World Cup 85 || RP Thread

by **Blouman Empire** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:04 am

THE EMPIRE TIMES

What Lewis Parry Must Do To Move The Blouman Empire Forward

We’ve reached the half way point for the qualifiers and the Blouman Empire sits in 12th place out of 13 with only 1 win and 10 points. While they can still qualify for the World Cup provided they win the all matches in the second half of qualifiers and results elsewhere go their way it is certainly looking like it will not be a return to the World Cup this time. Though only the most ardent unrealistic supporters would’ve thought that possible. Both the FFB and the manager Lewis Parry said that this first foray back into international football would be stage one of re-establishing Blouman football in the international arena and would be happy with a mid table finish. Despite those ambitions it appears that unless thing change the Eagles will remain in the bottom two. The Empire Times have had a look at the good and the bad in the first half of qualifying and pointed out some things that should change

The Players

Luke Cousins: Cousins is showing why he is the right person to be the starting striker for the team. He has so far scored nine goals in the twelve games and probably could’ve scored more. Despite Oliver Eastall scoring on debut and giving himself a better goal per match ratio, Cousins continues to impress and must continue to be Parry’s 1st team pick.

Mat Fox: The 19 year old who hasn’t seen much action but has been impressive in the three games he has played for the Eagles. Fox is destined for greatness, something we could see in the domestic leagues but so far is showing that it will be the same on the international stage as well. Having scored a goal against Kandorith in his second game and been impressive in his other two Parry should be starting this defensive midfielder over John Miller who while has been up to the task has not consistently been impressive.

Ty Freltron: The weakest player in the midfield and has let his team down on a number of occasions. While Freltron has shown some good play his poor play and his inconsistency has been a decisive factor in many of the Eagles losses. Many commentators have wondered why Parry continues to stick with Freltron and continue to start him and questions must be asked if he is better playing domestically and not an international player. Games can be won and lost in the midfield and it is important that Parry chooses a player that will be strong for the entire 90 minutes.

Henry Polinoir: The goalkeeper while pulling off some marvellous saves has also let in an average of 2 goals per game and with the team’s ability to only score 1.5 goals per game it is no wonder we are so low on the table. With two other strong keepers in the squad, Parry should look to rotate and see if they can bring the ratio down.

The Manager

Lewis Parry has shown that he can turn the team around and continue to motivate them even when down. This was most recently shown when they came up against Equstria, despite being 3-0 down at half time Parry was able to motivate the team to keep pushing which allowed a goal to be scored. However, Parry must continue to look at changes, sticking to the same formation and generally the same starting line up every week has proven to be disastrous and only managing to beat one team so far. Should Parry not change his ways and fail to win more than two matches by the end of the qualifiers then it should fall to the FFB to make the changes at the top so that the team can adapt and perform better next qualifiers.

by **Flavovespia** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:23 am

South Maishop

The First Kit

67BU was the year South Maishop first played. Their kit was a simple navy blue top, with black shorts and socks, in the style of the era. Not a particularly complex look, nor exactly identical to the kits they currently wear either, although the navy blue is present in their current kits. They would wear these kits for around a decade or so, including in the first years of the Inter City Cup and the United Football League.

Celebrated Classic

South Maishop somewhat controversially switched to light blue with dark blue and white trim in 22BU, upon the creation of the United & Eastern Alliance. Not every kit of that era was popular, but their 15BU-14BU effort was. The double band was supposed to carry a sponsor logo, permitted in the United & Eastern Alliance (but not in the GWNFA leagues), however the deal fell through. Instead, the name of the team was displayed across the stripes. The font, although now an artefact of its time, created a kit with an iconic look to it, and has been voted a favourite by the fans.

Modern Marvel

Their 16AU to 17AU kit is the choice here. It was worn in a return to the Super League in which they came a brilliant 6th place, so could’ve fitted the “Colour of Success” as well. The kit is simple, with the navy and red stripes, but well executed. The white piping between the two stripes works well, and gives the kit a sophisticated yet somewhat old-school look. Extending the stripes onto the sleeves, not something the team always seem to have on their kits, may have been enough to put this kit over the winning line.

Colour of Success

7AU is the season of choice, the year they stunned the nation by winning the playoffs and a place in the Super League, for the first ever time. At the time it was considered a major upset, as they were one of the smaller sides in the second tier. The kit was a template design, as opposed to a bespoke design, South Maishop not at a time a team with a status high enough for a bespoke design by a supplier. The kit itself shows some of the trends of the time, a striped body that contains some unicolour panelling, broken up with a third trim colour. Maybe not quite one of the favourites in terms of design, but it will always be remembered by South Maishop, and maybe some neutrals, for the season they broke into the top tier for the first time ever

Fashion Disaster

10BU saw South Maishop play in this mess of a kit. This kit had a bizarre mismatch of different coloured vertical stripes, in a design absolutely nobody seemed to be asking for. It was considered bad at the time, it looked awful on TV given the resolution of the time, and hasn’t aged well since. Unfortunately this design concept made its way onto a fair number of kits in this era, as has been shown in this series. South Maishop now also had a sponsor logo, but that only added to the mess of this kit as it clashed. Very much a kit of the era, that most would like to forget about. Thankfully it only lasted one season.

by **Hampton Island** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:31 am

(Setting: Team meeting a couple days before second half begins against Bunkaiia)

Hannah Sanders: Alright, everyone, today we get back in the spirit of pre-game practice sessions because the second half of the qualifying is about to begin.

Clyde Benner: Got it, let’s go!

Hank Andrews: My leg has been cramping up a little. Doctor said I have been over-exerting myself playing full length soccer matches against world class younger opposition.

Edwin Conney: Well, you have.

Brianna Carter (assistant coach): Well don’t you worry (pulls out a sports cream from her duffle bag and holds it up to her face), with the new sports gel from Freestyle Mobility we can make all your cramps and leg pain go away for up to four hours at a time! (Offers a large smile)

Hannah Sanders: Brianna, you don’t have to act like a model all the time.

Brianna Carter: But its fun!

Roger Grant: What is that thing that pretty young lady was advertising?

Edwin Conney: That’s one of our new assistant coaches, remember.

Roger Grant: Oh yeah. Brittany, sorry.

Brianna Carter: Actually I am Brianna, that’s Brittany (points to twin sister).

Hank Andrews: Well if that stuff lasts four hours I should be good to go for the games.

Edwin Conney: This is when we got to rise up. Everyone expects us to fold in the second half because of our ages. We can’t let that happen, we got to this point, and can continue laughing in the face of father time if we do what we have been doing.

Hannah Sanders: Yeah and like we had some games in the first half were we squandered points, too. If we keep this up, I really think we can get one of those top two spots.

Clyde Benner: Keep doing what we are doing. What we have been doing is just going out there and having fun without giving ourselves extra pressure to qualify. Just because we are in the position to do so now, we cannot let the pressure take hold of us now.

Edwin Conney: Exactly, look, we’re all Hall of Famers. We’ve been through this before with the teams we played for in some capacity. We know how the pressure picks up in the second half when you get closer to the playoffs. It’s been a very long time since we have dealt with it, but we know what it is about. Stay focused, and stay with the plan.

Hank Andrews: I just hope I hold up. We’re all old, figuratively speaking, but some of us are older then others. The sports cream will help me but I don’t know how sore I am going to be after these games. These young pups on the other teams are going to be less nice to us going forward.

Roger Grant: They haven’t been that nice. Some of them are trying to kill us. We’re smarter though, then most of them.

Hannah Sanders: Well, you guys are doing great. I am really proud of you. You all just beat a team with robots on them like Valentine Z. That was pretty awesome.

Clyde Benner: They will be programmed to improve in the second half. Their names are crazy. Roger, how did you do with the Valentine Z names?

Roger Grant: I gave up and just looked at their numbers.

Hannah Sanders: So did I, actually.

Edwin Conney: They tried being too technical and precise, I thought. It’s how they were programmed, clearly. It’s not like NSSCRA that some of their players also participate in, where you get in a car and just drive it, taking the turns the same way. You have to adapt to different things, and think out there. They will be better, but not right now.

Brianna Carter: Well coach I say we begin practice!

Hannah Sanders: Let’s go!

by **Vdara** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:55 am

Oh, hello, here we go!

An out of form Vdara side were at home to high-ranking Kandorith. Although many of the players had absolutely no hope for this match, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś believed. In the dressing room, he was gearing up to say a big, long speech about how Vdara is a strong team and that they can absolutely do it. However, he found that he couldn’t be arsed to speak. Instead, he simply walked in and said:

“Hiya lads. Make sure not to lose out there today, alright? I’m still quite angry from the South Concepthuania game.”

This was a phrase that put many of the players on edge. Kandorith were a fantastic side with plenty of great players, and it was going to be hard to not lose badly, never mind get a draw. Plus, coming into a tough game following an embarrassing loss is not ideal circumstances to be in. However, no circumstances are ideal for Vdara. Having lost 5 of their opening 12 games, already, this was their chance to grab a fourth win and try and keep themselves up in the top half of the table.

The match report is as follows:

1: The referee has tooted his horn, and the players have started the match! Can Vdara snatch a draw against the mighty Kandorith or will they fall further down the table? Find out tonight!
7: Lazelis is making a lovely run through the defence, he’s one on one with Kiyotada... and he’s slotted it into the net! Vdara lead after 7 minutes, and what a well-earned lead it is!
9: Vdara have got the ball back from the Kandorese right at kickoff, and they’re going for another goal! It’s Chirstoforos Lazelis yet again, and he’s taken a shot from thirty yards out... which goes straight in! Absolutely beautiful! Curved fantastically, and boy, I’ve seen some curves in my lifetime!
18: Kandorith on the attack here, as Hayashi puts it forward to Katano. Katano has sidestepped Giannakos, he’s went right and... he hits it into the net! Kandorith cut the deficit in half as Vdara still lead 2-1!
27: Can Vdara make it 3-1 here as Fotellis is making a lovely run through, he’s made it through the defenders and... he’s missed it. Goal kick to Kandorith.
36: Vdara are still holding onto this lead well, as Xeniadis has dispossessed Hayashi. This is what a well oiled team looks like!
45: Well, that’s half time! I think Vdara have earned this lead, and I’m sure Væñøœrëñbérghüïś will think so too! I wonder what he’ll say to his players in the dressing room, I hear he can be a bit of a hot head.

“You were all f**king fantastic out there in that first half! I’m absolutely delighted with you all right now! I don’t know why I’m screaming this so loudly, but I feel like it’ll help us in the long run! Oh, also, do any of you want some Bolognade? I got some cheap from the Euroterra nearby. It may taste like fizzy pasta sauce, but I hear that it somehow improves performance. If you don’t want it, that’s fine. I’ll have it. Actually, Vangelis, I’ll be subbing you off for Kairakos in the 60th minute, unless you want off the pitch now?”

“You know what, I wouldn’t mind being subbed off the now, Lükækš. You hardly sub us off anyways, I’ve been getting quite tired.”

“Gah, you should’ve told me that earlier! Anyone else here quite tired?”

At this point, Matheios Pardakis and Anargyros Stamatelis both looked at the manager as if to say, ”Please just fucking sub me off, my legs went on Matchday 11”.

”Really? Right, erm, so we’ll make three substitutions. Nestoras, you’re coming on for Pardakis. Tryfon, you’re the captain for the second half. Hey, Miron, you’ll be coming on for Anargyros. And as I said earlier, Apollon, you’re coming on for Mavroglou. Sound good? Alrighty then! Let’s get back out there and get this W!”

46: Well, it looks like Vdara have made three changes, something quite rare! Let’s see, Apollon Kairakos has come on for Vangelis Mavroglou, Nestoras Galanatos has come on for the Matheios Pardakis, and Miron Demallis has come on for Anargyros Stamatelis. It looks like this is going to be both Kairakos’ and Demallis’ National team debut, too, which is good for them!
54: Well, I was about to say that Kandorith were on the attack, but Hayashi’s been dispossessed by the new boy, Kairakos. Go on, son!
63: Kairakos has the ball in the centre, and he’s put it to Demallis. Demallis passes it back to Galanatos, who lobs it forward to Lazelis, who tries to power through the defence and... he’s dispossessed by Masatake.
72: I must say, I’ve really enjoyed the performances by Kairakos and Galanatos in this second half, they’re really making a good impact on this game!
81: Kandorith are going forward for an equaliser here, and they could get it, as Masatake powers forward and passes it to Masatake... who scores a stunner to make this game equal! Lovely goal, and Vdara have to make these next 9 minutes count!
90: We’re nearing the end, and I think Kandorith and Vdara will be sharing the points today. Kairakos has the ball in the middle of the park, oh, hello, here we go, he’s running forward, he’s left Takahashi for dead and... he’s scored! In the final minute of play, Apollon Kairakos has scored on his debut! Remember the name, because Kandorese fans will! The home fans are going absolutely wild here at the VdarArena, as Kairakos runs over to Væñøœrëñbérghüïś and celebrates with him! It’s Vdara 3, Kandorith 2! The final whistle has blown, the players are all celebrating with Væñøœrëñbérghüïś, it’s a fantastic display of pride and joy all at once! Go on, Vdara!

Following the victory, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś was absolutely delighted. His team had just snatched a victory from the jaws of the game, and the young midfielder that is Kairakos had just scored on his debut. The big speech he had planned for before the game was about to come out in the dressing room.

”Wow, wow, wow! That was fucking SPECTACULAR! A fucking win? Against Kandorith? You must be joking! This isn’t real, is it? I better drink some bolognade to check!”

At this point, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś begins chugging a bottle of fizzy pasta sauce, while the players all stare in confusion.

”Errrr, Lükækš, are you okay?” asked Kairakos.

”Oh, Apollon, I’m better than okay. I’m the manager of the Vdaran National Team! Come on lads, let’s take this show over to Monglechabagd!

Vdara went on to win that match 3-1, with out-of-form striker Alexis Fotellis scoring all three goals. Next up is Lo Santano, who is famous on the Vdaran internet for resulting in this image being created:

Most fans are hoping for the win this time around, of course.

by **Audioslavia** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 10:08 am

Part 1 (Sue)
Part 2 (Sue)
Part 3 (Emanuel)
Part 4 (Sue)
Part 5 (Emanuel)
Part 6 (Emanuel)
Part 7 (Emanuel)
Part 8 (Emanuel)
Part 9 (Emanuel)

Emanuel arrived home and jumped into the shower, the memories of all those years ago put to one side as he rinsed the sweat and sand away. These runs made him achier than they ever used to, but that came with age. The alternative was being the size of a house. Emanuel was sprightlier than most men pushing fifty, especially among the types who came to the island, but that was all the more reason to keep going.

The memory of the day after the poker tournament returned later, sitting on his balcony watching the sun set.

The window was a distraction from the door. The old woman a distraction from Yusuf himself. The office a distraction from the printing room. Emanuel had checked the printing equipment again the day after and found that the infra-red writing had been a distraction from the real ploy.

The pattern on the back of the cards was an intricate pale gold fractal on a royal blue background. Naturally, every card was supposed to be printed the same as all the others, but a close inspection revealed something alarming on the top left and bottom right of each card, just below or above the bar’s logo. If you knew what to look for you could see a pattern in the negative space between the loops of the fractal. It basically amounted to sixteen small dots, eight around the edge and four in the middle. On one card, the six of spades, the bottom-most of the ring of eight dots of negative space was a slightly lighter shade of blue. If you could read a clock, you could read the pattern here. The bottom dot corresponded to a 6 on a clock. Of the four central dots, arranged in a rough diamond shape, the top-most was also lighter blue. Reading them clockwise, ‘spades’ would be at the top, hearts on the right, clubs on the bottom and diamonds on the left. On every card out of the fifty-two, the dot corresponding to the right number of suit was in a lighter blue. The cards were, indeed, marked. The infra-red markings had been a red-herring. The old lady had used them, sure, but then they were only meant to be used once.

Emanuel had checked the digital program that ran the printer and found that it was almost exactly 52 times bigger than it should have been. Yusuf must have amended the file when he’d broken in that night.

The sun set over the horizon, and the sky faded to black quickly, as it does when you get close to the equator. The sun’s dim orange glow was replaced by the flickering ochre of the street lights around the town.

Emanuel opened his phone again and looked at the email Sue Dysos had sent him. The man who had done a series of heists. Burglar extraordinaire. Handsome. Charming. Agile. Brilliant. A magician. A crime around 40 years old, going on Karditani time. 80 for Audioslavians. 7 if you’d spent that time on Calorborne. The name he’d been given, way back, but until recently not known to the public, had been Yusuf Naid.

It had to be him.

Though it had been a few years now since Yusuf had pulled those tricks on him for the poker tournament, Emanuel reckoned he owed this magician a visit.

—

Shoogly Peg
Sean’s Job Hangs by Thread as Bulls Stumble into Break

Once again, Audioslavia lost the first of a double-header of matches by one goal to nil.

Once again, Patterick couldn’t be sacked between the two games in order to prevent a disorganized group of players from floundering in the second of the two games.

Once again, an improved performance in the second match put enough doubts in the FFA’s mind to stop them sacking the manager.

Audioslavia go into the halfway stage of the qualifiers barely fulfilling their own targets. Patterick’s remit was to get his side into at least second place after twelve games. Audioslavia do, indeed, lie in second, but the gap between the Bulls and third, or even fifth place, is razor thin. From Sajnur to Jeckland there are four teams who are in with a shout of usurping the Bulls, while the Eel-cats of Turori are safe and sound a whopping fourteen points clear of the pack.

Return matches with TJUN-ia and a determined New Lusitania await. Defeat in one or both of those games could not only cost Patterick his job, but could seriously undermine any chance Audioslavia had of qualifying for the World Cup.

It’s been exactly eighty cycles since Audioslavia failed to qualify for a World Cup while being the first or second seeds in their group. Eighty. Failure here would be unprecedented in the lifetimes of your extended family, let alone those of you and your fellow fans suffering through each of Audioslavia’s matches this cycle.

Despite his 5-5-0 very predictably yielding zero goals and zero bite in the dire defeat to N&N, Patterick is continuing to stand by his formation. Since Skidoomacher’s winner against Sajnur he hasn’t even bothered to bring on one of the three strikers he brings with him to every game, which has visibly annoyed the frustrated trio of Lagrange, Rosel and Zozaia, each of whom could have been turned into a fan favourite by now if only they’d been given game time.

Patterick’s inability to get the Bull charging forward may be the end of him. Around the country, the nation is paying more attention to the host vote of the Cup of Harmony than they ordinarily would.

Patterick's line-ups for the trip to TJUN-ia and the visit of New Lusitania is expected to be the same BS as last time. They say if you throw enough shit at wall, some of it will stick. Aye, but maybe consider changing your material to something more sticky and less smelly.

by **Banija** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:56 am

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Also see recent Siovanija & Teusland post as immediate prelude

Part VIII

Setting is the Banijan Ministry of Defense

There had been quite a bit of debate within the cabinet of where they should hold this next part of their meeting. The original plan was in the National Security room at the Katikkiro's residence- that would seem to make sense. There was an issue though- the Kabaka almost never attended meetings at the Katikkiro's residence. Separation of powers sort of thing- there was no constitutional ban against it, but Mwanga was a stickler for tradition. He said the meeting would be held at the Katikkiro's residence only if 'absolutely necessary'- which if the Kabaka himself said that, essentially ruled it out.

Mujaguzo Palace was briefly brought up as a good venue to hold the meeting, but then it was ruled out. Meetings of the National Security Council typically did not take place at Mujaguzo Palace. The Katikkiro himself thought that considering the nature of these talks, the nature of the Palace would not do well for their purposes. And plus, he wanted to keep everything top secret. Simply because it's the Palace, journalists everywhere, it wouldn't be a good idea. And so they had chosen probably the most secure place in Busukuma- the National Security Council annex at the Ministry of Defense building.

An underground annex, that was almost 50 years old. It was where the day-to-day of the National Security Council happened, and where the staffers normally worked. The place, of course, had to be cleaned up in preparation for their guests from the South. And it was, naturally, sparkling. This was to be a 9 AM local meeting. The Katikkiro didn't have coffee for his counterparts, this being Banija and all that. They had their assortment of drinks out, however, while the Katikkiro sipped on some Cocoa-bo. By the time 9 AM had hit, everybody was there on time, and the meeting was ready to start.

Simply the people in the room showed the value that both sides placed on the day's meeting. Kobe Azizi, the Katikkiro was there leading the Banijan side. Kabaka Mwanga was there. Isebantu Mutungi was there. The Minister of Defense was there. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was in the room. Air Marshal Kawsu Camara, who had been tapped to lead the Banijan nuclear weapons program, was in the room. And, of course, one of Banija's leading nuclear scientists was in the room.

"Thank you all for coming." Said Kabaka Mwanga. "We all made great progress yesterday. Now, of course, today we'll jump into the real meat of this visit. The Banijan nuclear decision. We hope, after this meeting, we can establish a basis for cooperation between Siovanija & Teusland, and Banija on this issue. We thank you, Chancellor Meier, for you and your country's dedication to the relationships. After this meeting, we hope that everybody is up to speed on where we are, and what our plans are going forward for the future, as well as establishing cooperation between our countries for those plans."

After a brief pause, The Kabaka looked at Kobe Azizi, and nodded. "Well, let's jump right in."

The Katikkiro rose, and started speaking. "So as everyone here knows, the Lukiiko has recently passed legislation repealing Banija's unilateral nuclear-free zone. The nuclear-free aspect of the zone was total- not only did it ban weapons, but it even banned the peaceful production of nuclear energy on Banijan soil. But the government, and the Lukiiko, have decided that it is high time we got past that outdated legislation, and we will fully pursue all uses of nuclear energy. First, let us talk about where we are. Marshal Camara?"

Air Marshal Kawsu Camara stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Azizi. Right now, we obviously have not made very much progress. It is a closely guarded state secret within Banija that, in the far northeast of our country, right where Banija, Timuria, and Geisenfred meet, there are uranium deposits. Not even public within Banija- that is classified information. We've never actually explored the size of these deposits, due to our country being a nuclear-free zone. There was no point in spending tax dollars on that mission."

"But now, we are here. The first question, of course, is how much uranium do we have?. After some preliminary exploration, we believe there are somewhere around 3,500 to 5,000 tonnes of uranium within our fields. Of course, these are softer numbers, moreso in preparation- which is why we have such a large range. But just so there is an idea of how much Uranium lies within Banija. Now, here, of course, is where we believe partnership can be achieved between our countries."

"The first thing that will need to happen, is the enrichment of uranium. These reserves we have in the northeast are essentially untapped- none of it is enriched. It will be fairly easy to reach energy-grade nuclear power- but to get to weapons grade, of course, is a whole different story. Everybody in here knows U-235 is only about 0.7% of naturally occurring uranium. And we need to get it to weapons-grade, all the way to 90%. For Banija to do this process by itself, would take quite a while, probably beyond the length of a single term of this government. We believe that help and assitance in the enrichment process would do wonders. Banija, of course, can fund the process, but Siovanijan & Teuslander expertise in helping us get the centrifuges up and running properly, to start the process towards achieving weapons-grade uranium."

"After that, of course, the next big thing to do will be to figure out a delivery process. At this stage in time, we believe any potential delivery via the sea would not work for us. We would, of course, want the ability to be able to deliver both from the air, and from the ground. Siovanijan & Teuslander assistance, once again, would be suggested here as well. Helping us with the ability to establish and build serious long-range ICBMs, would allow this program to be able to get off of its feet and be successful."
/
The Air Marshal then sat down. The Kabaka then stood. "We realize that was quite a bit of information for you. We'll call for 10, everyone? Help yourself out to some snacks on the table." And both sides started to discuss among themselves during the short break.

by **Kandorith** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:58 am

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

Shocking Defeat Leads To Disappointment

*  Group 11                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Equestria                              12   10   2   0    39   17  +22    32
 2 HUElavia                               12    9   0   3    37   26  +11    27
 3 Xanneria                               12    7   4   1    32   21  +11    25
 4 Kandorith                              12    6   3   3    29   22   +7    21
 5 Vdara                                  12    5   2   5    26   27   −1    17
 6 Fujai                                  12    3   5   4    17   23   −6    14
 7 Jamestownnnn                           12    4   1   7    23   31   −8    13
 8 Nooooooooooooooo                       12    3   3   6    22   25   −3    12
 9 Lo Santano                             12    2   6   4    21   27   −6    12
10 Ancherion                              12    2   5   5    22   25   −3    11
11 South Concepthuania                    12    3   2   7    20   28   −8    11
12 Blouman Empire                         12    2   4   6    18   25   −7    10
13 Monglechabagd                          12    2   3   7    21   30   −9     9

A shocking defeat for Hayabusa's team as Kandorith once again did not manage to live up to the expectations. It is starting to look like the team cracks under pressure more often than knows how to perform when it truly matters. The defeat being a vital one as now the Lotus Warriors are losing their sights on the top three. Another defeat for Kandorith will spell certain disaster and an end to their recent positive run. No matter how much the players on the field tried to keep their composure, the team seemed to crack under sheer pressure. Hayabusa has already promised to make some changes to the lineup and training schedules for the upcoming matches to ensure this result will not be repeated ever again.

With the second stage of the qualification campaign set, winning will be vital in every match for the Kandorese team from now on. Drawing against the top three would be preferred at least. The chances are starting t o become very slim and even the numbers five and six are now gaining on the Kandorese. Hayabusa is ensuring great results in the upcoming matches but once again, the fans are starting to become a little bit sceptical, if not; annoyed.

by **Port Ember** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:59 am

Port Emberian Times

The Road to World Cup 85 Edition

A LOOK BACK AT THE FIRST HALF OF THE QUALIFIER SEASON

It would appear that the critics of the Port Ember Football Association (PEFA) has been forced to eat their words after a string of successes by the national team during the World Cup 85 Qualification Season.

PEFA and its national team has come under constant fire from critics and the public alike during the past few weeks after living through some pretty controversial times, coupled with some even more controversial decisions. Let's break down what happened to the team during this season:

- Rumours emerging from a source within the national team claimed that the players have lost all sense of discipline and has been pitching up for practice sessions drunk and high, as well as missing sessions. Chief among those accused is none other than team captain, Ray Reddington. These rumours are published in tabloids and social media far and wide, much to the anger of fans.

- Rumours emerging from a source within the national team claimed that the abuse of alcohol, drugs and prostitution by the players have now started affecting match performance, as some players were still under the influence during matches. This was contributed directly to the losses against Mattijana and Quakmybush, teams which should have easily been won by the Dragons. These rumours are published in tabloids and social media far and wide, much to the anger of fans.

- Tabloids captures and publishes footage and pictures of team players (notably again Reddington) arguing and fighting physically in nightclubs against fellow teammates. These pictures and footage are published in tabloids and social media far and wide, much to the anger of fans.

- Players (again noting Reddington specifically) are caught on international tv physically fighting one another after a match.

- Raymond Reddington is murdered violently in a local coffee cafe by teammate reserve midfielder Frazer Murray. Frazer is arrested on charges of murder.

- Legendary Coach & Team Manager Stuart Baxter resigns with immediate effect once the news of Reddington's murder surfaced. This is the man who established the national team from scratch and have led it for the past eight years.

- PEFA announces the appointment of the new Head Coach & Manager - Kent Block. This former Special Forces operator is a complete enigma and next to nothing is known of his personal life. Furthermore he has never coached professionally before - his only experience in coaching being the head coach of a local military team. This seems to be the last straw which the public is willing to accept, critics and fans alike publicly calls for the sacking of PEFA Chairman Peter White and new Coach, Kent Block.

Now with public opinion being at an all time low, the young Dragons seems to have silenced critics with two back to back impressive victories, seemingly changing their dark fate almost overnight.

At the end of Match Day 10, Port Ember was placed on the 8th spot of Group 08, with no signs of hope for the immediate future. However the team - led by the publicly hated Kent Block - started their comeback campaign by defeating the Cheergirls squad 0-1. They then continued by storming Match Day 12 and achieved their absolute best result in their history when they broke the backs of Vlasisitan with a shocking result of 6-0. They followed up this amazing result with another excellent victory over Devonta in Match Day 13 with a 3-5 final score. These results have propelled the team from a struggling 8th spot - to third place on the group table, trailing only 1 point behind heavyweights Ko-oren.

After these three consecutive results, it appears that the critics and nay sayers needs to do some introspection as it appears our team remains clutching to a bright future.

Season Review

As we have come to the end of the first half of the Qualification Season, let us have a look at the past games our national team partook in, and the prospects of the future.

Previous Matches of the WCQ85

Matchday 1: Port Ember 1–0 Daskel. The very first match of the Qualifiers indicated struggling times ahead. Although we won this match, our team struggled way more than we should have against this specific opponent.

Matchday 2: Mattijana 3–2 Port Ember. The first loss of the season and a very unsatisfying result in general. Analysts determined a landslide victory four our team yet squandered it totally. After this match the first rumours were spread that the players played the game whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Matchday 3: Port Ember 6–1 Indusse. Although the match was expected to end in a victory for Port Ember, it was done in an overly spectacular fashion, providing a glimpse of the team during its peak.

Matchday 4: Tequilo 1–1 Port Ember. Another disappointing result, especially due to the results of the previous match day. The Port Emberians were expected to win but only managed to barely draw against a supposedly weaker team.

Matchday 5: Port Ember 2–3 Quakmybush. Drunk and high players on the pitch once again led to a terrible loss against a weaker opponent.

Matchday 6: Petroslovania 1–0 Port Ember. This loss saw the worst of the team, with the Port Emberians swearing, shouting and full out brawling on the pitch. The team played with the teamwork skills and coordination of a riot.

Matchday 7: Port Ember 2–1 Atheist Democratic Freehold. Again, although grabbing a victory here, they did so in a very unsatisfying manner, still refusing to work as a team. The individual skills of a few select selfish players grabbed a win instead of the normal chemistry.

Matchday 8: Ko-oren 1–1 Port Ember. Again a individual game of skill, showing absolutely zero teamwork. Many analysts suggests our national team could have picked up a win if they actually worked as a team. This is also the last match Ray Reddington played in before being murdered by Frazer Murray.

Matchday 9: Bye Day

Matchday 10: Port Ember 3–7 The Holy Empire. Although the national team suffered a massive defeat against the strongest team in the group, one can not really blame the team. This match was played one day after the murder of their teammate and Captain Ray Reddington by fellow teammate Frazer Murray- and the subsequent resignation of their lifelong coach.

Matchday 11: Cheergirls 0–1 Port Ember. The first match played under the helmet of the new team manager Kent Block. The team suffered massive criticism from the media and fans alike due to the appointment of Kent, yet they pulled off this victory despite losing support back home. Not an impressive victory, though a victory nonetheless.

Matchday 12: Port Ember 6–0 Vlasisitan. For the first time in the entire season the young Dragons displayed a unified front and played with the legendary teamwork and chemistry which made them famous in the first place - subsequently having a picnic with their opponents.

Matchday 13: Devonta 3–5 Port Ember. Again playing with the teamwork and chemistry of old, putting up a solid unified front - being absolutely unstoppable.

Although the team has had an extremely turbulent season, rife with ill discipline, controversy and tragedy, the team seems renewed and on top form under the leadership of a man who has zero experience in managing a professional squad. Will this fizzle out soon or is it here to last?

A Look at the upcoming matches

Matchday 14: Daskel vs Port Ember. Daskel remains a weaker team on paper, and have allready lost against us this season. If we can maintain our current form - we will probably rack up a massive score here.

Matchday 15: Port Ember vs Mattijana. Although our team lost against them this season, we should be able to taste sweet (and a large score to boot) if we maintain our current form.

Matchday 16: Indusse vs Port Ember. We allready bested them 6-1 in our previous encounter - whilst being on terrible form. I see no reason why this won't happen again.

Matchday 17: Port Ember vs Tequilo. Our team needs to exact revenge for drawing against them previously and I believe more than surely that it will happen.

Matchday 18: Quakmybush vs Port Ember. If we manage to keep our players sober and working as a team, revenge will be sweet.

Matchday 19: Port Ember vs Petroslovania. Again, if we manage to keep our players sober and manage to keep them from beating each other up on the pitch, the 3 points can be ours easily.

Matchday 20: Atheist Democratic Freehold vs Port Ember. Simple stuff really - maintain current form - take the win. Again.

Matchday 21: Port Ember vs Ko-oren. We managed to draw against the second strongest team during a terrible time in their lives. We might even pull off a win if we stick to our current form.

Matchday 22: Bye Day

Matchday 23: The Holy Empire vs Port Ember. I dont think we can beat this giants at the moment. They are the mighty.

Matchday 24: Port Ember vs Cheergirls. We managed to beat them just, but I think we have pegged their unorthodox system. This one is in the bag.

Matchday 25: Vlasisitan vs Port Ember. We beat them 6-0. Enough said.

Matchday 26: Port Ember vs Daskel. We beat them 3-5. We can do even better when it's our closing match and at home to boot.

Overall, although we have underwent the most difficult time in our teams career, we are not far behind Ko-oren who is in second place on the ladder. As we can see from the predictions, we still stand an excellent chance to qualify for the World Cup proper.

Article By Erica Davies
Port Ember Times

Port Emberian Times

FRAZER MURRAY PLEADS GUILTY FOR MURDER

Mister Frazer Murray, former professional football player of the Port Ember National Football Team has pleaded guilty for the murder of former teammate Ray Reddington this Friday during court proceedings in the Supreme Court in the capital.

Mister Murray was arrested on the scene after stabbing his teammate and team captain Ray Reddington repeatedly to death during a physical confrontation between the two footballers inside a local coffee cafe last month.

The court proceedings has been postponed until next week for the sentencing hearing. It is rumored that the state will be pushing for the death penalty.

Article By John Roberts
Port Ember Times

by **Busoga Islands** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 12:32 pm

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

Fight to the Finish? Unfancied Busoga Islands squad looks to start off strong as World Cup 85 Qualifying begins again

Busoga Islander players do a military salute celebrating a goal during World Cup Qualifying

LAKISKA, SOUTH ISLAND- Halfway through World Cup Qualifying, and things, admittedly, aren't looking too hot for the Busoga Islander. It's interesting, because after Matchday 11, things were looking great for our squad. Group 2 seemed destined to have a photo finish at the end. The teams within the group were certainly set up for a fight to the finish. After 11 matchdays, Kita-Hinode had 8 wins and 2 draws(one against us!), to take a 6 point lead atop the table. The only team in the group that hasn't lost. We'll also spare you the suspense- they won their last two Qualifiers of the first half, taking 32 points into the midway break. It will be extremely difficult for any team within the group to catch this side that hasn't yet lost a match.

But it was the group's 2nd World Cup Qualification spot that made things extremely interesting. Who else from Group 2 would join Kita-Hinode in World Cup 85? After 11 matchdays, there was a 3 way tie for 2nd place. Drawkland, who has been to multiple World Cups, had 20 points. Kohnhead, who hasn't been to one, was there. And we, of course, were there as well. All 3 nations had 20 points. The Squornshelous Remnant States, who have won it, were one point behind, with 19. Four teams seperated by a point, with this many matchdays left? You either needed some sort of separation to happen, or carnage would eventually happen.

The last two matchdays of the 1st half of Qualifying were telling. Nobody's eliminated- everyone's got too many matches left, out of those 4 aforementioned sides, to be considered eliminated. Especially since we all have to play each other one more time. But they were not good games if you were fans of this national team. The first game, Matchday 12, we played host to Lochario, whose new head coach, Michael Sallindy, would be making his debut. Also in Atlantian Oceania. Now, our own national team was riding on a high, coming off an easy 3-0 victory away from home, against EGM. EGM was the worst team in the group. Lochario wasn't much better, however. They had entered the match in Dukuma with just 7 points from their first 10 matchdays. In 11th place out of 13. And yet, pulled off the upset win on the North Island.

It was a wholly disappointing effort for the Busoga Islands. Bethany Donnell after the match simply told reporters that she 'expected better' from the squad. The offense has traditionally been a challenge for the Busoga Islands, but at least in this Qualification, that hasn't happened. But it did happen on this Matchday. Their final home game in Dukuma before they move to Lakiska for the second half of Qualifying was utterly disappointing. The passes were sloppy. The runs were unimaginative. While we had the lion's share of possesion, we could not do anything to truly test the keeper. So in the 50th minute, when a sloppy pass out of the back by Mohammed Gassama was stolen and buried in the back of the net, it was almost like it was deserved. Statistically, a loss was harsh. But if you watched Busoga play? Nobody could argue we deserved much of anything out of that one. But Lochario were celebrating, as they got the new boss man all 3 points in his first ever game.

Not a good match. In a group this tight, dropping points at home against the group weaker sides could mean the difference between heading to World Cup 85, and attending the Cup of Harmony. Their next match was a visit to Torisakia. This is the same Torisakia side, of course, that leveled Banija, 3-0, in the opening game of AOCAF LX. Torisakia fans even cheered the banner that Islander fans brought, that listed the score of that game. Always gotta troll your rivals, eh? But the Islanders could not earn more than a point. Now, this was always going to be a tough one- a road match against a mid-table team. But we had dropped all points in a game the previous matchday where, on paper, we really should've had 3. But we could not hold leads against Torisakia, as twice, we took one goal leads, and twice, Torisakia leveled.

The result was fair on the balance- neither team outplayed the other. Splitting the spoils was the just result. And now, that puts us 5 points behind Drawkland. Are we out of this race? I would put an emphatic no on that. We have 12 matches left across 13 matchdays- plenty of time to make up a 5 point gap. But it all starts with one small step. Our first two games back from the Mid-Qualification break will be two teams we beat in the first half of Qualifying. It'll be an away match against Balaslandia, and then a home match against Wreckeria. We want at least 4 points from those matches- although, in the first half of Qualifying, when the venues were flipped, we took all 6 points.

Don't think too big! Just take it a game at a time. Or, in this case, two games at a time. It's still too early to worry about what other teams are doing. Everyone will slip up. There will be opportunities to move up the table. What we gotta do, is take advantage of the opportunities in front of us. We got an away game coming up. Then a home game against Wreckeria. Focus there. Get your points, and then we'll deal with the table and our next opponents later.

by **Eraman** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 12:47 pm

CHAPTER 8
VALANORA

The last time Eraman played in Mitra National Stadium, they were the away side against a sovereign Mitra and Soma. This time around, the Eraman national team was headed to Mitra National Stadium as the home side. Their opponent was a far superior side, 5-time World Cup champion, Valanora.

However, the historic match was submerged in the current political turmoil.

Wherever you went in Eraman, be it at home, in coffee shops or at work, everyone was talking about the current political issue rather than the arrival of Valanora or the first Eraman's home match in Mitra and Soma. This includes social media sites, whether, on Chirper or Facefile, political topics attract more attention than the historic match.

Obviously, Valanora is the stronger side between the two. But Tun Sengalang Petara's boys would not give Valanora an easy ride. Playing in front of a capacity crowd, albeit in an 8,000 seat stadium, Eraman started the game energetically and adventurously with both the full-backs not afraid to leave their position to support the attack.

It was Valanora who get the first clear-cut chance in the 21st minute through a free header from inside the penalty box by Harlem Saxstrom. However, Dundang Bayan was fast enough to punch the ball for a corner kick.

The Marauders kept trying to open the Eramanian defence but a mistake at the back was punished by the pacy inside forward, Kilat Saputra to cheer the new Eramanians on the stand.

The goal in the 38th minute was caused by a mistake from Matheo Dybvik who failed to clear the ball cleanly from a dangerous position. The ball felt to Kilat Saputra who was unmarked. A clean strike from the forward beat the Vanorian goalkeeper, Sean Smordal. It was the only shot on target for Eraman in the match.

Shocked by the goal, Valanora tried to regroup in the second half with a much more threatening attack.

The Vanorians best chance in the game came at the 63rd minute when goalkeeper, Dundang Bayan failed to get any touch on the ball from a corner kick. Harlem Saxstrom again managed to get his head on the ball for a shot on target but was cleared on the line by Badang Gangsa.

Valanora launched attack after attack on Eraman goal but the home team started to play aggressively and commit tactical foul after tactical foul. It was a shocker how Eraman managed to finish the game with 11-men.

The solitary goal by Kilat Saputra and the aggressive defensive play handed Eraman a sweet victory in their newly acquired territory against the 5-time World Cup champion, Valanora. With the win, Eraman managed to climb up the table to third place, a point behind group leader Valanora and tied with second-placed, Pasarga.

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:29 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Soccer
South Newlandia picks bad time to play bad soccer

A lot of things happened since our last report, and a lot more will happen before the next one. The fun (although not for the Elephants) started with the games of matchday 12, when South Newlandia visited Mavinet, the side that stopped the Elephants from getting to the semi-finals of the Baptsim of Fire. In front of 50000 people in the Thang Long Stadium, the Elephants received their biggest defeat in their history, getting humiliated by a strong Mavinetian side.

Mavinet 4-0 South Newlandia

So far, for all of the defeats South Newlandia had suffered, there were reasonable causes. But this time, there was really no excuse to get destroyed like this against Mavinet. A good rematch for the BoF has to be postponed to matchday 25, when Mavinet will visit the Elephants at Jecken Arena in Newport.

When we look at why the Elephants lost the game, the primary reason is obvious enough. In the 13th minute, the Elephants ran into a counter attack against the Water Buffaloes. Tranh Hai was rushing toward Mikhail Trischuk, and Manuel O’Neill was the last available defender. He tried a tackle, but he came way too late, hitting only Tranh Hai’s legs only. He fell in the penalty box, and the referee wasted no time deciding on a red card for O’Neill and a penalty for Mavinet.

In the 15th minute, Tranh Hoang took the penalty. He had already scored a penalty against Mikhail Trischuk in the BoF-shootout, and he scored this one too. The ball went into the bottom-left corner, and Trischuk had no chance. With that, Mavinet was up by one both on the field and in the score, and the Elephants were going to have to put in a lot of work to change this.

After this, Mavinet was in control of the match. Pushed by their own fans, they took the decimated South Newlandian defense apart. In the 27th minute, they came close to scoring the second goal, but a good save by Trischuk after a shot by Quang Khai held the Elephants in the game.
The Elephants’ only good chance happened in the 34th minute. Patrick McMora had the ball on the right side, and he got a good flank to Bjorn Cohen in. Cohen tried his luck with a header, but the Mavinetian goalkeeper Hoang Trung saved the ball with ease.

In stoppage time of the first half, Mavinet got the second goal to practically seal the deal already. Tranh Hoang scored this goal as well, this time after a corner by Huu Nghia.

It was half-time now, and the Elephants were looking like they would take the second defeat in this World Cup Qualifiers. Coach Robert Wolverine decided to go all-in, getting Abdurahman Bishop and Ricardo Rayner in the game for Kevin Mohamed and Tommy Anderson. South Newlandia was now playing in an incredible 2-4-3 formation.

To say that that didn’t work would be an understatement. The Elephants gained little in offensive power, and the Water Buffaloes’ grip on the game grew even stronger. It didn’t take long for the 3rd goal to happen, as Hoang Minh got a shot in from a distance. Raphael Moreno was blocking Trischuk’s sight, and he could see the ball only when it was too late. With that, Mavinet was up by 3 after 50 minutes.

In the 59th minute, Mavinet scored another goal. Mavinet had received another penalty after a foul by Dhruv Roy, how acted rather clumsy in single combat with Tien Linh. Tranh Hoang scored this penalty as well, this time sending the ball in the upper-left. Trischuk got close to the ball this time, but couldn’t prevent Tranh Hoang from scoring a hat-trick.

Mavinet played the rest of the game without a lot of effort to score even more goals, instead focusing on denying the Elephants from any comeback chances. The only solid chance for the Elephants was a direct free-kick by Finnley Wallis that hit the crossbar in the 79th minute.

With that, the Water Buffaloes won 4-0 against the Elephants. The Elephants and Robert Wolverine will have to try to fix the problems, as South Newlandia has a hard schedule ahead. The next matches in the qualifiers are in Tamgu, against Pasarga and in Eraman. If the Elephants want to keep any shot at qualifying, they will have to play some better soccer soon.

Player Rankings

Mikhail Trischuk (GK, Captain) 4
No goalkeeper wants to concede 4 goals.

Dhruv Roy (LB) 5

Manuel O’Neill (LCB) –
He went unranked because he played less than 15 minutes.

Tommy Anderson (RCB) 6

Raphael Moreno (RB) 5
The entire defense had a horrible day.

Kevin Mohamed (DM) 5

Donald Lancaster (LM) 6

Patrick McMora (RM) 6

Finnley Wallis (OM) 7
He was the only player who seemed to put any effort at least.

Brandon Irving (ST) 4
He has rarely been more harmless before.

Bjorn Cohen (ST) 6

Abdurahman Bishop (OM) 5
He couldn’t help either.

Ricardo Rayner (ST) 5
Neither could he.

Results from Matchday 12, Group 13

Bliuji (99) 2-3 Plane of Possibility (148)
The Planers continue over performing while Bliuji is in free fall.

Juvencus (39) 0-1 Ottoman Syldavia (338)
Juvencus couldn’t win this game either. Ottoman Syldavia won their first game since matchday 4.

The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) 1-1 Eraman (63)
Eraman also lost 2 points in a doable encounter.

Kuriko (330) 5-4 Pasarga (25)
Pasarga surprisingly lost a 9 goal game in Kuriko.

Pangurstan (311) 6-3 Tamgu (79)
Tamgu surprisingly lost a 9 goal game in Pangurstan.

Mavinet (218) 4-0 South Newlandia (228)
Valanora was catching up on their bye day.

Results from Matchday 13, Group 13

Tamgu (79) 2-0 Mavinet (218)
After the win against South Newlandia, Mavinet instantly lost to Tamgu.

Pasarga (25) 1-1 Pangurstan (311)
Pasarga failed to win this game as well, and take only a single point from two easy matchups.

Eraman (63) 1-0 Kuriko (330)
Eraman got a necessary win to climb into 3rd place.

Ottoman Syldavia (338) 0-0 The Kitler Peninsulae (UR)
This helps neither team.

Plane of Possibility (148) 2-0 Juvencus (39)
The Planers surprised us with 6 points out of the two games, while Juvencus surprises us with no points.

Valanora (15) 4-1 Bliuji (99)
Valanora got the expected win against Bliuji, who also remain on 0 points from the two games.

Just as Valanora, South Newlandia played only one game in the timeframe, as they caught up with their bye day as well.

South Newlandia invites Jeckland

In order to spend the time between the 13th and 14th matchday, South Newlandian officials had decided to play a friendly in the time between. The match would be scheduled in Jecken Arena, and what country would fit better than to invite Jeckland. The currently unranked side also over performing in their group, and the matchup was seen as an interesting one.

South Newlandia 1-1 Jeckland

So far, South Newlandia had never lost a single game at home. The specific game in Jecken Arena was a win, 4-3 against Tamgu.
South Newlandia played the following formation:

Trischuk (C) – Pit, Anderson, Meyer, Moreno – Mohamed, Lancaster, McMora, Abdurahman – Irving, Rayner

For the game against the Spuds, Robert Wolverine was trying out some different players, including Karl Meyer and Marcos Pit. Ricardo Rayner and Abdurahman Bishop were in the starting eleven as well.

The match was fairly equal throughout, with both sides putting up a solid fight in a fair game.

South Newlandia had a first chance in the 25th minute, when Brandon Irving missed a good shot. Carter Clemens caught the shot without big problems.

The Spuds had their biggest chance of the first half in the 38th minute. Cyprian Stack made a good shot, but Trischuk made an even better save.

In the second half, the Spuds went ahead. This time, Cyprian Stack didn’t miss, and brought Jeckland the lead in the 63rd minute.

South Newlandia equalized in the 81st minute. Brandon Irving scored after a nice pass from Patrick McMora.

In total, a draw was a fair result. With all the changes made, the result can be seen as a success for the Elephants.

Current standings

Group 13                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora                               12    8   2   2    25   10  +15    26
 2 Pasarga                                12    7   2   3    31   18  +13    23
 3 Eraman                                 12    6   4   2    19   13   +6    22
 4 South Newlandia                        12    5   5   2    20   19   +1    20
 5 Plane of Possibility                   12    5   3   4    21   21    0    18
 6 Mavinet                                12    5   2   5    32   28   +4    17
 7 Tamgu                                  12    5   2   5    24   23   +1    17
 8 Pangurstan                             12    4   3   5    26   26    0    15
 9 Ottoman Syldavia                       12    4   2   6    12   15   −3    14
10 Juvencus                               12    3   3   6    26   29   −3    12
11 The Kytler Peninsulae                  12    3   3   6    17   32  −15    12
12 Bliuji                                 12    3   2   7    27   32   −5    11
13 Kuriko                                 12    3   1   8    17   31  −14    10

The halfway analysis

South Newlandia has been seriously over performing for the bigger part of the first 12 matchdays. Some foreign media even went as far as naming South Newlandia as one of the biggest over performers of the competition so far. As the Elephants are only three points behind the qualifying spots, we have to ask ourselves if South Newlandia might even have a chance for the world cup finals. According to experts, no, they do not. We have to consider the performance so far mostly a fluke. Repeats of these great results are more than unlikely, and 4th place is already a great result for a pot 9 team. If anything, the Elephants have to prove their ambitions in the next few games. The schedule doesn’t seem promising, as the 3 first games will be against top pots only. If they can perfoem in these games, and maybe cut some of the draws against weaker teams out, things might be happening.
Otherwise, Group 13 has been quite exciting. While Valanora and Pasarga are no surprises in the first two spots, and Eraman in third isn’t a huge surprise either, other teams differ from their expectations. South Newlandia is notably strong, but so are Mavinet and Plane of Possibility. The Planers are currently 5th, which is a surprising result. Pangurstan in 8th is also doing better than expected. On the other side of the coin, Bliuji and Tamgu and Kuriko certainly expected more. Juvencus is also far from their expectations. The 3rd seed is currently in 10th.

Starters for Tamgu and Pasarga
Robert Wolverine has announced that he would play the exact same team for both games, no matter what.

The squad itself is changed on a few positions. Marcos Pit and Jack Schroeder return to the starting eleven, replacing Dhruv Roy and Manuel O’Neill, who will miss both games because of his red card.
Faisal Harworth will receive the start in defensive midfield, replacing Kevin Mohamed. Otherwise, the squad remains the same, but mostly due to a lack of better options. With three key players (O’Neill, Green, McCabe) missing, the squad appears visibly weakened. The Elephants will have to put in 110% in the next games to have any chance at all.

Schedule for Group 13, Matchdays 14 and 15

Matchday 14

Valanora (15) vs. Juvencus (39)
Valanora should be winning here.

Plane of Possibility (148) vs. The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)
The Planers have a chance to go for three more easy points.

Ottoman Syldavia (338) vs. Kuriko (330)
Neither team will be making a big impact at this point.

Eraman (63) vs. Pangurstan (311)
Eraman has good chances to get three points as well.

Pasarga (35) vs. Mavinet (218)
Pasarga will need to win here, but the BoF-Champions will give them a hard time.

Tamgu (79) vs. South Newlandia (228)
South Newlandia has a hard game ahead, visiting Tamgu. After beating this side on home soil, the Elephants hop for at least a draw here.

Bliuji has a second bye day.

Matchday 15

Mavinet (218) vs. Eraman (63)
This matchup is interesting. With a win, both sides could stay up high.

Pangurstan (311) vs. Ottoman Syldavia (338)
Both teams will have no impact on the qualifying teams.

Kuriko (330) vs. Plane of Possibility (148)
The Planers have a chance for even more points here.

The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) vs. Valanora (15)
Valanora needs these three points, and they should get them easily.

Juvencus (39) vs. Bliuji (99)
This is the duel between the two big underachievers. Whoever loses this will only further embarrass them.

South Newlandia (228) vs. Pasarga (35)
The Elephants have an even harder matchup here, as Pasarga was one of the two teams South Newlandia lost against so far. The match will be the second match in the Elephant Dome, and the 21500 tickets have been sold long ago. Pasarga obviously is the clear favourite, but to this point, the Elephants have never lost a game on home soil.

Tamgu has another bye day on matchday 15.

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:45 pm

To: Miss Meghan Banks

From: Sir Barsanuphius the Bold

Dear Miss Banks,

I hoped I could I take a moment to write to you and note what an honour it was to play against the Cheergirls last night.

Please do not be in any way disheartened by the result. There is no shame at all in losing 4-2 to the Holy Empire, and I hope you will take particular pride in your role in setting up Miss Catti's goal in the 36th minute. What the Cheergirls sometimes lack in skill, they often make up with in youthful enthusiasm.

But my real reason in writing is to note what a pleasure it was to talk to you captain to captain after the match.

Obviously there are significant differences between us. You are a teenage human mundy cheerleader, and I am an immortal imperial Knight of the Oblong Table who has existed since before your reality began. Nonetheless, I found your genuine enthusiasm for being the best leader that you can be for your young squad to be both refreshing and noble. I would reiterate my advice from our conversation last night:

1) Lead by example; if you believe in yourself, your team will believe in you too.

2) This above all things: to thine own self be true. I whispered that into the ear of an obscure playwright in some reality or other once, and I believe it's become something of a cliche since, but the sentiment remains. Be true to your values; don't try to be something - or someone - that you're not.

3) Be realistic. You can't always win; and your team aren't fools - they'll know when they're up against it. Be honest with them.

4) But be positive. Even when you know you'll likely lose a match, still look for the positives both before and after the match - an honest appraisal doesn't necessarily mean focusing on the negatives.

5) Just say no to Cocoa-bo. I know it's not your fault that adults who know better have been forcing you to drink Cocoa-bo milkshakes, but it really is a dangerous substance. Your whole team will feel better if you win matches without resorting to doping.

I hope this is of some help, and I wish you and the other Cheergirls all the best in the second half of qualifying - except against the Holy Empire, of course!

Sincerely Yours,

Sir Barsanuphius the Bold

by **TJUN-ia** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:52 pm

The 2nd half is about to begin for qualifying for the Marathon Cup and expectations are fluctuating across the International Community. Some are confident that the Jags can improve their performance and get themselves higher up the table. Others are cynical and think that this team will be stuck in 9th-11th for the rest of the matches. Whatever happens, FA TJUN-ia has set a goal for this team: score more points than you did in your first 12 games. We scored 11 points in the first half, meaning this team can beat that with only 4 wins. How many points they do get, we'll wait and see.

the 2nd double-header kicks off in TJUN-ia City, as the Jags host the Bulls of Audioslavia. Sean Patterick is hanging by a thread as manager of the 22nd ranked team, as they find themselves in a tight battle for 2nd the group. After a tight game in Cathair, it's expected that more of the same might occur at the National Stadium. The other game is at Flynn Arena in Fligsive when the Jags travel to the Euran Oceania Territories. The Exiles and the man, the myth, the legend that is Skorgi Oslograd, are in a hole that they are slowly fighting themselves out of. After a 2-2 draw in TJUN-ia, this game is expected to be just as tight between 2 teams underachieving when compared to their pot.

All in all, these 2 games are gonna be fun. The National Stadium will be packed tonight and it's expected that many will make the trip to Fligsive for the EOT game. I'll see you all after the EOT game, for better or for worse...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 D 4-4 (10th)
MD10: @Necosia (341) D 4-4 (9th)
MD11: vs Turori (12) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City L 1-5 (10th)
MD12: @Astograth (303) - Castle Hill, Gesterlake D 0-0 (10th)
MD13: vs Muradil (212) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City D 2-2 (10th/2W-5D-5L/-4GD/11pts)
-----------------------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)

by **Newmanistan** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:08 pm

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS MEET THE STARRE

by Brianne Henry,

Technically, new manager Michael Starre made his debut with the Rockets on the road in Saintland. Realistically, his first chance to adapt his way with this team was against lowly Lake Esper in Pocono City. Playing at Emperor Michael I Stadium was a grand way to make an impression on the team, and while the end result is a win, we won’t grind our teeth right now about wishing we could have won the game by a larger margin. When the team has not played well up to this point, you take your 3-2 win, because you have not necessarily been much better then the minnow that utilizes the secret roster strategy and has a lack of information providing media.

Starre did not have much time to implement his ways before the Saintland match. He had arrived here from Sonnel, signed the contract and it was off to Saintland to try and figure out how to get a win on short notice. The team did not have much time to get to know him, either, but his tall and imposing Drawkish presence should instill a measure of authority right away. While the Rockets do not have much, if any room for error, if they are going to make a frantic last minute bid at qualifying for the World Cup, it is believed that Starre took the approach in that game to stick with the regular lineup and formation that Miguel Hernandez had in place and get a handle on how things worked. Players spoke well about him after the match, but that is to be expected if they want to keep their jobs on the national team.

Every home game that Newmanistan plays during qualifying is held at a different city. It just so happened that it was time for Pocono City, the nation’s capital, to host their game, leading to a sold out crowd well before it was ever known that we have a new manager. This made it easy for Emperor Michael V to meet Starre, and to welcome him to Newmanistan, and to the national soccer team. This was done privately, but it was important for the Emperor to have this meeting. Starre is a first for this team, as the nation has always elected to hire Newmanistanian managers to national teams. When we say that, we are not just talking about soccer, either, we are talking about every sport in which Newmanistan competes in. However, the trend recently in realize that Newmanistan is not as good at everything as we wish we could be has been towards looking to foreigners. In NSSCRA, Rocket Motorsports has struggled to perform, and eventually went out and got Rockii Ezis, a highly touted up and coming driver from Vilita and Turori. There are rumors that there is another major announcement with the team that would give Ezis a well known foreign teammate, but we will save the specifics for the stock car racing fans. Right now, it’s all about the trend, and here, we see it with the Drawkish manager taking over the soccer team.

Coming to Newmanistan is a tough adjustment for Michael Starre, as unlike other managers who might leave one country to manage another, Starre is also leaving his home planet as he leaves Drawkland for Newmanistan. That means that you can’t say the man isn’t committed. Starre told The Rocket Report that, “When I saw that this position was available, and what was being looked for, I really did think this was a great way for me to get back into international coaching. With the Kick Corps, we did a lot of great things, as you know, with qualifying for the World Cup. I will not pretend to have a secret, but I know I have the experience that everyone here is looking for. When I see Newmanistan, I see a nation that should have the ability to qualify for the World Cup. I see them doing well in other things, so something just needs to happen to push them over the top. I hope that I can be the answer for that.” The Empire hopes this as well, but fans will have to realize that it is a very tough chore to still make this field.

At the midway point, I looked at the point total that second place teams have at the moment to try and figure how many it would take to qualify out of Group 14. That number seems as though it would be in the low 50's, and with our group, if you double second place Qasden, you would get 54. Now, is Qasden likely to do better or stay at the same level in the second half? With a 9-0-3 record, I think it’s safe to say that they could play level, so we will say it requires 55 points to qualify out of this group. That means, it takes 36 points for the Rockets in the second half. That requires perfection. A reasonable second half is probably 29 or so points, so could 48 points see Newmanistan through? Qasden would have to stall out tremendously. We can hope that this nation that still utilizes the secret roster strategy with a silent media can do that, and it would not have to be an unreasonable performance on their part. More then likely, we know where we are going.

As for the match against Lake Esper, we saw Starre be aggressive with Tyrone Vannella in particular, and using him as a striker. Scott Corellis moved forward a little bit more, and was subbed out at half time in favor of Samantha Paschke. Paschke is a midfielder, and would play that spot on the field, so we did see parts of the 3-3-4 start to come into play that Starre was successful with in Drawkland. Newmanistan broke the 1-1 deadlock at halftime with goals by Vannella in the 55th and Jerome Beyer in the 67th, showing that the team could take a liking to the formation. On the flip side, it also cost the team in the 84th when Lake Esper pulled one back. It was an important win for the team, nonetheless.

Against North New South Wales on the road, and with a little more time to get accustomed to the team, Starre would simply start Samantha Paschke in favor of Corellis. Scott looked a little frustrated on the sideline, but said afterwards it was not a big deal. “I may have looked frustrated, but that is just because I want to be out there on the field. I understand and respect the decision that was made. I hope I am not expected to be jumping up and down for joy over being taken out of the starting lineup.” A solid 2-0 win by the Rockets was impressive in every aspect, especially given the clean sheet. Starre and company hope this will lead to more great things in the future. As for perfection? Probably not, but this team will still be working hard every game.

by **Savojarna** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:28 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojarna at half-time: The grades

By SavojarSports.sj sporting editorial team
We are halfway through the campaign and there are numerous question marks in an exceptionally tight group where essentially just two things are at least somewhat secure: Eura will most likely make it if they don’t undergo surprising amounts of collapse, and Chromatika will be disappointed with their campaign - qualification seems fairly unlikely with the second seed being in tenth place, and even if they launch a late charge for the World Cup, chances are that they are not going to be happy with the manner in which it would come about.

Savojarna’s own chances have been gravely harmed by a dark weekend. A loss at The Sarian was not exactly budgeted, but could be filed among the unfortunate point drops against middle seeds away that are just a fact of the World Cup Campaign, but the 0-5 at home against Chromatika is something that is barely tolerable for the fans. It hasn’t been the loss itself, but the clarity of it, as well as the complete lack of offensive threat, that has worried fans now that the Northlights sit in third, three points behind Eshan and qualification. Nonetheless, it’s time to take a step back - at the beginning of the year, we’d have happily taken being three points behind the qualification spots at half time, and a victory over Eshan could easily revert the order (and is doable, given that the Savojars have already pulled it off). As usual at half time, it is time for the customary rating of Savojarna’s players on the Savojar school grade scale.

Rating Scale
1: Horrifying - This player has been more of a trouble than a help - they’re an active security risk. Red carding them may be doing the team a favour.
2: Terrible - Has been mostly bad, but with the occasional decent work.
3: Bad - Prone to errors and not particularly useful, but most of the time fulfilling their job.
4: Insufficient - Does their job for most of the game, but has almost no good actions and the occasional big mistake.
5: Average - Good and bad actions being balanced, but prone to grave errors.
6: Sufficient - Does the job fine and avoids grave mistakes, but is rarely seen positively.
7: Good - Solid job with some good actions, but no outstanding game.
8: Remarkable - Drives play forward and contributes to making the team better.
9: Outstanding - Stands notably above the team and carries the game for their teammates.
10: World class - Truly impressive performance on a global scale, standing above the rest of the field.

#1 Iiro Pakanen (GK, appearances: 12, goals against: 14) - 8
A mostly strong performance that has provided Savojarna with a very solid basis to work off of, and has been good at organising his defence. Impressive mental composure even in hard moments, and not prone to errors; however, a bad game against Chromatika and a late mistake in the match against Sanctanus costing a victory prevent a higher grade for the Jinja City FC goalkeeper.

#2 Flemming Skov (RB, appearances: 7, goals: 0) - 7
Mostly came on against worse opposition or as a substitute, which may inflate his performance a bit. Has proven a good will to push the flank heavily, and manages to get important crosses or runs into the box, but has been caught out of position fairly regularly and fails to trace back as strongly as Pedersen on the left.

#3 Simon Omark (CB, appearances: 3, goals: 0) - 5
Has lost much of his old game sense and could not play the commanding role that he has previously taken when playing as a starter. Seems to struggle to fit into the new system at the back, and has subsequently been phased out in favour of other options. Is more prone than before to missing passes, and has been less creative as well as more prone to fouls.

#4 Joonas Andersson (DM, appearances: 11, goals: 1) - 9
Magistral performance in the defence, bringing a lot of stability to the centre and shutting down opposing playmakers. Sometimes a bit wooden on the ball, but knows his limits very well and manages to avoid mistakes by not going across his borders. While avoiding errors, this does somewhat limit his impact on the offensive game to keep him away from the highest mark despite his proficient defence.

#5 Matts Pedersen (LB, appearances: 10, goals: 0) - 8
A constant source of pressure on the left side and remarkably efficient in how he drives play forward, rarely making wasted runs and often back in time to defend. Sometimes overly ambitious with his crossing and failing to look for passing options, leading to a too high amount of balls going missing and ending up with opponents. Nonetheless, a cornerstone for Savojarna and currently set to start on the left side.

#6 Niklas Hoyberg (CM, appearances: 4, goals: 0) - 6
Played relatively little and primarily as a substitute. Solid when brought onto the pitch, but failing to have much of an impact beyond playing a solid anchor and shuttler, which Maersk does largely better. Has been successful in advancing and getting some dangerous chances for goals after crosses and standards, but was so far unlucky in hitting the goal.

#7 Mikhail Jashkin (RM, appearances: 9, goals: 1) - 8
Makes the game better on the right side, posing a constant threat with his crosses and is behind many dangerous chances in the centre. However, there are limitations to the danger he himself poses on the goal, due to not swinging in as much as he used to, making Jashkin somewhat more replaceable than in some past campaigns. Compensates with more defensive work, but can still improve to hit his Copa form.

#8 Victoria Maersk (CM, appearances: 10, goals: 1) - 9
One of the cornerstones of the side, driving play with relentless shuttling and showing why she has become a mainstay in the Nepharan Premiership. Her offensive performance is splendid and she has transformed from a pure box-to-box worker to a secondary playmaker deeper down the pitch, allowing Poulsen more freedom. However, defensively she has suffered a bit in return, sometimes being caught off position, keeping her from a 10.

#9 Arvid Jotansson (ST, appearances: 10, goals: 5) - 8
Jotansson has taken on the heritage of Sigurdsdottir in the box, and he has done so very well, taking up space in the box. However, he maintains lower goal numbers than Sigurdsdottir did at her highest level, and hasn’t been as present in front of the goal due to his lack of her speed. This has left him susceptible to being shut down by defensive sides, although he has been able to find chances nonetheless - making an improvement in the second half fairly likely.

#10 Morten Poulsen (OM, appearances: 9, goals: 2) - 7
Jotansson’s lack of strength in comparison with the past may have to do with Poulsen’s struggle to find remarkable plays. Although he tends to manage to keep the ball in Savojar feet and rarely makes big mistakes, he struggled to have a lot of impact on the game especially against more defensive opposition, contributing to Savojarna’s struggle to win games in which they are favourites.

#11 Freya Sigurdsdottir (ST, appearances: 5, goals: 1) - 6
Sigurdsdottir’s weight is too much to be easily pushed aside, and there are reasons that she is still regularly subbed on. When she is on the field, she does the job just decently, although very unluckily; however, she is nowhere near the commanding presence and constant threat of four years ago. However, she still has her chances and usually manages to bring balls towards the goals, leading to a just about sufficient performance.

#12 Thomas Larsen (GK, appearances: 0, goals against: 0) - too few appearances to rate

#13 Polina Zirkova (CB, appearances: 5, goals: 0) - 7
Zirkova currently struggles to make it past the top two centre-backs, but this is mainly due to the strength of the duo that commonly starts. Suffering from the fact that Rangren rarely substitutes her CB’s, leading to games only against weaker opposition or short appearances, and few opportunities to really show her qualities. Can definitely still improve.

#14 Lenka Otalainen (OM, appearances: 2, goals: 0) - 5
This isn’t Lenka Otalainen’s season, and it shows with a lack of confidence that often leads her to commit uncharacteristic mistakes. Although by and large she still creates chances in her rare appearances, she was prone to losing the ball in overly ambitious passes and therefore causing counters. Her willingness to backtrack is a bit lacking, and there is a reason she is yet to start a game.

#15 Steinar Aarsoy (LM, appearances: 2, goals: 0) - 6
Having to contend with Krister Voynov, he has only seen two short substitute appearances during which he was perfectly serviceable as a more two-way option than the offensive Voynov. Is ready for bigger roles, but has not yet been given the option.

#16 Markus Mellin (RF, appearances: 5, goals: 1) - 7
Has been playing from beginning three times and showed an opportunistic ability to score in dicey situations, but not necessarily a great willingness to drive play. His crosses have been somewhat imprecise, but the danger of having Mellin lurk near the box is worth the trade-off. Hasn’t quite reached the form he showed on the domestic level yet, but is a worthy backup for Jashkin.

#17 Bjarne Thorvaldsson (LB, appearances: 4, goals: 0) - 7
Does his job perfectly and little more. Solid defender that is rarely visible on the pitch, which is exactly his role. Could do a bit more to avoid dangerous free kicks from the side, which he is vulnerable to, or drive play forward, neither of which he does on a regular basis.

#18 Perttu Karjanen (ST, appearances: 6, goals: 1) - 8
Having been relieved of the pressure as captain and focal point of the team, Karjanen has been experiencing a bit of a second spring as a joker, coming on in multiple roles (striker, playmaker, and once as a hybrid winger against Alba and Cymru) and usually able to contribute chaos in all of them. Extremely solid basics and a certain unpredictability, making him extremely well suited as a utility substitute.

#19 Krister Voynov (LF, appearances: 12, goals: 3) - 9
The only outfielder to have started every game of the campaign, Voynov is the only player in Savojarna’s team that can truly decide a game on his own, and he has shown it. Although less directly threatening than in some past campaigns, the winger is incredibly dangerous because he has become more unpredictable, opting for passes and crosses more often and therefore finding more assists, to the detriment of raw scoring numbers.

#20 Linne Kjaer (CB, appearances: 9, goals: 0) - 7
Positionally solid and not a weak link in the defensive chain, she has been prone to errors more than in previous campaigns due to occasional lapses in judgment. Positioning and play on the ball, however, are as rock solid as ever and Kjaer is still first choice in central defence next to Forsberg, who has been starting more consistently.

#21 Alexey Nurkanen (RB, appearances: 8, goals: 0) - 6
Has been replaced by Skov more often than was the case in the past, and that is at least partially due to his increasing cases of over-extending, making the side vulnerable to counters. Has also shown no qualms in using well-timed tactical fouls to stop them, however, making him the most-carded member of Savojarna. One of the weaker points, although still serviceable in most situations.

#22 Aleksandra Virulainen (GK, appearances: 0, goals: 0) - too few appearances to rate

#23 Roman Forsberg (CB, appearances: 10, goals: 1) - 8
The unexpected rock in Savojarna’s defence, strong in defending and very solid on the ball, he has developed fast and exceeded expectations. Shows a high willingness to run, and proved offensive threats as well with a goal off a corner. However, there are still some mistakes in his play, especially with positioning, that often lead to chances for the opposition due to Forsberg making overly ambitious plays.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:40 pm

9:00AM - Ministry of Defence Building, Busukuma, Banija

It had been an early start for the Siovanija & Teusland delegation in Banija. Everyone in the delegation, however, was used to the late nights and early mornings of political and military life, and as they filed into the Ministry of Defence building in Banija, all members felt prepared for the meeting to come.

There was Chancellor Dominik Meier, of course, joined by some of his most important ministers. The Minister of Defence, Sergey Sedlacek, the Minister of Nuclear Safety, Lukas Heider, and the Minister of Infrastructure Rudolph Klauberg. They were joined by Grand Admiral Alfred Reinmann, the Chief of Staff of the Marine, and one of the major players in Siovanija & Teusland’s nuclear program. In addition, Dr. Vaclav Zacpal, the Director of the State Strategic Weapons Institute, was waiting by the phone in Chernovets in case he needed to be contacted.

The Banijan side, led by the Kabaka as well as Katikkiro Kobe Azizi, opened up the meeting. Azizi discussed the current situation of the Banijan nuclear program. It was, naturally, in its infancy given that the law repealing the nuclear ban still had fresh ink. However, there were already great strides being taken. A recent report, said Banijan Air Marshal Kawsu Camara, found that between 3500 and 5000 tons of uranium was found in Banija’s far northeast. These were, of course, preliminary numbers. The government had also decided that, regarding the status of its delivery systems, it would be prudent to focus on air and land-based systems of delivery, rather than any submarine-based ballistic missiles.

After the initial presentation, a 10-minute break was called for by the Banijans, and eagerly welcomed by the visiting delegation. The group conferred with each other, and also had Dr. Zacpal on the line to discuss the intricacies of what could be done exactly to support the Banijan program. Returning to the room, Chancellor Meier stood up first.

“Well, gentlemen, I’d firstly like to give a quick background of the nuclear program in Siovanija & Teusland, for future reference. In 1949, we opened up the State Strategic Weapons Institute in Chernovets, and worked to produce our first nuclear weapons. The Woden-1 was tested a few years later, and was a great success. In the early years, much of the progress was focused on size and capability. We tested the largest bomb in our national history, and likely one of the largest in the world’s history, with the 50 megaton Grosser Woden in 1958. After this test, however, our focus shifted towards safety and efficiency. We have progressed through two generations of weapons since then, the Helle the most recent, and, as I’m sure you’re aware, recently announced the beginning of the new Lokke program. The United Republics maintain a nuclear triad as well. Sergey Sedlacek, the Minister of Defence, will provide a bit more detail.”

The Minister stood up. “Yes. As an island nation, much of our defence doctrine is based on sea power. Our Schwertfisch class submarines are capable of nuclear delivery, and the Marine currently employs 8 of them, with the first of the new Facherfisch class subs currently under construction. Of course, we also have ICBM silos in secure locations around the country, as well as air delivery through the Vyr-04 stealth bombers.”

Now Chancellor Meier again rose. “As for your requests, we have been in contact with the Director of the SSWI, Dr. Vaclav Zacpal, and have already discussed the overall theme with President Fleiss. Let me give the Minister for Nuclear Safety, Lukas Heider, the floor.”

Heider was one of the more experienced members of the delegation, having held the Nuclear Safety portfolio for much of previous Chancellor Kiril Kabanov’s government as well. The veteran politician now spoke. “We’re excited to work closely with your government on this issue. And we think that helping on the technological side of things is a strong way to begin. In Siovanija & Teusland, we use Fessler-type centrifuges, which were first developed by Dr. Martin Fessler in the earliest years of our program. This centrifuge uses a rotating magnetic field to enrich the U-235 isotopes, and can spin at over 90,000RPM. Since its development, we have continued to refine the centrifuge design, and believe it to be a very efficient system. Scientists from the SSWI can work with your scientists to share this advancement. Your scientists are welcome to visit Chernovets to begin this stage of development.”

The Minister now paused. “As for the second part of your request, allow me to turn the floor over to Grand Admiral Reinmann, who has taken a leading role in the military’s nuclear development.”

The Admiral now stood. “As mentioned earlier by my colleague Mr. Sedlacek, our nation has placed a great focus on sea power. That doesn’t mean we’ve neglected the land aspect of a nuclear triad, however, and we can certainly help in this regard. The current generation of ICBM is the Helle-7, which has a range of 12,000km. A Lokke class replacement is currently in development. While national laws ban the export of nuclear weapons or their materials, including uranium, abroad, we can certainly provide technical advice on the development of silos within Banija, as well as advice on the development of the weaponry itself. Again, our scientists at the SSWI, and the Army Engineers, can provide assistance in this matter.”

It was now Chancellor Meier’s turn to speak again. “We are looking forward to partnership on these matters, and are excited about the prospects that this degree of cooperation can have for both our countries. However,” the Chancellor now paused. “When dealing with a subject like nuclear weapons, it is important that all steps are taken to ensure the utmost care is taken. Possessing nuclear weapons is a responsibility, both to one’s own country and the whole world, and our program has been focused on that idea since the days of President Milan Dimitrov. And therefore, we do have some questions and requests of our own. I’ll invite Minister Heider to speak again.”

The Minister for Nuclear Safety rose. “Yes. Siovanija & Teusland have very, very strict safety regulations regarding nuclear power plants as well as nuclear weaponry in general. These laws are at the very heart of our program, and have been the reason for its continued success. We’d like to, if possible, offer help advising your government as well as any domestic nuclear agency, to create regulations that ensure the utmost safety.”

Chancellor Meier stood again. “We also do have some concerns. Our nation is proud of the great relationship it has with Banija, but we also have a strong friendship with the Busoga Islands. We’re aware that they are very much opposed to the idea of Banija possessing nuclear weapons. In addition, other states, including Timuria, have opposed the move. While we have the utmost confidence in Banija as a strong partner and ally, we were wondering what steps your government would be taking to perhaps reassure some of the countries who may not react kindly to this move.” The Chancellor did have an idea in this regard, something he’d discussed with President Fleiss, but he’d wait to see the Banijan response before presenting it.

Meier took a brief pause before continuing. “Again, we’re dealing with a great deal of information here, and we’d like to call for another 10 minute break to allow time for a proper response.” Meier sat back in his chair, as each side began discussing the various ideas at hand.

Siovanija & Teusland 3-2 Free Republics, @ Nationalstadion, Stelburg, Teusland

Starting XI: Heuser; Steimle, Jager, Klopfer, Vesele (Helmke 66’); Mihailov (Brotzmann 86’), Kramer, V. Dimitrov; Kogler, Tauscher (Romanov 86’), Ribbeck
Goals: Michael Ribbeck 26’, 81’, Lukas Tauscher 55’
Man of the Match: Michael Ribbeck

Ethane 0-0 Siovanija & Teusland, @ Ethane

Starting XI: Heuser; Steimle (L. Dimitrov 80’), Thierse, Jager, Lotbiniere; Brotzmann (Mihailov 65’), Kramer, V. Dimitrov; Kogler, Romanov (Tauscher 65’), Kynev
Goals: N/A
Man of the Match: Karl-Heinz Jager

by **Trolleborg** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:46 pm

Previous parts of the story: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12

“Let me ask you, what interesting things did you find?” Keith gently inquired from her cloud when they finished contemplating this really inspirational monument.
“The tails have disappeared,” - Naomi said.
“The weapons are gone,” - added Wesley.
"Right. On both points” - with a note of satisfaction, it seemed, noted the guardian of tourists. - “We started this journey with clubs and ... uh ... things that you find are totally terrible, and maybe even monstrous. And the road came out very long. In addition, we had to undergo a lot of things that are not easily told to outsiders. Of all that I know about the history of the Multiverse countries, we, however, have traveled the road to the present state almost lightning fast in comparison with other cultures who goes in the same direction. But this does not cancel the suffering on grandiose scale and titanic efforts that were needed to make this dream come true”

“And you did lose your tails along the way?” - clarified Naomi.
"Yes. And many other phenomena. Fangs, for example. Because there is no need to apply them. But we used a lot of other things ”- here Kate was silent for a while and specified: -“ For some time ”.
“And then you stopped applying weapons, because there was no longer any need?” - suggested Wesley.
"Exactly. I am glad that my plan worked and I was able to bring you to these logical conclusions. But the main question remained”.
“Yes, It is,” the tourists confirmed in unison.

“We built a society in which no one is make a dirty work in order to provide a full plate of food to someone, and no one else pay price of sweat and health for a decent existence, nobody’s lives is wasted for nothing, there is no need for humpback labor and we can afford not to persuade anyone to make culturally devalued tasks" - continue Keith. - "Nobody is starving and we are not in need, we are not waging wars with anyone and no one is threatening us - neither other countries, nor natural disasters. But, as it quickly became clear, a society that has reached such a heights quickly loses its orientation after one or two generations, and also the will to further achievements gone. In addition, members of such a society cease to value their amenities, because they take them for granted. This problem faced Trolleborg a couple of centuries ago, and we are trying to solve not sparing efforts and by any cost”.

And at this Wesley guesses he understand where Kate leads them by telling this grand story.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:59 pm

Mid-Qualifying Review
Salwan Mynhier

Homefield Disadvantage
Rather than playing at their best in front of home crowds, the Black-and-Reds have had some of their more troubling performances when playing in the Confederacy, starting with the opening loss to Torisakia. The team also put on a very flat performance against Gyatso-Kai for Matchday eight's showdown in Lublova. The match against Kita-Hinode, who are fairly comfortably in first place in the group is less worrying, as it was a fairly narrow 3-2 loss in Damogran. Still, some of the other matches at home have not exactly been great performances, with the team allowing three goals against Wreckeria. The 5-2 upset over Drawkland and 3-1 cruise past EGM are the only two matches in the home slate where the team actually looked good.
By contrast, the Black-and-Reds have been a force on the road, going undefeated through this first half, and generally looking like a much more coherent team. They kept their only two clean sheets of qualifying thus far on the road in Donnacona and Kohnhead, and the lone blemish on their away record was a disappointing three-all draw in Jantor. Early away matches against Balaslandia and Busoga Island may have been closer than some would have liked, but the team found a way to win in each. This trend would seem to bode well for the second half of qualifying when some of the more difficult matches, including Drawkland and Kita-Hinode, will be played on hostile ground.

You Don't Mess with the Zoban
Zoban Ajao has been a force of nature through these twelve matches. His hat trick against Drawkland is the highlight of the team's qualifying tournament so far, and he has been the undisputed center of an attack that has exploded for 32 goals. The attack has generally calmed down a bit over the last few matches after averaging just under four goals per match prior to being shut out by Gyatso-kai. Ajao leads fifteen players who have put their names on the scoresheet with seven goals. The extended nature of this cycle's qualifying tournament will lend itself to some inflated goal totals, but even factoring in the increased number of matches, Ajao will have a chance to set a confederate record for goalscoring during qualifying if he can stay healthy and keep up this level of performance.

Without Oleb to Stand On
It seems the absence of former team captain and center back Tervi Oleb is being keenly felt in the Black-and-Reds' back line. While the attack has soared to previously unseen heights, the defense, which had been the team's strong point under Daror and Donnell, has been atrocious. 24 goals have been allowed, and sloppy, lazy defensive play was to blame for squandered goal support in the loss to Torisakia and the draw with Jantor. Admittedly, they've been much improved in recent matches, with only four goals conceded in the past five (and half of those against Kita-Hinode). It will be incumbent on leaders like Ulcviecel, Dzarkhin, and Dalso to ensure that this newfound form becomes the routine for the defense. Overall, the Black-and-Reds look to be in a good position going into the second half. They sit one point behind Drawkland for the second qualifying spot in the group, two points ahead of a surprising team from Kohnhead, and four ahead of Busoga Islands. Kita-Hinode are not going to be caught, six points clear at the top, so that leaves one spot in the Group Stage for these four teams to fight over. We're definitely in with a chance, but there will be no margin for error.

SRS Black-and-Reds Goalscoring:

7 - Zoban Ajao
3 - Demkjo Jzvanic
3 - Lyzolda Petrov
3 - Viordar Rebljeten
2 - Kaalia Gerstlauer
2 - Izoni Hocij
2 - Lavanya Naqvi
2 - Iuri Takala
2 - Jzeovak Vladcik
1 - Rudi Dalso
1 - Walda Harkhan
1 - Jaylene Kazarov
1 - Jirar Lomidan
1 - Meaza Teklu
1 - Jeska Verhulst

SRS Qualifying Schedule

MD1:  SRS 4-5 Torisakia @ Pheldagrif Stadium, Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS (cap. 45,620)
MD2:  Balaslandia 2-3 SRS @ TBA
MD3:  SRS 5-3 Wreckeria @ Sunergy Field, Hunian, Algolia, SRS (cap. 37,550)
MD4:  Busgoa Islands 2-3 SRS @ Dukuma Oval, Dukuma, BUS (cap. 63,000)
MD5:  Bye
MD6:  SRS 5-2 Drawkland @ Megabrantid Financial Field, Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS (cap. 69,245)
MD7:  Jantor 3-3 SRS @ TBA
MD8:  SRS 0-2 Gyatso-kai  @ Slavnarzeczpospolitastadion, Lublova, Molvania, SRS (cap. 61,230)
MD9:  Donnacona 0-1 SRS @ TBA
MD10: SRS 2-3 Kita-Hinode @ Bridger Lane, Damogran, Algolia, SRS (cap. 72,406)
MD11: Kohnhead 0-1 SRS @ Orange Bull Stadium, Kohnhead City, KHN (cap. 23,000)
MD12: SRS 3-1 EGM @ Igbar Steel Arena, Zarss, West Flania, SRS (cap. 15,100)
MD13: Lochario 1-2 SRS @ Zun Olympic Stadium, (cap. 98,000)
MD14: Torisakia v SRS  @ TBA
MD15: SRS v Balaslandia @ Killough Grove, Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS (cap. 31,400)
MD16: Wreckeria v SRS @ Patrick Stadium, Halstead, WRE (cap. 30,000)
MD17: SRS v Busoga Islands @ The Lutenstaad, Lutenblag, Molvania, SRS (cap. 75,000)
MD18: Bye
MD19: Drawkland v SRS @ Spartan Veteran Stadium (107,500)
MD20: SRS v Jantor @ Malgacorp Arena, Hensha, Megabrantis, SRS (cap. 29,350)
MD21: Gyatso-kai v SRS @ Meshgeroya'yaim, Keldabe, GKI (cap. 79,890)
MD22: SRS v Donnacona @ Smolak Systemy Stadion, Sjerezo, Molvania, SRS (cap. 31,200)
MD23: Kita-Hinode v SRS @ Tentai City, Tentai, HIN (cap. 80,000)
MD24: SRS v Kohnhead @ Olympiastad, Arkintoofle, Megabrantis, SRS (cap. 47,550)
MD25: EGM v SRS @ TBA
MD26: SRS v Lochario @ Castle Street, Jaglan, Algolia, SRS (cap. 57,300)

by **West Pocono** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:05 pm

SECOND HALF WILL BE A CHALLENGE

While we enjoyed the success of the team in the first half, and we use that word loosely, because 75% of the team’s games ended in a draw, things will not be as easy in the second half. It will begin with a tilt in South Covello, a nation we played to a scoreless draw against in Bartonville on opening day. We snuck up on them, and that will definitely not happen this time. South Covello will know that we are not one of those new nations who think that they can beat an established foe by winning a shootout. Expect South Covello to be more aggressive against us, as will every other team that we run into contact with.

Can the Thunder adapt to this? Perhaps in a way, but we will not see it against South Covello. In other matches, I would expect that manager Nathan Ruddy will have a game plan to try and account for the adjustments that opponents might make. We have been especially impressed with the way that he has managed games up until now, and expect that will continue. Also deserving a shout out is goalkeeper Jeremy Burgess, who plays professionally in Newmanistan like a lot of these players do. Burgress has probably outperformed Newmanistan’s own Ryan McNamara at this point, but the goalkeeper obviously benefits from the defensive system. Carl Huerta, out of Gouldsberg has been excellent game in and game out, playing a highly physical style. Unfortunately, that aggressiveness led to a red card against A Flock Of Seagulls when he tried to stomp on one of them and injured its wing. Seagull #10 was unable to continue. That means that Huerta will have to sit out the game against South Covello. Another problem is that fellow fullback Paul Zabala tweaked his quadricep muscle and will also miss this game. With two regular defenders out, the Thunder are vulnerable in a very tough game. Zabala, by the way, will also miss the match at home against Melbergia.

Hopefully, the Poconi can do pretty close to how they did in the first half.

by **Jeckland** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:27 pm

SPUDS SLIP TO SEVENTH AS SKORJIBALL STUMPS THEM

Jeckland failed to back up their victory over Audioslavia as they were well beaten by Euran Oceanian Territories (EOT), with the Expats running out 2-0 winners.

Hopes were high coming into this match, with the Spuds having just defeated Audioslavia and their opponents having picked up just five points in a poor campaign to date. But it was the Expats who came out looking the more impressive team, with the usually erratic manager Oslograd looking unnervingly calm during the opening exchanges. Duffy forced a low save from Clemens within the opening ten minutes, with the Spuds struggling to get back and make last ditch tackles, with the ball being moved around at breakneck speed by an EOT side clearly desperate for a win. Martel managed a run down the pitch but was easily tackled, with everything the Spuds looked to create going forward being snuffed out.

On the half hour, a near incredible feat was seen. A miscued through ball from Chadwick went behind Le Tonnelier, who nonchalantly stuck a leg out and flicked the ball over his own head before whacking a meaty volley into the crossbar. The goal would have been one of the best seen in a Jeckish international, and Le Tonnelier looked gutted not to have pulled the feat off. Jeckland managed to ride through to half time with no goal being scored, but were lucky to do so, with Ross having to think about changes in the second half.

However none were made, and this was what arguably cost Jeckland. The first goal would come shortly after the break, a sweeping move resulting in Chadwick spraying the ball left to Fuller, who shot across Clemens and into the net to send the fans into raptures. Oslograd, who had been behaving relatively normally up to this point, careered down the touchline into a rather impressive knee slide. The Spuds kicked up a gear in response, with Martel again looking dangerous in clipping the outside of the post with a shot. The winger then got booked for a dive in the penalty area, despite there being light contact from Potts, making the decision not to award a penalty fair but the yellow card seem very harsh.

The Expats despite their lead maintained their attacking focus. Strong headed narrowly wide after rising highest from a corner kick, with Conway hitting a fierce drive from outside the box which flew just over the bar. The second goal they were searching for came with fifteen minutes of play left, from some clever play from Conway. After beating Pain down the Jeckish left the obvious move seemed to be to cross into the box, but the winger spotted Chadwick sat alone on the edge of the area. His pullback was dispatched with a flourish, sending Oslograd down the touchline again and EOT into a very strong position for a win.

Oslograd immediately made all three substitutions in an effort to park the bus. Initially the Jeckish players were slow coming forward, taken aback by the sudden shift from their hosts, but they came back into the game after some time, Sanderson and Stack having shots on target saved by Ross. It was far too little far too late though, as the Spuds were defeated.

They will round of the first half of qualifiers at home to Porticalia, a side who have sprung some surprises so far. With the group looking open below the top spot, Jeckland will need to win this to keep themselves in the mix near the top of the table.

Kayden Ross: “That was not the Expats side that have played the first ten fixtures. Make no mistake, we weren’t as good as we should have been but it’s important to view this result in that context. We go on to the Porticalia game, one we should be winning.”

ELSEWHERE IN GROUP 1

Audioslavia stumbled once more, this time losing 1-0 at home to Natanians and Nosts. Astograth blew a chance to go second with a scoreless draw against TJUN-ia, meaning Sajnur propelled themselves into that position with victory over Porticalia. Turori won more narrowly this time, beating New Lusitania 3-2, with Muradil beating Villablanca.

RESULTS

Turori 3–2 New Lusitania
Astograth 0–0 TJUN-ia
Muradil 2–1 Villablanca
Audioslavia 0–1 Natanians and Nosts
Euran Oceania Territories 2–0 Jeckland
Porticalia 2–5 Sajnur

TABLE

-  Group 1                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Turori                                       11   11   0   0    40    9  +31    33
 2 Sajnur                                       12    6   4   2    30   23   +7    22
 3 Astograth                                    11    5   5   1    18    7  +11    20
 4 Audioslavia                                  11    6   1   4    13    6   +7    19
 5 New Lusitania                                11    4   4   3    29   23   +6    16
 6 Natanians and Nosts                          11    4   4   3    16   19   −3    16
 7 Jeckland                                     11    4   3   4    20   20    0    15
 8 Porticalia                                   11    3   4   4    11   18   −7    13
 9 Muradil                                      11    3   2   6    15   22   −7    11
10 TJUN-ia                                      11    2   4   5    22   26   −4    10
11 Villablanca                                  11    2   4   5    10   20  −10    10
12 Euran Oceania Territories                    11    2   2   7    18   31  −13     8
13 Necosia                                      11    0   3   8    15   33  −18     3

Turori are clear, but a dogfight for second is emerging below them. Astograth find themselves in the battle along with more expected contenders Audioslavia, Sajnur and New Lusitania.

MATCHDAY 13 FIXTURES

Jeckland (7th) vs. Porticalia (8th) - The Spuds should be able to win this one, but have stumbled at home earlier in this campaign.

Natanians and Nosts (6th) vs. Euran Oceania Territories (12th) - Don’t let the table fool you - if the Expats that played Jeckland turn up, the hosts are in trouble.

Villablanca (11th) vs. Audioslavia (4th) - The Bulls can’t afford to mess around any more - further losses could mean they miss qualification.

TJUN-ia (10th) vs. Muradil (9th) - The hosts will be targeting a win here to finally climb the table.

New Lusitania (5th) vs. Astograth (3rd) - The hosts will be looking to win here to join their opponents in the scrap for second place.

Nicosia (13th) vs. Turori (1st) - Possibly the most easy game to predict so far. Do I even have to say it?

Sajnur will be anxiously watching some of these games on their bye day.

JECKLAND BEAT PORTICALIA TO GET BACK ON TRACK

Jeckland continued to put pressure on the top teams in Group 1 with a 4-2 home win over Porticalia.

Ross will have hoped that the form from the Euran Oceania Territories match would not carry into this match, and a lightning start allayed those fears, with Stack scoring after just 93 seconds. Sanderson chipped the ball over the defence for the striker to run onto and finish, easing the tension around the ground.

The next portion of the game seemed like a training exercise, Jeckland knocking the ball around without much urgency. Whilst initially this was a response to a well organised Porticalia side, the crowd and manager soon became restless that the Spuds were not taking opportunities to carve out chances, Gibbs in particular missing the run of Dane, who would have been through on goal had a pass been made.

Porticalia had a couple of long range shots go over, before Jeckland doubled the advantage - Martel the scorer on this occasion, scooping over the keeper after a clever reverse pass from Graves set him through. However, an error from Pain before half time saw the visitors half the deficit, with a hospital pass intended for Gilbert going straight to their striker who rushed through and finished with glee.

Ross was clearly upset going down the tunnel at half time, with the team rushing out of the blocks in the second half and raining down on the Porticalia goal. Saves from Pain, Stack and Graves followed as the keeper was kept very busy, but after seventeen minutes of the second half the inevitable happened. It came from Pain, working extra hard this half to make up for his mistake, his arching cross finding the head of Stack in the middle, who scored despite the keeper getting a hand to it. The fourth came shortly afterwards, with Blanchard coming off the bench to score a howitzer from range.

Jeckland continued to press for goals for a time, knowing their goal difference was significantly worse than those above them in the table. A Sanderson free kick was comfortably saved before substitute Forest dragged wide after leaving the opposition right back on the floor with some silky skills. However, the Spuds became less motivated as the game neared its conclusion, with Lovell giving away a penalty in stoppage time. Clemens saved the first kick but the striker tapped home the rebound to conclude the game.

ELSEWHERE IN GROUP 1

Turori unsurprisingly completed a perfect first half of qualifying, beating bottom side Necosia. Audioslavia bounced back from their two straight losses, with Villablanca on the receiving end this time. New Lusitania continued their recovery, beating the faltering Astograth by a single goal. TJUN-ia once again drew, this time at home to Muradil, with Euran Oceania Territories claiming a second straight win against Natanians and Nosts.

Jeckland 4–2 Porticalia
Natanians and Nosts 1–2 Euran Oceania Territories
Villablanca 0–3 Audioslavia
TJUN-ia 2–2 Muradil
New Lusitania 1–0 Astograth
Necosia 1–3 Turori

-  Group 1                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Turori                                       12   12   0   0    43   10  +33    36
 2 Audioslavia                                  12    7   1   4    16    6  +10    22
 3 Sajnur                                       12    6   4   2    30   23   +7    22
 4 Astograth                                    12    5   5   2    18    8  +10    20
 5 New Lusitania                                12    5   4   3    30   23   +7    19
 6 Jeckland                                     12    5   3   4    24   22   +2    18
 7 Natanians and Nosts                          12    4   4   4    17   21   −4    16
 8 Porticalia                                   12    3   4   5    13   22   −9    13
 9 Muradil                                      12    3   3   6    17   24   −7    12
10 TJUN-ia                                      12    2   5   5    24   28   −4    11
11 Euran Oceania Territories                    12    3   2   7    20   32  −12    11
12 Villablanca                                  12    2   4   6    10   23  −13    10
13 Necosia                                      12    0   3   9    16   36  −20     3

Turori are now a whopping fourteen points clear and will surely become one of the first sides to secure qualification. Below them is anyone’s guess, with four points separating Jeckland in sixth from Audioslavia, who are second on goal difference. Every team has been competitive in this group - except Necosia - so the second half of qualifying will surely be incredibly exciting in the race for the second qualifying spot.

MATCHDAY 14 FIXTURES

Necosia (13th) vs. Astograth (4th) - The Olives won comfortably at home and should do the same in the reverse fixture.

New Lusitania (5th) vs. Muradil (9th) - The home side have been impressive of late and should be able to win this one.

TJUN-ia (10th) vs. Audioslavia (2nd) - Both sides have underperformed so far, but you’d expect the Bulls to take this one.

Villablanca (12th) vs. Euran Oceania Territories (11th) - The Expats will be out for revenge after an embarrassing home defeat last time around.

Natanians and Nosts (7th) vs. Porticalia (8th) - Both sides will be looking to trouble the top half in the second half of the group, but will need a win here to do so.

Jeckland (6th) vs. Sajnur (3rd) - After an eight goal thriller away, Jeckland will be targeting a win at Jecken Stadium to upset the apple cart at the top of the table.

Turori have a bye day, meaning they can’t win. I know, sounds weird right?

by **Kohnhead** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:39 pm

Kohnhead split games against Drawkland and Jantor

Coming off of a 1-0 loss at home to Squornshelan Remnant States, Kohnhead were faced with just as big of a challenge heading on the road to Spartan Veteran Stadium to take on the Elite Eleven of Drawkland. Drawkland were ranked 32nd heading into this World Cup and it would have been something if The Brains were able to pull off the upset. Alas, no we could not pull off the upset win and the loss dropped Kohnhead down to 5th place which is still very good.

Newcastle didn't look as good as he had in past performances allowing two goals that he possibly could have saved. Callie Porsha had some struggles while making her second career start but also showed why many fans consider her a big part of the future. The offense couldn't get anything going with Erin Maltos in particular having a poor game. She owned up to it and promised to be better in the match against Jantor which if Kohnhead wants to keep their underdog road to the World Cup going was a must win.

Kohnhead have been turning some heads with the way they have been playing, being listed as one of the five best over performing teams and are sure to move up in the rankings after the qualifiers are done if they keep this up.

In their next game Kohnhead would host Jantor the team in ninth of the group at Orange Bull Arena. What followed was a close game, too close of a game for my liking but ended wit Kohnhead walking out victorious 2-1. True to her word, Erin Maltos followed up the horrid performance against Drawkland with a brace against Jantor and Newcastle settled in.

The best part about this was no injuries. Speaking of injury new Ida Cogginter is set to return in the next 3-4 matches which doesn't mean Henderson will lose her starting spot. That's right Coach Christopher Kohnhead has not indicated whether Cogginter will have her starting spot back. He was quoted saying "Audrey has played extremely well, and while Ida is a very good player I'm not sure she will be starting when she returns. She will get playing time mind you she just might not be starting, I don't know yet, we will burn that bridge when we get to it." Kohnhead later clarified saying she will be on a pitch count really only subbing for her first few games back.

Maltos' two goals both came off of corners, the first being a Rallyton cross that she just headed straight into the goal. The second one being headed first by Laker, before bouncing to her where she would tap it in. The one goal from Jantor came off of a free kick which was pretty controversial as I think Nicholas Radison the one who committed the foul got all ball in his slide tackle but the call was made the way it was.

Here are the Group 2 standings, Kohnhead is only three points out of second imagine what getting points off of Drawkland and or Squornshelan Remnant States would have done.

Group 2                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kita-Hinode                                  12   10   2   0    32   13  +19    32
 2 Drawkland                                    12    8   2   2    21   11  +10    26
 3 Squornshelan Remnant States                  12    8   1   3    32   24   +8    25
 4 Kohnhead                                     12    7   2   3    24   18   +6    23
 5 Busoga Islands                               12    6   3   3    25   15  +10    21
 6 Torisakia                                    12    5   3   4    25   19   +6    18
 7 Donnacona                                    12    5   1   6    15   14   +1    16
 8 Wreckeria                                    12    3   3   6    19   26   −7    12
 9 Jantor                                       12    3   3   6    19   27   −8    12
10 Gyatso-kai                                   12    2   4   6    25   30   −5    10
11 Lochario                                     12    2   4   6    12   19   −7    10
12 Balaslandia                                  12    3   0   9    22   35  −13     9
13 EGM                                          12    1   2   9    14   34  −20     5

While I'm pretty surprised by how good Kohnhead has done but we saw in the Wonder Cup recently that "A" team could stick with the "B/C" teams of top tier teams like Cassadaigua or Baker Park where they beat both of those, the former ranked ninth and the latter ranked 11th en route to a win in the finals over 97th ranked Bolgano. These results are still shocking for me but this is not the first team we have seen this team perform at a high level. I certainly hope it continues as Kohnhead still has 12 games to play.

by **New Lusitania and the Algarves** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:58 pm

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
World Cup 85

The Final Round One Matchday vs.Astograth to come in Tomorrow's Edition

ALMOST A FIRST
Turori 3-2 New Lusitania
@ Turori Stadium (Att:?)

After what had been the continuation of an exciting period of football with the Selecção, New Lusitania headed into the lion's den, or rather Cocoabo's. Yes, it was finally time to face Turori, a team which had yet to lose a single point in the qualification process this cycle but New Lusitania hoped that they could find a small weakness in the Eels. No man was spared for the occasion as the main cast returned - Patríce in goal, Guerreiros, Leiteiro and Cancela formed the defence as Nevais supplied the ball in-between to the midfield where Horta, Fernando and Gama would be ready to carry the ball forward along with Veiga to Jota and Paciente up front. The anthems sung, the match was now underway. Expectedly, both teams came in strong and the first half was plenty of chances. Gama would have a shot blocked by the Turori goalkeeper and Patríce didn't have his work cut out. The first goal would come from the home side - as one of the strikers hit it hard and low for an opening - it was 1-0. The Selecção was unfazed however and soon after it would be Jota with his tenth goal of the tournament following a good pass by Sevilha's Gama making it all tied at halftime. Into the second half, it would all start to come together for forty-five minutes of even bigger proportions. Turori would score their second goal early as the defence was still recomposing itself from the break with a classy finish in-off the post meaning there was plenty of work to do on New Lusitania's side. By the hour mark however, the goal came - it would be Paciente receiving the ball from Fernando, the captain via a through ball in the hole, carrying it through to the equaliser. The final half-hour provided a great stand off in midfield as the Selecção were feeling the seconds ticking by slowly to do what hadn't been done before. Unfortunately however, it would stay that well. On top of the ninety minutes, Turori would find themselves in a counter-attacking position to score a third one, a match winning one up in the top part of the net - goalkeeper Patríce never had much of a chance, but he was livid. As the whistle blew, one team were happy that their record was intact, whilst the other was in utter disappointment after how close they were to get a point in such a hard location. FULL TIME: 3-2.

Around The Grounds
New Lusitania maintained their fifth place on goal difference after what has been described by a foreign paper as "basically a bye week for all, as Turori has beat everyone". Natanians & Nosts are right under them after what was a good win for them but a disappointing result for Audioslavia with a 0-1 defeat at home. With Astograth's 0-0 draw with TJUN-ia at home, Sajnur were now isolated in second once more after a 2-5 away win at Porticalia. The Runners-Up however are the final bye team of the round however, meaning this time next year, they'll be finishing a week early and watching the rest as it seems no one is willing to give up. Seven teams are realistically in a position to fight but Jeckland found themselves losing unnecessary points against EOT who are attempting to get back on the saddle and ride forwards in the table with the Expats getting a win at home by 2-0. Finally, Muradil beat Villablanca to get their third win of the cycle, at home by a 2-1 margin. With New Lusitania heading to a hot Sevilha in their final game, anything is possible, as a ressurging Astograth hope to stop them in their own bid for the second group spot.

THE HUB
Goals:Jota (10), Paciência (5), Gama (3), Veiga (3), Fernando (3), Silveira (2), Azinheira (1).
Assists: Fernando (7), Gama (5), Horta (4), Veiga (3), Mário (2), Paciência (2), Azinheira (2), Jota (1), Silveira [1], Nevais (1), Cancela (1)
Bookings: Cancela (2Y)
Injuries: Silveira (expected Return MD12)
Next Match: New Lusitania X Astograth
@ Estádio de Nervião, Sevilha

NB: Previous editions my have the name Paciente instead of Paciência which is a mistake which STL apologises for.

MMXX STL

by **Omerica** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:06 pm

WC85 qualifying: Incorrigibles manager George Kostas will take a leave of absence for the second half of qualifying
Omerica assistant manager Christina Tedesco will take charge of the Incorrigibles for their qualifying return fixtures after Kostas steps aside for a sabbatical

Christiana, Mespalia — George Kostas will step aside for the second half of Omerica’s World Cup qualification campaign, leaving his assistant Christina Tedesco in charge of the nation’s next twelve matches.

According to a United Republican Soccer Federation statement announcing Kostas’s leave of absence, the manager stated that he was “about ready to break under pressure”, citing meltdowns against Vilita and Qasden and a string of upset draws and defeats against low-ranked opposition as a factor in his decision to take a sabbatical.

“Infuriating mediocrity”
Omerica’s qualifying campaign so far has been described by domestic pundits as “the epitome of rubbish”. Despite a 5–1 masterwork away at Krytenia to start the campaign, draws against the Drunk People, North New South Wales and the Southern Esportivan Union and defeats to Legalese and Saintland have dug the Incorrigibles a grave that it’s generally agreed will be impossible to climb out of.

“These results have been absolute garbage,” the blogdefootball proclaimed. “There is exactly zero excuse for not defeating North New South Wales or the Southern Esportivan Union. Omerica would probably be better off fielding teams of feral dogs than the human Incorrigibles. There is no point in playing the second half of this campaign. If Omerica keep floundering like this, it will change absolutely nothing.”

“The qualifying campaign was over the minute the whistle blew against Drunk People,” RTN pundit Stéphane Maurice stated. “There is virtually no way for the Incorrigibles to overcome this deficit. It would not surprise me to learn that this is a protest, that Kostas just wants this to end.”

“It has been an immensely stressful campaign for all of us,” Kostas stated in a twii thread. “What has happened over the last few weeks was deeply unfortunate and I hold myself responsible. I will be taking the next couple of months to reexamine whether I will continue in my post as Incorrigibles manager.”

The Incorrigibles must now trudge through twelve painful, pointless games before facing an unwanted trip to yet another Cup of Harmony. The big question is whether they’ll have the willpower to carry on through the drudgery.

“We’re out,” Tedesco said point blank in Portsmouth. “We are not pulling this out of the fire and we should not be forced to trudge on past the game in Qasden. When we’re playing nearly as many games in a qualifying campaign as an OPSL club are playing in a single season, it’s fucking pointless.”

“The most difficult job in the nation”
While considered one of the highest honours for an Omerican manager, the Incorrigibles position has been notorious for taking a toll on the people who hold it. Jean-Baptiste Archambault infamously suffered a fatal heart attack during his second stint in the job, leaving Omerica’s World Cup 74 qualifying campaign to assistant-turned-interim manager Ryan Pritchard.

The first sign that Kostas was starting to unravel was Omerica’s scoreless draw against North New South Wales in Brétolles, where Anaïs Cabral put the ball in the back of the visitors’ net mere moments after the referee blew her whistle to end the match. The whistle saved North New South Wales from a fourth qualifying defeat, allowing them to maintain a one-point lead over the Incorrigibles and leaving Omerica eight points behind Qasden—who also had a game in hand—with fourteen games left to play.

Kostas buckled after the match against the Southern Esportivan Union, where goalkeeper Junior Wheeler scored off a stoppage time corner to deny Omerica a crucial three points going into the bye. The manager was not present at the post-match press conference in Portsmouth, leaving Tedesco to take over the duty. A 5–1 thrashing against the second seeds in Brétolles now leaves Omerica thirteen points adrift with twelve games to play.

“If I’d been in the role full-time,” Pritchard said in reply to Kostas’s twiis, “I doubt we would’ve qualified. No one thought we’d ever pip Nephara and Abanhfleft, so there was no pressure. The burden of carrying the nation’s dreams does start to eat at you.”

“I absolutely understand where George is coming from,” Anne-Sophie Groothuis stated. “This the most difficult job in the nation and it gets tough to cope. I almost lost it a couple of times, myself.”

#StandWithGeorge
Despite the terrible state of the qualifying campaign, supporters have by-and-large not been baying for the manager’s blood. #StandWithGeorge is currently a trending twii tag in Omerica, with twiis calling for Kostas to be sacked uncommon in comparison.

“This is an unusual reversal,” SFRD pundit and former Omerica manager James-Alexandre Christopherson said on Football Aujourd’hui. “We’ve been rather patient this time around and that’s probably a lot to do with how difficult this draw was. I think we all just collectively agreed that it was going to be a bloodbath and we didn’t need to blame anyone in particular for it.”

“My plan is to be back for the Cup of Harmony,” Kostas said in a twii, “but for now, I need a break. I need some time to recharge and to figure out where we go from here.”

The URSF have stated that they are not currently searching for a new manager. “We have been in close contact with Mr Kostas throughout the past few weeks. The door remains open for Mr Kostas if he decides he wants to and is able to carry on.”

Omerica host Krytenia in the first game of the second half of qualifying, with live coverage on SFRD Sport. ⚜️

For your reading pleasure
▶ The Omerican Federal Government condemn Banijan nuclear activity after Busogan inauguration as “an act of naked aggression”
▶ Omerica 1–5 Qasden: the Incorrigibles roll over and die in a tenth inexcusably awful performance and surrender any hope of qualifying
▶ United Republican Soccer Federation officials forcefully condemn Sir Barsanuphius’s “baseless” crusade against Cocoa-bo

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:26 pm

Valladares wrote:
Cerro, District of Metropolis, June 3^rd, 2020

FROM: Valladar Football Association
TO: Twicetargia Football Association
CC: Bushkrub Football Association, World Cup Committee

SUBJECT: Change of venue for Valladares vs. Twicetargia WCQ match

Receive a cordial and warm greeting from the Valladar Football Association. As you know, the match between the national football teams of Valladares and Twicetargia, valid for the thirteenth matchday of qualifying Group 5 for the 85th World Cup edition, was originally scheduled to be played at Estadio Parque Armenia in the city of Columbus at 20:00 local time next Wednesday, according to the schedule released by the World Cup Committee and the stadium allocation announced by the Valladar Football Association.

However, during the most recent week, the city of Columbus has had public order disturbances due to intercommunity riots, which have required the intervention of the II Division of the Valladar Royal Army to keep order in the city. Given that we consider that the safety conditions for a match of the calliber of a World Cup qualifier are not met at the present time, and after receiving some advice on the matter from the civil and military authorities of Columbus, which believe that holding a mass gathering event could potentially exacerbate the situation, we would like to confirm to you that the match will be played at Estadio de la Montaña in the city of Pradera, capital of the Antioquia state at the originally scheduled kick-off time, instead of the original venue Estadio Parque Armenia in Columbus.

We are aware that this change comes at a very unconvenient time, however, the Valladar Football Association wishes to offer to pay any and all extra expenses that might come from this rescheduling, such as flight tickets from Metropolis to Pradera, hotel bookings, intra-city transportation, among others as compensation for the sudden change of venue for the match, motivated by reasons of force majeure. Also, we would like to inform you that due with previous incidents with visiting foreign fans during this World Cup qualifying campaign, ticket allocation for visiting fans will be capped at 500, instead of the original 2,000 tickets.

The match against Bushkrub, originally scheduled at Estadio de la Montaña, will be played at a venue to be confirmed in due time, pending new developments on the current situation in the city of Columbus.

Yours,

François Boudou
Chairman
Valladar Football Association

FROM: Twicetagrian Footballing Federation
TO: Valladar Football Association
Re: Change of venue for Valladares vs. Twicetargia WCQ match

We thank you for your kind accommodation at Valladares.
We know it's been a hard time for your country. However, you have shown great discipline in changing the venues. This deserves a great commendation from everybody.
We are sorry for the riots that is happening at Columbus at the moment. We hope you will find a quick solution.
Our players want to thank valladares for their kindness and care while at Pradera. Your accommodation has made them feel like home.
We hope to meet you soin when you come to us!
Yours,
Twicetagria Football federation(cannot think of a name)

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:32 pm

We here at New Game know quite a bit about being graded and graded harshly. Please don't speak to our parents about it, they're still disappointed with us. But we can utilize that hard-learned knowledge to give arbitrary grades to national football teams trying their best on a sports website! The teams are in order of their current place in the Group 14 standings, as of Matchday 12. The best grade is S, then A, B, C, D, and finally F.

Vilita (1)
The number one team in the world is number one in Group 14, and hasn't lost in 12 games. How can you give that a grade lower than A? You can't. Stop asking silly questions.
Grade: A

Qasden (24)
It's strange to think that a team seven points to the safe for qualification after winning nine games could be described as underachieving. And yet, that's what we're saying.
Grade: B

Riena (196)
Riena looked dangerous in the Baptism of Fire, and they don't even seem to notice any kind of step up in competition. They're overachieving and chasing their dreams. We at New Game are rooting for them to win every one of their remaining games, except in Matchday 23.
Grade: S

Krytenia (58)
A perfectly solid team in the top third of the group. This is where you start thinking about how teams would do in any other group than this one.
Grade: B

Newmanistan (46)
The Rockets fired their manager after Newmanistan's Emperor declared he was disappointed in the team's results. Yikes.
Grade: C

Omerica (96)
As our grades were being prepared it was announced that manager George Kostas was taking a leave of absence as a response to their self-diagnosed "infuriating mediocrity". A C sounds like the right grade under the circumstances.
Grade: C

North New South Wales (UR)
We predicted North New South Wales could be this group's designated stumbling block, and wouldn't you know it? We'll see if this can last.
Grade: A

Saintland (85)
C'mon Saintland. Fight, fight on for Rushmore! We believe in you!
Grade: D

Drunk People at the Local Tavern (271)
They're certainly having a good time, and that's only mostly the alcohol. Their highlight was a draw against Vilitia, giving the world's best side their only blemish.
Grade: B

Southern Esportivan Union (330)
The lowest-ranked of the ranked teams is not high-flying but is hovering, so they should be pleased under the circumstances.
Grade: C

Oberour Ar Moro (128)
The Dragoon's first half of World Cup qualifying is a sandwich with one win each as the buns, and disappointing draws and losses as the meat. Can we send this back to the kitchen?
Grade: D

Legalese (UR)
Welcome back Legalese! Every indication is that Legalese's fans are relatively understanding of their current place in the world and their results. Maybe that's changed, but their position in the standings seems about right.
Grade: C

Lake Esper (243)
Nothing against the Lake Esperians personally, but we're worried that their hearts aren't in it right now.
Grade: F

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