Baptism of Fire 72 - Everything Thread

[Tequilo]

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DAILY TEAM BRIEFING
Team HQ, Grand Skyline Hotel, Upside Park Avenue, New Sarum, Ethane

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The team had just checked in at their final destination on the grand tour of Etano¹, Appalaxia² and Delaclava³ - a very fabulous hotel to crown a very fabulous tournament for Los Mextiqos, although it had ended in the disappointment of a semi-final defeat at the hands of Seirío Ajolotenorme⁴. It was breakfast time in Ethane^(transl.) and the squad had just enjoyed a delicious and nutritious meal ahead of Coach Nores’ rousing final team meeting of the tournament, when they would prepare for the painfully meaningless third place playoff of the Baptism of Fire, against the unlucky Reina^(transl.), who might consider themselves worthy of a final. It would no doubt begin with the analysis of the ZRH^(abbv.) defeat, to iron out some of the mistakes that led to Tequilo snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

In particular, Agustin de Leon would be reflecting on how he missed the vital penalty in the shoot-out that would condemn his team to agonising defeat, and lend him an albatross of sorts for the rest of his playing career. The player who missed the key penalty. Never mind Tutayan had also missed one. It wasn’t the last one. It wasn’t the one that caused such celebration for the opponents. It wasn’t the one that kept Tequilo out of the final. Agustin wondered if rooming with his Antivadorio companion García, now back in the hospital in Appalaxia, meant some of García’s bad luck had rubbed off on him. That girl that kept emailing him… Agustin felt sure she had laid a palabra upon him for some reason, and some of that had carried over to him.

As he was thinking about García, miles away back in Charleston, García was thinking about that girl and that curse. In fact, with his one good hand, he was sending her a message. Never had his thumb worked so angrily.

From:		García de Corcoles
Date:		Pasturet 16mo, SB-620
To:		Lilián Tlalqui Valençihuela
Subject:  	Re: A Hypothetical Pondering

Hola Lilián,

Firstly, I apologise for the delay in replying. I have been rather busy you know. Even now I am recuperating in a hospital in Appalaxia, my team-mates have left me behind, and I am not sure when my health insurance runs out. So I’ve had a lot on my plate, thank you for asking.

Secondly, I am perfectly happy with the proposed arrangement that we do not see each other again, particularly after the bizarre series of emails you have sent me. I have no intention of returning to Guastenango, unless it is for the pitxi - although that seems highly unlikely now.

And finally, what the actual fifar? Did you do some hechizo on me to mess up my tournament? Is that what you are saying? You are a lunatic, chica, and you should just stop with all of this. Agustin says I should try very hard to placate you, but pfft! Go back to your little adobe house, and save your curses. They will rebound on you! Trozomierda!

No regards,
García dC

Just after he hit the send button, the exceedingly unpredictable electric grid in Charleston and the surrounding area went down after a lightning strike on a distributor facility that had been poorly insulated. In the hospital, the lights flickered and went off, and then came on briefly as the emergency generator kicked in, then went off again as the generator failed. The electrical bed-raising motor under García overloaded when the generator cut in again, and then shorted in a shower of sparks. One of them caught his bed sheet, which had not been washed in the correct retardant fluid, and began to smoke. García could see it, but, with two legs, pelvis and one arm in plaster, he could not move to pat it out. He tried the emergency buzzer at the side of his bed, which at first didn’t work because the generator had cut out again. But as a small column of smoke was licked with a modest but bright flame, the generator came on again, and held. García pressed the buzzer again, which worked, but at the same time, with the intermittent electrical current, every alarm, buzzer and warning light across the hospital came on too.

This really wasn’t going to be García de Corcoles’ day.
 

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

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Well, that is peculiar. Almost everyone seems to have left my guided tour of the museum, was it something I said? The Zeta Rekans^(transl.) went to the toilet and never came back, the nice people from Ventami⁵ said they had more important places to be, the turistas-Nepharim just lost interest and the only ones left are the nice family from Reina with the very annoying child who keeps asking difficult - and frankly rather facetious - questions.

RAQ: Does anyone ever remember the losing semi-finalists?

I mean, really, I, Exidio Coyopa of Socrates District, Tapalupé, Assistant Curator at the Museo de Pitxi, should not have to put up with this workplace harassment. And in any case, smarty-pants, you should know. Welcome to the losers final, loser!

And now he cries to his father! Excuse me señor, you must calm down, be advised before you are too hasty but you cannot hit a museum curator, or their assistant! It is highly frowned upon in Tequiloan society! Come now, will you at least finish the tour before, as you say, you take me outside and show me what for. I have one last room to show you, reserved for one of our great legends of the game, El Lechero - The Milkman of Bonimitas: Humberto Bustamante, who played with great achievement at Florentino in Antivador, winning everything there was to be won, whilst carrying out a milk round every morning in his home pueblo of Bonimitas; legend has it that he was as fat as he was because he drank so much of the gold top extra creamy milk that he was supposed to be delivering on his round. But the fatman and amateur footballer became a legend; wrestler, impresario, and film star. And from such humble beginnings.

RAQ: Did he ever win a Baptism of Fire?

There was no national team back then, pequeña pulga, so no, he did not. But he won five state championships, one Copa Tequilo, five National Wrestling Championships and three International Circus Platinum Clowns; three Ramons for best supporting actor in a comedy film, and four Golden Toruses. So I think he did alright didn’t he?

After a spectacular pitxi career, the larger than life forward who had spent all his playing days with Los Violetas, went on to found his own club, Humberto, who are now a moderately successful top tier side in his home state of Antivador, and here he honed his not inconsiderable business skills. Choosing not to move into coaching, Humberto concentrated on the business management side, and combined this with his flair for publicity by competing in a couple of wrestling competitions - and doing surprisingly well. Whilst still chair of the rising football club, he embarked upon his second sporting career, as a top wrestler in a wrestling-obsessed nation. Reviving his playing nickname, El Lechero, the Milkman, he was a regular national champion. As age got the better of him, he became more of an exhibition wrestler, and founded a touring circus to continue his wrestling escapades, in El Circo Lucholibrescapadas - another huge success. Everything Humberto touched seemed to turn to gold. For his final trick, he featured in a cameo alongside the greatest Tequiloan slapstick comedy actor of all time, César Cero, and was such a natural as the enormous blunderer alongside Cero’s tiny mischievous pixie, that they formed a famous partnership over eighteen highly successful - and bizarre - films.

RAQ: But did he ever win a Baptism of Fire?

And that, dear turistas, is the end of the tour. Thank you for listening, and do not forget to take your litter and your little fleabags home with you.

RAQ: But did he ever win a Baptism of Fire?

I have been Exidio Coyopa at your service, and I hope to see you back again soon when we will be opening a new exhibition in time for the World Cup. Adiós!

RAQ: Have you ever won a Baptism of Fire?

It must be your bed time now, annoying boy of the Reinnic Isles.

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FOOTNOTES
1Ethane
1Appalachian Nation
1Delaclava
1Zeta Reka Hugeltaldom
1Mavinet

[Delaclava]

This isn't what you came for. You came to win it all, and you came so close too. The bronze medal is hardly a coveted possession, but it's certainly better than fourth, or fifth, or 56th. It is a privilege to be able to finish a knockout tournament with a win, and with a third place playoff, only two teams can do it - and you can still be one of them. This isn't how you imagined this, but finish on a high note and enter the World Cup qualifiers with a little extra hardware and an added boost of confidence.

3rd Place Playoff Cutoff!

Tequilo 3–0 Riena
@ King Edward IV Stadium (60,000), New Sarum, Ethane

Congratulations to Tequilo for one final win, and to both teams for a very strong tournament! We wish you the best in the World Cup!

Now we turn our attention to Appalachia...

[Ethane]

It's been a pleasure to host you all in Ethane, Appalachia, and Delaclava. We hope you've enjoyed the sun, the sand, the cities, and the environment. You've encountered new peoples, come up against formidable opponents, and established your names as footballing champions. We've been happy to host you, and we're going to miss the joy that this tournament has brought to the shores of our wonderful nations; the colours, the excitement, the tension. It's been wonderful. But it's not over yet. There's excitement in the air, but also tension. They may not be the teams you were expecting, but they've fought tooth and nail to get to this final, and they're determined to make it all the way. Tensions are running high. Whether you win or lose tonight, you've had a marvellous tournament. You've made it so far, beating so many difficult opponents. But there can only be 1 winner. And it's time to find out who that is...

Cutoff for the BoF 72 Final

Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 0–1 Mavinet
@ Bland Foods Stadium (71,000), Pittsburgh, Appalachia

And with that result, the Baptism of Fire is completed. Thank you so much for participating and roleplaying so diligently, and I hope you have enjoyed this tournament as much as we have. if you're returning to Nationstates after a break, welcome back. If you're a new nation to NS Sports, we welcome you to the community. There is a lot going on, from ice hockey to American football, cricket to baseball, and a wide variety of other sports. If there's a sport you don't see around, you can even suggest it as a new event. But at the moment, you've got football on your mind.

Coming up shortly is the World Cup. The BoF is the precursor to World Cup qualifying which begins shortly, giving you a ranking foothold for the tournament. Because you're all in the Baptism of Fire, you're also all in the World Cup. The RP thread for the World Cup is here, so if you want to get involved head there. If participating in this tournament has given you a desire to host, a good idea would be to set up your own domestic league and show your hosting capabilities there. Nephara has created a really useful guide to help you in that task. And if you want to learn more about the history of NS Sports, please head here.

As we've already said, we've enjoyed having you for this tournament, and we hope you go on to enjoy the world cup and everything else that this subforum has to offer. If you have any other questions, don't be scared to TG one of us or any of the other friendly nations that frequent these forums. Or you can ask in this thread. Once again, thanks for RPing, we hope you enjoyed this thrilling BoF! Farewell.

[Mavinet]

© Dai Hoa Times
Baptism of Fire 72: Mavinet clinched victory in the Final with a late goal
by Lam Manh Hai, Senior Sports Editor

This is the last article of The Dai Hoa Times' special series covering the Mavinese national football team's participation in the 72nd Baptism of Fire. We would like to thank you for accompanying us and the national team in this exciting journey. Please stay tuned for another special series covering the 85th World Cup qualifiers.

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It is the end of the tournament. It is the largest edition of the Baptism of Fire in terms of number of participants. Many teams have come together to make their entrance into the international football stage. Many have made strong impression with their powerful attack, others with their near-flawless defense. But in this tournament, luck seems to be the factor making the biggest statement. Mavinet, after 4 wins on the penalty spot after extra time, finally managed to get a decisive result in regular time in the most crucial match. With a late goal, Mavinet defeated Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom in the Final to become the champions of this year's Baptism of Fire.

Both teams came into the match knowing they need to perform at their absolute best to make that final jump. Zeta Reka are a team with a formidable defense. Up until the semifinal match with Tequilo, they managed to shut out every opponent they faced. With a 4-5-1 formation focusing on defense, it is truly a challenge for the opposing attackers to break through Zeta Reka's back line. Their attacks are not to be underestimated. Tequilo were the only team managed to score against them, but were eventually leveled after extra time and defeated in the shootout.

Knowing this, Head Coach Nguyen Minh Quan instructed the team to go in with more attacking intent. Similar to the match with Riena, Mavinet's early attacks put Zeta Reka's defenders to work as wave after wave of forward plays were organized. Although Vu Tien Linh and Ho Vu Thanh Hoang, two quick and technical wingers, were not being used from the start, Hoang Gia Bao and Nguyen Thai Trung Quan did sufficiently to keep pressure on the opponent's flank. Tran Hoang Minh and Vo Thanh Hai, as always, paired up in the middle to try to disrupt Zeta Reka's back line. It was not easy, as expected, and Zeta Reka kept their composure and contained most of Mavinet's attacks in the first half. Rounds of long, hard matches wore Mavinet's players significantly and as happened in the semifinal match, the Water Buffaloes started to slow down toward the end of the first half. Sensing this, Zeta Reka made a few attempts to go forward and created 2 noteworthy chances with Želmir Kolarowić and Bogdan Rawić.

The second half started with Mavinet resuming the offensive, but could only kept the pressure for the first 10 minutes. Zeta Reka, then springing out to try to get a lead, transitioned to a more forward formation and organized attacks with Rawić leading the line. Zeta Reka tested Nguyen Hoang Trung on several occasions, the most dangerous in the 68th minute when Rawić's shot hit the crossbar and the ball bounced right on the line before Hoang Trung can claim it. Although Zeta Reka's players argued for a goal, replays showed that the ball hadn't crossed the line completely. The referee's decision stood - no goal.

As time wound down toward the end, it seemed another extra time and potentially another shootout would be needed to settle the match. Zeta Reka continued to break from their usual defensive mentality and looked for an opening to put the game in their hands. The opening finally happened, but it was not what Zeta Reka expected. In a forward play, Želmir Kolarowić lost the ball to Nguyen Huu Nghia, who then quickly passed the ball up to Hoang Minh. The Zeta Rekan's left back was caught out of position and could not track back in time to prevent a rushing down Trung Quan. The Mavinet's right winger put a cross in close to the byline into the path of Hoang Gia Bao, who made no mistakes blasting the ball into the net. The clock showed 82 minutes and the score was 1-0 to Mavinet.

With only 8 minutes of regular time left, Zeta Reka went even more forward for the equalizer. It was 8 minutes of nervousness and struggle for the ball for Mavinet's players. All 11 players dropped down to defend the 1-goal lead vigorously. The players seemed to have got a second wind with the goal and defended with all their strength. 3 dangerous attempts on goal from Zeta Reka were blocked only by the efforts of the defenders and the brilliant performance of goalkeeper Hoang Trung. Every Mavinet's player and fan must have felt as if time was standing still. The final whistle felt like hours away, but it came eventually in the relief and joy of Mavinese everywhere. The Water Buffaloes have become the winners of the 72nd Baptism of Fire.

Celebrations broke out on the stands of the Bland Foods Stadium. Everywhere Mavinese people can be seen cheering, hugging and dancing. In their moment of joy, the Mavinese players did not forget to console their opponents, who also had had an impressive run in the tournament and put in everything they have in the final match. Zeta Rekans had shown great characters both on and off the pitch, and it was certainly an honor and an invaluable experience playing against such a formidable team in the grand finale.

With this victory, Mavinet have become the latest team to hold the Baptism of Fire trophy. It is reported that there will be a celebration event organized in Dai Hoa after the team land back home. The team will now turn their focus toward preparations for the upcoming World Cup 85 qualifiers, where even bigger challenges await the Water Buffaloes. For now, let us celebrate this achievement and appreciate the effort our national team had put in their first international appearance.

MAVINET - 1 (a.e.t)
82' Hoang Gia Bao

ZETA REKA AND HUGELTALDOM - 0 (a.e.t)