Di Bradini Cup 47/U21WC68 Everything Thread

[Trolleborg]

It was a difficult year for Hendrick Kerr. Too many problems had fallen on him. He was the first Trolleborgian coach to try out what international football competitions looks like, with all the ensuing consequences, such as heavy responsibility before country and serious stress. And the debut, as it seemed at first, would be amazing, since after two victories in two matches the team secured a place in the playoffs of the 9th U18 WC. Then, however, there was a defeat in the match with Free Republics, and after that team lost to the Siovania and Teusland, hosts of the championship, in Round of 16. But these were logical and understandable defeats, both opponents experienced, saw everything in world football and worked heavily on the field. But how to explain to yourself and people what happened at the 10th U18 WC in Taeshan? And although no one - neither players, nor FA directors, nor fans, not even social networks – put a blame on him, Hendrick still felt a heavy sense of guilt. Having endowed by such high position, he did not making much good for his country.
Trolleborg young lads clearly capable to overcome opposition of sort they found in their group stage games in Taeshan, since these teams didn’t show anything on the field, but here you go: the ridiculous rebound in the first match deprived the team a well-deserved victory, and in the second and third matches trolleborgians was simply killed referees, with full connivance of match officials. Again and again, Hendrick involuntarily returns his thoughts to the sad moment when, after the completion of the group stage, he consoled the guys on the field and went to bow to the fans with them. Eveyone and everything around tell that you are not to blame for anything, the biased rules of world football are guilty, plus evil fate and unskilled refereeing, but the unpleasant feeling of your own powerlessness remains.

And calmness is not what expected today. Considering the peculiarities of world football, due to which the ranking of the teams and the blind chance are mainly taken into account, the group stage of our national team’s does not promise any laurels. Opponents of Trolleborg was our old qualifying acquaintances, Sarzonia (65th in KPB rankings) and Terre Septentrionale (42nd), and in addition team of Mriin (18th).

Our team is preparing to enter the field in the first match of U21 WC in Valanora. As we learned, not all players arrived in optimal physical conditions, so the head coach has certain problems with the selection of the squad, and most likely, our flank players will have to work twice, if not thrice as much, as they can. Players are now intensifying preparations for the first game, which will be held today,

the opponent will be the Sarzonia team. Sarzonia had a great season at all levels, and our guys will have a very difficult game, but, by the way, right now there are no easy and simple matches for our players.
Of course, our fans in serious numbers already make themselves visible on the streets and stadium

Lineup as follows

[Hapilopper]

The Hapilopper Under-21 National Football Team

Full nation name: The Dominion of Hapilopper
Trigramme: HAP
Nicknames: The Thrashers, The Haps
Team Colors: Blue, Green and White

Info:
The under-21 Hapilopper National Football Team started off strong last year, winning the third place game in its first Di Bradini Cup last year. The team remains intact this year, although a few players have been picked off by teams from other nations. Claire Randall and Tyrone Barrett, two of the top goal-scorers in the last DBC, now play for teams in Baker Park and Banija, respectively. This will be the last time that this original Under-21 team will participate in a Di Bradini Cup, as most of the team will age out this year. Nevertheless, they are expected to compete and run with some of the best in international football.

MANAGER/HEAD COACH: Larry Johnson
ASSISTANT MANAGER: Carlos Jenner
ASSISTANT COACH: Mack Grenville
GOALKEEPING COACH: James Butts
TRAINER: Campbell Witherspoon
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Marion Macey
PHYSIO: Shannon Plaskett

The Fans:
Typically, Hapiloppian fans, including the members of the "Traveling Thrashers" supporters group are among the wildest fans in sport, and promise to be exactly that for the World Cup. Expect to see fans dancing along to 1970s funk music, slamming drums as loudly as possible, waving their flags, and throwing streamers for every Hapiloppian goal. Hapiloppians like to have fun and they'll find ways to get under the opposing team's skin, within reason, of course. They travel well, they make the most of it, and they'll make your Di Bradini Cup a memorable one, in a good way.

Uniforms:

From left: The team's primary kit, the secondary kit and the goalkeeper's kit.

These uniforms, as seen here, are the HNFT's designated regular season kits. Should Hapilopper, make the knockout stage of the Di Bradini Cup, the team will unveil a gaudier, livelier uniform for its team to wear. These uniforms, the "playoff specials," are a Hapiloppian sports tradition, and a tradition held very dear since the early 1970s when the West Hampton Royals introduced the "playoff special" to the Hapiloppian sports culture.

The Players:
(Starting players in green, typical subs in red)

GOALKEEPERS:
## POS Player                 Age Team
 1 GOL Patrick Milburn         21 Buckridge University
30 GOL Brandon Varnham         19 City University - Northside
35 GOL Dorian Taylor           20 City University - Westside

DEFENDERS:
 2 DEF Neil Bryant             20 City University - Riverview
 3 DEF Kendrick Ayers          21 Capital City United
 4 DEF Dillon Randolph         21 United Hampton Cities
 5 DEF Dale Trenton            20 Pinkerton State University
40 DEF Leon Morse              20 Buckridge University
41 DEF Hunter Atkins           21 Garvinson Trojans
42 DEF Trent Skinner           20 North Hampton State University


MIDFIELDERS:
 6 DMD Fernie Fairburn         21 Surrey Perimeter College
 7 DMD Dean Anson              19 Surrey Perimeter College
 8 CMD August Burton           20 Capital FC (Xanneria)
 9 OMD Calvin Pettigrew        21 H.C. Highway Patrol
10 OMD Ryan Buckley            20 City University - Northside
21 MID Scott Raines            20 Raceway Football Club
22 MID Derrick Dixon           21 Highway Patrol Academy
23 MID Orson Bonham            19 United Hampton Cities

FORWARDS:
11 FWD Claire Randall          20 Clayton City Ladies FC (Baker Park)
12 FWD Tyrone Barrett          19 Rukunbi FC (Banija)
14 FWD Virgil Mallory          20 Border City State College
15 FWD Peter Robson            18 Surrey Perimeter College

Style Mod: +4.5

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but TG me if you want to do something serious
Godmod injuries to my players: TG me first, or ping me on the NS Sports Discord, and we'll talk about it
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: TG me first, or ping me on the NS Sports Discord, and we'll talk about it
Godmod other events: Yes, but TG me first

[Banija]

Vijana Kadongo Kamu prepare for next U21 World Cup with high expectations for youngsters in Valanora

RAYNOR CITY, VALANORA- The Di Bradini Cup is not a tournament that the RBSA have been consistent about entering. There are many nations that strive to get their youth national teams to the Sporting World Cup and the Di Bradini Cup every time. But it has never been the RBSA's vision to do that, as they have entered the tournament just three times- DBC 42, DBC 44, and now, DBC 47. But the RBSA, who generally focuses on just a singular youth tournament per cycle, has never shied away from the importance of youth tournaments. Robel Ezera, the present Chairman of the RBSA, told us that Banijan respect for the importance of these tournaments is why they are not here every single time. "We cannot make the U21 World Cup something that is simply old hat to our youngsters." He told reporters in a press conference, when announcing the RBSA's intention to reform the Vijana Kadongo Kamu for this tournament in Valanora. "It is indeed a special tournament, and for something that happens so consistently, it is our duty to impress upon our young people the importance of taking advantage of this opportunity. As many of us know, it is hard to impress upon young people of how time is fleeting. The desire to win is there. The desire to compete is there. But to understand that life doesn't give you second chances, especially pursuing a sporting career, you cannot approach it like there are limited opportunities. That's why the RBSA doesn't compete in back to back Di Bradini Cups, or even here, when we didn't compete in any youth national team tournaments at all last cycle."

And there you have it. But of course, the RBSA can understand how a good Di Bradini Cup can kickstart a run. This present generation of players with the senior national team have taken Banija up quite a few rungs in the international ladder. They went from mid-level qualifying side with very little World Cup prospects, to World Cup fixtures, to making deep runs in back to back World Cups, with an AOCAF Final run thrown in there. From middling to just singular rung below elite. And where did that all start? Many say that it started, of course, with the World Cup 79 Qualifying run. Their first, brief flirtation with competing for a World Cup Finals spot, although that was never going to happen with an ascendant Eshan and a dominant Chromatika in their group. The ensuing AOCAF was their first real breakthrough. But the expectations of winning? It would be that Di Bradini 42 side. The one that took the World Cup by storm.

So many important members of the national team were on that squad. Of course, most famously, it was Gitonga Kahara who first vaulted into the national conversation when he tore through that tournament, leading the Vijana Kadongo Kamu to a shocking bronze medal finish. But so many important members of the senior national side here in the first half of the 80s were on that team. Just take a look at that roster, and look at how many of those players panned out in international duty. Marcus Waters, then just the assistant manager for the senior team but the manager for that DBC team, got a ton of credit for how he managed the team to a Third Place Finish, and that performance ensured he got the interim management job in World Cup 80 Qualifying- and he's been the manager for the senior side ever since. 9 of that team's 11 starters ended up starting at least one competitive match for the Kadongo Kamu at some point down the line. 8 of those starters have played in World Cup Finals matches. Poor Ndothusile Mandela and Bai Sanyang, the team's only two starters who never got a callup for the senior national team.

As that DBC squad forms the core of the Kadongo Kamu right now, the next generation is starting to rise up. Now, of course, there was the DBC 44 squad, but they didn't get out of their group, being eliminated via a coin flip. The importance of youth being able to rise together through a youth tournament cannot be understated. They grow together, they'll learn how to play together, experience both success and failure as a group on an international level. That's why the Sporting World Cup 8 side, that won the tournament for the Banijans, was so crucial. Many of those players, now four years later, are coming together to play for this team. Some, of course, are not. Mzukisi Nzo, Demba Kinteh, and Idai Uster, three of that team's most important players, have already began to make contributions to the senior team, and therefore were left off the roster. Marcus Waters told reporters that it wasn't good for players health to be playing both the World Cup Finals and the U21 World Cup in the same summer, as their bodies needed a break at some point.

Those are the next generation's budding stars. Nzo, in fact, is probably already there, having been sold by the Hoima Warriors in the transfer window for a staggering 8 figure sum. The DBC 42 side is certainly Banija's golden generation. But can the SWC 8/DBC 47 generation become the next great generation of Banijans, rising to the standard set by the generation that gave us superstars like Gitonga Kahara? This DBC 47 side is looking to take that mantle. But in this sport, absolutely nothing is guaranteed. But they've got their silverware, the U18 World Cup, already there. Adding a second piece of silverware for the same generation, at the youth level, would be almost unprecedented. But that is the task given to George Wangolo, that is given to this team.

Which players will strive to make a name for themselves? There are plenty of interesting prospects to watch. But we aren't going to go through each of the final 23- there's only so much print space we have. The first player we will talk about, is Idi Mboge. He was widely seen as the best player in the Banijan Youth League last season, and will almost certainly sign with a BSL side going into next season. However, the Banijan/Mriin dual-national has long believed to have a preference for playing for Mriin at the senior level. He was born and raised in Maal, before moving to Banija to advance his footballing career. He has always refused to comment on who he would play for at the senior level, although both sides, as talented as they are, would be difficult to break into. Of course, maybe surprisingly, he isn't projected as a starter, as Musa Gaye is presently starting ahead of him.

Another player to watch for is Samba Ogunsola. Rukunbi FC is surely loving this tournament, as two of their starters will be playing here, and against each other- Samba Ogunsola, a starting winger for them, and Tyrone Barrett, their starting striker, suiting up for Hapilopper. Winger is a notoriously tough place to break into the Kadongo Kamu. Gitonga Kahara is a permanent fixture at one winger spot, and so it is just a brawl for the other spot. Nwabudike Ugonna held onto it for the World Cup 84 cycle, but with Madu Okparra making the big money move to Raynor City United, he's expected to make a run at the spot opposite Kahara. There's also Alanso Tamba, plying his trade in the Nepharim Premiership. There's a backlog of Banijan talent at the position playing in the multiverse's elite leagues, so it's hard to say when the next generation of wingers will get a chance to shine. But Ogunsola will surely look to take advantage of his opportunity here, to see if he can garner some sort of an invite to camp.

And, of course, watch for BSL scouts to be on the prowl. The Banijan Soccer League has seemed to accept its current place in the multiverse- while quickly rising up the ranks, they are still nowhere close to the level of the elite. Aaron Aiza might be the first and last signing of an international star in his prime. The best players are destined to go elsewhere- so scouting for the future stars, getting them when they are young, and investing in players before they are inevitably bought by a bigger foreign club(usually Vanorian), is a good strategy. Sorcha Longergan, who is now playing for the Brenecian national team, was loaned by the Herzegovina Phoenix and played a major role in their defense, that led them to a IFCF appearance. You saw that happen at the last AOCAFs, when Lakiska SC brought in Goalkeeper Carlton Sandt of Sarzonia. You saw it happen with Tyrone Barrett, of Hapilopper. There are young players that are ready to contribute in the BSL right now, and if the investment pans out, they can make money. This is even more important for non Super 5 clubs, whose talent can be poached by the league's biggest clubs, as well as even larger foreign clubs.

BSL scouts will be out in full force at this tournament. Valanora is close- also in the Glorious Southwest. It's not hard for scouts to get over here. And its' already started, to be honest. Kitara Athletic Association has already put pen to paper with Starblaydia U21 winger Betanni Jetvanna to replace Okparra. They're a non Super 5 team that has to spend wisely to realize their IFCF ambitions- and they expect to do so. The Herzegovina Phoenix will also expect to be around here. And Busukuma AC- a Super 5 side, but since they are essentially rebuilding their team from top to bottom, are expected to make a signing or two. It'll be a very interesting tournament for the future of Banijan football- both club and national.

We'll be back for Banija's opening game, taking place right here in Raynor City, as Banija take on Chromatika. As always, go Banija!

[Appalachian Nation]

APPALACHIAN U-21 TEAM

This team consists of member of the coed Under 21 team, some have gone pro, while others are in College still, most have expirience in the U-18 WC in Siovana & Teujsland.

STAFF

COACH: Hank Goodfellow (47yrs)
ASSITANT COACH: Buddy Rattcliffe (70yrs)
GK COACH: Marv Metzenger (34yrs)

[pre]ROSTER: Sarters in BOLD (3-4-3 formation)

Forwards
#8 Glydia Sinclair - Crescent Moon FC
#22 Peter Pabst Jr - Ashtabula Ports FC
#5 Todd Winecroft - Piedmont Pilots FC
#32 Marco DiPhillpe - Charlotte University
#11 Thomas Branson - SACC
#3 Jeff Branson - SACC

Midfielders
#6 Tonya Richards-Blakely (ROM) - Jamestown City Ladies FC (Baker Park)
#23 Phillip Del Greco (DM) - Pitt FC
#44 Vernon Heaves (DM) - Johnson City
#9 Jimmie Ray Jansen (LOM) - University of Northern Penn
#19 Barry Babcock (LOM) - Samurai Cop AC (Starcom Racing)
#33 Landon Phelps (ROM) - Wise College
#30 Kyron Halsey (DM) - West Appalachia University

Defenders
#78 Pablo Pastorious - Northshore FC (Xanneria)
#34 Dan - Union Laguada (Xanneria)
#91 Ralph Shaprer - Gauldashian Gray's (Starcom Racing)
#8 Max Bennett - The Koopa Troop (A Mushroom Kingdom)
#27 Kenny Jay Halliday - Roanoke-Salem Twins FC
#38 Blair Caudill - University of Radford

Goalkeepers
#1 Shawn Morton - Lynchburg Highlands FC
#00 Terry Orfenberer - Univeristy of East Appalachia

Style Mod: +4

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but TG me if you want to do something that would keep a player out of the next game
Godmod injuries to my players: TG me first, or ping me on the NS Sports Discord, and we'll talk about it
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, but TG me first

[Bears Armed]

Bears Armed

‘The Bear-Belles’

National football organisation: ‘Bears Armed Association for Soccer’ (= ‘BAAS’).
BAAS Chairbear: SurrannaSunDaughter (clan= Sun; female Ursine; formerly manager of ‘Sun Valley Smashers’, one of the country’s leading teams, after being their chief coach and also playing for them in various roles for several years; age = 50, fur = golden-brown, left-pawed, now wears glasses.)
National anthem (for sports): ‘The Banner Green And Gold’.
Official supporters' organisation: 'Arri's Furry Army'.

Yes, this team is using the nickname generally associated with the nation’s ‘main’ team: They never settled on a definitive one for the U21 squads, and there isn’t a main team at present to object, so…
Yes, it’s an all-female team again. As I’ve explained before, this is because the main ball-game that's traditionally been played in Bears Armed is actually closer to being a form of Rugby, but [for several reasons] that sport’s “proper” teams are all-male and so some females who wanted to make it as players decided that switching to Soccer — and trying to establish a professional league for that sport for themselves instead — might be a viable alternative: They were right, because that professional league was founded shortly after WC44 and so has now been in operation for over an eightSquared of years.

All of the players and support staff are actual Ursines (i.e. anthropomorpic, bipedal Bears)], except for any whom I actually specify as being members of other ‘peoples’ instead. The Harr'aynau people are physically human (more-or-less, anyway, although inclined towards heavy builds & hairiness), but are spiritually & culturally Ursine instead.

As far as Bears Armed is concerned, this tournament is taking place in the Urssish calendar’s year 4218 which is basically equivalent in the Gregorian calendar to April-December 2027AD & January-March 2024AD. That’s despite the fact that, according to Bears Armed’s previous timeline for sporting events, DBC #29 took place in the year 2100AD and so the “current” date really should be somewhere around 2172AD instead: This fact might be considered in my RP…

Only four of the players who went from the DBC#46-winning squad into the Belles’ ‘main’ team for WC#84’s qualifying stage are still young enough to play here as well, and all four of those have been included in this line-up: One of them also played in COH#76, but the other three were detached from the ‘main’ team before that contest so that they could help to select other players for this squad instead. Most of the coaching staff was also appointed during that break, because the DBC#46 team’s coaches are now mostly working with the Belles’ ‘main’ team instead, but other staff are mostly shared by the two squads. This squad’s players & coaching staff have therefore had approximately a year in which — in between their other commitments, to clubs and/or education — they could & did practice working together.

_______________________________________________________

Staff

Manager: Urrsara Northgate _ Clan = Urrset; female Ursine; a former Deputy Manager & Chief Coach at ‘Sun Valley Smashers’ (one of the nation’s top teams);had spent 6 years in such roles, after 5 years as a player (as Forward, Midfielder, and Lynchpin) there and 7 years before that (mostly as a Midfielder) at River City, before she was appointed to this job nine years ago. She is responsible for the entire ‘Bear-Belles’ system, not just for the U21s, so leaves most details about the U21s to their own Chief Coach & her staff. (Age = 43; fur = reddish light-brown, left-pawed; speaks Ursine and English.)

Chief Coach: Marra Urrth’hrra Norr-Vurra _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; formerly the Attacking Coach at ‘Merlchester Rovers’ (another of the nation’s top teams), and had spent 5 years in such roles after 9 years as a player (as Forward and Winger) there before she was appointed to the same job with the Belles nine years ago; transferred specifically to the U21s programme, and promoted to Chief Coach, after WC84’s qualifying stage but before COH76. (Age = 38, fur = medium-brown, left-pawed; speaks English, Ursine, Arttorranick, and German).
Attacking Coach: Erreenie o SouthWoods _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; played as a Forward [or sometimes a Winger, or as an [Attacking] Midfielder] for PassPort Athletic from age 17 to age 22, and then moved in the same role to Mighty Redwoods for 7 years before transferring to the latter team’s coaching staff for 5 years; appointed to this job after the WC#84 qualifying stage. Age = 35, left-pawed, fur = medium-dark brown; speaks Ursine, English, French, Ouesttree, and some German; faith = Ursionity and ‘One Plus Seven’.

Defending Coach: Harroya Longerdusk _ Clan = Urrset; female Ursine; played variously as a Back, Lynchpin, and Midfielder, firstly at ‘Four Forts United’ for 7 years and then with ‘NorthPort Navigators’ for 8 years (both teams being in the ‘Northern League’) before she returned to the former team for 6 years as a coach; appointed to this job after the WC#84 qualifying stage. Age = 39, left-pawed, fur = dark chestnut; speaks Ursine, English, and Norren; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’

Goalkeeping Coach: Marranna O Jherran _ Clan = Jherran Habbahr; female Ursine; played as Goalkeeper and occasionally as Back for several amateur and semi-pro teams between the ages of 16 & 24 (with various ‘day jobs’, mostly of a clerical nature, alongside this), her professional footballing career was 12 years as a goalie at PassPort Athletic (where her stay overlapped with Erreenie’s…) and then 4 year ditto at Mighty Hercuam; this is actually her first full-time coaching position, although she helped with Mighty Herrchaum’s youth side while she was playing there, and she was appointed to this after the WC#84 qualifying stage. Age = 41, right-pawed, fur = strawberry-blonde; Ursine, English, some Ouesttree and some German; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’.

Physical Conditioning Coach: Karramarsar Arrnha_ Clan = Ostbora; female Ursine; was appointed to this job shortly after DBC45, and was previously involved in training her clan’s militia (with the rank of ‘Senior Sergeant’) for which she is still a reservist. Also worked with the Belles’ ‘main’ team during WC84 qualifiers, but not during COH76. (Age = [she’s not saying, but probably late thirties], fur = light-brown, either-pawed; speaks Ruottsan, Ursine, Herr’-Harr’aynau, English [with an accent, although she might sometimes be exaggerating that a bit], and some French. She is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.

”Drink more tea: Tea is beink good for you.”

Apprentice Coach (Attacking): Karra Brent _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; began her international footballing career at the age of 14, while still a pupil at Holy Ternian’s School, as a Forward/Winger in the squad with which the Bear-Belles re-entered international competition at DBC#45; after leaving school, became a professional footballer with LakePort Lionesses; played as a Forward for the Bear-Belles in DBC#46 (as their most prolific goal-scorer…), WC#84’s qualifying stage, and COH#76; she was appointed to this job after the latter contest, but continues to train with the Belles’ senior team too and is expected to be among its players for the next World Cup — however far the Belles get in that — as well; still on the Lionesses’ books as a legal technicality, but no longer plays for [or is paid by] them on a regular basis. Age = 22, either-pawed, fur = golden-brown, quite large & very powerful for her age, fast & nimble, with very good eyesight even by human standards; apparently fearless, and has better control over her temper than might have been the case back around the time of DBC45; she is a cousin of the internationally famous journalist/broadcaster Bark Brent, and is emphatically not “a survivor of the doomed planet Krapton”…

Deputy Manager (Admin): Judith Gold _ Free Sept = The Exodus; “ursomorphic” Human, female, follows a moderate form of Judaism; seconded from BAAS head office nine years ago. She is Urrsarra Northgate’s ‘right-hand bear’ for the entire ‘Bear-Belles’ system, not just for the U21s. (Age = difficult for anybody unfamiliar with ‘ursomorphs’ to tell, but obviously an adult, fur = black, right-handed; very good with languages, and already fluent in several Human ones — including English, Yiddish, German, French, and Greek — as well as in both Ursine and Ouesttree; also, since last time around, has started learning Ruttsan).

Routemaster: Helene Bosanquet _ Clan = Calvin; Human, female; on loan [again, as in DBC45] from the Bears Armed Tourism Agency. Her duties involve handling all of the team’s travelling & accommodation arrangements. Also filsl this role for the Belles’ ‘main’ team. (Age = early thirties, hair = dark brown, right-handed; speaks French, English, and Ursine).

Doctor: Lierr’hee Redwood-of-Thramms _ Clan = Redwood; female; hired from private practice by BAAS for DBC45 and back again for this tournament. She also works with the Belles’ ‘main’ team, and will have a say in choosing a replacement if both squads are in ‘international’ action at the same time. (Age undisclosed, but has been a doctor for over twenty-eight years, fur = ‘grizzled’ black, right-pawed; speaks English, Ursine, and probably one or two other languages as well).

Chief Physiotherapist: Chiarroya Cook _ Clan = Rohr-Ingherra [Free Sept]; female Ursine; previously worked as an Assistant Physiotherapist for the team ‘LakePort Lionesses’, and with the Belles for DBC#46 & the WC#84 qualifiers, appointed to this position during the gap between the latter contest & COH#76. Age = 30, left-pawed, fur = medium brown; speaks English, Ursine, and probably enough of the various other languages that are [relatively] common in Bears Armed to do her job properly when helping players whose native tongues those are; faith = Ursionity and ‘One Plus Five’.

Chaplain, ‘One Plus Seven’: Marra Moon _ Clan = Silver-of-Night; female Ursine; assigned to this duty by her superiors in the Great Medicine Society shortly before DBC45 and has been posted at Wimbley Stadium in between tournaments. She also works with the Belles’ ‘main’ team. (Age = -mid-to-late thirties [apparently], fur = light brown, left-pawed; is not only a Shabear but also a qualified psychiatrist; speaks Ursine, English, some German and Yiddish, and probably one or more other languages as well.)

Chaplain, Ursion: Jharge “No Relation” Potter _ Clan = Artorran; male Ursine; assigned to this duty by his superiors approximately two years after the end of DBC45 and thus 6 years before this tournament. He also works with the Belles’ ‘main’ team. (Age = mid-thirties, fur = light brown, right-pawed; like many other members of his clan, is slightly more “anthropomorphic” than is typical for Bears from this nation; speaks Ursine, English, French, some German, and some Greek; keen chess-player.)

Security Chief: Major MerrfinhBlonk _ clan = WestWoods; male; on loan [again, as in DBC45, although he has been promoted one rank since then] from [REDACTED] in the Confederal Army. He also works with the Belles’ ‘main’ team. (Age = late-thirties, fur = medium-brown & relatively long, right-pawed [apparently]; speaks Ouesttree, French, Ursine, and English… at the least.

Kit Supervisor: Missus Brooks _ Clan = WesterBrock [‘Separate Demi-Clan’]; female Brock (i.e. anthropomorphic Badger); worked as an assistant to Missus Burrows, who now holds this role with the Belles’ senior team, at Wimbley Stadium and then also with the Belles through BDC#45, DBC#46, and the WC#84 qualifying stage before being appointed to this position; responsible for ensuring that all players have suitable kit available, clean and intact, for every game, and also [following the coaches’ orders] for making sure that their boots have the appropriate studs fitted for dealing with local conditions; also, makes sure that balls and [if necessary] temporary nets are available for practice when the team is away from home. Apparently middle-aged, although with her people it’s hard to tell, and with fur marked as in a RL European Badger’.

Fandom Liaison Officer: Etta Halliday _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; played in the DBC45 squad, as the usual starting Right Back, while a student at WestPort University and a member of that institution’s own football team; was too old for DBC46, but played a major role in organising things for the Belles’ travelling fans during that contest and was subsequently hired by BAAS on a full-time basis for this purpose; she also works with the Belles’ main team; age = 25 years, right-pawed, fur = yellow-brown, short for her age but solidly built & [despite that build] surprisingly fast, fearless; graduated from WestPort University 2 years after DBC45, with a degree in ‘Humanology’; speaks English, Ouesttree, Ursine, French, and German; generally cheerful; very fond of sweet foods.

Harrdiharr Arranger: Karra-MarraSunDaughter _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; age = 36 years; left-pawed, fur = ‘golden’; specialises in adapting the ‘harrdiharr’ for optimum effects depending on the performers, opposition, location, and possibly other factors; background not made public, but was hired by BAAS on a part-time basis for these qualifiers; speaks Ursine, English, and quite a few other languages as well (She seems to have a natural — or maybeso even supernatural? — talent for learning languages, and might also help the team with translation duties as well…); interests include chess, swing music [& dance], and stage musicals. She also works with the Belles’ ‘main’ team.

Caterers: Jordon Blue


Roster

(#1) Serranna Orchards _ Clan = Ozt’sulh [free sept]; female Ursine; home team = LakePort Lionesses, category & usual position = Goalkeeper; age = 20½years, left-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown; the tallest member of this team, at 7’2”, and built in proportion _ Reaching out to block high shots should be relatively easy for her, but she might find getting down into the right place to stop ones aimed into the net’s bottom corners instead a bit harder… (She was in the DBC46 [winning] squad, and then in the Belles’ main team for WC84 qualifiers & COH76.)

(#14) Marra o TrustyHand _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; home team = Sun Valley Smashers, category & usual position = Goalkeeper; age = 19 years, either-pawed; fur = ‘dark blonde’; good at fixing things, which befits her nameline’s origin as their clan’s smiths. (She was in the DBC46 [winning] squad, and then in the Belles’ main team for WC84 qualifiers but not for COH76.)


(#2) Urrsarra Shipbear _ Clan = SeaBear; female Ursine; home team = Northport Navigators [‘Northern League’], category = Defender, usual position = Left Back (but can also play reasonably well at Right Back, too); age = 20 years, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown; speaks Ursine, English, and some Norren. Considered not brilliant, but reliable, and is unlikely to spend much [if any] time “too far” forwards. (She was in the DBC46 [winning] squad, and then in the Belles’ main team for WC84 qualifiers but not for COH76.)

(#3) Greerh, daughter of Tuwoloh _ Clan = Tiggrarth’hra (Marcher People]; female Tiggrarth'hra [anthropomorphic Tiger]; home team = Kingly City, category = Defender, usual position = Right Back; age = 17 years, right-pawed, fur = tiger-striped (medium). [This is her international debut.]


(#4) Berrea Karrchrra’s-daughter _ Clan = Thuleann; female Ursine; home team = Ammfahr Adventuresses [in the Northern League], category = Back or Lynchpin or Midfielder, usual position = Lynchpin; age = 20 years, left-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown; 6’9” tall ; speaks Norren, English, some Ursine; faith = Ursionity (and Urrsarhtru). [This is her international debut.]


(#5) Beorranna Norr-Vurra _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Midfielder or Forward, usual position = Midfield Right (also significant has experience at Centre Forward or Right Forward, and some as Left Forward, and or Right Winger); she is the team’s Captain; age = 21 years, left-pawed (so normally plays “cross-pawed”), fur = dark-medium brown with [natural] chestnut highlights; speaks English, Ursine, some Arttorranick; not closely related to the main team’s ‘Attacking Coach’; rather a devout follower of ‘One Plus Seven’, but not fanatical about it and tolerates the differing beliefs of others perfectly well; friendly rivalry with Harroya o Sarrndale. (She was in the DBC46 [winning] squad, and then in the Belles’ main team for WC84 qualifiers but not for COH76.)

(#6) Karra Lightning _ Clan = Gunnar; female Ursine; home team = Heroes’ Park Heroines, category = Midfielder or Back, usual position = Midfield Left; age = 19 years, either-pawed, fur = light-medium brown, very fast on her feet; speaks English, Ursine; faith = Ursionity & ‘One Plus Seven’. [This is her international debut.]


(#7) Sarra Grearh’hratch _ Clan = Frim-&-Fram ; female Ursine; home team = Wiston Wanderers, category = Forward or Winger, usual position = Right Forward; age = 19 years, left-pawed (so usually plays “cross-pawed”, i.e. with left foot from right side of pitch), fur = medium-brown; speaks English and Ursine, some Ouesttreee; faith = Ursionity; probably more likely to pass the ball ot a team-mate than to shoot at goal herself, unless it’s “wide open”. [This is her international debut.]

(#10) Urrth’hra Thunderbolt _ Clan = Gunnar; female Ursine; home team = Newton Arsenal, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward; age = 20 years, left-pawed, fur = dark brown but with a lighter “bib”, 6’7” tall, and powerfully built even by Ursine standards; speaks English and Ursine; faith = Ursionity. [This is her international debut.]

(#11) Zahndrra Charpentaye _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; home team = WestPort City, category = Forward or [Attacking] Midfielder, usual position = Left Forward; age = 18 years, left-pawed, fur = medium brown (& quite closely-trimmed); speaks Ouesttree, English, some Ursine; faith = ‘Lowfurran’ Christianity. [This is her international debut.]


(#12) Chaerra-Harra NorthWalker _ Clan = WildWoods; female Harr’aynau [humanoid]; home team = Mighty Marchers, category = Winger or Midfielder (either side of pitch), usual position = Right Winger; age = 19 years, right-footed, hair = ginger; speaks Harr’aynau-Ursine, Ursine, some English; faiths = ‘One Plus Seven’ and Harr’aynau ‘GreatBear-ist’ tradtion. [This is her international debut.]

(#13) Urrth’hra Fairbearrn _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; home team = Four Forts United [in the ‘Northern League’], category = Winger or Forward, usual position = Left Winger; age = 18 years, left-pawed, fur = ‘pale gold’’, very good eyesight and fast reactions even by human standards; speaks Ursine, Norren, English; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’. [This is her international debut.]


(#15) Aerrua Bruinne _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; home team = WestPort City, category & usual position = Goalkeeper; age = 16 years, right-pawed, fur = light brown; speaks Ouesttree, some Ursine and English; faith = ‘Lowfurran’ Christianity. [This is her international debut.]

(#16) Marra-Beorra FreeBear _ Clan = FreeBear [‘FreeSept’; female Ursine; home team = PassPort Apprentices [the ‘Junior League’ squad of ‘PassPort Athletic’],, category = Goalkeeper; age = 16 years, left-pawed, fur = medium brown, only 5’10’ tall but agile and a relatively good jumper; speaks English, Ursine, French; faith = Ursionity. [This is her international debut.]

(#17) Charrha, daughter of Grahcharre _ Clan = Ostbora; female Ursine; home team = Urrvan’s Apprentices [the ‘Junior League’ squad of ‘Urrvan’s Avengers’], category = Back or [Defensive] Midfielder (or, more rarely, Lynchpin); age = 15 years, right-pawed, fur = medium-brown; speaks Ruottsan, Ursine, some English; faith = ‘Old Faith’ GreatBear-sim. [This is her international debut.]

(#20) Marranna Waters _ Clan = GreenWoods; female Ursine; home team = The River Cadets [the ‘Junior League’ squad of ‘River City’], category = Lynchpin or back or [Defensive] Midfielder, usual position = Lynchpin; age = 16 years, left-pawed, fur = chestnut; speaks Ursine, English, some French and German; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’. [This is her international debut.]

(#21) Sarra Daye _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; home team = Harr Burran Heirlings [the ‘Junior League’ squad of ‘Harr Burran Heroines’], category = Midfielder or Back (or Winger or Forward!), preferably on the right side of the pitch; age = 16 years, right-pawed, fur = golden-brown, good eyesight even by human standards, notably good tactical/positional sense; speaks Ursine, English, Arkhaonn; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’. [This is her international debut.]

(#22) Tahrra _ Clan = Charg’hrrarh; female Ursine (of ‘Cave Bear’ stock); home team = Holy Ternians’ School (team nickname = “the Holy Terrors”), category = Forward; age = 15 years, fur = light-medium brown & relatively long, 7’1’` tall, powerfully built but maybe not as manouverable as some others; speaks Ursine, some [little] English; faith = ‘The Great Bear Dreams’. (Tahrra is actually a pair of identical twins!: Her clan’s laws say that such pair counts as a single person for all legal purposes, and various football teams in the past have interpreted this to mean that the pair can be counted as a single person in their line-up on the field as long as both halves are assigned to the same position. BAAS has agreed to this, on condition that no team has more than one such pair in its squad at a time, and there is past precedent for the NS World Cup Committee accepting this in international matches run under their supervision too…) (One body is right-pawed, the other is left-pawed, and they do seem to possess some kind of mental linkage although they also exhibit signs of having independent personalities…) [This is her international debut.]

(#23) Im’hrra True _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; home team = Holy Ternians’ School (team nickname = “the Holy Terrors”), category = Forward or Winger or Midfielder; age = 15 years, left-pawed, fur = ‘golden’; speaks Ursine, English, and at least bits of several other languages; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’; has a verrry good ability to see through attempted feints. [This is her international debut.]

(#24) Arrna O SwanWater _ Clan = GreenWoods; female Ursine; home team = LakePort Lion-Cubs [the ‘Junior League’ squad of ‘LakePort Lionesses’, of course….], category = Forward or Winger (or Midfielder), preferably on the left side of the pitch; age = 15 years, left-pawed, fur =medium-brown ; speaks English and Ursine; faith = Ursionity. [This is her international debut.]

(#25) Tirh’hya Hwharrooh _ Clan = GhostBear [‘Separate Demi-Clan’]; female Ursine; home team = Holy Ternians’ School (team nickname = “the Holy Terrors”), category = Winger or Midfielder (or Forward, but she prefers not to be Centre Forward); age = 15 years, left-pawed, fur = very light brown; speaks Ursine, English, some Ruottsan; faith = ‘One Plus Seven. [This is her international debut.]

(#26) Beorrana o WestWater _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; home team = Harr Burran Heirlings [the ‘Junior League’ squad of ‘Harr Burran Heroines’], category = Winger or Midfielder or Forward (doesn’t mind which side of the pitch); age = 15 years, either-pawed, fur = medium-brown, quite fast on her feet, and more agile than most Ursines; speaks Ursine, German and some English; faith = ‘One Plus Seven’ and Ursionity. [This is her international debut.]

(#27) Dawnlight Urrsen _ Clan = Urrset; female Ursine; home team = (the ‘Junior League squad of] Merlchester Rovers, category = “utility outffielder”; age = 14 years, left-pawed (but already good with her left foot as well), fur = strawberry-blonde, the team’s shortest player at only 5’5”, good eyesight even by human standards, agile; speaks Ursine, English, and some French and German; faith = Ursionity and ‘One Plus Seven’; potentially an extremely good player indeed, but needs to build up her experience and her stamina; she is only a very distant relative to reporter/camera-bear Jamms ‘Jammy’ Urrsen. [This is her international debut.]



________________________________

Usual starters = #1 or #14, and #2-7, #10-13.
Usual substitutes: #14 or #1, and a selection of others suitable for covering all of the other positions if necessary.
Style: Offensive, modifier = +3.5 ("A good offence is the best defence"...). This has actually been reduced slightly since DBC#45, when they used +4.0 instead, because team training since then has included a bit more emphasis on tightening up their defence.
They have also modified their planned formation slightly from the “traditional” Ursine one, which included a front row of at least 5 (normally arranged as 3 strikers & 2 wingers), with 2 midfielders, 2 backs, and a ‘Lynchpin’ (whose starting position was approximately be at the midpoint of an imaginary cross drawn between those other four non-forwards’ positions). Two of the strikers now drop back to a bit behind the line formed by the Centre Forward and the two wingers (who might move “in” by a little bit, as well), while the Lynchpin is now stationed noticeable closer to the backs than to the midfielders. “Joining the dots” would, looking at the pitch from above and placing the Bears’ goal-line at the bottom of the picture, give you [approximately] a stretched-sideways ‘W’ in front of a stretched-sideways ‘M’.

It is likely that penalties andfree kicks will initially be taken by the players who “earned” these, if they are still fit to play on, but this situation may change once the coaches have had a chance to see the girls in ‘proper’ action rather than just in practice matches.


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Opponents who RP first may _
Choose my goal-scorers: Y, except that this will NOT be the goalkeeper.
RP injuries to my players / Godmod injuries to my players / Hand out Yellow cards to my players / Hand out Red cards to my players: Y to all, at least to start with, but remember what I've written here and keep it in limits accordingly... Any really serious offences by my players would probably result in injuries to your players, and causing any serious injuries to my players would probably require such obviously-deliberate attacks that your players would get yellow or even red cards as a result too. Don’t kill anybody, or inflict injuries that would be serious enough to end careers, without checking with me & getting my approval (which is unlikely to be granted…) first.
Godmod Other Events: Y, I suppose, at least as long as you do so in an AMUSING way... but please remember that Ursines (and Tigers, and Badgers…) are fully sapient beings, as much as Humans are, not instinct-driven animals. Oh, and of course female Ursines (or Tigers, or Badgers…) are not sexually interested in Humans (of either sex), and it's very unlikely that female Harr'ayanau would be either. Please don't have them run amok or outright revert to animality, without checking by TG first, don't make assumptions about their views on politics or religion, and don't do anything that would make more than one of them incapable of playing in their next game...



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Kit: This incarnation of the team will normally wear the usual set of designs (from ‘ediraf’) that the Belles have favoured in the past.

Bears Armed has traditionally used base-8 arithmetic, for several reasons, and the set of ‘shirt numbers’assigned to this team’s players has been determined on that basis.


______________________________________________________


NOTES

Ursines may tend to be a bit less agile & slower to accelerate on average than humans of comparable ages, but this team's members were carefully selected so the gap between them & their opponents in this respect should be narrower than some people might expect. They do tend to have [slightly] poorer eyesight than humans, on the whole (although the members of both Clan Gunnar and the Sun Clan are generally an exception to this rule, and the eyesight of the latter group is actually often at [slightly] better-than-human levels instead), so long-distance passes & shots at goal will tend to be rarer behaviour for them than they are for human teams... but their typical size & strength mean that when they're running with the ball it will probably take a very brave human — as well as a very skilled one — to tackle them successfully (or, at least, one who has reasonable experience of playing against Ursines…), which should balance that factor pretty well. They don’t jump very well, but then they’re generally rather taller than most Human players to start with so they shouldn’t need to jump as often in order to intercept [relatively] high shots...
Ursines are physically robust, of course, which means that they're much less likely than humans are to suffer injuries in falls or collisions. The females of this species are more even-tempered than the males, and the team's members will try to stay on their best behaviour not only in order to do well in this contest but also to impress upon the watching humans that Ursines aren't just "dumb beasts". They will not 'dive', or feign injury in other ways, because suggesting that they could be harmed so easily goes strongly against the grain. ‘Northlanders’ are maybe not quite as "civilised" as the 'Mainlanders'… or, at any rate, that’s the traditional stereotype..

Unless our hosts at the match in question object, this team's members (including the designated substitutes for the match in question) will perform a [fairly short] ritual that's called the 'harrdiharr' on the pitch just before play begins... This is a traditional war-dance, meant to over-awe opponents, that has come to be a customary prelude for team games as well (similar to the [RL] New Zealanders' 'haka'...).
As has now been seen during various tournaments, some of our fans like to take drums — and possibly also 'Urrs-horns' [which are similar to Alpenhorns, cow-horns, or other "musical instruments", too — along to the matches…

The team is accompanied by a number of sapient Ravens, who are there both to gather information about the rival sides and to provide air cover in case of hostile waterfowl.

[Hapilopper]

The Angelotic Temple, Longview, Valanora
Just before Di Bradini Cup Match 1: Hapilopper v. HUElavia
To say the very least, the Junior Haps were in for a real struggle for this Di Bradini Cup. Sure, they had finished third last year in their first Di Bradini Cup, but even getting out of the group stage this year would require a minor miracle. It wasn’t that the team had regressed – far from it, actually. A number of the players on the Junior Haps had become professionals, either in Hapilopper or in other nations. The problem, however, was the group they were in. Group G, which was probably as much of a “Group of Death” as any group in the tournament, if not more.

There wasn’t a weak team anywhere in Group G, and it was possible that any one of the four teams could potentially advance out of the group. HUElavia, a real revelation from World Cup 84, had proven to be a solid footballing nation, and the team had to watch out for real goal-scoring threats such as Isaac Camacho, Melissa Leite-Reis and Guglielmo Rossi, among others. The Haps were getting set to face the team from HUElavia on this day, and to say the least, they were just hoping they could get out of it alright.

“We’ll need to attack and attack some more,” said head coach Larry Johnson. “They’re a solid team and we need to take them as seriously as anyone.”

There was also Banija and Chromatika. Banija, a fellow Glorious Southwest nation, had already proven to be one of the strongest footballing nations in all the multiverse, and many were pointing to them as the possible favorites to win the Di Bradini Cup altogether. Chromatika, of course, could not be overlooked either. They too were a strong footballing nation and a team that could, potentially, be tough to beat if they could escape from the group stages.

But while those two teams faced each other at Turmondale Grounds in Raynor City, the Haps were getting ready for their first match. They had trained for several days leading up to the match, and they had felt, at this point, that they were as ready as they could possibly be, against a team that was going to be tough to beat.
Hapilopper needed a win. Not just to get their group stage off to a good start, but a moral victory as well. The last few weeks had not gone well for Hapiloppian sport. Their gridiron football team was given the heave-ho in the first stage of the World Bowl. Their under-18 team faced a surprising early exit in the group stage of the Sporting World Cup. And the senior team’s friendly against Reçueçn, well, heh, didn’t go well. In fact, they got their asses kicked, losing 5-1 to the Unicorns in a match that was never even competitive. Consequently, the Haps needed something – anything – to turn their momentum around.

In addition, the Hapilopper Football Association was in a state of flux. Dominic Probst, the head of the HFA, was gone, having resigned after disappointing runs in the World Cup 84 qualifiers and the Cup of Harmony. In his place, Max Greenwell, the new interim head of the HFA, was looking at possibly shaking things up. Senior team head coach Thom Perkins was reportedly gone as well, and Greenwell was looking at the future of the Under-21 and Under-18 teams, to see if it was even worth it to bring such teams to these tournaments in the future.

Greenwell was in Valanora to watch the competition, and he wanted to see just how this team would fare against some of the multiverse’s best junior teams. When asked by reporters about his hopes for the DBC, he was unsure.

“I just hope we do well. We’re going to review how our team does and go from there,” he said as calmly as ever. “It’d be great for us to win, though. We’ve got a tough group ahead of us, and I think this will be a preview of a group in the actual World Cup next year.”

Wouldn’t that be nice.

[Savojarna]

Savojar Roster for DBC 47

TEAM

STAFF

Coach: Alexey Jotanov
Age: 47 // Coach since: DBC 46
Jotanov, a former midfielder of AFK Savojagrad and Libertas Bergheim, used to coach the youth team of AFK, known for tactically astute play and creative innovations on the board. The Russian is a close friend of Olaf Jurtanen, Savojarna's former A-coach, as they went through coaching training together and share a similar vision of football. However, unlike Jurtanen, his plans are less rigid and he is more open to suggestions, which has so far prevented him from losing the locker room the way his friend did in the adult team. Jotanov relies on fast passing, fluid position swaps if required, and wingers that quickly go down the side. He shares Jurtanen's belief in a good preparation, which is why he also works together with video coach Dmitri Simunov.

Coach: Ludvig Rensberg
Age: 46 // Coach since: DBC 46
Having served as Jotanov's assistant coach at AFK Savojagrad U21, Rensberg is now officially named a co-coach, a role that he already filled at Aka. A close friend and companion of Jotanov, the two have a good and tested working relationship. Rensberg has spent his career as a defender and played together with Jotanov at Libertas for three years. In the end of his career, he also shared a brief stint of half a season with Jurtanen at Transport, before he ended his career at age 34. Following his position as a player, Rensberg focuses on coaching the defence. Rensberg is a father of three together with women's football legend Maria Svensson, and is often regarded as the "team dad" of the side. His wife Maria sometimes accompanies the team as an additional staff member and has a very close relationship to some of the players, who trust her and Ludvig with their worries and secrets.

Coaching Team: Mikaela Rangren, Dmitri Simunov, Asgeir Rundberg
Ages: 46, 38, 63 // Special functions: Technical coach, Mental and Video coach, Physical trainer
Rangren has shown a particular strength in keeping the team together, and it seemed like her continued presence as a mediator may have helped to get the team back on track quickly. Her main function is to serve as technical coach and guide trainings on the field.
Simunov has previously worked as video coach for the SFFB. He is often busy to assist tactical preparation and devise the tactical system together with Jotanov. Furthermore, the Russian serves as a link to Russian players who may struggle with Savojarsk (the main language of the team) and has a certification to work as a mental trainer.
Rundberg is the newest addition to the team and got introduced after criticisms that the team had not been sufficiently prepared for the long WCQ campaign. As physical and conditioning trainer, he has a reputation of a tough and demanding man, although he works closely with the medical team to ensure Savojarna's players are well prepared for their games.

Goalkeeper Coach: Valtteri Andersson
Age: 46
Andersson was a long-term goalkeeper for Energie Thorsborg and got directly transferred into the club's youth department when he retired at age 33. Following some good work with the club's youth department, he got trained as a GK coach and worked with the first team and the U21 of Energie for a while before being brought onto the squad of the NT early on. He still works with Energie on the side and is reputed to be very good at developing a goalkeeper's weaknesses.

Doctor: Dr. Christer Ljungberg
Age: 52
Christer is the head of the medical team of the Savojar NT and generally has a reputation of being the team’s good soul. Many players have come to him over the years to discuss their insecurities or physical problems, to the point that many consider Ljungberg to essentially be a second mental coach.

TEAM

#1 Aleksandra Virulainen
Position: GK // Age: 21 // Height: 181 cm // Club: Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Virulainen uses a great awareness and control of the box to counter-act her comparatively lower height and has shown brilliant oversight. She is among the best goalkeepers in Savojarna, and by far the best of her age, when it comes to ball-on-foot skills, and many see her as Petrova's eventual successor in the national team. Has made an appearance as starting goalie in DBC 46 and was a part of the most recent World Cup campaign, although she still awaits her first elite match.

#2 Thomas Andersson
Position: RB // Age: 21 // Height: 189 cm // Club: FK Chemie Frisks
Having flown under the radar previously, Andersson has made a gigantic leap out of necessity at a chronically understaffed Chemie side. However, he has filled the role impressively and manages to keep a tight ship at the back of the line. While he does have good crossing and passing skills, he employs them conservatively. Defensively, he is very good at positioning himself and tackling opponents, but can sometimes be a bit too slow against pacey opposition.

#3 Eino Kiivälä
Position: LB // Age: 21 // Height: 173 cm // Club: Transport Hovikkära
Kiivälä is a fullback with a good defensive conscience, but who is very fast and keen to join the attack when the situation allows. However, when he attacks he is often among the first ones back, and hard to deal with on a counter due to his high speed and workrate. He is likely to take a few yellows for tactical fouls because of the role he plays in defending counters, but is also very composed and unlikely to get himself sent off. After his strong DBC 46, he has been signed to Transport’s top team and has shown to be able to hold his own in the SFS, and will likely be a cornerstone of this side.

#4 Lauri Anttakari
Position: CB // Age: 21 // Height: 186 cm // Club: Savojars Vinge Virkaja
A classical centre-back who will be the last man very often. He is physically strong and tall, and likes to advance for corners, but not very fast or agile. Despite his problems with speed and technique in defence, he has a very good basic training from SVV and will know what to do with the ball. An important part of Savojarna's buildup in DBC 46, and he likely will be again in this year after having been able to plug a pretty gaping hole in the SVV defence. Likely, he’ll be plugging the same hole in Savojarna’s U-21, but he’s probably not inspiring anyone.

#5 Vyacheslav Khavarin
Position: CB // Age: 21 // Height: 197 cm // Club: FK Metall Jarnstad U21
Hard to pass, and harder to beat in the air, Khavarin is a hulking presence at almost two metres tall and over hundred kilo heavy. Muscular and not shy to use his power, he is a physical defender who is likely to draw cards as much as possession wins. His tackling is a bit slow, which is why he has a tendency to give away fouls, but he has good play standing up and is surprisingly comfortable defending the ball in his feet as well. However, he lacks speed and isn’t always very good at building play.

#6 Otso Ilkkanen
Position: DM // Age: 21 // Height: 183 cm // Club: FC Rotmunde 1932 (STL)
A physical, defensive player with little ball-handling skills. However, Ilkkanen is a calmer player and a bit faster, and has the added benefit of a very strong shot, making him a dangerous threat from the back line. Not incredibly aggressive despite his physical skills, and a bit weak in the air, but a strong root of the system. Was the second in line during the DBC 46 and knows the system enough to stabilise it from the back, and wants to put in a good showing after his transfer abroad.

#7 Arvid Persson
Position: LM // Age: 21 // Height: 171 cm // Club: ESK Storevik
Persson is a hybrid winger who drops in a lot, but he is more of a playmaker than a scorer, whose strengths are crosses and through passes. Operating in the left half of the pitch around 20-30 metres ahead of the goal, he often looks for gaps and lurks for a chance. He also has a very precise long shot. His dribbling skills are a bit lacklustre, and as a consequence he shies away from 1v1 situations. Defensively, he is responsible, but not remarkable. Likely to get a few assists, and managing to improve his crossing over the last season, which means he is now even more versatile and dangerous than in his DBC 46 appearances.

#8 Jesper Gyldenstjerne
Position: CM // Age: 19 // Height: 177 cm // Club: FK Sjoedrhavn U21
A young and extremely stamina-heavy central midfielder, Gyldenstjerne is likely to be a successful midfielder in the future. He lacks any particular strengths, but has been shown to be comfortable in almost all midfield positions, although occasionally lacking in terms of decision-making. He is particularly strong in speed and stamina, and poses a strong presence in the centre of Savojarna. Due to his lack of a clear role in the system, he has been overlooked a lot, but proved potential and leadership skills at the U18 level.

#9 Uller Sigfridsson
Position: ST // Age: 21 // Height: 194 cm // Club: ESK Storevik
Yet another Ejanan tall, broad striker that comes more or less straight from a handball team, Sigfridsson is a strong presence up front that has gone through the typical Savojar school of strength, physical training, strong positional play, and an emphasis on heading and shooting over technique and speed. Two-way play is another strength of Sigfridsson, although he sometimes gets a bit lost in the attack - a problem he is likely to overcome with more experience.

#10 Ola Lapanen
Position: MS // Age: 20 // Height: 171 cm // Club: Capetown Crocs (TAE)
Lapanen is a short player that can play either as a playmaker or a striker. In either case, he lurks between the lines and has a brilliant eye for through passes or dribblings. He is an excellent dribbler and has a very precise shot, but lacks a bit in killer instinct as well as in height, making him a weak header. Best used behind the lines or together with a tall striker. Having gone a bit under the radar in DBC 46, he has since proved his worth and was picked up by Taeshani club Capetown Crocs.

#11 Kristina Midtjaer
Position: RF // Age: 20 // Height: 177 cm // Club: Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
A fast winger who runs up and down the sidelines, but cuts in at sharp angles regularly. Midtjaer almost always runs down the right line and shows very late whether she will aim for a cross or a cut towards the goal. Her 1v1 skills are brilliant, as are her free kicking and effet skills. Defensively, she is still a bit lacking and will often be replaced when Savojarna lead late in the match, but her aggressive offensive play led to her being considered a top prospect and the future of Dynamo on the right side.

#12 Pär Tjova
Position: GK // Age: 21 // Height: 203 cm // Club: Libertas Bergheim
Tjova will play second fiddle for the third time in a row, but will probably pick up the job solidly again. He uses his height to play a reactive game and stays on the line a lot, but his reflexes have recently suffered a bit because of a form drop following an injury in the middle of last season. Tjova has good control over his immediate surroundings and good spacial awareness, but not the best box or ball control.

#13 Sergey Nweke
Position: ST // Age: 20 // Height: 184 cm // Club: CASK Thorsborg
Nweke has made a surprising debut in the SFS towards the end of SFS VI, where the Jaromirgrad-born striker with Banijan heritage and citizenship has scored three goals in eight appearances. He is a striker that excels at waiting a bit away from the defence and pouncing into a gap either to receive a pass or with the ball on his foot, relying as much on physique as on technique to break through. The explosivity of Nweke has proven dangerous on the professional level, and makes up for his occasionally poor decisions.

#14 Frida Valdström
Position: OM // Age: 20 // Height: 175 cm // Club: ASK Landsmark U21
A clever playmaker, Valdström is a traditional number 10. She isn’t very fast, defensively strong, or high on endurance, but she has managed to hold her own against the notoriously physical Savojar defenders and has proven to be very good in keeping the ball on small space. Her vision is amazing and she is likely to give deadly passes, but is unlikely to start due to her reliance on outside protection.

#15 Hanna Selder
Position: CM // Age: 20 // Height: 176 cm // Club: FK Odin Kjaershavn
Selder is a defensive midfielder that has been converted a bit forward into a more box-to-box role due to her speed and her lack in physicality compared to other Savojar defensive players. She is quite creative, but rarely plays in a flashy way and quite conservative. A workhorse with professional experience on the second tier, she is not one of the players that are in the public spotlight, but an incredibly important part of the Savojar collective.

#16 Timo Pohjanainen
Position: CB // Age: 20 // Height: 185 cm // Club: FK Sjoedrhavn
While he may look like your typical destructive Savojar centre-back - tall, wide and heavy - Pohjanainen is actually quite quick and a good thinker with the ball on his foot. While he occasionally fails to actually complete his ambitious passes, they are quite spectacular and can be decisive when they do make it. He also is a good organiser and can move people around the box quite well, and has proven himself in the defence of a professional side.

#17 Juhamatti Rajala
Position: LF // Age: 20 // Height: 190 cm // Club: CASK Thorsborg
A left winger that is hard to control as Rajala has a great pull towards the goal. He rarely stays outside at the line, but is extremely hard to contain because of his explosivity and the fact that despite his height and weight of 92 kg, he accelerates extremely fast. His top speed is actually not that great, which he compensates by positioning himself smartly to minimise his need to be fast, but it does compromise his ability to defend. He also is somewhat limited in dribbling, but in his first season in professional play, he showed that he can be a good utility player to disrupt the opponents.

#18 Dmitri Dmitriev
Position: CB // Age: 19 // Height: 204 cm // Club: FK Torpedo Pawlograd U21
Dmitriev is a defender used primarily against aerially strong teams. He is extremely tall, but still working on his physique, he is not as strong as his teammates. He can thus be unbalanced quite easily, but is a towering presence in the box. When on the ball, he is limited, often relying on a quick pass to the side or a clearance. But he seems to have improved his weaknesses, making him a hope for the future.

#19 Jekatarina Smolov
Position: ST // Age: 20 // Height: 179 cm // Club: Navigator Jaromirgrad
Navigator had a surprise success in the past season, finishing in their highest rank in years. One of the main reasons for this was Smolov’s performance in offence. The Russian Wonder has proven an extremely capable and fast dribbler and a deadly shooter, a pretty much complete offensive package at only age 19. However, she has proven to be severely lacking in terms of defensive play, and without an organised and strong defensive setup behind her, chances are that she will not play in the beginning, but there is a good chance she will be making it in the future.

#20 Anna Loeseth
Position: RB // Age: 20 // Height: 176 cm // Club: Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
The sister of DBC 45 Savojarna captain Victor Loeseth, and playing at the same club, she is a fast and offensively minded player. She is sometimes even used as a more defensive RM if required, as she has a good cross and a good ability to take the ball away from an opponent in running. Loeseth's biggest weaknesses are her likelihood to play more aggressively than is appropriate, and a slight lack of dribble and short passing skill. Like in DBC 46, she will likely start off the bench because of her defensive weaknesses.

#21 Boris Jarov
Position: GK // Age: 19 // Height: 190 cm // Club: Navigator Jaromirgrad
The teammate of Smolov hasn’t had as much of a part in Navi’s surprise run. The goalkeeper has served as number two, but has played a bit after an injury had incapacitated Jaromirgrad for six games, in which his youth didn’t really show at all. The goalkeeper plays routinedly, controlling his box with a lot of confidence, but had given up a few unfortunate goals on the line. Like usual in Savojarna, he is unlikely to actually play and will join the team as a young third goalkeeper to get used to international play.

#22 Rjurik Hoegh
Position: LB // Age: 20 // Height: 180 cm // Club: Lokomotive Jarnstad U21
Defensively solid and offensively unspectacular, Hoegh doesn’t really fit the mold of the typical Savojar left-back the multiverse has come to learn. He is a complete allrounder, sometimes lacking in the back due to overreach in overlaps. Hoegh fills up pretty much any role that a manager has for him in the back, although he is a bit uncomfortable on the right side. Good shot to have a very solid career, but it’s unlikely that he will become a star.

#23 Göran Jaerbyn
Position: RM // Age: 19 // Height: 171 cm // Club: Partisan Sjoedrhavn U18
Hailed as the next big thing in Partisan’s right side, he is a spectacular player with a large amount of skill and particularly speed. While his judgment is lacking and that has given him the reputation of a defensively unsound player, he has shown that if he is in position, he is actually quite good at defending, but often he overreaches. In offence, his crosses are very accurate and well-played, but he doesn’t (yet) pull to the centre all that much, contrary to most other Savojar wingers.

STARTING XI:



TACTICS

STYLE: +1.25

ROLES
Captain: Kiivälä => Lapanen => Midtjaer => Pohjanainen
Free Kicks (direct): Persson (left), Lapanen (centre, right), Ilkkanen (long distance)
Free Kicks (long): Ilkkanen
Corners: Persson (left/right), Loeseth (right if substituted)
Penalty Kick: Nweke, Lapanen, Sigfridsson, Midtjaer, Ilkkanen, Persson [also progression for shooutouts]

KITS

Designed and manufactured by ediraf

RP PERMISSIONS
Choose Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Scoring: N
Injure Players: Y (no longer than the rest of the tournament)
Godmod Injuries: N
Yellow Cards: Y
Red Cards: Y - not more than one
Godmod other events: N

I am open to discussing all RP permissions via TG or Discord, if you have a specific plan.

[Mriin]

Mrii Junior Squad

For competition in the 47th DBC
Right: A visual reference for satyrs, an artist's rendition of Mrii legend Solara Vol.
Style: 5-3-2, 0
Nickname: the Corsairs

Note that most players (and the majority of Mrii) are satyrs, as pictured, though with a variety of skins tones--mostly in various shades of blue, purple, and red. They're on average very tall, along the lines of human professional basketball players, and specialize in aerial play thanks to the elevated header control courtesy of their horns. Their stature also lends itself to a fast and aggressive attacking game, leveraging long strides, high stamina, and imposing presence to pressure and wear down the opposition. However, in a hallmark movement, this competition will be the first where non-satyr Mrii will suit up for a national team and compete. Momentum had been building to let local humans break into the MNL for a few years while more and more foreign humans were signed, and the boiling point has finally been reached. Spearheading that movement and this team is Reaver stalwart and former player-manager for the Bruul Skewers Geraard Tavol, who lead the Corsairs to a surprise fourth-place finish in their inaugural DBC.

POSITION - NUMBER - GENDER - AGE - NAME - TEAM

 M  -    - M - 40 - Geraard Tavol - 

*s indicate 'hot prospect'--nothing guaranteed, but scouts are excited.
Typical XI
 GK -  1 - F - 18 - Ryyl Drænor       -  University of Archæology
*LB -  2 - F - 19 - Filia Draaken     -  Project Olimpo Jutsii
 CB -  3 - M - 20 - Jeret Odaal       -  University of Architecture
 CB -  4 - F - 21 - Liana Lemuur      -  Angels Youth
*CB -  5 - F - 21 - Yngriit Kalabaan  -  Skjoll Premier <Captain>
 RB -  6 - M - 19 - Kaarst Feinor     -  Dockhands
 LM -  7 - M - 18 - Næmor Paala       -  AC Mariina
 CM -  8 - F - 19 - Alkrÿ Bren        -  Farmhands
*RM -  9 - F - 20 - Älita Nomii       -  University of Archery
 ST - 10 - M - 16 - Tobiáš Chance     -  Andü Volunteers [Human]
*ST - 11 - F - 21 - Manahaal Brimorii -  Rozelle Alliance

REPLACEMENTS
 GK - 12 - F - 21 - Puura Jiyaard     -  Maal PhiloFC
 LB - 13 - F - 21 - Nikalia Haart     -  University of Architecture
 CB - 14 - F - 20 - Ären Tyyndre      -  Farmhands
 CB - 15 - M - 21 - Venser Kos        -  Ashfell
*RB - 16 - F - 17 - Milja Ruzzier     -  University of Alchemy [Human]
 LM - 17 - M - 20 - Jinier Drÿ        -  Angels Youth
 CM - 18 - M - 21 - Mraazek Fornier   -  University of Architecture
*CM -  0 - M - 19 - Idi Mboge         - / Unattached [Human]
 RM - 19 - M - 20 - Prezen Vol        -  Andü Volunteers
 ST - 20 - M - 21 - Paan Kleveir      -  Railhawks
 ST - 21 - M - 19 - Ÿda Vaan          -  Angels Youth

Kits fabulously provided by Aer!
Home / Away / Keeper

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (minor, out-for-the-game max)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes

[Mriin]

The first chapter of the Mboge Recruitment Saga from the Mrii perspective.

Geraard sighed as he looked over the gaggle of teenagers gyrating all over the private gate in Maal International Airport. He was pretty sure everyone was here, just looking at faces, but trying to get a proper headcount was proving to be a pain.

"Everyone, get your asses in a chair. We're boarding in ten minutes and I'm not leaving anyone in the bathroom."

He'd done pretty well earning their respect--though his history as a player many of them looked up to growing up certainly helped--so only a slightly raised voice was necessary to ensure compliance. A quick scan of his ducks found them all in a row, the customary twenty-one players youth squad (don't ask why it's not twenty-three, he doesn't know either) all prese--wait. There's only supposed to be twenty here, with the last meeting us in Valanora for a few crash-course training sessions. Wasn't that the plan? Running the numbers once more, Geraard finally remembered that Jinier Drÿ hadn't actually been on the final-cut list he'd handed to the MNL Council. That doesn't mean... does it...? He whipped out his phone and frantically searched for any news on Banija's DBC roster.

The kids had immediately gone back to their conversing and cavorting when they noticed the gaffer's attention stray, but snapped back when Geraard bellowed a great "FUCKING HELL." He stomped off and told the pilot to keep it warm until he got back.

---

The MNL Councilroom was its usual self as the designated throwing chair cleared the distance between Jezabel and Don. The dragon had stopped ducking years ago--it usually just lead to his wings getting clipped--and simply batted it aside. "It's not the end of the world that one of the farmland teams made the Globe Cu--err, the Challenger's Cup. Northbrush and Southbrush might have relatively small--"

"Small? They're miniscule!"

"--even so, the fan conversion rates there are through the roof. Wyrmstone jersey sales outpaced Alchemist jersey sales in the last quarter, for fuck's sake, get off this idea about how you can only make money in the cities."

"Who'd be buying Alch jerseys when y'all have been a crock of shit for years?"

Don let out his customary puff of smoke as the only acknowledgement of that jab. "Even if Ashfell won the league we could spin as tidy a profit with clever investment. We could--" He was cut short by the phone ringing, taking both by surprise. "We didn't have anything else scheduled, did we?"

Jezabel jogged to the halfway point of the table, her face falling as she read the ID. "It's Geraard."

"Fucking... how did you and Vicky think we could possibly pull a fast one on him? He isn't an idiot!"

"You know I want him on the team too! It just wasn't lining up--"

"It's fascinating how you haven't stuck to your guns a single time since the market share swung back in her favor."

"Oh, just shut up for once and let me handle this."

---

Geraard tapped a hoof as the ringing continued. I know you motherfuckers are in right now. I swear to god, if they don't pick up..."

Finally it clicked and Jezabel's voice came through. "Hey Geraard; we're in the middle of an important discussion right now, if you could--"

"Oh fuck ALL the way off." It was difficult for him to keep it to a seething rage; as secluded as this corner of the airport seemed, the risk of echoes was too much to go off properly. "I don't know what the fuck got in your heads not to confirm Idi's spot, but if you don't send something to him RIGHT THIS FUCKING SECOND and try to pry him off the Banijan roster by the time we touch down I will bring this plane right back to Maal and forfeit all our matches."

Jeza flinched back from the phone, covering the speaker. "He's threatening to pull out entirely if we don't get Mboge ASAP."

"Already contacting the Banijan FA," Don scowled from behind his laptop, "but buy us some time. We'll need to butter the situation a little to avoid a PR incident."

With a sigh, she took her hand from the speaker. "Alright, we're on it. But we can't promise anything by the time you get there. We need to draft up a convincing reason why the invite came so late."

"You didn't even SEND the fucking invite?" The gap had just gotten Geraard angrier, but thankfully the emphasis was on a non-curse word that echoed down the halls.

"Look, what's happened happened. Let's just focus on getting Mboge on our side." She glanced back at Don who was making a claw motion. "We can arrange a meeting with you and him--" Don nodded, and held up two claws, pointed to the left. "--two days before the first match, after he's been informed. Then you'll have the perfect chance to pitch to him."

"...fine. That works for now. But y'all better believe there's gonna be hell to pay after this tourney wraps up." Smashing the end-call icon nearly hard enough to crack the screen, Geraard walked back and gave everyone the go-ahead to board.

[Free Republics]

Republican National Soccer Team, LLC U-21 Squad

Formation: 3-1-2-1-3
Style Modifier: +4.5
Colors: Blue and White
Manager: Sir Koby Theodore
Honorary Assistant Coach: Consul Kyle Bolton

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

GK: #1 Alexis Campbell (17)
RB: #2 Ignacy Wozniak (19)
CB: #3 Risae Kan (16)
LB: #4 Brooke Shaw (17)
CDM: #5 Logistilla Bellemare (19)
LM: #6 Amadeus Haugen (17)
RM: #7 Albano Loggia (18)
CAM: #8 Archie White (18)
ST: #9 Amy Ashbolt (17)
ST: #10 Love Holm (20)
ST: #11 Faith Marshall (16)

Bench

GK: #12 Jaroslaw Nowicki (21)
DEF: #13 Tim Freeh (21)
DEF: #14 Maurelle Allain (17)
DEF: #15 Edmondo Lucchesi (16)
MID: #16 Alik Khadzhiyev (21)
MID: #17 Denes Polak (20)
MID: #18 Christine Eichel (17)
MID: #19 Lioba Arcuri (15)
ST: #20 Andreas Hansen (21)
ST: #21 Steven Bosters (18)
ST: #22 Norman Casares (20)

Kits (made by Kirola Sports)



Cheerleading Squad (age in parentheses)

Coach - Nova Hellstrom-Hancock

#1 - Minka Sasa (24)
#2 - Fabienne Casares (21)
#3 - Elsa Suutari (22)
#4 - Anisa Kazantseva (24)
#5 - Michele van Roijen (25)
#6 - Kathrin Unger (21)
#7 - Helena Kucerova (22)
#8 - Zakia Zwarthoed (21)
#9 - Katie Hoysted (21)
#10 - Aubrey Desroches (24)
#11 - Miluse Vilkova (21)
#12 - Morana Tomic (24)
#13 - Rukiyat Ibragimov (22)
#14 - Beatrycze Piotrowska (25)
#15 - Leona Henriksson (23)
#16 - Lalita Bazhaev (25)
#17 - Sonya Wynne (25)
#18 - Ruzena Chlupova (23)
#19 - Sarah Miller (23)
#20 - Leokadia Olszewska (22)
#21 - Olivia Henderson (25)
#22 - Taymaskha Batukayev (24)
#23 - Patricia Knatchbull (22)
#24 - Hilda Sigurvaldadottir (23)
#25 - Ktisztina Dudas (21)
#26 - Mia Espenes (24)
#27 - Bethany Nunan (22)
#28 - Julitta Zawadzka (21)
#29 - Kamilla Sultes (23)
#30 - Summer Bradford (21)
#31 - Jodi Marshall (24)
#32 - Kriszta Goloncser (21)
#33 - Frederique Vaillancour (23)
#34 - Anni Salonen (21)
#35 - Deidamia Batista (22)
#36 - Claribel Fuentes (22)
#37 - Thyra Strom (24)
#38 - Ester Udinese (22)
#39 - Alma Jessen (24)
#40 - Veronica Biryukova (22)
#41 - Edda Palsdottir (25)
#42 - Klaudia Makay (21)
#43 - Candelaria Jaquez (24)
#44 - Judit Forgach (24)
#45 - Rosaura De Luca (23)
#46 - Elina Ek (21)
#47 - Matilda Todd (22)
#48 - Zuzana Tomankova (24)
#49 - Fabienne Jolicoeur (25)
#50 - Katrina Sigmund (24)
#51 - Beatrice van Sluijs (22)
#52 - Mikaela Lindberg (22)
#53 - Zana Kurunic (21)
#54 - Hana Vidakovic (22)
#55 - Victoria Allan (22)
#56 - Ursy Almonte (25)
#57 - Tahlia Lew (21)
#58 - Fiona Soderstrom (25)
#59 - Yisa Vedzizhev (23)
#60 - Sonay Meilink (21)
#61 - Bojana Matic (24)
#62 - Liliana Boni (23)
#63 - Julia Schroder (25)
#64 - Vera Dilday (24)
#65 - Sanja Barisic (24)
#66 - Elise Reinikainen (22)
#67 - Kristal Lendvay (24)
#68 - Claudia Vasilyeva (22)
#69 - Sophie Burrows (16)
#70 - Hua Ko (19)
#71 - Wakaba Chikafuji (16)
#72 - Karen Mathisen (16)
#73 - Greta Yermolayeva (19)
#74 - Ellen Black (18)
#75 - Chloe Kitamura (19)
#76 - Johanna Klein (18)
#77 - Leah Austerlitz (17)
#78 - Liane Lamare (18)
#79 - Ninette Labrosse (16)
#80 - Daphne Pinto (18)
#81 - Teresa Lucchese (16)

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y

[Pasarga]

"That's an awfully young squad that Srđan Jakšić is taking over to Valanora and the Di Bradini Cup. It is hard to envision any way that the squad is going to have much of a chance of replicating their feat of finishing second or better like they did two years ago! And what was he thinking in taking such a domestic laden squad as well, most of these players are fresh out of the academy with only a season of playing in the Youth Leagues under their belt."

"Well first off, the purpose of this tournament is not about lifting the trophy, it is about evaluating and developing the next up and comers in the national team pool to see if they have that potential to grow into a full blown senior national team player or not. A lot of players use the Di Bradini Cup to show off their skills to either get themselves promoted to first team football at their current club or to try and get a foreign club to gamble on their promise and potential. Secondly, youth football is terribly inconsistent, if it was not, then Baskita FC would be winning the Youth League every season instead of seeing teams like CAP, Tani, Lunas, or many of the others who have done well at the youth level. Youth have talent but they have yet to develop that drive or professional attitude for the most part, most wont do so until they are in their early twenties. Though their is the occasional Alexander Jager who is ready from the word go, but that type of player is few and far between."

"Yeah, I get that, but you still want to see the team win and thrive, to show good on that promise as much as try to develop it or show they are capable of handling the big occasions and can eventually make it to the senior national team or perhaps as a player in a big club in a big league. While the SuperLiga is fairly good, it is merely mediocre on the whole and has to fight and scrap to get the transfer listed players to come to our league. So while the clubs might be renowned for great youth development, something is wrong between producing that youth talent and then going on to being among the best in the world. We saw it with the national team, where they fell short in qualifying despite having the second best team in their group, though they did redeem themselves somewhat in winning the Cup of Harmony. So there is a disconnect and I think it comes from taking the DBC for granted or too lightly, the team should be pressing forward to win and get the best out of their experiences in the Eternal Empire, not merely be content in having made the tournament."

"I am not sure you are on the right track and may be confusing a few different issues rather than a singular larger issue. All that being said, the group that the Young Wanderers found themselves in will be quite favorable for them to progress out of. While there will undoubtedly be a strong challenge from the Free Republics to take the group title, I think the Young Wanderers will find themselves heavy favorites in the other two matches and be able to secure progression into the knockout rounds regardless of what happens in their encounter with the Free Republics. While I admire our regional neighbors of Oberour Ar Moro, they are not exactly a world beater in youth or senior football or even in the domestic game, and The Golden Lotus is a complete unknown entity, one that has even failed to submit proper player registration before the match. Luckily for the Wanderers as well, both of the stadiums being used for the group are in Mar Sara and they can relax between their games rather than have to deal with the travel. All in all, it should be six to nine points and the side through and from their, well anything can happen really."

"I had not considered the group nor the benefit of being in a single city for the group stage. Alright, I will concede that it does look favorable but I still have a worry for this young and domestic based squad once the knockouts do come a calling. Having a little bit of experience and some players who known more than just what the dual islands have provided them could have been a real boon. I suppose we will have to hope that the SuperLiga youth development will be as good as advertised and these players up to the challenge that is before them."

[Valanora]

Who is out to build them a brand new name?

Matchday 1 Cutoff

Group A
Appalachian Nation 3–0 Bolgano
Cassadaigua 1–1 Starblaydia

Group B
Filindostan 2–3 Savojarna
Sajnur 0–2 Nephara

Group C
Kita-Hinode 4–1 Siovanija and Teusland
Darmen 0–1 Schottia

Group D
Mriin 3–3 Terre Septentrionale
Trolleborg 1–1 Sarzonia

Group E
Baker Park 1–1 Equestria
Mavinet 2–1 Imperial Joseon

Group F
Pasarga 3–2 The Golden Lotus
Free Republics 3–1 Oberour Ar Moro

Group G
Chromatika 2–4 Banija
Huelavia 2–6 Hapilopper

Group H
Bears Armed 2–0 East Ares
Geektopia 2–3 Taeshan

[Chromatika]

Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov.
A footballing life
Part 1: Dimitri

The first time Vasiliy touched a football in the windy streets of Lorentine in the Heartland District, it was because of his older brother Dimitri.

"You'd enjoy this," his elder of three years had stated, and he'd not taken no for an answer when Vasiliy tried to argue about it.

So, they'd gone to the local municipal park - this was before the days of the Revolution - and dribbled, passed a bit, and whatnot, with the two of them bonding a bit.

Every weekend after that, the two of them would come together again and play for an hour or so, the two of them just exchanging words and passes as Vasiliy began to start toning his skills. This continued for about four years.

The tenth to last time that Vasiliy touched a football in the windy streets of Lorentine in the Heartland District, it was because of his older brother Dimitri.

It hadn't been a scheduled day of the siblings getting together in their weekly meetups. It was rather odd for Dimitri to have called. Vasiliy was fifteen at the time, and actually playing for his high school team - the Lorentine Central High School.

"Ever considered playing for the Anomalies?" he had asked, and he'd not taken no for an answer when Vasiliy tried to argue about it.

So, they'd started to talk about how Vasiliy would end up in the CCFA, or go abroad to play, and how he'd join the likes of Keira Andisori and whatnot, and how there wasn't really a left midfielder who had made it really big yet. It was the first time that Vasiliy had really considered it to be his career.

For a week straight, the two of them talked about nothing else, setting up a meticulous schedule and plan, knowing full well that it was mostly a wet dream, that it'd be a miracle if it came through.

The last time Vasiliy touched a football in the windy streets of Lorentine in the Heartland District, it was because of his older brother Dimitri.

"Run! Run Vasiliy! Take care of Alenka!" is the last words he hears as Dimitri is taken by the Chromatik Party, a few months before the Rainbow Revolution. It was the first time Vasiliy didn't finish a practice in that field, and the last time that he was even on the field. There was no chance to argue about it as Dimitri was not seen for months afterwards.

Every night afterward, Vasiliy tried to contact Dimitri, to no avail.

When he heard of Dimitri next, it was a while later, and...

He was clad in the gear of a Riot Police Captain.

That field in Lorentine was never visited by Vasiliy again.

[Trolleborg]

TROLLEBORG – SARZONIA 1-1

It should be recognized, that all of us were expecting this first game with great concern. True, with no lesser concern we will wait for the second game, as rivals are serious and each failure significantly reduces the chances of a decent performance.

Of course, we were all interested in what lessons the experts learned from what happened in Taeshan.
Our team, compared to performances in other tournaments, played much more carefully, paying increased attention to the safety of our gates. Having noted this, the Sarzonians began to try our goalkeeper with long shots, and one of them allowed them to open a score in the 33rd minute. Yes, without stroke of luck this ball probably not found a net, but this is the case when luck awarding hard work.

Our team, did not lose heart, which pleases us all, but continued to play our game, created scoring chances and was rewarded in the second half. After Graulund responded to the pass from the depth of field, the goalkeeper repelled his shot, but Hogh arrived before anyone and finished it into the net.

Both teams had chances to change the situation, and the game could well go according to any other scenario, but match ended in a draw, as well as another match in our group, however, there the teams scored six goals for two.
But we all need to see how things will go on in order to draw any conclusions. So far, we are all very traumatized by what happened in Taeshan.

That evening, our fans met many Sarzonian friends, whom they know from the times of the World Cup 84 Qualifying, and after game fans extensively drinking together until late at night. A group of especially zealous fans who lacked a match time to enjoy football having involved their friends from Sarzonia in a friendly match in 3D immersion game WC84, albeit Sarzonians complain, that their rank in the game is lower than right now. They can be understood, the progress of the team is obvious and it is truly stunning.

Sarzonia looking like emerging giants in sport of every sort, especially our favorite football, but also field hockey and others, and you should carefully look at what processes led to this. We have a lot to learn.

[Schottia]

OOC: The time line is a bit iffy here, I know. The last couple of cycles have seen Schottic players age inconsistently, hence the discrepancies.

---

Petrograd, Free Republics.
Three years earlier

Things were a bit up in the air right now, but surely the SFA could have done better than this..? Or so Tess Maitfield thought, as she walked back across the dusty car park towards her motel room. The shower had barely been hot, and although it was spring, there was still enough of a chill in the air to cover her upper arms in goose bumps. Schottia’s eleventh our decision to enter a side in the Sporting World Cup had left little time for organisation. In the end it had been a toss up between the roadside motel they were currently occupying, or tents.

The five years out of international completion had been a frustrating time for a young players like Tess, who had ambitions of making it to the top. The Hiatus had, overnight, turned Schottia’s playing pool from superstars to nobodies. She had looked at other options, but unlike Kara Ciogach, who’d switched allegiances to Brenecia, the only other nation she was able to take the field for was Ceni, and that was a fat lot of use right now. Oh well… at least some progress was being made, and at sixteen, she still had plenty of time to make her presence felt.

Wet towel round her neck, clutching her valuables close to her chest, Tess approached the chipped and faded front door of her motel room, which opened directly out into the gravel car-park. She almost reached into her rucksack for the door key, before remembering that the door was broken, and only needed a firm a firm push. How her digital Walkman and tablet device hadn’t been stolen was a miracle.

‘SHIT! Shit, sorry..!’ She shouted, closing the door as quickly as she had opened it, and turning to face the other direction. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, determined not to be caught blushing.

Inside, there were a few moments of nervous laughter, followed by shuffling, and finally the door opened with a young woman leaving. She gave Tess a suspicious glance for good measure, before walking briskly through the car park leaving behind her a nauseating smell of too much perfume.

‘Jesus!’ Tess took a deep breath, before shouldering the door open and entering the musty motel room. The smell of rising damp, and infrequent ventilation was competing (and winning) in a battle with the young woman’s eau de toilette. She was doing her best not to look across towards her roommate, Enrico, who from what she could see out the corner of her eye, was lying on his bed with his hands behind his head.

‘If you’ve got people round, you could at least put up a bloody sign or something,’ she finally snapped, placing her shower things back in her bedside drawer. ‘Is it not, like, convention to hang a hat on the doorknob?’ Eventually she pulled off the hand towel which she had wrapped around her wet hair, and flung it into the corner of the room. ‘The fucking towels here stink!’ She added, as tangles of wet, white-blonde locks, fell over her face.

‘Nice relaxing shower..?’ Erico teased, seeming pleased with himself, as he sat up on the bed and reached for his phone. Tess was sure the young man had been put on this planet to torment her. Every single nuance of his appearance and demeanour was somehow irritating. His arrogant dress sense, that swept-back haircut, the fact that he was never off his phone for two seconds, the way he spoke with that overegged Equestrian twang. What was wrong with reading a book, or even just sitting in peace and quiet?

‘Not especially.’ The hairdryer – the likes of which Tess was sure she’d seen once before as an exhibit in a museum - predictably didn’t work. ‘Do you have any idea how to get the water to run hot by the way?’

‘I’ve not had a shower here.’ He answered, as if it were the most stupid question he’d ever been asked. ‘Just go after the games for fucksake.’

Tess threw her hands up in despair and walked back out onto the wooden porch, which ran along the front of all the rooms. It was pointless even speaking to him. She folded her arms tight to keep warm, looking around for signs of life from any of the other doorways. They were probably keeping their heads down, or plucking up courage to brave the shower.

If truth be told, Tess was still reeling from being dropped to the bench for the Pratapgadh match. She knew it was a team game, but it still had a way of getting inside her head. Of course Enrico had started both matches – two goals in two – as if his head weren’t inflated enough.

She scowled back in through the open door, watching him pull his holdall towards him with his foot, before reaching in and removing a large can of energy drink. At no point did he avert his gaze from the screen of his phone, nor did he sit properly, not even to swallow.

---

Char Sara, Valanora
Present day.

‘…just still trying to… you know, like, get my head around the move and everything…’ Tess scooped her hair out of her face: it was long enough to keep getting in her eyes, but still a little too short to properly tie back. She was sat opposite Kerr Campbell; a decaf flat white sat steaming away in front of her. Campbell was a former teammate at Willox Street Pirates, and they had risen through the ranks together for seven years, before Tess left to join Real Azuris last summer.

‘It’s a change of pace I’m sure.’ Campbell helped out. He had opted for a bottle of water, but was yet to touch it. An evening sat on the bench, had taken a bit of the shine off their win. He wasn’t a bitter person, he just wanted to play. It was made worse by the fact that Michael Robb had had a good game, and he knew he was unlikely to get chance any time soon.

‘It is.’ Tess added forcefully, raising her eyebrows in the middle. ‘After the way things ended at Willox Street, I just…’ She was dressed in faded-blue jeans, white t-shirt, and sneakers. Campbell, by contrast, was still in his tracksuit.

‘You know you didn’t have to leave…’ Campbell felt the need to say. He played with the cap of his bottle, but still didn’t open it.

‘Oh, Campbell..!’ Tess rolled her eyes. ‘After they way Mr Willox treated my Dad? I would have been humiliating us both if I’d stayed.’ She sat back in her chair, glancing out of the window. ‘Nah… people need to be taught a lesson.’

‘What they did was stupid.’ Campbell stated the obvious. ‘Probably half the reason we’re in the shit we’re in now… Dickheads.’

‘Stupid?’ Tess was finally about to take a sip of coffee, before the latest statement got her irate all over again. ‘They just saw the name – “Lionel Mah” – and swooned. Have you ever heard of a manager getting sacked after winning the SPL title! It’s not stupid, it’s… idiotic!’ She waited for Campbell to shake his head. ‘Bastards! The lot of them! Well he’s showing them all now…’

Since his shock sacking, Tess’ father, Tim, had been making progress at Crisisbless United in Nephara; not only saving them from relegation, but actually steering them to a safe mid-table position.

‘Well… he had the last laugh…’ Campbell added in the same tone as before. Hoping desperately that one of these comments would be the philosophical zinger that got her out of this mood, and got him back to the hotel. Campbell dared a glance at the clock.

‘Come on let’s get back.’ Tess said, getting to her feet grabbing her jumper from the back of the chair behind her. She never did get round to taking a sip of her coffee, nor did Campbell get lid off his water. She just needed a reason to get out. There was a real feel-good-factor in the camp, following the win against Darman, and it was hard to vent unhappiness when everyone around you was celebrating.

How long was she going to hold onto this bitterness? She could tell that Campbell wasn’t a true friend – if he had been – he would have told her to drop it and get a grip.

[Sarzonia]

"Coach, they're playing a little tentative," midfielder Rick Hadley said during a brief lull on the Trolleborg end whilst waiting for fellow midfielder Edwin Campbell to throw the ball in.

Manager Nathan Hanifer looked at his playmaking middie for a moment.

"What are you suggesting?"

"They're rather susceptible to long shots. I think we can beat 'em with one."

"Go for it," Hanifer said. He knew the media would ask about his decision to attack Trolleborg from distance rather than play the usual possession style of football Sarzonians expected from their teams. He would explain to the media that he gave his players autonomy to decide how to attack an opponent if they saw something the way Hadley did. Hadley raced in from his position near Hanifer and ran onto position after a cross from Joanie Rhys, then fired a shot from just outside the box. The ball was barely deflected by the fingertips of diving Trolleborg keeper Johann Lunde, but the ball still caromed into the goal to give the Junior Stars a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute.

The Stars then sought to play their typical brand of attack-minded football, but it was a determined Trolleborg side that dictated tempo the rest of the way. They won the possession battle against the Stars 53-47 and it culminated in the second half with a tally from Brutil Hogh in the 58th minute.

"There's a long ball heading into the Sarzonia end. Running onto it is Graulund. Peter Graulund turns and fires, save made by Baker! Rebound shot! Score, Trolleborg," play-by-play announcer Brayden Kemp said over the Sarzonian radio airwaves. "Brutil Hogh has equalised the match for Trolleborg, and it's now 1-1."

"Baker's gotta do a better job handling rebounds," colour commentator Martín Rosario said. "He nearly gave up a goal just before the end of the first half, and it was only quick thinking by Taylor that prevented it."

"Yeah, John Taylor might be the man of the match defensively for the Junior Stars. He's been all over the pitch, even pitching in on offence. Now we'll see what kind of substitutions Hanifer makes. He's clearly going to want the Stars to get the full three points with Mrinn and Terre Septentrionale playing to a 3-3 draw earlier. You don't want to go down three points to any team in this competition."

"Agreed. You've only got a three-match group stage. You can't afford to let points go by in the table here."

Neither team was able to dent the back of the net the rest of the way, and the result was a frustrating 1-1 draw with Trolleborg. Even so, several navy-clad Sarzonian supporters were seen celebrating into the night with their zealous new friends from Trolleborg.

"We'd rather have the three points, but at least we still have a shot at things," Hanifer said. "We've got to to a better job, myself included, if we want to stick around here."

[Appalachian Nation]

Hillbillies beat Bolgano 3-0
By Troy Butterson Sr

VALANORA - The veteran squad of U21 hotshoes beat Bolgano 3-0 in the debut match of the DiBrandi Cup today. Given the remaining two games on the schedule the three points garnered here are sure to go a long way. Tonya Richards-Blakley and Pablo Pastorious shone brightly as the defense held up as well as the offense performed. Pastorious was a real gnat towards the Bolgano offense, and honestly I've never seen one man do so well at preventing the opponent from controlling the ball. With that dominating defensive display, Pablo looks like he could be headed to international waters in the next couple of years. While Richards-Blakely is traditionally a scoring midfield threat she showed off her passing skills and got two assists and set up a few other shots. It couldn't come at a better time as she had recently has been getting looks on the transfer market from a couple of teams and is likely headed abroad to somewhere such as Baker Park. GLydia Sinclair also had two goals. SInclair who looked the strongest of the strikers in the U-18 Tournament three years ago lead the team with two goals while Jimme Ray Jansen may have an early contender for shot of the year. just before halftime, he mad a desperate and seemingly random last second heave from just past midfield that by some fluke went in the goal!.

Coming up for the Hillbillies are the two real tests. Cassadaigua has a wonderfully stout domestic scene and given their aptitude towards keeping players domestic, it looks like the ladies from Cassdaugua could do some damage long term in the tourniment. But we all know that the real test comes in the form of the original DiBrandi Cup hosts, Starblaydia. Starblaydia is a titan of the game whose been in the sport longer than most nations in this tournament have been independent, they have players who are icons, huge names and multiverse deities of sport. Yet they have bizzarely only won the toruniment nmed after their most famous player.........twice. So who knows maybe the Purple and Black are an much much more level opponent for us. But that is to be seen, right now Appalachia has a two point lead on Cass and Star, they did draw each other in the first match. So we will take those three points and run with them.

APPALACHIAN NATION - 3
Jimmie Ray Jansen 45'
Glydia Sinclair 59' 80'


BOLGANO - 0

[Mavinet]

Mavinet Broadcasting Company (MBC)
Nightly news

....

"Coming up last in 24/7 Sports News: Mavinet U21 opening game against Imperial Joseon in Di Bradini Cup 47.

Good evening and welcome back to 24/7 Sports News. Let's turn our attention briefly to our national U21 team, who are currently participating in the 47th Di Bradini Cup in Valanora. Our team began their bid for a spot in the knockout stage with a close win over Imperial Joseon. Judging by the opponents' performance in the Sporting World Cup, in which they just advanced to the Semi-Final round with a win against Bolgano, we can say Mavinet were faced with a more difficult task than one would assume. Indeed, the match proved to be a hard-fought one when both teams knew they needed nothing less than a win to prepare for a pair of even more challenging matches against Baker Park and Equestria. Imperial Joseon had a number of good chances in the first half, but unable to find the net due to an excellent show of acrobatic ability from Mavinet's goalkeeper Do Manh Cuong. Exciting prospect Ho Vu Thanh Hoang opened the scoring in the 43rd minute from a superbly curved shot into the upper left corner, leaving the opponents no chance. The first half ended 1-0 to Mavinet after a good counter-attack display from our young stars.

Imperial Joseon put in a lot more effort in the 2nd half trying to find the equalizer. Their hard work paid off with a goal in the 68th minute from Jo Sae Min, a towering forward, who headed the ball past Do Manh Cuong in a poorly defended corner kick situation. Mavinet switched to a more offensive stance after the equalizer. In the 81st minute, a long pass from midfield initiated a quick offense on the left flank. Nguyen Hoang Trung Anh, a substituted for Lam Van Dai in the 70th minute, cut inside before making the through ball to the overlapping left back Le Thanh Binh, who made a perfectly placed cross to Chau Minh Tuan. A quick shot at the near post from Tuan blasted the ball in-between the legs of goalkeeper Lee Ki Cheol. 2-1 for Mavinet, and that result stayed unchanged for the rest of the match, despite various close calls from Imperial Joseon toward the final minutes.

Speaking to the media after the match, Head Coach Nguyen Phuc Quang expressed relief and pride for the team: "Yes I'm proud of the boys. You can see I'm very happy with this result. Everyone knows we will have a difficult task getting to the next round, so everyone tries their absolute best. That showed on the field today and we are delighted to get all 3 points. Huge respect for Imperial Joseon for their effort; we had a tough fight and they definitely showed resilience and grit. In matches like this, you need a bit of luck and individual flair to settle the score. I wish them good luck in the next match."

With this victory, Mavinet currently stand top of Group E with 3 points, with Baker Park and Equestria both have 1 point after they drew each other in another close matchup. The next match against Baker Park will likely decide our chances of getting through the group stage. Fans are eager to see whether another performance like the one the U18 team showed against Starblaydia will happen again., but regardless of the result, our young players will surely gain valuable experience for their professional development.

That's all for tonight's 24/7 Sports News. Coming up is the weather forecast for the next 7 days. As always, thank you for watching and have a good night. I'm Pham Minh Nhat, MBC's news anchor."

-----------------------
MAVINET - 2
43' Ho Vu Thanh Hoang
81' Chau Minh Tuan

IMPERIAL JOSEON - 1
68' Jo Sae Min

-----------------------
Lineup against Baker Park

[Banija]

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

Setting is the Banijan team hotel in Raynor City, 2 days before Matchday 1. A continuation of storyline from the following Mriin RP.

Idi Mboge sat there, reading the letter that he had just received from the MNL. True to form, of course, the MNL had been extremely late in sending out an invitation, and Mboge had presumed that one was not on its way. No human Mrii had ever competed for their national team before. But look at what he had in his hand. It had the official seal and crest of the MNL. It was one written, quite well, inviting him to accept a call-up to the Mriin U21 team for the Di Bradini Cup. And boy, Mboge wanted to do it. He loved Banija, of course. But he loved his country of birth more. He was just a boy from Maal, that's all. It was the country of his birth- and while he liked playing in Banija, he liked living in Banija, ultimately, Banija was the country of his parent's birth, not his.

How the heck that letter had been delivered to him at the team hotel, without any of managers knowing, was beyond him. But that left him a major problem. How could one accept a callup from another national team while he was already here, in Valanora, competing for a completely different one? It was an impossible situation. How could he make this choice, just days before their team was scheduled to play their first game? While both teams were already in Valanora. And it was that reason that Idi Mboge was sitting here in his room, agonizing at the decision. When he called his parents, however, they were supportive of him.

He had asked his Dad what he would do in this situation. His Dad told him to follow what his dream had always been- to play for Mriin. "Son, when you mother and I moved to Mriin, we moved to give all of our children better chances in life." He said. "Opportunity for ourselves, opportunity to give our three sons a much better life than they could have had otherwise. Of course, the irony of your decision to realize that opportunity back in Banija notwithstanding, we raised you and your brothers to remember your roots. Your Banijan roots, your Kasanke roots, your roots as a believer, are always a part of you. But of course, you are a boy of Maal, through and through. Your roots are Banijan, but you are from Mriin. It is your country of birth, it is the country has shaped you. Follow your heart. It'll be hard, of course- but if you believe in your decision, and you are decisive about it, then God will provide in the end, no matter what is thrown at you."

It was a talk that Idi Mboge needed to hear from his old man. And now the teenager was going to have to face up to his manager, to Marcus Waters, the senior team manager, and whatever RBSA officials were in the country. He had made the decision- now he had to actually follow through with it. With his own stomach dropping, unsure of how his manager and the senior team manager would react, he pulled out his phone and asked George Wangolo to meet with him, regarding something important. He was going to have to do this as soon as possible...

---

Idi Mboge walked into the room, by himself. He thought about calling his own agent to help with the meeting, but he ultimately didn't. He wanted to take care of his himself. He wasn't surprised to see Marcus Waters there, as this would concern him too. He was surprised to see Robel Ezera, the RBSA Chairman, at this meeting. Why was he at a player-coach meeting? Why was he even here- Wangolo had told the team that Ezera and other high-ranking Banijan officials wouldn't travel to Valanora until Matchday 3. But here was Robel Ezera. Not sure why Ezera was there, Mboge introduced himself to the Chairman. The two had never met, but Mboge wanted to start this meeting off on the right foot.

"What did you want to talk to us about, Idi?" Said George Wangolo.

Idi Mboge gulped. This was certainly intimidating. Telling his direct manager, the senior manager, and the RBSA Chairman, all sitting together in the same room, that he did not want to play for Banija anymore? After the work that had been put in to even get him on the squad in the first place? "Welll..." Idi began, stammering a little bit. "You guys all know, I was born in Maal, yes? You all know how I grew up in Mriin, on the opposite side of Atlantian Oceania. Well, of course, I'm a dual-national. It's been an agonizing choice for me, to pick between my country of birth and the country of my parents. When you guys came forward with an offer, I could not refuse. Playing in Banija has been amazing, I love my roots, and I greatly appreciate being able to play here."

And then he gulped again. "But I have to show you guys something." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter from the MNL. "I received this letter, from the MNL, a short while ago. The letter itself invited me for a callup to their U21 team. As you guys may have heard, they are taking humans now." He gained confidence as he continued speaking. "It's always been my dream, since I was a little boy, to wear the sky blue for the Mrii national team. I've always thought of myself as a Mrii citizen, I have always been a boy from Maal. I am a Mrii man, through and through, and it pumps through my veins as the land of my birth and upbringing. And I know that I am already here, but... I wanted to let you know personally that I have accepted the invitation to play for their national team at this tournament. I'm about to go board the next train to Ianisle, and train with them."

He looked up. All three men sat in silence, and looked at each other. There was probably an awkward silence for about 5-10 seconds. But it felt like an eternity to Mboge. What were they going to say? Were they gonna stop him? Could they stop him? It would be Robel Ezera who would speak first. "Idi," he said. "We knew that this was something that could happen." It would be then that Robel Ezera pulled a letter out of his own pocket, also with the MNL seal on it. "We knew that this was going to happen. I got an email from the MNL, asking for us to release you. I told them that it would be your choice, of course, and then when you asked George for the meting, I figured this would be happening. That's why I flew out here myself, to sit in."

It would be then when Marcus Waters would start talking. "I understand fully the toughness of choosing between two countries to play for." Said the Equestrian. "It can be an impossible choice- play for your country of birth, or for your country of heritage? We want people who buy into this program fully playing for Banija, and I understand that you are young. You're just 19. While you can't be cap tied at this tournament, of course, if your lifelong dream has been to where the Mrii sky blue, we're not going to stop you. Banijan football has never been about getting in the way of players trying to fulfill their dreams."

Marcus Waters paused, and then he continued. "I appreciate your honesty. I won't attack you for it. Know this though- changing teams right in the middle of the tournament is not an easy move. I know you're a free agent right now, but the media can be vultures. Twii.tur can be a cesspool sometimes. You're going to have to weather this storm. You're going to be hot under the microphone. You'll have to answer questions from the press, and they won't be easy questions to answer. You're going to get attacked on Twii.tur. And only heaven knows what'll happen if we play each other in this tournament. But if you are prepared for it, that is your decision- you are an adult." And just like that, Robel Ezera took out a set of papers. "See these papers that Robel pulled out? After a conference call with DBC and MNL officials, they've agreed, rather reluctantly I would say, to the move."

And then, right when Mboge thought it was over, George Wangolo spoke again. "I see the next train isn't for three hours." He said. "You're going to have to tell the team, Idi." Idi looked up. What a moment that would be. Robel Ezera and Marcus Waters both looked at Wangolo, and while they seemed genuinely surprised, they weren't going to undermine their coach then. "I'll call a team meeting, immediately." And Wangolo got up, and left the office. A team meeting was going to be held, seemingly, almost immediately, for Idi to tell his teammates. He gulped again. This would be quite an intimidating moment.

---

Idi Mboge, just 30 minutes after his meeting with Waters, Wangolo, and Ezera sat in the middle of his teammates. It was clear none of his teammates knew what was happening- and the coaches did not tip their hands. Robel Ezera was in the room, introducing himself individually to every player. Marcus Waters was not in the room, as he generally did not sit it on team meetings. But it would be George Wangolo who would open the meeting. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "Let's get down to business. This is a quick meeting- we're still going to have training in an hour. But we have an announcement we want to make. Or rather, Idi has an announcement that he wants to make. We wanted to make sure that you heard this straight from his mouth, in his own words, before a media frenzy takes over."

George Wangolo gestured, and all eyes turned towards the central midfielder. He stood up, took a couple of steps, and was at the center of the room. It was intimidating, to say for one. But he had all eyes on him- there was only one thing to do at this point. "Hey guys," He started. George Wangolo twirled his finger, urging him to pick up the pace and not beat around the bush. "As you guys know, I was born in Maal. I grew up in Maal. I love the city. I love the country. I'm a citizen of both the Kingdom of Banija and the Merchant Republic. I love Banija too- do not get me wrong. It is the country of my ancestors. Most of us here are Kasanke, and we share ethnicity. And I love training wearing the green, but... the Mrii national team has finally started accepting human players. So I've decided to accept an invitation to and play for them. In this tournament. In fact, I'll be leaving straight out of here for Ianisle, where their first game is."

The room was shell shocked. None of the players had seen this coming- though it took a moment for them to find words. "So... Is that it? Are you abandoning us?" Asked Wanda Kouyaté, the team's starting goalkeeper. She was the alternate captain. It was a question that hurt Idi. He didn't see himself as 'abandoning' his teammates- he was simply pursuing an opportunity.

"I am not abandoning you guys." Idi replied. "I love all of you- I really do. But like I said, it has always been my dream to wear the sky blue."

Momodou Sene would speak next. "Man, this doesn't make sense." He said. "You're Banijan through and through man- even if you grew up in Maal. You're a guest there man." Sene was one of the most outspoken members of the team, and was generally known as some sort of nationalist. "Your roots are here. This is your country. We are your people. Satyrs have always looked down on humans. You think you could ever get a fair shot to play there? That's a poor choice."

"Hey guys." Said Anwar Dawit. The starting right winger, of Kitara Athletic Association, was the captain of this team, and was supposed to be a major locker room influence. "Don't attack Idi for making his choice. We're all either professionals, or aspiring professionals here- these are the types of choices that are made at this level. He's made his choice, let's respect it and move on."

"Anwar is right." Said George Wangolo. "All of you guys are aspiring professionals. The future. But you aren't here just to grow as players- you're here to grow as adults as well. These are the toughest choices. What we can do is offer him our support. Remember, I've had the experience. Leaving my own club here at home to go play for Blue Coast 1981. Think people were happy? But we're professionals. We're adults. Support each other's decisions, and live and let live. Let's wrap this up- Idi has a train to catch." Idi shook hands with most of his teammates, and hugged a few of them. Notably, Momodou Sene did not shake his hand or say goodbye- he simply nodded.

And that was it. Idi got his bags, and was walked to the train station, just a half mile down the street. Next stop- Ianisle. He was realizing his dream. He'd soon be in the sky blue, and singing the Mrii national anthem...

[Kita-Hinode]

DI BRADINI CUP 47, HINODEJIN YOUTH FOOTBALL
Youth leagues are influential: notable increase of Hinodejin-based players in the DBC
Written by sports journalist Nanako Ichigo.

ROLALAS, VALANORA - While the nature of a youth level title is often questioned, as it's not entirely linked to success in the biggest stage of football albeit many have said that the successes of both Sunrisians and Hinodejin came after the heavy focus on youth development finally bore fruits, instead of a strong domestic league (which was the path other nations have taken in the past) that has never really been a thing in the Sunrisian-Hinodejin history regardless of how catchy some team names can be.

Every season, the Hinodejin champions, that being the team who claims the All-Hinodejin Youth Football League title, takes to the field against youth teams that usually are affiliated to the major professional sides of the multiverse, squaring off against players that have some slight certainty of their future when compared to the young players of the Empire. And yet, some could argue that these young players actually have the advantage of being raised in a system that allows for more freedom. Sang Kyung-Ja, former Hinodejin national team player said to the Sunrise Club Digest during the press conference that she actually did get an offer before joining Mido-Hinode University to play for the Genshu Charizards, which she turned down because she believed in the project of Koji Kagoname (now the manager of the Hinodejin under-21 team) and that she'd be able to develop her football in a more free reign style away from the pidgeon-holing that some football clubs take part on, which also extends to those with youth teams.

So it does feel like the league managed to get some respect and recognition for its' level of play with the Di Bradini Cup 47 seeing a fair number of players with links to two of the Empire's youth leagues, the All-Hinodejin Youth Football League and the Hinodejin Intercollegiate Football League. Lukas Stonemoore was a good surprise to scouts at the previous season when, after not setting the league alight for a couple of years, the Nepharim striker reached overdrive, leading the University of the Pacific to the top of the table while also netting himself some individual accolades. Stonemoore, now playing professionally at Eura, could be one of the Empire's successful youth league stories albeit (like Gitonga Kahara from Banija) the beneficiary is clearly not the Empire at all.

One element that has also played its' part in the rise of representativity that the Hinodejin leagues have had in this edition has to be Project Olimpo Jutsii. The previous season, Olimpo decried their status as a fallen power to the press and chose to instead invest in making a side capable to compete by convincing actual U21 national team names to play their football for Olimpo, whether as a proper signee or as a loan, something unheard of inside the Empire and something very likely not to be repeated by other teams as the idea of loaning a youth player seems to go against the actual purpose of the league. Regardless of the ruthlessness employed by the Jutsii-based team, Olimpo's foreign legion carved out much better performances for the club in both the league and the cup, although leaving both with empty hands. Still, the team from Jutsii is going to be represented in the tournament by a couple of their starters: Aurora Conti and Maria Sakaguchi are back to the tournament under Huelavia, loanee and Captain Filia Draaken playing for homeland Mriin.

On the University level, there is Baker Park's very own Christina Vuckovic, currently playing for Tsutsuji University. Serving as the team's captain, Vuckovic is actually not too far away from graduating from the centennial institution but she has also been notable for some solid play so far for a team in some sincere need of it. It's likely that Vuckovic might be hiding some rabbits to pull out of a hat a la Stonemoore but only time will really tell.

Should Hinodejin football expect more foreign youth to show up on their youth leagues? It's very likely that once again scouts from the Empire will try to poach any talent that fits the mould, although attempts of going after names that are already linked to actual professional clubs might be a problem. One scout, in particular, commented that Pasarga's national line-up was usually a lock with near-zero chances of a move (even a loan) to the Empire. "When they already have signed with a CA Paulinthal and whatnot, we're screwed: we actually have a better shot with their Academy kids that drop out... it's how Senso-Shukujo met (Déborah) Salas", said a scout that chose to remain anonymous.

Hinodejin fans will be excited nonetheless: the prospect of seeing more youth try their hand at the multiverse's self-proclaimed finest youth leagues can't be a bad thing, after all.

[Nephara]

The legend goes that there runs a set of catacombs underneath the WCC headquarters. In these catacombs, there is a place hewn out for every nation that has ever entered the WCC, and a stone tablet pushed into place detailing the rules that each nation will abide by. There are no restrictions, merely the lock-in to international reality of the laws every nation abides by.
There would be treasures there. Imagine how much someone would pay for the magic of the Dreamed Land to be erased from the collective consciousness at the decisive betting moment? Or, darker still, if a nation's capacity and demand for space travel were stripped from it with a rival side in transit? Nobody knows quite what would happen, but certainly the money exists to find out. But who would dare take them up on it? Of those that do, the few that survive have dreadful tales to tell.
Hypothetically.
Were it real, Nepharim delegates would have been down there before, representing at the time the NSFA. Brawny men in blue coats with mullets, sideburns and shades escorting down an anxious official bearing a hefty stone tablet, upon which would have been writ a fairly straightforward list. Nephara considers itself a nation at home with reality, grounded in reality, removed from magic and talking horses, and is as a result more sheltered than most.
The list wasn't extensive. Nothing about gender, or sex. Reasonable constraints around poaching foreigners. Time to flow at the rate that time flowed. And, of course, Nepharim were only human.
Allegedly.

Vivica Muscadin considered herself, correctly, a fashionista. "You know," she mused, "blue suits the colours well."
The colours were the black and green of the team jacket they'd all been given. The blue was Reniira Clevinger's skin.
"I really consider it more a sky. Or an off-white." She was half-human, after all. People might have made a thing of it at school, save that, well... there was a limited amount of lip teenagers would give to someone a foot taller, a foot broader, and entirely happy to get into fights. Oh, and yes, for those asking at home. She had feet. Toes you didn't really want to look too hard at, but attached to feet.
There's a well-regarded theory about youth development that big kids just learn to use their bulk to throw small kids around and don't actually learn the football fundamentals. As a result, there was a little wariness around Clevinger in the youth ranks, who spent time both at striker and at centre-half and largely played the same way at either position, tossing aside anyone in her path. But even as others caught up (mostly) she continued to stride purposefully and powerfully through the ranks, up the age bands, and eventually into the Newrook senior team for at least some training sessions.
Nephara's youth team manager, Ivy Herrick, had seen no reason to be cautious. It wasn't as though Clevinger would ever stop having a size advantage. Who cared if she was slow as sin?
She'd worked her way into the hearts of at least a couple here. Muscadin was open-minded and genial, even (especially?) if she gave off the air of someone who would slip poison into a wine-glass without compunction. Aranea Provost was austere and haughty, but in a protective kind of way. She'd matter-of-factly informed Clevinger that as they would be partners in the defence they simply had to build a rapport. 'One-eye' Schanzer had two eyes, but only one I in her spelling of Renira. She hoped to bring more than a confusing nickname back from her adventures here.

This side felt a little different to last, Herrick felt. Last catchment was, bluntly, weaker... except in the centre of the pitch. What she wouldn't give to have Horvath back! But at least Lothaire Cromwell was adapting well in training to a more conservative role. And the defence was strong. And Provost was, well... Provost was good enough to force her way into 1Div starting selection over a goalkeeper good enough to go from being behind her at Brookford to behind Na'Kefir at Crisisbless. Provost was the kind of player you could look at and think 'century'.
Last catchment was also full of bristling underdogs. This side... maybe a little more cocky. Something in the way that Clevinger almost dismissively headed crosses out of the box. Or the way that Cromwell slipped between Matlaba and Parci to lay out Latvala with a vicious sliding challenge, or how Flaxwood took that rolling ball and almost indifferently swept it into the path of Anselm Koerner, and the way Koerner stopped on the ball for a second, capitalised on a second of indecision from Murje and drove inside, whipping a ball low into the path of Latona Basilisk as other defenders followed the dummy run of Lukas Stonemoore, and the way that Basilisk didn't even pause as she toebashed the ball into the ceiling of the net.
Sajnur's young manager, Marat Kharalov, was apoplectic. His side had dominated the ball and the shot count, but struggled to find penetration, or to seriously test Provost. This, twenty-nine minutes in, just Nephara's second serious attack...
And from there, they clicked back into gear. Sturdy back line, confident passes around the flanks, flashes of danger. Kirai excelled herself, including with a brilliant tip around the post from a bullet header from Stonemoore, until the subsequent corner. She didn't come out. She ought to have. But would it even have made a difference with a towering fucking half-breed satyr on the end of it?

If the legends are real, it would explain Ivy Herrick striding, purposefully, into a side entrance to the WCC with a bucket of red paint and a pencil-thin brush, trailed by two muscle-bound, tattooed thugs and one censer-bearing hedge wizard.
And were one to look at the Nepharim tablet now, most of the original clauses would remain intact. Save the last entry, crossed out and scrawled over with; Two legs good, four legs bad.

[Mriin]

Venser--who's always on his phone anyway--had been deputized with watching twii.tur while he sat. Geraard obviously had to focus on the match, which had quickly gotten out of hand thanks to Krystyna Walczykiewicz's (wall-chick-evich? Was that how they said it?) brace. But it was important to keep any eye on the reaction to Idi suddenly showing up on the Corsairs' bench, decked out in a hastily-tailored reserve jersey bearing the number zero. The news had only officially broken that Idi had been removed from the Banijan roster hours beforehand. And with no companion news that the Mrii had taken him in, many assumed there had been a nationality-related dispute that just led to his outright ejection.

@reaveaver
is that #idi?????? in the blue and gold?????????
@maalefactor
The prodigal son returns home! I've played street ball with him a few times, kicked my ass up and down the block. #idi #corsairs #dbc
@briir.telen1
we get #idi and he's sitting?! put him in, @geraardimo!!
@MNL
Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you. We've reached a--admittedly belated--roster agreement with #idi Mboge for the #dbc.
  @LDS Little Istria Temple replying to @MNL
  About time Maal's Banijan faithful get to represent our country like this! #idi #blessed
  @Kaalen Human Outfitters replying to @MNL
  #idi getting to join Tobiáš and Milja in the #dbc is a huge step! Can't wait to see more Mrii human talent getting chances like this. #OnOurFeet

The buzz was positive enough--at least in the Mrii spheres of twii.tur--that they drowned out the twiis of disappointment at going down two-oh in the opening match. Even the celebration of Manahaal clawing one back with an absolute screamer couldn't make a dent. There was no doubt the Septentrionaux had the edge; come half-time they'd had a solid sixty-five percent of the possession. Come five minutes into the second half they had a solid two-goal lead, this time courtesy of Zvonimir Kordic cleanly converting a penalty courtesy of a visibly frustrated Liana. It'd been a pretty lazy hack job and an instant yellow. Add in a glare from the ref, and that prompted Geraard to pull her in favor of Nikalia. And while he was at it Jeret was looking uncharacteristically gassed; he glanced back over Venser's shoulder, at all the #idis scrolling by, and decided it was time to push.

Flat 4-4-2 is still a rather defensive formation by Mrii standards, but this team was hungry. The shakeups immediately made an impact as even down a set of legs Yngriit immediately jelled better with Nikalia, and of course Idi was diligently tracking back when it was called for--he wasn't about to make a show of being selfish when finally given this chance. It'd be one of these dutiful coverage runs that crossed his path with a poorly-hit cross from Dzsenifer Szenteleki-Csoka. And of course, given a manager who's a career fullback and had his greatest success under Tailtiu Brennan's charge, they'd taken his one day of training and drilled driving a counterattack to a T. Some incredibly skilled--or incredibly lucky--camera operator had the perfect angle to see Idi's cross barely clear Arkadiusz Krzykowski’s head with Tobiáš waiting in the background. A still from that clip--two humans sporting the now-vintage Aer patterns linking up--renewed the Twii.tur flood seconds after Tobiáš chested it down, spun past Kacper Pietrzkiewicz, and cut the deficit back to one.

When Idi rose from the fracas of a corner, somehow eclipsing teammates who had a foot on him, and nodded in the equalizer? Never had social media seen such a rapturous response to dropping two points.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2020
Baker Park 1-1 Equestria: Honors Even
by Fiona Devlin, National Soccer Writer

Since the first appearance of the Commonwealth National Under 21's at the Di Bradini Cup, there has always been a solid following of Baker Park supporters who have made the trip to Valanora; it's only rivaled in the hospitality offered by the locals by the World Cup itself, and the reasonably priced direct flights from Ezriquay International Airport to both Raynor City and Gladerial, coupled with the ease of transport within the the country on arrival, make the DBC a massive destination trip for soccer fans during the Parliament Day bank holiday weekend.

The match between BP and Equestria on Day 1 of the DBC at Hatire Memorial drew a large enthusiastic crowd of 57,000, with Black & Gold more prevalent than Purple through the stands. Quinton Harris scored the BP U21 goal to present the side an opportunity to see their way through to the knockout stage.

The next opponent, Mavinet, should not be discounted or taken lightly, according to U21 Manager Jennifer Prescott. "We're stupid or blind if we don't take this team as seriously as any other. They came through in the (SWC), just like the other side in this group (Imperial Joseon). We need to start treating everyone we face like they are Vilita, Nephara, Kita(-Hinode), Starblaydia."

The DBC has been, and continues to be an excellent showcase for up & coming talent; professional scouts from hundreds of clubs across the multiverse converge on the competition to evaluate prospects who could contribute immediately towards the fortune of hopeful professional sides.

The National League has seen an influx of talent from across the multiverse, and a few other nations here at the DBC have players on their roster who practice their trade within the Commonwealth:
Isla Kincorick, SCT (Bergholz Caledonian): the Schottian fullback was an important addition to the merged club, bringing experience in mixed gender dynamics to the longtime neighboring rivals. She is rated by observers to have an enormous potential for growth, and if she isn't scooped up by a bigger side in either the Conference or in the NWSL by the next season's end, she will almost certainly be playing in another league when she earns her first full International cap.

Claire Randall, HAP (Clayton City Ladies): CC offered Randall the equivalent of a blank contract--to replace the original 3 year deal she signed as an incoming transfer--at the end of last season, and to their enormous surprise, she only requested an increase in wages over a new 3 year deal that was about 40% more than what she would've earned under the old deal. She cited her satisfaction with the conditions at the club and the competitiveness of the league as factors in her decision. She will certainly feature for the Haps at senior level before long.

Tonya Richards-Blakely. APY (Jamestown City Ladies): J-City didn't sell the Appy Nation standout a bill of goods--the club finished in the basement an astonishing 12 points behind the next closest club and have cleared out almost the entire squad of anyone above the age of 26. New manager Kelly Bradbury, enticed away from the staff at Shirley Metros Ladies, will bring fresh thinking and energy that will play to the strengths that Richards-Blakely brings to the side.

Lineup vs Mavinet
Callaway; Schulman, Knight, Brooks; Olivera, Wiley, Eichorn, McFairlaine; Price; Cassel, Baum

[Filindostan]

FILINDOSTAN
National Under-21 Football Team
Di Bradini Cup 47

The Filindostan Football Federation is pleased to present the Filindostan National Under-21 football team, to compete in the 47th Di Bradini Cup, in Valanora. Will the Under-21 National team ever get out of the group stages of this competition? Find out for yourselves.

About the Filindostan Football Federation

The Filindostan Football Federation (FFF) was founded after they split from the Filindostani National Sports Commission (FNSC), citing the FNSC's tainted image during the Multiverse Boxing Organization boxing tournament and the budget cut the agency suffered. The newly-established federation caters to the nation's footballing affairs and sanctions the selection of the senior, under-21 and under-15 squads. The FNSC will remain the agency for fielding other national football teams that are not sanctioned by the FFF.

The FFF's headquarters are located in San Marco, Filindostan, and is headed by Estrelitta "Estie" Barzagia.

Nickname: Pula Batang Garudas (Red Young Garudas)
First Match: vs. Cosumar U21 (1-1), Di Bradini Cup 41 (Valanora)
First Win: vs. Taeshan (1-0), Di Bradini Cup 41 (Valanora)
Biggest Wins: vs. Northwest Kalactin (3-1), Di Bradini Cup 42 (Valanora)
Biggest Losses: vs. Alpine Union (0-2), Di Bradini Cup 41 (Valanora), vs. Schottia (1-3), Di Bradini Cup 42 (Valanora)
Overall Record (up-to-date): GP 10, W 3, D 5, L 2, GF 14, GA 14, WP 30%
Penalty Shootout Record: NA
Manager: Martinus Alfian SALMA, Male, 55
Assistant Manager: Kim MOLINTAS, Female, 47
Captain: Putra DWIMULYANI, Female, 20
Vice Captain: Intan ZAKARIA, Male, 21

Playing Squad

In Filindostan, people are often called by their nickname. Some players opt to put their nickname instead of the customary last name in their kits. The shirt names for the squad are noted by ALL CAPS.

The following players are called up into the national team for the tournament. Club and school names are based in Filindostan unless noted.

Starters

 1 | GK  | Louise SABINIANO                                | F | 19 |  Perodos Bandariyan
 2 | RCB | Gerry WOUDENBERG                                | M | 21 |  Perokojak Kota Jakulta
 3 | LCB | Devina WIWI                                     | F | 21 |  Perodos Bandariyan
 5 | CB  | Putra DWIMULYANI                                | M | 20 |  Perotres Bandaroon
 4 | CDM | SOEI                                            | M | 21 |  Bagtasan Hi-Land
11 | RM  | Surya Michael TARI                              | M | 20 |  Peropimen Menodo
 7 | LM  | Merpati WULUNG                                  | F | 21 |  Perouno Bandarito
 8 | CAM | Intan ZAKARIA                                   | F | 21 |  Bagtasan Hi-Land
 9 | FW  | Ligaya Odyzza DELA TORRE                        | F | 20 |  Perouno Bandarito
10 | FW  | Muhammad HERAWAN                                | M | 20 |  Perodos Bandariyan
15 | FW  | Wati RUMBA                                      | F | 21 |  Perokojak Kota Jakulta

Subs/Reserves

23 | GK  | TIK                                             | F | 19 |  Perokotyog Yogyakulta
25 | GK  | Annisa ANOM                                     | F | 20 |  Peropimen Menodo
16 | RCB | Kadek Hendrik KAM                               | M | 21 |  Perouno Bandarito
17 | LCB | Zidan Gera PASARIBU                             | M | 21 |  San Rafael Wardogs
 6 | CB  | David DJOJOHADIKUSUMO                           | M | 18 |  Buenavista SC 90005
24 | CB  | Kristoffer Hessen BUARON                        | M | 21 |  San Lomar Cooperative
19 | RM  | Robby BUDIONO                                   | M | 20 |  Venividicci
13 | LM  | Lidia WIRANTO                                   | F | 21 |  Perotapam Massakar
14 | CM  | Suryadi Osbert MOKKEN                           | M | 21 |  Venividicci
18 | CM  | Bella KANTONO                                   | F | 20 |  Perotapam Massakar
22 | FW  | Rudi SETYO                                      | M | 19 |  Venividicci
20 | FW  | Margaretha BRIA                                 | F | 20 |  Kabanalan SC 90004

Play Style

Style Modifier: -1.3863

Kits

Local kit supplier, No Nonsense, provides the kits for the Pula Garuda. The kits will be used until the World Cup 81 season. The home kits are clad in red and are usually paired with black shorts and white socks. For color clashes in shorts and socks, they use their all red kit. Their alternate kit is white, usually with red shorts and socks, but can be black shorts and white socks in case of color clashes. The goalie kit is all black (or in black shorts and socks), but in case of color clashes, a yellow version of the GK kit is available.

The same kit used by the Pula Garuda is also being used by the Under-21 team.

Team RP and Permissions

The below information will help teams RP against my team in case they RP first.

Fans
Filindostani fans are double-edged swords - sometimes they are most passionate fans in Filindostan, sometimes, they can be compared to the worst of internet trolls. Around five thousand diehard fans will travel to the host nation to watch their team play - but they usually bring their megaphones and flares with them - they somehow make it past the guards. Some fans are crazy enough to invade the pitch and cause match delays.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: Yes
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes - I'll determine the severity.
Godmod injuries to my players: No - Absolutely no death here please.
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

[Filindostan]

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

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FOOTBALL
Di Bradini Cup: Under-21 Team continue underperformance, loses to Savojarna

VALANORA - It seems that the streak for the Filindo Under-21 not advancing beyond the group stages will continue.

The Under-21 team lost a close match against Savojarna 3-2 to open up proceedings in this edition of the Di Bradini Cup, the multiverse's official Under-21 football tournament. The audience here at the Castle de Mot were given an match full of entertainment and excitement, as both the Rushmori and Esportivan nation had the share of the lead before the Savojars got the final laugh after a penalty scored by Sergey Nweke seven minutes before the final whistle.

The Savojars got the lead through the explosive forward, who used his speed to breeze past Filindostani defense and despite the efforts of Louise Sabiniano to thwart it away, the Perodos keeper were only able to deflect the shot but still it went under the bar. Not before long, a quickfire double by Ligaya Odyzza Dela Torre and Wati Rumba several minutes later gave Filindostan the lead just as the halftime break were approaching.

Filindostan though did not hold the lead long, as nine minutes after the start of the second half, a corner by Arvid Persson was met gracefully by the head of the unmarked Uller Sigfridsson to level the proceedings once again at 2-2, and with full time looming, Gerry Woudenberg would make a mistimed tackle that hit the foot of Sigfridsson, in which the referee pointed to the spot immediately, giving Savojarna an opportunity to grab the match winner, which they did.

With the loss, Filindostan's task became more daunting as they face perennial powerhouse Nephara in the second matchday, in which a loss will certainly mean elimination from the competition.

Written by FSNA Staff.