Di Bradini Cup 48/U21WC69 Everything Thread

[Kohnhead]

Moderately Sized Brains rout Mavinet 4-1



Taking on Mavinet who sat at 2-0-1 (W-D-L) and a team who were in a prime position to advance, The Moderately Sized Brains thought they were in for a challenge. Instead they outclassed The Water Buffaloes with relative ease. Barber's decision to role with the same starting XI after the 4-1 loss to Poafmersia is proving to have been a great decision as Kohnhead have played themselves back into the mix for advancing.

It didn't take long for our Moderately Sized Brains to strike with Finley scoring in the 12th minute off of a corner. Johnson the primary corner taker sent the ball into the box where Finley instead of using his head was able to jump up and kick it in right past Le Quang Tho for our first goal. We wanted to show that our win against Sharktail wasn't just a fluke performance.

It didn't take long for the equalizer to come though as in the 19th Ly Van Quyet sent a long ball down the line to Vu Hoang Khang who picked it up with some room, got around a defender and shot a laser at Sanders. Sanders made the save but Hoang Bao Lam was there to score the deflection to tie the game at 1.

The game didn't stay tied for long with just 7 minutes later in the 26th, Eric Ofofor got a nice goal to give our Moderately Sized Brains the 2-1 advantage. Georgia Manter who came up on the attack got the assist. Manter has had a poor tournament so this was good to see from her. The score stayed this way heading into halftime and we knew that if we could just keep up the pressure the game would be quickly over.

In the 52nd Finley got his brace with John Smith getting the assist. Smith made a move around Lam Tu Anh to get into the box and then passed it up to Finley who barely stayed onside. The defense didn't expect that and Finley could calmly hit it past Le Quang Tho to make the game 3-1.

Mavinet had one more good scoring chance in the 67th winning a corner kick but the header from Phan Dang Hoang Quan was just over the bar. Sanders would not have been able to get to it had she needed to.

Morgan coming on for Johnson would add a goal in the 77th to really put the game out of reach and it gave Kohnhead a good feeling to be winning 4-1 as they thought about their own poor performance against Poafmersia.

P Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Paofmersia                  4   3  1  0   16   7  +9   10     Q
2 Kohnhead                    4   2  0  2    8   8   0    6
3 Sharktail                   4   2  0  2    6   6   0    6
4 Mavinet                     4   2  0  2   10  11  −1    6
5 Taeshan                     4   1  2  1    4   4   0    5
6 Lovisa                      4   0  1  3    8  16  −8    1     X

From the table we can tell that Poafmersia, the team that beat us 4-1 is already into the next round, and Lovisa sit at 1 point and have been eliminated. It's a four team race for second between us, Sharktail, Mavinet, and Taeshan. In our next match we take on last place Lovisa which does make us the favorites to advance. Sharktail takes on Poafmersia, and Mavient and Taeshan battle.

Our lineup against Lovisa will be the same. Here we go!

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
U21 fail in Valanora despite drawing Nephara

By Anders Kjällström
Savojarna vs. Nephara has become somewhat of a U21 classic, with the two teams being drawn together for the third time in a row. Much like the grownups, where Savojarna have a tradition of beating the Nepharim in important Copa Rushmori games (twice in the Copa 31, and most recently in the Copa 34 semifinal), the Northlights often shine against the Cormorants. This time, shining was required as three games in an extremely tough group only brought a draw against Mriin, and defeats against Valladares and Megistos.

The Savojars opened the game well despite their weaknesses in some positions. There have been troubles with many individual mistakes in the past, but little of it was to be seen against Nephara. It seemed almost as if the young players, many of whom are looking for their first big professional contracts around this time, were looking to impress the home country of the multiverse’s strongest league. Reksi Halanen, returned from his unconvincing North Quadanan adventure, stunned the audience early on with a beautiful dribble past Soeringer, but judging by the following cross, he was probably already seeing himself in the jersey of AFC Treason or Sabrefell Athletic, rather than on the pitch of the DBC. The cross went high over the crossbar, unreachable for anyone, and resulted in absolutely nothing.

The theme of individual mistakes continued as Tedenby, usually calm and collected, lost a ball easily to a hungry and aggressive Rook Timekeeper in Nephara’s central midfield. The Nepharim showed the efficiency of a world-class side, using only three passes to get the ball into the box and to Catheline Matthias, who tunneled Sharin for the 1-0. Savojarna’s professional players seemed tired after a long season, prompting questions about the U21 selection, and the play of the Young Northlights continued to be patchy and highly individualist. A good Jaerbyn pass into the top brought the best Savojar chance, but Jeraväinen just about missed, probably thanking the heavens that his transfer abroad was already secured. Savojarna had to consider themselves lucky not to go down 2-0 as Chiliarch found a header from point blank range, but managed to hit Sharin’s arm and only got a corner out of it, which Dmitriev cleared well.

After the break, Savojarna surprised by replacing captain Brygg, who had an utterly bloodless and weary-looking game, with the more offensive Sven Ehlers, switching to 4-4-2 to match Nephara’s double rows. Halanen, attempting many plays but finishing few, also was replaced with the less flashy, but usually more effective Finn Östberg. The move paid off as it was Östberg’s cross that was cleared a bit clumsily into a corner by Olexander. With the Savojar towers - three Savojars crack the border of 1.90 m - assembling in the box, the winger had all the choice in the world, and he went for a sharp cross to the first post, where Dmitriev used his 2.04 to perfectly knock the ball into the near corner. With the game at 1-1, Savojarna may have gotten some of their confidence back, but not their energy.

A tired-looking Northlights side started to slog it out, amassing fouls and mistakes in midfield, but some individual plays still threatened Nephara. Maybe getting a bit overly cocky in dominance, Ysabet Belgrade entered an unnecessary 1v1 with Viipuri, and the Swanguard defender cut down her opponent swiftly. Belgrade lost the ball, Viipuri launched the counter, and Ehlers was now in the focus. Having some space in the back line, he managed to find a one-two with the so far invisible Jeraväinen, and cleanly beat Olexander with a flat shot to the 2-1 for Savojarna. But it is part of playing for Nephara that their players can take such hits. Even taking out Tedenby, who kept looking nervous, in favour of the defensively strong Heikki Aho did not manage to turn the tide, with Nephara pushing the Savojars down. Eventually, it was a loss of the ball on the right side with Jaerbyn overestimating his capabilities against Page, and giving up possession right as Laura Nielsen was looking for the overlap, that would cost Savojarna the game. With the little bit of space there, Sadler exploited it immediately, and joker Gareth Pawnbroker pushed the ball over the line for the equaliser.

It set the stage for a dire last fifteen minutes, Savojarna defending desperately against an increasingly adventurous Nephara taking sometimes wild swings at the goal. Both these nations excel in fighting spirit and brash duelling, and this was what had dominated the final phase of the game. A tired Savojar team did not want to go down easy, and Niskanen was racking up the tactical fouls as Exene Fletcher was running him down. Eventually it would be one too much, as a late tackle on the midfielder saw him sent off on his second yellow - the seventh in total of the match, although most of them came from desperation plays rather than unfair play - and Savojarna were now even more on the back foot. Aho dropping back in defence for a crude 5-3-1 was not necessarily what Savojarna wanted to play, but it had to do.

The game remained sloggish, some action coming from Nephara shooting wide twice and Sharin making two great saves, and another attempt by Dmitriev to score off a corner that grazed the bar. Then, in the final minutes, there was finally some more action as a cross by Belgrave found Pawnbroker, although the joker was just about unbalanced by Grönberg, no doubt using his Taeshani experience to use every little trick for alleviating pressure. Suddenly, the other side of “brash duelling” showed, with Pawnbroker demanding a penalty and Grönberg accusing him of diving. The referee resolutely pointed to the corner flag, but it was not enough for the Savojar, who let out his frustration with a shove in the back of the striker, and soon enough a shouting match erupted. Probably it was just the intervention of Timekeeper and Sharin, holding back their respective teammates, that prevented the unnecessary provocation of the defender to blow up into a brawl on the pitch. Respective yellows were enough for the ref, and the game wound down without much further craziness, enough to eliminate the Savojars.

While low on playtime highlights, the clash was showing off the fighting spirit of those two nations and may well be a new U21 classic in this ever-growing rivalry. In the grander scheme of the tournament, however, Nephara got the better end, maintaining all hopes for qualification as they are still tied with Valladares for the group lead. Meanwhile, two lone points mean that Savojarna are out, and the final match against Waisnor will be just a dead rubber. Nonetheless, it could be an opportunity for some players to present themselves.

Savojarna 2-2 Nephara (0-1)

GOALS: 22’ Matthias 0-1 (T. Fletcher). 53’ Dmitriev 1-1 (Östberg). 67’ Ehlers 2-1 (Jeraväinen). 74’ Pawnbroker 2-2 (Belgrave).
YELLOW CARDS: 13’ Nielsen, 30’ Turnbull, 41’ Niskanen, 49’ Jaerbyn, 57’ Dmitriev, 71’ Sadler, 78’ Aho (all foul). 86’ Grönberg, Pawnbroker (unsportsmanlike conduct). 91’ Viipuri (foul).
RED CARDS: 81’ Niskanen (foul/second yellow).
REMARKS: 83’ Dmitriev hit crossbar. Nielsen, Dmitriev suspended for next game (too many yellow cards).

SAVOJARNA: Sharin - Viipuri, Dmitriev, Grönberg, Nielsen - Niskanen, Tedenby (71’ Aho) - Halanen (46’ Östberg), Brygg (46’ Ehlers), Jaerbyn - Jeraväinen.
NEPHARA: Olexander - Page, Turnbull (79’ Warden), Glevinger, Soeringer - Sadler, T. Fletcher (71’ E. Fletcher), Timekeeper, Belgrade - Matthias, Chiliarch (62’ Pawnbroker).

[Springmont]

WHY DANFORD FC BUILD ACADEMY AND NOT BUYS ACADEMY PLAYERS by Sport Desk The football academy is an important element of modern football philosophy. Talented young players from all over the state can be assembled and shaped according to the standard module set. The importance of the football academy to a club is seen as a legacy of the club's legacy and history in driving glory. It would not be too much to say that the football academy is a contributor to the club's financial stability. Take the example of a club in the English Premier League, West Ham United, which has a good football academy and can provide the best players for England while boosting the club's economy through the sale of teenagers. That's what Danford FC Football Club does. At Danford FC a full-fledged football academy has been set up to gather young talent who will wear the Blue Orange jersey. This is part of the Danford FC project under the auspices and outlook of the club's club, Vito Oda. Danford FC Academy is an academy of international football accommodation, education and, football-related facilities ranging from B-12 to B-21. Coaches not only need to be skilled in football but also in their respective fields of study. In addition, the coach also emphasized the same training and tactics and tactics as Danford FC. They also have the opportunity to train together and to increase their motivation to perform better. The development of this young player has taken a long time and this is why Danford FC is planning the Danford FC Academy to become a football talent factory not only for Danford FC but for the country. It is now evident that the foundation of an academy is talent and education. Everything should go hand in hand with developing smart players on and off the field. Additionally, the academy can also act as one of the club's sources of income. Other News Springmont cuts tax to support firms amid Covid-19- The Montian Ministry of Finance has slashed administration tax in numerous sectors to help the economy get back on its feet when the Covid-19 pandemic. IronHope, Rexforth Foundation join digital payments initiative- A new nonprofit charity unveiled plans on May 6 to promote digital payments for people outside the financial system. SpringmontAir to increase flight frequency from May 16- Members of the SpringmontAir Group, including SpringmontAir, EastFly and, Montian Air Service Company plan to increase flight frequency from May.

[Mriin]

The Corsairs were chilling out in the locker room of Castle de Mot a fair bit ahead of the match; Geraard had wanted to get them all together and on-site for some reason, but hadn't showed himself yet. So they wrangled for ways to pass the time.

Martiin took the initiative, looking through the DBC groups on his phone. "Damn, the Savojarnans really got the short end of the stick here, didn't they?"

"You mean Savojar," Filia said without looking from her own phone.

"...what?"

"That's their demonym," she looked up with a sigh, "it's Savojar, not Savojarnan. That's like calling us Mriini."

"But... Savojar. Like a jar a peanut butter."

"It's not that weird. Hell, we're about to play the Valladars."

"The whats"

"Jesus christ Martiin did you ever take a geopolitics class? Did you think they were Valladarens?"

"...maybe."

"I sure hope you haven't been calling the locals Valanorans."

"Oh that's why the keep giving me the stink-eye"

"Alright, I give up." Filia threw her hands up and walked clear to the other side of the room.

"Aw, I didn't even get to ask about the Qusmi--a--i'y?"

[Oberour Ar Moro]

You are Jean-Pierre le Lancier, the recently named "Football and Technical Director" for the Oberour Ar Moro Football Management Committee (FMC), and you in great pain. With the FMC's go ahead, construction had begun on the new headquarters and technical center for the whole of Oberour football in the Tourbillon Forest. In order to do so, the home of one mysterious woman deep in the woods had to be taken. The FMC had tried to provide her a check for a "fair" value of the home, but it was returned unopened.

You had been concerned by what seemed to be a threat of a curse by the woman, but you tried to think no more of it. There are no such things as curses. But as earthmovers and logging equipment began work on the forest, you started to notice something. Small pinpricks beneath your flesh. Only occasional pinpricks, enough to make your rub your arm or leg when it occured.

But then the pinpricks got stronger. And lasted longer. And started to cover more and more of your body. It became low throbbing thuds. The strength of which only intensified as work continued. As men and machine started to dig up peat, cut down trees, level land, the pain got worse, and worse, and worse.

Until one day in your shower you were struck by a massive pain, deep within your chest. Enough to knock you over, leaving you gasping for breath, almost unable to think. You manage to call for an ambulance.

Since that day you've gone from hospital to clincic, physcian to physician, for test after test. Confused doctors have given you a dizzying array of opinion, leaving you confused.

The Debate

1. "We require more testing, but we think it may be some sort of neurological disorder," said Dr. Yann de Courcelles at Saint Raphael Hospital in Regium. "Another battery of MRI testing and we might be able to locate something more definitive."

✔ Accept

2. Dr. Stevan d'Applincourt of Ecrivain-Cyrene Hospital had a different thought. "I believe it may be a kind of nervous system problem. Electrodiagnostic testing, arteriograms, and cerebral spinal fluid analysis will help us try to determine the specifics." He illustrates this by showing you how a lumbar puncture is performed.

✔ Accept

3. "You have a stressful position, it's possible that this is based in mental health," speculates Dr. Eusebius d'Esclainvilliers at Abrilet Psychiatric Hospital. "A change in levels of stress hormones and neurochemicals may be to blame, though we'll have to perform further testing."

✔ Accept

4. "You don't think it could actually be an actual curse?" asked Pentecouste Kerdaniel, the nurse assisting Dr. d'Esclainvilliers in a quiet moment while he was out of your room. "Maybe if you find that woman again she can end it, if you can't stop the project in Tourbillon Forest altogether."

✔ Accept

[PotatoFarmers]

Poafmersia 1
Aleka Dufour 68'

Taeshan 1
Geoff Swanson 20'

Starting 11: Starting 11 against Taeshan - Nicole Potts; Ariel Casey, Hollis Stephenson, Clara Brivio, Wayne Simpson; Woden Sweet (DM); Zelda McKenna, Harriet Buck; Nero Wood (AM); Aleka Dufour, Makana Tuft (c)
Substitutes: Lonny Brooks (Sweet 58'); Erin Vance (Brivio 72'); Sharlene Beltran (Wood 83')

"We feel that the result was a lucky one - it is as though our team robbed the bank and got away with it scot-free," said Nelson Sanchez after the match. "The players are obviously tired and fatigue has started to settle in, which stopped our players from performing at their 100%. This match felt like they were performing at their 40%, much poorer than before."
Nelson Sanchez's tone was obviously different from the past few days. He couldn't be more wrong about how lucky they was - against a Taeshan team also not performing at their very best, they managed to share the spoils and yet still qualify for the Round of 16 as group champions, something which no one would have thought of looking at this performance. The fatigue has set in, as seen by the lack of enthusiasm the midfielders showed throughout the game. All 3 substitutes were used once again, as Nelson Sanchez wanted to rest some of them, but the number of substitutes was not enough to get any further than the 1 point they had. Geoff Swanson opened the scoring for Taeshan in the 20th minute, after Addison Hartwright capitalised on a poor clearance by Brivio to get the ball and making a nice through pass to Geoff Swanson. For the first half or so, that was the only highlight, until the 68th minute, when Aleka Dufour took the ball away from captain Foster Benjamin and never returned, getting the ball past Florian Wagner.
So what is next for Poafmersia? Poafmersia would play Sharktail 2 days later, with Nelson Sanchez rotating the whole starting 11 to give the key starters a rest. Nicole Potts would gain the captain's armband, as captain Makana Tuft rests for the match with Poafmersia switching to a 4-3-3 formation for the first time this cup. Poafmersia would then play the runners-up of Group F in the Round of 16.

P Group F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Jovannic                4   4  0  0   15   6  +9   12     Q
2 Cassadaigua                 4   2  1  1    5   5   0    7
3 Eraman                      4   2  0  2   16  11  +5    6
4 Blouman Empire              4   1  1  2    4  11  −7    4
5 Ethane                      4   1  0  3    2   4  −2    3
6 Riennic Isles               4   1  0  3    5  10  −5    3

As seen from the table, The Jovannic has qualified for the Round of 16 and group champions. On Matchday 5, Cassadaigua plays Eraman in a winner-takes-all matchup. Cassadaigua qualifies with anything but a loss, and would be favourites to do so. However, Eraman has just trashed Blouman Empire 5-0, so Eraman may be there to cause an upset. If Eraman wins the tie, then Poafmersia would play a team from Melayu Archipelago for the 2nd consecutive match this cup, following this match against Sharktail.

Starting 11 against Sharktail: Nicole Potts (c); Quintin Gross, Mitchel Rosales, Erin Vance, Natalia Abbott; Nero Wood, Lonny Brooks, Sharlene Beltran; Lisa Winship, Havel Ljungstrand, Monesty Erdos

[Pasarga]

Nothing has been very easy or beautiful for the Young Wanderers here in the Eternal Empire, yet despite the lack of such aesthetics or ease of difficulty, the squad has made it four wins from four matches and has secured their progression into the knockout stages. It has been a rather different sort of set of results and performances from the squad, having to grind out results against teams who on paper they are quite the superior team against. Perhaps like the senior team before them, the Young Wanderers are having a bit of a bumpy patch of form and finding themselves needing to tinker with the ideas that have got them consistently into the upper echelons of the youth game. After all, the respect that young Pasargan players get both on the transfer market as well as their noted history of success in this competition is a very healthy reminder as to the standard of the team. The course then is to make sure that such results are just blips in the radar and do not become something of the new normal for the team moving forward in the next edition of the tournament. With the group stage all but over for this edition of the tournament, there is no recourse but to persevere and continue on through.

Which in this regards means to press forward into the titanic clash of the teams who will be progressing through this group, as the Young Wanderers of our beloved Pasarga will be taking on Starblaydia to decide the group title and who will get that easier Round of Sixteen match, in theory. As anyone who is anyone knows, the youth tournaments are like bags of chocolate or candy, you never quite know what you are getting until it is already in your mouth, and by that time you are either savoring the delights or feeling the suckerpunch of a misguided treat. While neither side has exactly been in the most free flowing of attacking displays throughout the entire tournament, it is the all whites of Starblaydia that have looked the more dangerous more consistently than our own squad. With three goals put past Jeckland in their last outing, the one that did indeed secure their passage into the first knockout round much the same as our own squad, the Starblaydi attack seems to be gathering its form at the perfect opportunity, such that they will be poised and extremely dangerous for any potential opponents that they will meet in those elimination matches.

Something that both teams will be able to boast and build upon for those upcoming fixtures is that their defensive units have been among the best in the tournament, with the Young Wanderers defensive line only conceding three goals from the four outings thus far in the group. However in their efforts to show that they can do anything better than anyone else if they are really putting their minds to it, the Starblaydia defense has amazingly only conceded a single goal this entire tournament, and that was in this last match against Jeckland, at a point where it was already clear they were going to win their match and secure their advancement into the knockout stages. One could easily claim that in the four hundred twenty minutes that have mattered for the Starblaydia side, they have not conceded a goal, only managing to do so in the half hour of what most pundits would call garbage time in which the fates of both teams were essentially sealed already. With both an in form offensive unit and a defensive unit that has that much cohesion among them, the task to take them to task is one of astronomical proportions for our Young Wanderers.

However if there is anything that this side can do, it is look back into its history and see where time and time again that both the under twenty-one and senior side have managed to turn in monumental performances when everyone had written them off. Six years ago in the Copa Rushmori in Qusmo, no one in their right mind would have dared to dream that the Wanderers would be able to shake off the disappointment of not only missing out on qualifying for the Finals, but not even managing an invite to the Cup of Harmony, but could do so and then ride their luck and talent all the way to the regional title. Alexander Jager put a Young Wanderers team on his back that had no business of being anywhere near the later rounds of the tournament and yet they were able to not only make it to the latter rounds but managed to lift that trophy. While the present might not say that the odds are in their favor, they have the history and tradition of winners and coming out from underneath extraordinary circumstances and being the victor. This tournament may be named after a Starblaydi, but it is where Pasargan legends begin to be crafted...

[Valanora]

Whose legend is about to be born? Matchday 5 cutoff

Matchday 5

Group A
Siovanija and Teusland 7–4 Krytenia
Lochario 2–1 Abanfleft
Pemcutan 2–3 Devonta

P Group A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Siovanija and Teusland      5   4  1  0   20   9 +11   13
2 Lochario                    5   4  1  0   14  10  +4   13
3 Krytenia                    5   1  2  2   13  15  −2    5
4 Abanfleft                   5   1  1  3    8  10  −2    4
5 Pemcutan                    5   1  1  3    9  13  −4    4
6 Devonta                     5   1  0  4    8  15  −7    3

Group B
Starblaydia 1–2 Pasarga
Indusse 3–2 Jeckland
Libonesia 4–2 Staypftonia

P Group B                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pasarga                     5   5  0  0   11   4  +7   15
2 Starblaydia                 5   4  0  1   13   3 +10   12
3 Libonesia                   5   2  1  2    6   9  −3    7
4 Indusse                     5   2  0  3    5   9  −4    6
5 Staypftonia                 5   1  0  4    7  10  −3    3
6 Jeckland                    5   0  1  4    5  12  −7    1

Group C
Chromatika 0–1 Equestria
Quebec 1–5 Springmont
Oberour Ar Moro 1–1 Terre Septentrionale

P Group C                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Springmont                  5   4  1  0   20  10 +10   13
2 Oberour Ar Moro             5   2  3  0   14   8  +6    9
3 Chromatika                  5   2  1  2   14   7  +7    7
4 Terre Septentrionale        5   2  1  2    8  10  −2    7
5 Equestria                   5   2  0  3    6  13  −7    6
6 Quebec                      5   0  0  5    4  18 −14    0

Group D
Vdara 2–1 Nagore
Tolopel 3–6 Geektopia
TJUN-ia 3–1 Darmen

P Group D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Geektopia                   5   4  0  1   14   5  +9   12
2 Darmen                      5   4  0  1   11   7  +4   12
3 TJUN-ia                     5   3  1  1    9   7  +2   10
4 Tolopel                     5   2  1  2    9  11  −2    7
5 Vdara                       5   1  0  4    5  12  −7    3
6 Nagore                      5   0  0  5    4  10  −6    0

Group E
Sylestone 2–4 Baker Park
HUElavia 5–3 Kita-Hinode
Sarzonia 3–0 Sajnur

P Group E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                    5   5  0  0   15   6  +9   15
2 Baker Park                  5   2  1  2   17  11  +6    7
3 Kita-Hinode                 5   2  1  2   13  12  +1    7
4 HUElavia                    5   2  1  2    8  13  −5    7
5 Sajnur                      5   1  1  3    7  14  −7    4
6 Sylestone                   5   0  2  3    2   6  −4    2

Group F
Cassadaigua 1–2 Eraman
Riennic Isles 3–2 The Jovannic
Blouman Empire 0–0 Ethane

P Group F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Jovannic                5   4  0  1   17   9  +8   12
2 Eraman                      5   3  0  2   18  12  +6    9
3 Cassadaigua                 5   2  1  2    6   7  −1    7
4 Riennic Isles               5   2  0  3    8  12  −4    6
5 Blouman Empire              5   1  2  2    4  11  −7    5
6 Ethane                      5   1  1  3    2   4  −2    4

Group G
Lovisa 1–5 Kohnhead
Paofmersia 3–6 Sharktail
Mavinet 2–2 Taeshan

P Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Paofmersia                  5   3  1  1   19  13  +6   10
2 Kohnhead                    5   3  0  2   13   9  +4    9
3 Sharktail                   5   3  0  2   12   9  +3    9
4 Mavinet                     5   2  1  2   12  13  −1    7
5 Taeshan                     5   1  3  1    6   6   0    6
6 Lovisa                      5   0  1  4    9  21 −12    1

Group H
Waisnor 3–3 Savojarna
Valladares 6–2 Mriin
Nephara 3–1 Megistos

P Group H                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Valladares                  5   3  2  0   18  11  +7   11
2 Nephara                     5   3  2  0   10   5  +5   11
3 Mriin                       5   2  1  2    9  13  −4    7
4 Waisnor                     5   1  1  3   11  11   0    4
5 Megistos                    5   1  1  3   10  15  −5    4
6 Savojarna                   5   0  3  2    8  11  −3    3

Round of Sixteen Fixtures
Siovanija and Teusland v Darmen @ The Tar Pit, Char Sara
Pasarga v Oberour Ar Moro @ Metropolis, Ibini
Springmont v Starblaydia @ Raynor Memorial, Hondo
Geektopia v Lochario @ Lathal, Ianisle
Sarzonia v Nephara @ Miner's Haven, Goldsan
The Jovannic v Kohnhead @ Tiradir, Gladerial
Poafmersia v Eraman @ Orange Gate Falls, Monaven
Valladares v Baker Park @ River City Stadium, Bexar

[Starblaydia]

Down But Not Out
Starblaydia handed tough knockouts path

Valanora's most iconic stadium played host to the Group B decider between Starblaydia and Pasarga, two teams with long and accomplished histories who were both heading into the knockout stages of the 69th Under-21 World Cup. Previously, this had been the scene of arguably Starblaydia's greatest sporting triumph, but that appeared to weigh heavy on the shoulders of the youth team playing last night as they went down 2-1 to their opponents. The outcome certainly puts a dent in the morale of the team, but it doesn't stop them from progressing to the Second Round. On paper, their next opponent is the tougher of the available teams in Group C, but Ázëwyn Fëanáro's side have shown so far that they can compete with anybody at this level.

Compete with four-times Under-21 Champions Pasarga, they did, as a back and forth tussle and clash of styles ensured. The style clash was in playing terms, as a balanced 4-4-2 set up against an attack and counter-press minded 4-3-3. In aesthetic styles, with both teams spectacularly kitted out in ediraf kits, so it was the familiar white and purple versus the vantablack, so even if your TV technology was three hundred years old and only in black and white, it was still pretty obvious as to who was whom.

Right from the opening whistle, Starblaydia's high counter-press game was designed to close down any space that Pasarga thought they had. Fullbacks were harried and pinned into the corners by the forwards, while the midfield and defensive lines push up to exploit any resulting overload, transitioning from press to counter-attack in the blink of an eye. The speed at which Starblaydia started caught the Young Wanderers a little off guard, with several hairy moments in the opening minutes as players like Erik Klein found themselves boxed between the corner flag and a quick footed striker like Betanni Jetvanna closing them down before they'd even got a foot on the ball, with Royce and Orvalee making a nuisance of themselves to block off the passing lanes. This early pressure down the right led to an opening shot from Nicholas Romaine, but after having the ball played out to him on the left by Hayden Shepherd, he snatched at the shot slightly and pulled it wide of the far post.

The pressure was on, but the Young Wanderers had ways of alleviating it. Fulco Salas was prepared for the press of Stanton on multiple occasions and was able to pass and move his way out of the situation, turning it from precarious into an opportunity. Hitting a beauty of a diagonal cross-field ball to Lopez over the top of Starblaydia's onrushing counter-pressers suddenly took half the team out of the play. Taking the ball in his stride, the CA Paulinthal wide man attacked the gap between the fullback Orvalee and centreback Bernini, who were part of a fluid back three as Lamont vainly pressed high up the pitch. Lopez powered through as defenders rushed to cover, but no-one was able to pick up the run of Elek Salai from the right channel into the centre, and a simple square ball and an even simpler left foot finish swept the ball into the bottom right corner, with Vadaparthy stranded between covering Lopez and covering Salai. Starblaydia's counter-press had itself been countered, much to the frustration of Starblaydi coach Aaron Cole, who sent a water bottle spinning across the technical area in frustration.

The evolution of Starblaydia's tactics are still in progress under Ázëwyn Fëanáro and her side, as they transition from the narrow 4-4-2 Diamond of centuries past into a much wider and adaptable 4-3-3. Even superficially, this team often plays a lot like the Diamond that is engrained into the psyche of these players practically from birth. Fullbacks push up as a defensive midfielder sits in front of two centre-backs, but this is where the similarity finishes. The traditional lynchpin between attack and defence is the number 8, an attacking midfielder who either surges forward with power, ghosts into the box late, or stands and pulls the strings. In this new system, the creative dynamo at the tip of the Diamond no longer exists, as the game becomes a team discipline of units and triangles, with less reliance on a single player and more on the collective. It was the collective that pulled together, solidifying against the two all-black banks of four that the Pasargans presented them with. Movement, passing, pressing. Pace and power. Starblaydia have always produced players with those abilities, and they needed to demonstrate it here. It was now Starblaydia's game to chase, and chase it they did.

Getting control of the ball, control of the possession and control of the game was the first priority as the midfield trio of Maddison, Royce and Shepherd began to own the middle of the park against their four-man opposition. Supported by two fullbacks, and a rotation of one of the front three dropping back, the side finished the first half with positive vibes and progression towards a result, but still 1-0 down. Second half, again, Starblaydia started with a bang. High energy, high intensity and, again, a high press. They were all over Pasarga from the moment the whistle went, hustling Jónatansson off the ball and into making mistakes on several occasions, surging through the transition and, after just five minutes of play, made the breakthrough. With Romaine powering through the middle at pace, a clever run from Jetvanna drew the defender, leaving just enough space for Romaine to lay the ball off and into the path of the sprinting captain, Jewel Maddison. She blasted a low driven ball with barely any spin on it, getting the dip on it to curve down and skid off the surface past the hand of Sedillo and rippling the net behind her.

It was game on at that point as a titanic struggle ensued, with both sides desperately trying to be the one finishing with a 100% record. It almost seemed like a knockout game at times, as end to end action punctuated the air in the capital of Valanora. As much as you'd want to save your energy, keep it for the knockouts, keep it for when it really mattered... it really mattered now. As the game stretched on and ticked towards ninety minutes, the time for action came. Nicholas Stanton brought the ball down with his chest on the edge of the Pasargan penalty area, as Romaine and Jetvanna started runs into the box breaking free of their defensive cover. As Stanton looked across for a target, the ball was taken off his laces by Fulco Salas, who sprinted away with it. After just a single touch, he hooked it forward, having seen Elek Salai on the charge down the right wing. Staying onside in his own half, Salai collected the ball and out-sprinted Odell Lamont, cutting inside to the channel. April Hoyt had tracked the run, providing the cover in just the right place to force Salai outside to a narrower angle, but with a turn of pace Salai breezed past her to the inside for the first time in the match. Cutting across the eighteen yard line, with Bernini closing, Salai was on his wrong foot. But that didn't matter, as he smashed a curling drive into the top left corner and Vadaparthy could only watch mid-dive as the ball hit the back of the net.

There was no more time remaining, no space and just no energy in deflated Starblaydi legs. They'd lost this one, it had gotten away with them, along with their dreams of a 100% record and an easier time in the Second Round. Now they'd have to play the group winners of Springmont, and have the title of favourites taken off them. White Lions versus Project Lions, as Starblaydia take on Springmont in the Round of Sixteen.

Final score from The Battleground, Raynor City (76,921):
Starblaydia 1 - 2 Pasarga
(Maddison 51) - (Salai 18 & 87)

[Springmont]

Project Lion: Edition N° 5

Group C
Quebec 1–5 Springmont

Springmont Scorer: Igor Parax 12', 55', 89' | Prince Reyes 61' | Jacob Erick Carson 77'
- Igor Parax (12): From a tight angle, drove the ball and hard across the 'keeper and just crossing the post.

- Igor Parax (55): Beat two defenders before hitting a superb 18-yards effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

- Prince Reyes (61): Heading home at the near post leaving the 'keeper with no change.

- Jacob Erick Carson (77): A left foot snap shoot from 20 yards.

- Igor Parax (89): Burst through the Quebec half and switching the ball onto his right foot before firing pass the 'keeper.

Quebec Scorer : Quebec #9 71'
- Quebec #9 (71): Neat passing move between Quebec #6 dan Quebec #8 resulted in a low shot from Quebec #9 which beat Art Dempsey.

---

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Quebec 1, Springmont 5, an excellent result for Project Lion, again. The mission beyond the qualifications of the group, they have executed brilliantly. Becoming a Group C champion in which there are Oberour Ar Moro, Chromatika and Terre Septentrionale as well as Equestria and Quebec is not easy. Furthermore, they managed to maintain an unbeaten record [4-1-0] and it was not easy for the young Springmont team. But for the record, they while participating in the 7th U15WC used to make it to the round of 16, they now assume the national duty for Di Bradini Cup 48 / U21WC69.

President Springmont, Dr. Tullar sent his congratulations and he also asked the newly appointed Minister of Education, Technology & Innovative, Dr. Salman Irondam, MP immediately went to Valanora to see Project Lion meet Starblaydia at Raynor Memorial, Hondo, along with State Secretary for Sport & Youth, Claude Pauly, MP who arrived earlier.

But the Project Lion camp was shrouded in a rather unattractive issue when Team Manager Dillon Matsumoto, who often hugged and kissed the linesman's cheek when the Project Lion team scored, received criticism from supporters and accused him of being gay. The issue of whether he is gay or not, has never been discussed before but Matsumoto's strange habit has indeed become common knowledge in Springmont and is not an issue there. The NGO All Springmont LGBT Alliance (ASLA) in a press conference expressed pride if it is true that the Project Lion Manager is gay and intends to welcome him on a large scale when he returns to Springmont including the ASLA mass parade.

Realistically, a difficult situation awaits them at RO16, when they are drawn to meet Starblaydia, a team that is far more dominant and experienced than them. The fight between the two Lions, Project Lions and White Lions will promise another exciting episode for Dillon Matsumoto's boys. According to the website hugandkisss.com, until now Matsumoto has managed to hug and kiss the linesman 16 times, maybe the record will increase? We will see later.

Group C
Chromatika 0–1 Equestria
Quebec 1–5 Springmont
Oberour Ar Moro 1–1 Terre Septentrionale

P Group C                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Springmont                  5   4  1  0   20  10 +10   13
2 Oberour Ar Moro             5   2  3  0   14   8  +6    9
3 Chromatika                  5   2  1  2   14   7  +7    7
4 Terre Septentrionale        5   2  1  2    8  10  -2    7
5 Equestria                   5   2  0  3    6  13  -7    6
6 Quebec                      5   0  0  5    4  18 -14    0

MD6: VS. Starblaydia
Art Dempsey (C)
Roman Park, Jesse Sosa, Lowell Blevins, Rex Muriaman
James Mejia, Nestor Darkclouds, Clayton Lamb
Prince Reyes, Igor Parax, Scott Jerrod Collier

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia v. Nephara.

In the grand history of the World Cup, those two countries were the first in history to capture the so-called grand slam of titles. Each side were the best in its regional footballing competition at least once. Each country won its respective Baptism of Fire Cup for countries testing the waters of international football for the first time. Each country won a Cup of Harmony to mark a nice consolation prize for teams that failed to qualify for the World Cup. And, each side captured the sport's ultimate prize, the World Cup.The two teams both made indelible marks upon the history of the game with their respective senior sides.

The Under 21 World Cup, long ago named the Di Bradini Cup to honour one of the greatest football legends of history is a different matter. Oh, don't get us wrong. Sarzonia also won a Di Bradini Cup in the early days of that competition, holding the trophy aloft in the eighth edition, which is also known as the 29th Under 21 World Cup. Thus far, however, Nephara have been absent from the highest platform on the medal stand in this competition, but a team that sits among the elite footballing programmes in the world is not expected to stray too far from glory for its Under 21 football for very long.

However, if Nathan Hanifer and the Junior Stars have anything to say about, Nephara's wait to claim glory will last at least one more edition. The Junior Stars put the finishing touches on a dominating Group E performance with an easy 3-0 victory over Sajnur to remain one of just two unbeaten sides in the current edition of the Di Bradini Cup with a 5-0-0 record to set up the Round of 16 battle with Nephara at Miner's Haven in Goldsan. Only Pasarga's 5-0-0 mark matches Sarzonia's, and the Young Wanderers finished their group stage with an impressive 2-1 victory over Starblaydia, another programme with impressive pedigree at nearly every level of football.

But now, Hanifer and his charges are squarely focused on what lies ahead, and right now, that's Nephara. They wrapped up their group stage as runners up in Group H with a 3-1 victory over Megistos to finish with a 3-2-0 mark. They've scored 10 goals and have conceded five where Sarzonia have notched 15 goals and conceded six. Sarzonia goalkeeper Glen Baker finished qualifying with a 4-0-0 record and two clean sheets, though his seemingly unsightly 1.50 goals against average were due primarily to the two quality sides in Group E, Kita-Hinode and Baker Park, scoring four and two goals against the Junior Stars, respectively. Reserve keeper Eleanor Keating won her lone match, against Sylestone, and notched a clean sheet in Sarzonia's 1-0 victory on Matchday Two.

For the Junior Stars, their battle against Nephara may leave football supporters of the senior team salivating at the prospect of making another mark against one of the elite nations of modern football, but Hanifer shrugged off the idea.

"Look, the Under 21 World Cup is a completely different animal," Hanifer said. "Nephara are a quality side or they wouldn't be facing us right now, but we're not facing that Nephara that are perennial contenders to lift a World Cup aloft. We're facing a different team that has a different set of strengths and weaknesses, and the Sarzonia they're facing isn't the same as the one that just qualified for the proper. We're going to have to work our arses off, that much is certain no matter who lines up."

Hanifer also addressed speculation that he was being considered as a possible successor to senior national team manager Kevin Connelly should he retire as is being rumoured as a possibility after the World Cup 86 qualifying cycle.

"Right now, my focus is on this team and what we have in front of us," he said. "Kevin has done a phenomenal job as manager of the senior national team and I'm sure he'll be there as long as he wants. No one from the [Incorporated Football Federation, Sarzonia's governing body for international and domestic football] has approached me about the job."

When asked if he would consider the position, Hanifer demurred.

"I wouldn't want to take the job if Kevin's gonna be there," he said. "He's done too good a job for me to even consider that. Besides, I wouldn't want to distract from what we're doing here."

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

As it turns out, Tolopel and Geektopia were playing each other in MD5 so TJUN-ia couldn't qualify for the Round of 16 today. However, youth football prides experience over silverware and Philip van Oosterend hoped that the players can show what they can do against unbeaten Darmen at the Raynor Memorial in Hondo. Darmen were already through and TJUN-ia was certainly out of the door, but that didn't mean that this match wasn't worth it in the long journey of player development.

The Darmenis were undefeated for a reason and that reason was in full view for the first 30 minutes. Their style of play was respectful to the officials, while also being flowing end efficient. In this sense, they were the perfect opponent and they struck first in the 23rd minute. The goalscorer was Ian Wilkinson, with a nice shot just outside the box to put it past David N'kude. After the half-hour point, however, the Young Jags wold start to bring themselves into the game. Their efforts were rewarded just before Half Time, Manu Kepelewako finding the back of the net from a free kick in his final youth game.

The second half saw TJUN-ia look to make a statement, and it would be the "Stars of DBC49" who would have their moment in the spotlight. Substitues were the name of the game, and TJUN-ia's all contributed to the final goals this team would score. First, in the 67th, Yomakaji Shimigatsu sending a nice ball for Malhrani al-Kalhrani to covert past Simon Toro. Both players are 16 years old. Shimigattsu would get his 2nd assist in the 83rd, a nice pass to 15-year-old Kim Choi-Ya - Kim would make no mistake from a few yards out.

And so, TJUN-ia's first florey into Youth Football ended in the groups but with an eye to the future. 3 wins in your first competition at this level is defentity a stat FA-TJUN-ia will take and PvO seems safe in his position. The main focus now will be the next Di Bradini: where 7 players will be considered too old to play. The next stars must take the place of the Galarians and 2 TJUN-ians, and who knows who might be in the pipeline. Most of these players might be shipped out to foreign leagues at the next transfer window but for now, the non-Galarians must go back home and develop in their own....

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SCHEDULE
MD1: vs Geektopia - Duran Palace, Valanari (51,000) L 0-3
MD2: vs Vdara - Duran Palace, Valanari (51,000) W 3-1 (4th)
MD3: vs Tolopel - Raynor Memorial, Hondo (40,000) D 1-1 (4th)
MD4: vs Nagore - Aranfield Bridge, Everlin (52,000) W 2-1 (4th)
MD5: vs Darmen - Raynor Memorial, Hondo (40,000) W 3-1 (3rd/3W-1D-1L/10pts)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2020
U21's through to knockout stage, pack up camp
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

The Commonwealth Under 21's came through in the clutch--with some help from HUElavia--to reach the Round of 16 at the Di Bradini Cup, with a 4-2 victory against Sylestone at the White Fortress in front of a largely pro-Baker Park crowd of 43,000.

Coupled with Los Amarillos 5-3 win over Kita-Hinode, the result was enough to propel the Black & Gold to a date with Group H winners Valladares; the match has been scheduled for the 35,000 seat River City Stadium in Bexar, located on the northern coast of Sabine & Caddonia--a self-governing dependency of the Eternal Empire located nearly 1,000 miles due south of the Commonwealth, to the northeast of Siovanija & Teusland.

That meant that the team made an extra trip back to Sharala, followed by a return to Gladerial the next evening to catch a flight to Bexar; the arranged get-together for the AS Sharala Supporter's Club and members was pushed forward to accommodate the quick turnaround, with nearly 1,800 locals turning out to enjoy the FAC's hospitality.

Manager Liam Sullivan looked at the upside of the abrupt change of plan. "We don't really need 2-3 days of training between matches at this point. The extra day of rest is more important, as far as I'm concerned. We're going to get the same opportunity to train at the stadium (as Valladares), where we can finalize the tactical adjustments and the various assignments."

Sullivan knows that the majority of the roster will be back for the next DBC, as there are only four players who have reached their 21st birthday, and much of the core will be in the same stage of the U21 cycle as they were in winning the Under-18's in S&T for SWC 9. He's referenced the learning curve of the 19 year old cohort several times in his comments about the progress of this squad, so it remains to be seen if the same chemistry will follow along to a similar result.

[Springmont]

Focus Player: Scott Jerrod Collier by Sport Desk Scott Jerrod Collier has enjoyed an excellent season at the domestic level. He was also the best player in the previous Group C final action which was one of the best actions individually. Scott Jerrod Collier is the key player for the current Palmworth FC club. Although he is not the number nine player he became a goal scorer in his own way. Scott Jerrod Collier is an inverted winger who loves a game system that allows him to do cut inside and shot. He is a player who prefers accuracy in shooting rather than kicking strength. Scott Jerrod Collier has good technical quality. He can dribble and have the ability to beat the opponent's defense. Versatility as well as the ability to create and score goals make Collier a ‘hot item’ in the transfer window. When faced with a situation to score Scott Jerrod Collier has calm. Apart from the quality during the open game, he also has the quality for dead ball situations. He seems to be enjoying the work of scoring goals both in matches at the domestic level as well as at the international level. Yet the main challenge for Scott Jerrod Collier is when he May be used as a left-winger. There has been a previous tendency by Dillon Matsumoto to use him as a left-winger to allow Lorenzo Leibfried to play on the right, as Lorenzo has high speed and pace. So when on the left He will be in a difficult position to do cut inside and shot. Next to be admitted Scott Jerrod Collier will definitely be the focus of the opposing team. And he certainly should have had expectations about how his opponent's defense treated him. In recent years Scott Jerrod Collier has been one of the players who showed his maturity in action on the field. Credit also to his coach since the grassroots level, clubs, national youth teams, and so on.

[The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario]

ROUND OF 16 MATCHUPS AND WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THEM?

(brought to you by EPIC FOOTBALL DAILY)

Hello lads, this is Jami Korroger again with some great stats and predictions for the round of 16 matchups in the DiBradini Cup.

Siovanija and Teusland v Darmen @ The Tar Pit, Char Sara
Both teams performed rather well in the group stage, but I don't expect to win the whole thing. I mean, the Gingers drew against Siovanija and Teusland and if they want to win, they've got to stop drawing or losing at this point. Same goes with Darmen. For this matchup though, I'm gonna go with Siovanija, cause of the attacking football they've been producing lately. Looking at Darmen's last group stage battle, I can see, they're struggling with the defense. They conceded 3 goals against a side, which had zero chances of finishing top 2 already, for fick's sake!

Pasarga v Oberour Ar Moro @ Metropolis, Ibini
I mean, there's not much to talk about this match up, cause the result is already clear. Pasarga have been a dominant side throughout this whole tournament so far and I thing they're one of top 2 favorites to win it. It's just that Oberour Ar Moro were a much weaker side this whole tournament, that's all.
Springmont v Starblaydia @ Raynor Memorial, Hondo
Once again, one of the tougher RO16 matchups. Both, Springmont and Starblaydia have really been the competitive sides of this tournament and if not that fluky goal by the Pasargan player, Starblaydia would've definetly drawn against them and would most likely have won the group! Spring ont has been an absolute discovery of the tournament, winning 4 matches and only drawing 1. Their attack was dominant and their defense was an absolute wall. I mean, conceding only 10 goals against the famous sides like Chromatika and Equestria and LEAVING them out of the knockout stage is a brilliant achievement on its own. So, I can't really say about who's gonna win this, cause both of the sides are pretty even and I wouldn't be surprised if this ends in a penalty shoot-out.
Geektopia v Lochario @ Lathal, Ianisle
Finally, we get to our match up and it's against Geektopia. Both sides have been equally good this whole tournament and I can only wish the Gingers the best in this. That's all.
Sarzonia v Nephara @ Miner's Haven, Goldsan
That's a tough one, even though Sarzonia's my absolute favorite to win this whole thing, because of the defensive composure they have, which is really needed in the tournaments like this. Nephara's also been relatively good, just like everyone expected it to be. I didn't like their defense though and that will definitely be needed in a match against a defensive side like this, but then again Nephara got into a very difficult with all the famous sides like Valladares, Mriin and Savojarna, however, I do truly hope they can get their defensive shite together, cause then they're gonna lose hard.
The Jovannic v Kohnhead @ Tiradir, Gladerial
It's one of a weaker matchups, if I'm honest, but it's still gonna be a massive fight for the quarterfinal spot. The Jovannic, among with Springmont, is a side that shocked us all by finishing in top of their group, especially when there were some powerful sides like Eraman, Cassadaigua and Ethane, which unironically finished last in the group table. Konnhead played in one of those weaker groups, which nobody of us Locharians care about, so I'm gonna give this to The Jovannic.
Poafmersia v Eraman @ Orange Gate Falls, Monaven
Poafmersia, among with Konnhead, finished in the top 2 of one of those weaker groups, so you can kinda tell, as of why they finished so high. However, Eraman was pretty weak in their group stage and their defense was quite honestly shit, so I think Poafmersia might even pull an upset here.
Valladares v Baker Park @ River City Stadium, Bexar
Oh, you know how much I love analysing the big team battles in the knockouts! And this is one of those! All I can expect from these sides is an amazing football among with some great defensive clearances on top of that, it's gonna be wonderful, I'm telling ya!

Alright lads, that was Jami Korroger and goodnight!

[The Jovannic]

New training complex for the JoSports Football academy in Wirsteo

A new training complex has been built in Wirsteo, Nitoa Province. It has 5 training fields, 4 indoor and 1 outdoor, with one full size field. It is the biggest Training complex in Nitoa Province. "The aim of this complex is to nurture football players for more rural regions, and introduce proper training to all citizens in The Jovannic." Head coach of JoSports Academy Nitoa, said in an interview yesterday. Only one player from the Nitoa and Inzen Provinces currently regularly play in the Royal Jovannic League. Swa Chow, from Horimat FC. This is often attributed to the severe lack of complexes in the mountainous regions. Another smaller training complex in Inzen will open by next year.

A preview shot of the indoor football fields

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The Jovannic VS Kohnhead: THE PREVIEW

Lets look at the teams, and review their form!

The Jovannic
Juyt Dersa and Sami Ning are in hot form, and will be a major threat to the Kohnhead defence. The team have become extremely clinical, blending perfectly to Shuci Faret's pressing style. The first team have rested from the last group game, so the first team will be very fresh.

Scores:
Defense: 6/10
Midfield: 8/10
Forwards: 9/10

Kohnhead
After a pretty bad start, Kohnhead bounced back to finish 2nd after a 4-1 defeat of Mavinet and 5-1 securing of Lovisa. Having some good form, they have a chance of breaking into the Jovannic defense, but it will be hard with the first team refreshed.

Scores:
Defense: 7/10
Midfield: 6/10
Forwards: 8/10

Review: The Jovannic should come out of this with a win, but Kohnhead could certainly come up with a upset if The Jovannic are not careful.

[PotatoFarmers]

Poafmersia 3
Havel Ljungstrand 16'
Monesty Erdos 61'
Lisa Winship 78'

Sharktail 6
Haziq Badrol 24', 37'
Tomasi Salleh 45', 55'
Win Aziz 69'
Hidawi 85'

Starting 11: Nicole Potts (c); Quintin Gross, Mitchel Rosales, Erin Vance, Natalia Abbott; Nero Wood, Lonny Brooks, Sharlene Beltran; Lisa Winship, Havel Ljungstrand, Monesty Erdos
Substitute: Woden Sweet (Abbott 65')

What a brutal end to the group stage! For the Poafmersian players, their attention surely wasn't on the match on hand - the performance would be thoroughly spat on if Adnan Suliaha was around. In fact, the players went overboard with trying to score as many goals as possible, giving the defence away and allow Sharktail to put 6 past them.
The sad truth (or joke, depends on who you ask) of the night was just how much goals do you need to get into the Round of 16. It was as though defence was thrown out of the window with some of those scorelines, to the extent that you would look closer and wonder if these are actually football soccer. In Group A, group winners Siovanija and Teusland placed 7 past Krytenia in a 7-4 victory, bringing their total goals scored to 20 in 5 games. In Group C, Springmont placed 5 goals past a sorry Quebec side to win 5-1 and secure the top place. The goup winners in Group D, Geektopia, placed 6 past Tolopel. In Group E, HUElavia defeated Kita-Hinode 5-3, but that was not enough to get them through because of a terrible goal difference as compared to Baker Park who defeated winless Sylestone 4-2. Group G saw a brutal exit for Sharktail, who placed 6 past us, but was 1 GD short of qualification, as Kohnhead defeated Lovisa 5-1 to qualify in 2nd place on a GD of +4 to Sharktail's +3. In Group H, Valladares had to trash Mriin 6-2 to get top spot, ahead of Nephara who only could defeat Megistos 3-1.
Bringing the story back to the Poafmersian match, which turned out to be something similar, the front 3 of Lisa Winship, Havel Ljungstrand, Monesty Erdos managed to score a goal each. However, the leaky defence left team vice-captain and match captain Nicole Potts absolutely troubled, needing to put out many excellent saves to prevent more goals from being conceded. It was so bad that Nelson Sanchez brushed away the idea of fielding such a formation for the tournament. "The team can't manage with 3 in the center, so it is back to our traditional 4-1-2-1-2. Yes, there wasn't much of a focus on the result anyways, with most of the first team out, but this performance would be widely seen as terrible. On another day, our fans would probably boo us off the pitch, but today there were understanding enough and didn't make much reaction."
Talking about starting Suzanne Trengove in goal for the next match against Eraman, Nelson Sanchez said that the focus was to be able to go past the Round of 16 to the Quarterfinals, where Valladares or Baker Park awaits them. "We have a long trip back from the Eternal Empire's dependency of Sabine & Caddonia, back to Monaven on the northeast of mainland Valanora. If anything, we are at a disadvantage in terms of stadium allocation as compared to Eraman, who finished their last game in Char Sara. I think the move to rotate the players would help them accommodate such a short turnaround. We would definitely take our opponents seriously, considering that we have everything to lose if we lose the match. A relatively strong lineup would be up for sure, with Aleka Dufour and Makana Tuft back in front. Suzanne is a very good substitute keeper with her experience in the Premier League, and would provide us some additional experience in goal, while ensuring that Nicole gets adequate rest."

Starting 11 against Eraman (4-1-2-1-2): Suzanne Trengove; Ariel Casey, Erin Vance, Hollis Stephenson, Natalia Abbott; Woden Sweet; Zelda McKenna, Lucia Stuart; Nero Wood; Aleka Dufour, Makana Tuft (c)

[Staypuftonia]

I'm late to the national team players, but:


Goalkeepers:
Mitchell Reissmann
Yan Chun Mai
Ferrin Mais

Defenders:
Yannick Ribero
Alisson das Freitas
Mai Chau Chen
Liddé
Mitchell Schmidt

Midfielders:

Támás László
Chun Mai Tsz
Tsz Wing Law
Mitchell Renan
Unai Echeverría
Neman Schmidt

Attackers:
Mitchell Énos
Lincoln
Cayman Schmidt
Alan Ribero
Djevin

This team will be entered for another few Di Bradini cups, pending players becoming 22.

[Kohnhead]

Kohnhead dominate Lovisa en route to round of 16 birth



Heading into the match against Lovisa, Kohnhead was one of four teams looking to claim the second spot in the round of 16 from group G. Fortunately they were playing last place Lovisa, and The Moderately Sized Brains won and advanced on goal differential winning by four goals against Lovisa, as Sharktail only won by three against Poafmersia. We were then drawn into the dreaded round of 16 (in the multiverse we are a collective 0-6 in round of 16s, read my SWC post) where we will take on The Jovannic.

Against Lovisa John Smith would be the first to get a goal as in the 16th he got the ball and proceeded to tear through the Lovisa defense juking out two defenders on his way to a nice goal to make it 1-0 Kohnhead.

Nathan Jarrus would double the lead in the 29th minute. Isabelle Bradford would get the assist. On this one, Bradford received it on the edge of the box so Jarrus made a run forward where he received the ball with open space and easily tucked it in right by the keeper to make it 2-0 Kohnhead. Despite the goal Barber told us to keep pushing forward which would end up being excellent advice as if it had ended 2-0, Sharktail would be in the round of 16.

Kohnhead would get the three goal lead in the 37th minute with Jeff Yunbet winning a penalty for us in the box. Yunbet and a Lovisa defender both went into the air for a cross by George Finley but the defender pushed off of Yunbet's shoulder and not allowing him to actually jump. Finley would be the one to take it and he made it 3-0 with a calm penalty to the right side and although the keeper guessed correctly it was too well taken.

In the 62nd minute we made our first substitution as Morgan would go on for Yunbet, and twelve minutes later Lovisa would make the score 3-1. We had been playing a little bit tentative, resting on the 3-0 lead and a sloppy play by Ofofor gave Lovisa the perfect chance to score for the first time. Barber was furious as she had learned Sharktail was up 5-2 at this moment and if results held, we would not be advancing.

Fortunately John Smith got a brace in the 79th with a rocket of a shot into the top corner to make the score 4-1, and with Poafmersia scoring just a minute before us (games are happening at the same time) we suddenly were up +1 over Sharktail in goal differential and add on the fact that we had beaten Sharktail so it was basically a +2 goal differential we knew we were basically safe.

In the 86th minute Graham Chase in for Smith would get his first goal of the tournament as he scored off of a cross. Sophie Johnson put the ball in a good position and Chase was there to make it 5-1. Sharktail would ultimately win 6-3, and despite how close it was we had pulled off the comeback ending with three straight wins to advance on goal differential. There's the final table, showing just how close it was between the two of us.

Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Paofmersia                  5   3  1  1   19  13  +6   10
2 Kohnhead                    5   3  0  2   13   9  +4    9
3 Sharktail                   5   3  0  2   12   9  +3    9
4 Mavinet                     5   2  1  2   12  13  −1    7
5 Taeshan                     5   1  3  1    6   6   0    6
6 Lovisa                      5   0  1  4    9  21 −12    1

We have been drawn against The Jovannic, a team that looked pretty dominant in the group stage having clinched victory of their group in game week 4, and only not winning once when they were playing their backups. My colleague over in The Jovannic had this to say about the game, they spent some time analyzing both teams form as well but this was their final conclusion "The Jovannic should come out of this with a win, but Kohnhead could certainly come up with a upset if The Jovannic are not careful."

I believe that the assessment above is fair. The Jovannic have played well all tournament yet I don't want to discredit us. After a poor start, and barely beating Sharktail we have scored nine and allowed two goals in our last two games, we do have the hot hand. But on the negative side, The Jovannic are well rested having rested their starters in their meaningless final game against Riena, so they have the rest advantage.

Let's see what Jami Korroger of EPIC FOOTBALL DAILY in Lochario had to say about the match. "It's one of a weaker matchups, if I'm honest, but it's still gonna be a massive fight for the quarterfinal spot. The Jovannic, among with Springmont, is a side that shocked us all by finishing in top of their group, especially when there were some powerful sides like Eraman, Cassadaigua and Ethane, which unironically finished last in the group table. Konnhead played in one of those weaker groups, which nobody of us Locharians care about, so I'm gonna give this to The Jovannic."

According to Lochario, we played in one of those weaker group which Locharians don't care about so thus The Jovannic is going to win. Now the conclusion of The Jovannic is going to win is reasonable, but claiming we played in a weaker group, I don't think so. A competitive group with teams taking points from each other and thus there's no run away winner or second place is not a weaker group. That just shows we were evenly matched, as you can see from how Poafmersia beat us, we beat Sharktail, and Sharktail beat Poafmersia.

Anyway I hope the curse gets broken and we finally advance to a quarterfinals, and I think The Jovannic are a team we are capable of beating but it should be a good match. The lineup is the one we have gotten three wins in the last three matches with. Here we go!

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Stelburger Zeitung

Sports

Dezelac Fires Goldhorns to Di Bradini Cup Round of 16

Siovanija & Teusland’s national U21 football team are headed to the playoff stage of the Di Bradini Cup - and it’s in large part thanks to how clinical the attack, led by young Denis Dezelac, has been throughout this tournament.

The opening match of the tournament saw the Goldhorns take on Lochario, the two teams who would eventually finish 1-2 in Group A going head to head. Dezelac opened the scoring early, with a goal just 27 minutes in, and while Lochario would rally, second half goals from Bastian Boltzmann and Ludmil Georgiev secured a 3-3 draw. But the team wanted more - “We need to win our next four games, and we are absolutely going to. There is no doubt in my mind,” said Dezelac afterwards.

Next up for the team was Pemecutan, in a match that the Goldhorns wanted to get established in quickly to reset their campaign with a win. Knowing that they’d have two difficult matches to finish off the group stage against the known quantities of Abanhfleft and Krytenia, it was important for the Goldhorns to get as many points as they possibly could in the first few matches. There was a fire under the team in this match, and when Dezelac scored just 14 minutes in, the Goldhorns took complete control of the game. Dezelac would add his second in the second half, while Samuel Ambros’ goal with just 10 minutes left in regular time made it 3-0.

Devonta was up next, with the Goldhorns fielding a squad made up of those who had mostly been on the bench in the two prior games. That didn’t stop the team from putting in a great performance, however, and it was young SW Stahlberg forward Louis von Stroheim who found the back of the net just before the end of the first half. Olaf Viermetz chipped in another goal on the other side of the half to make it 2-0, and the Goldhorns were looking strong coming out of their first 3 games. With two games to go against Abanhfleft and Krytenia, the team needed only 1 more win to secure their place in the Round of 16.

It was back to the first-choice team against Abanhfleft, no question that Denis Dezelac would be the man trusted up top. The Goldhorns’ number 9 has linked particularly well with Bastian Boltzmann and Ludmil Georgiev in this tournament - all three of them scored in the opening-day win over Lochario, while Boltzmann assisted the two Dezelac goals against Pemecutan. It wasn’t just the forwards, however, who were performing in this tournament - the Goldhorns had now kept two clean sheets through three games, only shipping those 3 goals against Lochario.

The backline, led by new Haligonian man Gregory Scherwey and the young star Reinhard Listner, had been very strong all tournament, marking the forwards for Pemecutan and Devonta out of the game. That meant that the exploits of the top group were still in focus, but there was a clear debate about the true strength of this team. In the final two games of the group stage, it would become evident.

First up was Abanhfleft, who were fighting for their lives in this one after a difficult start to the tournament. It would also be a difficult start to the game, however, for the Fleftic side. Marvin Peiper opened up the scoring just 2 minutes in, and Denis Dezelac would make it 2-0 for the Goldhorns before 20 minutes were in the books. Dezelac and Bastian Boltzmann would then link up as Boltzmann made it 3-0. Abanhfleft would not quit, however, and fought back in the second half to make it 3-2.

It was a very physical game, with a total of 39 fouls - 26 for Abanhfleft, and 13 for the Goldhorns. But Denis Dezelac was able to thrive, even under that pressure. And though at times it seemed as if Abanhfleft were just moments from taking the momentum fully in the game - hitting the bar at one point - Dezelac’s goal in the 69th minute secured the Goldhorns’ advantage. He would come off a few minutes later, replaced by Louis von Stroheim who added insurance and made the final 5-2.

There had been some concern about a bit of drama due to that substitution - Dezelac was seen shaking his head on the bench after being taken off, and didn’t appear to celebrate von Stroheim’s goal. However, all involved parties put that to rest quickly. “Honestly, you guys think more of it than I do - Denis was the first one to congratulate me when we got back to the locker room, and I consider him a friend,” said von Stroheim. Dezelac, meanwhile, said this: “Of course I was pissed at getting taken off - who wouldn’t be, I was on a hat-trick! Oleg knows that, he knows how competitive I am and we’re fine. I have no problem with Louis, I’m glad he scored, and I’m sad this has overshadowed our team’s great performance tonight.”

Any controversy was quickly put to rest, then, and when the lineup was named for the final match of the group stage against Krytenia, Dezelac was again starting up top. The Goldhorns were the only ones with something to play for, competing to lock up the top seed in the group for the Round of 16, while Krytenia had already been eliminated from the tournament. The Krytenians, however, were certainly not going to roll over - their young stars of tomorrow looking to prove themselves one final time.

What followed was a match full of drama, excitement and goals. The Goldhorns went 2-0 up very quickly in this one, with Bastian Boltzmann knocking in the first before Ludmil Georgiev set up Dezelac perfectly in the box for the second. However, the Krytenians, who were looking to attack all game in their 3-4-3 set-up, quickly began to turn things around. The captain Neil Smith - already capped by the Krytenian senior national team, and a very physical player - began to make his mark on the game. He, quite frankly, bullied young Reinhard Listner in the box to earn his first goal of the night, before receiving a strong pass from Sebastian Zeballo and knocking in his second.

There were more goals to come before the end of the first half. Krytenia would take the lead through Curtis Sunday, causing some panic on the blue and gold side of the ball. It was clear that the defence was struggling to contain the Krytenians. A change of tactic was needed - but for the Goldhorns, it was defending by keeping the ball and pressing the attack more. Krytenia’s 3-2 lead would not survive into the break, with Henrik Martin leading a drive forward before slotting a shot into the bottom right corner past Alfonso Hernandez to level the score. All was left to play for in the second half.

The Goldhorns looked reinvigorated, particularly after Dietrich Traeger and Holger Hausseger joined the fray very quickly in the second half. Hausseger was excellent at moving the ball up the wing and getting it into good positions, while Traeger did a perfect job as the playmaker alongside Martin. Goals from Ambros and another from Dezelac put the Goldhorns up 5-3, with great control over the game.

A bad foul from Gregory Scherwey when trying to stop Neil Smith gave Krytenia a free kick just outside of the box, which Zeballos would knock on goal - it was punched away, however, by Julijan Koprvic. What followed was a flurry in front of the goal, each side wanting to come away with the ball - and in the end, the quick forward Apollo Peters would do just that. With a great opportunity, he hit the target and made the score 5-4, putting his team back in the game.

Siovanija & Teusland weren’t done just yet, however. Denis Dezelac hadn’t been happy to miss out on his hat-trick against Abanhfleft, but he’d get the job done tonight, with a great effort from just outside the box beating Hernandez. Dezelac would make sure to celebrate his hat-trick that put the team up 6-4, and in total control of the game. Dezelac would come off later in the game - this time quite happily, and without a head shake - as Marian Hovlak got his first minutes of the tournament. Hovlak would score late in the game to complete a 7-4 victory. It was the first time the national football team - at the senior, U21 and U18 levels - had ever scored 7 goals in a single game.

The win saw the Goldhorns lock up first place in Group A, and therefore good seeding for the Round of 16. The national team comes out of their first 5 matches with 20 goals - good enough to be tied for the tournament lead alongside Springmont - and 9 goals against. Next up will be Darmen, who finished second in Group D, at The Tar Pit in Char Sara. Darmen scored 11 goals in their group matches, and shipped 7 for a 4-0-1 record, their only loss coming on the final day.

Denis Dezelac, with 8 goals in this tournament so far, and the rest of the Goldhorns march on at the Di Bradini Cup, as they look to take on Darmen in the Round of 16. A significant number of fans will be travelling across the Westsee to Valanora for this match - and we’ll have all the coverage as the young Goldhorns look to continue their campaign. Come on you Goldhorns!

Abanhfleft 2-5 Siovanija & Teusland @ Miner’s Haven, Valanora

Starting XI: Koprvic; Ronigsberg, Scherwey, Listner (Polak 66’), Hartleben; Martin, Breuer, Georgiev (Viermetz 75’); Boltzmann, Peiper, Dezelac (von Stroheim 75’)
Goals: Marvin Peiper 2’, Denis Dezelac 18’, 69’, Bastian Boltzmann 25’, Louis von Stroheim 82’
Man of the Match: Bastian Boltzmann

Siovanija & Teusland 7-4 Krytenia @ Angelotic Temple, Valanora

Starting XI: Koprvic; Ronigsberg (Hausseger 46’), Scherwey, Listner, Hartleben; Martin, Breuer (Traeger 46’), Georgiev; Boltzmann, Ambros, Dezelac (Hovlak 78’)
Goals: Bastian Boltzmann 8’, Denis Dezelac 13’, 60’, 73’, Henrik Martin 44’, Samuel Ambros 49’, Marian Hovlak 84’
Man of the Match: Denis Dezelac

[Valladares]

THE METROPOLIS HERALD
Metropolis, Thursday, July 30^th, 2020

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DI BRADINI CUP | Mininacional thrash Mriin in style, clinch meeting with Baker Park in next round

KAREEN, VALANORA (VAP) — Another five-star performance by striker Gabriel Riveros propelled the Valladar national U21 team to a crushing 6-2 victory over Mriin in the final day of the group stage in the 48th edition of the Di Bradini Cup, as well as to qualification for the knockout stage of the competition as Group H winners. The Ulsa player contributed to this big win with a hat-trick, with the remaining goals for Valladares being scored by Iván Valenzuela, Fabio Cardetti, and Caleb Bentley in injury time.

Having been unable to ensure their presence among the tournament's top 16 teams with their draw in the previous match against Megistos, and with Mriin being just one point behind following their win over Waisnor, the Valladars were aware that avoiding defeat in their final match against the Mrii side would be enough to qualify for the next round. However, the squad coached by Claudio Londero did not want to leave any doubts in the air and went out firing on all cylinders, taking an early lead thanks to captain Riveros, who headed home an accurate cross by Marcelo Escobar in the right flank before when the clock marked the 10th minute. Not too long after his first goal of the night, Riveros would have a chance to double the lead for Valladares, but Mrii goalie Ryyl Drænor managed to deflect it away. The Mininacional would continue pressing for a second goal until they eventually got it in the 25th minute thanks to Iván Valenzuela. But the Corsairs were not willing to go down without a fight, and after conceding that goal by Valenzuela they staged a vigorous reaction that saw them equalize the match before halftime, with Næmor Paala and Ÿda Vaan scoring two goals in five minutes, between the 34th and 39th minutes.

Although the Mrii reaction naturally left most fans waiting for a more open and back-and forth second half, the final 45 minutes saw Valladares step up their pressure and intensify the blitz on the goal defended by Drænor, and once the Mininacional scored the third goal they would never look back again. In the 50th minute, Fabio Cardetti surprised everyone by trying his hand at a mid-range shot on goal which was deflected by a Mrii defender and went past a confused Drænor to put Valladares in the lead once again. Playmaker Adrien Trolli, who had went unnoticed for the most part of the match, appeared at the right moments to set up Gabriel Riveros twice for the Ulsa player to score another couple of goals to round his hat-trick up, in the 65th and 73rd minutes, and in the first minute of injury time, Caleb Bentley (who had replaced Iván Valenzuela some minutes earlier) took advantage of the big holes left by the Mrii defense in their attempts to reduce the gap in order to decorate the scoreboard with a last goal to confirm the opposite fates of both contenders.

With this dominating victory, Valladares won Group H with 11 points, 3 matches won and 2 tied, and 18 goals scored, level in points with Nephara but with a superior goal difference. Next up for the Valladars are Group E runners-up Baker Park, who are coming off a victory on the final day of the group stage against Sylestone that saw them leapfrog Kita-Hinode for second place to join group winners Sarzonia in the next stage. Despite their up-and-downs in the group stage, the Commonwealth's U21 team also displayed a merciless offense by scoring only one goal less than the Mininacional, therefore the match scheduled for River City Stadium in Bexar is expected to be a back-and-forth affair with goals galore, hopefully ending in a Valladar win and qualification for the quarter-finals of the Di Bradini Cup.

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[Nephara]

Cream rises to the top.
The key to good scouting and accessible pathways isn't really to make sure the best shine through. No matter how corrupt or expensive your youth development, no matter how careless the glances from professional clubs, if someone sees the next Xixi Ens they're going to notice, and find a way to shove them up the tubes. Just maybe a little rougher, a little later, than they could have been. Still, the obvious talents aren't who you have to worry about; it's those a little less clear, a little less shining. Those who might make a coach or a scout wonder if the effort's worth it, if they're a risk worth shouldering.
It wasn't often talked about, but Nephara's international and domestic success owed a huge amount to the efficiency of its youth scouting and the accessibility of its pathways. The Moths in particular were famous for this. If they wanted you, you could walk barefoot to training, get in a free meal beforehand, have boots shoved into your hands, and earn a dorm room, a warm room, to crash in where needed. People would be there for you. And despite the vanishingly small chance that a prospect at 13 would actually pull on the green and black at 18, a lot of kids on the rough westside Sabrefell streets owed the stability of their lives to the club.
But even then, sometimes, people fell through the cracks.
Rook Timekeeper had never been flashy, and it took him a while to grow into his frame. A Sabrefell battler to his very bones, he'd still never played outside the city. He fell through River's academy into Diamondqueen's, and at the age of 16, from Diamondqueen's into an obscure lower-league side, Aries Solitaire. A club willing to devote some time and energy to 'kid who tackles cleanly and passes intelligently'; a club low enough in the pyramid that the only players of that quality were damaged goods.
A crisis of injury and form meant he was catapulted straight into regular starts, and soon those at the club began to wonder exactly what the damage was meant to be. Where was the catch?
It had come with confidence. Technically, he may not have manifested it flashily enough to catch the eye of the best sides, but he was able to humiliate third-tier cloggers with comfortable ease. Midfielders would press him, and he'd never panic, just turn and pass the ball along. Opponents would rush forward through him and realise seconds later they hadn't taken the ball with them.
The cliche quickly became that Timekeeper made things tick.
Belgrave came calling. Then his manager left, and now looked to be taking him with her to the Moths. He'd left it with his agent; she knew to smooth the gears for him. Right now, for all that third-party media was inexplicably claiming the Nepharan defence would crumble, they'd conceded just once a match - a remarkable feat given the relentless attacking nature of international football. But perhaps they questioned if the defence had truly ever faced a threat. After all, Timekeeper was there to protect them.

The group stage had been dealt with, professionally and without fanfare. Not top, not flying, but they'd navigated the always-more-difficult-than-you'd-expect Savojarna.
Well, out of the frying pan...
Sarzonia were next up. A lot of history had been packed into precisely two international matches. The two Triple Crowns! A victory apiece! Sniping in the media!
The agenda was clear. Either the Nepharim would canter gloriously to victory and re-secure their domination on the present-day international stage... or they'd lose, in which case, it's only youth football, not like it really matters.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

You are Jean-Pierre le Lancier, the recently named "Football and Technical Director" for the Oberour Ar Moro Football Management Committee (FMC), and you are driving at breakneck speed towards the Tourbillon Forest. It is hard to focus on the instructions from your GPS with the serious pain you still face. But you're certain that this pain is due to a curse. An actual curse by the woman's whose home you stole and flattened.

You're nearing what will become the new headquarters of the FMC, as well as a full training center for youth players and national teams. You were once proud of what you had designed, now you were wishing you had never even heard of football, let along Tourbillon Forest.

The GPS notes you're now at the end of the official path. Stretching out into the dark, swallowing up your headlights, is a dirt construction path heading into the woods. You press on, following a lights along the path, until the forest starts to open up. This must be where the complex would begin.

You turn off the car and step out. The only sounds are crickets, birds, and the wind. From the clearing you can see the stars. Around you is construction equipment, trailers, and stumps of trees.

You left without informing anyone at the hospital, and no one knows you're here. You actually realize that you've never been to the Tourbillon Forest before. And you're not sure what to do now.

T̷h̷e̷ ̵D̴e̷b̷a̷t̷e̸

1. Is that mysterious woman somewhere in this forest still? You wish you could apologize, you'd fall to your knees, curse football and the FMC and everyone, whatever it took for this pain to stop. You call out, then stop.

✔ Acccepp

2. But she couldn't be located after she entered your office. She might have vanished completely, who's to say? What if she isn't here? You stumble back to your car, pulling a flashlight from the glove compartment. You pause before turning the light on, and consider just going back.

✔ A̵c̵c̶e̵p̶t̴

3. The throbbing pain continues. No doctor could even come close to a solution, because the solution isn't for a doctor to find. This is something supernatural, and this uncanny place is where an actual answer can be found.

✔ AA̸c̷c̷e̸p̸t̵

4. An answer. Yes. An answer can be found. Deeper into these woods. You turn the flashlight on and start to walk, past the forklifts and steamrollers, into the trees. This feels right. The pain millimetres beneath your skin seems to lighten as you press deeper, away from the equipment. This must be the way.

✔̷̭́ A̵̜̲͌c̴̠̺̓̑c̶̻͐e̵̠̽p̸̯̃̈́t̷͓̔̇

[The Jovannic]

At a local tavern in Jovannica

The air is rife with excitement as the tavern slowly fills up with eager fans. The TVs blaring the pre-match preview are surrounded by fans. Scarfs with different players were sold, with Juyt Dersa and Sami Ning extremely prominent among the fans

This is gonna be a brilliant match!

Really? What is this, Kohnhead?

Yes! They have had wonderful form over the last two games, but The Jovannic has had a wonderful tactical game, and the first team is refreshed after being rested for the last group game!

Sounds like an exciting match!

Yes, it's really exciting!

As the two teams stepped onto the field, The team in red, white and gold will know that the whole nation will be behind them.

OOC: Should have been in my previous RP, but no time.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2020
Embarassment of riches on display for FAC
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

As the Under 21 National Team prepare for the knockout stage at the Di Bradini Cup for the first time in three appearances, there's also action on other fronts; Ichi Tuzzio is prepping the all-male squad for the AOCAF in Equestria, while Jen Prescott has another mixed gender squad competing in a tournament in Delaclava.

All of this wouldn't be surprising except for the fact that the core national team players who logged the most minutes during the last World Cup cycle are nowhere to be found. There are over 60 individuals involved in the DBC, Mike Sarzo Memorial Tournament and the regional championship at the moment, and yet there is still a whole other group of experienced NT veterans who are going about their normal routine for the club.

The promise of Baker Park's 'Golden Generation' that was discussed and analyzed during the early years has undoubtedly come to full fruition with the 4th Place finish at World Cup 85; now the focus is on 'The Next Generation' who have bided their time, learned from the example of the current senior pool--in the same manner that today's stars learned from the pioneers of mixed-gender soccer--and are being brought into camps and squads to earn their stripes for future call-ups.

Liam Sullivan's thinly disguised enthusiasm about the current group he's in charge of here in Valanora is a function of knowing that he has a important project on his hands--this is the leading edge of the 'Third Wave' coming through, who've been witness to the rise of Baker Park from nothing to the heights they occupy.

Regardless of the outcome against Valladares, the system that David Carlson envisioned is now running at full capacity. Can consistency be maintained against the pressures of expectation?