IAX: Independent Associations Championship 10 [EVERYTHING]

[Megistos]

Well, here we go again...

^{Note that the previous RP here was deleted because it was made by a liar and criminal}

Another international tournament. Another frigging tournament Megistos HAD to enter. I mean, sure, we have some great players. But it's like, pretty annoying for fans to have to travel around the multiverse to see teams play. Like, c'mon! It's annoying! But here we are now, with Lam and the squad in a tournament. We had a BYE in Matchday 1, so fans at least didn't have to worry about the over filling spaceships! Expect us to report again after the first Megistian match!

[Squidroidia]

Heading back to Inkopolis after the 1-1 draw against Sylestone, the Squidroidian national team did indeed show promise against the Independent crowd they were in. Sure, they only got 1 win at this point, the inaugural Squidroidian national team game against Sharktail but they looked promising. They looked like a team worthy of invitations to the Cup of Harmony at times with just how well the team played. But of course there was one promising team that was just too good for them. Megistos.

An incredible run in the Sporting World Cup led by star striker and young phenom Robertson in which they got to the semi-finals (Only to be knocked out by eventual champions Vdara) made their presence in the wider multiverse known. They would, of course, join Squidroidia and Sylestone in their journey to Omerica. But this, of course, is a friendly. There was no hesitation from both teams to start their best players. But, of course, they did. Hoshi was still in the striker role for the Inklings, and he, 29 years old and in the best shape of his career, had to face this young phenom from a new land.

Robertson would walk out of the Inkopolis City Stadium with a brace he scored in 20 minutes, first at the 15th and then at the 35th. His strike power could only be compared to the legends who suited up for numerous World Cup teams, including the famed Di Bradini. But, of course, he wasn't Di Bradini. He didn't have the same flair as Di Bradini. He was tricky on the ball, and Go had trouble even getting into position when he was on the ball. This lad could be a future Galactico.

After the halftime regrouping, Squidroidia did score. It was Hoshi, of course, who slotted the ball in the back of the net of Becks in the 63rd minute. It looked like the Squidroidians could play up to their competition. But, of course, Robertson capped off his day with a hat trick in the 76th minute and then an assist to Lukovic in the 89th. This would end 4-1 comfortably to the Megistians. For the Squidroidians, it was growing pains. For the Megistians, another reason why they could easily challenge with the big boys as they prepared for the Independents Cup and the Baptism of Fire.

---

In Omerica, after the Squidroidians beat Kayangan 1-0 thanks once again to Itoh, Hideo, who earned the assist for the team's first competitive win, wasn't worried about these Megistians being artificial intelligence that learned how to kick a ball, which was only first known as he exited the Stade International. This was the Independents Cup. They didn't have to worry about Megistos again until at least the Quarter-Finals, if they were to make it there of course. Makino Hideo was more focused on the 3 Inklings that made the journey. Their experiences training and playing in the Squidroidian academies. And most of all, adapting to playing for the nation they so loved. One day he was going to disappear into the sunset, hoping to get a job in management for a Squidroidian or international club side, or maybe even helping the SFA move forward. But that time wasn't now. There still was 3 more games to play. And they would all be tough for the Inklings.

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

Welcome to IACX, where the starting the opponent is the same. I'm not kidding here. At our debut IAC in HUElavia, we took on Space and beat them 1-0 in a tight affair. Now, almost 2 years to the day, we were at the Stade Saint-André in Brétolles, Omerica to take on the very same...Space. Space is one of those nations who are "region exclusive", who take part in the regionals but not in the World Cup itself. But their 21st rank in the IAC showed that even though Space doesn't play in the WCC, doesn't mean that they aren't good at all. It was a tight affair last time when Li Xiu Ying was in charge, so she passed a lot of information to David Seems. It was Seems' first-ever match in IAC play, and many hoped that a better performance than the last meeting can show the world the TJUN-ia has improved since IAC9.

This game was basically a rerun of the first meeting in San Franco. It was a tightly contested affair, with both Harold Gylfisson and The Keeper of the Milky Way both being kept busy between the sticks. The first half saw plenty of opportunities for both sides to take the lead but by half time, there was nothing to show for it. The 2nd saw more of the same until the 71st minute when The Defender of Mars fouled Vladimir Podolov just outside the box. Pedro Vasquez, who scored the only goal of the IAC9 game, stepped up to take the free-kick and he shot the ball right into the top-right corner. The Keeper of the Milky Way had no chance and Vasquez scored against Space in the 71st minute - mirroring the first meeting. The remaining time was tense as Space looked for a winner, but good old Gylfisson was not going to allow that at all.

So there we go. Same opponent, same scoreline. If history is to repeat itself, then we should get 4 points out of our next 2 games - though we have to play one more opponent than previously. As such, we will actually have a bye in MD2 - an opportunity to scout the remaining opposition. Our 2nd and final fixture in Brétolles will be a big one, as the Jaguars take on Schottia for the first time since WC84. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A)
MD1: vs Space (UR-WCC/21-IAC) - Stade Saint-André, Brétolles (50,000) W 1-0 (T-1st)
MD2: BYE
MD3: vs Schottia (108-WCC/UR-IAC) - Stade Saint-André, Brétolles (50,000)
MD4: vs Hwiccemark (UR-WCC/UR-IAC) - Revolution Park, Falconbarrow (41,000)
MD5: vs Omerica (45-WCC/10-IAC) - Revolution Park, Falconbarrow (41,000)

[HUElavia]

HUElavia Opens IAX with Emphatic Victory!

HUElavia 5–0 Natanya
(Navarro 17', Cristiano 20', Ramirez 40', Hamada 67', Fernandez-Roux 73')
Seafoam Athletic Park, Saint Anne

HUElavia returned to the Independent Associations Championship looking to make up for the horrific defeat almost 4 years ago in Curumba. This time around, the National Team was playing their matches in Omerica, a nation that Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos had faced in the Group Stage in IAC 8 (3-0 Loss) and IAC 9 (2-0 Victory). Although, for the second consecutive tournament, HUElavia were one of the Top Seeds for the competition, participating in Group B. Their opponent for their opening match was Natanya, a Queendom from the region of Eientei Gensokyo, a region similar to the people where forward Hamada and defender Pae originate from. Regardless, the match was to be played at Seafoam Athletic Park (66,000), in the city of Saint Anne, in the region of Republic of the Seafoam Islands. Well over 50% of the stadium capacity was filled with HUElavians that flocked to Omerica, draping the stands with the colors of Yellow, Blue and Green, while putting up the National Flag, state flags, or banners showing their support. Once the players came out onto the pitch, the HUElavian supporters revealed a banner of a Jaguar roaring, with a message below saying "É a nossa vez/Es nuestro tiempo" (It's our time). The HUElavian National Anthem with lyrics was sung for the first time in a football tournament, to a massive chorus of proud and cheerful fans. The match kicked off and it was underway.

The match was very dominant from HUElavia right from the start. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos played with their traditional cautious attack, making precise passes and crosses left and right to get into the defense. The opening goal would come in the 17th minute, when a long cross by Gallego was whipped to outside the box, where Navarro jumped up and headed the ball over REDACTED and into the goal to make it 1-0. The crowd erupted with joy, jumping and screaming to make the stadium rumble, while Navarro was mobbed by his teammates to celebrate the spectacular goal to open up their tournament. Three minutes later, a foul by REDACTED on Rossi set up a free kick, where Cristiano took a strong blast, where a small opening in the wall was enough to get past REDACTED and into the goal to make it 2-0, with Cristiano running to do his famous power stance celebration. In the 41st minute, a pass from Rossi into the box went through two defenders and allowed Ramirez to tap it into the goal to make it 3-0 and the half ended shortly after with that scoreline.

The second half continued to be dominant by HUElavia, now facing towards their own supporters, where they kept bombarding their opponents with shots left and right. In the 67th minute, Hamada would run through two defenders and chip the ball over REDACTED to score a wonderful goal to make it 4-0, going to celebrate with her teammates and sharing a kiss with her boyfriends Navarro, while the crowd applauded her individual effort for the goal. The last goal came in the 73rd minute, where a cross by Conti met the head of newcomer and rising talent Fernandez-Roux (Astellian-Franc HUElavian), who headed the ball past REDACTED and into the goal to make it 5-0. HUElavia cooled it down after that goal and held out for the clean-sheet and the definitive 5-0 scoreline, taking 1st Place in Group B.

The next opponent for HUElavia will be Terre Septentrionale, who won their opening match against Hot Skitty on Wailord Action, 0-1. The match will be played at Stadium of the Occident (48,000), in Westhaven, where it is likely that the Group Winner will come from this match. The same XI will be used for the match and it is expected for about 50% of the stadium to be filled with HUElavians. Back home, the fans have been packing watch parties in order to watch and support the team, which have sparked massive parties all around the country. Not to mention, fans have had fun collecting the Official Sticker Album of the tournament, where the HUElavian squad, is the most popular page to collect, along with the teams of Omerica, Rcecuen, New Luisitania, Port Ember, and Poafmersia, along with the trophy, official ball, and stadiums and cities. That album is truly a hit crazy in the giant island/continent of ours. Regardless, the team look to build on their victory and take it one match at a time in order to fight for the trophy that's eluded them, and the fans look forward to supporting and cheering on their National Team.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Terre Septentrionale]

Terre Septentrionale blanks Hot Skitty on Wailord Action

Westhaven, Omérique - While most of the nation's eyes are turned to the World Cup of Hockey, the Independents Championship is also starting. On matchday one, Terre Septentrionale played against birds from a nation called Hot Skitty on Wailord Action. You would think it's a joke, but it's reality. The game ended by the score of 1-0 and the only goal was scored at the 58th minute when Élisabeth Normandin attacked and passed to Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk who dribbled and made a cross to Sandie McCracken who kicks the ball and it's in for her 20th international goal in her career. And the final score was 1-0. Both goalies, Georges-Kévin Vainqueur for us and Bird Number 1 for Hot Skitty played an outstanding game. I know it's early, but I believe Bird Number 1 is probably the best goalkeeper of the Independents Championship 10.

BOXSCORE

58th minute: Sandie McCracken assisted by Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk

YELLOW CARDS

11th minute: Élisabeth Normandin
36th minute: Bird Number 4
74th minute: Roksana Kolodziejczyk

RED CARDS

None

HUElavia

HUElavia is probably the best team in our group and they are our next opponent on matchday 2. The winner of this match will likely win group 2, unless Tequilo pulls a surprise and beat both Terre Septentrionale and HUElavia. The starting XI remains the same.

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski,
La tribune Septentrionale

[Sylestone]

Sylestone has managed to pull off an intense 2-1 victory against Silver Beach in their opening IAC game, putting them at equal first on the table with Pot 1 side Drawkland. Silver Beach are a side that Sylestone has never heard of until now, although they are the Pot 3 side in their group and have a higher rank. They proved a good challenge, but the Appliances were just too good for them.

Silver Beach scored in the 20th minute from a direct free-kick that looped over the Appliances standing in the "wall", hit the crossbar and went back at a 45-degree angle into the goal. Although the Brick Wall is quite tall, he simply wasn't good enough as Silver Beach went 1-0 up. In the 33rd minute, the Mixer looked set to equalise but his shot was saved by the post and the Silver Beach goalie, who kept the score 1-0. It stayed that way until half-time.

"We need to do better. We can win this game, but it's simply not coming to us. Let's get out there guns firing. Silver Beach is only about the same level as us, and we have the experience. There is no reason why we shouldn't beat them. Mixer, Tumble Dryer, I want you really pushing that offside. Mids, get the ball up to them. We can do this." Toaster.

And so they did. In the 65th minute, the Bar Stool headed the ball to the Tumble Dryer, pushing the offside, who deflected the ball into the goal. 1-all. Then in the 70th minute, the Fridge trapped the ball inside him and passed it to the Mixer. The whistle blew for offside and the Brick Wall made a brilliant save just two minutes later. His dropkick flew high, over the halfway line and at the legs of the Bar Stool, who dribbled the ball past the defence to have a clear shot at goal. He scored and the Sylestonean half of the stadium generated a deafening roar. The same thing happened 17 minutes later when the full-time whistle blew. Sylestone had won their first game of the IAC. They have Pot 1 side and WC85 qualifiers Drawkland up next, who are ought to provide a good challenge and most likely beat the Appliances. But we will never know until the final whistle blows.

On more pressing matters, the very afternoon the game was played, a Category Five cyclone hit the coastal town of Marbury. With winds exceeeding 400 km/h, it was one of the worst that had ever hit Sylestone and has currently killed 350 people in the town of 70,000. Aid is on the way. Gale force winds were felt around Kirkham, Betham and Oslolihul and strong breezes were experienced in cities such as Pesfield, Dodle and Tuthambedon. We hope that the citizens will be alright. There has also been a proposalto donate 25% of the Sylestone-Drawkland game's fees to people of Marbury that is yet to be confirmed. We will keep you updated.

[Kriegiersien]

The Football Federation Global Cup tournament is in full swing and Kriegiersiens everywhere have been delighted by the psychic abilities of Pepe the Porpoise, an “animal oracle” resident at Schoenwetter Zoo. This purported precognitive has — so far — perfectly predicted the winner in every tournament fixture. However, controversy arose yesterday when the animal tipped Kriegiersien to lose against Skandilund in the quarter-final.


"How come that animals are coming to evaluate our games? Squids, fish and porpoise? Who's next? The ruler of Atlantis?" To show what he thinks of these predictions and ratings, the Kriegiersien president let Pepe the Porpoise been arrested in a goldfish pont and the KSS Plankton fired some shells into the general direction of the Squornshelan Remnant States into the sea.
"We can only hope, that now the results will be in our favor. Else we have to take other, harder measures. Like training."

[Kohnhead]

Kohnhead rout Juvencus 3-0 to start IAX



In their first IAC game ever, The Brains were tasked with taking on Juvencus at Londonderry Court. Heading into the game most people including myself thought that this would be a close game and ultimately be the decider for who takes second place in the group and who finishes third and doesn't advance. Anyone who thought this was going to be a close game was incorrect as we dominated all night long in a 3-0 win. The biggest question heading into this was how would Bertha Sanders do in her first game as a starter? The answer was she kept a clean sheet but only had to make a routine save as Juvencus managed a meekly 2 shots on goal.

While Bertha Sanders may have been the biggest question mark the second major question people were asking is how would Henderson and the new formation do? The answer to that was resoundingly positive, as Henderson looked like she belonged in the starting XI and Rallyton, Laker, and Cogginter had no dip in their normal excellent form. I think this is definitely a change for the best.

Our first goal was in the 29th minute after we spent much of the first half hour on the attack although we couldn't do any scoring until then. Rallyton got the ball at midfield and sent it up to Henderson who had some space. Henderson when a defender approached made her move into the box where she sent a ground cross right to Aaron Korkson who put it away. 1-0 Kohnhead just like that.

We struck again in the 36th minute. This time Linus Rallyton put in a cross and it was Charles Laker who headed it in for the goal to make it 2-0 Kohnhead. Kohnhead had won a free kick and Rallyton took it, Maltos tried to put a head on it but it was knocked out of bounds by the defender leading to the corner that we scored on.

It was near the end of the game in the 84th minute when we made the score 3-0. It was Al Torgan on as a substitute for Cogginter who scored what might be his first ever goal for the National Team. He was assisted by CPL who had made a run on the attack.

A little while later the whistle blew at Londonderry Court, The Brains had come to the IAC and they mean business. Due to this win and the margin of victory we sit in first of the table.

Group F                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Kohnhead                       1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Blotropolis                    1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Fleuronordicia                 1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Juvencus                       1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

In our next match we will take on Fleuronordicia who lost by 1 to Blotropolis in their last game. The match will be held at Stadium of Great Arden and our lineup will look identical to this game's.

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
IA10

THE BEST START POSSIBLE
New Lusitania 4-1 Trolleborg
@Stade de l'Independence, Saint-Cristophe, East Aurentine (Att: 49 765)

The first competitive match since the internal changes began, Trolleborg would provide a good challenge but also a test to the new people in charge. The Selecção was pretty caught up on their preparations and tests at the Complexo Nacional Desportivo outisde the capital which meant all information was sent last minute giving some of the press the impression of a degree of secrecy.
Arriving a few days before the tournament start, New Lusitania got just enough time to adjust before their first big match against Trolleborg, a team which may still seem small but has consistently impressed on the pitch. For New Lusitania, playing in their traditional Bordeaux and blue, Patrice started in goal with defensive support from Vinagrete, Leiteiro and Cancela in defence, in midfield Azinheira, Horta, Fernando, Gama and Veiga as Jota and Silveira took the matters up front. For Trolleborg in Green and White, keeper Gould would start with Troger and Bagger in the central defensive block as Levenkans and Wolters acted as sweeping wingbacks supporting the run for Groningen, Mogren and Valgren in midfield as well as feeding the ball to Troll, Kerr and Skaloed.
The match in St.Cristophe soon began to the delight of the local and travelling fans at the Independence. The first goal didn't take too much time to appear as by twenty minutes of play, Gama playing the ball to Veiga who'd get it into Silveira which noticing the keeper shifted it onto a close Jota which slotted it in easily. A very convincing start to the match so far especially with a second goal before halftime. A free-kick from Fernando would see the ball hit the bar with force going up in the air in a spin but Silveira was waiting, jumping just above the keeper to try and get it in with success. One team had shown confidence but Trolleborg despite some good shots and already troubling the keeper well had tremendous work to do in the second half. The losing side came back affirmingly stronger with an early goal courtesy of their forward Skaloed, who put it down well into the net to pull one back and make things interesting.
The pressure mounted but it would soon fizzle out as Veiga scored a curved ball into the goal from just inside the area - whilst beautiful, the goalkeeper almost laid claim to it, touching it with his glove. The nail on the coffin appeared later just before the match's end when substitute Trincal scored the fourth goal in off the post and another Silveira Assist. As the final whistle scored, some may consider this and extremely positive result which will be on the presses mouths for a while, at least until the next match. As the captain Fernando simply puts it "We played well." before adding " We knew we had one objective in this match and we got it done, it was a really positive performance from the team but we'll still keep working, for sure, there's still a lot to go" . With the next match against unranked Nacrad, hopes are high but the ranking is also a sign of the unknown and a debutant with few information meaning anything can happen and team has to stay alert. Another late night for the Lusitanians back home as the whistle blows at 1 o'clock.
Elsewhere in the first Matchday hosts Omerica took an important win against Schottia at Falconbarrow (1-0) as TJUN-ia showed what it had exhibited glimpses of in the Qualifiers after a victory at Bretoiles in the match involving Space, a team they'd know from the previous edition's groups. Last edition's finalists HUElavia got off to the best start they can hope for as a 5-0 win demolished Natanya at St.Anne following Terre Septentrionale's victory to Hot Skitty on Wailord Action by a single goal in Westhaven.
Nacrad's début victory against Sharktail gave off the warning sign for New Lusitania as Havynwilde awaits its entry in the following Matchday. La Rouge hosted the Kick Corps' victory over Darkmania by 2-1 in one of the games of the week in Group D when over in Group E the story continued for Kohnhead as they got off to a sensational 3-0 win to Juvencus in Londonderry, a group that also hosts an eerily familiar name of the city of Lisbon who welcomed Blotropolis on their way to a maiden victory against known Fleuronordicia.
Devonta beat Kriegiersien after struggling (1-0) and Woryand sent their opposition The Calculator to redo their formula after a 1-0 defeat for the mathematical team at Port-des-Saints. Group H was home to a shock margin following Indusse's thrashing of 1-6 by Reçueçn who proudly sit ahead of Fujai who beat Hopal in a fairly straightforward game. With Matchday two sending another eight teams into the fray everything is far from defined...

GOALS: Silveira (1), Jota (1), Veiga (1), Trinca (1)
ASSISTS: Silveira (2), Gama (1), Fernando (1)
"Força a Selecção"

---STL Sport MMXX--
[OOC: I apologise for the late squad entry, please do link for other teams when you can. Thanks in advance]

[Woryand]

Portland Daily, Saturday Edition
Today marks a monumental occasion in Woryand's history; the largest since the toppling of the previous government a generation ago. The football-crazed nation of Woryand is about to break out of its shell and show its prowess on the global stage. Many outsiders have ridiculed the nation in the weeks leading up to this event, going so far as to proclaim it to be the worst team in their group, but that matters to few of the Woryandian fans.

Tonight, various stadii around the country have opened up their doors for viewers to watch screenings of the match; it is estimated that a total of over 1 million seats of capacity are available for spectators, and virtually all of them have been filled. The main one in Portland, the stadium of SuperLeague team Portland City F.C., is the one that your columnist has attended.

The sheer dedication of much of the nation was evident; many of the fans in the stadium had been waiting for over six hours just to guarantee that they would get access to the stadium (a smart decision in hindsight, given the masses of crowds outside).

Before one knew it, the game was off, and an energy unlike that your columnist had ever seen was buzzing. Every dribble, every pass, every tackle; these all had the crowd reactions equivalent to that of a goal in the SuperLeague. This was despite the game being relatively quiet throughout the first half and much of the second, by ordinary soccer standards; there had been few shots and a grand total of three shots on target by both sides combined.

Eventually, however, this deadlock had to end. And end it did. From the commentary booth:
"That's a great sliding tackle by Kōwa, and suddenly the Calculatorians have been caught out of position! Kōwa dribbles forward, dodges one, two sliding tackles! The pass is a spectacular lob forward to Malyōr, who gets it past Avogadro! Malyōr's one-on-one! He shoots! He..."

The commentary there was cut short by the crowd's noise; a noise so loud that you could swear that an earthquake was taking place. Their goal, which they had waited nearly 75 minutes for, had came, and now they were just minutes away from their first win on the international stage! The rest of the game past uneventfully (on the pitch, despite the Calculatorians valiant efforts) and very loudly (in the stadium), to reach the end of the game, at which point I would venture to say that half of Portland was woken up by the celebrations as a result. All in all, this was an amazing result for Woryand; proof that many of the pundits were wrong (at least in the eyes of the citizenry) and a win to get the Woryandian team a perfect international record.

Final score: Woryand 1-0 The Calculator (Malyōr 73', Kōwa Assisting)

[Recuecn]

There weren't many other games like it. In fact, there were no other games like it. Reçueçn had never played a game that ended in a score of six to one, in its entire history. Ever. Only two games in its history saw more total goals scores. Only one saw Reçueçn win by a larger margin. Reçueçn's football history is relatively short—three IACs, five World Cup qualification campaigns, a couple-odd tournaments here or there. And so it was here, on their first game, the opening night of the tenth Independent Associations' Championship, that Reçueçn dealt out this drubbing that would be second in magnitude only to its victory in the Round of Sixteen of its Baptism of Fire, during cycle seventy-two. And on the receiving end... was Indusse.

Indusse skipped the last IAC. But it had attempted qualification for the eighty-fifth World Cup, where it played in a group won by a dominant Holy Empire and a powerful Ko-oren. Indusse's last game was a one-nil victory over Petroslovania: a victory that meant it would catch and pass Petroslovania on the standings table... to take 10th place in a group of thirteen. Before that, a three-game losing streak, that started one-zero to Mattijana and ended with Indusse's bush quacked four to two.

The kicker, though, is that middle game. Facing a Tequiloan side straight out of the Baptism of Fire, Indusse put on the perfect dress rehearsal for the game it would place against Reçueçn, only three matches later (ignoring any friendlies they may have played after failing to qualify for the World Cup—Indusse did not attend the Cup of Harmony).

That's right. Half of Indusse's last four games have been six-one blowouts. As the whistle blew in Port-des-Saints yesterday evening, the poor nation's players must have experiencing a miserable feeling of déjà vu. In both games, team captain and national leader Baskar Kumar was the one who scored for the side from India, and in both cases, early on—only to see his team trampled with six opposing goals each time. But unlike its counterpart Tequilo, who scored its goals in bursts (three in five minutes at one point), Reçueçn kept up a steady battering, adding another goal every fifteen minutes or so.

It was Per Tegeler, the new starting left wing after Hippolyte Lavigne's retirement from the international team, who opened the scoring with a volley that almost looked like he intended it as a cross for Franky Adams to head in. But when Franky couldn't break his mark, the shot curled into the far corner, just past Indussiate keeper Steve Leghourn. Tegeler's face lit up as he saw his shot billow into the far side of the net. His mouth fell open and he held out his arms, as unable to believe he was the one who had just done that.

Only eight minutes later he would be joined on the scoreboard by the Lavigne still left on the team (Raoul, no relation of Hippolyte). The left-middie's goal was on an assist from Tegeler, who was already on his way to earning 'Man of the Match'—Lavigne left Budtedjson and Singh in no-man's-land to get on the end of a through-ball from Tegeler and power it into the corner of the net on a lucky deflection that redirected it away from the diving Leghourn. The half closed with Tegeler emphasizing his dominant performance with a second goal.

The second half of the game was more of the same: a confident Reçuecian team controlling possession, taking its time to set up careful but powerful attacks, and consistently breaking through. The defensive bus-parkers fans know were nowhere to be seen. Those in attendance, who perhaps wondered if they'd get their money's worth when they bought their tickets, knowing Reçueçn's reputation for scoring a single goal against weaker teams and then putting the game on hold, certainly got a show worth every dime. Of course, the 'show' was a goal-fest more than any sort of sporting contest, but it was certainly a fun one to watch, at least from a Reçuecian point of view. Franky scored. Tegeler completed his hat trick, and was subbed off to give his replacement, Marc Schöner, his first cap. Then Schöner scored while he was at it.

The six-one victory, Reçueçn's second-largest, surely brings back memories of that eight-two Baptism of Fire win so long ago. Then, too, a hat trick was scored—by Franky that time. Tegeler scored as a left-wing sub after Hippolyte Lavigne had already scored two goals. Thirteen cycles later, Schöner did the same thing from the same position, after Tegeler had taken his hat trick and left the field. Freeman Lebo, Who got the assist on Franky's goal in this most recent game, scored one of his own way back then. Ly Nasser, who also scored one as a sub in the Baptism of Fire, was on the bench again last night, but didn't get a chance to go on.

Will Reçueçn continue to play this well? We have high hopes for the group. But the real challenge will come once the group stage is behind us. Hopefully, in the meantime, this game serves as a lesson for les licornes that they can go on the attack and still be successful. We've got a bye today, but we'll see you next time, when we draw Fujai nil-nil.

[HUElavia]

Game 2 Cold Open

We couldn't have asked for a better start... "And there it is, HUElavia's run rampant with their 5-0 victory!"

Sure, it was nice to win and give our team and fans some optimism and joy, but now that's in the past. Tonight, we got our first REAL test: Terre Septentrionale.

A solid team from the region of North Eurasia that looks to make a name for themselves. A team wanting to make up for their early exit 4 years ago. A team looking to knock us down. Well, we say: "Bring it on."

Tonight, we fight for what may shape the pecking order of the group. Tonight, we fight to show our might.

So, pray and hope for your team, and cheer them on during these next 90 minutes. Tonight, with us on the pitch, and you all in the crowd and at home, we can win this match and put us a step closer to the Round-of-16. It's time to show our HUElavian might.

Game 2:
Terre Septentrionale vs HUElavia

[Trolleborg]

Dear compatriots, it’s TTV from Omerica.
We all, of course, are terribly disappointed by the defeat in the first match of the tournament. It's sad that the team again started IAC tournament with a crushing loss. This defeat is added to our history as one of the five largest in the short history of our team, moreover from an opponent in the world table of ranks who is not much higher than us, but again the experience of international performances clearly affects results. After all, it cannot be said that our guys deserved such a score, and we all in the stands, at the screens and in the fan zones, when Skaloed make 2:1, hoped for the best, but it turned out how it is happened. But the truth must be said: the team did not really deserve a draw, it didn’t look good. And it would be understandable if something was wrong were four players who usually act as substitutes and begin game in the lineup, but the leaders did not shine either: Kerr was completely bogged down in the opponent's defense, Groningen looked like if he was send to play cricket, Troll was deeply out of touch with the game, and Troger looked completely asleep.

Did the element of surprise have an effect, since late arrival of the opponents and the veil of secrecy around their team did not give our coaches possibility to form a clear impression of the opponent? Did we miss something in preparation of the team to the Omerica climate? Or is it still difficult to embrace new game scheme? Does the blurred play on CoH affect the psychological state of the players? Why did our usually reliable second goalkeeper not play so brilliantly and why did the reservists thrown into battle show themselves so dimly? Many questions, and we are all waiting for answers.

Today the team has a rest day, and this is probably good, there is time to move away from emotions, relax, look at the rivals more closely and prepare for the next game. The fans today have the opportunity to wander around the new country and visit the seaside, and we all, of course, hope that this is not the last reason to rejoice and get positive emotions.

[Sharktail]

SHARKTAIL POST EP 27
REST THE STARTER, IS IT THE RIGHT CHOOSE?

A few days ago, Sharktail have been shocked with a lose to unranked side Nacrad. It was really dissappointing result for all. All the football critic and scout have stated Sharktail not play at their original standard. Even they put their best squad in that match, they failed to provide anything.

Sahami have been on pressure lately after they always fail to win with unranked side starting from losing to Squidroidia, draw with Kencana and lose to Nacrad. Even the performing well in the match against higher ranked team, they still cannot win with the lower ranked team. What was the problem of this team?

Some football analyst stated that the problem Sharktail faced maybe overconfident. They look down on the unranked side and just performing half-hearted, not with their best. Some critic said, if Sharktail still being like this, just a mayter of time, this team will collapse. If this team still thinking about going far, they need to change their attitude.

For the next match against Havynwilde, Sahami amde a decision to rest some of the starter. In goalkeeping position, Ahmad have been swap out with Lee Jin. Even Lee Jin was the third goalkeeper, but Sahami believe he was a good choice than David. In defend, Harold and Yusri stayed at their position. Hidawi suspension leave one spot vacant. rahman Baharum will make his debut in this tournament. Izz also have been ruled out and swap with the regular in Sharktail NT Irfan Danial. In midfield, for this match, Sahami take a risk putting three youngster in starting eleven. Azaim stay as starter, Manaf Shahrul and Shafizan Farid come replacing Nik Akif and Chandra while Fikri will come in replacing Farhan. In forward side Gaby stay in his position while Shahrul swapped in with Alfi. Will this team able to take all the pressure and do well against Havynwilde. This is their chance. All the best for them.

WE ARE BLUE,
WE ALWAYS HUNT
WE ARE THE BLUE PREDATOR

---

Sharktail line up:
Lee Jin
Harold,Yusri,Rahman,Irfan
Manaf,Azaim,Fikri,Shafizan
Gaby©,Shahrul

Sub:
David
Karim,Faiz
Chandra,Balang
Virman,Alfi

[PotatoFarmers]

Poafmersia 4
Shakira Handris 18'
Hansel Tang 29', 38'
Pete Carisa 56'

Abanhfleft 1
Hiroko Kellerman 44'

Starting 11: Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Nasri Sanchez, Natalia Abbott; Gisiik Moonar, Ftiks Wariq, Daas Taisg; Hansel Tang, Shakira Handris, Pete Carisa
Substitutes: Alex Hoboson (A. Pickford 51'), Emma Conner (Handris 69')

Nobody could have asked for more as the Red Panjias started their IAX campaign with a 4-1 trashing of 2nd seeds Abanhfleft. The win was a really nasty one, which seems rather lobsided considering that the team was playing an entire bunch of young ladies.
This isn't the first meeting between both sides. In fact, it was just barely 2 years ago in HUElavia where Poafmersia played Abanhfleft. Then, it was the quarterfinals, and Poafmersia merely dispatched them 4-0 with Joel Haodao's hat-trick that night. This time round, only 2 players that played that match started tonight, namely Danzik Hoboson and Daas Taisg. Joel Haodao was absent as he was given extra rest ahead of the next match, but his presence was absolutely unnecessary as Hansel Tang played a really good role in that position.
The match kicked off really fast paced. The young ladies on the opposition team really pressed hard and aggressive, as they pressed a really high line and aimed to punish Poafmersia for any defence mistakes. Ftiks Wariq's pace came into play here, and together with Daas Taisg in central midfield, they ensured that the Red Panjias would not be out-runned by the ladies. It took 18 minutes for Poafmersia to open the flood gates, as Gisiik Moonar found a really nice pass to get the ball towards Handris, and Handris merely powered a low shot into the bottom right corner.
After that, it would be Hansel Tang that leads the domination of the opposition. Firstly, she made a nice 1-2 with Pete Carisa, and Carisa got Deanna Herring to make a nice save to push the ball out for a corner. Alex Pickford curved the ball straight into the box, and Tang headed it in to give Poafmersia a 2-0 lead. Barely 9 minutes later, it would be Tang once again, who disposesed Skye Ereve of the ball close to the box, made a solo run to goal, and got it past Herring. Abanhfleft got 1 back after a nice long-range screamer from Kellermen towards the tail end of the first half, but Poafmersia was firmly in control.
Pete Carisa put the tie to bed in the 56th minute after scoring a really nice curved ball from the right side of the field, hitting past the post and into goal. Abanhfleft had nothing to lose and pressed forward, but Sanchez and Abbott in defence worked hard with Pickford (later Alex Hoboson) and captain Danzik Hoboson to dispell many threats that Abanhfleft came up with. Abanhfleft attacked, then counter-attacked, but it was the brilliance of Danzik Hoboson that saved the day, seeing each tactic and destroying every one of them.
Poafmersia next play Kayangan, who are making their debut performance in the IAC. They lost narrowly to Squidroidia, a side that we defeated 5-3 in a pre-IAC friendly. Their 4-4-2 formation suggests an emphasis on midfield strength, and Poafmersia would certainly not take this match as easily as they should.

Starting 11 against Kayangan: Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Nasri Sanchez, Natalia Abbott; Gisiik Moonar, Ftiks Wariq, Daas Taisg; Joel Haodao, Hansel Tang, Pete Carisa

[Drawkland]

Richard Swiss: Sulsu Wrangler
Season 1, Episode 1
"Pilot"

[The camera fades in, showing a peaceful tropical sea with a jungle-filled island in the background. The camera bobs up and down slightly, as if on a boat. The shot stays there for a few seconds, before a man in a safari outfit and a wide-brimmed hat enters the shot and sits down on the left.]

"Hello, my name is Richard Swiss. You may not know me right now, but I'm just a simple traveller. I've conquered seas, forests, deserts, mountains, and tundras all over our beautiful planet Sonnel. There's one place I haven't yet mastered, though ... the stunning and chaotic Sulsuland. I'm Richard Swiss, and today I'm going to become the first Sulsu Wrangler."

[The camera slowly pans to the right until Swiss is out of the frame and more of the island is seen. The logo appears on screen as the theme music fades in: an aggressive blues riff on an acoustic guitar backed with hand drums and other tribal timbres. The background becomes a sequence of clips and images of the island and some Sulsus.]

[The camera is focused on Swiss at the bow of a small boat, with the island from the title sequence in the background. As he speaks, he slowly strides toward the camera away from the bow.]

"Welcome to the show, my friends. I'd like to thank you for tuning in today. Allow me to introduce myself a little bit. My name is Richard Swiss, a Drawkian who's been all over Sonnel and even ventured to other worlds. I've hiked, hunted, explored, and traveled anywhere the wind takes me, but there's one place I have yet to travel to and really explore, and that's the mysterious archipelago known as Sulsuland."

[As Swiss speaks, the shot fades to a superimposed map showing the location of the islands and its nearby continental landmarks.]

"This group of islands are directly south of Drawkland in the north Arlet Ocean, or south Navis Ocean, depending on where you like to draw the line. It's directly west of the continent Suntae, home to such nations as Juvencus, Silver Beach, and Fleuronordicia. Despite its proximity to many major nations and its large size, they remained uninhabited by any major civilization for millennia. Some nations like Drawkland attempted to establish colonies on the isles, but the lack of profitable levels of natural resources caused them to be abandoned within a few decades each time."

[Swiss's voice continues as a narration as historical images, drawings, and reports are shown on screen.]

"They remained uninhabited until approximately the creation of the radio. This is when, due to various strange signals picked up from the area and alarming reports by nearby sailors, several inquisitive expeditions were sent to the area. Exact reports varied, but most agreed that there was some strange humanoid creature living on the island and swimming in the shallows around them. After a few weeks of searching, they finally managed to find this creature on one of the smaller isles. It was sitting on a beach, munching on a raw fish it had just grabbed from the water minutes earlier."

[A picture appears on screen of a Sulsu, depicted as Swiss describes it.]

"It was some sort of short, man-like creature, dressed in a loincloth and a simple wooden mask covern its face. It had long black hair, and was otherwise naked. It looked harmless, so the explorers approached it in their boat, aiming to establish contact with the creature. According to the account of the crew, the conversation went something like this:"

[The voice of some voice actors is heard reenacting the conversation, as the shot slowly scrolls down the apparently original written transcript.]

Creature: "hEy FrieNds, yoU WanT a FisH?"

Crew: "H-hello! You speak our language?"

Creature: "whaT? SulSU diDnT spEaK aNythiNg, jUsT asK iF yOu wanT fisH. oH weLl MOre For SulsU"

Crew: "Your name is Sulsu?"

Creature: "nO ITs WhaT YoU cAlL sUlsU"

Crew: "Are you Sulsu then?"

Sulsu: "YEs"

Crew: "What are you doing here, Sulsu?"

Sulsu: "EaTinG fisH, whaTS iT LooK liKe? iDioT"

Crew: "Do you like fish? Is that what you eat?"

Sulsu: "SulSU juST TolD you SulSu eaTinG fisH. YoU ReaLlY baD At ListEniNg"

Crew: "Er- sorry. Do you live here now? Is this your home?"

Sulsu: "nO, ThiS iS a BeaCh, dO yOu See a HoUsE"

Crew: "N-no, we were just wondering if you lived anywhere on these islands. Just curious."

Sulsu: "eH, SulSu juST finD thIs PlaCe"

Crew: "Okay, we're going to be here for a few days. Just wanted to say hello, thank you."

[The camera switches back to Swiss, who's sitting on the railing of the boat, a bit closer to shore.]

"The transcript ends there, and the crew notes that when they turned around, Sulsu was laying behind them, asking them to "mOve, yOu blockIng SulSu’S raYs". This legendary first encounter both confused and enthralled scientists the world over, and dozens flocked to these previously backwater islands in hopes to find out more about this mysterious 'Sulsu.'"

"Unfortunately, after some time, people who came to these islands and were exposed to Sulsu occasionally grew mad and turned into identical copies of Sulsu himself, a phenomenon which was labelled 'Sulsuitis.' Because of this somewhat horrific result, many stopped attempting to study Sulsu behavior. As more curious scientists and tourists visited, the population of sulsu increased, until the land had a somewhat active populous of sulsus looking for fish and living their days out in these tropical shores."

[Swiss stands up and looks out over the railing, and the camera zooms past to focus on the water.]

"The tale of Sulsu and the sulsus has always fascinated me. This is why I've decided to create this show, so that both me and the rest of the universe can find out more about them. I or my crew may contract Sulsuitis, but that's a risk that we are willing to take for the world. Oh, quiet now, I think I see one."

[The camera focuses on a disturbance in the water. After a moment, the masked face of a Sulsu pops out of the surface, and raises a hand filled with at least a dozen fish.]

"sULsU fiND FiSh!"

"Look at that! Isn't that amazing? He's even holding an amount of fish that would be impossible for a normal person to hold in their hand at one time. This is the remarkable power of a Sulsu. This is why I want to share my new adventure with you all."

[The camera falls back and focuses on Swiss.]

"That's all the time we have for today. I'd like to thank you once again for tuning in to my new show, and I hope you'll be back. I'm Richard Swiss, Sulsu Wrangler. Goodnight."

[The shot fades to black and an extended version of the theme music plays as the credits roll.]

[Omerica]

IAX: The Campaign of Respect

---

MATCHDAY TWO CUTOFF

---

The Results

Group A
Schottia 3–1 Space @ Revolution Park, Falconbarrow, Strathavon
Hwiccemark 0–2 Omerica @ Stade Saint-André, Brétolles, Westavon

Group A                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Omerica                        2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Schottia                       2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
3 TJUN-ia                        1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Hwiccemark                     1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
5 Space                          2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Tiebreaker: Schottia ahead of TJUN-ia on goals for.

Group B
Terre Septentrionale 1–1 HUElavia @ Stadium of the Occident, Westhaven, West Calaverde
Tequilo 2–1 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action @ Seafoam Athletic Park, Saint Anne, Seafoam Islands

Group B                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 HUElavia                       2   1  1  0    6   1  +5    4
2 Terre Septentrionale           2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Tequilo                        1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action   2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0
5 Natanya                        1   0  0  1    0   5  −5    0

Tiebreakers: HUElavia ahead of Terre Septentrionale on goal difference; Hot Skitty on Wailord Action ahead of Natanya on goal difference.

Group C
Nacrad 1–3 New Lusitania @ Stade Just-Cartier, Charlescourt, Charlescourt
Havynwilde 1–1 Sharktail @ Stade de l’Indépendance, Saint-Christophe, East Calaverde

Group C                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 New Lusitania                  2   2  0  0    7   2  +5    6
2 Nacrad                         2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
3 Havynwilde                     1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Sharktail                      2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1
5 Trolleborg                     1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

Tiebreaker: Havynwilde ahead of Sharktail on goal difference.

Group D
Sylestone 3–3 Drawkland @ Stade Rue de la Victoire, Éternare, Alleos
Gekkeom 0–1 Silver Beach @ Arena la Rouge, Port Alexandre, Mespalia

Group D                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Sylestone                      2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
2 Drawkland                      2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
3 Silver Beach                   2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Darkmania                      1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
5 Gekkeom                        1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Tiebreakers: Sylestone ahead of Drawkland after results against Gekkeom and Darkmania are discarded; Darkmania ahead of Gekkeom on goals for.

Group D Tiebreaker             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Sylestone                      2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
2 Drawkland                      1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
3 Silver Beach                   1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group E
Kayangan 0–2 Poafmersia @ Stade International, Bayonnette, New Vaucluse
Sajnur 1–1 Squidroidia @ Stade Olympique, Syracuse, South Provence

Group E                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Poafmersia                     2   2  0  0    6   1  +5    6
2 Squidroidia                    2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Sajnur                         1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Abanhfleft                     1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0
5 Kayangan                       2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

Tiebreaker: Abanhfleft ahead of Kayangan on goals for.

Group F
Fleuronordicia 0–0 Kohnhead @ Stadium of Great Arden, Lisbon, Great Arden
Port Ember 4–3 Blotropolis @ Londonderry Court, Londonderry, Coleraine

Group F                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Kohnhead                       2   1  1  0    3   0  +3    4
2 Port Ember                     1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Blotropolis                    2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
4 Fleuronordicia                 2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
5 Juvencus                       1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Tiebreaker: Port Ember ahead of Blotropolis on head-to-head points (PEM 3, BLO 0).

Group G
Kriegiersien 0–0 Woryand @ Trailblazer Park, Sassari, Braganza
Squornshelan Remnant States 4–0 Devonta @ Stade de la République, Romainbourg, Romainbourg

Group G                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Woryand                        2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
2 Squornshelan Remnant States    1   1  0  0    4   0  +4    3
3 Devonta                        2   1  0  1    1   4  −3    3
4 Kriegiersien                   2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
5 The Calculator                 1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Tiebreaker: Squornshelan Remnant States ahead of Devonta on head-to-head points (SRS 3, USD 0).

Group H
Fujai 1–2 Indusse @ Azure Stadium, Nassau, Free State
Megistos 1–0 Hopal @ RS Amphitheatre, Port-des-Saints, Port-des-Saints

Group H                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Reçueçn                        1   1  0  0    6   1  +5    3
2 Indusse                        2   1  0  1    3   7  −4    3
3 Megistos                       1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Fujai                          2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
5 Hopal                          2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0

Tiebreakers: Reçueçn and Indusse ahead of Megistos and Fujai on head-to-head points (RCN 3, INS 3, MEG 0, FJA 0); Reçueçn ahead of Indusse on head-to-head points (RCN 3, INS 0); Megistos ahead of Fujai on goal difference.

---

EDIT 1: Adding group tiebreakers.
EDIT 2: Correcting erroneously-reversed venues in Groups B, D, F and H.

[Sylestone]

Sylestone drew with Drawkland. Yes, you read that correctly. Sylestone drew with Drawkland! Who would've thought? Abd it wasn't any boring 0-0 or 1-1 draw common to the defensive-minded Sylestonean side, either. It was a whopping 3-3 draw. Drawkland's attack and Sylestone's defence were evenly matched, but Drawkland's relentless offensive moves eventually won out. This meant, though, that Sylestone's did too. But what a game. Sylestone is now in first on tiebreaker rules and actually might have a chance of making the knockout stages.

Drawkland scored two very quick goals in the first ten minutes of the game and an expected Sylestone loss seemed likely. This was not to be. The Washing Machine, after getting pulled off in favour of Spiderwebs due to his mistakes in letting the first two goals through, was sent back on in the 28th minute, still, 2-0 down and immediately scored, rupturing Drawkland's defence and scoring a brilliant curving goal into the bottom left-hand corner. In the 35th minute, Sylestone equalised with a penalty from the Mixer. At half time, the Toaster talked the players through what they did wrong in those dreadful first ten minutes.
"OK, so Washing Machine, Drawer, you see how that left-winger got through there? Washing Machine, you need to move slightly to your left and Drawer, you really need to stay in position. If you don't stay in position, our poor old Brick Wall will have no chance. Then again, Washing Machine, sorry for picking on you, but this time it was you. However, let's look at this Drawkland attack in the 33rd minute. Great job, Ironing Board, Sofa, Bar Stool, you really nullified that. And guess what we got from it? A goal! Now let's get out there and win this game. I'm also happy with a draw, BUT DON'T LET THAT FAZE YOU. I WANT A VICTORY!"

It seemed not to be. In the 48th minute, the Toaster's pep talk seemed rubbish as the Drawer let a simple ball slip through his defensive section to give an opposition striker a shot at goal. He scored. 3-2 down.
It remained 3-2 for ages. 40 minutes left, 30, then 20, 10 and finally five. It seemed that although the Appliances had put up a brilliant fight, they were going down. In the last gasp attempt, the Bar Stool headed a corner into the post in the 90th minute. One minute left of injury time. The ball rebounded straight to an opposition defender, who kicked it straight into the Sofa. The ball hit him and fell straight to the feet (or base) or the Fridge, who shot a curling shot towards the goal. It seemed to miss, but in the last second, the ever-concussed Bar Stool stuck his "hed" in the ay and deflected the ball from the post into the goal. Chaos erupted from the stadiums and Sylestone had managed to pull off an unlikely draw.

Sylestone is now at the top of the table on four points, equal with Drawkland. Tiebreaker puts them in the lead. Their next game is against Darkmania, and a victory there will put them almost certainly into the knockout stages. With a bye and an expected victory against Gekkeom following that, Sylestone will probably get somewhere between 7-10 points, depending on the result against Darkmania. But although Gekkeom is unranked, we cannot underestimate them or our next opponents. We shall see in two days time.

[Schottia]

The Very Best

Part Three

Murkrow

‘Thanks.’ Ferguson conceded, as Lewis joined him in what remained of his office. Every drawer and cupboard had been forced open, and anything of value had looted years ago by the look of things. The former Gym Leader turned a few papers over with the toe of his shoe, but it was impossible to discern anything from the damp and trodden sheets.

‘No worries.’ She replied calmly, watching with a degree of sympathy as he rummaged through what remained of his Gym. ‘I’ve called my interns, James and Matthews.’ She held her phone up for effect. ‘They’ll be round here first thing tomorrow with whatever they can find to help you clean this shit up.’

‘On a Saturday morning.’ Ferguson replied, kneeling down to pick up an empty badge case. ‘They must be keen…’

‘To be honest - ’ She accepted the proffered black, velvet lined case from Ferguson, running her fingers across it before turning it over in her hand. The Gym’s logo, a pokéball and green star shape, was still visible on the lid. ‘ – they would clean the floor with their own toothbrushes if they though it would get them into my good books.’ She placed the box down on the corner of the desk, with the care she felt it still deserved. ‘They’ll work hard.’

‘Do you still want your first lesson?’ Ferguson asked tiredly, turning to her, leaning his bottom against the edge of the desk as he folded his arms.

Lewis exhaled loudly. ‘I reckon I’ve had it already.’ She answered, nodding her head in the direction of the confrontation. ‘Hopefully you won’t be hearing from those arseholes again.’

‘You fought well.’ The former Gym Leader stated earnestly, causing his Lawyer to blush a little.

‘Against a bandy-legged Raticate...’

‘You fought well.’ He repeated, walking past her and heading for the stairs up to the second floor.

‘I’ll go and book you a hotel.’ Lewis informed him, as she followed a few paces behind. ‘Somewhere in the city. I’ll stick it on the Firm’s expenses. I can drive you down there on the way back.’

Ferguson shook his head, as he inspected room after room, all of which had been forced open and plundered. ‘Dinnae bother.’ At length he came to a heavy steel door, which seemed to be locked. Most of the paint had been scraped off, and there were several huge dents in surface, revealing past (futile) attempts to gain access. He quickly found the correct key, and after putting his back into it, successes in tugging it open. ‘Go and stick you torch on.’

Lewis obliged, shining a light inside. The room was full of gym equipment: mats, vaulting boards and horses, practice targets. The room seemed to back out onto the front street, with the large windows spanning from the floor to the ceiling. ‘This’ll do.’ Ferguson stated, pulling over a blue crash mat.

‘You’re not going to sleep there..!’

‘Better than the bed I’ve slept in for the last four years.’ He managed a weak smile. ‘I’m a big boy, I’ll be fine.’

‘It’s freezing..!’

‘I’ll live.’

Lewis shrugged. ‘Do you want me to leave Umbreon outside in case those tossers come back..?’

‘They’ll no’ be back.’ He answered confidently. ‘I’ll get a good night’s sleep and make a start on the clear-up at first light.’ He sat himself down on the mat, politely making it clear that she should hit the dusty trail.

Lewis nodded. ‘Well… I’ll send my people a text telling them to be round at nine.’ She paused to do something on her phone. ‘I’ll be over later on, I’ve just got a couple of things to see to first.’

‘No rest for the wicked…’

‘That’s about the size of it.’ She closed her eyes briefly. ‘Well take care John. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Take care… …’ He couldn’t bring himself to use her first name for some reason, too personal. ‘…take care.’

Alone, his eyes slowly began to adjust to the dark, and he suddenly became aware that his breath was visible winter air. In the light trickling in from the streetlamps outside, Fergus managed to find a couple of old blankets he could use, chucking them onto his makeshift bed while he had a walk about. The windows were in need of a damn good clean, and the layers of grime and soot, served to remind Ferguson just how long it had been. He flicked the latch, and pushed one of the windows open; the air rushing in was barely colder than the air inside, and was markedly less stale. Crouching low, he stepped out onto wide ledge outside, and lit a cigarette.

‘Hello Murkrow.’ He said, after inhaling deeply on his cigarette.

’Murkrow… krow.’

‘It’s a right whoor of a night!’ He empathises with the beast, looking out into the street, which was now becoming slushy with the constant sleet-fall.

’Murkrow.’

‘I’d invite you inside but…’

’Krow. Murkrow… krow.’

‘I know, I know.’ He nodded his acceptance. ‘You’re fine where you are.’

’Murkrow.’

‘You know…’ Ferguson exhaled a lungful of smoke slowly. ‘Just five years ago I had it all. Marriage, thriving Gym with a waiting-list for members. A nice house. I had the respect of my peers, I had everything…’

The Murkrow looked up at him briefly. ’Murkrow.’

Ferguson issued something that was a cross between a laugh and a cough. ‘Aye, you’re right Murkrow, I should quit the maudlin.’

’Murkrow… krow.’

He flicked the remains of his cigarette into the street below. ‘Have a good night Murkrow.’

’Murkrow.’

---

Stats from the opening matches...

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Omerica 1–0 Schottia @ Revolution Park, Falconbarrow, Strathavon
Line-up: Lorrey, Kiefer, McGillivray, Hare, Koller, Loweson, Roxel, Soria Luna (Arneston), Cnocstanger (McInnes), Avelione, Martel-Burns (Simonsen)
Goals:

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Space 1–3 Schottia @ Revolution Park, Falconbarrow, Strathavon
Line-up: Lorrey, Kiefer, McGillivray, Hare, Christie, Loweson, Roxel (Nicholson), Soria Luna, Larsen (McInnes), Avelione, Martel-Burns (Bestatter)
Goals: Martel-Burns (2), McInnes

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[Indusse]

IFA NEWS NETWORK

Group H
Fujai 1–2 Indusse @ Azure Stadium, Nassau, Free State
Megistos 1–0 Hopal @ RS Amphitheatre, Port-des-Saints, Port-des-Saints

Group H                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Reçueçn                        1   1  0  0    6   1  +5    3
2 Indusse                        2   1  0  1    3   7  −4    3
3 Megistos                       1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Fujai                          2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
5 Hopal                          2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0

After the crushing defeat to Reçueçn (6-1) indusse wins against another "Pacifican" Fujai. It's the first time Indusse is playing against both Fujai and Reçueçn. Both, reputed teams from different lands have never showcased their skills against indusse. Indussean Striker Mersiás had scored the goal against Reçueçn. The next match against Fujai (1-2) was unforgettable. The captain Baskar scored 2 goals and got the team a win. The 2nd goal which was a bicycle kick was one of the best goals scored by the captain. The team was coming from its qualifiers for the IAFF world cup 2020 (link:https://discord.gg/v9hqVR) for india, the team is waiting for MD9 there to qualifyto the final stage. The tournament witnessed a match between indusse and rajpore."A loss!How can that be possible that too the champions?" Shouts Joseph Moteudi coach of the national team. The team known for the best player in India. Baskar Kumar lost to Rajpore yesterday. The game was really a shameful one for the team. Rajpore 5-3 Indusse. Indussean goals were scored by Baskar was (44'), Mersiás (66' , 78'). Baskar Kumar is the top scorer for the team in this qualifiers with 3 goals followed by Mersiás (2 goals) an din the next match it came like this: It was really a hard match for the team. 1-1 against Rajpore. Indusse still remains 2nd in the group. The match saw Baskar H Kumar scoring the goal at the 3' minute and the Rajporean player scoring in the extra time in 90+2' . The match saw Baskar's fastest goal in terms of time and the 4th goal in the qualifiers. David Abraham, the famous businessman and head of Jawred Sports was prosecuted yesterday for the Scam Case that everyone was looking through. Baskar was found not guilty of the scam and a compensation of 5,60,000 Indussean Rupees was given to him and other players got 4,80,000 Rupees. The Dhawalaratna was given back to Bhaskar and he was made free of all court charges.

[Hopal]

The Hopal Herald Sports
Two close and tough losses
Hopal opened the Independents Cup with two defensive games against Fujai and Megistos. Both games Hopal loss 1-0 staying mostly in their own end keeping the ball away from the other team, while simultaneously trying to get the ball past the other team in the safest way possible. As you could imagine this meant Hopal didn't get many opportunities, while staying in their own end meant that whenever the other team did get the ball they were already near the net. While the defence did hold up most of the time surrounding the net, spreading out across the field, and swarming the other players, because they just had more opportunities the other team could get at least one goal. Head Coach David Stoyers decided to change things up making Robert De Ville Offensive Coach, and making John Ashcroft Tactician hoping this can get Hopal more opportunities.

[HUElavia]

Difficult Match Ends in Satisfying Draw!

Terre Septentrionale 1–1 HUElavia
(Normandin 25' | Rossi 7')
Stadium of the Occident, Westhaven, West Calaverde

HUElavia came into Matchday 2 looking to build on their emphatic victory on Matchday 1 against Natanya. Now, they were facing off against Terre Septentrionale, a Franc-Polac nation from the region of North Eurasia. The HUElavian National Football Team had this match marked on their calendars, due to Terre Septentrionale being a Pot 2 team, thus being the direct rival for 1st Place in Group B. The match was held at Stadium of the Occident (48,000) in Westhaven, where the stadium was sold out and it was basically 50-50 in terms of support for the teams. HUElavians took up one endzone and Septentrionaux took up the other. The anthems were sung with pride, and once the coin toss was done, the ball was set, kicked and the match was underway.

The match as a whole was a difficult one for both sides, as the midfield for both teams were dominant on possession and control while on the ball. The opening goal would come in the 7th minute, when Brzezanczyk gave a hard tackle to Cristiano, where the referee gave a yellow card and pointed to a free kick. Rossi took up the chance to take the free kick, hitting the ball with his left foot, curving it over the wall and past a reaching Vainqueur into the goal to make it 0-1. The HUElavian crowd jumped up and roared with passion and joy as they made the stadium rumble from the celebrations. Despite this early goal, the Septentrionaux attacked hard, and tried to get deep with their attacks. This would pay off towards the 25th minute, when during a counterattack, Waclawczyk was clattered by Smirnov, where she got a yellow card and a free kick was given. Normandin took the free kick over the wall and past Lobato into the goal to make it 1-1. The Septentrionaux celebrated their goal with passion while Normandin hugged her teammates to celebrate the goal. For the rest of the match, Vainqueur and Lobato made saves and stops left and right, having the crowd applaud their efforts, Rossi for HUElavia and Cwierczakiewiczowa for Terre Septentrionale were great on attack, having their shots go either wide or be blocked by Vainqueur and Lobato respectively. Towards the end of the match, both teams passed the ball around, having an unspoken agreement to end the match with that scoreline, as they held out to a 1-1 draw.

With the result, HUElavia and Terre Septentrionale are tied for 1st Place by Points and Record (4 Points, 1-1-0), but HUElavia lead with their +5 Goal Difference to Terre Septentrionale's +1. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos will play against Tequillo for Matchday 3, where they won their opening match against Hot Skitty on Wailord Action 2-1. The match will be played at Stadium of the Occident in Westhaven once again. Vallares will get the start in goal, while giving starting roles for Almeida, Mendieta and Pae in the defense, Conti and Almeida in the midfield, and Sissoko in the attack. HUElavians will flock to the stadium once again looking to support their team, while the crowd back home will look forward to watch the games in watch parties. The team looks forward to push for a possible Round-of-16 appearance, possibly clinching an early spot, should other results go their way.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Squidroidia]

The easy stretch had ran out for the Squidroidian national team. To many IAC insiders the 1-0 victory over Kayangan was expected to be their only win. All the pundits in the world, from the Remnant States to Squidroidia's next opponent, Sajnur, expected a 4th place finish. Nothing more, nothing less. Hideo also knew the divine wisdom of common knowledge - The Megistos thing was a hoax. Obviously fake. The Megistians were humans like the rest of them. And this humanity comforted him and the squad as they made their way to Syracuse for game 2 of their stretch against Sajnur, a nation from the widely known South Pacific. This was, in fact, their first game of the tournament, and Squidroidia's second. Eliseo Marinon's men were hoping for a win today.

The first half was not what you expected from 2 offensively minded teams. There were some attacks, including an impressive long shot by Squidroidian Jo Jun, but other than that it was very defensive minded. Siafik did have some chances, but she did not convert any of those chances until the 55th minute, when she dazzled the Squidroidian defense and slotted the ball in the far post to get Sajnur on the board. 13 minutes later the Squidroidians would unleash manager Mito's key offensive strat, as young Inkling prodigy Henriette Brooks got her first touch of the ball in an international competition (Having subbed on for Toshikuni at halftime) and got the ball on the left to Nariaki. Salloah tried to get her leg onto the Squidroidian but he crossed over to Itoh, where he scored his 2nd goal of the tournament off of a header. The game would end 1-1, Squidroidia 2nd in their group.

Afterwards, the young Hideo got up to Brooks and in classic Squidroidian fashion hugged the young woomy. "Henriette, you did amazing today. I couldn't believe that Inklings like you had a chance to actually succeed on the pitch like that. I wish you good luck in your journey, maybe someday you'll win the World Cup." Brooks, of course smiled. Someone other than her coach believed in her. The bad news is that they had to face Poafmersia next. And where have we seen them before...?

[Kriegiersien]

Kriegiersiens 0–0 against Woryand worrisome

a comment from Mary Mermaid - Fan of the FC Muhr


Now it is getting harder for the presidents team. Scoring no goals, like until now, could become a problem. Of course if you are only used to play against teams with half of their squad being youth players and a bribed referee in the national league, it is harder to beat opponents who defend international on another level. So maybe the players don't have to play in Omerica very long and can soon try to not score against Olympic opponents in Istria. Even though the other teams in the group of crap aren't very strong, the test run for the Olympics could end in a desaster and prove that the Kriegiersien soccer system needs an overhaul. I for one, would welcome a change. A fair national contest and more international participation, even friendlies for everyone, outside the Olympics and the region.

[Terre Septentrionale]

Terre Septentrionale draws with HUElavia

Westhaven, Omérique - On matchday 2, Terre Septentrionale played against HUElavia, one of the top ranked teams, for a match that would probably decide the group winner (unless Tequilo can beat either team). The result was a 1-1 draw. HUElavia started off the game on the right foot and they attacked at the 7th minute when Ayuda Amada passed the ball to Cristiano Aveiro-Lima just outside the penalty area, Zdzislaw Brzezanczyk tackled him too hard and he got a yellow card. It was a free kick for HUElavia. Lionel Rossi-Rigoni kicks the ball and it's a goal, 1-0 HUElavia. Terre Septentrionale attacked at the 25 minute when Franciszek Niedzwiecki passed to Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk who drubbled with the ball but he was clattered by Kira Smirnov who got a yellow card. The Nordiques were awarded a free kick which was taken by Élisabeth Normandin. Normandin kicks the ball over the wall and it goes into the net. The game was tied at 1-1 and this is the score at the halftime. This is Normandin's 10th international goal.

Both teams kept attacking in the 2nd half and but Georges-Kévin Vainqueur and Jose Antonio Lobato kept making saves after saves. Élisabeth Normandin injured herself when she bumped into Andres Gallego-Calderon when they both jumped and tried to head a ball that was kicked by Lobato on a goal kick. The final score was 1-1.

BOXSCORE

7th minute: Lionel Rossi-Rigoni (free kick)
25th minute: Élisabeth Normandin (free kick)

YELLOW CARDS

7th minute: Zdzislaw Brzezanczyk
25th minute: Kira Smirnov
66th minute: Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk

RED CARDS

None

Tied for 1st place

With this draw against HUElavia, both teams are tied for 1st place with a win and a draw for 4 points in two games. Tequilo isn't far behind with a win in one game for 3 points. I believe we can consider the draw a good result since HUElavia are ranked higher, but they still have the tie break over us because of their 5-0 win on matchday 1. Next, Terre Septentrionale will play against Natanya while HUElavia and Tequilo will play each other. Élisabeth Normandin will miss the game and Przemyslaw Tkocz will replace her.

In other news, the Association Septentrionale de Soccer (ASS) was suppose to announce our olympic roster for both men and women soccer this week but the announcement is postponed for another week. We have time, we're actually in january 2027 and the olympics are held in july 2027.

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski,
Senior writer,
La tribune Septentrionale