpocracy, Devonta, and ... Richie eyebrows furrowed and his demeanour became more dour. Cartwright noticed the sudden look on Richie's face with concern.

"What is it?" he asked, straightening up and leaning forward. He also pushed his glasses more closely onto his face.

"We're facing Korpocracy," Richie began. Cartwright didn't react. They had no history with Sarzonian sport, "Devonta," he added, again, drawing no reaction. The Stars had never faced Devonta in field hockey.

"And who else?"

Richie looked up from the tablet with his eyes flashing anger that caught the young manager off guard. He looked down at the computer again and looked back up, trying with great difficulty to project an even expression even though he knew he was failing miserably at the effort.

"Liventia," he said.

Cartwright nodded. Liventia. Sarzonia had history with them in football, clearly. They defeated the Stars long ago in the finals of World Cup 24, robbing Sarzonia of its second title in three trips to football's ultimate match. Sarzonia may have gotten a measure of revenge the last time they played field hockey by demolishing Liventia 4-0 in the semifinals of the 15th edition of the Field Hockey World Championships, but nothing stung quite like losing a match they expected to win in the multiverse's longest running sporting competition and the multiverse's most popular sport.

"There's 28 teams in this World Cup," Richie said. There's no Round of 16, so we either win the group or hope we're the best second place team to qualify for the quarterfinals."

Cartwright nodded again. He knew that meant their path to the knockouts in Ko-oren would have to go through Liventia. They also knew they couldn't afford to take anything for granted. The concept of a trap match was all too real, and could easily see the Stars stumble against Devonta before they even faced Liventia.

The Stars would begin their journey with a match against Devonta before their first battle with Liventia on Matchday 2, then they would face Korpocracy. After that, they would face Devonta again before another bout with Liventia.

"We've got our work cut out for us," Richie said.

"This is what makes managing such a challenge," Cartwright offered. "We have to stay up for the matches against Devonta and Korpocracy and not just concentrate all our energy on Liventia."

"There's a lot of human nature we have to fight," Richie said. "That's my job to deal with it now."

There was much to take stock in for Richie as he and Cartwright began discussing other topics. One thing was clear, though. If the Stars were going to replicate the form that saw them stare down a Candelaria and Marquez side that seemed to scare everyone but the Stars and defeat them in a final, they'd have their work cut out for them.

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Jan 31, 2020 12:02 pm

Field Hockey World Cup 18 - Ko-orenite Roster

Field hockey entered northern Ko-oren, but really only caught on in the subdivision of Intermare. Further up north, it's too cold to reliably play the game, and ice hockey took its place. In Intermare, the climate is just right, situated nicely between two bodies of water, fairly low-lying, and its cities and towns have embraced the sport. They also play a lot of soccer and gridiron. The teams mostly play in Schemerdrecht and the towns of rural Intermare, playing a 12-team, 22-round league most recently won by Rozenvoorde.

Goalkeepers
Naut Haitink (Rozenvoorde)
Reno Wychmink (Vleugelberg)
Kurt Landmark (Venstertoren)

Defenders
Tone Steegmans (Rozenvoorde)
Simme Goutbeek (Wintertoorn)
Flo van Tuinen (Wintertoorn)
Ido Imbert (April)
Quint Albers (Sterrenwolde)
Holvaster Gustaafsen (Angelwoud)
Evan Williams (Vleugelberg)

Midfielders
Marre Veltkamp (Sterrenwolde)
Tjibbe Vaseweerd (Rozenvoorde)
Hemme Berenschot (Laringen)
Valdemar Hedman (April)
Ambrose Batt (Rozenvoorde)
Willis Welter (Wintertoorn)

Forwards
Maas Bravenboer (Vleugelberg)
Kejan Korbeld (Rozenvoorde)
Are van Daal (Wintertoorn)
August Ooberg (Oostgemeenten)
Norulun Mulidheringun (Angelwoud)

Captain and Vice Captain: Steegmans and Veltkamp
Key players: Van Tuinen, Vaseweerd, Berenschot, Bravenboer
Short corner specialists: Veltkamp & Korbeld
Penalty strokes: Bravenboer

This team is looking for mistakes by the other side, comfortable to sink deep onto its own half until there's room for a quick break. Speed and fluid passing in attack, traversing most of the field in just one or two strokes, it's what makes this team confident to win the trophy at home.

Style: -4
Formation: 4-3-3
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Injure my players: Y
RP other events: Y
Hand out Green or Yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out Red cards to my players: Y
God mod goals/injuries/other events: Y

by **Lisander** » Sun Feb 02, 2020 3:19 pm

RP Permissions:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Injure my players: Y
RP other events: Y
Hand out Green or Yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out Red cards to my players: Y
God mod goals/injuries/other events: Y

LISANDER NATIONAL FIELD HOCKEY TEAM
The Queens
Style: +3
Formation: 4-3-3

Hockey is for the lisanderian females what rugby is for the males. Long established in the Metropolitan Soria, with teams formed inside the famous social clubs established since the late 1800s/early 1900s, like Victorian, St. Helens, Linville and Escrime. The only professional league of the nation is the Metropolitan League, played by teams of Soria Metropolis. There are some minor leagues, but those are only for amateurs.

Founded in 1904 as União dos Clubes de Hóquei Feminino (Union of Female Hockey Clubs), the National Federation is a separate case among the others, because it is the only one that is called Royal, even if Lisander is a Principality. Officially the Real Federação de Hóquei de Lisander (Royal Hockey Federation of Lisander), it's also the only Federation that uses the national coat of arms on its uniforms. This title was awarded in 1941, first by mistake in a foreign newspaper, but later it was made official by the Law 102/1941. This earned the women's team the nickname "Queens".

The Queens are known by its fast-paced game, based in short passing and taking advantage of the modern synthetic fields, but most recently, after Anne-Marie Friel was signed as head coach, the team is slowly transitioning into a slower, possession-based game.

Roster (starter eleven is underlined)

#	Name			Position		Team
1	Luisa Draxler		Goalkeeper		 HC Victorian
2	Lourdes Arneaux		Defender		 Hellenians Hockey
3	Amanda Dantes		Defender		 Trinity College Hockey
4	Georgina Moran		Defender		 Club d'Escrime
5	Ania Castell		Forward			 St. Helens Hockey
6	Julia Ferrer		Forward			 Linville Leonessa HC
7	Iris Horner		Midfielder		 HC Victorian
8	Cecilia Korinthiellis	Midfielder		 Hellenians Hockey
9	Pia St. Marie		Forward			 Hellenians Hockey
10	Larissa Viterbo		Midfielder		 RRC Winterburg
11	Ambrosia Monteiro	Forward			 Trinity College Hockey
12	Rebecca Deventer	Defender		 Club d'Escrime
13	Fernanda Granat		Defender		 Hellenians Hockey
14	Patricia Deventer	Forward			 Club d'Escrime
15	Denise Burnier		Midfielder		 Club Sparta
16	Alice Deventer		Goalkeeper		 Club d'Escrime
17	Sofia Mont		Defender		 Club Sparta
18	Janine Bouvier		Midfielder		 St. Helens Hockey
19	Anneliese Chagny	Defender		 St. Helens Hockey
20	Isabella Carter		Midfielder		 HC Victorian
Coach	Anne-Marie Friel

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:06 pm

group a @ straudum, hazel arena (18,500)
Lo Santano 0–0 Ko-oren
Christos 0–1 Lisander

group a                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Lisander                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Ko-oren                       1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Lo Santano                    1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Christos                      1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

group b @ sterrenwolde, noorderkroonpark (14,500)
NeoChronus 0–3 Terropo
Chromatika 0–0 Rhaecia

group b                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Terropo                       1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Chromatika                    1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Rhaecia                       1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 NeoChronus                    1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

group c @ laringen, duivelsveld (13,700)
Korpocracy 1–0 Liventia
United States of Devonta 1–3 Sarzonia

group c                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Sarzonia                      1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Korpocracy                    1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Liventia                      1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 United States of Devonta      1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

group d @ rozenvoorde, het rode paleis (9,500)
Esperanto-Komunumo 1–0 Islas Aaland
Mattijana 0–1 Resarkia

group d                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Esperanto-Komunumo            1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Resarkia                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Islas Aaland                  1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Mattijana                     1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

group e @ vleugelberg, vleugelbergerveld (9,600)
Vangaziland 4–3 Natanya
Xanneria 3–0 Bolgano

group e                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Xanneria                      1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Vangaziland                   1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Natanya                       1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
4 Bolgano                       1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

group f @ turnaarde, tempel van turnaarde (6,600)
Kriegiersien 2–2 The Sarian
HUElavia 1–0 Al-Khalifiya

group f                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 HUElavia                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Kriegiersien                  1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  The Sarian                    1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
4 Al-Khalifiya                  1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

group g @ genehof, waterveld (6,100)
Tyranis21 1–0 Barunia
Pratapgadh 4–1 Eastfield Lodge

group g                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Pratapgadh                    1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
2 Tyranis21                     1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Barunia                       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Eastfield Lodge               1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

*tiebreakers: points, h2h, goal difference

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:39 pm

The last time Matt Marchment was on a field hockey pitch, he walked off the field in Liventia with a championship after a victory over the dominant team in the sport, Candelaria and Marquez.

This Stars team may only incidentally resemble that championship-winning team with a few of the players on the current roster and some of the other players on that team now serving on the coaching staff, but they walked off the Duivelsveld pitch in Laringen as victors over Devonta by the same score as their championship victory over the Blue Sticks, 3-1.

Marchment made six saves and kept his team in it in spite of heavy Devontan pressure after their leading forward notched a ninth minute goal that caught the veteran out of position. His point-blank save in the 14th minute when several navy-clad Stars supporters groaned at, fully expecting to trail 2-0 to Devonta rallied the Stars supporters and also galvanised the team.

Sarzonia would equalise just before the start of stoppage time with Vickie Nelson finding an opening and sending a bouncing shot that just eluded the Devontan goalkeeper. The goal gave the Stars (1-0-0, first place Group C) badly needed momentum into the half.

Marchment sat down and observed his former teammate Brad Richie as he was talking over the team's did-wells and "points of emphasis." He smiled. The wording was exactly the wording Harry Cartwright used when he was the manager of the championship-winning Stars team. He also noticed an adjustment that Richie made that was textbook Cartwright.

"You've been speaking to Coach Cartwright, haven't you?" he said after the team finished showering and getting dressed and began to make their way to the bus back to the Ko-orenite hotel where they were occupying the 17th floor.

"What gave you that idea?" Richie said before giving Marchment a knowing smirk that made it clear that yes, he in fact spoke extensively to Cartwright.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Marchment said before betraying a glint in his eye that clearly signaled to his teammate-turned-manager that there was, in fact a lot of subtext.

I wish I were still playing, Richie thought about admitting to Marchment. They were friends on the championship team, and they became closer in the years after the team's glory days faded into memory. Richie wanted so badly to confide in Marchment how badly he missed playing. The camaraderie. The feeling of brotherhood. The outings after matches when they would share drinks and enjoy each other's company.

Richie had to give that up. Even though a couple of his teammates were among the coaching staff for the Stars, his position as manager precluded him from joining Bill Houlder and Dave Finney on outings to the bar. He didn't feel right asking Cartwright, even though he was long since retired and didn't exactly have to wake up early to prepare tactics for a match.

He looked at Marchment, and Marchment could tell there was something Richie wanted to say to him, but he also knew the way his teammate-turned-manager and friend thought.

"It's OK, bro," Marchment said, giving a look to Richie that both men understood immediately.

The Stars had a much bigger test coming up the next day against a Liventia side that lost to Korpocracy 1-0. The experienced Liventians were among the elite field hockey sides in the multiverse. Or at least they were the last time the Stars competed in field hockey. Richie knew they would come out motivated and ready to play. They would be wounded by their 1-0 defeat to a relatively unknown side. Richie figured they'd also be smarting from the 4-0 demolishing they delivered during the semifinals of the then-Field Hockey World Championships in Liventia.

Wounded animals are always more dangerous, Richie thought. The team knew they'd have their work cut out for them, so when it was time to do bed checks, he was pleased to see that every player was in their respective rooms. He and the coaches gathered in his room to plan strategy for the match against the closest to an archrival the Stars had with the absence of Candelaria and Marquez from this edition.

The team knew to a player they weren't going to just waltz onto the pitch and notch an easy victory. They would walk in knowing they'd have to leave everything on the pitch after a brutal 70 minutes. This wasn't just any match. This was Liventia. They'd take the match seriously.

by **Ko-oren** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:07 pm

Elections - this week!

Amidst an early end to the World Bowl and the start to a much-hyped Field Hockey World Cup, there is more going on. Something that is quite rare, namely, the outcome of elections that are held every three year, and decide the fate of 48 seats in the nation's 144-seat parliament. In three years, another 48 seats are up for a vote, and the remaining 48 seats are up to local (subdivisional) elections, which are also held every three years, but at varying times.

Going into the elections, the 14 largest (national) parties were at an equilibrium. Sure, the Meritocratic Party holds 17 seats compared to the FFFP's three, but all in all, all voting blocks are well represented. 56% of seats are clearly in favour of increasing the Meritocracy, while 54% of seats are more democratically-inclined. That sounds like a contradiction, but there are plenty of members of parliament who vote in favour of either political system - it's just not a massive deal to every single member, and they and their parties are fine with either system. The same cannot be said for other voting blocks, which lean heavily towards one side. In the ever-present 'centralisation' versus 'decentralisation' debate, 55% of seats lean towards centralisation - versus just 34% who are in favour of decentralisation. Whether Ko-oren should remain fairly isolated in global matters, 44% of members want to continue our neutral stance on international affairs, while 52% wants the country to become more involved on the world's stage, from the World Assembly, to all kinds of scientific, cultural, and economic treaties. Slightly more members want to open up the nation's economy to investment and allow domestic companies to expand their business inside and outside our borders, while the parties in favour of a planned economy have suffered in the last election. The one issue most parliamentarians agree on: Ko-oren's continuing efforts in protecting, preserving, and studying the natural world. 76% of seats are well and clearly in favour of these policies.

The exact 48 seats that are up for a vote this time were originally voted in six years ago. At the time, the Meritocratic Party, the Labour Party, and the Parti International were victorious, going for slightly more economically left and internationally friendly policies. If things continue on the way of three years ago, the left will lose several seats and the Liberal Party and Nationalist Party will grow even larger - the centre-right Liberals might even become the nation's largest party.

by **Ko-oren** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:11 pm

group a @ straudum, hazel arena (18,500)
Ko-oren 0–1 Lisander
Lo Santano 3–2 Christos

group a                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Lisander                      2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Lo Santano                    2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Ko-oren                       2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
4 Christos                      2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0

group b @ sterrenwolde, noorderkroonpark (14,500)
Terropo 2–2 Rhaecia
NeoChronus 0–1 Chromatika

group b                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Terropo                       2   1  1  0    5   2  +3    4
2 Chromatika                    2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
3 Rhaecia                       2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 NeoChronus                    2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

group c @ laringen, duivelsveld (13,700)
Liventia 2–1 Sarzonia
Korpocracy 1–0 United States of Devonta

group c                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Korpocracy                    2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Liventia                      2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Sarzonia                      2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
4 United States of Devonta      2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

group d @ rozenvoorde, het rode paleis (9,500)
Islas Aaland 3–2 Resarkia
Esperanto-Komunumo 0–1 Mattijana

group d                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Esperanto-Komunumo            2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
  Islas Aaland                  2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
  Mattijana                     2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
  Resarkia                      2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3

group e @ vleugelberg, vleugelbergerveld (9,600)
Natanya 1–1 Bolgano
Vangaziland 0–1 Xanneria

group e                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Xanneria                      2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Vangaziland                   2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
3 Natanya                       2   0  1  1    4   5  −1    1
4 Bolgano                       2   0  1  1    1   4  −3    1

group f @ turnaarde, tempel van turnaarde (6,600)
The Sarian 1–2 Al-Khalifiya
Kriegiersien 0–1 HUElavia

group f                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 HUElavia                      2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Al-Khalifiya                  2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Kriegiersien                  2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
  The Sarian                    2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1

group g @ genehof, waterveld (6,100)
Barunia 0–0 Eastfield Lodge
Tyranis21 4–3 Pratapgadh

group g                       pld   w  d  l   gf  ga  gd  pts 
1 Tyranis21                     2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Pratapgadh                    2   1  0  1    7   5  +2    3
3 Barunia                       2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
4 Eastfield Lodge               2   0  1  1    1   4  −3    1

*tiebreakers: points, h2h, goal difference

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:42 pm

The players on Sarzonia's field hockey team knew it wouldn't be all roses and butterflies. They knew that their winning streak, which reached four matches heading into the first of two battles with Liventia, would eventually end.

They just weren't prepared for how hotly contested the match against their current archrivals would be. The match was level for 58 minutes until the Ko-orenite umpire working the Sarzonian end of the pitch called for a controversial penalty stroke call.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Stars manager Brad Richie screamed, drawing a green card for dissent. Assistant manager Bill Houlder physically got in Richie's way to prevent him from going after the official and drawing a possible red card and automatic one-match suspension.

"Brad! Chill the fuck out! We need you out here against Korpocracy!" Houlder scrunched his eyebrows and looked into the eyes of his onetime teammate and now manager.

"Keep your head in the match," he said. "You've got to keep your composure."

Richie shot the official a glare, then walked away from the players bench. Harbour called out to the defensive unit to mind their assignments, but the top Liventian striker was too much for Matt Marchment, who couldn't handle the shot which he told reporters after the match, "came at me like a knuckeball."

"I can't believe he'd call that shit so late in the match," Richie fumed as he stormed off the pitch, after barely sharing a curt handshake to the Liventian manager and a tight-lipped "good game." The Liventian manager realised Richie was in no mood for any conversation beyond "good match," and if he'd wanted to say anything to Richie, it would have to happen after cooler heads eventually prevailed.

The Sarzonian manager declined to appear for the post-match press conference, and, unbeknownst to any of the Sarzonian media relations staff, showered, dressed and left the venue to go back to the hotel. When Richie got back to the hotel, he saw there was a message waiting for him on the voice mail provided by the hotel. It was some telemarketer. He angrily deleted the message, then heard the phone ring.

"What?!" he snapped as he answered the phone.

"Brad," the voice on the other end intoned in calming dulcet tones. Richie inhaled and exhaled through his mouth slowly. It was Harry Cartwright.

"Coach, I, uh, I'm sorry," Richie said.

"You had a tough result against Liventia," Cartwright said. "I know. I watched the match." Josh [Jacobs, reserve defender] fouled that Liventian middle in the circle."

He was outside the circle Richie remembered screaming at the umpire closest to him. The official looked back at him and said, "It's not my call. Sorry," which led to Richie's tirade. However, Richie realised when he heard it from his former manager that Jacobs committed the foul inside the circle.

"He was about a metre and a half in the circle," Cartwright said. "I knew it as soon as I saw it live on the tele. You didn't have the angle."

He's right, Richie thought.

"There's another important thing I need to talk to you about," Cartwright said. Richie somehow knew what the topic would be, and it was going to be tough for him to hear, even if it was from his mentor.

"You cannot shirk your responsibilities to address the media, win or lose," Cartwright said. "You know how many times I had to get my composure to address the media before we won it? Many, many times.

"Look, I know addressing the media can be challenging at times. It can test your patience with the stupid questions, but you need to be accountable. The media hold managers accountable."

"You're absolutely right, coach," Richie said. "It's just..."

"You were too angry to address the media. That's why the Ko-orenites typically allow the winning manager to address the media first before the losing manager does the same. You get a mandatory cooling off period. You need to use that time constructively. And now, you need to start putting aside this loss and get right on to preparing for your match against Korpocracy. It's on to Korpocracy. Use that as a mantra if you must."

After the phone call, Richie saw his mobile ring with a reporter from The Woodstock Daily Mail. He did a double-take. It was Travis West, the former sports reporter who was now a political reporter.

"Travis?"

"Yes, this is Travis. I had a few questions for you."

Richie raised an eyebrow. His curiosity about why the now famous political reporter calling him regarding his field hockey side was by now overwriting his anger over the Liventia defeat. He also knew that if he brushed off West he'd never hear the end of it from anyone in Sarzonia's sporting hierarchy. He swallowed hard, then replied.

"Go ahead, Travis."

by **Pratapgadh** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 8:55 pm

SORRY FOR THE DELAYED RP! I don't I will post another RP for Matchday 2

Sports
Field Hockey

Pratapgadh Starts Off FHWC 18 Run With A Win

Written by Arjun Mishra

Pratapgadh starts of Field Hockey World Cup 18 run in Ko-oren with a win by defeating Eastfield Lodge. On Matchday 1 of the FHWC 18, Pratapgadh defeats Eastfield Lodge 4-1, and were dominant throughout the match. Bhupendra Rajwa scored 2 goals, Divakar Pandey scored 1 and Arvinder Sewari scored 1 goal, 11 shots on target. Gajanan Mishra (Goalkeeper) saved 5 shots on target by Eastfield Lodge but missed the last one. Pratapgadh made a good start in this tournament and hope to keep their dominance in the game. Pratapgadh will be playing Tyranis21 next and I will discuss about that as well, but before is how the match went, the key highlights and magical moments.

In the first quarter, 1 goal was scored by Bhupendra Rajwa on the 7th minute, assisted by Divakar Pandey. Another 2 shots were made on target on the 10th and and 13th, but the goalkeeper was able to resist those brutal attacks. But later in the second and third quarter, Pratapgadh went all out on the opposition by making 8 shots on target, 3 of them were successful. Divakar Pandey scored a goal on the 23rd minute, and attempted another 2 shots but in vein. Bhupendra Rajwa scored another goal on the 34th minute and Arvinder Sewari too scores an important goal on the 42nd minute. In the fourth quarter, Pratapgadh played defensively and were a bit more relaxed which resulted in a goal on the 48th minute by Eastfield Lodge. But it was too late for them and Pratapgadh took the victory with 3 more goals than Eastfield Lodge. The magic moment of the day was by Salman Farooqi when he saved a goal on the 52nd minute. When Gajanan Mishra (GK) missed the ball completely, Salman Farooqi came diving in to stop a crucial goal for the Eastfield Lodge to turn the game around. After Salman Farooqi saved the goal, people knew Pratapgadh will finish with a victory.

After the match I talked to the head coach, Mukesh Agarwal, the captain Divakar Pandey, and the player of the day Bhupendra Rajwa. This what Mukesh Agarwal had to say after their great performance, "Great game and a great start to this world cup with a victory. Our team kept were dominant most of the time and I am really proud of them for their dedication and hardwork. We will be working on our fitness and hope to win the next match as well." This is what Divakar Pandey, the captain, said after the match "Well played today, we were working really hard towards this world cup and it is working. Our aggressive play also helped us a lot today and the defense was amazing recently. As Mukesh sir said, we would need to work a bit more on our fitness but other than that we are ready for the next game." I asked him how Bhupendra Rajwa played and what is his plan for the next game, he said "Bhupendra played really well today, two exceptional goals and probably our best centre forward till date. He is very swift and agile and probably the fittest in the team as well. He is a key player for us. And about the plan for the next game, I won't go into much detail, all I would say is that we would have an aggressive play in that game as well." The final person I talked to after the match was the king and player of the day, Bhupendra Rajwa, I asked him how he felt after his great perfomance "Lot of hardwork and dedication went into this competition. I practice and work out a lot to be in the best shape possible for this competition. I would especially like to thank Mukesh sir for me helping me get better in the game."

The fans too were thrilled today after the match, and are excited for the next match. Well that is all for today, have a great day and subscribe to Daily Pratapgadh Sports to watch follow Pratapgadh sports and live matches for only S$3.99 (NS$1.99) per month. Pratapgadh were aggressive and dominant today and wish them luck for their future matches. Whatever the result, best of luck of Pratapgadh! (Sorry for copying your phrase Rajeev)

by **Kriegiersien** » Wed Feb 05, 2020 5:47 am

Loss against HUElavia leaves Kriegiersien hockey team stunt

Olympic Qualification in danger?

After the draw against The Sarian (2-2) the match against HUElavia was important to see how the road to the next Olympics is paved.
And it looks like a bumpy ride.
The qualification for the Play-Offs appears to become very hard now. The team wasn't able to score from open play against The Sarian and couldn't even score against HUElavia (0-1) at all.
"We knew that they are the team to beat for first place and played good in the defense. But we just couldn't create enough chances ourselfes", explained coach Mike Stick, while his wife and second coach Maike complained that the team, even though assembled many month ago, didn't have enough international testgames after the last Olympics. "Brancaland, Dàguó or Maxtopia just doesn't cut it."

With the new order from the President himself, that the international Tournaments count as internal Olympic Qualification, the pressure is even higher than usual.

"We don't even know what exactly we have to accomplish. Previously it was just 'win a medal at the tournament or die', now we don't know when the cut comes. It is all so uncertain", the scorer of the only two goals, Everett Oakley, complained.

Missing the Olympics because of a too bad result after the new, but not stated, standards were forced on all Kriegiersien athletes, would be a historical first for field hockey, since Kriegiersien participates at the Olympics.

Mental Coach Jane Patrick didn't seem concerned. "They are thinking too much. Once they had enorm pressure. Now they have the chance to show what they can and with some good matches save everything. Their lives, the qualification for these Olympics... I think they shouldn't worry", he said, while smiling and playing with a finger trap.

by **Lisander** » Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:59 am

Field Hockey

FHWC: Lisander wins two in a row and leads group A!

The Field Hockey World Cup is going very good! Our girls, led by Larissa Viterbo and Pia St. Marie, earned its second win in two games, this time, against the hosts, Ko-oren. Seems like our girls are quite better than our boys, who weren't able to defeat the Dragonflies yet.

In Lisander, especially in the Soria Metropolis, there is an "unwritten" common sense that the female counterpart to Rugby is Field Hockey, no matter the sports are clearly different. For a long time, females wouldn't play rugby and males wouldn't play hockey, it's something cultural and viewed by concerned entities as utterly despicable sexism. The gender barrier still exists, but today we have some female rugby teams and some male field hockey teams. Yet, they lack training, preparation and support from the traditional big clubs.

Larissa Viterbo, here pictured playing for RRC Winterburg (blue/white)
of Rhaecian Hoofdklasse against Api Stellvor (black/yellow).

In the World Cup, the results up to now were both narrow victories, two 1-0s. The game of last afternoon, in the beautiful Hazel Arena, Straudum, ended with some discreet booing to the loser team, the hosts. The only goal of the last match was scored by Rebecca Deventer, after the rebound of a penalty corner at 42'. But for the first participation of our team in the tournament, I'm quite impressed. They're gaining momentum and the expectations are growing. Larissa Viterbo proved why she's one of the better players of its generation, even if she left Metropolitan League to play in Hoofdklasse and study in Rhaecia. Her skills hadn't faded. She's a playmaker, distributing balls in the midfield, keeping the possession and passing with millimetric precision. Nearly 70% of the changes in the first two games started with her, much like Christian Nantel and Saber Neville do in the football national team.

Next game against Lo Santano will define the group first place halfway the group stage, and ever since we're sitting on the throne, this is not permanent. But there's no intention of keep forcing the planned starter 11 because of that. Coach Anne-Marie Friel already said she'll save most the starters and give space to reserves, that are mostly U-23s. There will be lots of eyes in some names like Ambrosia Monteiro, MVP and Highest scorer of the last LAN tournament and recently promoted to the Trinity College 1s, and Alice Deventer, another college diamond who recently joined the Club d'Escrime, where her sisters Patricia and Rebecca play, as a goalkeeper.

Knowing Friel, she'll probably give an opportunity to all the reserves, or at least a part of them to start. (EDIT: She already revealed the starters list against Lo Santano, see below)

In other groups, the situation is very variable. In Group B, our fellow Imperan nation of Rhaecia have two draws, and it isn't really over for the blue crossed ladies since the group leaders only have one victory each. In Group C the teams to fear are Sarzonia and Liventia, who faced in a fierce game with a win to Liventians. Surprisingly, Korpocracy leads them, but I highly doubt they would take so long to retake. Group D is mathematically tied, even in goal difference. There's no way to say something right now. Group E has Xanneria going just like Lisander, but with one win advantage to second place. HUElavia has the lead in group F under the same conditions, and the group H has a surprisingly Tyranis in the first place, overpowering both Pratapgadh and Barunia.

UPDATE, 14h24: Anne-Marie Friel revealed the starter 11 for next game against Lo Santano. The team will start playing with:
A.Deventer;
Dantes, Granat, Chagny;
Carter, Bouvier, Viterbo (c), Bournier;
Ferrer, Castell, Monteiro.

by **Barunia** » Wed Feb 05, 2020 9:02 am

Days before the start of the World Cup, it was revealed that each player on the national team would recieve a payout of $17,500 Barunian Tildas per game, a remarkable salary given that a Premier League player earns roughly $350,000 a season, or around $10,000 a game. So what has Barunia got for their money? As it happens, not much. While the defence has been solid under the coaching of former goalkeeper Tiffany Grouch, the forwards have been frankly pathetic. Poor decision-making and even worse execution has cost Los Lunas, who have failed to get the ball into the goal once in two games. Sarah Thorpe-Martinez, whose usually reliable striking guided Delmars City to back-to-back preierships, has been missing in action, as has Brown, Elwes, Burroughs, and the rest of the forward pack. The situation is even worse in the midfield, with Hughes sometimes finding herself the only Barunian in the middle, as the forwards run behind the defenders in the circle and the halfbacks hang back, seemingly confused by their new roles under Grouch. Even with these mistakes though, it should have been possible to get some points on the board through penalty corners. The team were awarded 6 against Tyranis21 but failed to convert any, and missed a further 3 chances against Eastfield Lodge. A 0-9 conversion rate from set pieces emphasises that this team is confused and under-prepared for the tournament.

Much of the blame for such a lack of preparedness must be laid on the shoulders of the coach. Many critics raised concerns when Grouch was named as sole coach, rather than as an assistant under someone with more experience. Her lack of top-flight experience - currently, a single season with the Lilyford Dolphins is the extent of her first-class coaching - has shown in the way the team has lacked discipline or a clear understanding of plans. Watching the team play, it is painfully clear that the team have no real strategy for scoring goals, and are running forward more in hope than with any clear idea or strategy. Grouch seems to be single-mindedly focused on defending goals and is leaving the scoring up to the players to decide. This is the kind of mindset one might expect from a goalkeeper such as Grouch was, but she isn't a keeper anymore. If she wants to keep coaching this side, she is going to need to look outside the defensive bubble and start giving the forwards some clear instruction. Or at least start with the midfield.

Barunia are almost guaranteed to be out of the tournament. First place is out of reach, although 2nd-place team will go also go through in order to make up the 8 for the quarterfinals. Barunia could steal 2nd-place in the group with a win over Pratapgadh, but they would need results across all 7 groups to go exactly their way to have any chance of winning that coveted final spot in the top 8. More likely, Barunia will crash out in unceremonius fashion from a tournament they would have been favoured to go far in. But at least the players will take home $52,500 for their lacklustre effort. The question is, do they deserve it?

Perhaps the question is irrelevant, giving that the Barunian Hockey Federation is unlikely to cut the salary, having been warned off such a move by the recent football saga, which serves as a cautionary tale. When the Barunian Football Association cut the salary for world cup qualifiers, citing poor performances, the backlash from the Player's Association resulted in no national team contesting the qualifiers for (Football) World Cup 84. The BHF will cretainly not want that to happen, especially with the infrequency of Field Hockey World Cups. But while it had disasterous short-term implicatons, the BFA's actions have resulted in a new pay system that rewards players for achieving set goals, rather than mediocre performances. If Hockey is brave, they will learn from this example, and consider introducing similar reform, for the good of the sport.

by **HUElavia** » Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:04 pm

HUElavia beings FHWC 18 with 2 victories!

HUElavia came into this tournament as a possible favorite to make some noise in the tournament, and up to now they have made noise. Los Amarillos have started their campaign with two victories against Al-Khalifiya and Kriegiersien, each at the very minimum of 1-0. Up to now, the matches have been very even, with HUElavia scoring very late into the match.

The first game against Al-Khalifiya saw the winning goal come in at the final 30 seconds of the game, as a pass from Silva met the stick of Moreno, who blasted it into the net to give HUElavia a great start to the tournament. The second game against Kriegiersien saw the goal come in with two and a half minutes left, as a pass from wonderkid Chang met the stick of Santos to score the winner Saunders. Kriegiersien tried to score a goal, but Los Amarillos held out and got another 3 points from the bare minimum.

The next two games for HUElavia will be against The Sarian, with HUElavia playing as the home team, while the following one will be Al-Khalifiya. HUElavia needs about two more wins in order to guarantee a qualification to the Quarter-Finals, which would be a massive improvement from the Group Stage exit in FHWC 17.

A small group of fans have attended the matches, but the team expect to see more fans as the tournament progresses, especially if HUElavia continues getting victories. The team is confident that they can do well in this tournament, although they do believe they need to score more goals in order to give a better name for themselves.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Ko-oren** » Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:39 pm

Election Results are In!

Victories for Meritocrats, Democrats, Midori, Internationals, Liberal Economics - Losses for Labour, Liberal, Nationalist, Vert&Bleu - Historical losses for Labour and Liberal

There are winners and losers in every election. Where the Liberal Party hoped to become the largest party in parliament, combining their 5 regional seats with 8 more seats gained in the election three years ago, they have only gotten four seats today. With that, they are still tied for second, whereas they banked on six or seven seats. That means that the Democratic Party is the largest party after today, with seven added seats for 18 total. Overall, the electorate clearly gave a message: more attention to the outer regions of the country, less focus on international relations, the environment is paramount, and the economy should be let free a little more. There is no big shift in the meritocracy-democracy axis, which remains more or less in the middle.

We wake up to a Ko-oren that's only gone for small changes, wishing for small tweaks in favour of the periphery and a liberal economy, while not going overboard too much. Support for a downright planned economy dwindles to just 38% of parliament, while support for a liberal economy rises to 54%. Overall, there are still much more pro-international parliamentarians (49% in favour) versus nationalist parliamentarians (46% in favour) or regionalising seats (36%) but the shift is clear, and the gap between those factions was much bigger. The only remaining voting block that has more than 55% support across the entire parliament is the pro-environment movement, at 77%.

Democrats to become largest section in the 48-seat contingent - Meritocrats and Regionals follow closely

Across all 144 seats, the Democratic Party has become the largest party for the first time in its history. It isn't a large lead, and Ko-orenite parties never have had large leads in general. Before today, the Meritocrats were the largest party by a tiny margin, and they remain the second largest at 17 seats, just one behind the Democrats. Behind them, we now find the PdRegions, perhaps the largest surprise. The PdRegions has always been a fringe party, supported by a few people on the outer edges of the archipelago, but they have now become a massive force. It's not just Yoshima that feels different - it's also Aerellen, Mawryshire, Finisterre, West Strand Riding - and they've gotten support from voters all across the archipelago. Not just the periphery, but the centre as well. Ko-oren has long been a country divided by languages, but maybe this has grown into something more. The language issue is something we can deal with, but the push for more autonomy to the least conforming areas might be a swing back to several centuries ago. The metronome effect, where voters sway back and forth concering an issue, is in full force and we have probably witnessed the point in time where support for a central government fades and we might be in for more regional flavour.

Field Hockey World Cup 18 Everything Thread

Field Hockey World Cup 18 Everything Thread

Pratapgadh National Field Hockey Team

Who is online

Number	Name	Age	Position	Birthplace
Starting
#12	Bhupendra Rajwa	23	Forward	Gurdaspur, Gurdaspur District, Eastern Punjab
#32	Arvinder Sewari	22	Forward	Chandigarh, Chandigarh District, Eastern Punjab
#66	Prem Thakkar	24	Forward	Vadodara, Vadodara District, Gujarat
#84	Divakar Pandey (C)	28	Forward	Hanumangarh, Hanumangarh District, Rajputana
#80	Devilal Pandey	25	Forward	Hanumangarh, Hanumangarh District, Rajputana
#39	Kailash Deshmukh	26	Midfielder	Trimbakeshwar, Nashik District, Maratha Pradesa
#60	Bhaskara	27	Midfielder	Takshashila, Ompur District, Western Punjab
#40	Adorbad Naanwala	23	Midfielder	Bhavnagar, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat
#9	Salman Farooqi	28	Defender	Rajendragadh, Rajendragadh District, Sindh
#11	Gourinandan Nandi (VC)	29	Defender	Suryapur, Suryapur District, Gujarat
#51	Gajanan Mishra	25	Goalkeeper	Chittorgarh (Capital), Chittorgarh District, Rajputana
Substitutes
#78	Talwar Handal	22	Forward	Amritsar, Amritsar District, Eastern Punjab
#72	Bisman Sodhi	21	Forward	Gurugram, Gurugram District, Eastern Punjab
#99	Bheem Phogat	19	Forward	Pandavaprastha, Pandavaprastha District, Eastern Punjab
#3	Dilip Sarabhai	20	Midfielder	Karnavati, Karnavati District, Gujarat
#22	Zarhawar Barazani	22	Midfielder	Pushpapur, Pushpapur District, Gandhaara
#18	Kaushal Srivastava	21	Midfielder	Bundi, Bundi District, Rajputana
#47	Hrithik Dhanuka	19	Defender	Jodhpur, Jodhpur District, Rajputana
#59	Kushal Rawat	24	Defender	Ajayamer, Ajayamer District, Rajputana
#7	Vijay Deshpande	23	Defender	Mumbai, Mumbai District, Maratha Pradesa
#96	Dwaraka Shastri	21	Defender	Chittorgarh, Chittorgarh District, Rajputana
#15	Arjun Thakur	19	Goalkeeper	Indraprastha, Indraprastha District, Eastern Punjab
#5	Hafeez Bukhari	21	Goalkeeper	Ompur, Ompur District, Western Punjab