Baptism of Fire 72 - Everything Thread

by **Havynwilde** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:34 pm

Composed of the mainland, stretching from the dense forests of Southern Gallo way to the he island archipelago of Kinnland, Havynwilde is a Nordic-styled nation of nearly five million people situated mainly in the northern parts of the nation. A nation with a strong, crazed obsession over football －called fooligbol domestically － Havynwilde is noted for its short-running sports seasons which run from late December through March. Havynwilde makes it debut on an international stage as it looks to conquer the regional CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup as it looks on towards preparation for the Baptism of Fire. The Havyish national team is looking to set the precedent for future generations of Havyish footballers by paving a way through this first tournament, setting the tone for the international scene.

The Nordslaget has brought together players of both arenas － both domestic and international － for this tournament; wit a focus on expanding the youth structure and of course, the formalizing the starters and key players on the national team ahead of the Baptism of Fire. The national team draws players from many parts of the world, oc course, the LygaHaven has a heavy presence on this roster; however, there are other national leagues with a presence: the Audioslav league, Kelssekian top flight and others all establish a presence here. Domestically, the front runners were of course expected: Avante Leipreachán will represent, as will Advernians, Bawall Athletic and the other favorites.

Quick Facts

Nation Name: Dominion of Havynwilde
Trigamme: HVY
Population: 4,629,301 million
Language: Havyish
GDP: ҡr89,201 per capita (N$64,027 per capita)
Nickname: Nordslaget (The Northerners)

Team Info
Basic info:
Preferred formation: 4-3-1-2
Style mod: +2.9630
Home stadium: Nordstadion - cap. 41,402 (30,000 all-seater) - Formerly called Bellymn Stadium, Nordstadion is one of the oldest stadiums in Havynwilde, built in the capital to host the Kopahaven’s precursor, the Kogenkopa.
Manager: Shane Newman (CBP)
Coaches: -
Players to watch:
Ashton Houston :: The star striker has established herself in the Kelssekian league as being amongst the best in the league, her 22 goals were noted and Shane Newman called her up almost immediately
Francis Sutherland :: The oft-overlooked product was shipped to Audioslavia where he took off, growing into being one of the best youth products in the world whislt suiting up for Cazadores Cathair. The 21 year-old certainly is one of the better players out there.
Joel Nolans :: Called “The Gatekeeper” at home, he just left Advernians after seven seasons in which he blossomed into one of the best keepers in the domestic scene. He’s proven himself time and time again and was well-rewarded with a move to Baker Park.
Gavin Cook :: A well-established set piece specialist, he just completed a championship-winning campaign with Baywall Athletic and will be on the move soon, as for now, he’s proven why he belongs with the national team.
Team Record:
WC:                   	0-0-0 		
Non-WC:           	0-1-3 		
Overall Record: 	0-1-3

Roster

1 :: JOEL NOLANS :: 28 y.o., Middlebourne City AFC (CBP) :: 3 caps

2 :: ROSARIO COURTWOOD :: 25 y.o., ADVERNIANS :: 2 caps

hopes

3 :: CRAIG HARRIS :: 22 y.o., BOMBARRALENSE (AUD) :: 2 caps

4 :: ZENON-GERAL KAL :: 28 y.o., ADVERNIANS :: 105 caps for Qusmo NT :: 2 caps

5 :: CASE RUDERBY :: 20 y.o., MANDON UNITED (APX) :: 3 caps

6 :: CANN BAIRD :: 24 y.o., MEGABRANTID SC (SRS) :: 3 caps

7 :: FRANCIS SUTHERLAND :: 21 y.o., CAZADORES CATHAIR (AUD) :: 3 caps

8 :: HAYDEN WELSH :: 25 y.o., AVANTE LEIPREACHÁN :: 3 caps

9 :: ASHTON HOUSTON :: 29 y.o., HAMILTONIAN CAMBRIA (KSK) :: 3 caps

10 :: GAVIN COOK :: 24 y.o., BAYWALL ATHLETIC :: 2 caps

11 :: LEON DAVIS :: 26 y.o., BOMBARRALENSE (AUD) :: 2 caps

[img]——[/img]

Roster

Starting XI
Name			Pos.		Age	Club			Nation
Joel Nolans		GK		28	Middleboune City AFC 	CBP
Rosario Courtwood	LB		25	Advernians		HVY
Craid Harris		CB		22	Bombarralense		AUD
Zenon-Gerol Kal (c)	CB		28	Advernians		HVY
Case Ruderby		RB		20	Mandon United		APX
Cann Baird		LM		24	Megabrantid SC		SRS
Francis Sutherland	CM		21	Cazadores Cathair	AUD
Hayden Welsh		RM		25	Avante Leipreachán	HVY
Ashton Houston		SS		29	Hamiltonian Cambria	KSK
Gavin Cook		LW		24	Baywall Athletic	HVY
Leon Davis		RW		26	Bombarralesne		AUD

Reserves
Name			Pos.		Age	Club			Nation
Myles Connelly		GK		29	Latrobe AFC		KSK
Blair Young		GK		27	Perce Town		QUE
Erika Cook		LB		25	194 Briarcliff		HVY
Zach Park		CB		29	Union Kada		MKB
Kayden Duffy		RB		28	Union Lagauda		XAN
Milo Simmons-Bradley	LM		27	Union Forge		HVY
Mason Thomaston		CM		28	1964 Briarcliff		HVY
Mai Coraline		RM		22	Montreal Impact		QUE
Olly Gibson		SS		27	Forest Park SC		CBP
Rockova Bellymn		LW		21	Bellymn United		HVY
Iksef Grondt		RW		24	Vitel BK		HVY

Management
Name			Pos.		Age	Nation		Record
Shane Newman		Manager		50	CBP		0-1-3

BOF 72 Schedule
-

RP Permissions

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 nothing career-ending
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, within reason

by **Pangurstan** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:45 pm

Team Modifier: -1

Team Roster:
Goalkeeper: Fluffy (F)
Defenders: Cookie (M), Snowball (F), Spot (M), Teddy (M)
Midfielders: Mr. Cloud (M), Rose (F), Sunshine (F)
Forwards: Caramel (F), Pickle (M), Shadow (M)

The Pangurstani Housecat Football Team will be playing in a 4-3-3 formation.

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: Y
Injure Players: N
Godmod Injury Events: N
Red Card Players: N
Yellow Card Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: Y
=================================

OOC: Sorry that this is a little barebones. I’ll update it during the weekend.

by **Mavinet** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:31 pm

© Dai Hoa Times
Mavinet national football team getting ready for the international stage
by Lam Manh Hai, Senior Sports Editor

The Dai Hoa Times welcome readers across the nation to its special series covering the Mavinese national football team's participation in the 72nd Baptism of Fire and 85th World Cup qualifiers. Our dedicated and experienced sport editors will provide information before and after each match, as well as comments and opinions from the experts as we accompany the national team in this journey.

Today, Head Coach Nguyen Minh Quan announced the official 23-man roster for Mavinet's participation in the 72nd Baptism of Fire tournament, which is hosted by Appalachia, Ethane and Delaclava and will commence next month. The tournament is the largest football competition for new members of the world's football community and an exciting curtain-raiser for the much-anticipated World Cup.

After an embarrassing performance in the regional Copa Rushmori XXXIV, the Mavinese football team are raring to go once more and test themselves in the international stage. Head Coach Minh Quan did not make many changes to the roster he brought to Eastfield Lodge, where Mavinet did not get any point after the group stage. Despite the disappointing performance, it should be pointed out that Mavinet were a rookie team in a tournament of giants. Negative results against Pasarga, Cassadaigua or Schottia, while did indicate poor preparation on our part, should point more to the experience and superior quality of these teams. Mavinet left the competition acquiring valuable lessons in playing against various styles of football.

Among the 23 players picked for our country’s first large international tournament, 8 are from Vinh An Dai Hoa, the biggest and most successful team in Mavinet’s top-level league. The rest are selected from various clubs across the country, with the youngest only turned 20 this year. Exciting prospects such as Ho Vu Thanh Hoang of Vinh An Dai Hoa, Le Minh Quoc of FC Song Tranh or Tran Le Nguyen Vu of ALT Vinh Thuy will be the players to watch out for, while veterans like goalkeeper Nguyen Hoang Trung of Trung Son FC, center back To Bang Quang of Phuc Chau Port FC or Dinh Van Phat of Nam Quan Steel FC will be expected to lead the way and bring pride to Mavinese football fans.

The team will gather at the Dung Trang National Training Complex this Wednesday to start a 3-week training program before flying out to the host countries for the Baptism of Fire.

The national team will continue to sport the kits produced by Vinh An Corporation revealed not too long ago before the start of the Copa Rushmori XXXIV. The home kit will use a strong red and yellow combination, while a bright yellow kit with black features will provide a nice contrast in the away kit.

Live coverage of this year’s Baptism of Fire can be watched on MBC1 and MBC3.

In our next article, we will dive into the group Mavinet is in and look at the opponents that we will face in the tournament. Until then, have a good day and take care.

OFFICIAL ROSTER OF THE MAVINET NATIONAL TEAM FOR THE 72ND BAPTISM OF FIRE
OOC: No fixed starters. The lineup will be decided on/before matchday

Goalkeeper
1. Nguyen Hoang Trung, 30 (Trung Son FC)
13. Le Thai Tai, 26 (ALT Vinh Thuy)
21. Do Manh Cuong, 21 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)

Defender
2. Phung Thanh Chuong, RB, 29 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)
3. Tran Quoc Anh, LB, 28 (Bac Binh FC)
4. Phan Anh Tu, CB, 30 (Thuong Giang FC)
5. Ho Hung Dung, CB, 28 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)
6. Mai Van Be, CB, 26 (ALT Vinh Thuy)
35. To Bang Quang, CB, 31 (Phuc Chau Port FC)
23. Hoang Phuc Khang, RB/RWB, 28 (MCB Dai Nam FC)
24. Do Phuoc Long, LB/LWB, 25 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)

Midfielder
7. Nguyen Huu Nghia, CDM, 28 (MCB Dai Nam FC)
8. Lam Tri Thong, CDM, 26 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)
10. Tran Hoang Minh, CM/CAM, 29 (Phuc Chau Port FC)
11. Nguyen Quang Khai, CM, 25 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)
12. Vu Tien Linh, LW, 24 (Thuong Giang FC)
14. Hoang Gia Bao, LM/LW, 28 (ALT Vinh Thuy)
15. Ho Vu Thanh Hoang, RW/LW, 21 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)
16. Nguyen Thai Trung Quan, RM/RW, 23 (Binh Luc Medicine FC)
17. Tran Le Nguyen Vu, CAM, 20 (ALT Vinh Thuy)

Forward
9. Vo Thanh Hai, ST, 27 (Vinh An Dai Hoa)
19. Dinh Van Phat, ST, 29 (Nam Quan Steel FC)
34. Le Minh Quoc, ST, 22 (FC Song Tranh)

==================
KITS

==================
INFO

Head Coach: Nguyen Minh Quan
Assistant Coach: Phan Vinh Hien
Trigram: MAV
Nickname: The Water Buffaloes
Demonym: Mavinese
Style: -1 (slightly defensive, counter-attack)
Formation: will switch between 4-2-3-1, 5-3-2 WB or 3-5-2

==================
PERMISSION

Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: Y (within reason)
Injure Players: Y (I decide severity)
Godmod Injury Events: N
Red Card Players: Y (discuss with me)
Yellow Card Players: Y (up to 3 players, 2nd yellow possible, discuss first)
Godmod Other Events: Y (not life-threatening, career-ending or forcing out of match)

by **The Mann clan** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 4:49 am

Permissions

floatleft]

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers:        Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events:    N
Injure Players:               Y
Godmod Injury Events:         N
Red Card Players:             N
Yellow Card Players:          Y
Godmod Other Events:          tg me what it is should allow all  most all
=================================

[/floatleft]

My team
GK: Jordan smith / age 22 / height 6 foot 4 / male
LB: james corbin / age 18 / height 5 foot 3 / male
RB: Alexandra charmer / age 25 / height 5 foot 6 / male
CB: Mary scammer / age 20 / height 4 foot 12 / female
CB: Richmond cyron / age 18 / height 6 foot 1 / male
CM: Mary Mann / age 25 / height 5 foot 7 / female
CM: Charlie zwartanegar/ age 29 / height 6 foot 2 / male
CM: Elizabeth Salisbury / age 19 / height 5 foot 3 / female
LW:Philip old-school / age 29 / height 6 foot 1 / male
ST: Alexandra Hamilton / age 21 / height 5 foot 4 / male
RW: Olivia midlesmith / age 19 / height 5 foot 7 / female
Substitutes
GK: Steve Brimah / age 24 / height 6 foot 8 / male
GK: Stephany seraph / age 26 / height 6 foot 9/ female
LB: Mikoyanshik Nicosia / age 23 / height 4 foot 7/ female
CB: na centalia lahara / age 25 / height 5 foot 2 / male
CB: alstro norikoe / age 27 / height 4 foot 5 / female
RB: Joshua silver / age 23 / height 5 foot 2 / male
CM: Bethany azaelia / age 25 / height 4 foot 4 / female
CM: Christian meddler / age 20 / height 6 foot 7 / male
CM: Kirsti chalke / age 19 / height 5 foot 3 / female
LW: Luke walkers / age 25 / height 5 foot 5 / male
ST: Stephen tickler / age 23 / height 4 foot 9 / male
RW: Richard whitehead / age 27 / height 5 foot 1 / male
LW: lexi wilkbeards / age 25 / height 5 foot 3 / female

manager Jacob rosevelt
Jacob Rosevelt is the Deputy Master Organiser of the Sports, commonly referred to as mistofreenmia in the Mann clan and is second in command only to Auttaja skar leutrina. He is only 27 years old, and already has a lot of power in the Mann clan at such a young age. Jacob actually played football at high school as a right-wing. Due to this fact, many people would think that he would be suited to coach the national football team. Masdipuetz Juesmann, his old headmaster, recommended that the mistofreenmia should coach this team, seeing as this is our first and only sport which we are entering with a national team. His tactics are rather basic, but along with the input from Jhon True Jacob could potentially lead this team to a Round of 16 finish or even greater.

assistant manager Jhon True
John True is the manager of the skydom Ghosts, a team in the semi-professional Mann clan Football League. He led the team to the title, finishing a good 16 points ahead of the second-placed team, Kesha Mystics. The 47-year-old is more experienced than the mistofreenmia and will probably be coming up with all the tactics and squad rotations, with Jacob Rosevelt acting as the double-act manager.

by **Riennic Isles** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 5:27 am

The Tranquil Isles of Riena
First-team squad for the 72^nd Baptism of Fire

Players listed in orange are starters in their respective positions. All compiled statistics are accurate as of the 72^nd Baptism of Fire.

by **Tequilo** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:07 am

Baptism of Fire 72

Tequilo National Team
Tournament Squad

Team kits by GuileTeq
Home - agave blue shirts with grass snake green & white trim; agave blue shorts; white & agave blue hooped socks
Away - desert gold shirts; gold shorts & socks - all with agave blue & white trim.

In the sprawling, continent-spanning country of Tequilo - more formally the Allied States of Tequilo or PAT, Patrias Aliadas de Tequilo - football was traditionally a matter for the regional sports authorities. So large and geographically interesting is Tequilo, that it once was formed of nine nations - six Latinique former colonies and three Indigo city-state empires - who clubbed together as jolly good friends and neighbours to gang up on their dreadfully superior and bossy neighbour to the north, a place they prefer to call Horizonte Oscuro. Anyway that is a history lesson for another cutoff, but in terms of football - or Pitxi in the local dialect - like most things it remained governed on a local basis by the nine football associations. But recently, in an effort to improve the quality of the pitxi on offer (and not at all to make more money, nonono) the nine associations formed one national association, the Unión de Fútbol de Tequilo; and the UFT has formed a national play-off system to decide it's country's annual champion. Ambitiously, it also entered the new national team - which had never existed in all the time pitxi was played across the PAT - into the coming World Cup and it's shortform pre-entertainment event, the Baptism of Fire. Inexperienced in such matters, the UFT has appointed foreign type Dik ten Beuenk, 88, as Team Director. Ten Beuenk oversaw the entry of the tiny Principality of Mustardy into the last World Cup, where an unremarkable campaign exploded into life with an away victory in South Covello, one of the modern giants of the game. That, and the fact that the Red Herrings were not thrashed pillar-to-post through qualifying, won the UFT over when looking for an experienced head to guide this inexperienced nation through a World Cup campaign.

Mauricio Nores has been appointed head coach of the new national team, and he will bring two of his backroom staff with him from his domestic club, Motozintla of the Maranco state capital city Tirinto. Nores, along with coaches Isaac Martí and Juan Manuel Botín, are all on part time secondments from Motozintla for the duration of the Baptism of Fire. Will the Marancoan trio lead their team to glory and win themselves an extended contract for World Cup qualifying? Or will the new national team drop like a dead worm from the claw of the Resplendent Jackdaw, the king of the desert in Tequiloan mythology?

For the purpose of media marketing, the PR company attached the UFT has decided the national team will take the nickname Los Mextiqos - the racial descriptor for Tequiloans of mixed heritage who are venerated as the strongest and most handsome mongrels of all peoples in the Wide Enness Ocean (the multiverse, to you and me).

BACKROOM STAFF
Head Coach: Mauricio Nores, 52, top Tequiloan manager, full time job at Motozintla FC.
Team Director: Dik ten Beuenk, 88, Mustardo advisor, a professor in a tracksuit.
Coach: Isaac Martí, 54, Mauricio's assistant at Motozintla.
Coach: Juan Manuel Botín, 35, recently retired player for Motozintla, learning his trade with Mauricio and Isaac, apparently destined for moderatly good things.
Team Captain: Mateo Tafalla, 30, possibly the best midfielder in Tequilo; completes the Motozintla line-up pretty much running the show for the new national team.
Vice Captain: Haize Apeiztegui, 31, of Puezan state; a fearsome defender who plays his football at top club Unuiĝinta in Iragartze

PLAYING STAFF
Though tempted as he may have been to select an all-Motozintla squad for his first national team (they are certainly up there with the best of them, in Tequilo at least) Mauricio Nores has been careful to select a diverse squad that cross the racial and provincial spectrums in such a massive country; with all six regions represented, all three Índigo (indigenous) city states, and all seven ethnic groups present in the country - coach Nores has even brought along a couple of Antivadorios, which is a risk because as everyone knows, they can be a bit superior and bossy themselves, like the nosey neighbours up north.

Starting XI

Name			Pos.	Age	Club			Personality

Ferran Teixidó		GK	24	Galaxía			leader
Patrick Zambo		DL	30	Resplendiente		reliable
Haize Apeiztegui	DC	31	Unuiĝinta		professor
Huracan			DC	22	Jaguar Itxacomitán	dynamo
Chicchan		DR	29	Pitxi-Pitxi 77		flamboyant
Callañaupa		DMC	33	Equipo Caimán		introvert
Vilca Hualla		ML	20	Índigo Huayna		leader
Tutayan			MR	27	SC Raití		cavalier
Mateo Tafalla		AMC	30	Motozintla		eccentric
Narciso Cora		ST	32	SC Pedregal		unpredictable
Roxelio Toran		ST	24	Ciupa Azul		resilient

Squad

García de Corcoles	GK	22	Humberto		unpredictable
Oscar Bienvenida	GK	17	Tumuloa Xico		leader
Garaitz Minha		DL	28	CF Frantxizko-A		grafter
Noxochinoch		DC	26	Xicoans			grafter
Vincent Okila		DC	19	Benemérito		unpredictable
Huachalla		DR	23	Acacoyagua		flamboyant
Ixtub Tün		DMC	16	Pitxi-Pitxi 77		beast
Isidoro Artechevarria	ML	19	Urbo Ibaeta		bulldozer
Ricardo Bailén		MR	20	Fábrica Tapalupé	eccentric
Xiuhcoatl		AMC	18	Xicoans			unpredictable
Niño Pinto		AMC	16	Índigo Huayna		predatory
Tlacolotl		ST	18	Pitxi-Pitxi 77		warhorse
Agustin de Leon		ST	24	Polo Sur		professor
Urrués Gironella	ST	17	Pingüinos		resilient

RP Permissions & Other Notes

Have fun. Maybe don't kill everyone. At least not all at once.
I Give My Opponent Permission To:
====================
Do Absolutely Anything: Y
===================
RP Pointers

Most likely to get…

Poacher's tap in: Narciso Cora
20-metre screamer: Mateo Tafalla
Applauded for fancy panenka: Chicchan
Laughed at for bungled panenka: Tutayan
Jeered for over-exuberant celebrations: Huachalla
First minute booking: Isidoro Artechevarria
Last minute winner: García de Corcoles
Early bath for handbags: Tlacolotl
Stretcher to the tunnel: Callañaupa
Blood-covered rag around head: Garaitz Minha
Tackle of the season: Haize Apeiztegui
A packet of sweets, a pat on the head, and excused from doing his homework for the night: Niño Pinto
Early nomination for legend status: Huracan

As a first entry into the World Cup and signed up with absolute minimal planning, there really are no pointers because I don't know what I'm doing with this yet. I may come back and edit this box once the world cup is under way. All I can say is, the average Tequiloan has an exceedingly high SQ (shambolic quotient) meaning they are really very good at creating and thriving in chaos… they get things done, in a very roundabout and often nonsensical way, with an often unbelievably high portion of luck. They are happy to lose, as long as it is in chaotic fashion, because one day they are pretty sure they will win. And it's all about the journey, not the result. Apparently.

by **Delaclava** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 4:12 pm

Representatives of the Baptism of Fire 72 participants, welcome to the Bland Foods Stadium in Pittsburgh, Penn, Appalachia! If your teams are skilled and fortunate enough, perhaps you will be out there on the field, contesting the championship match in front of 71,000 fans. But for now, all of you are here instead in this press room, ready for the group draw!

The representatives of the three host nations will take turns drawing nation names from the bowl on the center of this table. Groups A-C will take place in Appalachia, Groups D-F will be played in Ethane, and Groups G and H will make the trip to Delaclava. Since all fifty-six teams are unranked, they will simply be drawn in order. The first seven teams out of this bowl will play in Group A, the next seven to Group B, and so on. (OOC: The alphabetical list of teams was input into a list randomizer. The randomized list was then grouped in the fashion previously described.)

Without further ado, let's get on with the show!

Group A
Southern Esportivan Union
Adyatin
Sylestone
Jamestownnnn
Res Publica Nova Roma
Pangurstan
Floyssauu

Group B
Muradil
Bushkrub
EGM
Sanctanus
Porticalia
Khazajamal
Balaslandia

Group C
Sabalonia
South Charlia
Maccian
Daskel
Kuriko
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
Valentine Z

Group D
Atheist Democratic Freehold
The Mann Clan
Lo Santano
Great Lausitz
Drunk People at the Local Tavern
Necosia
Xuzaqiy

Group E
Villablanca
Mavinet
Shokpos
Donnacona
When U Die
The Appraisal To The Allmighty MR TAYTO
Lake Esper

Group F
Sankt Konrad
Riena
Monglechabagd
Soracana Islands
Jerauuk
Caelapes
Simpralia

Group G
Tequilo
South Newlandia
Twicetagria
Kohnhead
Revatnagar
Baggieland
Havynwilde

Group H
The Grearish Union
The Veiled Islands
Audiasania
Alba and Cymru
Qvardax
Independent Athletes from Quebec
Ottoman Syldavia

As previously published, here is the schedule for every group:
Sunday, May 3: MD1 - 2v7, 3v6, 4v5
Monday, May 4: MD2 - 6v4, 7v3, 1v2
Tuesday, May 5: MD3 - 3v1, 4v7, 5v6
Wednesday, May 6: Off
Thursday, May 7: MD4 - 7v5, 1v4, 2v3
Friday, May 8: MD5 - 4v2, 5v1, 6v7
Saturday, May 9: MD6 - 1v6, 2v5, 3v4
Sunday, May 10: MD7 - 5v3, 6v2, 7v1

The numbers correspond to the order in which each team is listed in their group. To clarify what this means, let's look at Group A:

Southern Esportivan Union
Adyatin
Sylestone
Jamestownnnn
Res Publica Nova Roma
Pangurstan
Floyssauu

The pairings for Matchday 1 are teams 2 vs. 7 (Adyatin vs. Floyssauu), teams 3 vs. 6 (Sylestone vs. Pangustan), and teams 4 vs. 5 (Jamestownnnn vs. Res Publica Nova Roma). Team 1, Southern Esportivan Union, is not listed, so they are idle for MD1. Matchday 2 will then showcase Pangurstan vs. Jamestownnnn (6v4), Floyssauu vs. Sylestone (7v3), and Southern Esportivan Union vs. Adyatin (1v2), while Res Publica Nova Roma (team 5) will rest. You get the idea...

The group standings will be sorted by points, wins, H2H, overall goal differential, overall goals scored, then coin flip. At the end of the group stage, the top 4 teams from each group will advance to the round of 32. We'll have more format and venue information for the teams who are still with us then!

Best of luck to all teams, and make sure to get your rosters and first RP posts in by Sunday so you have your best shot at victory!

by **Sankt Konrad** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 4:47 pm

Sankt Konrad National Football Team

Facts

Nation Name: Protectorate of Sankt Konrad
Short Names: Sankt Konrad
Demonyms: Sankt Konrader
FA: Sankt Konrad Football Association (SKFA)
Colours: Maroon, blue, gold
Anthem: ‘Forwards, Fair Isle’
Capital City: Wilhelmstadt
Other Major Cities: Girona, Divtasvuodno, Deatnu, Sankt Leopold
Highest Domestic League: Raidodassi
Nicknames: The Reindeer
Style Modifier: +0.5

Overview

Once a colony of the Teus Empire, Sankt Konrad achieved independence in 1896 and has grown in prosperity since then, owing to the offshore oil facilities that have allowed it to become exceptionally rich. This small island nation is made up of about 60,000 people, and is known for its particularly harsh winter weather. The most popular sports on the island have become football and the national game of handball. The football league, the Raidodassi, is dominated by the two biggest clubs on the island, Kolonial and Nomadik. These clubs represent the two major ethnic groups on the island, the descendents of the original Teus colonists as well as the native inhabitants of the island, the Albmoti. Football clubs from the island entered into IFCF competition for the first time this past season, and having achieved good results in their first forays into international competition, the SKFA has decided to send a representative national team to participate in WCC-affiliated competition. There are questions surrounding the team, however, and one of the biggest is whether the players of Kolonial and Nomadik, with such a fierce rivalry between them, can put aside those differences to play for this team. A note on names: Sankt Konrad’s Albmoti population do not have last names, instead having a first name and a middle name. Most players will be listed with just their first name, although some also use their middle names.

Staff

Coach - Kalla

Kalla was once the assistant manager at Nomadik before agreeing to take charge of the national team for its foray into the Baptism of Fire and World Cup 85’s Qualifiers. Generally considered a tactically-strong manager, he appears to be favouring a more offensive style for this side going into the Baptism of Fire. Football on Sankt Konrad is characterized by the work ethic of the players, as well as technical skill developed on the difficult terrain of the island. Kalla’s squad will be focused on using that technical skill and work ethic to break down other teams, with a focus on width. The Reindeer will line up in a 4-3-3 formation.

Squad

Goalkeepers

GK - Fretterat - 33y/o - Divtasvuodno - #1
GK - Lejo - 30y/o - Nomadik - #22
GK - Adrian Ganser - 25y/o - Kolonial - #23

Fretterat gets the #1 shirt here, he’ll captain the squad as well thanks to his veteran presence on this team. He was excellent for Divtasvuodno in the last Raidodassi campaign as they really tried to push against the Big 2, and although they ultimately fell short, Fretterat did earn Golden Glove honours. Behind him are Lejo, the starter for Nomadik, and Adrian Ganser, the starter for Kolonial. Ganser is the more promising for the future, but Lejo is the more finished product, and if Fretterat should falter it is likely Lejo would take his place.

Left Back

LB - Simon Husch - 22y/o - Kolonial - #3
LB - Mavnos - 25y/o - Nomadik - #13

Simon Husch was absolutely integral to Kolonial’s title win last season, being a force down that left side. He’s capable of bombing forward and getting involved in the attack and is also a very solid option at the back as well. He earned Best XI honours in the Raidodassi last season, and is expected to develop quite a bit more in the future. Backing him up will be Mavnos, the Nomadik left back who plays a similar style, if a bit less offensively-minded. Mavnos has a bit more experience, and it’s every bit possible he ends up taking over from Husch if he performs well in this tournament.

Centre Back

CB - Rede - 26y/o - Kolonial - #4
CB - Nilpa - 23y/o - Kolonial - #5
CB - Joha - 24y/o - Divtasvuodno - #14
CB - Per Scholl - 22y/o - FC Sankt Leopold - #25

The clear duo here is Kolonial’s stars, Rede being consistently the best defender in the Raidodassi over the last several years. He and Nilpa have great chemistry together, and have helped Kolonial to one of the better defensive records in the league throughout their time together. Between the two, Rede is the better overall player while Nilpa has a bit more skill and can launch long balls forward. Joha was an exceptional player for Divtasvuodno last season, while Per Scholl was key to Sankt Leopold’s great year. Both are strong ball-movers, and will play a key role in the squad, as this team’s ethos appears to involve building from the back.

Right Back

RB - Rasmos - 22y/o - Divtasvuodno - #2
RB - Rastos - 23y/o - Nomadik - #12

This won’t be confusing at all, right? Rasmos of Divtasvuodno was absolutely inspired for his club last season, arguably the fastest fullback in the Raidodassi and with an excellent cross to boot. There’s been talk that Kolonial will be wanting to buy him, and he’d be an excellent addition to their squad. Backing him up is Rastos, the Nomadik fullback a more defensive option and having a strong season with his club.

Centre Midfield

CM - Iskko - 25y/o - Kolonial - #6
CM - Gappe - 19y/o - Nomadik - #8
CM - Bastian Kreuzberg - 30y/o - Kolonial - #16
CM - Bierill - 25y/o - FJ Gaivuotna - #17
CM - Sappa - 25y/o - FJ Girona - #18

This is a position where Sankt Konrad are quite deep, due to the focus on midfield play in the Raidodassi and the overall technical skill of most Sankt Konrad players. Iskko is the first name on the team sheet, he is a very skilled player who moves the ball well and is capable of taking on any opposing player. Gappe will be beside him, having played quite well in that playmaking role for Nomadik last year, and there are high hopes for the young midfielder. Bastian Kreuzberg will sit a bit deeper in a midfield trio, he’s more of an anchor man who tackles well. Behind them, Bierill is more suited to that Kreuzberg role, and was the leader of a strong Gaivuotna midfield last season, while Sappa is more accustomed to the playmaking role. If anyone on this team can make something special happen in game, it’s Iskko, and he is a name opponents should watch out for.

Left Wing

LW - Aksel - 20y/o - Nomadik - #11
LW - Joel Simit - 24y/o - Divtasvuodno - #19

Aksel was the breakout star of the Raidodassi last season, really coming to life in the early part of the season for Nomadik and playing a key role in their title challenge all year long. He’s a dynamic winger, almost unmatched domestically in terms of pace, and has a great deal of tricks up his sleeve to beat any marker. He’ll be a handful for any defender assigned to him. Backing him up is Joel Simit, who has an excellent cross on him and was a key player for Divtasvuodno all season last year. Aksel is the star here, though, and is a hot prospect to watch out for.

Right Wing

RW - Elias Nilse - 23y/o - Nomadik - #7
RW - Hentto - 29y/o - Kolonial - #17

Elias Nilse is probably the best winger in the Raidodassi, though his teammate for club and country Aksel has put up a challenge on that. Elias Nilse just does everything right, he’s got great vision for the game and seems to see things before they happen, allowing him to usually play a key role in making things happen. Short in stature, he’s quite strong on the ball, and once he gets going it’s hard to stop him. Hentto, meanwhile, is Kolonial’s right winger and is a creative outlet for that side, one of the better crossing wingers in the division.

Centre Forward

CF - Lavo - 18y/o - Kolonial - #9
CF - Simit - 23y/o - FJ Girona - #10
CF - Timo Hackl - 24y/o - Kolonial - #21

Lavo was the star for Kolonial last season, winning Golden Boot honours for that club as they went on to win a league and cup double. He’s a poacher with a very powerful shot, and he reads the game very well. At 18, however, there is still room for him to develop, and one concern has been consistency. Behind him, Simit is a powerful forward who led FJ Girona in scoring last season, 3rd overall in the league, and he’s a good option in case the Reindeer need to put more pressure on a backline - the big man is tough to handle. Timo Hackl also joins the squad, more of a false nine than a pure striker, and he usually does his best work alongside another striker. Luckily for him, his domestic partner Lavo is also here, and if needed, the two can form quite a pair up top for Sankt Konrad.

First-choice Squad: Fretterat; Husch, Rede, Nilpa, Rasmos; Kreuzberg, Gappe, Iskko; Aksel, Elias Nilse, Lavo

Captains
Captain: Fretterat (GK)
Vice Captains: Iskko (CM), Elias Nilse (LW)

Set Pieces

Free Kicks: Iskko, Gappe
Penalties: Lavo, Iskko, Aksel, Elias Nilse, Gappe

RP Permissions

Choose my goalscorers: Y
Choose Scoring Events: Y
Godmod Scoring Events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y, I determine length/severity
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out Red cards to my players: Y
Godmod Other Events: N (TG me if you want to discuss something, however)

Kits

The first-choice kit will have a blue background with a maroon sash, outlined in gold, on the front and back. The shorts will also be blue, as will the socks, while the collar will be maroon. Player numbers will be maroon. The second-choice kit will be primarily white with blue and maroon trim. The goalkeepers’ kit will be gold. The choice of colour was done to include national colours of both ethnic groups of Sankt Konrad: blue and white (Albmoti) and maroon and gold (Sankt Konrad Teus). These colours are also present on the national flag.

Context

While football is an exceptionally popular sport on Sankt Konrad, it remains to be seen how much support the national team will get. This is due to the fierce divide within domestic football between the two major clubs, Kolonial and Nomadik. These sides, who represent the two main ethnic groups, despise each other for a variety of historic, cultural and competitive reasons, and there is absolutely no love lost between them. It is hard, therefore, to imagine a Kolonial supporter cheering a great play by Aksel, or a Nomadik supporter celebrating a goal by Lavo. Albmoti players who play for Kolonial, of whom 4 are in the starting XI of this national team, are called traitors by Nomadik fans, and Kolonial supporters have their own names for Nomadik’s players. Meanwhile, fans of the other clubs hate Nomadik and Kolonial equally, and are more likely to cheer for the national team as a whole. The Baptism of Fire is likely to play a key role in how the national team will be perceived by the home support - a successful run could unite the divide and bring fans together to support the country, while a poor campaign may do damage to the national team’s future support. Much work has been done to try and ease any drama - for example, naming Fretterat as the captain is partially due to the fact he plays for neither club. It is expected that most fans will end up cheering for the team, however, no matter their club allegiance, due to the fact that at the end of the day, Sankt Konraders always pull together to support each other.

Group and Schedule

For the Baptism of Fire, Sankt Konrad have been drawn into Group F, alongside the following nations:

Riena
Monglechabagd
Soracana Islands
Jerauuk
Caelapes
Simpralia

Of course, all of these nations are entering the world football stage for the first time, and it is difficult to say which will be the strongest teams in the group. The Reindeer should expect a challenge, then, in every match they play. The full schedule for the group stage is as follows:

Matchday 1: Bye
Matchday 2: Sankt Konrad vs Riena
Matchday 3: Monglechabagd vs Sankt Konrad
Matchday 4: Sankt Konrad vs Soracana Islands
Matchday 5: Jerauuk vs Sankt Konrad
Matchday 6: Sankt Konrad vs Caelapes
Matchday 7: Simpralia vs Sankt Konrad

Sankt Konrad will begin their foray into international football shortly, and we’ll be bringing total coverage as the Reindeer open up the campaign against Riena on matchday 2.

by **Muradil** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 4:49 pm

Num	Pos	Player		Age			
1	GK	Nürm Tolver	31	
8	LB	Faví Zêdrès	29	
69	CB	Phel-Ha Dóca	26	
4	CB	Xarlí Eçrüsmén	31 
2	RB	Axíl Môrnengi	20	
16	LM	Boñil Môrnengi	23	
5	CM	Dènïs Sấutér	25
7	CM	Lakon Xädétu	32
9	RM	Jûstav Muçúa	28	
22	FW	Fhër Bengôç	29	
13	FW	Nex Bruĉï	26

Bench
Num	Pos	Player		Age	
11	GK	Wailsav Mazìrx	25	
21	CB/RB	Maxim Liv-Antèx	30	
23	CB	Bîen Hó-Ih	25	
18	CB/LB	Maxím Faxölà	24	
88	CM	Xharlí Gòbüen	34
6	CM	Phel-Ha Nuvík	21	
72	RFW	Fílep Raxòntë	27

Coach:
Jan Nêhorte 

Coach assistant:
Hël Mnęrotï

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose my scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: N (if you feel like it suits the game, dm/discord me)
Give Yellow Cards to my players: Y
Give Red Cards to my players:  Y (don't get wild, I'd rather you didn't, but go ahead)
Godmod other events: Y (just don't get way too wild, i.e. don't kill too many of my players at once)
Style Modifier: +4

After the demoralizing loss against Baker Park Bees' the team had to rebuild from scratch. Obviously they didn't, but the chance was there. Some disgraceful events back home, reminiscent of Colombia's 1994, meant that the lineup had to change. Two years after Muradil's last international appearance, the people's interest in football had increased, which also meant more fuel to the nationalistic machine. What was even better, some Farves had hopped into the bus when they went back home, and the few that survived, were great teachers for the NT.

Oæbreù was still missing, but everybody had forgotten about him, thanks to some efforts from the government and also the mysterious murder of a bunch of players, who, curiously, were the worst performers, and also tried to mention people about the disappearance of Oæbreù. It was such a well timed coincidence.

This was their chance to redeem themselves internationally, and ensure a future for themselves, because who knew what could happen if they lost again as badly as they did when they played the AOCAF.

A few months before the WC, the stakes were at an all-time high.

by **Havynwilde** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:21 pm

_{Hub for all information on sports related to Havynwilde with other contributing information}

EDITOR'S NOTE

_{I want to thank you for opening the latest edition of The Assoicated, for years we've found pride in providing you, the viewer with the most in-depth analysis of sports in Havynwilde, ranging from Lygahaven play and also into other amateur sports that shine bright in our small nation. The time has come to bring The Assocciated to the world, of course that means Havynsmen and women and the Havyish sporting culture are brought to the world, its our pleasure to unveil to our viewers our new website, www.theassociated.hyn, featuring articles, visuals and videos on the latest and greatest of sports here in Havynwilde. Thank you for giving us the chance to serve you,
Kitchie Simmons
Editor-in-Chief}

PAGE 16 :: Leon Davis Tells All!

Leon Davis celebrates an early goal against Ziwana at the CMFA MAC 4

Across the multiverse in the far-distant land of Audioslavia lies a player who has quickly taken the nation by storm and has become one of the best players in the national team's player pool.

And no, it's not Francis Sutherland, it's a player from Bombarralense.

If Francis Sutherland's become the talisman of the national team, Leon Davis is the anchor and the grounded individual who represents what it means to "trust the process." A player who developed a touch for flair with his explosive goal-scoring celebrations and has enveloped criticism with his goal-scoring droughts, Leon Davis has created in himself, a polarizing figure that even now hasn't been fully understood.

Speaking with us for the first time, he outlined what he said was the burgeoning issue with the Nordslaget, "we're missing an identity," said the young player, "we don't know what we are as a team, we've played- what, some five games?"

He was quick to continue with explaining how that wasn't an excuse for poor play, "these games aren't who we are, not as a squad, we're a team who's better than what we've put out there and that's something that we're going to want to fix."

After falling to Ziwana 3-2 in Soracana Islands, the Havyish Nordslaget returned home, failing to advance out of the group stage and move on to the CMFA Melayu Cup, a competition they'd been tipped to possibly win.

Growing pains for the national team have been a constant with the start of inaugural national team coach, Shane Newman, "I'm looking at this team, and I'm trying to develop what we will embody as a team," said Shane Newman, after a surprise exit after a loss against Ziwana.
Davis followed up upon his arrival back in Audioslavia with the Audioslav press: "Man, we're a young team on the multiverse scale, we still need to develop and find our identity. You can't analyze what we are as a national team based on a few games, that's idiocy."

However, Davis outlined Shane Newman's role with the team, "he has a vision, he has something he wants to bring to fooligbol in the nation. Right now, we just are trying to find the feet to push his idea to the country and we're going to find a way, because the changes he brings are drastic."

Calling the apparent rift between Newman and the many supporters sections 'stupid', Davis reportedly told the Audioslav media with Bombarralense of how the "Havyish sports fans know nothing about quality football and should be 'ignored.'"

It should be important to remember Davis came from Wildeport Wanderers, one of the worst teams in the the LygaHaven who a season later were relegated to Serien-Two, he himself was one of the worst players on that team. Since his departure however, his career has been reinvented as the main striker at Bombarralense, perhaps making the strongest claim for the no. 11 jersey yet.
His arrival in Bombarralense coincided with the arrival of Shane Newman as national team manager; Newman crucially has yet to win a game for the nordslaget, something that is rightfully a major problem for supporters.

However, Davis hastens us to not rush to conclusions, "he hasn't had enough time to give us his vision, like, we know what he's trying to do, but, like, we're still formatting how to get there."
Glimpses of what 'there' was scene during the Melayu Cup, in a 3-2 loss to eventual winners, Ziwana, Ashton Houston and Davis linked up for the first goal in the thirty-fourth minute, with a booming cross from Houston finding Davis in the box for an easy tap in early on in that game.

It seems Davis has found a way to settle with Houston, both players are natural strikers, however, Shane Newman curiously has gone to broad strokes to ensure both players can play on the field together; his policy of keeping his two best attacking options has been something that has drawn staunch criticism from the likes of the press and even inside the national team.

Said HBC Sports commentator, Karry Palin, "I don't see the point of certain people being on the national team to do the same task - I really haven't seen Ashton Houston sparkle as much - one player serves the purpose, don't you think?," she said on air during a discussion.

But the problem isn't the number of games the nordslaget has yet to win, saiys Davis, "it's the constant negativity that's emanating from this organization and likewise others who know nothing about fooligbol."

His ranted would continue as he outlined that Havynwilde had never been exposed to quality levels of fooligbol, and how it's now seeing this as it continues to be terrible in international club competition, he would continue and explain how the national team pool was diluted by domestic-based players who 'didn't deserve to be there.'

Perhaps this should serve to draw the line, but his rant seems to continue, going off on a tangent to attack the domestic circuit as "a group of players confident in being mediocre," drawing the ire of domestic fooligbol fans.

This seems to draw once again the debate that's been raging in Havynwilde for the past three years, is it better to be superb domestically or be mediocre in a foreign league: especially as the domestic league is quickly improving, ranked 78th in the latest in rankings.

"What we've got here should be an exclusive club for quality players," Davis said in his closing statements, "not every player who scored ten goals against semi pros should be playing for the national team, and finally, we have a manager that realizes it."

Meanwhile, in a few short days, Havynwilde will open their Baptism of Fire campaign against up-starts, South Newlandia, a team we know almost nothing about, but the group is already shaping up to be one of the hardest ones - potentially the Group of Death of this Baptism of Fire - but then again, for every nation, every group is a Group of Death.

But wait, just look at how this group stacks up: Tequilo is making their first appearance and are according to international pundits a possible favorite to emerge and win the Baptism of Fire. Continuing is Twicetegaria who finished separated only by goal difference in the AOCAF 60 competition, nearly

usurping Flavovovovovo at the most prestigious regional competition in the multiverse.
Added to the fray is Kohnhead who apparently have only had three league champions in their entire history and more than half of their national team plays in the nation's capital. Meanwhile the Shamrocks don't have a single person on the Havyish roster and Rockova Mellymn is a reserve piece(!).

Revatnagar's made an appearance and we don't have any idea or clue of what they'll be trying to do, hell, we don't even have any information their national team/ Rounding out the teams is Baggieland which is...a W of a name in the least. Baggieland has potential and could pose a problem for the Havyish national team, the Throstles have such greats such as Ray Brunt and the talented Bomber on their roster.

However, it's clear Havynwilde has its eyes set on Tequilo, the nation with a national team exclusively comprised of sixteen year olds, the group stage could very well revolve around these two nations trajectories, and Havynwilde will be looking to establish themselves as the group's standard bearer early on.

by **Donnacona** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:32 pm

The Fédération Donnaconien de Football/Donnaconan Football Federation/Federazione calcistica della Donnacona Presents the Donnaconien/Donnaconan/Donnaconanese squad for the 72nd Baptism of Fire/85th World Cup

QUICK INFO: Donnacona is an agglomeration of Cotdelapoms (Marianne), Hudson Islands, Auguste du Nord, Agosto del Sud and Isula Reale agreed to in the (Revolutionary calendar) year 224. Cotdelapoms has appeared in multiple World Cups including the quarterfinals of World Cup 57, and finished third in the 47th Cup of Harmony. The nation is mostly the former Cotdelapoms (about 41 million of the total 62 million), and while the decision for agglomeration was reached democratically by all parties, there is a lot of unease, especially with regards to the Hudson Islands (which is the second largest of the former nations). Hudson Islands and Cotdelapoms had always been fairly antagonistic towards one another (although it was certainly more from the Hudsonian side than the Cotdelapomais side), and there continues to be some unease about what it means to be "Donnaconan". The soft nationalism of sports is a safe release valve for a lot of those feelings, so we are hopeful that football can bring people together. In Cotdelapoms the most popular sport is ice hockey (to the degree that "The World Cup" usually means hockey, and in Hudson Islands/Auguste du Nord/Agosto del Sud, the most popular sport is basketball. Football is 2nd most popular in all, so that sort of mutual concession is a great place to start in a hope to build a national identity. The national teams have always been "Les Pommes" (The Apples), but in the spirit of bridge-building, the new football national team are "Les Bernaches" (The Geese), although expect to see plenty of Apples gear in the stands.

Donnacona is located on the Goose Coast of Rushmore and is the former Delegate to the World Assembly for Rushmore and is among the cultural centres of Rushmore, along with an extremely popular tourist destination. It's a developed nation, with an extremely limited military presence and a general disinterest in conflict, and policies that encourage immigration. Donnacona has two significant quirks- it operates under the Revolutionary calendar, which causes much confusion to visitors- it is currently the year 229. It is also culturally obsessed with apples, it's limited ventures into colonialism have uniformly been in an effort to have access to apple cultivars, and Donnacona has always treated its' colonies well. There are appellations for many types of apples in Donnacona, with rules around where and how the apples are grown. Donnacona's unique terroir leads to highly regarded produce of many sorts, but the apples dominate the culture like nothing else.

The official languages are Cotdelapomais Joual, known as Joual (OOC: French), Agostini (OOC: Italian) and English, with many proto-Wiguese/Aboriginal languages protected, and since Donnacona has significant immigrant populations from Mytanija, Polar Islandstates, the Mytanar, and Valhallan languages are also commonly heard in urban centres.

KITS: Made by the Donnaconan sportswear manufacturer Infinite, from L-R the "First", "Change", "Goalkeeper" and "Buffalo Plaid" kits. The Buffalo Plaid kit is mostly for sale as a replica but will be worn on national holidays, should any national team football matches take place during them.

SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS:
#1 Jure Filipovic, 28, Admiral Storevik (Savojarna)
#16 Loukas Gratton, 32, Marianopolis
#23 Luigi Leone, 23, Tout-Puissant Outremont

Filipovic, a native of Cap Nordique and the Cap Nordique starting keeper for the last 7 seasons, left this offseason in a controversial fashion after the club made offers for 38 year old Qasden national team keeper Macron Abbott. This upset Filipovic, who then requested a transfer and has ended up at Savojarna's top club. Filipovic is a great shot stopper and has competent distribution skills. Filipovic's presence is commanding enough, he should get most starts. Gratton is a veteran at the defending champions, he may get a spot start here and there. Leone is there because it is tradition to carry three goalkeepers, he is not especially highly regarded and is not necessarily the "goalkeeper of the future".

LEFT BACKS:
#2 Pablo Castroneves, 32, Aissa United (Banija)
#22 Geoff Carpentier, 28 Tout-Puissant Outremont

Castroneves is the main left back, a veteran of the Banijan league and a player who is comfortable going forward but is a competent defender. Carpentier is less adroit on the attack but is always in the right position. Both players should get a decent amount of rotations, although Castroneves will likely get most of the matches in the Baptism of Fire.

CENTRE BACKS:
#4 Israel Kaur, 22, Tout-Puissant Outremont
#5 Jaxon Alarie, 23, FC Olympia Borograd (Siovanija & Teusland)
#15 Kieran Richardson, 28, Botley FC

Kaur is a walking red card with a fiery temper who is liable to cause a skirmish and shatter the "polite Donnaconan" stereotype. He is however an excellent tackler and our nation's best defender- he can keep elite goal scorers worldwide in check, so long as he doesn't get in trouble in the process. Alarie is much less passionate and is a masterful tactician whose vision of the pitch is well beyond his years. He too will always be in the right place. Richardson is not liable to get many starts, but he's a competent defender who is a better passer than the other two, but not as good overall.

RIGHT BACKS:
#3 Pascal-Karl Surprenant, 24, Tout-Puissant Outremont
#19 Ghislain Poulin-Coutu, 23, Étoile Rouge

Surprenant is a blazing fast defender who whips in excellent crosses and is liable to lead the attack frequently, operating functionally as much as a playmaker than as a defender. He is somewhat responsible in his own end and a good tackler, though he can sometimes get himself into card trouble. Poulin-Coutu is coming into his own as a right back, having come up as a defensive midfielder. He's defensively responsible and a deft short passer.

MIDFIELDERS:
#6 George t'Son d'Haxli, 26, FK Metropola Borograd (Siovanija & Teusland) (CAPTAIN)
#7 Luc Laliberté-Gauthier, 25, Marianopolis (VICE-CAPTAIN)
#8 Greyson Grégoire, 23, CSKA Quebec (Quebec)
#12 Wojciech Javjar, 25, Marianopolis
#13 Aiden Coulombe, 20, Cap Nordique
#14 Doucore Diakité, 24, Stade Richelain
#17 Vidos Juric, 22, Cap Nordique

t'Son d'Haxli is a special player in that he is Donnacona's best current player and the most famous Wiguese (Aboriginal)-Donnaconan, so he is an idol to that community. He's a box-to-box midfielder with an unlimited motor who is equally adept as a creator and as a destroyer. He will not score many goals, but he'll do just about everything else. Laliberté-Gauthier is a similar styled player- that is perhaps the protoypical Donnaconan footballer, although Laliberté is a little slower and more technical. Grégoire is a brilliant passer with tremendous football IQ, but has questionable workrate, which sometimes get him in trouble. Javjar is a phenomenal playmaker who doesn't always do the dirty work. Coulombe is a "Donnaconan midfielder", with a little more emphasis on defending. Diakité was the shock of the surprising Richelieu side that finished fourth last season, a speedster with a tremendous compete level. Vidos Juric is the child of Mytanar immigrants in Cap Nordique and is a tremendous physical presence, he may be called upon once or twice if needed.

FORWARDS:
#9 Kylian Lacroix, 21, DKI Telecom 5G
#10 Gervais Ekholm, 25, Marianopolis
#11 Lucas Kjaer, 22, FK Metropola Borograd (Siovanija & Teusland)
#18 Abdallah Lajeunesse, 26, Maritime
#20 Lasse Allinder, 27, Botley FC
#21 Anders Allinder, 27, Botley FC

Lacroix is the future crown jewel of Donnaconan football, a speedster adept with both feet who can create his own chances and finish extremely well. The sky seems to be the limit for Lacroix, and he could fetch a record sum of money in a season or two, especially with a big showing at the BoF/WC. Ekholm plays on the opposite wing and is similar to Lacroix but not quite as good- he is simply not as good of a finisher, although he can create for others a bit. Kjaer is an out-and-out striker who is an elite finisher and can defend a bit, so he's helpful on the counter-attack. Lajeunesse plays on the same side as Lacroix, so he'll see limited action, although he's a tremendous energy guy. The Allinders are twins who can always find one another- Lasse is a creator, Anders is a finisher.

MANAGER:
Alexandre Faille

An attacking midfielder on the WC57 squad, Faille is a proud and emotional man who wants his squads to play smart and fast. He will forgive mistakes of younger players and is a generally kind and understanding type. He is famously fairly political, so he may be asked to give quotes about the "Donnaconan identity question", and he'll likely try to draw some attention in order to keep it off his players.

Style Modifier: +.5

Permission: Open to most anything so long as it's within the world of football/general verisimilitude. Please be kind.

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:00 pm

Life in Twicetagria

We edited our logo to make it look fancier

A Review of the AOCAF 60, and What To Expect in the BoF 72
by John Suh,

As we all know, the Twicetagrian team came back from the group stages, while they ALMOST made it to the playoffs. Sadly however, we lost to Flavovespia by goals away, which is sad since we caused quite an upset.
This shouldn't dampen our spirits though. We won 2 games in the most prestigious regional competition, and ALMOST made it through to the play-offs as ROOKIES.
Here, we have a short review of the AOCAF, as well as a preview of BoF 72.

Our Strongest Point: Teamwork
You rarely come across a youthful side that has such momentum when attacking and defending. This is just one example of perfect teamwork. Solo goals aren't that common, as Kim prefers a team build-up.
For defense it's a different story, as players tend to space out, but when the opportunity comes, they defend in numbers. Despite the huge amount of conceded goals, we still reached our goal.

Our Weakest Point: Inconsistency
Our team had 2 wins and 2 losses. We could have made it 2 wins, 1 draw and a loss, if we hadn't conceded that final goal against Chromatika. This is only one of the many examples of our inconsistency. We could be leading with 2 goals in the bag, and the next moment we're losing 5-2. Whether this is linked to the team's complacency, we don't know, but this is a huge area to improve on if we're going to have a shot at the trophy.

Now for the BoF 72.
This Baptism of Fire is the largest ever held in it's entire 71 season history. Many teams who have won the trophy for rookies have gone to become world benchmark nations.
Obviously, we're aiming to do the same thing, but before we go on with betting if Cho is going to get another card, we'll have a quick look through our group, aka group G:

Tequilo
Obviously we can't really make any assumptions, because they haven't even been in a single tournament yet. However, they could be the ones to watch. They have quite a youthful squad, with the oldest being 31.

South Newlandia
We can't say anything about this side, because their squad hasn't even been announced yet. We don't know if they're going to, but to be honest, we don't have a lot of high hopes for them.

Kohnhead
This side looks optimistic, as their side is mixed, with good talent throughout. This may be one of the only sides to be considered a true rival. While some of them claim they'll win the group, they haven't played an international side before. They do have good domestic leagues though.

Revatnagar
Redirect to South Newlandia.

Baggieland
Baggieland, like Kohnhead, has never played an international side, but they sure look like potential claimers to the crown. While they don't have a domestic league, they look like a professional squad.

Havynwilde
This side is the biggest threat to our probable 'monopoly'. They have a mixed squad, have participated in a tourney, and also have some talents as well. While we hope to see the off in our 2nd fixture, we have to keep an eye on them.

Predicted Table

1. Twicetagria
2. Havynwilde
3. Kohnhead
4. Baggieland
5. Tequilo
6. South Newlandia
7. Revatnagar

And yes, we think we're going to win. But things can change ya know.

by **Drunk People at the Local Tavern** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:19 pm

Drunk People at the Local Tavern

Drunk People at the Local Tavern are pleased to participate in the Baptism of Fire 72!

Drunk People only has two positions: 1 goalkeeper (GK) and 10 field players (FP). The field players (FP) can play any position on the field except goalie.

Starting XI

GK: Tequilo (starting on matchday 4 and upcoming games)
GK: Jacques Royal (matchdays 1 and 3)
FP: Donna Cona
FP: Havyn Wilde
FP: Valentine Z
FP: Saint Konrad
FP: Atheist Freehold
FP: Mann Clan
FP: Lo Santano
FP: Great Lausitz
FP: Necosia
FP: Xuzaqiy

*If you can guess which nation Jacques Royal represents, you get free Québécois weed.

Bench:

GK: Jacques Royal
FP: E. Thane
FP: Dela Clava
FP: Xan Neria

Drunk People Schedule:

MD1: Great Lausitz vs Drunk People at the Local Tavern
MD2: Drinking Day
MD3: Drunk People at the Local Tavern vs Necosia

Mid Tournament Drinking Break

MD4: Xuzaqiy vs Drunk People at the Local Tavern
MD5: Drunk People at the Local Tavern vs Atheist Democratic Freehold
MD6: The Mann Clan vs Drunk People at the Local Tavern
MD7: Drunk People at the Local Tavern vs Lo Santano

Uniform:

Drunk People at the Local Tavern doesn't have a specific uniform and wear their everyday clothes. Don't worry, our players won't wear the same color as your home color. For example, if your home color is blue, our players will wear anything but blue.

Style Mod: +5

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers: Yes
Godmod Goalscoring Events: Yes
Injure Players: Yes
Godmod Injury Events: No
Red Card Players: Yes
Yellow Card Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Yes
=================================

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:47 pm

Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom Federativna Republika Zeta Reka i Hügeltaldom
Baptism of Fire 72 Roster

After barnstorming the region of Esportiva, the Federativna Republika Zeta Reka i Hügeltaldom is now ready to take on the world. Their first step to world cup glory is to gain a suitable reputation through the Baptism of Fire. Nations with limited experience in international football will be locking horns in this exciting event. Appalachia, Ethane, & Delaclava are the hosts, and as the Reken rookies prepare for their matches, this dossier can gave you, friend or foe, all you need to know about the national team.

Roster (starters italicized)

Tactics

The Rekan national team has lined up in all of it's matches so far in a 4-5-1. This time fluidity and throwing off rivals is the name of the game. The wing men have been positioned in a shallow but close attacking position, and the backs are expected pick up the slack on the wings. This makes the set up an in bewteen of a 4-5-1 and 4-3-3. In addition, it's possible for midfielder to buddy up with Kolarowić behind the line, creating a 4-2-3-1. We expect this is be rare, but it is workable in a pinch. Midfielders Rybki is stationed ahead of his partners to give him a head start on attacking pushes, at the cost of reducing how often he plays defense. At the front we expect Hokwok to take crosses both close to and far from the box, and he's been given license to be creative.

When defending the team will be pushing back to try and smother opposition offenses. Who plays where could change from match to match, but these dossiers will make sure to give accurate information on a level not yet seen by man or beast. Speaking of beasts, expect Bosko Nowak to really shock uninformed coaches with his pace as he makes save after save. We expect Stajkwon Hokwok not to play a big part in defense. Strikers will be station forward as long ball threats when the team goes for quick counter attacks.

Outfits

Commissioned by the Federal Football Organization, and made by Čast, the federation's largest sportswear manufacturer. Donning a sleek mirrored rectangular pattern, the Rekan team will look proud in the country's finest wears. The doubled triangles on the left pectoral represent the fact that Čast is worn on the hearts of sportspeople all over Zeta Reka.

Match One Preview

If our pencil pushers are correct, the first hurdle facing the Rekan team should be against Maccain. Maccain's team is 16 years old on average, and runs a 4-3-3. Zeta Reka's central midfield should blend nicely against the similar central line up seen in a 4-3-3. Zeta Reka's speedy wingers could also play cozy as both attacker and defenders. Ultimately the two teams aren't drastically different, and the fans will see who wins in short order. It's important to win early as the word on the street claims the Rekans are in the, "group of death" of this tournament.

Formation: 4-5-1
Style: -1.5
Penalty kicks: Rybki, Stajkwon Hokwok, attacking midfielders, Janko Yakowić, wingers, defenders
Corners/Free kicks: Jad, Miloš Simeoniwić, Albertow Nowak (if playing)

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes

OOC: this event takes place after regional events in Zeta Reka's timeline.

by **Tequilo** » Fri May 01, 2020 2:05 am

MUSEO de PITXI
1, Plaza Pitxi, Camino Recto, Distrito Socrates, Tapalupé

Hola y bienvenidos a la admirada y famosa ecléctica, - ¡sin mencionar excéntrica! - Museo de Pitxi, la colección más extensa de artefactos de fútbol y curiosidades de este lado del Horizonte Oscuro. Permítame, Exidio Coyopa de Tapalupé, Curador Asistente, que lo guíe a través de nuestros sagrados pasillos ... espere, ¿qué? ¿No Lateqo?

¿Um, qué tal Azxeca? ¿Antivadorio, no? Err, Engelspeak? Ah-ha yes! Why, I should have seen from the shape of your eyebrows, forgive me!

I will start again - my Angle-tongue is not so bad you know. Ahem,

Hello and welcome to the greatly admired and famously eclectic Museum of Pitxi, the most extensive collection of football artefacts and trivia this side of the Dark Horizon. Allow me, Exidio Coyopa of Tapalupé, Assistant Curator, to guide you through our hallowed halls… and thereby to tell you the story of Tequiloan Pitxe - that's football to you - for surely, you have not come all this way just for the piyacoque, have you?

What is piyacoque, you ask me? Come now! Do you think me so naïve that I do not know our reputation across the Wide Enness Oceans? Another time we can talk of piyacoque, and for that matter ixcal and rhizote; let us not pretend they have not had an influence on football here, or anywhere in Tequiloan society. But first, valued visitor, ask me another question, and I promise to answer you fully and to the best of my knowledge!

Which is the best team in Tequilo? Please! Such lack of imagination, my dear turista. I will not speak of championships, not yet. Nor heroes and legends of the game, before you ask. Go on - another question! Anything!

[*** **** ** * ***** ]? Nonono, as if I would tell you that on our first meeting. I want a Rarely Asked Question - something really… ¡carnoso! ... to get our tour started. You, you at the back, what is that you say?

Why do we call it Pitxe?! Alright - good question. Not exactly carnoso, but better than what these three at the front have come up with so far.

RAQ: Why is football called 'pitxe' in Tequilo?

It is a common mistake among the ill-informed to pretend to a higher knowledge; and from those pretenders the explanation goes thus, that the word 'Pitxi' is a derivative of this, that or the other linguistic root from one of the Índigo - that is to say, native - tongues of Tequilo. There is even a measure of plausibility in this, making it all the more difficult to dispel, since the Ixta word for the small fluffy herding rodent, the Qili Pig - an important foodstock in ancient times - was 'xippi'; and the verb for herding them - which was usually done with liberal use of the foot - was 'pita' - thus the term pitaxippi, which meant something along the lines of, "Geronimo, will you please go up to high meadow and bring me down a furry pig for dinner" - trans. "Geronimo! Pitaxippi!". From Pitaxippi, say the ill-informed, comes the corruption 'pitxi' - to kick something around. One can see the attraction of such an interesting etymology.

Entirely wrong of course, and the true history of the word is far more prosaic.

The Tequiloa have been playing football - that is to say, pitxi - for about a century and a half; with organised league and cup competitions stretching back more than 120 years - back when the unified nation of Tequilo was just a germ of an idea in the minds of great statesmen and women, and six countries, with three Índigo city-states, sat side by side minding their own business in largely peaceful fashion. Before organised football, the native peoples, the incoming migrants and liberated peoples of tyrannical slaver empires occupied themselves with other leisure pursuits, such as hunting, reproduction, and tennis. Then, some 170 years ago an eccentric adventurer and football missionary arrived in the region, and began to spread the word of this new-fangled game; his name, recorded in the annals of history, was one Captain Belmore. Not much is known about him apart from his passion for football and his short temper when trying to communicate with foreign language speakers. A typical Angle-speaker, he refused to learn other languages and believed the best way to be understood was to repeat over in ever increasing volume, sometimes using hand signals to help visualise the word of the moment.

It was with this shouty and impatient method he introduced the game, the football, the goal, shorts, offside, the trequartista, red and yellow cards, changing rooms, the gaffer, tactics, corner flags, and the pitch to his eager Tequiloan audience. Often getting them to "repeat after me - the goal! THE GOAL! THE GOAL!", the mischievous locals would enjoy mispronouncing words to see Captain Belmore blow a gasket in frustration. And thus it was: "repeat after me - the pitch! THE PITCH! THE PITCH!", and as one, they cried in unison, "the pitchie! THE PITCHÉ! THE PITXE!.

Colección Stiki-Stiki^TM is proud to launch it's first international football collectible sticker album, with the entry of Los Mextiqos into Baptism of Fire '72 and the following World Cup. Collect all 500 stickers for an enviable visual delight to help recall down all your days the excitement of this great competition - or to sell on tBay, many years from now, for an exhorbitant price that seems like a huge investment but really, when you consider how many stickers you had to buy to fill the album, what with swapsies and whatnot, isn't quite so grand after all; and probably will only be spent on your next electricity bill or some groceries or an illicit bottle of rhizote from the guy down the alley by the Rápidomerc. Thus end your dreams in disappointing adulthood…

Anyway, ahem, all drama aside. Buy your BoF'72 sticker album now, only 23 Chelínpesos from said Rápidomerc or, for a limited time only, free with every agave blue replica national team jersey from GuileTeq. Featuring all teams that post roster in the media, with fascinating stats and insights, you'll never find a better way to learn about the BoF, apart from in the Enness threads - but most of that is all made up anyway. Sticker packs cost only .49 centivos and include 5 stickers, often with a bonus 6th when our factory packers are feeling all warm and generous on the inside after their lunch break and the supervisor isn't looking. Look out for free pack promotions in cereal boxes, with sports magazines, from churro kiosks and fast food bars. Plus, every match day, one free sticker here of one of your Mextiqo heroes from the BoF squad - will it be Huracan, Mateo Tafalla or the fearsome Haize Apeiztegui?

Featured on the front cover of this Versión Tequiloa is a rendition of our most beloved centre forward Narciso Cora, 32, illustrated here in what was expected to be the national team colours for Tequilo before a late change of heart led to the new, and rather attractive, agave blue and grass snake green kit recently launched at a civic reception at Museo de Pitxe. This unfortunate error will no doubt add to the collectability of this edition, since a reprint then had our leading number 10, Narciso, in the new version of the kit. Critics rightly pointed out that he was so merged with the background that he looked somewhat like the invisble man from the waste up, and that second edition was scrapped rapidly before a corrected third. In the final and most common version, Narciso sports an all-desert gold number based on Los Mextiqo's second strip. The 'invisible man' edition of the sticker album with the blue and green strip is already fetching moderately preposterous sums on collector sites, aided no doubt by Stiki-Stiki^TM banning all reproduction of the disastrous design across the media.

by **Baggieland** » Fri May 01, 2020 6:11 am

**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT**

To celebrate Baggieland's first ever entry into an international football competition, Baggieland's supreme leader, Alswitch - in all his wisdom, has decreed that every match day featuring the national team shall be a national holiday and he has encouraged all citizens to watch the games. Baggies everywhere are getting into Baptism of Fire fever and most houses are adorned in the national colours.

100% of all tickets have already sold out; the masses of Baggieland support is expected to make a strong '12th man'.

by **Adyatin** » Fri May 01, 2020 7:45 am

Adyatin’s Roster for Baptism of Fire 72

Adyatin is a largely agricultural, landlocked nation in Northeastern Rushmore, bordering the Filopines in the North, Savojarna to the East, and the Urain to the South. It has been historically tied to Savojarna, and through much of history, Adyatin’s land has been held by various Savojar nobles first as vassals of various Savojar kingdoms, then as a privately held land during the Second Empire. In the 20th century, Adyatin has fought three wars against Savojarna to ensure its own independence and existence as a Russian, Orthodox kingdom. The upper classes of Adyatin are traditionally more oriented towards Savojarna, although this has somewhat changed since the Revolution in the latter country.

Football is the most popular sport in Adyatin together with ice hockey, and it is largely treated as a plaything for the rich. Adyatin’s oligarchs control the country’s football clubs, and they bankroll a league with high budgets and notorious corruption, but little footballing quality. Adyati teams are typically physical, disciplined, and workmanlike, with the military having a traditionally large role in sports. The country’s professional league, the Adyati Vysheshaya Liga (AVL, or Adyati Premier League), is dominated by the army side ZSKA Adyatyagrad from the capital and the Northwestern club FK Staraya Vetry, owned by the family of the Royal Prime Minister.

TEAM

Coach: Konstantin Yatsonov
Age: 59 // Coach since: BoF 72
Kostya Yatsonov is perhaps Adyatin’s most remarkable manager. As a player, Yatsonov was a box-to-box player who later converted to deep-lying playmaker who was known as one of Adyatin’s historically best players, known as the Gentleman of the Field. Yatsonov has been a gifted technician and a fast player, but he was best known for his sportsmanship. Following the end of his career at age 34, he briefly turned to the Faith, but returned to football ten years later, emerging as a coach at his childhood club FK Vlatov. He then went on to manage first SKA Varinsk, then ZSKA’s youth team, and then spent six years at the helm of the Army side before resigning two years ago to eventually take over the national side. His technicality did not really carry over, although his iron discipline did.

Coaching Team: Oleg Martov, Juraj Berezutskiy, Karol Provtsov
Ages: 48, 39, 47 // Special functions: Main assistant, Physical trainer, Goalkeeper coach
Martov is a disciple of Adyati coaching legend Vasiliy Plekhanov, and has played for Staraya Vetry back when they were a mid-table side, as well as for Karalsky during their high time in the 1980s. As a defender, he was an important cornerstone of the successes of Karalsky, but not put into the limelight. As a coach, he hasn’t shined much despite his good fundamental skills, but he has flaws in terms of tactics and team management - making him a perfect fit for the assistant position.
Berezutskiy is the only member of the playing team who has never played football at least semi-professionally himself, but has been a graduate of Adyatyagrad National University’s Sports Science Program, the first in the nation. He has specialised in condition training and is responsible for ensuring physical fitness of the team.
Provtsov, a former semi-professional goalkeeper in the second division, has been unable to break the top and got injured at age 29, prompting him to give up his career and follow a coaching degree. This has eventually led to his career as a goalkeeping coach in the Army system, where he still works with the youth teams of ZSKA and occasionally the SKA teams.

#1 Serhiy Makhulin
Position: GK // Age: 28 // Height: 201 cm // Club: ZSKA Adyatyagrad
Serhiy Makhulin, the best goalkeeper of Adyatin without any question, is a posterboy for the nation: Tall, dark-haired, handsome, broad-shouldered, and above all talented. He is a spectacular shot-stopper and has an iron grip on his defence. Can expect to be beaten in situations where he needs to anticipate, and isn’t incredibly comfortable with the ball on his feet.

#2 Andriy Skuranov
Position: LB // Age: 23 // Height: 179 cm // Club: ZSKA Adyatyagrad
A speedy leftback, but with little pressure forward. Skuranov is a defensively conscious player and will primarily use his speed to shut down attempts at long, diagonal balls. Very capable of playing passes up the touchline or into the mid-field, but not a creative or technical prodigy by any means.

#3 Konstantin Sirietko
Position: CB // Age: 27 // Height: 184 cm // Club: SKA Varinsk
Sirietko is at the core of an over-achieving Varinsk side. A presence in the back line, with the capability of playing the odd long ball to a winger, but mostly there to connect the back line to the midfield, and to win the ball with an overwhelming physical presence as well as precise tackles.

#4 Lyubomir Andriyev
Position: CB // Age: 29 // Height: 188 cm // Club: ZSKA Adyatyagrad
A defender with an uncommon comfort on the ball and a certain quality that, were this not Adyatin, one may almost call graceful. Andriyev is a tactical genius and has a brilliant conception of the field, organising ZSKA’s defence and shuffling his teammates around while winning balls himself and play the first ball into the mid-field.

#5 Heorhiy Alekseev
Position: RB // Age: 30 // Height: 190 cm // Club: ZSKA Adyatyagrad
Alekseev is a pretty unspectacular defender. Find a position where you cover much of the field, bring in a sliding tackle or wrestle the ball from your opponent, and play it to a centre-back or a defensive midfielder; rinse and repeat. Nonetheless, he’s capable of frustrating opposition and shutting down their play, and won’t lose the ball right back after winning it.

#6 Kirilo Lutsenko
Position: DM // Age: 25 // Height: 189 cm // Club: Karalsky Adyatyagrad
Lutsenko is the defensive option in the midfield arsenal of Adyatin, playing highly defensively and also slotting in as a CB if required. However, he has a very good positioning and a strong technique that lifts him above the average CB, and likes to play diagonal balls to a striker or winger.

#7 Andrei Maritsyn
Position: LM // Age: 26 // Height: 174 cm // Club: FK Staraya Vetry
A workhorse on the left side - fast, enduring, and with a precise cross. He is likely to leave most Adyati defenders in the dust thanks to his speed, although we’re curious to see if he’ll be able to do this against faster international opposition as well. Pushing in the opponent is what he does best, but every now and then, he cuts inside.

#8 Petro Simunov
Position: CM // Age: 28 // Height: 177 cm // Club: ZSKA Adyatyagrad
A box-to-box shuttler, who will likely be running at speed for most of the game. He is rarely visible in the highlights of a game, but he has a lot of stamina and a good tactical awareness, making him surprisingly important. Often, you will realise upon reviewing a play that he was actually crucial three passes before the goal.

#9 Slavomir Hautarovich
Position: ST // Age: 27 // Height: 183 cm // Club: FK Staraya Vetry
A lurker in the box, not incredibly tall, but strong and good enough at jumping to convert the odd cross; and gifted with a brilliant spatial awareness and a strong shot. Once he gets the ball within twelve metres from the goal, alarms should be going off. Defensively, he has few qualities and few responsibilities.

#10 Ivan Yushchenko [C]
Position: OM // Age: 25 // Height: 175 cm // Club: FK Staraya Vetry
A playmaker turned support striker, he is a wildcard on the ball. Could dribble through the lines and aim for goal, play a pass to the wing, a through pass to Hautarovich, or just opt for a long shot. However, he struggles keeping the ball around when pressured by physical opposition, and may be inclined to faster passes.

#11 Juraj Dmitriyev
Position: RW // Age: 24 // Height: 187 cm // Club: SKA Yautarograd
A fast and clean winger with a certain penchant for shots from the side, he is a threat as much as he is a risk. Sometimes Dmitriyev knocks a ball into the goal from the sidelines before anyone even understands what has happened, but sometimes he’ll also play a completely impossible play that nobody ever could see work out. Adyatin’s free kick specialist as well.

#12 Serhiy Heorhiyev
Position: GK // Age: 22 // Height: 196 cm // Club: Karalsky Adyatyagrad
Young and agile, he is considered the future of Adyati goalkeeping and has held his own with Karalsky in the AVL. However, he isn’t at international level, especially when it comes to ordering his defence. This makes him a distinct second or even third choice.

#13 Arseniy Varchenko
Position: ST // Age: 27 // Height: 189 cm // Club: Karalsky Adyatyagrad
A tank in the front - big, tall, strong, and with few intentions to go more than two metres further back than necessary to not be off-side. Everybody knows what will happen when he gets the ball in the box, but somehow they still haven’t managed to prevent him from doing his thing - which mostly means scoring goals.

#14 Viktor Semyanov
Position: LM // Age: 20 // Height: 178 cm // Club: SKA Varinsk
An unspectacular, but perfectly serviceable wide midfielder. Running up and down the pitch, getting balls, running into open spaces A LOT, and then delivering crosses. That sort of thing.

#15 Yegor Rudnicky
Position: RB // Age: 21 // Height: 181 cm // Club: Zenit Rotko
You rarely see Adyati wing-backs, perhaps due to the incredibly disciplined and defensive approach the Kingdom takes to football, but he is a rare expectation. Often pushing forward with his speed, he disrupts the opposition, but sometimes it seems like he doesn’t fully fit into the system - which makes him a bit of a risk.

#16 Volodymyr Pyatov
Position: CB // Age: 24 // Height: 192 cm // Club: FK Staraya Vetry
Defensively extremely solid, tall, and capable of timing a tackle well. While Pyatov is rarely caught out of position, he is sometimes guilty of just smacking balls up the pitch. Knows how to use his height in the air, but other than that… a perfectly fine centre-back.

#17 Aleksiy Stefanov
Position: OM // Age: 23 // Height: 177 cm // Club: SKA Varinsk
An exciting young playmaker to fill a similar role to Yushchenko, but is in comparison more defensively oriented and perhaps a bit more secure, but also a bit more predictable. Usually distributes balls rather than going from an attack, and feels more comfortable as a Ten than he does as a support striker.

#18 Nikolau Astrovich
Position: LB // Age: 31 // Height: 176 cm // Club: SKA Yautarograd
A defensive, immobile left back who stays in his place and will make his winger’s life a living hell. If placed against speedy opposition, he is not at all opposed to breaking said winger’s ankle, although it will probably not have been on purpose.

#19 Andriy Nemanek
Position: RM // Age: 30 // Height: 183 cm // Club: Olimpik Yautarograd
Nemanek is somewhat of a phenomenon. A wide player thanks to his speed, he is a playmaker at heart: swinging not only dangerous crosses, but also passes between the lines or across the entire pitch, as well as passes back into the central midfield. However, he somewhat lacks drive to the goal, making him sometimes too complicated.

#20 Taras Ivanov
Position: DM // Age: 29 // Height: 176 cm // Club: FK Vlatov
A deep-lying playmaker who plays incredible diagonal passes with a vision that is frankly impressive. Finding wingers with impeccable precision is his big speciality, but he isn’t always solid defensively, which makes Lutsenko the preferred choice. At least as of now.

#21 Patryk Hronek
Position: ST // Age: 22 // Height: 185 cm // Club: FK Vlatov
Yeah, that’s a striker. Hronek isn’t known for any particularly notable qualities, except for one: His incredible goal production. Nobody quite knows how he does it, and his complete lack of tactical awareness or will to work backwards pushes him down the hierarchy, but somehow he will get a goal in almost every game.

#22 Mikhail Samarin
Position: CB // Age: 29 // Height: 181 cm // Club: FK Vidyansk
The organiser of Vidyansk’s defence, he is a tactically astute defender who can also play as a holding midfielder. Pushing forward almost like an old-school libero, Samarin is strong on the ball and can distribute it as well as win it back.

#23 Volodymyr Karpov
Position: GK // Age: 28 // Height: 188 cm // Club: SKA Yautarograd
A commanding goalkeeper who will try to stop shots before they are even made. He isn’t extremely fast or spectacular, but he has an aura and a presence in the box that makes it hard to ignore him, and makes the player feel like the goal is half as big as it is.

STARTING XI:

TACTICS

STYLE: -2.5

The team typically plays very direct and utilising their physical advantages. On the ball, a lot of movement comes from the back, and the midfielders like to play diagonal long balls to the farside winger or to the strikers, trying to bypass the opposing defensive line. When not on the ball, they fall into two solid lines that move in parallel, while the two strikers tend to press. They give the opposition a lot of space up to the first line, but once the opposition reaches Adyatin’s midfield line, they defend vigorously and physically.

ROLES
Captain: Yushchenko => Simunov => Maritsyn => Andriyev
Free Kicks (direct): Maritsyn, Yushchenko (centre, right)
Free Kicks (long): Simunov
Corners: Maritsyn (left), Dmitriyev (right)
Penalty Kick: Hautarovich, Yushchenko, Maritsyn, Simunov, Dmitriyev, Varchenko, Samarin [also progression for shooutouts]

KITS

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.

by **Donnacona** » Fri May 01, 2020 1:29 pm

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT, DONNACONA?

CANAL 1, 20h00- Lâche Pas La Patate!
Donnacona's favourite game show, Lâche Pas La Patate is airing a celebrity chef special tonight. For the unfamiliar, LPLP is a combination cooking and quiz game show where home chefs who enjoy trivia are tasked with making a specific dish but periodically pulled aside and asked general knowledge questions. On tonight's episode, the legend of nouveau Donnaconien cuisine Ghislain MacDonald faces off with Aquilliano chef O'Shane Campbell, whose new restaurant in Marianopolis, Silver Sea is causing quite a stir. Tonight's dish is a simple moules frites, but I can assure you with these two it will be anything but simple. Will one get knocked out in the trivia round? Will the Cap Nordique accent of presenter Marie-Josée Desharnais absolutely butcher O'Shane Campbell's name? Will one revolutionise this simple dish? 20h tonight, Canal 1 to find out.

ARTS ICITTE, 21h45- Le Rock su'l divan
As we enter the 30s, let's get ready for a 10s revival with newly reformed band Les Écurueils du Nord stopping by for a hit of nostalgia. They'll play an hour long set and be interviewed by host and puppet Lenny Vibe. Everyone whose teenage years and early 20s were soundtracked by their hits like "Sur le néon" and "Tu danses comme un boulanger" will probably have a great time reminiscing about drinking four too many Poulins and doing something they regretted for ten years and have now come to terms with as a pretty funny story.

TMD SPORTS, 19h30- Baptism of Fire Soccer, Donnacona vs. When U Die
Soccer fans are going to watch this no matter what. For the rest of us, well, I guess it may be useful to have a rough idea when in fact U Will Die?

RAA, 21h08- Essere al verde
One of the all time classics in Agostini cinema, now with subtitles in joual. Massimo (Giacomo Ferlucci) and Rocco (Carlo Placentino) are neighbours who take coffee together every day, and discuss the (at the time) modern world. When Rocco loses his job at the post office after stealing money, he finds himselt at odds with the straight-laced Massimo, who may or may not have also been harbouring repressed romantic feelings for Rocco.

CANAL 3, 23h00- Nuha Picard-Ghouazzal, Mentrification
Few stand-up comedians are buzzier right now than Nuha Picard-Ghouazzal, whose special from last year Mentrification makes its' television debut tonight. She'll touch on subjects like how lying should be taught in schools, why only older people should be allowed in bars and talking to strangers on the métro about what they're looking at on their phones. If you've never seen this show, it's worth it, and even if you have you may want to relive it.

by **Sankt Konrad** » Fri May 01, 2020 4:03 pm

North Star Sports Network

It’s an exceptionally exciting time for football fans in Sankt Konrad. For the first time ever, our small island nation will be sending a football team to compete on the world stage at the Baptism of Fire and World Cup 85 Qualifiers.

The announcement was met with a great deal of excitement amongst most of the population, all 61,600 Sankt Konraders excited to see their footballing heroes take on the world. That dream has already been realized in some form with clubs competing in the IFCF Champions’ League and Challengers’ Cup with great success in their first cycle: Kolonial reaching the CL Third Preliminary Round, and Nomadik making a great run of their own - knocking out Di Maoxoze of Farfadillis on their way - in the Challengers’ Cup. Football in Sankt Konrad has never been in a better position.

And so, 23 of our finest will travel to Ethane to represent our homeland proudly. They come from Teus and Albmoti backgrounds, and they come from clubs such as Kolonial, Nomadik, Divtasvuodno, FJ Girona, FC Sankt Leopold and FJ Gaivuotna. These players truly represent our country and its people well.

But are our people ready to be represented by them? Anyone who knows anything about Sankt Konrad football knows one thing: Kolonial vs Nomadik. The New Guard. The Big 2. It’s the biggest derby in world football you’ve never heard of, and it means everything on Sankt Konrad. How will the respective supporters deal with cheering for ‘the other guys’ here? Let’s take a look at this rivalry, and how Sankt Konraders will respond to this national team.

Defined by a Rivalry

In the history of the Raidodassi (our top-flight league) and the SKFA Cup, 206 trophies have been handed out. 157 of those have gone to two clubs: Kolonial, with 88, and Nomadik, with 69.

Founded in 1919 as an athletic club for the Teus-speaking population of the capital city, Wilhelmstadt, Kolonial have been always been one of the biggest clubs in our country, and are its most successful in terms of trophies. ‘47 times kings of Sankt Konrad,’ as their fans love to sing, and they also have 41 Cup wins to go along with that success. In the late 60s and 70s, they were so dominant (winning 10 titles in a row) that the club applied to join the Siovanija & Teusland Football Association instead of remaining in the Sankt Konrad league. The club won the double in the most recent season of football in Sankt Konrad, and are sending 9 players to this national team.

Across town in Wilhelmstadt, the Nomadik Football Club was founded in 1920 to represent the Albmoti population in the city. Albmoti had stayed away from the capital under the Teus Empire, but after independence in 1896 began to settle down from their nomadic lifestyle in various villages, and the capital quickly saw a rise in population. So, Nomadik were founded, and when they sided with Kolonial in a debate over professionalization in 1925, set in motion the events that led to the Big 2 utterly dominating Sankt Konrad’s football. Nomadik have won 35 league titles and 34 Cups, including a stretch of 6 in a row in the late 90s, and finished 2nd in the most recent league season. Nomadik will send 6 players to the national team.

It’s impossible to talk about one without the other, and it’s impossible to talk about both without talking about the rivalry between them. There’s no standardized name: the most common are the New Guard or the Big 2. For Kolonial fans, it is simply Der Spiel - the game. These two teams hate each other - and that word might not be near strong enough. Combine a legacy of colonialism with sectarian conflict and an almost unmatched duopoly on competition, and you get one of the fiercest rivalries in world football.

Games between these two have an entire week’s worth of build-up to them. Supporters of either club will rarely be friends with the other. On the Kolonial side, supporters will wave the old Teus Empire flag, hang banners of old Kaisers, and sing songs about how they have dominated Sankt Konrad football. On the Nomadik side, you hear the opposite side of the same ideas, and you see the Albmoti national flag rather than the Sankt Konrad flag. The fans despise each other, and the players have historically hated each other too: the 1988 SKFA Cup Final saw the match never completed, after a brawl began between all 23 players and the managers on each side with the scoreline 4-0 for Kolonial in the 87th minute. The game was called and the trophy given to Kolonial. Kolonial fans will tell you the refs and the league are all working together in a conspiracy to prevent them from further success, and Nomadik fans will tell you the refs and the league are all working together in a conspiracy to prevent them from further success.

So, how can we expect these people, who have been brought up to love their side with all their heart and hate the other with the same vigour, to come together and support the joint national team?

The ‘United’ Team

For some of the more hardcore football fans in this country, getting behind the national team might be a tough sell. You think Nomadik and Kolonial hate each other? Think about how much the other 14 clubs in this country hate those two. Can Divtasvuodno fans, who jeer Nomadik and Kolonial for the entire 90 minutes anytime the sides play, cheer on those clubs’ players? On the New Guard side, however, things get taken to another level.

We spoke to some of the players selected to the national team to see how they feel. “I’m not too worried about that, honestly. We know the atmosphere of the derby, for sure, but it’s not 1988 anymore and I think we have respect for each other as professionals. I would hope the fans can get behind us,” said Iskko, Kolonial’s star midfielder who will have a key role on this team. Iskko, the Albmoti playing for the Teus club, who received death threats for that decision and is constantly called a ‘traitor’ by Nomadik supporters, alongside his 5 other Albmoti teammates at Kolonial. There is similar sentiment on the other side: “When it comes down to it, I think we’re all going to be proud to represent our country, and anything else is going to have to come second to that,” said Nomadik’s star left winger Aksel.

The players might be able to put all that noise behind them - but will the supporters? We here at North Star Sports decided to play a fun game for the Baptism of Fire and World Cup Qualifiers. We put out an advertisement looking for 2 Sankt Konrad football fans - 1 Kolonial supporter, 1 Nomadik supporter. We then picked the two winners, who have agreed to watch all the national team’s matches together with a journalist from our network. You would be surprised how many responses were interested, but refused to watch the games with a supporter of the other team. During the games, we’ll be able to see their conversations and set up discussion between them, and see if this country really will get behind the national team. ‘Best of Enemies’ will be a daily series from North Star Sports throughout the tournament. Let’s meet our participants below.

Name: Georg Heller
Age: 34
Occupation: Mechanic
Favourite Club: Kolonial
Favourite Player: Bastian Kreuzberg (KOL)
Least Favourite Player: Gappe (NOM)
Kolonial Fan Since: Birth. Followed home and away for 17 years. First season I can remember is 1989, we won the double. Just like we did this year.
In 100 words, sum up your feelings on Nomadik: Only 100 words? Can I just put ‘scum’ 100 times? Still wouldn't be enough.
Thoughts on the National Team: It should be 23 Kolonial players. We won the double, didn’t we? Don’t know how Nomadik are getting anyone in the squad, honestly.

Name: Artor
Age: 29
Occupation: Reindeer herder
Favourite Club: Nomadik
Favourite Player: Elias Nilse (NOM)
Least Favourite Player: Any of the traitors
Nomadik Fan Since: 1995 SKFA Cup final. First match I remember. The boys in blue ran circles around the red, and I was hooked on it from that point on.
In 100 words, sum up your feelings on Kolonial: I only need one: *****
Thoughts on the National Team: I mean, it’ll be interesting to watch, but there’s no way I could cheer for any of their players. If we win I'll be happy, but only for our guys.

These two should give us a great laugh, at least, if they don’t strangle each other by the end of game 1! Each day, we’ll also be sure to include some rejected applications - there are some real good ones we had to turn down.

Sankt Konrad’s first match will be against Riena, and North Star Sports looks forward to bringing you continued coverage of the national team.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat May 02, 2020 4:56 am

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports
South Newlandia enters Baptism of Fire, announces squad

South Newlandia steps up into international soccer for the first time, and will play both in the Baptism of Fire and the World Cup Qualifiers. The nation is not known at all in international soccer yet, and Baseball is in fact the only sport South Newlandia has internationally participated in to this point. South Newlandia will make the trip to Delaclava in Group G, facing 6 other teams in the group stages.

(OOC:) Permissions:
You can do almost whatever you want. I am always open for collaborations, if your idea is completely ridiculous, TG me beforehand please, but it’ll be fine most likely.
Style Mod: -1

Roster:
South Newlandia is bringing a young squad of 23 players for the Baptism of Fire. The team will operate most games in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation. The following players will be the planned starting eleven:
GK: Mikhail Trischuk (25)
LB: Dhruv Roy (23)
LCB: Jack Schroeder (26)
RCB: Karl Meyer (22)
RB: Kendell Wagner (23)
DM: Johan Dorsey (26)
LM: Corban Green (18)
RM: Patrick McMora (21)
OM: Finnley Wallis (24)
ST: Ricardo Rayner (25)
ST: Liam Miller (25)

Twelve players will start on the bench:
GK: Rufus Rigby (19)
GK: Abdullah Rowley (28)
LB: Simon Taylor (23)
CB: Jeff Peterson (25)
CB: Tommy Anderson (21)
RB: Barnaby Hastings (22)
DM: Kevin Mohamed (19)
CM: Donald Lancaster (19)
CM: Faisal Harworth (25)
OM: Randall Kennedy (26)
ST: Brandon Irving (20)
ST: Bjorn Cohen (18)

Coaches:
Head Coach: Robert Wolverine (43)
Assistant Coach: Michael White (37)
Goalkeeper Coach: Matthias Boyle (39)
Athletic Coach: Josef Salazar (24)

Schedule:
May 3rd: vs. Havynwilde
May 4th: vs. Tequilo
May 5th: Bye Day
May 6th: Off Day
May 7th: vs. Twicetagria
May 8th: vs. Kohnhead
May 9th: vs. Revatnagar
May 10th: vs. Baggieland

We look forward to some great games, hopefully including some wins for us as well.

by **Sabalonia** » Sat May 02, 2020 9:10 am

Team Roster of the People’s Republic of Sabalonia for the Baptism of Fire Tournament:
Name _ Age _ Position _ Jersey Number
Vyacheslav Zhukov _22 _Goalkeeper _ 1
Paul Anderson _ 20 _Right Back _ 2
Michael Dublin _ 23 _Left back _ 3
George Malay _ 22 _Right Wing Back_ 4
Viktor Krum _ 24 _Centre Back _ 5 ( Captain)
Mikael Duma _ 21 _Left Wing Back_ 6
Stefan Gunderson _23 _Right Midfielder _7
Joseph Khazanov_ 20 _Left Midfielder_ 8
Viktor Zelensky _24 _Centre Midfielder_ 9
Pablo Eduardo _ 24 _Supporting Striker _10
Jose Esposito _ 23 _Central Striker_ 11
Daniel Coleman _ 24 _Goalkeeper_ 12
Vladimir Arnetta _21 _Centre Back _13
Josh Gustavsson _25 _Right Back_ 14
Finny Finberg _ 24 _Left Back_ 15
Arnold Cornwallis _26 _Right Winger_ 16
Kim Yung Sol _ 21 _Left Winger _17
Park Jung Yoon _ 26 _Central Striker_ 18
Antoine Picardy _21 _Attacking Midfielder_ 19
Moussa Shamballa _27 _Defending Midfielder_ 20

Coach : David Raynor, 45 years old, Former Sabalonian National Team Captain

All players (except 1) serve in the Sabalonian Armed Forces, and play in the annual Regimental Cup, a league and knockout based tournament involving all the regiments of the army, navy and the air force.

Key Players:
1. Major Vyacheslav Zhukov: Nicknamed “The Great Wall”, sliding the ball past him is an incredibly difficult task, owing to his 6’8” frame and incredible reflexes, timed at a stunning .5 seconds and closing. He is an Artillery Officer in the Sabalonian Army.
2. Colonel Viktor Krum: Nicknamed “The Tank”, known for his crushing tackles on enemy strikers, infamous for causing injuries. Hard to dispossess, owing to his bulky muscular 6’5” frame, and incredible ball control. He is an Officer in the Sabalonian Military Intelligence Division.
3. Pablo Eduardo: Nicknamed “The Chick-Magnet”, he is the only player in the roster from a non-military background, and the only one not married or engaged. Infamous for his many affairs, but well respected for his stunning dribbling skills and his ability to set up goals even in dire circumstances. Works as a freelance photographer.
4. Commodore Park Jung Yoon: Nicknamed “Silent Mary”, because of his love for Bloody Mary, doesn’t speak a lot, but his skills on the balls scream on the pitch. The top scoring striker on the roster, with an incredible 40 goals in 17 matches in this years Regimental Cup. Fast and accurate on the ball, he finds it easy to go unnoticed on the pitch and slip past defenders. He commands the pride of the Sabalonian Navy, the battleship Bose.
5. Commandant Sir Moussa Shamballa: Nicknamed “The Dark Knight”, Knighted by the Leader, for his valiant role in the revolution when he was just 16 years old. The sole defensive midfielder of the team, he prides himself in his ability to dispossess opposing players, and his tackles are as fearsome if not as injuring as Viktor Krum’s tackles. 6’5’, bulky and muscular, but incredibly fast for his frame, he commands the only Gen-5 fighter squadron in the Sabalonian Air Force.

Style: [3] Very attack minded team. plays 5-3-2, with both full backs rushing forward while attacking to form a 3-4-3 formation. The superior fitness and increased stamina of the full backs allows them to run up and down the field seamlessly.

RP Permissions:
Choose Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Scoring: N
Injure Players: Y (max 2 matches)
Godmod Injuries: N
Yellow Cards: Y (not more than 2)
Red Cards: Y - not more than one
Godmod other events: N

Happy to reconsider and collaborate! Ping on TG.

by **Havynwilde** » Sat May 02, 2020 12:02 pm

_{Hub for all information on sports related to Havynwilde with other contributing information}

EDITOR'S NOTE

_{I want to thank you for opening the latest edition of The Assoicated, for years we've found pride in providing you, the viewer with the most in-depth analysis of sports in Havynwilde, ranging from Lygahaven play and also into other amateur sports that shine bright in our small nation. The time has come to bring The Assocciated to the world, of course that means Havynsmen and women and the Havyish sporting culture are brought to the world, its our pleasure to unveil to our viewers our new website, www.theassociated.hyn, featuring articles, visuals and videos on the latest and greatest of sports here in Havynwilde. Thank you for giving us the chance to serve you,
Kitchie Simmons
Editor-in-Chief}

PAGE 26 :: Kings of Havynwilde - The Quest for the Shamrock Club

Gudrun Bißmeier has become the latest youth sensation I Havynwilde

Avante Leipreachán spokesperson, Chris Reid spoke to the media early this week, reiterating, the club’s full support behind Ethan Stevenson as he approached his third season in charge of Havynwilde’s most famous team.

Two months removed from the season approaching the start of UICA and FFI preliminary play, the Havyish giants are still trying to determine their place ahead of the upcoming season. With questions littered all through the squad, the Shamrock Club has made strides to affirm their trust in the former captain in Stevenson walking into the season.

Reid told the media, “we have bigger things to discuss than debating why we decided to hold on to Gudrun,” - he said - speaking on the Vanorian prospect who was chased after by three major clubs during the transfer window.

Similarly, the club struck out, forced to reevaluate a new contract for the Qasden-born Macron Abbott who had a transfer spell to Donnacona’s Cap Nordique declined by the Shamrock Club in the last moments.

Reid and Stevenson too outline their positions in speaking with the media during the Shamrock Club’s media fest, “the club has decided on retaining Abbot for another season, we feel like he presents for us, the best foot forward, and if we have that opportunity, we’re going to take it, every time.”

“Our goal is to really see through Ethan’s vision,” Reed said, “we’re trying to build something based on his plan to bring us back to the top, wit how LygaHaven is repositioning the league through Projekt 770, we think we’re in the driver's seat to really be able to bring change.”

“We very clearly want to do things right here,” said Stevenson, “we’re not too sure what the end result will be for the roster in a few weeks, but we're making the best choices to put Havynwilde team back in the top spot, the Shamrocks suffered last season, but we’re coming back to the top.”

But this offseason has been anything but business as usual for the Shamrocks, a club that’s been forced to reckon with parting with some of its players. Its backline is changed, Hayden Welsh departed, and perhaps the soul of its offense is forced to be retooled in the two or so months they have to fix things.

“It feels wrong that we’re discussing the transfer window, it has passed and we're facing the beginning of a new season in a couple weeks - CMFA Champions League gets underway for in about a month, the league comes sooner than ever, and that’s what you want to talk about?”

Echoed Reed, “we trust the youth, we know what we want to produce and we think we have the best chance of producing that with Ethan at the helm.”
“It’s true, there’s been a disconnect in recent years, but, the Shamrocks are coming back to take the throne, we’re the most known club in Havynwilde, our title cannot be denied from us, not this season,” said Stevenson. “there’s a reason Havynwilde’s most famous club is Avante Leipreachán, the ‘little mad gingermen’ are coming back, and we’re going to hit back harder than ever.”

Reed doubled down, “clearly, we did things a little differently this season, but that doesn’t mean anything, we’re still the best club, the Pirates will be unseated, and the Shamrocks will make a challenge to take what’s theirs.”

“As I said many times before, we are committed to bringing trophies home, Ethan has the full backing of the Shamrocks board and faces nothing but support from us. That's the goal of this club and always will be.”

Likewise, the club has seen the opinions of Stevenson and co reverberated through the structure, Gudrun Bißmeier, the ambitious, young Vanorian told the media, “I want players to come here who are desperate to win - the Shamrocks must win the league title again,” he said following his resigning contract.

The Vanorian prospect is considered to be one of the biggest prospects in all of fooligbol, resigning on a three season contract which upped his value to N$5.5m and his reported release clause set at N$14m, Bißmeier has become a major story in the Havyish arena, a player with loads of potential who’s settled into Shamrock Park since arriving last season.

The prospect was vetted by major clubs for much of the offseason, with clubs from Eura even calling for his services, all turned down but the Shamrock Club, who instead renewed his contract.

“I want to win it all, we want titles. I came to the capital to see my way to league titles, Champions League, FFI, IFCF, I want it all,” Bißmeier said during the media fest discussion.

“We’ve built the talent, Ethan’s put together a squad that can do it - I’m sure of it, we have the potential here, I’m sure of it. If you look around the league, I’m telling you, we’re better than every team out there - the Pirates, Advernians - even that funny-sounding team, Foretham.”

“Nothing matters, if you’re young,” he said through a translator, “I started, we just want winners here, we’re trying to bring a culture of winning to Havynwilde, we’re the capital's club, we’re the big team here.”

“For this team, we have it good”, the wunderkid said, “it will all go right for us if we just trust and believe, things will change if we have faith, and I know for us, it’s going to come home. I am convinced I will win the title this season, this city will be swept in euphoria once again. This is my second season here, and I’m just positive, this season’s our season.”

Talking more, “the Shamrocks have trust in youth, and I’d love to see more people my age brought in, we’ve brought new life to this club, for sure.”

But, he made clear, they must also share his desire and zeal to win.

“We know what youth players are capable of - look at Carlton Brower, the Xannerian player, youth flourishes in this league - and I want to flourish too, but I want players who come here to want to win That's the end goal for sure.”

The Shamrocks have certainly gone through a rough tenure with the arrival of Ethan Stevenson two seasons ago - from winning the league title to missing qualifications for the IFCF, to crashing out of the CMFA Champions League to first round exists to Ziwanan clubs in IFCF - the club's seen it all in the past couple of seasons.

But the Vanorian prospect believes the team has steadied the ship, “things are looking good for us heading into this season, we’re really looking to take the league by storm. YOu doubted us last year and we sat and retooled things to our strengths, we believe we’re going to come out firing on all cylinders this season.”

The Shamrocks have reason to hope they'll open with one of the weakest opening schedules for the first five games and could potentially start off the seasons with a comfortable five games in the win column, which could set up nicely for the club.

WIth the addition of the split, says Bißmeier, there’s more to play for, “we have to remain committed, winning the Premier doesn’t mean anything now,” she said, “I want more than a CMFA Champions League berth, I want more than all of that, I have to a drive to win and winning the split will really affirm that the Shamrocks are winning and that we’re back on top.”

She’ll be hoping the rest of the club subscribes to her mantra for this season - the Shamrocks are facing challenges from a retooled Baywall, a Briarcliff side which has replenished itself and the always-trusty Advernians who've made a few changes from last season. Of course, a dark horse could be present in either Bellymn United, the lower league rivals, Foretham Coven; the Shamrocks bitter rivals, or even could see a reignition of the Thrice Firm if Union Forge comes back from the slumber that they’ve been in for quite some time.

But, “we’re looking to top all those challenges, we’re the best team out there, and we’re coming for the crown,” Bißmeier repeated, “it’s ours for the taking, and I believe this is the season we’re going to come back to the top.”

For the Shamrock Club, a player on a mission like Gudrun Bißmeier coupled with the vision Ethan Stevenson has might just be the reason that Avante Leipreachán puts it all together and returns to the top, a reason to put your trust once more in the leadership Stevenson brings, says thes club.

Only time will tell if the club is really back, but they’ve set the bar for themselves, ahead of this season.

Projected Lineup vs. South Newlandia: Connelly; Courtwood, Harris, Kal (c) Ruderby; Baird, Sutherland, Welsh; Houston; Cook, Grondt.

by **Maccian** » Sat May 02, 2020 2:55 pm

Chapter 2: Redemption's Price

Chapter 1

Masdipuetz David Juesmann's home, Benikkia Romendes

David's phone rang, waking him up from his deep slumber. Groggily, he reached over to his phone and answered it.

"Hello, who is this?" inquired David, still tired.

"This is Prüdenstralton Petchre Mackay. Let me be frank, Masdipuetz Juesmann because I think there has been a huge misunderstanding between us. I authorised you to provide the list of these criminals who have been identified as suitable for this role. You will not, and I must repeat this, you will not send the filthy scum that killed my brother, waltz around in another nation representing this nation. I was going to send you to be with these criminals but clearly, you seek to offend me so much that you must have totally disregarded any thought of involvement in this squad," said Petchre.

"Sorry, but did I ask to travel to Appalachia? I understand. Saskei Mackay was taken away from this world far too early. You gave me explicit permission to do anything in my power to send these kids along to this tournament while we sorted things out with these players. And please let me remind you, they are kids! You would probably shoot all of them if they stepped foot in Maccian after expectedly losing all their games to fully matured men and women who actually have some experience in the sport. Eries Kizerain is going to Appalachia, whether you like it or not. If you have such an issue with sending him, how about sending adults instead of fucking kids? I refuse to take any more part in this ordeal, the Kidomasdipuetz will go along with the squad along with that John True who swept the Maccian Football League," yelled David. Silence. A good minute of silence.

"Very well. You better pray those kids are able to do something. 'Cause now your ass is on the line. Do you think you can defy me through sending a young guy like him to the Baptism to be the manager of sub-humans? It's like putting a 2nd Lieutenant in charge of a platoon of battle-hardened soldiers in a war, with just one washed up NCO to guide him. The Kidomasdipuetz will go alongside this 'John True' along with a host of other staff to Appalachia"

"Sub-fucking-human? Yes, they're criminals and yes they have done some evil, but calling kids sub-human? Don't you have 6 children? Imagine these kids you're sending out to this tournament only to murder them all were one of your daughters or sons?

"Quite frankly, I would disown them the moment they attempt to desecrate this family name. Criminals are sub-humans. Especially these ones, they're the epitome of 'age is just a number'. I'll have them en-route by tomorrow. While these little dipshits are over there, you will get these damn footballers on board so that we can stand a chance in the World Cup qualifiers because remember, this is a temporary solution," fumed Petchrey, as he abruptly hung up the phone. David breathed a sigh of relief and laid back into his bed, pondering the compromises he'd have to make with the rouge Maccian footballers.

Rivern Prision, Bisonua. 04:11 AM

Eries Kizerain lay sprawled out on the prison cell floor. No lighting. Pitch black. No air-conditioning. Just an hour of freedom outside that hellhole. The freezing cold wind relentlessly punished him, as if it was seeking retribution. Shivering, he contemplated his decisions which led to him in the very cell he sat in. Was the money worth it? £500,000 was an astronomical number, certainly enough to have him set for life. He'd have plans to find a girl, get married, start a family while living on his own farm. Simplicity. He didn't care for a lavish lifestyle, just one that would be sustainable, Why not? he was homeless and had nothing else to lose, yet potentially everything to gain if he just showed up to an address and shot this one particular person. Three gunshots into his body. Timidly, he fled the crime scene only to be apprehended hours later. The judge gave him the death penalty for killing President Mackay's brother.

Here he was, alone. Alone on his first day on earth, and alone on the last. Footsteps. Keys jingled violently as the speed of the footsteps picked up. Eries scrambled to the small slip on the cell door where he received his meals. To his surprise, the door was fully opened and out stepped a guard. He beckoned Eries to come closer and follow him. Confused, Eries remained silent and just followed the guard. He was led to a changing room where he was given a suit and a briefcase.

"Don't even fuckin' ask, murderer. Get dressed, and get outside immediately. You should continue to pray to whatever god you believe in because they clearly answered your prayers," said the guard as he slammed the door behind him. Eries got dressed and held the briefcase in his hand as he walked out of the changing room. He looked to his right and saw a relatively young yet well-groomed man standing with his arms folded.

"I am Kidomasdipuetz Anjill, and you have been selected along 22 other prisoners to represent Maccian in the Baptism of Fire. Your teammates are right outside," claimed Anjill. He headed for the doorway and went outside, with Eries following.

"Holy shit! I can't believe Kizerain is here! Name's Missi Sorrentingerclausen, from Mes Sayans. We did a coin toss and turns out I'm the captain. Wanna be my vice-captain?" asked Missi. Eries was overwhelmed by the number of people glaring at him.

"Er, sure..." responded Eries.

"Fam why's this guy here. Who decided to bring along the fucking hitman? You tell him to shoot in a match and he'll start aiming a fucking gun at the crowd!" chided Mikkleargen Jamressl.

"Man shut the fuck up, did you think you were hard robbing and beating up grandmas?" rebutted Eries. He pushed Mikkleargen but he didn't take one step back. Suddenly, a flurry of people separated themselves from the two.

"Stay the fuck away from each other than, got it? No fucking fighting! Your entire lives are at stake here, so cut it out. You can fight each other as much as you want when you win this tournament and earn your freedom back! Understood?" asked Kidomasdipuetz Anjill. The feuding pair nodded reluctantly at their manager.

"Alright, now that's settled, I want the rest of the team to understand this. If there's no chemistry and you go on that field and play together whilst hating each other you might as well be shooting yourselves, because make no mistake, any fuck-ups from you guys and we will end up coming last. Once you step foot in Maccian, you're as good as dead. Do you understand?" questioned John True. Murmurs of yes from the squad soon followed after the question.

"Now, listen up. Defenders in one 'copter, midfielders in one 'copter, attackers in one 'copter and goalkeepers in one 'copter. Get to your designated helicopters and take a seat". The squad slowly began to move, dragging their feet across the concrete. "Hurry the fuck up or we leave you here! Ain't no time to be wasted! Go! Go! bellowed John True. The now startled squad sprinted to the helicopters like cheetahs. Once everyone was strapped in, the helicopter began to take off. Silence accompanied the squad of criminals throughout the journey. Then, an irritating crackling sound followed by Kidomasdipuetz Anjill's voice.

" Listen up. I'm sure all of you are quite anxious and worried about what is going on. You are criminals, but you are being offered a chance at redemption if you do well enough in the 72nd edition of the Baptism of Fire. This is the tournament which is essentially a precursor to the World Cup qualifiers for nations who have never participated in football internationally. I'm going to need all of you to put aside your differences, and help each other and me. You must play, there is no option but participating in the games. Otherwise, you are putting your very life at risk. I hope you have heeded my warning," began the Kidomasdipuetz. He then went into a coughing fit, much to the disgust of his fellow before finally composing himself.

"We're going to Appalachia which is located in Esportiva, one of the three host nations of this tournament. We are in Group C, with Sabalonia, South Charlia, Daskel, Kuriko, Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom, and Valentine Z the teams in our group. Zeta Reka, Sbalonia and Valentine Z have announced their rosters for this tournament. Only John True and the rest of the staff know what they're doing. I play basketball, not football. We're just going to have to deal with the cards we've been dealt. We have gotten purple and black kits, but with none of your names on them. We have football boots ranging from all sizes so we're good on that part. The first match is against Zeta Reka, let's just hope for the best with the upcoming match. We'll take it day by day. Keep calm, compose yourselves and before you know it, you'll be in that stadium playing for your lives."

by **Muradil** » Sat May 02, 2020 4:27 pm

Jan stood by the field, watching the national team practice before the cup. Around two years had gone by when they last played the AOCAF, and that was the last time he wore a players’ shirt. Now he was still wearing sporty-ish, he didn’t like the idea of a coach with a suit and looking serious, after all he was a player at heart; but this time it was his chance to make Muradil visible on the football scene.

He knew Hël wanted to retire and let him be the coach, and, after a brief talk, they both agreed on what was submitted to the BoF: he’d be the coach, Hël would be the assistant. They went on their own ways for some months. Jan looked after the Farves that had run away from Farfadillis with them, and as a payment he only expected football knowledge. Hël just spent those months with his family, drinking and filling spreadsheets.

“Enough, enough” Jan shouted. “Now make four teams and play a bit”. He didn’t want to be seen as not-demanding, but he also wanted to let the players have fun once in a while. And he figured that the best time to do that would be the last practice before the match.

He had some flashbacks of the last time he played. The tension between the Bees and Muradil, his kick that went unnoticed, the punches. The demoralizing loss.

Returning was one of the most painful experiences of his life. Not only they’d lost everything they thought they’d win, but the Crazy completely vanished and nobody could find anything. He was his best friend in the team, and one of his closest outside of it. So knowing that the trip back home would be without him was already hard, but when they saw an angry mob outside it became scary. They were booed and stones rained upon them. Luckily nothing more happened in the airport.

They knew the government would encourage such actions, but even then they realised that there was more people than what the government would send. That was, in a twisted way, recomforting. That enough people cared to watch the games on their own, without any monetary compensation.

Some few days after that, not even a week, a bunch of players went clubbing as a part of their day to day job, and they brought one of the Farf that had escaped, Sofía. She was flabbergasted, to think they were getting paid to go out and party. They didn’t drink, given that they were athletes, and they weren’t getting paid overtime. She, however, drank a lot. When the shooting started, Sofía didn’t understand what was happening. Hidden under a table, she watched two players die. The blame, initially, was placed on Sofía Mariscal, the foreigner. But after she ran away, the government changed their narrative: they would call that revenge for the team’s bad performance on the AOCAF

“Okay guys, pack it up. We’ll call it a day right now.” Or is it an afternoon? “Tomorrow we’ll rest and then we’ll play our first match”. He was no Höldęr, but he tried his best to motivate the team. “Task failed successfully” he thought to himself. They didn’t look motivated because of what he said, but they seemed to be hungry for redemption, and that was more than enough motivation in his experience.

by **Lake Esper** » Sat May 02, 2020 5:33 pm

A Fish out of Water
Chapter 1

Kieran Falstaff knew to include the who, what, where, why, and how in the lede of a news story, but he had no clue if he should populate the first sentence of a novel with the who, what, where, why, and how of the plot. In fact, he knew little about writing novels. He could churn out a 1200-word news story in an hour and half, but he could spend as long staring at an untitled Word document and not write a single word of fiction. He could write a 200-page historical book on the Grant Expedition, Lake Esper’s first foray out into the broader world as an independent nation, but hardly a 20-page chapter. Could he use an appositive to describe his protagonist’s occupation? he wondered. Should he use first person or third person, past tense or present?

He turned in his chair to look outside the window but realized he had forgotten to open the blinds, so he took out his earbuds and walked the meter and a half over to the window. Lake Esper glimmered brightly in the distance, the sun refracting off the bright and gleaming towers of Esper City’s skyline. Down and to the left, the Colonial District along the waterline housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his beat. Debates raged about the Colonial District, with some in the government wanting to tear down the Baroque architecture in favor of the new modern stuff that had sprung up around town. Kieran had his own opinions on that debate (he often called the winding corridors of the Sylvia Windermere Building his second home) but he left that reporting to his colleagues in the Metro department. He instead wrote all the juicy gossip that emerged from the diplomats and bigwigs who determined the nation’s foreign policy.

A knock on his partially open door snapped him out of his reverie. “Come in,” he said, turning around to see his editor Olivia Wilson step into his office. “What can I do for you, Olivia?” he asked. Thinking about his currently nonexistent novel, he imagined the conversation taking place on the page instead of in real life. How would she respond if he wrote the dialogue?

“We have a podcast going out in a couple of days about the decision to open up diplomatic relations with Astoria. I assumed you’d want to take part, considering you’re the point person for those negotiations from our side?” she asked.

Kieran raised his eyebrows. “A podcast? I didn’t realize we had jumped on the podcast bandwagon yet.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Apparently you haven’t read your emails… we’ve probably put out 70 over the last month or so. They’re the future of journalism, after all.”

“Well, yeah, I’d be happy to chat then. Who’ll be interrogating me?”

“John Grayling. Over in Multimedia. You’d know that, of course, if you read your damn emails!” With that, Olivia marched out of the office, on to talk to reporters that probably actually read their emails. Kieran returned to the Word document, still blank and without any words of this budding novel. Why did he want to write a novel, anyway? Journalism and research kept him pretty busy, and he felt that he lacked any creative urges whatsoever. But still… something inside pulled at him to try something different. He knew how to write narrative histories; why couldn’t he write narrative fiction?

As he stared at the blank screen, trying to write the first words, he wondered if he had approached the whole thing in the right way. After all, the novel needed a plot, a storyline, a motif, a guiding metaphor, something beyond the vague yet nagging sensation of “I should write a novel!” To write an exposition, Kieran mused, he ought to figure out what he needed to expose in order to write that plot… which he reminded himself was nonexistent. Nevertheless, he started writing.

---

“Well, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the beginning of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Astoria will open up further trade ties with the International Democratic Union. But the political ramifications will also extend beyond Lake Esper itself, as the administration wants to send a clear message to the world that in this day and age, it must continue to promote democracy and solidify the links between democratic states across the world.”

“And that was Kieran Falstaff, the senior foreign relations correspondent of the Esper City Times. Thanks so much, Kieran.” As Kieran began to take off the earphones that the Multimedia department had instructed him to wear for the occasion, he looked up at the plexiglass window that separated the recording studio from the corridor and saw Olivia standing outside.

“I see you came all the way to Multimedia to watch me stumble horrendously in that studio,” Kieran said with his famous self-deprecating humor. He noticed the manila folder in Olivia’s hand but said nothing.

“There’s a car waiting outside to take you to the airport,” said Olivia, handing Kieran the folder. He looked inside and saw an itinerary to New Sarum, connecting through Cartersburg in Wray, and some collected information on stadiums in Ethane.

“Er — why am I going on a grand tour of Ethanian stadiums?” Kieran asked, interrupting Olivia before she could start her next speech. “I don’t do sports or travel.”

“The Baptism of Fire. Ever heard of it?” Olivia quizzed Kieran, who shook his head. “It’s an invitational football tournament for nations who’ve never participated in the World Cup. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Sports, Arts, and Culture both think that participating in global sports will burnish the nation’s image worldwide. Hence the participation in the Baptism of Fire.”

“Well, I’m sure we’ll be burned,” said Kieran. He didn’t really follow football in Lake Esper, even though it was the nation’s most popular sport. “I guess we’ll just lose our first match and then be on our way back, right?” he asked, betraying his lack of knowledge of the event.

“It… doesn’t exactly work that way,” replied Olivia. “The team will play six games against the other teams in its group, and then it will proceed to the elimination stages, as MINSAC hopes.”

“And why exactly are you sending me along to Ethane?”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is sending along a delegation to start up relations with the Ethanians, so that’ll be the bulk of your reporting. But since you’re our best writer, Masthead also thinks you’re the man to send back on the ground pieces about perceptions of Lake Esper and give flavor to the sports reporting,” Olivia explained. “And don’t worry, we’re also sending someone from sports. Oscar Langley. You’ll do great!”

As Kieran got into the car, he thought about that novel (or at least the bare skeleton of one) sitting on the home screen of his computer back in the office. He supposed it would probably have to wait.

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