World Cup 85 || RP Thread

[Ko-oren]

"Reizo, Dennis, Samou, Peter, Lionel, Saushilu, welcome to this little last-minute meeting. Thanks for making it here on such short notice. Over the last few days, I've asked you all for your input on what captaincy is to you. With you, I'd like to create a leadership group of veterans who have the well-being of the team at the top of their list."

"That's a great idea, coach! How is it going to work?"

"I haven't worked out all the details yet, but as acting captain, Reizo obviously gets a seat. Anyone else who believes they shouldn't be part of this is free to leave, of course. Oh, and there are no secrets either, so the other guys can know that I'm trying to set this up. What do you say?"

"What are we actually going to accomplish here?"

"Well, set a course for the team, making sure the captain isn't a one-man operation so his decisions are backed by the most influential teammates. And making sure that the non-captains still have a say in how the team is run - from a player standpoint. I mean, the strategy will still mostly come top-down with the coaching staff. Anyway, especially during tournaments I want to have us all facing the same direction much more efficiently."

"And what if any of us are dropped from the team?"

"We're going to find a way to adopt new guys into the group, and if you're not playing but still part of the squad, you can decide along with us. There's going to be one rule: be constructive. That means backing your teammates, helping out the captain. This is not a place for intrigue. Is everyone in? Let's go around the table. Reizo?"

"I'm in, coach. Dennis?"

"Yeah, not letting this chance pass me by. Samou?"

"I've long been waiting for this. Samou, the striker that the leadership group needs but doesn't deserve. Peter?"

"Not sure if I deserve to be here on merit, but happy to be invited and I will go along with this."

"..."

"Lionel?"

"Also not sure if I should be here. I'd rather be somewhere else, but if you all feel I should be here then I'll be here. Anyone?"

All six others nod.

"Alright then. Saushilu?"

"It'd be an honour to sit in. I think I can make a difference here too, especially towards the 17 guys that aren't in here."

"That's settled then. I'd like to speak to all of you, in a group, on every single day that the national team is together, even if it's just 10 minutes. Thanks."

[The Sarian]

Logo-liscous
A look at Saari Football Logos: Part One.

There is nothing we at De Pastinaak love more than looking at logos, and with the whole country going a little bit football mad (by which we mean, mad at the football because the national team is a bit crap), we thought we'd countdown our top twenty favourite logos in the Saari football pyramid. The decision was made by a panel of three writers here at De Pastinaak. None of them have any graphic design experience. Only one of them actually like football. So basically, like don't get mad if we don't like your teams logo. And if we didn't feature your teams logo, sorry. But also maybe like support a more relevant team? Anyway, we're breaking this down into four parts of five logos. Why? Clicks.

Can't say we aren't honest...

20. Tocigtuon Taun

Literally the ugliest logo in the pyramid. Verging on no redeeming features. The colour is ugly, taking all the horrific qualities of hot pink whilst still being alarmingly red to the point it clashes with Bondstad Treason. The blue cuts through a little bit, but then is ruined on ugly typeface. It would almost be better if it was comic sans, just for the comedy value. And then to add salt to the wound, the top text is strangely stretched whilst the bottom is in lower-case. The diamond makes it hard to tell for sure, but it also doesn't look like it is perfectly centred. And that blue football? What the...? Just plonked on top, doing nothing and looking ugly. My favourite bit of the football is that it includes the lines which join hexagons but they're so thin that you can't really tell. Also, the outer lining is still in that 'razzmatazz' pink, which is fine when presented here but doesn't actually show up when on the same colour shirt. Overall a really ugly logo. 0/10

19. Oostelund Cavalaars

Looks like one of those stock logos that games companies use when they haven't purchased the rights. Literally nothing going on. It represents that there is a castle in Oostelund - which, sure, there is but it's not a particularly impressive one. And is on the other sides of the city from the football team. For those who aren't well versed in the Saari language - which I'm guessing is everyone reading this, given this is the international, translated version of the article - cavalaar is the Saari word for 'ranger'. For a short period of time, Oostelund football club tried to make it fashionable to be called 'Cavalaars' rather than 'Oostelund' like some foreign clubs do, but it never really caught on. Perhaps one of the reasons is that they slip the word onto the logo in such a markedly smaller font from Oostelund that you're almost certain it isn't meant to be there. And the font is ugly, and the gap between each character is too big. Another peculiarity is that it contains an vertical white stripe, whereas the Oostelund kit contains a horizontal white stripe. Still, anything to break up that baby-shit coloured brown. Seriously, what football club plays in brown? Still, at least you can look at it without sunglasses on so it beats Tocigtuon. 0/10

18. Groen Paak Rofeurs

If a publication in any other country did this, Groen Paak Rofeurs would be last. But somehow there are two logos worse. That's what we're dealing with here. The thing which immediately draws your eye is the colour scheme. The team play in blue and green stripes, so the necessity is understood but it's still so ugly. Honestly, the ugliest shade of blue I have ever seen in my life - contrasting like the plague with that horrible green. The black is added to make it look dated. The colours are all wrong and it's nasty. And then you have just a big football in the middle, surrounded by twelve stripes which symbolise absolutely nothing. They aren't even aligned properly - look at the rightmost set of stripes, they're further from the edge of the circle than those on the left. Adding to the alignment issue is the name of the club. Our graphics software swears the G at the start of Groen and the B at the end of Cluub are aligned but our eyes refuse to believe it. A poor idea badly executed. 0/10

17. Bondstand Victorie

This logo might look slightly better just because it's contrasted with the previous three, but it's still really bad. My least favourite part is the weird outline on the letters. It kinda-but-not-really works on the orange of Victorie but looks truly awful on the blue of FC Bondstad. The FC Bonstad has its own problems - that's not the name of the club (and this isn't the only team it happens to - stay tuned...). The full name of the team is Cluub van Fuutbol Bondstad Victorie. CvF. Not FC. This isn't the only place where there is an inappropriate outline - look at the star. The white is there on purpose. It just makes it look like it hasn't been filled in properly. A bizarre choice. And then there's that weird metallic colour, used the the leaves (a weird choice; they traditionally symbolise peace, not victory) and flag poll. It's not a nice colour anyway, but contrasted against the vibrant orange just looks strange. But the bit that takes the prize for worst graphic choice is the stock football. Not only is it the exact same image used in the Groen Paak (and SS Haaglanden, but they're not making an appearance for another couple of parts) but it's placing make it looks like a golden snitch from Quidditch. Fly my pretty, fly! I don't like this logo. I don't like the Ostalgia, I don't like the borders, I don't like the colours and I don't like the golden snitch. 0.25/10

16. CA Marlhuem Paak

Honestly, this is quite clearly the best one yet. I voted it higher in my list than it's ended up on the aggregated one - suggesting it might be a bit of a marmite logo. Which is a point against it, I suppose. Actually - people love marmite, I just thought this was okay. There are some glaring faults. For one, it is so loud. The red and yellow combine to make something so bright that you would be an irresponsible parent if you let your child gaze upon it for any extended period of time. The only thing breaking it up is a splotch of black which is waaaaaay too thick. The two logo thing is unique, but really you just have a stripey shield and a shield which is blank minus three stars. Oh, and 'Marlhuem Paak Atletiek' isn't the name of the club. It's Cluub van Atletieken Marlhuem Paak (Athletics Club Marlhuem Park). So that's a strike. And the name tangentially related to the name of the club it represents is then just hidden away in the corner, like they didn't know what to do with it. The border on the star crest is also too close to one of the As in Paak. Other than that, it's a clear improvement on what came before it; I can at least present this to an international audience without being ashamed. Still, it isn't good. 2/10

---

Squad for matches against Chromatika, Sabalonia, Savojarna and Terre Septentrionale

Goalkeepers: 1 - Oodel Duoztiun 13 - Cseralen Zwarte 21 - Lex Horn
Defenders: 2 - Diemer Haum 3 - Walt Beunaad 4 - Bruux Ziebruux 5 - Jaxon Pieuz 14 - Henri Brejzun 15 - Kameron Bondstad 16 - Criuzi Siwaad 22- Ceutiz Maazden 23 - Padrig Singh
Midfielders: 6 - Jodi Lauri 7 - Maeri Beniut 8 - Hugo Sint Lo 10 - Mohammad Islam 11 - Wictor Buul 17 - Luci Berenhaad 19 - Wilaam Kindvanjohan 20 - Piteur Jong
Forwards: 9 - Cnut Zumer 12 - Wera Pauwelz 18 - Lach Houten

Line-up versus Chromatika (4-4-1-1): Oodel Duoztiun / Walt Beunaad, Jaxon Pieuz, Henri Brejzun, Ceutiz Maazden / Luci Berenhaad, Hugo Sint Lo, Jodi Lauri, Maeri Beniut / Wictor Buul / Lach Houten

[Cassadaigua]

The Royal Family- Princess Chelsea
by Hannah McCarthy, Concord Heights Times Historian

Princess Chelsea is the second of the children from Queen Cassie II, following Princess Cassie III, who we talked about last time. She is presently 24 years of age, and would be second in line to the throne behind her sister, or perhaps third if you consider the looming presence of Princess Brianna. Therefore, there is a possibility that Princess Chelsea could, at one time, be Queen, if unfortunate events played out. While Cassie III was seen as a great and caring child immediately, and liked by everyone she came across, those traits did not rub off on Chelsea, completely.

Chelsea was not a bad kid, but has exhibited qualities that you might not really want to have in a leader. Growing up in school, Chelsea was smart, and like her older sister, would excel in all of her classes and made a lot of friends. As this was an elite private school, Chelsea surrounded herself with other privileged kids and everything seemed to be going normally. If you recall our previous article about Princess Cassie III, there was a time when Cassie III wanted to play baseball on a team with the “real kids of Concord Heights”. This would become a source of contention between the two sisters, as Chelsea called her sister stupid for wanting to talk to people like that. There were no major problems in school, with her third grade teacher, Mary O’Hara (who also taught Cassie III in the same grade) saying, “Chelsea was a little different then Cassandra, but I didn’t think it was that dramatic of a difference. Chelsea was smart, too, exhibited the same great reading comprehension skills, and was good in math. Not quite as astute at it as her sister, but she was among the better students I had. She would seem disinterested one day, and the next day be very eager to learn. She seemed to get along with everyone.”

It would be in middle school where the concerning qualities of Princess Chelsea began to become more apparent to everyone. More and more teachers and school officials were become aware of her attitude towards the struggling people in country, with Chelsea calling them things like “lowlifes” and being “glad that she will never have to associate with them one day”. In this school system, these were not remarks that would be considered that inflammatory by her peers, and she continued to have a lot of friends. Despite this attitude, there were no reports of any bullying by Chelsea because everyone in this school had very wealthy parents. Queen Cassie II would try to talk to her about this problem, and it would work for a while, Chelsea would apologize, and then a month or so later she would make the same kind of comments. The Queen had a long term plan for her daughter to try and make her more sympathetic with the plight of the common folk, but was also hoping that she would age out of it. Her grades were good, but as Chelsea moved into high school, she had arguments with school officials that there was no point for her to have the standard curriculum of the every day student. As a freshman, Chelsea made a Spacebook post (which will now live in eternity saying), “I am a Princess. Why do I need to bother with Biology? There are classes, like History, that are very important, and that’s what I should be taught, not some of this other crap. I don’t ever need algebra either. If I was ever in a situation where I needed any of that, I would have enough people serving me to where they can get that information for me. All I need to be doing is learning how to lead.” That post led to a variety of comments, from those agreeing with the Princess in that she should have a more focused curriculum, and those trying to convince her that it would be important for her to be knowledgeable in all areas. As you would expect, the Princess had a selective response, noticing those who would support her and tuning out those who did not. Queen Cassie II again said she would talk to her daughter about her attitude.

Chelsea’s grades in high school were inconsistent. It was pretty evident to everyone that while she learned to not make any more Spacebook posts like she did, that she still continued to think the same way. In some classes, her grades were poor, barely enough to pass, and there have been some students in her class that have since graduated who have said that Chelsea did use her royal presence to get them to do course work for her. That is simply rumored at this time. Those were the classes, especially science and math based, that she said she should not have to bother with. At the same, Princess Chelsea excelled in everything relating to Literature, Economics, and History. She did not have a great relationship with her older sister, Cassie III, during these years, because she considered her to be too bossy, and too much like her mother. Though it was not a poor relationship, either. Chelsea got along a little better with her brothers Caspian and Chester, but both of them would likely say they got along better with Cassie III as well. Chelsea did not play any sports in high school, saying again that it was pointless for her to do so. However, she did serve on the school’s debate team, something that Cassie III actually never did. Her coach called Chelsea, “The best debater I had, by far, during those years. She knew her stuff and delivered very passionate arguments. I will say that maybe you criticize some other things about Chelsea, but you cannot say that she is not smart and that she doesn’t have the intelligence to lead the country. That said, she takes some positions on social issues that you probably don’t want your Queen to be having.”

Princess Chelsea would be accepted into Concord Heights Beauty School, and was very successful there as she would be able to focus on courses that she was interested in, while staying away from other things. She continued to be very popular, and make good friends, and had several boyfriends during her tenure there. It was not until her senior year where she would begin dating a named Jason, someone that she had actually known since high school. You could say that each of them had the other in the friend zone for several years before they officially start their dating, and the two of them would become engaged shortly after Chelsea returned from a trip to the Winter Olympics in Electrum a few years prior. They would marry later that year, and Chelsea has given birth to the first of Queen Cassie II’s children. Her son, named Cole, is presently seven months old.

Chelsea was assigned to govern the area around Grande Mountain, something chosen by the Queen in an effort to get Chelsea to become more compassionate towards the “common folk” and sympathetic towards men’s rights issues. This is where she currently stations herself, and many have reported to have seen progress in Chelsea recently. Some feeling that ever since she got married and had her son, that she has started to grow up, and see the big picture a whole lot better. Hopefully, that trend continues. Chelsea has a decent relationship with her sister, but some have noticed that she has developed a very close relationship with Princess Brianna, who figures to stake a claim to the crown one day. We’ll see how all of this plays out!

I hope you enjoyed this look at Queen Cassie’s second of four children. I am going to have a day off coming up, so during that time, I suggest you read Chelsea Dufresne’s coverage of the Hannah Ranucci jersey retirement ceremony from Concord Heights. I will personally be at the game, myself, taking it in. Speaking of games, how about that amazing effort against Nova Roma. I suggest you read (not the Princess) Chelsea’s coverage of that 7-1 win elsewhere on our website!

Cassadagan Goal Scorers: Rachel Schanke (2'), Eddie Malone (21'), Lupe Enriquez (36'), Meghan Wolcott (45'+2), Eddie Malone (51'), Sierra Mattison (61'), Emma McKee (83')

[Sharktail]

Group 5 Matchday 8

Bushkrub-1
Larry Lettuce (m '53)

---

Sharktail-1
Nik Akif (m '79)

Line up
Ahmad
Harold
Salaman
Hidawi (sub m '67)
Ashaari
Nik Akif
Azmer Ishak
Badhri (sub m '67)
Chandra
Gaby
Shakir (sub m '63)

Sub
Yusri (m '67)
Afif (m '67)
Virman (m '63)

Another bad luck for Sharktail.Sahami cannot say anything about the match against Bushkrub.Match against Bushkrub,Sharktail fail to get full three point.Last 5 match,1 win,3 draw,3 lose.This fail let a lot of chance slip.If this continue,the team may losing their chance to qualify for World Cup Final.

Sahami and Carrol now getting ready for the next match in home against Twicetagria.

Sahami:Hey Carrol, who our opponet we facing?

Carrol:Let me check.Twicetagria.What is this.What is the performance in the start of their match.What the name of this group.Winterfall.They are awesome.Maybe we can invite them to perfome here.

Sahami:Hey,i just asking about our next opponet not waterfall or whatever.Nevermind.7 match just 1 win we get,no matter what tactic we are using.I dont think we can win next match.

Carrol:Dont lose confidence.The match isnt started yet.Maybe the formation that we change not good enough for that match so they failing to control the game.

Sahami:I have been thinking about it.I think we can drop some player and call up other player.

Carrol:I cant deny what you say.You are the coach.But we now playing 7 game,how about we try test them few more game.We can collect more data who we may drop.

Sahami:Waiting more game.....hmmm...i just hope we not end up get thrashed up in next gameplay.

Carrol:Relax.We may now facing the crisis now but remember our opponet are strong.

Sahami:Fine.Let go eating.I am hungry now.How about seafood.

Carrol:Oh come on,you really love seafood.It 3rd time you invite me there.How about we just go to small restaurant at the end of the road after we leave National team hq.

Sahami:I cant help beacuse i loving seafood.Well ok,i follow you today.

GROUP 5 MATCHDAY 9 AGAINST TWICETAGRIA

[Cheergirls]

Things could not be going any better for the Cheergirls team now. There was starting to become some more excitement about the team from others as they finished their defeat of Quakmybush. It was their third consecutive win, putting them at a perfect 3-for-3 when they have had the cocoa-bo milkshakes. But now, there was going to be a problem. Tara Milford’s mom had a business conference and could not attend the team’s match in Petroslovania. They tried to convince her to come along, but it was too important. Tara’s mom would give her daughter the recipe and suggested that the girls try to make them. They would be given the correct ingredients to being along.

In their hotel, prior to leaving for the match, they got together,

“I think I am doing this right,” Tara said.

“Good, just make sure you add a lot of that cocoa-bo powder,” Daniella Catti added, “Maybe a little extra just to be on the safe side.”

Meghan Banks looked at them and smiled, “No, nothing extra. Stick with the plan and make it just how Tara’s mom said she would. We want to make sure everyone gets some.”

“Yeah, but only the starters really need the Cocoa-bo,” Daniella replied, “I mean, if the people are not going to play, then they do not need the boost as much.”

Meghan looked at her teammate and smiled, “I guess, but I thought we did this because we thought that they were delicious and not for the boost. Do you really think it is helping us on the field?”

Daniella answered, “Yeah, I guess we should test things and not have it before a game and see if it makes a difference, but right now we also want to prove to Tara’s mom that we can make these drinks. Actually, yes, let’s test not having it one day. But not now.”

Meghan nodded, “Good idea, we’ll test it another time!”

The team enjoyed their cocoa-bo milkshakes and hoped that they could continue their winning streak that began while having this pre-game ritual. Out on the field, they were confident, and while they did not dominate their opponent, they proved that they could play with them and be the better team. Once again, they were able to enjoy that the home fans of the other team were booing their own players, something that got louder when Tori Allison scored in the 22nd minute. With the one goal lead, the team focused more on defense and frustrating the home side. Eventually, after ninety and a few extra minutes, Cheergirls had prevailed.

After the game, the team celebrated, with Meghan Banks posting on Spacebook that the team was now 4-0-0 since they began with the cocoa-bo milkshakes!

[Audioslavia]

Part 1 (Sue)
Part 2 (Sue)
Part 3 (Emanuel)
Part 4 (Sue)
Part 5 (Emanuel)
Part 6 (Emanuel)
Part 7 (Emanuel)


Emanuel’s bar wasn’t open on Sundays. Not for religious reasons, just simply because balls to the idea of working on a Sunday. Nevertheless, here he was. He’d barely slept all night, putting everything together in his head. It was… it was a ridiculous theory, but it fit.

He arrived at the bar, unlocked the door and headed inside, locking it behind him and drawing the bar back into darkness. He didn’t need the light. He knew his way around. He unlocked the door to the office on the right side of the main room and headed inside, keying in the code to switch the alarm off.

He turned on the office computer, leaned underneath it and ejected the disc from the CCTV machine, turning it over in his left hand. He reached for a bottle of cola from a nearby fridge and cracked it open, taking a sip as he waited for the computer to start up.

He inserted the disc into the drive and found the entry for 1am on the Friday morning, the night of heat three of the poker tournament. He hadn’t recorded the other two for fear of it being used as evidence against him were the bar to get raided, but after the break-in he’d decided to try to be more careful. He could always destroy the disc if he smelled the cops.

In addition, he’d also set up a microphone in the room, near the camera. It didn’t capture sound particularly well - you couldn’t make out most words in a sentence, but it picked up just about enough. The tap-taps of Dolores’s stick, for example.

He fast-forwarded to about 2am, to what he considered to be the best play of the game.

Two hours in. Two players already out.

Cards dealt.

Big blind checks. Small blind calls. Yusuf calls. Hat guy calls. Fake rolex guy raises.
Bald guy calls. Dolores folds. Big blind folds. Small blind calls. Yusuf calls. Hat guy folds.

Flop. Hesitation.

Small blind checks. Yusuf checks. Fake rolex guy bets. Bald guy calls. Small blind folds. Yusuf raises. Fake rolex guy raises. Bald guy calls. Yusuf waits.

Dolores tuts loudly and bangs her cane on the ground twice. Bap. Bap. Impatient for him to make a decision. She taps the ground twice again. Bap. Bap..

Yusuf raises. Fake rolex guy raises. Yusuf calls.

Turn.

Yusuf checks. Fake rolex guy raises. Yusuf raises. Fake rolex guy raises. Yusuf calls.

River.

Yusuf checks. Rolex goes all in.

Reveal.

Yusuf throws down. Two queens. One more on the flop makes that a three of a kind.
Rolex guy throws down. Face down. He’s out of his chair before the cards hit the table. Out. Busted.

Emanuel rewound the footage to just before the cards were dealt. Dolores, jabbering to herself, taps the floor twice just before the deal. Bap. bap.

Emanuel started counting. The first bap as the ‘one’, the second as the ‘two’.

Three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

If you followed the same rhythm as the stick taps it worked out to about 75bpm, from what he could tell. He continued.

One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, deal, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, <check> four.
One, two, <call> three, four
One, call three, four
One, <call>, two, three, four

Emanuel kept counting. He reached the part where Yusuf pauses. Where Dolores taps her stick.

..three, four
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four
One, two, bap, bap
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
Bap, bap, three, four
One, two, three, four.

Exactly in time. [i]Exactly in time.

To further test his theory, he fast forwarded to a random point in the game and counted off from the next time Dolores taps the ground with her cane. It was always, always in time. Exactly on the one, the two, the three or the four, counting from right at the start of the game from what he could tell.

He noted that, occasionally, Yusuf nods his head or moves his fingers to the same beat. Silently, yes, but if you knew what to look for…

Emanuel rewound the footage once more, back to the hand he’d first analysed.

This time, rather than counting off four, he decided to count in thirteen. One for every card in a suit.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king
Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king

Yusuf hesitates. Dolores gives him the slightest of glances.

Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king
Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, bap, bap, king
Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, bap, bap, king
Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king

Emanuel stood up and held his head in his hands. He ran his hair through both hands as he craned his neck up towards the ceiling. He muttered two words to himself. Both included the word ‘fuck’.

He remembered picking up the cards that rolex guy had thrown away. As croupier, he wasn’t supposed to show anyone which cards had been put face down, but he was allowed to look himself. They had both been jacks. Added into the ace at the end of the flop and the one that had appeared on the river, the guy had had two pair. Not good enough to beat a three.

Dolores had given the first of her two taps on the eleven of the beat. The jack. She’d communicated which card Yusuf’s opponent had held.

Emanuel watched another hour of footage. On every occasion, every time Yusuf went in against another player with the stakes high, there were two lots of two taps, indicating the exact card Yusuf’s opponent had. Sometimes Yusuf folded, sometimes he called. On two occasions, even, he’d folded hands which would have won, and on one occasion he lost on the river despite having been ahead through the flop and the turn. Still, there was no mistaking the advantage he’d had.

Dolores, of course, had an advantage too, but from what he could tell she used it sparingly, only to stay in the game, not to win.

But how. How had the old lady known which cards were which?

Emanuel got up out of his seat and went over to the bar, opening the door down to the cellar. There, at the back, was the rubbish from the last night of business. Most of the garbage from that Thursday night had been thrown away. At that moment he thanked the lord that he recycled. The waste-paper bags were collected every week on Tuesday evening. He grabbed a bag and headed upstairs.

Back in the office, he sorted through the receipts and scrap paper until he could find a handful of shreds of last week’s playing cards. He shredded them all after each poker night, just in case. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t make more. Holding a handful of shards, he went back over to the bar and took an object from the side of the till. A UV machine that was used to check if large bills were fake currency or not. He turned it on and used it to check a number of slices of card.

Nothing. Not UV.

Frowning, Emanuel took our his smart-phone and turned on the camera. The camera, too, showed nothing, because he still hadn’t turned on the lights. Turning on the torch revealed nothing had been written on the cards either. His final attempt was to turn on a the main lights in the bar, but lowering the glare to the dimmest setting.

Once again, he looked through the screen of his phone at the array of bits of card he’d strewn over the bar.

One one, written just above the logo on the botom left, there was a very definite figure, just about visible through the phone’s camera, but completely undetectable in natural light.

It was a Q.

Emanuel put his phone back into his pocket. On the way back into the office, holding his shards of paper, he remembered the old lady’s thick sunglasses and their dark red rims.

He barely even breathed as he stuffed the waste paper back into the bag, tied the top, and threw it into the corner of the office. He looked up at the footage, now showing the end of the game. The polite conversation had between Yusuf Nair and himself.

It dawned on him, properly now, that on that night he’d been talking to the man who’d broken into his bar the previous week. That shy, handsome, affable young man. Young man? Old man? Despite the short, greying hair Emanuel had no idea how old the guy was. He could have been 40, he could have been a very good fifty. He could have been 25. There was something just unplaceable about him.

He finished his coke and cracked open a small bottle of vodka, taking a sip. He looked at the time. 9.30am. Balls to it, it’s past mid-day somewhere.

Emanuel took a second to think.

The broken door. That was to divert attention from the window, which was the real way Yusuf had gotten in and out.
The stolen alcohol. That was to divert attention from the real crime, which was doctoring the cards that would be used for the game.
The marks on the door of the office. It had been made to look like the ‘robbers’ had been unsuccessful.

Emanuel stood up again and went over to the office alarm. He checked his phone for instructions on how to see every time the alarm had been disabled. Keying in the correct codes, he got readouts that only went back as far as that Tuesday morning. He set the alarm again and closed the door for a second until it stopped beeping. He opened the door, setting off the alarm’s ‘chirp’. He entered a random code, different to the one he knew was the correct four-digits. The alarm beeped happily and shut itself off. Emanuel sighed.

The old lady. The big sunglasses. She’d been made to look like the person who would benefit from the cheating, and yet she didn’t. Emanuel knew he couldn’t let her into the final, to be held in two weeks time. He also knew he probably shouldn’t allow Yusuf to wear sunglasses either… but what use would they be? Emanuel would be printing new playing cards and making damned sure they weren’t marked with an infrared pen.

Yusuf would be coming back to the bar in two weeks. What was his plan?

---

Eura Outta There
Patterick serves 'Eviction Notice' to Oslograd

Sean Patterick's fierce post-match interview included a line that was telling of the 'relationship' that existed between him and Skorji Oslograd, The Euran icon-turned-controversial EOT manager.

"He told me, in that AOCAF Cup match, that he was living 'rent free' in my head. Well he can consider tonight an eviction notice"

Audioslavia, fresh from a two month break after thrashing Muradil, looked rejuvenated as they raced into a two-goal lead inside twenty minutes, the first coming from a Moses Moxey header from an in-swinging Osario corner, the second via Marañón rounding the keeper on the counter and slotting home.

Soon after the half-hour mark, with both sides having made changes, Kyran Knudsen received the ball inside the area, cut inside Kurt Strong and finished coolly past Charlie Ross and into the far corner with the outside of his left boot.

EOT, out of form throughout the qualifiers, were able to rally for twenty minutes in an attempt to get under the Audioslavians' skin, but to no avail. The Bulls' superior fitness saw the side close out the game convincingly.

The Bulls remain six points behind Turori in first, and only marginally ahead of a chasing pack that includes Sajnur, Astograth and New Lusitania, either of which could be in the running come the tail end of the qualifiers.

Patterick's job security has improved, but the Bulls will need to traverse the final five fixtures of the first half of qualifying without another hiccup if he's to remain as Audioslavia manager come the end of qualifying.

[Lisander]

Previously on this story...

Michaelichen, 2

"Listen, I have no idea what you have in your head pointing that gun at me, but your father wouldn't like that at all. He was a good man to me, he always treated me well..." - Anders kept driving with the gun to his chest. But when he spoke those words, the young woman seemed to make an expression of discouragement.

"He... Ah! What?"

That "what" was the voice of Martina's surprise. Quickly, Anders took the gun from her hands and threw it outside.

"Now, Martina. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the police."

"Because I will be deported!" - Martina spoke loudly, and her tone of voice sounded a little desperate.

"What do you mean? Aren't you the daughter of the coach who was studying in Galliena? I mean... I recognize the accent..."

"No. I'm an illegitimate daughter. My father met my mother when she was a simple cook assistant at the club in Lutetia. He was a married man, and he cheated on his wife with my mother."

Anders stopped the car. It was a lot of information to deal with at once, and even more on the move. I needed to think calmly. Fox had always said he had a teenage daughter studying in Lutetia, the capital of Galliena, a city in the centre-west of the old continent. In pre-game meetings, he would usually say things like: "Boys, I need to pay for my daughter's studies abroad, and that's very expensive. So I can't get fired... Do your best for the team." However, everyone had implied that it was a girl in exchange studies. It had never crossed their minds that such a daughter abroad was actually an illegitimate daughter.

"His legitimate children don't like me, they don't want to recognize my rights as a daughter. They've even arranged for an attorney to invalidate all the evidence I brought and get me out of his will..."

"If what you say is true, then this is serious..."

"Of course it's true. If they get what they want, I'll lose my pension, and I won't be able to pay for college anymore. That is, if I'm not considered a criminal who will have forged everything to steal money. For starters, I never wanted that money. But I decided to accept it because I was paying for my education and my big sister's medicine before she died..."

Anders still didn't know if she could trust Martina, after all she had kidnapped him with a gun.

"Can you show me this evidence? Is it here with you?"

"Yes, they are. I carry them everywhere. I can't risk the others destroying it." - Martina grabbed a little photo album from her purse, where there were pictures of her with the late coach. Right on the front page, there was a picture of her in school uniform and the coach in a suit, like he was paying a visit. Further ahead a picture of her at the age of eight or nine, and the coach giving her a pink bicycle with a basket in front. Later, an aged photo showed a woman with a baby and a rejuvenated figure of the coach next to her, wearing a blue and red sweater with an emblem on her chest. That clearly was a photo from about twenty years ago, and the age could be confirmed by the marks behind the paper as well as the photo itself. There was also a picture of Stade Saint-Brieuc, where AS Lutetia had been running their games for twenty years when Fox was the coach.

"I have a jersey from that team. The goalkeeper there was also Lisanderian, Pedro Valentim."

"Then you know it's not a lie. My father is really my real father."

Anders saw the other pictures. For him, that was more than enough proof. He felt it was his duty to help.

"We can talk to a lawyer I know. He'll know what to do..."

Suddenly, the goalkeeper was interrupted by an intense and intermittent tremor coming from his wrist. It was his personal identity, LSiD, reacting to a search by an authority.

"The police must be looking for us..."

They were soon hearing the sirens of a police car and knocking on the window of the car.

"Anders Michaelichen, could you accompany us and explain this unregistered weapon with your fingerprints?"
- - -

"And that's the whole story, officer. Martina even has all the evidence, but she was panicking and it led her to desperate measures. But I don't want to press charges or anything. On the contrary. She needs to be free, after all it's her right we're talking about. You can see here that she speaks the truth about being his daughter..."

The officer from that police district seemed to believe what they said. As she listened to the story, she kept hitting the keys on her computer.

"Well, then I suggest you do it quickly because Miss Fox's visa expires tomorrow. Have you requested an extension?"

"Twice, to accompany the old man to the hospital." - Martina answered.

"So you can no longer ask for extensions. You must return for your nation and apply for a new visa. Or you need to find a way to get another extension. If not, you will be considered an illegal immigrant. The easiest way, within the time you have, is to get temporary citizenship through marriage. How old are you, Martina? The age to marry an adult, like Mr Michaelichen is 19."

"I'm old enough. Please, Anders. Help me."

They both looked at each other. It looked like the scene of a rom-com, but they were the harsh reality and deadlines of government bureaucracy knocking on doors. There wouldn't be time to think much.

"Okay. Let's find a clerk and make sure of that. My lawyer will find a way to validate your evidence."

[Flavovespia]

Bavingtor

The First Kit

Bavingtor FC formed in 61BU, one of the teams that formed for the purposes of entering the Inter City Cup. They’ve not changed their colour palette much in their history, hence their first kit is a simple white shirt with black shorts and black socks. The white is believed to be associated with the nickname of the club, “The Planes”, and the white bodies of planes. Like with kits of the era, it has baggy shorts and a wide round collar. The shorts are noticeably shorter than the preceding decades however.

Celebrated Classic

The 38BU-33BU kit wins here. Outside of the GWNFA Super League, kit designs were beginning to evolve, and the United Football League was one of the ones where there were teams experimenting a bit more. Bavingtor took advantage of these design freedoms and developments in kit technology with a smart white shirt, black shorts and white socks, with good use of a black collar and cuffs. The tidy look was accentuated by one of the first teams to have a badge. The “B” a requirement of United Football League sides to identify themselves, was incorporated into an aeroplane. This was their first badge, and they’ve remained faithful to that logo concept ever since. This kit was a simple, yet elegant design.

Modern Marvel

Their 16AU outfit was voted the favourite of the modern era Bavingtor kits. The black trim with a fade on the tops of the sleeves and along the sides works well, and it’s struck the right balance for the fans. The shorts and socks also match up well with the shirt, and the design was all in all a popular one. It had the added bonus of being a kit worn in a successful season, with Bavingtor wearing it in promotion back to the Super League. Some think it’s too similar to the Langmere Green Rovers design of the previous season, although as others say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. That said, this kit was quite close to some others for winning this category, including the kit in the "Colour of Success" category.

Colour of Success

24AU was the obvious season of choice here, the one where they won the league as a newly promoted side. The kit itself is somewhat plain, with some triangular trim on the body, but little else. Some fans felt this design was a bit too simple and basic, but others appreciated the simplicity of it. However, the kit will obviously be remembered and pictured often, worn in that season Bavingtor finally became the national champions. A result that surprised pretty much everyone, and is still considered one of the most famous upsets in the history of football in the nation.

Fashion Disaster

This 17BU effort wins by a landslide for Bavingtor. The colourful sleeve pattern was bad enough, but with the unveiling of the new BavAir tail fin and livery that also contained a very similar pattern, the kit went from infamous to infuriating, not least for the GWNFA. A rather blatant attempt to bypass the no kit sponsorship rule in their eyes, they tried to ban it, leading to disputes between the club and the organising body. At times this kit wasn’t even worn during the disputes, with Bavingtor forced to play in last season’s home or away kit, or even random kits sourced at short notice. Not surprisingly, for the next season, a much more conventional kit (well at least for the time) was registered. However as some said at the time, this kit shouldn’t be banned for rule breaking, it should have been banned because it’s just rubbish.

[Filindostan]

OOC Note - This article is posted before the start of the WC qualifying campaign, as the kits are for the 90014 season.

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

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FOOTBALL
Leivagre reopens and releases first set of full body kits

SAN MARCO - Leivagre, No Nonsense Sportwear's branding for domestic teams, have been reopened to the public today and have released the full body kits to be worn by Filindostani domestic teams in the upcoming season. As a sneak peek, Leivagre, with permission from recent domestic champions, Fortunas, have released all three kits that will be used prior to the 90014 season. It is currently similar to previous seasons and will probably be changed prior to the 90015 season, but the main difference is that Leivagre official releases are without any sponsor logos, and they will leave it to the clubs to advertise any shirt sponsor from their channels. This is to for official media outlets to use the official Leivagre release of the kits as source material for official previews in case teams want to switch shirt sponsors, and will give an opportunity as well to the various blog sites to use the images with credit to Leivagre with some modifications to the images with sponsor logo placements.

To prevent piracy from unauthorized sites attempting to use the pictures, double watermarks that will be very difficult to remove will be in place to keep the images from being used for malicious intents. With the initial release, Leivagre hopes to get another set of foreign domestic requests like what they received with Cosumarite clubs, Goldstaff City, and Fevelo Colony.

Written by FSNA Staff.

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After demolishing Shokpos at the front of their home crowd, the Filindos return home to host The Andromeda Island Group, with fans now allowed into the stadium to watch the match. Players playing abroad were not called up as with the previous match at Shokpos, and the media team of the federation were able to release the lineup in time for the kickoff in 12 hours time...

[Hampton Island]

(Phone Call between Stadium CEO and Hannah Sanders, initiated by Hannah)

CEO: What do you want?

Sanders: So, we need to talk.

CEO: About what?

Sanders: Well, as you may have heard in one of my recent interviews, we want to bring the model twins back, Brittany and Brianna Carter, who played on this team last year and for them to serve as my assistant coaches.

CEO: You don’t need assistants.

Sanders: I know I don’t, well like, I probably do, but anyway. The team was asked, and the gentlemen in which I manage have unanimously expressed an interest to have both of them be my assistants. I believe it will greatly improve team morale.

CEO: Then do it. Since when are you asking me for my position about things anymore?

Sanders: Well, they are not going to do it unless they get paid for it, and by the way, I don’t appreciate what you did to us in Balqia. That cost us the damn game I believe!

CEO: Well, pay them.

Sanders: You have to do it.

CEO: Oh, does Hannah need me now? Stinks when I start taking things away that I paid for, doesn’t it?

Sanders: The Balqia stunt was horrible.

CEO: Well, you didn’t deserve the four-star hotel accommodations that I initially paid for. Sorry that I never told you that I cancelled those hotel reservations for the team leaving you no where to stay.

Sanders: That cost the team! We’re trying to qualify for this thing....

CEO: (interrupting) You aren’t going to qualify for the World Cup, get that idea out of your head now.

Sanders: No, we probably aren’t, but I want us to do as good as we possibly can do, and we were not ready to play this match due to having to sleep in a roach motel because it was the only place that had enough rooms available for low enough rates we could afford with the cash we had on his hand. Do you know what happened in Abraham Sokolik’s room?

CEO: Do tell.

Sanders: There was a syringe under the mattress and a dime bag for cocaine behind the night stand. Bob Runkle’s room had blood stained mattress. Everyone’s pillows were disgusting. The bathrooms were coated in mold. Absolutely disgusting.

CEO: How was your room?

Sanders: Disgusting. Don’t screw with this team like that. How the hell were we supposed to play well after a night like that?

CEO: Such a shame.

Sanders: Well don’t think that I never took pictures. We’ll be going public with them. And I will be talking about how you screwed us over in Balqia with the funding.

CEO: Poor, poor Hannah. Go do it, I can easily refute that stuff. Be careful because remember, I fund this team.

Sanders: Maybe not for long. Don’t think I can’t get it from a corporate sponsor.

CEO: From who?

Sanders: Freestyle Mobility. You know, the ones with the great product line of various products seniors need as they get older. Perfect sponsor, and they will be there. So, don’t think you are going to control me that way much longer either.

CEO: I’ve heard enough. Good bye (hangs up)

[Northwest Kalactin]

[align=][/align]Odds of Qualifying

Group 3                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Terre Septentrionale                          7    5   2   0    20   12   +8    17
 2 Eura                                          7    5   1   1    15    7   +8    16
 3 Adyatin                                       7    4   2   1    13   10   +3    14
 4 Savojarna                                     7    3   3   1     9    6   +3    12
 5 Sabalonia                                     8    4   0   4    10   10    0    12
 6 Eshan                                         7    4   0   3    11   12   −1    12
 7 The Jovannic                                  8    3   1   4    15   20   −5    10
 8 Northwest Kalactin                            7    2   3   2    18   18    0     9
 9 Alba and Cymru                                7    2   2   3     5    5    0     8
10 The Sarian                                    8    2   2   4    17   18   −1     8
11 Sanctanus                                     7    1   4   2    13   13    0     7
12 Chromatika                                    8    2   1   5    13   17   −4     7
13 Wanarpu                                       8    0   1   7    10   21  −11

As we go into the 9th match day of qualifying we are starting to get a picture of what teams may qualify after this cycle of qualifying. Chromatika has had one of the worst starts for a pot 2 team in qualifying as they started 2-1-5. Terre Septentrionale and Eura have came out leading the group after they both started with 5 wins. Adyatin started out in first place but now Septentrionale and Eura have started to beat them out by grabbing some more points lately. Alba and Cymru has arguably the best defense in the cup this year as they have only given up 5 goals, the least so far in the tournament. Savojarna has also made their presence known on defense as they have put up a very impressive goal record of 9-6.

Top 3 odds of Qualifying
Eura 1.5-1
By far the best odds of qualifying, Eura is clearly the best team this cycle as they come out so far in second place in our group. Their defensive presence has been great this year and they also put up quite a good offense. The only somewhat concerning game was a tie against Northwest Kalactin who is now eighth in the group.

Terre Septentrionale 2-1
So far the best record and the second best odds, Terre Septentrionale comes out as the number one team in this group, along with playing one less game than quite a few of the other teams in the group. They could very well qualify with the second spot out of this group.

Savojarna 2.5-1
Savojarna also puts up quite a good team this year coming out of the gate tied for fourth so far. The defensive play of the team this year could very well be a deciding factor this year when it comes down to qualifying or not. Even if they don’t qualify they could be a very strong Cup of Harmony team.

Mid Table Teams That Could Make A Challenge
Adyatin 5-1
Adyatin came flying out of the gate this year starting out in first place. They are now 3rd place and seem to be having a bit of a small decline but that may change. They have a hard stretch of schedule coming up that could challenge them however.

Sabalonia 9-1
One of the main deciding factors for this teams qualifying campaign was the fact that on MD7 they beat Eura which is a feat that not many will accomplish this cycle. We don’t have much info on the team, we have seen that they are able to manage a good balance between defense and offense.

Eshan 12-1
They haven’t exactly put up the performance we where expecting from them but they are still doing ok. A few world cups ago Eshan was a pot 2 team that qualified for the tournament, now they are a pot 5 team that has struggled throughout the past 5 tournaments.

Long Shots
The Sarian 18-1
This team has also been a bot of a surprise lately as they have struggled to win games against some teams that they should’ve beat. They did win a game against Northwest Kalactin 4-1 that showed the prowess of this team and that they could qualify if they get very lucky.

Northwest Kalactin 25-1
One of the lowest ranked sides that is making this list, Northwest Kalactin has put on a few good performances against teams that they where expected to lose against. That included ties against the pot 1 and pot 2 teams in the group.

Chromatika 35-1
Despite being a pot 2 team, Chromatika has managed to have one of the worst starts for a team of their caliber in qualifying history. They didn’t win a game until their fifth match and many of their lossses where against unranked teams. However, we think it may only be a matter of time until this team turns it around.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

ANOTHER STRUGGLE

by Brianne Henry,

Newmanistan lost in World Cup qualifying action last night. That part is becoming all too common as the Rockets can’t get anything right it seems in this group. This time, the loss was a little more respectable, falling 4-2 to Vilita. If Newmanistan’s qualifying campaign was a scripted movie, and it began in the manner in which this one has, then the game against Vilita, coming at the Proving Grounds, would have been that turning point. Unfortunately, this is not a script, and Newmanistan was unable to get anything going against the five-time World Cup champions.

The Rockets do not have much experience with Vilita, and if you ask many Newmanistanians, they are often associated with Turori as a single entity due to the way that their NSSCRA team is arranged. As we know, of course, these are two separate nations, and in World Cup play, they have each been highly successful. In fact, in World Cup 82, Vilita and Turori went head to head in the final. In the booth of a national affiliate, Newmanistan’s NSSCRA driver, Rockii Ezis, who hails from Vilita, told people, “If you think Vilita is passionate about stock car racing, then you haven’t seen anything, because football is king!” With his football reference, Ezis was obviously meaning the game we call soccer, and not the game that is commonly referred to as gridiron. A high amount of Vilitans made the trip to the Proving Grounds, eager to root on their team in a place that they have heard talked about when it comes to stock car racing. With many Newmanistanians also buying tickets, the overflow seating in the grandstands of the racing facility were used in a significant manner. It was good to see that not all Newmanistanians are fully demoralized quite yet about their qualifications. Maybe they were hoping this was that scripted movie I talked about, and this game would be that big turning point of the campaign.

In all fairness, the Rockets played a good game against the Jungle Cats. After Sipke Tarala opened up the scoring in the 13th minute, the sky blue struck back pretty quickly on a Jarrell Connolly goal in the 17th. Connolly has really struggled in this campaign as well, so maybe on an individual level, the goal could be big for him. The response of the Rockets was good once again, as Brent Chapman tied up the game at two in the 42nd minute, just five minutes after Limu Katarakna had scored to put the Jungle Cats up by one. At halftime, the fans had been treated to a good match, and there was a lot of hope that Newmanistan could get a big win here at the Proving Grounds.

Early in the second half, it seemed like the spirits might be helping out a little bit, as Vilitan forwards hit the goal post in the 47th and the 50th minutes on plays where Ryan McNamara had been beaten. This did not last forever, and while the Jungle Cats did not score on those plays, it showed the vulnerability of McNamara, and they capitalized not too long after, with Nii’arala Milaaso scoring in the 57th. Afterwards, Newmanistan played well and got many good chances on net, but this time there was no beating Mako Canopii. The game remained 3-2 before Milaaso added the icing on the cake in the 88th to the seal the deal.

If we were just evaluating this game by itself, everyone could cope with what happened here tonight. However, this whole qualifying campaign has been a debacle. Perhaps we can have some hope in what was a good effort, at least, that it could lead to a string of desperately needed wins. It is a long qualifying campaign, and it is not unreasonable to think we could still manage second, but it is starting to get the way.

[Riennic Isles]

The Riena Sentinel

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Three Points - Krytenia 1-1 Riena
Wavelets gain creditable point on the road against fourth seed

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• Krytenia: Mariner (60')
• Riena: Kanzaki (67')

• Shiranami is unafraid to take a punt on raw talent

After giving Cocoa Haneda her full debut in Riena's first ever World Cup qualifying match, Kanata Shiranami has now placed her trust in Haneda's contemporary from the RFA elite talent development programme, Rinze Ayanami. Many might have considered a match against the fourth seed less than ideal for giving untested, inexperienced youth players their full senior debut, but that was exactly what Shiranami did, throwing the right winger right into the deep end with a spot in the starting XI in place of the rested Flare Steiner. While Ayanami had a more subdued debut than Haneda, she still managed to show glimpses of her innate quality in the time she was on the pitch - a particular highlight being a booming cross from wide which was turned onto the post by Kanzaki. Shiranami used her first substitution on the hour mark to replace Ayanami with first-choice Steiner, but the nineteen-year-old winger will have little reason to feel disheartened by that. Given the youthfulness and inexperience of the Riena senior squad as a whole, as well as the length of this qualifying campaign, Ayanami will be quietly confident of playing a significant, if not crucial, part in Riena's remaining qualifying matches. As for the hundreds of youth players enrolled in the RFA's elite talent development programme, the sight of Haneda and Ayanami being handed their full debuts so soon after being called up will give them that extra bit of motivation as they try to force their way into the manager's thinking for her next senior squad.

• The Sakuranami-Kirimiya-Nakiri midfield axis may just work after all

The last time Sakuranami, Kirimiya, and Nakiri played together in midfield, Riena conceded five goals to implode at home in a horror show against Legalese. The injury-enforced absence of Meru Matsukai meant that the much-heralded midfield axis made a return in today's match against Krytenia, and their latest outing proved to be considerably more successful than their capitulation against Legalese. Sakuranami was economical with the ball and tenacious without it, injecting a different kind of energy into the teams play than the player she replaced, Matsukai. Sara Kirimiya was her usual assured self, screening the defence with customary authority. Aya Nakiri was perhaps slightly subdued, marked out of large parts of the game by the Krytenian defenders, but she was still capable of flashes of quality - case in point, the point-saving assist, a delicately disguised reverse pass that set up Kanzaki inside the Krytenian area for the equalising goal. The vastly improved performances came about mostly because of their different positions relative to each other in the midfield; Kirimiya advanced higher up the pitch so that at times she was almost playing as an orthodox central midfielder, while Nakiri dropped deeper into midfield rather than taking up her usual advanced position just behind the center forward. These subtle tactical changes allowed this Riena midfield axis to rediscover a much-needed balance, and they were able to compete on an equal footing with their Krytenian counterparts. This is still only the second time the trio have played together during these qualifiers, and it remains to be seen whether this midfield axis will hold up against more difficult opponents, but this match proved that Sakuranami, Kirimiya, and Nakiri can in fact combine to decent effect in the Riena midfield. However, with Matsukai slated to return from injury against Oberour Ar Moro, whether Shiranami opts to revisit this midfield set-up in future matches remains an open question.

As it is, this match was a much-needed redemption for the trio. If they continue to play well together in Matsukai's absence, they could very well give Shiranami a welcome selection headache in midfield.

• Is the defence discovering a newfound solidity?

In many ways, the Riena defence has gained a reputation for leakiness and fragility, owing to their terrible defensive record in the latter stages of the Baptism of Fire, but it appears that a burgeoning chemistry between the central defensive pairing of Tsukamoto and Amemiya, more tactically disciplined play on the part of the full-backs, and good old-fashioned hard work on the training ground, has managed to help Riena stem the flow of goals that they have been letting in. In their last two matches against Krytenia and Qasden, Riena let in a total of two goals, which, given the quality of the opposition, is definitely less than many pundits would have expected them to concede. Over the course of the qualification campaign thus far, with the exception of the five-goal implosion against Legalese, they have only conceded more than two goals against a single opponent, letting in four at Omerica. It is still early days, especially considering that two-thirds of this qualifying campaign lies ahead and with Vilita looming ominously on the horizon, but Riena's uncharacteristic meanness at the back can only bode well for the national team's future prospects. Riena fans will be hoping to see more of the same stinginess on display from the defence when the Wavelets welcome Newmanistan to Nagato for their next qualifying match.

Riena (4-3-3): Minato; Igarashi, Tsukamoto, Amemiya, Kagura; Sakuranami, Kirimiya, Nakiri; Suenaga, Kanzaki, Ayanami
Substitutes: Kugimiya, Uruha, Himemori (88'), Kawakaze (74'), Akamatsu, Steiner (60'), Samukawa

Krytenia (3-4-3): Carpenter; Eleftheriou, Green, Aitken; Eaton, Mariner, Johanssen, Kelnic; Mendonca, Kennedy, Smith
Substitutes: Dupreé, Schumann, Marquez, Pootsman (70'), Alexander (81'), Moulier, Parsons (70')

• Projected team versus Newmanistan

Riena (4-3-3): Minato; Igarashi, Tsukamoto, Amemiya, Kagura; Sakuranami, Kirimiya, Nakiri; Haneda, Kanzaki, Steiner
Substitutes: Kugimiya, Uruha, Narita, Akamatsu, Kawakaze, Samukawa, Suenaga

[West Pocono]

THUNDER SHUT DOWN ANOTHER TEAM

Once again, the Thunder of West Pocono earned a clean sheet, pointing to excellent defense prowess of the side. The Poconi were also not able to score, and thus we are left to talk about a scoreless draw. This was the story of the day in Group 4, with three of the six matches ending us scoreless, and all of the games saw at least one of the teams fail to register a goal. If you want and need goal scoring, then Group 4 is not for you. So, what happens when you have all of these defensive systems in one group? Take a look! Excluding Main Nation Ministry, who has 18 goals scored, the next highest team is Flock Of Seagulls (of all teams), who have scored 12. Look at this list of teams in other groups who have scored more then 12 goals:

Group 14: 10 teams
Group 10, 13: 9 teams
Group 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12: 8 teams
Group 11: 6 teams
Group 8, 15: 5 teams

Group 4? Only one team.

Bear in mind, too, that 8 teams represents more then half the group.

Long live teams that know how to play defense!

[Busoga Islands]

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

Strong start to the World Cup Qualifying Campaign vindicate BISA's decision to hire Bethany Donnell


Jay Khano chases the ball in the Islanders slim 1-0 victory over Donnacona

LAKISKA, SOUTH ISLAND- We're almost one third of the way through World Cup Qualifying. And the Islanders actually find themselves in a decent position in World Cup Qualifying Group 6. Now, of course, there is plenty of time left for the table to take shape. 17 games are left, we haven't played the Pot 1 side, and a whole heck of a lot could change between now and the end of World Cup Qualifying. This team has stayed healthy and fresh so far- what if somebody gets hurt? What if the team hits a rough patch?

But we don't want to talk about those sort of what ifs. Here's what we're here to talk about- the World Cup Qualification campaign as it has gone so far. We wouldn't be sports fans if we didn't juxtapose a small sample size and apply as the whole body of data, now would we? Here's the good thing about a 24 matchday, marathon World Cup Qualification campaign- only the best teams get in. Now, of course, that is true of almost any format. But the longer the format, the more true it is. You can't fluke your way, you cannot flake your way through 24 matchdays. You have to be legitimately good to still be standing after this long of a campaign.

Now, we are only one third of the way through, which is true. But from where we are standing, things are looking quite good for the Islanders right now. How do we know this? Let's take a look. We had opening victories against lower ranked sides to start the tournament. A strong 5-3 victory over Basalandia at home to start Qualifying, and then a 4-2 victory away from home against Wreckeria. And then, we had our bye before we had our big game of the first half of Qualifying, play against the Squornshelous Remnant States. Another team that is trying to qualify, another team that has a good chance of getting to the Finals. And, of course, the old job of our manager- Bethany Donnell, as basically everyone knows, got fired from there early on in World Cup 84 Qualifying.

Unfortunately for her, our team fell to the Squornshelous Remnant States, 3-2, at the Dukuma Oval. But losses are always going to happen. You're not going to go through a 24 matchday campaign when you've never even been to a World Cup before. What matters, of course, is how we respond. We played well, and won a couple of games to open the tournament. But with a mid-level side like the Busoga Islands, what's often more important is how you respond to losses, not wins. Especially losses in big games, against teams that you are competing against for one of the group's two spots in the Finals.

Fortunately for her, the team actually responded very well. Their next game after that was another tough one, against another team the Busoga Islands was competing against to qualify for the Finals, alongside presumably Kita-Hinode. She talked about how she wanted to establish a strong, disciplined defense. It took a while, as the Islanders allowed multiple goals in each of their first 3 games. But Drawkland were the heavy favorites in that fourth game. Pot 2, had been to the World Cup a bunch of times before. And yet, the Islanders were able to go to Sonnel and get a well-earned point. A great performance from al-Shareef on the back line, who made 9 saves as the team absorbed body blow after body blow from Drawkland, who was never able to create a truly great chance to defeat the Islanders. A suffocating defense was responsible for the point, and Donnell was positively beaming.

What has happened in the aftermath of that well earned point in Sonnel? Well, the Busoga Islands have won three games in a row. Games we were 'supposed' to win, by Pot, but with a team like the Busoga Islands, absolutely no games can be taken for granted. We were full value for three points against Jantor, as we rolled by the overmatched side in Dukuma by a score of 4-1. Then, we traveled to Gyatso-Kai, where a pair of goals just shy of the hour mark, from Amitabh and Fatah, put the Islanders ahead against the Atlantian Oceania side, and we scored an insurance goal later on to give ourselves a 3-1 win. Points away from home are usually what seperates teams in World Cup Qualification campaigns. It's one thing to win at home- but when the crowd is against you, in an unfamiliar country? It's why those really high ranked sides qualify so easily- they're good enough to where none of that rattles them. Nothing phases a nation like Turori, or Vilita, or Nephara, or Baker Park, in Qualifying. But for the rest of us, there is no such thing as a guaranteed point away from home.

They're all valuable. And then, of course, we won a tight game at home against Donnacona. It was a fairly evenly matched game. Possession was close to 50/50, each team put six shots on goal. However, it would be the Islanders who would triumph, as a 49th minute from Jay Khano would be the difference between getting one point, and getting all three. It leaves the Islanders in a strong place. We are in second place, with 16 points, two points ahead of both Drawkland and Kohnhead, while three points ahead of Squornshelan Remnant States.

How have we gotten here so far? So much of the credit has to go to the team's new manager, Bethany Donnell. The captain, al-Shareef, talked about it. "She's brought a new energy to the squad after the AOCAFs. We cannot lie- the regional championships were rough. But sometimes, you need time to adjust as a manager. And look at the energy she has on the sideline. She inspires so many players on this team. We all buy into her vision, we know that she's passionate about this job, and wants to manage Busoga. She doesn't see this as simply a stepping stone- she sees this job as valuable in her own right."

We'll see if she can keep this momentum going. There are plenty of games left, and although things are nice now, there are no guarantees going forward. These next two games for the Islanders are huge. Their next game is the toughest of the campaign- away to Kita-Hinode. Kita-Hinode is both Pot 1 and Number 1, being three points ahead of the Islanders for first place in the group. THey don't want to get dragged down into the dogfight for a Qualifying spot with the rest of the group. A win for Kita-Hinode would help put space between them and the rest of the group. Points for Busoga, especially on the road, especially against a higher ranked opponent, could prove valuable later down the line if this group does indeed go to the wire.

And then, second, it will be Kohnhead at home. Kohnhead is presently 2 points behind the Islanders in the table. They are right in the thick of the race for the World Cup, just like Busoga is, Drawkland is, and the Squornshelous Remnant States are. That's a key game, because of how well they've started. If Bethany Donnell can navigate those next two games, well, we'll sail in towards the tailing end of the first half of the World Cup Qualifying campaign with a lot of confidence. We'll see what happens. Know this- the national team seems to be in the right pair of hands with Bethany Donnell at the helm.

[Port Ember]

Blood, Sweat & Glory Part 5

The match against Ko-oren went better than what most expected. It was a home game, and the stadium was packed to the absolute brim - a hallmark of the new official national stadium since its debut, even though a full stadium was a surprise this particular game, due to the recent poor performance and behavior of the squad - the fans were angry as hell, and had threaten to boycott the team if something drastic was not done to remedy matters. The chairman of the Port Ember Football Association (PEFA), Peter White pleaded to the public to remain calm and provide them with an opportunity to rise from the ashes. The capacity crowd at the Ko-oren match was evidence that the fans granted White his request. Everyone knew even before the starting whistle blared that this was going to be a thriller of a match. Ko-oren was part of the "establishment" - a term the local media has assigned teams who have been participating on the international scene for generations - and have had considerable success at it. Not only were they a far more experienced and skilled team, they played a football system which seemed to be the ultimate bane to the high octane attacking style of the Port Emberians - a sort of extreme defensive play. It was this sort of style which was used by Taeshan against Port Ember on their opening match in the previous World Cup which led to nasty and total defeat - to the point where all confidence and momentum were destroyed, and indirectly led to the young team being forced to leave the Cup at the end of the group stages. Additionally, the young team was in disarray even before the match had started. A combination of alcohol and drug fueled arguments and full out brawls, stirs by social media, press and tabloids, losing all manner of respect and faith in their captain and coflict with their coach had left the once darling squad in shambles. If all that were not enough, the conflict between Coach Stuart Baxter and Captain Ray Reddington had reached a boiling point, and was subsequently benched for the upcoming match against Ko-oren. Even though he was no longer much worth as a Captain due to losing the team's respect, he was still by far the best player on the squad. And by the Gods, they needed all the talent and skills one could muster for this match.

The match turned out pretty much as expected - a metaphorical bloodbath. Both teams gave their all and played their hearts out. Frazer Murray was very impressive and had a few brilliant moments, eventually setting up the goal into a cleverly observed gap which allowed star striker Danny Nicovic to score, equalizing the match, avoiding a defeat against the heavyweight visitors. Even though the young Dragons played well, a carefull observer could easily see that this team was not nearly the well oiled machine it was in the past. It would seem that the glory days was a thing of the past.

Directly after the match the squad assembled within their locker room, busy with a myriad of post game activities when Coach Baxter entered the locker room as he have done in every match this team has ever played. However this time there were no anger or absolute joy, no excitement, no wisdom or advice - no emotion at all. Stuart was a very passionate, and thus a very emotional man, yet the animosity between himself and the team this past few weeks seemed to have put a damper on his very soul. He delivered a short cold message in the aftermath of the match, "Frazer you did well. Keep it up. The rest of you? Well at least you did not get slaughtered and you did not punch each other on international TV. So there's that.". He immediately left the locker room leaving the team to contemplate the Coach's cold statement. He was offcourse referencing the previous match where Reddington and Alex Kuhn were caught on camera breaking into a full out brawl as they walked off the pitch immediately following the game. Some of the players walked up to Frazer Murray and gave him a congratulatory slap on the shoulder. It was his first ever match where he started, and he performed better than what was expected, especially in these turbulent times. Frazer could not help to burst into a brilliant smile, feeling happier than he could remember ever being. One of his two life goals have been finally achieved. Ever since he was fourteen years old he had dreamed of forming part of the starting line up, but always came up short, no matter how hard he worked- harder than anyone else on the team. And it finally paid off. Eight hard years later - but it paid off.

His second life goal was within reach as well - the goal to date Sally Jones - the massage therapist of the team, whom he had loved from afar for the past eight years. He could never muster enough confidence to actually approach and speak to her, instead opting to daydream of their perfect happy life together. This has rapidly changed as he was spending time with her every day - getting a massage from her magical hands after every session. He then started showering her with gifts, sending a dozen orange roses to her office every morning, having sushi delivered to her each lunchtime and even buying her a cute kitten. All her favorite things. Strangely she had never thanked him or even mentioned the gifts during his sessions with her, but he kept on sending regardless. She must have appreciated it - she was always so kind to him when in conversation. He finally managed to scrape by some more confidence and asked her to attend a concert with him - the band Black Flag was performing live the evening after the Ko-oren match - coincidentally her favorite band. She happily accepted offcourse. The morning after the match, Fraser was seated at the breakfast table, being served a strong mug of coffee whilst his mother were preparing breakfast after his morning run, as per his normal morning routine. A pile of envelopes were neatly stacked on the table - a pile of bills owed by the Murray family. It was not cheap to to raise three children, the university fees for Fraser's younger brother in particular were damaging. His sister, the youngest, atleast attended school for free, but it was her rare medical condition which was the real problem causer on the Murray's wallet. For as long as Fraser could remember, he desperately wanted to achieve a spot on the starting lineup of the squad, so that he could receive that infamously large pay increase, so that he could relieve some of the financial problems his parents were facing. Perhaps he could even cause both his mother and father to leave their second jobs with the raise. Now that he have finally achieved that position, he was not so sure that this was his first priority anymore. The daily gifts he was sending over to Sally was expensive afterall, and that was an expense he simply could not see stopped. Feeling slightly guilty, he did not bother to open his parents bills stacked upon the table as he normally did. His mother cocked her eyebrow slightly, wondering what caused her son's strange behavior this morning, as she was aware that he was planning to assist them with their financial woe's. She did not ask him about it, feeling it was neither the time nor polite to do so, instead focusing solely on preparing breakfast for her family. Frazer had the day off, as the players were always given one day of rest after a match was played, which he spend wholley on grooming himself. He groomed his hair, ensured he was completely shaven clean, clipped his nails, brushed his teeth probably 9 times, applied moisturising cream to his entire body and ironed his clothes over and over, and finally polished his leather shoes a few times. Once he felt ready and it was time to leave, he looked himself over in the mirror. He was wearing his neatest dark brown leather shoes, a new pair of dark blue jeans, and a dark blue checkered button shirt. He was aware that he was a bit overdressed for a folk-rock concert, but he looked neat and attractive atleast. Tonight was the night he would steal the heart of one Sally Jones.

Frazer met Sally at the gates of the Waterstad International Stadium, the old home of the national football squad, and the venue for tonight's concert. Sally was the physical embodiment of perfection tonight. She wore a short black skirt, coupled with a tight fitting Black Flag branded T-Shirt. The logo on the shirt was very well designed and screamed 'alternative' and 'cool'. It depicted two 17th century sailing ships, one flying the flag of the Union Jack, the other flying a pitch black Jolly Roger. The two ocean faring behemoths were actively engaged in combat, firing cannons into the hulls of one another. The band's name was printed underneath in a font which seemed to be on fire. Sally wore her long smooth and shiney auburn hair loose - the first time Frazer saw it like this -, long enough to brush against her perfectly sculpted stern. The tips of her small ears protruded only slightly from underneath her hair, and her eyes shimmered in excitement. When she greeted Frazer she gave him a soft hug and kissed him upon his cheek - a typical and cultural way of greeting upon the tropical islands. Frazer was immediately intoxicated by her sweet rosey smell and the feeling of her soft red lips upon his cheek. He felt his knees buckle underneath him. Sally's face turned quizzical in an instant and spoke with her sweet angelic voice, "Where is the rest of the boys Frazer?". Frazer's heart sunk into his shoes. Why would she think the rest of the team would be in attendance? Was she not aware this was a date? He gulped and offered a reply "It would seem something came up. It seems it'll only be us tonight." Sally was clearly uncomfortable, but forced a smile none the less. "That's okay. We can still enjoy this awesome show". Frazer felt slightly defeated, but his conviction was stronger than his doubts. The pair entered the arena and stood next to one another as the band appeared on stage and performed their hearts out. The crowd was going crazy as the band was busy performing - the band being extremely popular within the Republic. They performed a genre known as Port Emberian Folk Rock - a genre which can be explained as a blending between traditional Sea Shanty's, Sea Songs and modern Rock. Instruments played within this specific band includes the electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, violen, chello and hurdy gurdy. Sally was in an absolute state of euphoria as the mood of the music took her, swaying her entire body to the rhythm of the music, hands held high into the air, hair flowing freely. Frazer knew at that moment what absolute perfection looked like in its physical form. As one particular favorite song of Sally was performed, it was clear that she was in a state of euphoria, dancing her woes away. Frazer mustered every inch of courage available and grabbed her hand, pulled her against his chiseled chest and stared deep into her magical eyes. The world around him faded to a state of nothingness, only the chorus emerging from stage ringing into his ear "The whole world falls silent... listens in the darkest hour... to the night sounds... of Jolly's piano..". He moved closer inch by inch, making his intent to kiss her clear. A mere moment before his lips made contact with hers, she turned her face away, offering her cheek instead. After he planted the kiss on her silky cheeks he pulled away slightly, offering her a quizzical look. Sally Jones offered a soft defeated smile in return. She looked down and mumbled in an embarrassed tone, "You have the wrong idea Frazer. We are colleagues and friends. We cannot be more." Frazer's blood ran cold within his veins. He went into total bombshock mode. Without having any idea on how to behave in this situation and failing to find the required words, he turned his back and ran. He ran as fast as he could through the bumper crowd until he eventually escaped the confined stadium, the humid tropical air caressing his sweaty teary face. He could not stop the tears from streaming out of his eyes as he ran full speed through the night.

The following day at the stadium Frazer avoided any form of contact with Sally Jones. His heart and soul was broken and simply could not bear seeing her. He still loved her with every inch within his body and soul, he first had to lay the embarrassment to rest before he could think of a plan b to steal her heart. He instead did what he knew best - hide his emotions by blasting his body with physical training, training harder than he ever did.

Ray Reddington arrived at the stadium one day - surprisingly sober, neat and clean. There were restless murmurs within the camp as the team stared at their former Captain as he marched straight towards the Coach. The pair disappeared into his office behind a closed door. Everyone waited for the shouting contest to start- yet it never came. An hour later the door would open, both men smiling widely yet not saying a word. When the team hit the pitch, Ray was on it as well, training his heart out, but in silence- no cocky arrogant remarks as normal, no attempt at trying to injure his teammates. A reflection of who he was a few years ago during his peak. Could he have returned into the hero everyone has made him up to be? Frazer was not impressed offcourse. He knew Ray has always been the Coach's favorite son- and the best player in the team. If he now had laid his terrible attitude and decisions to rest, he would surely reclaim his spot on the starting lineup, moving Frazer out again. Frazer needed this more than Ray did he thought to himself. He certainly deserved it more.

Later that night Frazer was browsing the social media networks, and found the BookFace profile of one Sally Jones. He instantly opened her profile and his entire universe came to a stand still.

Profile Updated 15 Minutes Ago.

Relationship Status: In a Relationship with Ray Reddington.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

11:00AM - Borograd, Siovanija

Chancellor Dominik Meier hung up the phone. He’d just had an important conversation with Grand Admiral Alfred Reinmann, the Marine’s Chief of Staff. The call went over various aspects of the nuclear project and what exactly would need to be discussed at the press conference the Chancellor was holding in - oh, about 2 minutes.

He had a feeling, however, that the questions at this press conference wouldn’t necessarily be entirely about the Lokke project, or the Facherfisch-class submarines. Details of those had already been released in some of the major newspapers of the country, and the press conference was expected to be standard procedure. What would take up some time, however, would be foreign affairs: the decision by the Banijan Lukiiko to repeal its nuclear-free zone treaty.

The reaction from around Southwestern AO had already begun. In Timuria, Banija’s neighbour, the Prime Minister announced his country’s opposition to the development of nuclear weapons in Banija. In Baker Park, the issue had been debated on the government floor. And perhaps most importantly, in the Busoga Islands, the new President Delbin Kasekende had condemned the move as well. The Foreign Minister, Vojtech Horacek, had in fact just returned from the new President’s inauguration in Lakiska - Meier would need to meet with him as soon as possible. So it was almost certain that at today’s press conference, Dominik Meier would be asked about Banija.

It was a tough situation to handle. On one hand, Banija were a key ally of Siovanija & Teusland in the Southwest - and the United Republics’ government had no intention of interfering in the affairs of any other country. After the advent of Sudwestpolitik, Banija had come to be seen as one of the country’s most important allies. At the same time, however, the country had other allies as well - the Busoga Islands, for one. And therefore, Meier would need to be very careful with his comments. He’d already planned a call with the new Katikkiro, Kobe Azizi, to discuss the matter. All of these concerns were on Dominik Meier’s mind as he entered the press room of the National Chancellery building.

“Good morning,” he began to the assembled journalists. There was a big crowd today - the unveiling of new military technologies always drew a great deal of interest. “I’m here today to announce the full details of the new Strategic Weapons Program developed through the United Republics Defence Force alongside the State Strategic Weapons Institute.” Cameras clicked, and the powerpoint began on the screen behind him.

“In your briefing notes, you will find many of the full details of this new program. The previous generation of nuclear weaponry for our country, the Helle era, was a great success. We developed state-of-the-art technology, and this innovation has continued into the new Lokke era.”

The press conference went on, the Chancellor sharing many of the important details of the program. The Lokke-1 ballistic missile and its capabilities - limited to those able to be shared publicly, of course. The Facherfisch subs - acoustic superiority, an upgraded range compared to predecessors, new propulsion technology. The first blueprints of the ships were shown, and the estimated date of completion of the very first subs given. The time came at the end, finally, for questions.

“Chancellor Meier, I’m here with the Stelburger Zeitung. When can we expect more details on what this will mean for the army and air force?”

“Well, our Defence Force are quite excited about the new generation of technology, and they are working day and night to enhance their capability to defend the country.”

“Chancellor, I’m here with Die Zeit. What will be done with the Helle generation weapons and the Schwertfisch class submarines.”

“We’re working hard to begin the decommissioning process. Naturally, this will take time, and it’s something that will be mainly dealt with through the SSWI.”

“Chancellor, I’m here with Republikanski. A coalition of parties in the National Parliament, led by the Republican Party, the Social Union and the Green Party, have called on your government to reduce the number of nuclear armaments that the military possesses, arguing that they are a danger to safety in our country due to the possibility of accidents, and the great damage the weapons can cause. What is your response to this proposal?”

“Of course, nuclear safety is something that is of the utmost importance for us to consider. Back in the late 1950s, it was perhaps the hottest issue of the day in our Parliament, and many regulations were instituted at that time by Chancellor Igor Benes to ensure safe practices. That’s why, for example, we have a Ministry of Nuclear Safety. And I can assure Mr. Manolev of the Republican Party, and all members of that group, that we have done everything possible to ensure safety both in our own country and around the world.”

“Chancellor, the Borograd Times here with a question. The Banijan Lukiiko ratified a proposal to repeal the nuclear-free zone in the country and begin the development of nuclear weapons. Many other countries in the region have condemned this development, including the Busoga Islands. What is the government’s response to this?”

“The government respects the sovereignty of all nations, and at this time will not be commenting on internal affairs of Banija.”

“But sir, isn’t this quickly becoming an international affair?”

“The situation is, of course, evolving still, and I look forward to speaking with Mr. Azizi by phone shortly to discuss the matter. Thank you.”

With that, the press conference was over. Chancellor Meier wasn’t exactly happy with his response - he knew it could leave him open to criticism at home from the opposition. But he wanted to get all of the facts first before taking any action, and in order to do that, he’d have to discuss the matter with various interested parties.

Siovanija & Teusland 4-1 Trolleborg, @ Nationalstadion, Stelburg

Starting XI: Heuser; Richter, Klopfer, Jager, Vesele; Mihailov (Brotzmann 80’), Kramer, Witzel (Werner 66’); Kogler, Tauscher, Ribbeck (Ilev 66’)
Goals: Lukas Tauscher 23’, Michael Ribbeck 36’, Thorsten Kramer 50’, Mario Kogler 75’
Man of the Match: Thorsten Kramer
Report: Siovanija & Teusland picked up a win last night against a spirited Trolleborg side at the Nationalstadion. The Goldhorns, with a mostly first-choice lineup in for this one after the ZSeparatists draw, came out with a great enthusiasm to attack, and they were rewarded for it quickly in the first half. Lukas Tauscher got his second goal of the Qualifiers with a great effort after burning Nikolaas Laste to get into the box. Minutes later, Michael Ribbeck would extend the Goldhorns’ lead to 2-0 with a real poacher’s effort after a flurry in front of goal. Trolleborg looked rejuvenated coming out for the second half, and challenged Ewald Heuser’s goal, but a drive from the top of the box by Thorsten Kramer on a Goldhorn counter-attack would make it 3-0 and put the result nearly out of question. Trolleborg would cut the lead to 3-1 with a goal from Stuart Kerr, but Mario Kogler’s great shot from just outside the box minutes later made it 4-1 and basically killed off the game. Next up for the Goldhorns is a trip to visit World Cup 78 champions Electrum, who, despite being unranked for this edition of the tournament, have earned key draws with the Free Republics and Ethane. The Goldhorns will need to be prepared for a big challenge on their hands as World Cup Qualifiers roll on.

[TJUN-ia]

A bye can give you a lot of things. For David Seems, it gave him data on his next 5 opponents: how they play and how the Jags could counter them. For the players, it gave them a day off to enjoy Szensky to it's fullest before the long road began again. For Szensky itself, the bye gave the city an extra Matchday to prepare for what many consider to be the most important game hosted in Beregozera Stadium so far.

New Lusitania and the Algarves is in town. The defending champions of the IAC, knocking out TJUN-ia on the way to its first major title. A team that many in this city know all too well.

5th travels to 10th in TJUN-ia's return to Group 1 action. Krasnaya Stena is ready. Beregozera is ready. Szensky is ready. TJUN-ia is ready. But are the Jags? Let's hope so...

GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Updates on stadiums will occur as soon as we get them)
MD1: @Audioslavia (22) - Arena Kirola, Cathair L 1-2 (T-9th)
MD2: vs Euran Oceania Territories (84) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City D 2-2 (T-9th)
MD3: @Porticalia (330) L 0-1 (T-10th)
MD4: vs Sajnur (57) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong L 2-3 (12th)
MD5: @Jeckland (UR) - Jecken Stadium, Rack City W 2-0 (10th)
MD6: vs Natanians and Nosts (131) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky L 0-4 (11th)
MD7: @Villablanca (235) W 6-1 (9th)
MD8: BYE (10th)
MD9: vs New Lusitania and the Algarves (42) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD10: @Necosia (341)
MD11: vs Turori (12) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD12: @Astograth (303) - Castle Hill, Gesterlake
MD13: vs Muradil (212) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
-----------------------Off Day---------------------------
MD14: vs Audioslavia (22) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD15: @Euran Oceania Territories (84) - Flynn Arena, Fligsive
MD16: vs Porticalia (330) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD17: @Sajnur (57) - ?
MD18: vs Jeckland (UR) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD19: @Natanians and Nosts (131) - Stadion Nacional (?)
MD20: vs Villablanca (235) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD21: BYE
MD22: @New Lusitania and the Algarves (42) - Estádio da Anta do Dragão, Porto
MD23: vs Necosia (341) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD24: @Turori (12)
MD25: vs Astograth (303) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD26: @Muradil (212)

[Torisakia]

May 29th, 2020
01:38 pM TST

Social media movement for popular sportswriter goes viral

TOKAI - A social media movement calling for the release of popular sportswriter Bortmorvius "Bort" Stevens has gone viral. Stevens was arrested earlier this week by the Torisakia Bureau of Investigation ("TBI") on account of disclosure of classified information after he wrote on his sports blog "Sports with Bort" about his findings on the Kiraism cult and a possible government cover-up from February 2015. The post on Stevens' blog stated that he came across the information while looking into a relationship that former ice hockey player Cassidy McKenzie had with an international player, and it was on the very last page of a Boogle search. The information came way of a classified PDF file and was a memo that was dated for February 3, 2015 and was addressed to Barrie Lowry, former Minister of Sports & Recreation under the Dupond administration. According to Stevens' post, the memo consisted of the sender, whose name was not revealed, explaining their concerns "about the Kiraism story

Stevens at the 2019 TSPYS Awards

and the negative impact it would have on Torisakia's reputation, especially in the sports front". The memo went on to say that Alexei Borodin and Cassidy McKenzie, former Torisakian ice hockey players and flagship members of the Kiraism cult between mid-2014 and early-2015, had offered a donation of T$3.8 billion to the Ministry of Sports & Recreation in exchange for the Kiraism story to be pulled from all news outlets and any references to them personally be removed and for them to be declared dead by "suicide", according to Stevens' post. The memo closed with the sender stating that the ordeal would be discussed at the next cabinet meeting, which records show that Dupond held a meeting with her cabinet on February 5, 2015.

The TBI was informed of the post on Stevens' website and a search warrant was quickly issued by the Torisakia District Court for the Central District of Tokai on May 24th. Stevens' home was raided on the 25th and he was taken into custody. Stevens is charged in violation of Title 18 of the Torisakia Code, Chapter 37, Section 798-A-3, which covers the willful disclosure of classified information, a penalty which carries a fine of T$10,000, an imprisonment of 10 years, or both. Stevens bail of T$35,000 has not been paid and he currently is being held at Tokai Penitentiary. Since the news of Stevens' arrest broke, millions of supporters have taken to social media to call for his release on the grounds of him doing justice by uncovering what might be the biggest political scandal in Torisakian history. The hashtag '#FreeBort' has been trending on Twitter for the last several days and includes over 4.8 million tweets, including those from celebrities, athletes, and even political figures. A petition was started on "change.tor" to have Stevens released from custody and acquitted of all charges, which has gained over 5 million signatures in two days. A GoFundIt was also started to help raise money to pay for Stevens' bail, which is only T$1000 shy of reaching the goal of T$35,000 as of May 29th. The movement has even gone offline and into the streets of Torisakia, with protests taking place in what seems like every city in the country.

"He [Stevens] did nothing wrong. If anything he's a national hero. We all knew the government was hiding something but couldn't prove it. He did. He took the risk. He's not a criminal." a protestor, who wished to remain anonymous, in Yasui told TNN.

"Absolutely disgusting how the TBI is treating Bort. Yes it's classified information but why are they charging him like he planned to kill the president or something? It's not his fault the TBI can't do their job properly. #FreeBort" professional volleyball player Taylor Veronique said on Twitter.

Despite the increasing popularity of the movement, the TBI has not responded to the demands. TNN was not able to reach Director of the TBI Jack Vasco for comment. President Doug McDowell stated in a press release earlier today that he would "be speaking with [my] National Security Advisor as well as Mr. Vasco and determine the best course of action. We're hoping to get this incident resolved soon and, more importantly, investigate this scandal to the farthest extent we can". TNN reports that McDowell likely had no prior knowledge of the scandal as it occurred before he became President. The scandal would fall mostly on former President Rosalind Dupond and her administration, who were dismissed in January 2016 following the impeachment of Dupond. Dupond, who is now back to being the CEO of her company Dupond Industries, could also not be reached for comment. Former Minister of Sports & Recreation Barrie Lowry declined to speak on the matter as well. TNN will continue to provide updates on this story as information become available.

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OOC: I'm aware that this story has similarities to what is currently going on in the United States (namely the 'protests in multiple cities' part). This is purely coincidental and I have no intentions on basing this or any of my future RPs on any IRL event. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to TG me or DM me on Discord.

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

OOC: Permission to use The Beet reporter David-Upton Moon-Belcher granted by Omerica - who also kindly provided the five questions used in the interview.

The Dreamed Realm Mundy Interview
Tonight with David-Upton Moon-Belcher

Hello, I'm David-Upton Moon-Belcher, reporter for famed newspaper The Beet - the newspaper that all other vegetable-themed publications strive to emulate. I'm honoured to have been invited to the Dreamed Realm to give the second of this World Cup qualification campaign's mundy interviews with famous imperial sports personalities. Though oddly, these interviews only seem to involve a chat with Holy Empire World Cup 84 & 85 team captain Sir Barsanuphius the Bold. Sir Barsanuphius.

Mr Moon-Belcher; a pleasure.

If we can dive right in.... You've rapidly become famous - some would say infamous - this World Cup for your anti-Cocoa-bo crusade. What was the moment you realised how dangerous these seductive and scrumptious concoctions are?

Well, it all began in the last World Cup, when a group of spanking-obsessed virgins attempted to seduce Sir Therapon the Chaste - a key member of the World Cup 84 squad - by noting that there was little to do in their lonely keep except 'drinking delicious, silky-smooth, lip-licking, and oh-so-tempting chocolate-topped Cocoa-bo'. Well, other than bathing, dressing, undressing, knitting exciting underwear, and watching the World Cup 84 highlights. Then it turned out that in World Cup 82, one of the poets representing the Holy Empire in the latter tournament had penned an ode to Cocoa-bo that contained the couplet 'We drink litres of the stuff in the Empire / So much that mundies might expire'. And when I investigated further, it turned out that in World Cup 81, a cute little murderous bunny rabbit on the Holy Empire team called Snuggles overdosed on Cocoa-bo before the match, and due to the performance-enhancing qualities - which are a matter of public record - "was so full of zip, zest, and zing, that he had scored a hattrick inside the first 20 minutes"; he also seems to have been hallucinating due to the Cocoa-bo overdose, and then suffered an almighty post-high drug crash. So, in the course of just a few World Cups of Holy Empire interaction with this dangerous concoction, we've seen A) irrefutable evidence that Cocoa-bo is performance-enhancing; B) evidence that drinking too much Cocoa-bo can cause mundies to expire, and C) evidence that spanking-obsessed virgins use the seductive qualities of Cocoa-bo in their attempts to seduce chaste knights. But it was the attempted seduction of Sir Therapon that really put me on the trail.

Is there any pattern you’ve been able to discern about which teams have access to authentic Cocoa-bo and which are subjected to its debilitating cousin?

Well, Vilita is the most obvious example of a team that has constant access to what you term 'authentic' Cocoa-bo. But otherwise, the evidence of this World Cup suggests that the performance-enhancing version is most readily available, at least in World Cup 85, to those lower-ranked teams in Group 8 that achieve unexpectedly good results against the Holy Empire. I'd watch out for the Cheergirls match given the shocking evidence that some of the parents of the girls are choosing to dope their daughters.

What do you reckon will be the consequences if the proliferation of Cocoa-bo and Cocoa-faux is left unchecked?

Mass suicide among the addicted once their supply dries up, combined with total economic collapse in the relevant nations. And then muscle wasting among those who took the performance-enhancing version; it's quite possible that the performance-enhancing version will also, if taken to the extreme, cause mammalian male genitalia to fall off, and female mammalian genitalia to spontaneously close. However, we need more data on this issue. It could be 'I drank so much Cocoa-bo that my dick fell off', which the Imperial Panopticon recently overheard in a nation whose identity will be kept a secret in order to avoid mass panic, might have been intended as a colourful metaphor rather than a literal truth.

While it’s obvious that you are campaigning to see Cocoa-bo–slash–Cocoa-faux banned, I’d like to ask what punishments should be dealt to its distributors, if any.

It's not my role to interfere in the legal systems of Ordinary Reality states, David. I'm sure that the relevant nations will take the necessary steps. But first we need to make sure that Cocoa-bo is banned by the World Cup Committee; only then, I think, will the individual members of the WCC feel free to throw their legal systems at the perpetrators. And the latter have to live with their conscience - a far worse punishment than anything I might be able to think up, I assure you.

Finally, do you still have any beach hunk calendars left in stock?

Why, as a matter of fact we do have some excess stock of the World Cup 83 Beach Hunk calendar! Here's a reminder!

Mr July - Audioslavia


Audioslavia defender Ilatxi Altzibararechuluago shows off more than just his national beach soccer speedos.

Thank you for your time and best of luck in the qualifying tournament, Sir Barsanuphius. Death to The Turnip!

[Kohnhead]

Kohnhead win 4-3 in 7 goal thriller

Heading into this game, Kohnhead had not won on the road yet, but this game they felt was different. In this game Kohnhead was the favorite as they traveled to Balaslandia to play their 7th match of qualifiers. Balaslandia were near the bottom of the group in 12th place so The Brains knew this was a game they should win. What followed was a 7 goal thriller that kept me tense and pale throughout before the final whistle blew.

Madison Richards had bounced back at Orange Bull Arena but on the road again at Balaslandia she did not play her best game of football. The hero of the game for Kohnhead was Aaron Korkson the captain who hadn't played well since his red card against Donnancona. In this game he scored a brace and added an assist as Kohnhead would jump out to the 3-0 lead heading into halftime. Korkson had even managed to score a bicycle kick and was feeling great about their chances of winning.

In the second half Andre would score a goal slotting it past Richards but a 3-1 lead for Kohnhead was increased to a 4-1 lead when Linus Rallyton became the third Kohnheadian to score (the second was Erin Maltos who scored her third of the tournament.) Rallyton had increased the lead by ne in the 59th minute, and I wonder if The Brains began to feel cocky and lost composure but whatever it was, Balaslandia took advantage of it.

Andre got a brace which doubled Balaslandia's score and cut the lead to just two goals. Passi would score a goal in the 81st which would make the game 4-3 as Richards once again struggled with split second decision making. Just like that a 4-1 lead had evaporated into a 4-3 narrow lead and Kohnhead still had to hold on for at least 8 more minutes. Fortunately Balaslandia couldn't manage another big chance thanks to the efforts of the back 4. Kohnhead fans and players breathed a huge sign of relief and a bullet was dodged.

In more good news it was announced Jackson Newcastle will be returning, but Ida Cogginter's return is still games away with some saying it won't be until match 15 for Kohnhead. In terms of the standings Kohnhead have somehow despite being in pot 9 worked their way up to 3rd. I doubt they can hold this but they are only one spot away from qualifying for the World Cup.

Group 2                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kita-Hinode                                   7    6   1   0    20    7  +13    19
 2 Busoga Islands                                7    5   1   1    19   10   +9    16
 3 Kohnhead                                      7    4   2   1    19   14   +5    14
 4 Drawkland                                     7    4   2   1    12    8   +4    14
 5 Squornshelan Remnant States                   7    4   1   2    23   19   +4    13
 6 Torisakia                                     8    4   0   4    17   13   +4    12
 7 Donnacona                                     8    4   0   4     7    6   +1    12
 8 Gyatso-kai                                    8    2   3   3    16   17   −1     9
 9 Jantor                                        8    2   3   3    15   18   −3     9
10 Lochario                                      7    1   3   3     8   13   −5     6
11 Wreckeria                                     7    1   2   4    12   18   −6     5
12 Balaslandia                                   8    1   0   7    16   27  −11     3
13 EGM                                           7    0   2   5     8   22  −14     2

Kohnhead in their next game will face 127th ranked Wreckeria but The Bulldogs have slumped to just 5 points in 7 games and have not played well at all. Kohnhead will also be back in Orange Bull Arena where they have won every match.
Here is the projected lineup for the game against Wreckeria:

[Timuria]

Goal Fest Ends in Three Points

Patistan 3–5 Timuria
Patistan #10 (14), Patistan #11 (34), Patistan #9 (41);Volkan Ayhan (21, 88), Ismail Burhan (57), Omer Tameroglu (73), Yerkebulan Suyumbayev (83)

by Tufan Nursultan

The Red Wolves overturned a potentially catastrophic defeat in the making with four second half goals as they return to Timuria with all three points after a 5-3 win over Patistan. The result means that the Red Wolves have now picked up three wins in a row following a three match slump after winning their opener.

The Red Wolves were sucker punched by a counter attack after Reza Karaduman had lost the ball in a terrible position and Berker Balkan completely missed a tackle allowing the hosts to score in the 14th minutes. Volkan Ayhan would equalise for the Red Wolves as he wove through the defence and slotted home after a magnificient individual effort.

The Red Wolves would have a chance to take the lead, but Ismail Burhan could not apply the finish, his shot sailing wide. The hosts would take a shock lead in the 34th minute whit a chip catching Iskender Nur out. They would then double their shock lead with a well struck free kick resulting from a Gokdeniz Dag tackle that was far too reckless.

The Red Wolves came out a side transformed. As they needed to be, Ismail Burhan clawed them to within a goal with a well placed effort from the edge of the box, though he had to come off shortly after with a bruised shin making him doubtful for the next match. His replacement Omer Tameroglu grabbed a goal for himself with a ferociously struck volley from a Volkan Ayhan cross.

The scoring would be rounded off by Yerkebulan Suyumbayev's long range, and speculative effort worming past the keeper. Volkan Ayhan would round off the scoring with a tremendous free kick of his own.

The result means the Red Wolves are currently fifth in Group 9 with three wins in a row as they will face The Mann Clan who are coming out of a bore draw against bottom side Audiaslania.

What They Said After The Match:

Bekir Altingunes: "I thought we were done for when we went into half time, so I told the players to just be themselves on the pitch and that paid off. I feel like we've begun to get a good feel for the group and find our stride, but we take nothing for granted."

Player Ratings:

Due to a scheduling conflict, Tufan was unable to provide player-by-player analysis.

Iskender Nur 5/10 -

Ozbek Sarikaya 6/10

Kemal Colak 6/10

Berker Balkan 5/10

Gokdeniz Dag 5/10

Ertan Renda 7/10

Reza Karaduman 6/10

Caner Turan 6/10

Vatan Ercetin 6/10

Volkan Ayhan 9/10

Ismail Burhan 7/10

Substitutes:

Yildiray Sabuktiginoglu 6/10

Eyup Mustafa 6/10

Yerkebulan Suyumbayev 7/10

Person of the Match: Volkan Ayhan - He got two goals and an assist in his best performance in a Red Wolves shirt, truly he showed why he deserved a place in this squad when many were beginnng to doubt his place.

Schedule and Results:

Home stadiums will have capacity in brackets

MD1: @ Xuzaqiy W 5-3
MD2: vs Cassadaigua, Dev Halk Stadium (30,000), Demir L 3-2
MD3: @ Kelssek L 2-1
MD4: vs Barunia, Tashkent Belediye Isci Stadium (18,500), Tashkent L 4-1
MD5: @ Audiasania W 3-2
MD6: Bye
MD7: vs Olastor, Belediye Park (5,800), Demir W 3-1
MD8: @ Patistan W 5-3
MD9: vs The Mann Clan, Belediye Park (5,800), Demir
MD10: @ Grod Island
MD11: vs Sargossa, Hisar Belediye Sendika Stadium (27,500), Demir
MD12: @ Res Publica Nova Roma
MD13: vs Ziwana, Halkın Güneş Çiftliği Stadium (27,000), Elektriklestirme
MD14: vs Xuzaqiy, Demir-Is Stadium (5,500), Demir
MD15: @ Cassadaigua
MD16: vs Kelssek, Madenci Stadium (27,000), Uryan
MD17: @Barunia
MD18: vs Audiasania, Maden-Is Stadium (3,400), Uryan
MD19: Bye
MD20: @ Olastor
MD21: vs Patistan, Almat Jimnasyum (3,000), Demir
MD22: @ The Mann Clan
MD23: vs Grod Island, Tasova Belediye Stadium (2,000), Tasova
MD24: @Sargossa
MD25: vs Res Public Nova Roma, Dev Halk Stadium (30,000), Demir
MD26: @ Ziwana

[Kandorith]

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

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Kandorith Moving Up, Closing The Gap

*   Group 11                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Equestria                               8    6   2   0    30   16  +14    20
 2 Xanneria                                7    6   1   0    21   12   +9    19
 3 HUElavia                                8    6   0   2    27   17  +10    18
 4 Kandorith                               8    3   3   2    16   16    0    12
 5 Vdara                                   8    3   1   4    17   19   −2    10
 6 Nooooooooooooooo                        7    2   3   2    11    9   +2     9
 7 Fujai                                   7    2   3   2     8   13   −5     9
 8 Ancherion                               7    2   2   3    13   14   −1     8
 9 South Concepthuania                     8    2   1   5    12   17   −5     7
10 Blouman Empire                          7    1   3   3    11   14   −3     6
11 Lo Santano                              7    1   3   3    12   18   −6     6
12 Jamestownnnn                            7    1   1   5     7   12   −5     4
13 Monglechabagd                           7    0   3   4     8   16   −8     3

Kandorith took control of another crucial match last night once again. Winning against Fujai in a slow yet controlled display. Another 1-goal victory for the Lotus Warriors, which according to some is worrying. Another group of fans and analysts however say there is nothing wrong with winning by only one goal. Hayabusa surely got the act of the Kandorese team together. With the team previously struggling against opponents which, on paper, should have been easy opponents or should have been a draw at least. The players of the team seemingly play with more confidence and strength after Hayabusa decided to go back to the old tactics for the team. Another win for Kandorith was much welcomed by the fans, especially those who travel along with the team and are determined to see every match in person.

"The team has been on a wonderful run and I am confident we can continue this run." Hayabusa said. "The last game wasn't the best game when it comes to scoring and entertainment; but it was a win, which is the important fact. Of course I want our football to be perfect and pleasing to the eye, though, we have to remember the goal of the game is to score at least one goal more than the opposing side. If our game is not pretty because of that fact, so be it; at least we won. The upcoming game is one where we will show our best players again, we need to improve our home games as we have only won a single game at home yet. The fans in Tenkyo, the nation, deserve a beautiful game in one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. We need to improve our home record and we are going to do that in the next match."

The next match for Kandorith will be against Jamestownnnn and the odds are looking good for the home team. The qualification campaign started rather disastrous but things are surely looking up now. The home fans are hopeful of another win and of course the hope is to test the top three of the group. It will not be the first time the Lotus Warriors performed against all odds and the Hayabusa squad is full confidence to test their limits.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

There was a massive crowd outside the Parade Grounds in Regium. Football fans from Oberour Ar Moro and across the entire multiverse mingled, under the ever-watchful eye of highly-armed soldiers, and the less obvious surveillance of biometric scans and heat sensors.

The last stragglers were working their way into the densely packed stadium. One man gripped onto the phone in his pocket, ready to scan the phone at the stadium gate. He completely ignored the statue of the tragically fallen footballer on the square, working his way past groups using the landmark as a meeting spot, and the young woman with copper hair staring up at the statue with confusion and sadness.

The man made his way in and worked his way to an upper level, finally breaking out into the open air, bright against the dark night. A holographic display that would cover the stadium hovered above the crowd's head, welcoming everyone to the final of the 199th NationStates World Cup.

This world cup had been an exciting one, but the tournament was down to its last two teams. The Holy Empire were on the pitch, waving their cowboy hats and doing lasso tricks for the crowd as manager Juan Tzimisces and assistant Simeone Di Bradini stood and watched. Their opponents, Astehbea were all stone faces. Things had improved after sacking their manager mid-qualifying, but their long-time captain Saffi Millard was hobbled. She would heroically play in this game, hoping to lead the Sabres to finally break their run of second-place finishes.

The home crowd was disappointed that Oberour Ar Moro had not been able to make even the semi-finals, falling earlier in the tournament to Vilita. Historians of the sport noted the similarities of that game to the teams' first meeting 228 years prior. But everyone agreed that The Holy Empire and Astehbea, the first and second-ranked teams in nationstates football, were destined to meet her in the finals.

Then suddenly, a new roar swept the stadium. In the royal box, he had appeared! The immortal king in his golden armor and robe was attending the finals! It would make sense he was the impetus. Of the World Cup coming to Oberour Ar Moro. Of the Hieratic Age and chronon power. The impetus of the shared future. To see him in the flesh was rare, however. He strode to the balcony and lifted off his helmet, to broadly smile and wave towards the crowd. His visage was magnified and broadcast through the stadium's hologram, and on a million billion screens across the relativistic universe.

One screen was on the world known as Daubréelite. A unit of the Dominion Space Forces had made planetfall to dismantle a rebellion cell believed to have possession of stolen chronon devices. One such device was in the hands of a young woman with copper hair hiding in a closet, wanting to go but unwilling to leave her mother defenseless.

The game began, Astehbea kicking off. Captain Millard felt her injured leg with every step as she gathered up the ball. She didn't know how long she could last, but this was her last hurrah. She had to last as long as she could.

On Daubréelite, the young woman inspected the device. She had never even seen one, let alone used one, and now she had to understand the forbidden technology and utilize it. How did they put it? Trace, glace, place, chase, brace. Frantically she worked the receiver as the soldiers yelled and broke and threatened just beyond the door.

The ball was pushed just over the goal by the Holy Empire keeper and went out for a corner kick. As the Asthebea winger lined up, he, and everyone in the stadium, and in Regium, and the world, and across the universe, began to notice a building pressure that pulled from every point at once.

The door to the closet was heaved open just as the device appeared to turn into obsidian. She had seconds. The soldier yelled at her, his gun warping, turning into an infinite series of points. Her mother fell to the floor lifeless, while an echo stood in defiance, a further echo breaking into pieces on the floor.

The corner kick was taken and as the ball soared through the air towards the goal area, the ball seemed to slow, then stutter. The crowd's cheers changed pitch. The players jostling for position seemed to phase in and out.

And then everything - ball, crowd, players, stadium, city, world, universe, time - shattered.

But just before, the young woman with copper hair burst from the closet in the house on Daubréelite. She crashed into a soldier armed with a plasma rifle, the one that had just shot the young woman's mother. In tears, she twisted and fell, before completing her 180 in Regium for the first time. The earliest days of the Hieratic Age began in this city, over two centuries prior. The immortal king was in Regium, in this time frame, and she needed to find him.

But just before, the young woman with copper hair who had stood in the Nycollas Mauranghas Plaza, reading about the striker with such great promise and his tragic, senseless death over 200 years prior, twisted and fell, before completing her 180 in Regium again. The Oberour Ar Moro national football team had traveled to Vilita for a dreaded first-meeting between the sides, and Nycollas Mauranghas had not been included on the roster. Nycollas Mauranghas was currently in Regium, in this time frame, and she needed to find him.

[South Newlandia]

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Soccer
South Newlandia gets yet another draw in Juvencus

Juvencus is one of the more long-established nations of the World Cup. After they missed the finals following WCQ84, they are now ranked 39th in the world, and were the 3rd seed for Group 13. Even though their squad seems over their prime years, they were one of the top favourites to qualify this year, behind Valanora and Pasarga. So far, they couldn’t live up to those expectations, as they had only scored 7 points in 6 games before this one, and they failed to win against the Elephants as well.

Juvencus 2-2 South Newlandia
Despite their strong recent performance with no defeat in the last 5 games, South Newlandia travelled to Juvencus as an underdog. The Elephants were playing without their captain and goalkeeper Mikhail Trischuk, as well as without their top scorer Simon McCabe.

Juvencus seemed more confident in the beginning, playing in front of their own fans. They had an early chance in the 16th minute after a corner by Tore Christian, when Patxi Etxeberria got the ball. The shot went into the bottom corner, but Rufus Rigby got on the ground just in time to save it.

Juvencus kept the game under control, and they went ahead in the 25th minute. Juvencus had the Elephants under pressure, and Santo Silvestri surprised Rufus Rigby with a quick shot. Juvencus deserved to take the lead at this point, as the Elephants were rather harmless in the first half hour.

South Newlandia took some more time to get going, but in the 38th minute, they also had a great chance. Dhruv Roy carried the ball unusually deep into the Juven half, and noticed an opening for a pass. Bjorn Cohen was able to break away from his defenders, and went towards Taddeo Bulgari, the Juven goalkeeper. Cohen, who only really returned for the second half against Bliuji after a complicated knee injury, was able to score his third goal of the tournament with ease and gave South Newlandia an unexpected equalizer.

It was half-time already, and both teams had scored a goal each. The Elephants definitely lucked out so far, as they were behind in all relevant statistics at this point. Coach Robert Wolverine decided to make two substitutions, replacing Kevin Mohamed with Faisal Harworth and Corban Green with Donald Lancaster.

South Newlandia played better in the second half, and they had a nice chance early. In the 47th minute, Donald Lancaster played a very long ball for Brandon Irving, almost to the corner flag. Being eleven years younger than Amaury Félix allowed him to outrun him, and he pulled into the centre unopposed. Taddeo Bulgari came out of his goal, but Irving saw Abdurahman Bishop uncovered in the penalty box. He passed to Bishop, and the 20-year-old had no trouble scoring his first international goal.

South Newlandia was clearly better now, and they had another nice chance in the 56th minute. Donald Lancaster tried to get a corner in, but the ball went way too tight, instead dropping right onto the crossbar. From there, the ball bounced back infield, but Clovis Bret was able to clear the ball.

After a period with little action, Juvencus took control of the game again. In the 69th minute, Joaquim Martell got a nice shot in from about 35 metres, but Rigby was able to get the ball above the crossbar with his fingertips. On the following corner, Raphael Moreno was outplayed by Tore Christian. Christian got a header in, and Rigby failed to save the ball, even though it wasn’t a perfect effort. With that, the game was now tied at two.

Over the last 20 minutes, the biggest highlights were Brandon Irving getting substituted by Ricardo Rayner in the 81st minute and a distant shot by Clovis Bret that was about 5 metres from the goal. Both teams played more defensively at this point, and neither team wanted to take any serious risks. Ultimately, South Newlandia got lucky with the draw, as Juvencus was clearly the better team in the first half. The Elephants kept their undefeated streak and extended it into a sixth game, and they also are now tied for 2nd by points.

Player Rankings

Rufus Rigby (GK) 8
He played a solid game, although he didn’t look great with the second goal.

Dhruv Roy (LB) 8

Manuel O’Neill (LCB, Captain) 7

Tommy Anderson (RCB) 6

Raphael Moreno (RB) 5
He didn’t play his best match, highlighted by his mistake before the second conceded goal.

Kevin Mohamed (DM) 7

Corban Green (LM) 6
He seemed to be off today, insiders told us he might be having a cold.

Patrick McMora (RM) 6

Abdurahman Bishop (OM) 8
He played a nice game and finally got his first goal.

Brandon Irving (ST) 6

Bjorn Cohen (ST) 8
In McCabe’s absence, he probably is the strongest striker of the team at only 18 years old. Today, he scored a goal and an assist.

Donald Lancaster (LM) 6

Faisal Harworth (CM) 6

Ricardo Rayner (ST) –

Starters against The Kitler Peninsulae

Robert Wolverine doesn’t plan on slowing down against weaker opposition. The same 10 field players will play against The Kitler Peninsulae, and Mikhail Trischuk will be back between the goal posts as captain.

Results from Matchday 8, Group 13

Plane of Possibility (148) 2-1 Eraman (63)
The Planers did indeed upset Eraman.

Valanora (15) 1-1 Pasarga (25)
The top seeds draw in their encounter.

Bliuji (99) 2-4 Tamgu (79)
Tamgu finally gets going with another win.

The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) 3-2 Mavinet (218)
The Kytler Peninsulae also got an upset in, defeating the BoF-Champions.

Kuriko (330)2-1 Pangurstan (311)
Kuriko actually remains in last despite this win.

Juvencus (39) 2-2 South Newlandia (228)

Ottoman Syldavia had a bye day.

Current standings

Group 13                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora                                8    5   2   1    16    8   +8    17
 2 Pasarga                                 7    4   1   2    12    8   +4    13
 3 Eraman                                  7    4   1   2    15   11   +4    13
 4 South Newlandia                         8    3   4   1    15   13   +2    13
 5 Ottoman Syldavia                        7    3   1   3    10    9   +1    10
 6 Mavinet                                 8    3   1   4    20   20    0    10
 7 The Kytler Peninsulae                   7    3   1   3    15   20   −5    10
 8 Plane of Possibility                    8    2   3   3    14   15   −1     9
 9 Pangurstan                              8    3   0   5    15   18   −3     9
10 Juvencus                                7    2   2   3    20   20    0     8
11 Tamgu                                   7    2   2   3    10   12   −2     8
12 Bliuji                                  7    2   1   4    20   20    0     7
13 Kuriko                                  7    2   1   4     7   15   −8     7

Schedule for Group 13, Matchday 9

Mavinet (218) vs. Kuriko (330)
Mavinet has a chance to get back on their feet now.

Tamgu (79) vs. Juvencus (39)
Both teams really need the win here, as neither team performed well so far.

Pasarga (25) vs. Bliuji (99)
Pasarga should have an easy time here.

Eraman (63) vs. Valanora (15)
Two of the top teams in the standings will face of, and a win could be tremendously important for both teams.

Ottoman Syldavia (338) vs. Plane of Possibility (148)
Both teams are stuck in the middle of the standings, and both could really use a win.

Pangurstan will have their first bye.

South Newlandia (228) vs. The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)
The Elephants will be the mathematical favourites here, but you should never underestimate your opponents. The match will also be the first one played in Kinjestad, the biggest city outside of the South Newlandian mainland. The beautiful island is known for tourism, especially because of its beautiful beaches. The Kinjestad Soccer Arena can host up to 9000 people, making it the smallest of the South Newlandian stadiums for the qualifiers.