Baptism of Fire 73 - Everything Thread

by **The Overseas Territories of Sylestone** » Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:04 pm

Oh well. You can’t win everything, can you? Hopefully we’ve got ourselves enough points to give ourselves a chance at doing somewhat well in the WC Qualifiers.
Still, 4-1 in a game we were expected to win...

by **Chromatika** » Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:14 pm

It is time to see which four teams will take one more step toward Valladares! RP Cutoff for Chromatik Section of Round of 16.

Baptism of Fire 73
Round of Sixteen - Chromatik Section

The Gothanita Isles 3–2 Praeceptia
United Center, Urrheddiao (Cap. 120,000; 28,000 Seats)

Savigliane 3–4 Glazgo
The Tidal Wave (Cap. 95,210; 25,000 Seats)

Tikariot 3–1 Southern Palm Islands
The Jungle, Eyrods (Cap. 74,590; 26,000 Seats)

Graintfjall 6–2 Southwest Eastnorth
island Dome, Myana (Cap. 133,000; 35,000 Seats)

Baptism of Fire 73
Quarterfinals - Chromatik Section

The Gothanita Isles vs. Glazgo
The Pack, Pria (Cap. 67,290)

Tikariot vs. Graintfjall
The Cove (Cap. 51,265; 28,000 Seats)

RP Prompt for Quarterfinals:
RP Prompts are here to suggest a topic to write about. Writing about the prompt won't give you any additional points, but if you're ever stuck, feel free to give these a whirl!

Quarterfinals - The Hosts.
What does your footballers think about the hosts' country and its culture? What parts make sense to you, and what parts are strange? Would your people like to visit the country for business or pleasure? Where would they be drawn toward, and for what reason? Comment on the hosts' culture, people, and stadia.

MD1 - Football Origins.
Welcome to your first foray in international football! How did football originate in your nation? Have you had a multi-decade tradition of professional league? Was it brought into the country by a colonial power? As it semi-pro for a long time, and just recently became professional? Who were some of the early stars in your nation's footballing history? As you take your first step into history, take a moment to look back at what led to your nation forming a squad to enter an international competition.

MD2 - Domestic League.
Do you have a Domestic Football League? What is it called? How many flights does it have? How long has it been around? What are some of its biggest teams/rivalries? Which clubs are represented the most on your BoF Roster? What is the league like - is it physical? Fluid? Offensive? Defensive? What are the fans like? Describe the character of your league.

MD3 - The Competition.
Have you ever had run-ins with other nations in this Baptism of Fire or the hosts? Are there any from your region that is participating in this tournament? If not, are there any who will be waiting for you in the World Cup?

If none of these apply, write about your neighbors and your relations to them, history with them, etc.

MD5 - The Fans.
What is your fan culture like? Is there a name for them? Do they gather in bars and homes, or go to parks and watch on huge screens? Are there any chants, songs, or the like for your national team? What are they like in home matches? Are they notable for being nice and courteous, or rowdy and hostile? Are they supporters of your team no matter what, or do they demand results that can put pressure on your squad? Take a hard, long look at your supporters.

Round of 16 - Check-In
Is your team satisfied with its seeding and how it fared in the Group Stage? Are the fans/media back home happy? If not, where do you think you deserved to end up? What's been working for you? Offense, defense, a special star, pressure play... Take a moment to reflect back before looking ahead. How far is your team looking to go?

by **Squidroidia** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:26 am

[b]As the team cooped up in their Edmonton hotel[b] in preparation for their quarter-final match against Iles Rogieres, the atmosphere in that one Valadar hotel wasn't one that you thought of. Instead of the team going over Antoine Lemaître's 4-1 masterclass against the Overseas Territories of Sylestone or breaking down the team's 3-2-4-1 tactic, all 23 players were listening to this one song from an unknown Squidroidian artist about their national team, especially how good they had gotten with Manager Mito at the helm. Well, except Itoh Hoshi. I guess you can say why.

Itoh is always scoring,
The Inkling with his might,
From S-ville to Baptism
To wear the blue and white,
A lot of goals this season
He's with the Valadar,
And if he makes the dinner,
We're gonna win it all!

As the punchy beat of the anthem continued, all the members of the team, even Makino Hideo, remembered how the hell Itoh Hoshi was doing. He was at the peak of his prime, and he was Squidroidia's all time leading goal scorer for a reason. Just then, Hideo would get up and approach the striker, one hand on his back, serenading him with music:

He will score goals, he'll score them all,
He will score goals, he'll score them all,
He will score goals, he'll score them all.
He will score goals, and bring the trophy home!

As the chorus was starting, the remaining members of the Squidroidian national team got up and, like the fans back home and in the stadium, they belted out the anthem.

Itoh's on fire!
Your defense is terrified!
Itoh's on fire!
Your defense is terrified!
Itoh's on fire!
Your defense is terrified!
Itoh's on fire!

The team crowded him as the chorus progressed, the striker scared. But of course, this was an anthem. An anthem spread around the nation of Squidroidia and jumping onto the Baptism of Fire as he was continuing to score goals for his team. He scored a brace against the Liberal Democratic Socialist States. Could he make it a hat trick? Of course he can. So the striker jumped in and partied hard with his teammates.

Na nanana na nana na nana nana!
Na nanana na nana na nana nana!
Na nanana na nana na nana nana!
Na nanana na nana na nana nana!

The 23 members all jumped up and down in their hotel room, making the most noise seen since the maids with their vacuum cleaners. They partied as they sang the song, throwing their hands in the air and packing against each other. The noise was deafening. And yet the Squidroidians back home were doing it while flying the flag of their people. Even Ogasawara Arinori brought out champagne to spray out on his teammates. It was the best time they were having since playing the football games.

Itoh's on fire!
Itoh's on fire!
Itoh's on fire!
Your defense is terrified!
Itoh's on fire!
Itoh's on fire!
Itoh's on fire!
Your defense is terrified!

As the song ended, the Squidroidians took some time to hug and embrace each other. They had gotten to the last 8 partly thanks to Hoshi's contributions, and he had to be thanked. Itoh himself smiled and laid down. Since they had already done training, and partied hard to celebrate their achievements, the only thing left to see was the famed Western Museum. Luckily, the manager had arranged a tour of the historic museum as another reward for reaching the last 8. And so, with all the players packing their stuff, they headed out with Manager Mito to see the sights of Valadar history.

by **Iles Rogieres** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 12:52 pm

Excerpts from the Diary of Marc Pierroix

Translated from French

Sunday, 24th of August 1931 - Edmonton, Westlands
We actually had to take a plane this time to get to our quarterfinal stadium! This was absolutely stunning me, as I didn’t think they would spend that amount of money on us. JJ had asked someone & apparently flying is way cheaper & completely affordable in Valladares. When Héctor learned that most Valladars would fly in their life, he turned pale like the moon and almost dropped his jaw. I wonder if the Isles will also be like that one day? Edmonton is somewhat different from the rest of Valladares, but it is still a gigantic step from our small little isles. There are still so many sparkling and glittering things that some of us have trouble staying on track. We had to make sure JJ would not be going out to the city pubs; apparently Pascal & Michel had to remain awake in their room until he slept.

It was, however, not as weird as the octofinal against the Sylestone Territories. I have never seen a bunch of living sports equipment! I think at this point we’re just not confused by anything anymore, after we have seen so many things here. We conceded an early goal because, well, we didn’t know how to defend against that, but it turned out that they were not that good when we were pushing them back. Christophe-Louis and André were starting quick with two goals in the first twenty-five minutes & while we struggled a lot with the different ways of control of the sports equipment, we managed a third goal before the break as I got a shot from the edge of the box that their keeper just could not save.

We were all having a bit of a calmer second half & a celebration back at the hotel for our quarterfinal qualification, but we couldn’t make it too long as we had to catch our flight back. It still sounds a bit weird to write that, to be honest, no matter how much Héctor talks about flying as a common thing. There used to be a lot of tension between the rich trader & planter kids from Racing Club & the former slave descendants & working class kids from AS, where some of us were just kind of sitting around awkwardly between the fronts. But as we keep performing, it is increasingly changing & we are forming a team, which you can see on the pitch. I am looking forward to playing in this side during the quarterfinal, and it makes me really proud to be a Rogierian.

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 4:31 pm

Excerpt from The Fußball Show with Jessika Jünkindietrünk.

Jessika is in a bright and sunny mood, mispronouncing nation names with extra enthusiasm.

Caption: ‘Petter Erlingsson, Steinaux’.

At this point all the guttural sounds force Petter into a quick swig of water before launching into…

Caption: ‘Olle Tobiasson, journalist’.

Seeing which direction the conversation is headed in, Petter takes another healthy swig.

rolling off his thankfully well-moistened tongue,

Caption changes to ‘Petter: “kicking ball hard at goal is good”, to help viewers fully understand the depth and significance of this tactical genius.

Petter and Olle exchange worried glances.

As Jessika puzzles over their meaning, Olle and Petter glumly consider whether Græntfjaller fans staging an impromptu whale harvest to celebrate a quarter-final victory might just hurt the country’s reputation on the international stage.

Much of GTV’s operational resources are dedicated to trying to fit text into every remaining pixel of whitespace

Jessika is at the highlights board, showing the free-kick bouncing off the unfortunate Burt Snodgrass’s head into the goal. His own goal. His eyes are closed. Olle and Petter’s eyes are very much not closed.

not

by **Praeceptia** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:43 pm

The cuffs dug in his wrists and ankles as he tried to escape. But no matter how much pulling or yanking, the chains would not give. There was no escape. The darkness would swallow him whole. The silence would turn him to nothing. Curagendarius Amet would die here.

And then there was light.
-------
The Praeceptian National Football team coach was chained to the wall of a small chamber within a ship called the Rift. He had no idea how long he had been there, only that his stomach churned and his mouth was dryer than saw dust. The steel grey of the ship around him would have driven him insane had it not been for the hysterical effects of prolonged absolute darkness.

The Rift drifted hundreds of miles offshore of the Praeceptian coast. The ship was not registered with any navy or government. No one knew of its existence. It was a ghost ship. And thus, no one knew where Amet had gone.
-------
He had long given up calling for help. There was no use. Wherever he was, Amet decided no one would hear him. His mind wondered, searching for something real to grasp onto, like a feather dancing on the wind. The rattle of the chains were his only company.

Amet estimated that it must have been days, at least. Though he was no doctor, he knew the level of dehydration he was at was fatal. Any energy spent now would only accelerate his suffering. But what was suffering compared to an endless purgatory?

Everything went white. There were footsteps. Boots on metal and a heavy clang, clang, clang. Blurry shadows moved through the haze of light. Muffled voices swam through the haze. Their voices were low, but booming to Amet.

How many were there? Three? Four? More? Amet could not decifer. But he could hear that one of them was distinctly not Praeceptian. He had a stereotypical sounding British accent and, from what Amet could make out, spoke stiffly to the point that it sounded robotic.

Rough hands held Amet down while the cuffs were removed from the wall. They stood him up. The light began to clear. Amet could see some clarity. He was in a box room. There were two hatches, like those on a ship, opposite of each other. Five men, all in black jump suits and ski masks. But one of them had glowing red eyes. This one pointed to the right side hatch. "Open it," he said in the stereotypical British accent.

One of the men opened the hatch. A blast of cold air rushed in from the void of black beyond. A rush of white noise assaulted Amet's ears from the hatch. It was so loud he could not think straight. Two men grabbed him by each arm and drug him forwards. Even if he had the power resist, Amet was so frightened he felt frozen. They hung him halfway out of the hatch and that's when Amet realized what he was hearing. Ocean waves. Big powerful ones. Like those of a storm.

Someone walked behind Amet and placed their face very close to his, so close that their skin touched and all Amet felt was cold, hard, metal.

"Statement: Curagendarius Amet, we are disappointed in you," the British man said. "My masters do not like to be disappointed. You have not only failed them. You embarrassed them." Amet did not move. He hardly breathed.

"My masters will forgive failure when the failure is justified. But your failure goes beyond justification. Query: what did you think you were doing, Curagendarius Amet? Did you think your methods were legitimate? Did you think that my masters would not be watching?" He paused. Amet said nothing.

"Statement: You are an unjustified failure, Curagendarius Amet. Statement: My masters will not allow such failures to prevail, especially, not when Praeceptia's reputation is on the line. Statement: You must be punished. Conclusion: You must die." The British man stepped back. Clang, clang, clang. "Do it," he ordered. A heavy chain was placed around Amet's neck, so heavy that the coach could not help but bend under its weight.

Amet stared into the endless black void. His vision swam in its magnificence. It was suffocating.

Then, they threw him.

As he fell, he heard the words, "Statement: I will succeed where you failed."

Fun DanceALot Newswire

BREAKING NEWS!

The Tickler
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• Don't click here to try this free opportunity!

Politics

• Top hats to rule the world
• Ossumastu: A Project
• How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck Oneros?

Sports

• Praeceptia out of the Baptism of Fire!
• How to budget for your golf clubs!
• Drink PraeceptAde: Live Better

Praeceptia is officially out!

Despite the hard fought match, the Praeceptia side left the field as the losers once again. For all their bluster coming into the game, they could not match the Gothanita Isles' determination to win every ball all game long. This will be a good lesson for those watching back home of how a winning mentality actually looks and acts. That is, when push comes to shove and you have been sprinting for 85 minutes straight and your gut feels like exiting your esophagus, you run anyway.

Vastata Amet will not be sleeping well tonight for more than one reason. Only minutes before the game ended he had a chance to equalize with a last grasp penalty shot. Unfortunately for our young super star, Bolkvadze was too fast and not only stopped the shot, but caught it. Then, as young Amet walked off the field, he was in full view of his father being herded by four men in black jump suits and ski masks into an unmarked van. The coach has yet to be heard from since.

Pellis Figulus and Shijo Saiko will both take home some comfort for their efforts. Both scored early goals in the match and assisted the other's goal, giving the two of them the only above average ratings across the team. Everyone else, for that matter, could have been in an entirely different game for how well they played. A counterpoint to my earlier comment is that running hard for a long time is never enough. You should also know how to play well, too.

After all was said and done, the Praeceptian side headed back to their homeland for much needed rest before the coming season. Surely they will all be wondering if they will make it onto the World Cup Qualifying team and receive a chance to play at the Stadius ex Heroibus. At the return 'celebration,' Muta "Mumu" Fortis was handed Praceptia's MVP award. He haid this to say on the surpirse, "Ooooo, eee, O! Oook. Eee ee ook." I still read that to my children every night.

Novus was no where to be seen in the coming home celebration. Some even claimed he was not on the return flight home. His newly discovered agent asserted that he had done what needed to be done for our side and that the rest was up to us. I'm asking, what did he do for us in the end? Only time will tell.

Well, that's it folks, our run in the Baptism of Fire is up. Could it have gone much better? I'm not going to answer that.

by **Netop** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:57 pm

Netop dispatch Megistos with ease in a 3-0 rout

Taking on The Kids from Megistos, a team that has its starting XI averaging 20.4 years old each The Friends were able to walk out with a 3-0 win after utterly dominating Megistos. This is a Megistos squad that has been on the rise as of recent and not only in football (although football matters the most). In the quarterfinals we will take on the number 1 seed Tioguldos who defeated Wymondham on pens 8-7(!) and they are a team that we should be scared of facing.

It was Teddy RIggs in the 24th minute who scored the opening goal and in the end the only goal we would actually need. Max Holder swung the cross in and while it wasn't the best cross Riggs was able to move, get his head under it, and send it into the open part of the net to give us the 1-0 lead. The Netopians watching at home celebrated with delight and the few fans who could afford a seat in the stadium cheered exuberantly. Speaking of which the Government has officially decided that if we do make the finals they will buy 10,000 tickets and give them out to lucky members of the Nation (with no resale allowed).

Zoe Kinney narrowly missed a chance in the 39th minute to give us the 2-0 lead but she would be back just two minutes later in the 41st to double our lead. Kinney has completely surpassed all expectations set out for her and continues to be second to Riggs in terms of scoring. This shot was a beauty, as she expertly curved it into the far corner which was a skill no one knew she possessed. Even herself the great number 2020 had no idea how she had quite done that but nevertheless we were up 2-0 in the round of 16.

In the 61st Tiana Mitchell scored the dagger to make it 3-0 and almost completely guarantee Megistos would be heading home after a round of 16 birth. Mitchell was lucky enough to score off of deflection against the far post which put her in prime position to slot it past Becks who at this point was lying on the ground having attempted to save the original shot from Park.

The future for this young Megistos squad is extremely bright but for now it appeared that our (very limited experience) proved crucial in the win and our advancement the the quarters. We will now play Tioguldos who are the polar opposites of the young Megistos squad with their starting XI coming in at an average age of 27.2, which is almost 7 years older than the average Megistos player. This will be a true test as we take on The Red Army a squad that is well deserving of their number one seed and have won every match.

Tioguldos are led by Ugos Oroso who plays up top and is someone who will present a more difficult challenge to this defense that has allowed 3 goals in 6 matches and shut down the Megistos star Robertson. Oroso will probably be even more difficult to stop than Robertson but Burrows, Vaughan, Howells, and the rest of the defense are confident they can. Their midfield is probably their strength and it will be good to see how Savannah Park can do against Ostam Perda Raom, and Nese Niforro after having dealt with Lam pretty easily in our last match.

Overall I'm a lot less confident about our chances against The Red Army than I was against The Kids. If we look on the bright side, we beat Megistos 3-0, they beat them 3-1 so thus we are better. While that logic is absolutely flawed what isn't flawed is that if we beat Tioguldos we can beat anyone in the tournament. I'm predicting we lose 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion as the defense which has played so well since our match against The Gothanita Isles finally folds against an offensive firepower like Tioguldos.

by **Tioguldos** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:15 pm

Thursday, August 20, 10AR/Sports/Fuorue fa Tioguldós

FUORUE FA TIOGULDÓS
Tioguldós Newspaper
Translated to English

BAPTISM OF FIRE 73
The Red Army advances to the quarterfinals

TRIUMPHANT, OROSO, OMNOFO, AND PERDA RAOM CELEBRATE THE VICTORY IN THE PENALTY SHOOTOUT

Wymondham presented a bigger hurdle than expected for the national team. After ending the ninety minutes tied 0-0, both teams scored a goal in overtime. Tied 1 to 1, the winner was decided in the penalty shootout. With a total of 11 penalties kicked, all the players on the field participated. There was a moment of extreme suspense at the Camilo Mazuera López Stadium until finally, with Oroso's shot, the Red Army was the winner.

The national team faced Wymondham for the knockout stages of Baptism of Fire 73. Having qualified with the best result of all groups, this match was expected to be an easy victory for them. Clearly, they encountered a very different reality. Adding up the good game that Wymondham played and the expulsion of Losduse Albofokh in the first half, Tioguldós had to defend their goal for most of the match. According to some sources, the good performance of the Tiog team has aroused the interest of clubs from Farfadilis, who sent scouts to witness the match. This can be a great career opportunity for Red Army players.

The first fifteen minutes of the game were quiet. The attempts of Omnofo and Mongard to break the line of defenders were unsuccessful. Wymondham did not threaten, but neither did they allow themselves to be overwhelmed. Under those conditions, a draw was predictable. Shortly after fifteen minutes, an unreasonable tackle from Albofokh to Jeremy Robert caused the referee to send him off. Robert was escorted off the field with pain but returned a few minutes later. From then on, it was a much tougher match for the Red Army. Immediately after the expulsion, Mebal replaced Jarsosfe Mongard with Pormel Omasdo. While Niforro was expected to take Albofokh's place and Choam Osfomilúo to enter to complete the midfield, the coach opted for a more defensive option and urged the team to hold out until halftime. Indeed, with one less player, the offensive capacity of the team was deeply reduced. The characteristic offensive pressure of the Red Army quickly collapsed in the absence of a forward. They had to keep the tie. Wymondham came close to scoring, but Arsós Boal defended the goal effectively.

For the second half Gúpder Mebal reorganized the team in such a way that they could block Wymondham's plays while leaving an offensive player free for the pass at all times. Aware of Dyatlov and Holt's lack of dexterity, Mebal sensed that a good pass behind their backs could be devastating. This way, Tioguldós got some shots from Omnofo and Oroso despite the numerical disadvantage. With Wymondham's inability to overcome the Tiog defense, the tie remained. The referee whistled the end of the ninety minutes and both teams prepared for extra time.

At the start of the first fifteen minutes of extra time, Wymondham began to attack more aggressively. They did not want to waste the numerical advantage by defining the game on penalties. However, this also weakened their defense. Taking advantage of defensive oversights, Choam Osfomilúo hit a long pass to Omnofo, who came face to face with the goalkeeper and managed to evade and score. The fans went crazy. A match that could have been lost much earlier was now in favor of the Red Army. However, the joy did not last as long for the Tiog fans, as just five minutes later Jeremy Robert scored the equalizer from a set piece on the edge of the box. The remaining minutes the ball came and went without approaching either goal. The match would be defined from the twelve steps.

Wymondham started kicking. Andrews scored, kicked it hard to the right. Then it was Oroso's turn, and he threw the ball over the crossbar. The first 5 rounds ended with both teams tied 3-3. Omasdo missed for Tioguldos, Oldman and McPherson for Wymondham. After two penalties scored, Michael Lewis missed and Tilde Lomifal had a chance to give the Red Army victory, but Boris the bear stiffened in the middle of the goal and deflected the ball. Two other rounds passed without misses. It was Boris the bear's turn. He ran to the ball and kicked it into the lower left corner, but it went too far. All ten Tioguldos players had already kicked. Oroso, who had missed the first penalty, had his chance to redeem himself. With a Panenka kick, he scored the final goal. Tioguldós was victorious. The Tiogs cheered fervently from the stands. The Red Army is in the top eight. Now they must travel to Fontvielle, where they will face Netop at Stade de l'Amitié. Netop is coming off a 3-0 win against Megistos and is playing really well. It will be up to the Tiog players to prove if they are up to the task.

by **Tikariot** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:22 pm

The sound of waves can be heard over a black screen. Slowly the picture fades in to a close-up look of waves crashing against some rocky outcrop reaching out into the ocean like a skeletal finger. In-between the waves sending their spray high into the air, seagulls swoop down, apparently fighting over whatever animal carcass the ocean decided to spit out onto the land, their squawking piercing through the sound of the water. In the distance the setting sun is a deep orange, its weakening rays reflecting off the whitecaps dotting the water, making it look as if the ocean is on fire.

Near the rocky beach a big bonfire is burning with a large group of people around it, all clad in black and purple and a Tikariotian flag is fluttering in the wind coming off the ocean, its force bending the post it has been attached to. It also constantly restokes the bonfire, letting its flames soar towards the skies, sending showers of sparks across the ground. Slowly the sun is sinking beneath the horizon, dropping a dark blanket over the area and suddenly the bang of a drum can be heard above all other noises and immediately all conversation ceases.

A man with long, braided beard and long, flowing hair steps in front of the bonfire and addresses the group of people.

"Tonight is maybe the biggest game for Tikariot ever. For the third time in just mere weeks we will be facing Græntfjall, but this time it counts more than ever. This time will decide if we will reach the semi finals of the Baptism of Fire and therefore we as fans need to make sure that we will stand behind the team as one!"

The group roars in agrement.

"When we played the IFC, nobody thought we'd be able to win a thing. We were nobody. Yet we were there for every match. We were the twelfth player and see where it took us. Now we are at the Baptism of Fire. We are no longer nobody. People have taken notice. But now we have the targets on our back."

Slowly the drum begins to pound again while he talks.

"We will be the storm coming in from the sea!"

Something that sounds like a warcry escapes the combined voices of the people in front of him.

"We will be the fire in the darkness!"

Another warcry and the drum stops. The man raises his arms and the rest of the group does the same. The drum pounds once and the whole group claps their hands once, in unison. Then the drum sounds again and the Thunder Clap repeats. Every so slowly the cadence of both the drum and the clap increases until they both sound as one. And then suddenly everything stops and the only sounds remaining are the crackling of the fire and the sound of the waves.

"We will be the thunder!"

********

A bird's eye view of the city of Lhor. Quaint, directly on the ocean, its usually so quiet streets bustling with activity. Towards the edge of the city lies a brightly lit rectangle, thousands of people milling about, better known as The Cove, the location of Baptism of Fire's fourth quarter final between Tikariot and Græntfjall. The picture switches to the wide pedestrian zone leading up to the turnstiles and the agitated chatter of fans and curious onlookers suddenly falls silent as a distant thud of a drum can be heard. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the throng of people opens up. Slowly a strangely flickering glow comes into view, disturbing the evening's falling darkness and the soft glow of the street lanterns, quickly being revealed as the light of torches. Hundreds of them, if not thousands. Holding the torches is a large group, all wearing black, hooded robes, each holding a brightly burning, flickering torch aloft as the make their way onto the plaza, silent save for the lone drum accompanying their entrance. Amidst them a few black and purple flags flutter in the wind, marking them as the Tikariotian fan group.

Then suddenly the drum falls silent and the group comes to a halt in the centre of the plaza.One lone figure steps in front of the group that fans out in front of him, laying their torches on the ground in the process. A single drum beat and all arms raise up into the now almost completely black sky. Another drum beat and the Thunder Clap sequence begins, leaving most of the bystanders wide-eyed and silent. Still without uttering a single word they all gather up their torches and walk towards the edge of the plaza, where a giant tub full of water is sitting. One by one they extinguish their torches and hand them over to a few similarly hooded figures, who neatly stack them into a crate.

Then they take up formation in front of the turnstiles again and as one yell out:

"We are the thunder!"

********

The bird's eye view returns, just this time hovering right above The Cove, the stands tightly packed, with the section behind one of the goals seemingly filled with the same black-clad group. There is not much time left before the game starts because the big screens at either end of the stadium are running a countdown that is about to reach 5 minutes. The picture cuts to the wall of robed Tikariot fans, each still with their hoods on, still completely silent. The screen now switches to show the Tikariotian flag and underneath the words "Starting line-up". Then as each picture of the Tikariot players shows up on the screen, the whole group in unison yells out the player's name, the rest of the crowd falling silent in surprise.

"MERSON!"

"GRIMES!"

"BUCKLEY!"

"CORONELLO!"

"LINIACK!"

"MCNAIR!"

"THORNILEY!"

"MCTIERNEY!"

"NIGHTHORSE!"

"LILJESTRAND!"

"CONNOLLY!"

And after that they return to their total silence, the other fans and onlookers slowly resuming whatever they were doing before it. The Græntfjall attempt the same when the screen goes through the sequence of their players, with not quite the same effect, but given that they had not planned for it, still with a valiant effort. Then the lights around the player tunnel turn on to full brightness and the teams come onto the lushly green field, taking up their positions to either side of the referees. "Wield Lightning to Split the Sun" begins to sound in its shortened version, surprising many with its heavy guitars and solemn rhythm. After the Græntfjaller hymn has ended, the two captains come together to exchange their banners and see the coin toss, which Græntfjall wins. As all the camera teams and photographers begin exit the field, the Tikariotian team comes together near the centre circle in a 3-4-3-1 formation and the drum that had accompanied the fans sounds again. Both the TV crews and photographers stop dead in their tracks and race back onto the pitch to capture what they now know is coming. The team as well as the thousands of Tikariotian fans in attendance raise their arms in unison and start the Thunder Clap. After it has ended, for the first time the fans remove their hoods and begin to chant as one "TEE-KAH-REE-OTT!" over and over again.

Both teams take up their positions on the field and Græntfjall, who have elected to take the kick-off for the first half, are awaiting the whistle of the referee to begin the next chapter in a by now fierce rivalry.

by **Valladares** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:24 pm

It's time to meet our first two semifinalists. RP cutoff for the Valladar section of the Quarterfinals.

Baptism of Fire 73
Quarterfinals - Valladar Section

Tioguldos 2–1 Netop

Squidroidia 1–1 Iles Rogieres (2–1 AET)

Baptism of Fire 73
Semifinal - Valladar Section

Tioguldos vs. Squidroidia
Arena Bohemians, Metropolis (Cap. 25,000)

by **Chromatika** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 9:10 pm

It's time to meet the other two semifinalists that will round out this BoF's Top 4. RP cutoff for the Chromatik section of the Quarterfinals.

Baptism of Fire 73
Quarterfinals - Chromatik Section

The Gothanita Isles 3–3 Glazgo (4–4 AET) (3–1 pen.)
The Pack, Pria (Cap. 67,290)

Tikariot 2–3 Graintfjall
The Cove, Lhor (Cap. 51,265; 28,000 Seats)

Baptism of Fire 73
Semifinal - Chromatik Section

The Gothanita Isles vs. Graintfjall
Anomaly Tower, Chromia (Cap. 110,320, 42,350 Seats)

Baptism of Fire 73
Third Place Playoff

Tioguldos/Squidroidia loser vs. The Gothanita Isles/Graintfjall loser
Capitalizt Dome, Chromia (Cap. 144,000)

Baptism of Fire 73
Championship

Tioguldos/Squidroidia winner vs. The Gothanita Isles/Graintfjall winner
Olympic Stadium, Carloburgo (Cap. 38,755)

RP Prompt for Semifinals:
RP Prompts are here to suggest a topic to write about. Writing about the prompt won't give you any additional points, but if you're ever stuck, feel free to give these a whirl!

Semifinals - The Beginning.
Does your country have a recording of when the very first professional football game was played? Who was involved? Was it a widely known event, or an event held in secret? Why did the sport become so popular? As you are now only two victories from etching your name into NationStates Football History, take a moment to look back at that first match and look at how far you've come.

MD1 - Football Origins.
Welcome to your first foray in international football! How did football originate in your nation? Have you had a multi-decade tradition of professional league? Was it brought into the country by a colonial power? As it semi-pro for a long time, and just recently became professional? Who were some of the early stars in your nation's footballing history? As you take your first step into history, take a moment to look back at what led to your nation forming a squad to enter an international competition.

MD2 - Domestic League.
Do you have a Domestic Football League? What is it called? How many flights does it have? How long has it been around? What are some of its biggest teams/rivalries? Which clubs are represented the most on your BoF Roster? What is the league like - is it physical? Fluid? Offensive? Defensive? What are the fans like? Describe the character of your league.

MD3 - The Competition.
Have you ever had run-ins with other nations in this Baptism of Fire or the hosts? Are there any from your region that is participating in this tournament? If not, are there any who will be waiting for you in the World Cup?

If none of these apply, write about your neighbors and your relations to them, history with them, etc.

MD5 - The Fans.
What is your fan culture like? Is there a name for them? Do they gather in bars and homes, or go to parks and watch on huge screens? Are there any chants, songs, or the like for your national team? What are they like in home matches? Are they notable for being nice and courteous, or rowdy and hostile? Are they supporters of your team no matter what, or do they demand results that can put pressure on your squad? Take a hard, long look at your supporters.

Round of 16 - Check-In
Is your team satisfied with its seeding and how it fared in the Group Stage? Are the fans/media back home happy? If not, where do you think you deserved to end up? What's been working for you? Offense, defense, a special star, pressure play... Take a moment to reflect back before looking ahead. How far is your team looking to go?

Quarterfinals - The Hosts.
What does your footballers think about the hosts' country and its culture? What parts make sense to you, and what parts are strange? Would your people like to visit the country for business or pleasure? Where would they be drawn toward, and for what reason? Comment on the hosts' culture, people, and stadia.

HOST ANNOUNCEMENT
Due to an RL commitment* that was scheduled long before the BoF date was set, Valladares will be scoring the remaining four matches left in the tournament. Also, his cutoff time will be my usual cutoff time, or 04:00-06:00 UTC. Thank you for the honor of being one of the cohosts, and I'll see you on the pitch sometime!
* - I'm going on a weeklong trip with my family to Yellowstone and then the Snake River, and will be without a laptop.

by **Squidroidia** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:29 am

Semi-Finals of the Baptism of Fire. This is Squidroidia's 2nd time getting this far in international football competition. The team was in the Valladar capital of Metropolis, having a grand old time. Truth is, they have to face the Red Army. Tioguldos. The semi-final between these 2 nations might as well be the Final. Something that manager Ryūzaki Mito didn't expect when he first took up the job before even their IAC run. He took it during Squidroidia's very first international game.

It wasn't competitive. The Inaugural Game of the Squidroidian national team was a friendly. A friendly against Melayu Archipelago powerhouse Sharktail, the Blue Predator. Melayu countries excelled in football and this sport named sepak takraw, both of which Squidroidians were into. The Archipelago is not a Big 3 region but holds its own international football competition, the Melayu Archipelago Cup, as well as sending teams to the IAC. The Blue Predator was no slouch either - They were a top 150 nation in KPB rankings, and comparatively even to Oberour Ar Moro, Quakmybush, and of course Valladares. For them it was a Cup of Harmony preparation game, but seeing how new the Squidroidians were, the Inklings wanted to focus on their region's international competition, the Euro Cup. This was the perfect game to see how they stacked against the pack of nations who contest the World Cup.

The following is taken from a post from the Squidroidian Sport Newswire.

It was a sight never before seen in Squidroidian football history. 50,000 fans, human and Inkling, crowding the stands of Inkopolis City Stadium to see Squidroidia's first ever national football team game. Ryūzaki Mito's squad wasn't expecting much, as they were just preparing for their first ever tournament, the Europe region's Euro Cup, held in Eurasies. Their opponent, however, the Melayu Archipelago nation of Sharktail, were ranked 109th in the multiverse according to the KPB rankings and were preparing for the upcoming Cup of Harmony in Zwangzug and Kelssek against the likes of TJUN-la and Garifunya. Pundits up and down the nations expected Sharktail to win - Before this final game in Cup of Harmony preparation, the Blue Predator had gone unbeaten, winning against Twicetagria and The Jovannic and only drawing to Sylestone at home. For Sharktail it felt like a routine win.

However, they would be embarrassed against the debutantes.

In the 19th minute Squidroidia scored its first ever national team goal, as Inkopolis FC midfielder Jo Jun crossed the ball to club teammate Morihei Nariaki, who flicked the ball to Yoneda Toshikuni, who kicked the ball into the back of the net from 6 yards out. Toshikuni, acting as attacking mid for the first half, celebrated by running up to the Sharktail away stand and shushing them while his national team buddies hugged him for pulling off Squidroidia's first goal. However, Sharktail would equalize before the first half to set the score at 1-1 heading into halftime. Speaking to his players in the locker room, Mito had some choice words.

"Guys, I know we're only halfway into our national team debut, but we are doing an amazing job. Toshikuni, what a spectacular goal you scored to take the lead early in the game!"

"Thanks boss, it was just a little bit of luck, but I'm glad it means something."

"To be honest, I thought it was going to be much worse. I was expecting the Blue Predator to flatten us into sheets of paper and win 5-0 or something, but 1-1 is spectacular for a debut!"

Then came IFC goalkeeper Go Kyushichi.

"Boss, I was out of my depth when Sharktail scored that goa-"

”LISTEN HERE NAIVE! YOU WILL CONCENTRATE! YOU WILL STOP COMPLAINING! YOU WILL TOLERATE BEING A NATIONAL TEAM GOALKEEPER! NOW DO US ALL A FAVOR, STOP EATING TWINKIES, DROP ONE FOURTH OF YOUR BODY FAT AND SHUT THE **** UP!”

Everyone was silent. At the start of the 2nd half, Kyushichi was replaced by Takemoto Shingen of Real Squidroid. He would keep all the Sharktail shots out of the net for the remainder of the match.

Squidroidia took the lead back in the 56th minute, this time by Toujou Shihei of the Squidbreak, who dashed through the Sharktail defense before slotting his goal in the bottom corner. Squidroidians couldn't believe what in the world they were witnessing! Their national team was beating up a Cup of Harmony squad! It was an upset for the ages, and Amagawa Katsuyoshi's off the bench strike in the dying minutes of stoppage time sealed the deal. It was Squidroidia 3, Sharktail 1, and this national team, the national team of Squidroidia, was ready to compete against the best in Europe.

In the Euro Cup, the Squidroidians didn't do awfully hot. They only drew twice, against Poland-Kaliningrad and the host Eurasies, and lost against Rivierenland 3-2 to go bottom of Group A. For any manager this could have get them sacked, but for Mito, seeing how good he did in that first game, he kept his job. He didn't blow up the squad, in fact he looked at the results of the Euro Cup and the subsequent friendlies, and gathered the info to perfect a 4-1-2-3 system he was running. And that was how he, and pretty much the team, got here. The 2nd of 2 semi-finals, and they haven't been in World Cup qualification yet. Winning against Tioguldos? We'll just wait and see.

by **Tioguldos** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 3:50 pm

Just the beginning

After a wonderful match against Netop, in which the Red Army managed to win by 2 goals to 1, Tioguldós disputes today the semifinal of the Baptism of Fire. We're reaching the end of the competition and we could say that at the time of signing up no one expected us to go this far. Us Tiogs were (and are) aware that ours is a small country in which we are still working to rebuild. We are deeply proud of our team and our players, but we are humble and respectful of our opponents. To have come this far is joy enough for us. Still the Red Army will give everything to be crowned champion and wave the Tiog flag at the top. To do this, they must first beat Squidroidia, who have shown exemplary performances throughout this competition.

As Tioguldós is approaching the first place, having left behind 32 teams from different countries around the world, we review the short but exciting history of football in our country:

Orkasduso:

Tioguldós began the process of independence from Orkasduso only a decade ago, and the People's Republic was not established until years after the beginning of the Revolution. Still, the Tiogs have been football fans long before. This sport came to Orkasduso with migrant workers more than a hundred years before the Revolution. Since then, playing in the Orkasdusian professional football league and wearing the Orkasduso National Team jersey, Tiog players saw glory and competed internationally. Dozens of seasons were contested. Thousands of Orkasdusian players as well as foreigners competed in our lands.

The parents, grandparents, great-grandparents of those who today defend the flag of the People's Republic were staunch football fans in Orkasduso. The football tradition is rooted in the heart of many Tiogs. Football is not only a source of leisure and a space for professional sports in Tigouldós; it is a fundamental part of our culture. It's not possible to think of our people without considering the fervor in the stadiums, the colorful confetti and the chants of our fans. Certainly, in the present, football has a very particular character for our people; but it is undeniable that it is one of the many things that we bring back from times past.

In times of Revolution:

The revolution started suddenly the year 1 Before the Revolution (BR). The occupation of Nor fam Bmodo took a few days for the Communist Party and the workers. Good organization worked in their favor, as they were able to orchestrate assaults on military barracks, which quickly ran out of supplies and had to surrender their weapons. The revolutionary forces grew exponentially, both in numbers and in supplies. In just a few months the Tiogs controlled much of the surrounding territories. First Nuronor fell, then Barkenuse, Sapekhao, Dosfum, Gucho Talom. As the months went by, Tioguldós retained more and more cities. The borders were getting further and further away. The long wait for peace filled the patience of football fans. Soon, various teams began to organize matches, amateur leagues, regional cups. The future was uncertain, but that did not stop them from enjoying their passion.

The armed conflict lasted for ten years. Many former players gave their lives on the front line. Many others fled to what was left of Orkasduso. Those who aspired to rejoice in being free knew that sooner or later Orkasduso would have to give up. To the south, the United Socialist States of Caraludmé became independent. To the west, the People's Republic of Bonbokh u Piche. As it became clear that Tioguldós would emerge victorious, the hype for the formation of the first professional league grew between the fans.

Finally, in 10AR Orkasduso gave up. While Tioguldós intended to support the workers who had come under Orkasdusian control, the damage from the war was too high and the People's Republic could not afford it. An armistice was signed. For football fans this meant only one thing: the creation of...

The Muko Tiog:

Those clubs that had been most active during the Revolution organized themselves into a committee for the organization of the first professional football league in Tioguldós. The Muko Tiog (Tiog League) brought together 20 teams from different parts of the country. Some of them had previously existed under another name, some were created by the community, and some were created by the state. However, sport has not yet been properly regularized as a work occupation in the country. For this reason, the footballers who participate in the Muko Tiog are financed by collections made by their clubs and have part-time jobs. For example, port clubs usually receive workers from cruise ships, warehouses, and the fishing industry. Anyone associated with the club can use the facilities, practice sports as an amateur or use the recreational spaces they provide. Those athletes who stand out can be selected by the boards of directors to be tested by the youth coaches or the senior team. Those who pass the test can choose to declare themselves members of an official team, and are given licenses to reduce the workload of their jobs with financial compensation. In this way, athletes are given a chance to dedicate their time to sport.

The Red Army:

After the first season of the Muko Tiog, seeing that it had been a total success, the Tioguldós Football Federation proposed the creation of a national team to represent the country in international competitions. Three coaches from the Muko Tiog whose performances in the league had made a difference were selected. From among them, the coaches and captains of each of the teams voted to choose who would be the coach of the Red Army. The chosen man was Gúpder Mebal from Nofararekh Faberdakh. Mebal is a worker for the Bosfum State Sawmill. He used to play for a small club during Orkasduso's rule, but he was not recognized. When the Nofararekh board of directors was established, his name was the first to be offered as a potential coach. Being a bit cocky and predisposed to a challenge, he accepted without hesitation.

When he was elected for coaching the national team, he presented the list of the 23 players he would choose for his team. Seven from OMB, six from Draspa Moipas, six from Pmig Enako, three from AR, and one from Tisús. Their first results were not good. They lost 3-1 to Duravia at Durapolis; then they suffered another defeat against Cor Cada in the first international match played in our country; and later they played in Alphonsia, where they were defeated by the national team of that country. The first victory in the history of the Red Army came against Nekkko, at Ísupe Stadium, Mo Bmodo.

Since then, the team has grown stronger. The players, who seemed puzzled playing at this level, regained the quality that they were able to show throughout the Muko Tiog season. Arriving in Chromatika for Baptism of Fire 73, the Red Army showed a new facet. They faced seven teams and beat all seven; and they are today among the top four in the competition. With a raised fist and a battle cry, these 23 players raise the Tiog flag to the sky and take to the field to give their all, to bring glory to their homeland.

by **Graintfjall** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:36 pm

Excerpts from GBC Two [radio] coverage of the quarter final.

right

couldn’t

Where

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:47 pm

Previous RP

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 1: Aiming to be the very best
Part 6: Who are we playing for?

Sometimes you are particularly interested in finding out about how others view you, how others see the way you play, and listen to opinions from people who have seen more than you. With that aim in mind, a Gothanitan reporter went around the stands after the match, asking the neutral fans present for the match on their opinions of both sides this tournament thus far.
"Honestly, I think that match really surprised me in terms of the way both teams interacted with each other. Despite both sides being equally strong in terms of their players' skills, I was quite surprised that an aggressive 2-4-4 formation managed to provide so much damage against a traditional 4-2-3-1 formation," commented one neutral fan from Chromatika.
"I followed Praeceptia for this BoF, and they provided some refreshing change from the boring old strategies their opponents presented. While the Gothanita Isles' strategy may win games, they don't win hearts and minds, and ultimately, I am glad that Praeceptia gave them a run for their money, though I found that Praceptia was unlucky not to score the last goal because of a stupid offside trap," said another neutral fan, who came down to Chromatika to watch the new teams playing here in the Baptism of Fire.
The way which our Yellow Lions took on this game was not the most exciting one. In fact, it was a forced way of bus parking which was compounded by the fact that our opponents were playing an aggressive 2-4-4 formation. Vastata Vapidus Amet, Praeceptia's star player, consistently gave the Isles lots of problems and headache that it literally forced our side to put 10 people behind the ball. Strict, close monitoring of each of their players was necessary. But it wasn't all smooth sailing for our side either, who had to deal with the immense energy the opposition players provide. Maybe it was the way they were trained to play - every win is necessary to boost the image of the country overseas, and every goal must be celebrated with gusto. So it was with that in mind the Isles went out to draw. Yes, not win, but draw. Delay the game to penalties, where the players would undoubtedly excel because set pieces and penalties are this team's strength.
Nobody would have expected the game to finish in 90 minutes. In the 17th minute, Figulus opened the scoring from 35 yards, scoring a screamer straight into goal that nobody was prepared for. However, a really good link-up play from McCrory and London allowed the latter to tap in just 3 minutes later, exploiting the fact that such an aggressive formation often involves a weak defence. Kartal then got one for himself in the 35th minute, scoring the goal from the penalty box after Tzóouns tackled him in the box. Saiko scored an equaliser in the 40th minute. In the second half, despite being level, the Isles retreated even behind, with only Kartal out there attempting to wait for the ball. The strategy worked, with Kartal ran forward with a solo effort in the 72nd minute, scoring in a one-on-one encounter to get the Isles 3-2 up. The Isles almost had to deal with a very late penalty from Amet, but our keeper Bolkvadze got to the ball and saved the ball to save the team from extra time.
For the Isles, the 3-2 win was a testamant to the fact that their strategy actually works - and that the Isles defence strategy is actually something playable. But with others looking at your team and saying that your team is "spoiling football", don't you feel the need to change your playing tactics? For the players and managers, they really disliked what the opponents are saying. What is wrong with preferring counterattack and parking the bus - there surely is no problem with it! So the quarterfinals came - a really tough match there against Glazgo, who got in a really surprising win over Savigliane in the Round of 16. Although their strategies were not as aggressive as Praeceptia, they really forced the Isles to move forward because they had played really fast-paced football. The quick pace in moving the ball around forced our players to chase the ball, and caused the defence to really panic. An early goal from Andrej Kalashnikov, a striker who plays in the Chromatik Rainbow League, in the 12th minute, had forced the Isles to play catch-up, a trend that the players have realised from their match against Rangers FC back in the group stage. The flexibility they play the 4-3-3 with also gave the Isles a bit surprised, as winger Steffan Dunayev and Paul Ekomov moved backwards to make the side similar to a 4-1-1-3-1 formation. Dunayev and Ekomov's ability to roam the sides helped them catch mistakes from our fullbacks Ross and Abraham, and it was Dunayev who intercepted a clearance from Abraham that allowed Dunayev to score the 2nd goal in the 36th minute. Being 2-0 down, the Isles pushed forward slightly further, and was rewarded in the tail end of the first half when vice-captain Tyler provided a long-range shot, forced Ivan Gunn to push the ball out in such an angle that allowed London to reach for the ball, and London promptly tapped it in to allow the Isles to enter the half-time 1-2 down.
The second half was a really brutal match - the Isles thought they could get in the equaliser early, but Kalashnikov's left-footed shot restored Glazgo's 2-goal lead once again in the 50th minute, forcing the Yellow Lions to work even harder. Salwah Sadık came on for holding midfielder Remus McQueen, switching the formation to a 4-1-3-2 in a bid to help the scoring. The imapct was really obvious. McQueen wasn't really working well throughout the game, since his ability to run for the ball was largely countered Piotr Charters. Sardar Chaplin's ability to hold the frontline by applying pressure could come out more naturally with the switch, and that allowed the Isles to push forward and score goals. Sadık and Kartal's partnership in the GFL with Bongali United shone throughout the remainder of the match, with both of them assisting each other to score 2 goals in the 68th minute and the 81st minute to bring the game into extra time. The extra time was really a back-and-forth, as both defences were tired and often caught leaking easy goals which should not have happened, such as Kalashnikov's 97th minute solo run past 3 defenders and Kartal's 110th minute screamer that was not blocked by any defender. With fatigue setting in, there was no way the 9th goal of the match was going to be found even as both managers piled on substitutes after substitutes, so it went to the dreaded penalty shootout.
The 67,290 fans in the packed stadium watched with bated breath. The coin was flipped - and Glazgo would start first. For the Gothanitans in the stands, they were hoping that the players don't panic, because they know that penalty shoot-outs are something that always occurs in the Isles and the players should be able to work something out. Andrej Kalashnikov went up to the mark, and slotted it into the top right corner. Kartal reciprocated the goal, before Thulile Bolkvadze kept Piotr Charters's effort into the bottom left corner out. Sadık went straight for the center, and Ivan Gunn went the wrong way to give the Isles a 2-1 lead. Bolkvadze dived correctly against Steffan Dunayev's shot, but Gunn kept Tyler out to stop the Isles from getting the correct goal. Ekomov's shot was too weak and Bolkvadze got to it just barely on time, and McCrory scored the winning penalty to let the Isles win 3-1 on penalties.
With that penalty shootout behind them, the players look forward to the semifinals against Græntfjall. They won the rematch against Tikariot with a 3-2 win in regulation time, which was a surprise considering that both sides' first encounter in the group stage was really close to the very end. The winner would fly to Valladares for the finals - a trip the players hope they will be making. Lose and they have to fight for the bronze medal - an award which the players would consider as the consolation. The match ahead would be tough - especially since among the 4 remaining teams, the Isles has the poorest record with 2 draws thus far, as compared to everyone else's 1 draw. The only thing was that all 4 teams are still unbeaten up to this stage - and the Isles certainly don't want to be the first one. They would work to stay to their traditional playing style of parking the bus and going out on the counterattack, because that is how they have won previously and they like the strategy. Just ask Tyler - he put it really well to the reporters when asked about it after the quarterfinals. "We don't need to care about what they say about our strategies. So what if we park the bus and induce boredom? If that wins us trophies, so be it! Honestly, all we ever hear from those naysayers are just noises, because you simply cannot please anyone. What we do when hearing such comments is to treat them as 'blah blah blahs'. It may sound disrespectful, but this is the way we feel will help us focus on winning each and every game. Reaching this stage, the remaining 2 matches here in the Baptism of Fire would be slug fests, and we don't need additional comments that would divert our attention." Hopefully, the players can invest their 100% attention against Græntfjall - they really need that attention in order to present the best performance.

by **Valladares** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 9:12 pm

Who will be at the edge of glory after tonight? RP cutoff for both semifinals of this Baptism of Fire edition!

Baptism of Fire 73
Semifinal - Valladar Section

Tioguldos 2–1 Squidroidia

Baptism of Fire 73
Semifinal - Chromatik Section

The Gothanita Isles 0–0 Graintfjall (0–1 AET)

Baptism of Fire 73
Third Place Playoff

Squidroidia vs. The Gothanita Isles
Capitalizt Dome, Chromia (Cap. 144,000)

Baptism of Fire 73
Final

Tioguldos vs. Graintfjall
Olympic Stadium, Carloburgo (Cap. 38,755)

RP Prompt for 3PPO/Final:
RP Prompts are here to suggest a topic to write about. Writing about the prompt won't give you any additional points, but if you're ever stuck, feel free to give these a whirl!

3PPO/Final - Lessons for the Future.
Congratulations on having made it to the last four of this Baptism of Fire edition! Regardless of whichever outcome your semifinal match had, and whether you're now going for the trophy and the glory, a set of metal medals, or just the applause, you should be proud of this performance in your nation's first WCC tournament. Are the members of your team and your nation satisfied with their performance? Did you expect more (or less) prior to the tournament? What would be the highlights of your campaign? What would be there to be improved? And what would be your expectations for the incoming World Cup qualifying campaign? With arguably the most important match in your short NSWC history looming large, please take a moment to reflect and extract the lessons learned from this experience.

MD1 - Football Origins.
Welcome to your first foray in international football! How did football originate in your nation? Have you had a multi-decade tradition of professional league? Was it brought into the country by a colonial power? As it semi-pro for a long time, and just recently became professional? Who were some of the early stars in your nation's footballing history? As you take your first step into history, take a moment to look back at what led to your nation forming a squad to enter an international competition.

MD2 - Domestic League.
Do you have a Domestic Football League? What is it called? How many flights does it have? How long has it been around? What are some of its biggest teams/rivalries? Which clubs are represented the most on your BoF Roster? What is the league like - is it physical? Fluid? Offensive? Defensive? What are the fans like? Describe the character of your league.

MD3 - The Competition.
Have you ever had run-ins with other nations in this Baptism of Fire or the hosts? Are there any from your region that is participating in this tournament? If not, are there any who will be waiting for you in the World Cup?

If none of these apply, write about your neighbors and your relations to them, history with them, etc.

MD5 - The Fans.
What is your fan culture like? Is there a name for them? Do they gather in bars and homes, or go to parks and watch on huge screens? Are there any chants, songs, or the like for your national team? What are they like in home matches? Are they notable for being nice and courteous, or rowdy and hostile? Are they supporters of your team no matter what, or do they demand results that can put pressure on your squad? Take a hard, long look at your supporters.

Round of 16 - Check-In
Is your team satisfied with its seeding and how it fared in the Group Stage? Are the fans/media back home happy? If not, where do you think you deserved to end up? What's been working for you? Offense, defense, a special star, pressure play... Take a moment to reflect back before looking ahead. How far is your team looking to go?

Quarterfinals - The Hosts.
What does your footballers think about the hosts' country and its culture? What parts make sense to you, and what parts are strange? Would your people like to visit the country for business or pleasure? Where would they be drawn toward, and for what reason? Comment on the hosts' culture, people, and stadia.

Semifinals - The Beginning.
Does your country have a recording of when the very first professional football game was played? Who was involved? Was it a widely known event, or an event held in secret? Why did the sport become so popular? As you are now only two victories from etching your name into NationStates Football History, take a moment to look back at that first match and look at how far you've come.

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 4:35 am

Previous RP

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 1: Aiming to be the very best
Part 7: Falling short

The scoreline writes 0-1 after 120 minutes. The 1 goal was, unfortunately, not by a Gothanitan, but instead scored by Græntfjaller Love Nilsson, who got in a direct freekick to allow Græntfjall to win 1-0 after extra time.
Honestly, for co-managers Jurica Bouchard and Silas Unterbrink, it was a bummer. Although the signs were coming with the way the team laboured to a 4-4 draw against Glazgo last match, there was hope that against a more defensive team, the Gothanita Isles could snatch a really late goal and prevent our opponents from scoring any goal. There was also the team's emphasis on practising set pieces that could help them out.
After getting to the hotel room, the entire team sat down in a meeting room, as the players and the coaches talked about what they felt was wrong over the match. Was it just fatigue from playing extra time 2 days ago? Or was it a more fundamental problem with the playbook and the way the players were approaching the game? From the coaches' point of view, the problem was the previous 2 matches in the Round of 16 and quarters, where the Yellow Lions had pandered to the opposition's play style and often threw away the agreement to defend goals and go on the counter-attack. However, there was some players who pointed out that when the opposition sit back and play possession-based football, the players had little motivation to move forward to break the defence and just waited for the opponents to push forward. Vice-captain Tyler summed it nicely. "Against Græntfjall, maybe the correct plan was to go on the attack and try to break their tempo, rather than wait for them to make a mistake."
It could be a strategy error - something which the players and coaches failed to realise early on and fell to. It could be a lack of experience - something that has always been considered, considering our opponents have played previously in the Copa Rushmori. To others, however, this might just be excuses. What can we do further about the team? We need to regroup properly, take this 3 days to reflect properly before playing the bronze medal match against Squiroidia, another strong side. They have shown the talent by making it into the top 4 of the Independents' Associations Cup, a tournament that includes top sides like Drawkland, Squornshelan Remnant States, Terre Septentrionale and Reçueçn, among others. The team needs to forget about that match and restart anew, hoping to end the tournament on a higher note. Though the match would be another tough one, the team have aimed to bounce back quickly and bring the game to Squidroidia. Just as a famous song goes:

I will never say never! (I will fight)
I will fight till forever! (Make it right)
Whenever you knock me down
I will not stay on the ground
Pick it up
Pick it up
Pick it up
Pick it up, up, up
And never say never

by **Squidroidia** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 5:22 am

It was only their second semi-final. Against a much better Red Army team, the Squidroidians just dropped the ball and never bothered to pick it up. In many ways, this WAS the final. A final in which the Squidroidians lost. 2-1 the scoreline fell to the upstart Tioguldos, and the national team was, in a way, frustrated that they had to get back to Chromatika before embarking on World Cup qualifiers. A certain part of the team wanted them to simply stay in Valladares and watch the final on their own, but they didn't want to get disqualified from the tournament and hand the Gothanita Isles their bronze medals. They had to show dignity.

The Inklings arrived in Chromia to a not-so-much bigger set of fans than when they arrived for the knockouts in Valladares. Most of them have already went to Inkopolis preparing to get tickets to the home games they would play in qualifying. But of course, the team embraced their fans. Hell, they were just in their SECOND ever appearance in the semis, and the team hasn't even gone and sorted out qualification yet. Itoh was seen taking selfies with the fans, waving the Squidroidian flag on his back as the team went onto the bus. Just another day of traveling to the team hotel.

When they got there, manager Mito had this look in his eyes. A look of "Oh, we have to do 3rd place", walking around the hotel like it was another touchline. He could shout at his team all day, but this was a hotel after all, there could be other people staying there not knowing that the Squidroidian team was preparing for the 3rd place game. So he just conceded defeat to the Chromatik hotel gods, staying in his suite until the final team meeting.

When he got there, the Squidroidian national team were embracing each other. They were not only teammates, but friends. Something that before the Independents Cup, Mito couldn't try to do. That's what 2 semis in 2 tournaments does to a team. The experience the team had for each other, the invulnerability of stalwarts like Itoh, Makino and Ogasawara united this team with a bond that only a major slump can break. As he sat down, he couldn't help but to utter out some words to his squad.

"Not bad for semi-finalists, lads."

by **Tioguldos** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 3:07 pm

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________SECTIONS____________________________________Stats_________Schedule_____________

^{RED ARMY}

BoF73

TIOGULDÓS REACHES THE FINALS

It's almost over. The Red Army has climbed the last step by beating Squidroidia in the semi-finals of the Baptism of Fire. The national team has shown great aptitude by dispatching opponents with much to offer. Now only one game remains, which will decide if they will return home with the trophy. Needless to say, this team achieved more than was expected of them when they left humble Tioguldós to compete in the splendid stadiums of Chromatika and Valladares. The next game may mark an unprecedented milestone in our history.

THE SQUAD CELEBRATES ITS PASSAGE TO THE FINAL

Krakerue Oxam
22/8/10AR - 17:47

MOST READ

THE RED ARMY BEATS NETOP
IN THE QUARTERFINALS

UGÓS OROSO TO JOIN
LA NUEVA AVENIDA

THE FUTURE OF
THE MUKO TIOG

BONBOKH U PICHEAN
FIRST DIVISION BEGINS

KEM! - BoF73

On an afternoon to remember, the Red Army faced Squidroidia at Arena Bohemians. During the hours leading up to the meeting, Metropolis turned red. Thousands of Tiogs took to the streets of Metropolis with their flags to celebrate the feat of the Red Army. There was a very warm atmosphere, with fans from both nations enjoying Valladares together as the time to enter the stadium approached. After all, this baptism of fire has been more than a football show; for many Tiogs, it was the first moment of amusement after years of guerrilla warfare and bomb alarms.

Beyond the tension, the match started in a relaxed way. The players from both teams greeted each other cordially and exchanged a few words. Once the opening whistle was called, Mebal's team started with their characteristic offensive pressure. Squidroidia couldn't get past the halfway line. Niforro and Perda Raom organized the game from the center circle. In the first half hour Tioguldós dominated overwhelmingly. However, playing so far ahead has its risks. A well-executed counterattack by Squidroidia took the Tiog defenders by surprise. The unease of the fans was evident. After so many attempts to score without Squidroidia being able to do anything about it, they were now losing 1-0. The overall volume in the stands decreased considerably for a few minutes. On the field, the players responded naturally. The strategy was working. The goal they received was situational, and keeping calm they were going to be able to turn the result around without problems. A demonstration of the squad's discipline, showing why they got here. Indeed, a trip is not a fall. Coming to the end of the first half, Go Kyushichi saved a powerful free kick from Perda Raom, but failed to catch the ball. Kildoge Fenuskal, who flanked on the left, got to connect with the ball and put it between the three posts.

Starting the second half, Niforro could be seen haranguing his teammates. "Gonekh porote! Eu kosonekh nixoxekh!". "Let's f*****g go! We'll beat them, guys!" he said excitedly. They were confident that they could overcome the opponent and go to the final. At 60 minutes Ogasawara Arinori committed a foul on Jarsosfe Mongard. The referee pointed to the penalty spot. Oroso took it. He took a few steps back, stared at the goalkeeper, took a running start, and kicked an inside shot to the upper right corner. The goalkeeper jumped to the left and the ball went in. The fans went crazy. They jumped and sang excitedly. Suddenly, puzzled silence. The referee annulled the goal. A player from Tioguldós had entered the penalty area before the kick. Once again, Oroso prepared to kick. Again he took a few steps back, stared at the goalkeeper, took a running start and kicked. From the moment his foot made contact with the ball to the moment it reached the goal line, milliseconds passed; but from the Arena Bohemians seats it felt like an eternity. The fans got up. Eyes wide open, anxiety in every muscle on their faces. Oroso had chosen the right corner again. This time, Kyushichi did too. With the tips of his fingers he reached and caressed the ball. But it was not enough. The referee pointed to the center of the field. After having started losing, the Red Army rose glorious once more. Heart pounding, the Tiogs exploded with joy. Squidroidia failed to generate more chances to score, and just waited for another counterattack like the first. That never happened. The ninety minutes were completed, and the final result was 2-1.

The final is approaching, and the hype grows. The Red Army will play against Graintfjall. Although it is a good team, from Tioguldós it is believed that if the Red Army could defeat Squidroidia, they will be able to beat them aswell. Their defensive playing style could be the key to undermining Tioguldos' midfield aggression, but it can also doom them. If Graintfjall fail to reach their offensive line, they could suffer the same fate as Squidroidia. A complete suppression of their midfield, aswell as a constant bombardment to their goal. It will be up to both teams to prove who deserves to be acclaimed champion of the Baptism of Fire.

by **Graintfjall** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 5:16 pm

Dignitaries to attend Baptism of Fire final as coach mulls controversial late switch

The Höll last night confirmed that Princess Jessika will attend the final of the Baptism of Fire final in Valladares, marking her first official function since passing out from military academy. With her older sister, Crown Princess Kassandra, attending the Summer Olympics in Orean, Liventia, Princess Jessika will represent the Höll in the biggest sporting occasion in modern Græntfjaller history at the Olympic Stadium in Carloburgo. She will be accompanied by various Knattspyrnusamband Græntfjalls officials including Chairman Kristen Hannesson, while the government will be represented by Emely Christoffersdóttir, Minister for Social Inclusion and Communities. But on the eve of the final, perhaps the most notable invitation has been extended to footballer Jason Þórhallursson – who is reported to have been flown into Valladares following the under-23 men’s football team’s elimination from the Olympics.

The late call-up for the Gunzlach center forward, the scorer of the first goal in Græntfjall’s WCC-recognized footballing history, has sharply divided the sporting media. His Gunzlach coach Jonas Marísson weighed in in favor of the move. “He is the best center forward in the country, and is now available for a team playing the biggest match in our sporting history,” he said. “It’s a straightforward decision that [national team coach] Sigtryggur [Brynjólfursson] has made.” Leading the opposition was, unsurprisingly, Steinaux rival Petter Erlingsson, frequent pundit on GTV’s The Fußball Show with Jessika Jünkindietrünk, who said the decision “reeked of cowardice” and “risked jeopardizing everything the Snow Wolves have been building towards”. In strongly worded comments on his personal blog he said that the “side-show” of Jason Þórhallursson’s inclusion would be a “distraction from the task at hand”.

At the pre-match press conference, tight-lipped assistant head coach Særún Toresdóttir would not be drawn on whether he would be in the starting eleven, though she did say that he would dress for the game. His inclusion would be a devastating blow to Love Nilsson, the 31-year old Mühlrich striker who has started in his place and been the team’s joint leading scorer with Hrærekur Jvarsson, with 5 goals apiece, but struggled with injury and fitness issues. In the knockout games, the coaches have see-sawed between Nilsson – who started the quarter-final against Tikariot – and the younger Lyngar Rögnvaldursson – whose late goal clinched that game. In the Gothanita semi-final, Rögnvaldursson started in Nilsson’s place, but it was the older man who became the hero, scoring to send Græntfjall to the final with an extra-time free-kick, taken after regular set piece taker Hlégestur Snæþórsson had been substituted off injured. Both now may lose out to the 20-year old Gunzlach man.

The late change has only been made possible through the injury to Snæþórsson, a mercurial and frustrating player whose tournament has veered from the highs of his spectacular ‘Goal of the Tournament’ contender against Tikariot to limping off in tears in the opening minutes of the semi-final. Initial reports that he was suffering indigestion from gorging himself on whalemeat following the quarter-final victory spread on social media but proved to be ‘fake news’, and a much more serious knee injury was subsequently diagnosed. Nonetheless, the decision to turn to Þórhallursson as the injury replacement serves as a particular slight to left midfielder Matthias Raphaelsson, who would have been more of a like-for-like replacement. The standout player of the team’s Copa Rushmori campaign, Raphaelsson’s stock has been seen to fall considerably after a poor Olympic tournament, in which he captained the team to a 1-1-1 record, group stage exit, and just 2 total goals scored.

Princess Jessika will represent the Höll at the final, along with a load of male dignitaries (not pictured)

The identity of the starting center forward in tomorrow’s clash has consumed a certain portion of the media, but for the wider fan base it has in no way overshadowed the general excitement of Græntfjall reaching their first major tournament final. Loyal ‘Snow Wolf Pack’ fans, who began the tournament mocking Brynjólfursson’s aging squad as the ‘Gray Wolves’ and throwing boiled sweets onto the pitch, have flocked to Chromatika and Valladares, and a healthy contingent are expected to be present in Carloburgo for the final. Large-scale public screenings have been arranged at home, including on the Royal Square in Háttmark with crowd control expectations in the thousands, while athletes in the Olympic Villages in Orean and Istria have reportedly organized viewing parties. GTV reported that The Fußball Show recorded the highest ever rating for sports programming after the Tikariot quarter-final. “Though that was mainly because of the yoga pants,” admitted GTV Director-General Benóní Kristensson. He is nonetheless expecting the live broadcast of the final to shatter that record. The spirit of hope has even spread to the Græntfjaller South Indies, were workers in the Export Processing Zone have spontaneously downed tools to organize a major viewing party (and definitely not, as is being reported in some scurrilous Marxist-aligned agitprop, to protest for their basic human rights).

Regardless of the result, the finals berth represents a personal triumph for Brynjólfursson. Frequently criticized during the Copa Rushmori for the heavily negative tactics employed, and further assailed for choosing a squad with an average age of nearly 32 for the Baptism of Fire, he has stuck to his insistence on a strong central formation built around experienced center backs Ralf Álfarsson and Vilbjörn Hjörleifursson, done without his star players Amanda Guttisdóttir, Þórhallursson and Raphaelsson, and managed his way to 7 wins, 1 draw, with a 21/7 goal differential. He has been helped by welcome goals from Jvarsson and Nilsson, while Andrin Franklínsson has been the team’s breakout player on the right flank. His contract has been renewed by KG for the entirety of the World Cup 86 qualifying campaign.

The final will also have a special potency for Græntfjall given the nature of their opponents, the so-called Peoples Republic of Tioguldós, in practice a fanatical Marxist dictatorship. Given the Queendom’s struggle to free itself from Communistic oppression – indeed, the Tioguldós flag may not be legally flown in Græntfjall as its hammer-and-sickle iconography is banned under the Prohibition of Swastikas and Offensive Imagery Act – the defeat, on the pitch, of the ‘Red Army’ would be especially sweet. The KG has issued warnings to fans not to engage in violence and given Græntfjall has never experienced hooliganism or ‘firms’ in their footballing tradition, peaceful celebrations should be expected regardless of the result, but there can be little doubt the political context will add to the frisson on the field of play.

Also in the paper:

NEWS: Left-slate rails against ‘burqa ban bill’, will not allow legislation to progress in this Thing
BUSINESS: Viljamark mining consortium in talks with Multinesian Extractive Holdings?
EDITORIAL: Students betray the very freedoms that allow them their opportunity to study by rooting for ‘Red Army’
LIFESTYLE: Tattoos: cultural appropriation, youth fad, health risk – and soaring in popularity?
SPORT: Junior handball team eliminated from Handball World Cup after bold experiment fails

by **Valladares** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:42 pm

Thirty-six teams lighted up their lamps of hope to set off on a marvellous adventure, with one common goal. Along the way, they encountered new peoples, made new friends, and also faced new opponents and rivals. They played with determination, with passion, and gave it their all in their quest to start making a name for themselves in the multiversal footballing panorama. However, the moment came for some of these thirty-six flames of hope to start dying out one by one, until only four of them were left standing. Now, only two teams remain in contention for the ultimate goal, while two others are going to battle for the consolation prize, which might not be what they actually wanted to get out of their first adventure, but it's still an achievement nonetheless. The day has finally come, and tonight one team will be able to engrave their name in the Books of History with gold letters. And now, without any further ado...behold, the last RP cutoff of this Baptism of Fire edition!

Baptism of Fire 73
Third Place Playoff & Final

And with that, a new edition of the Baptism of Fire has lowered its curtain. Congratulations to the champions, commiserations to the runners-up, and a big applause to our top four on account of their strong performance in the tournament. On behalf of my co-host Chromatika, I would like to thank everyone for their participation and their roleplays, which were a pleasure to read, and we hope you have enjoyed this tournament as much as we have. That said, we are now making way for the jewel of the crown, the World Cup, with its qualifying stage that is about to come and we are already looking forward to seeing your amazing RPs in there. Thanks to every one of you who contributed their bit to make of this a successful tournament, and best of luck in the upcoming World Cup campaign! Goodnight from Valladares and Chromatika!

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:23 am

Previous RP

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 2: A tale of 2 nations
Part 1: What Margret giveth, Margret taketh

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper-thin?
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

When the final whistle blew, the players was particularly relieved. This match didn't have the looks of a third-placed match in a tournament, this looked like an encounter between the top seeds and a minnow in some World Cup Qualifier match, where the top seeds was having a field day and scoring like no tomorrow.
Pundits back at home were rather surprised. The Baptism of Fire was supposed to be a really nice debuting tournament for The Gothanita Isles, where the top players from different member states could come together and play as a nation, as a Gothanitan. It was supposed to be a rather nice narrative for the football community, attempting to convince the remaining sports who weren't willing to give in that a 4-way collaboration on the world stage, aiming for the multiverse's biggest trophies, is the correct way to go. Even though the Isles couldn't get that elusive trophy, the players could get a good performance against Squidroidia, and that was probably enough to convince the various sporting associations that this plan was good. Any good result this World Cup Qualifiers would therefore, be the bonus, the icing on top of the cake. However, it didn't. Even though the opponents were much more experienced and had shown to be a really strong side by getting top 4 in the recent Independents' Associations Cup (IAC), the manner of the loss showed that there was a lot our Yellow Lions had to do in order to get back on track and stand a chance of running towards a good qualifier.
A few Poafmers were in the stands watching the match, one of them being Adnan Suliaha. He left the Poafmersia national team under the care of Katiri Hedge since he had some personal matters to settle, and came down to Chromatika to take a look at the match before joining the team again. Though he didn't have any relation with the Isles, he had followed the Isles' progress from the pre-BoF friendlies till the BoF themselves, and had taken the opportunity to come down and see how they were doing. He personally understood how tough Squidroidia is as an opponent - having played them twice just barely 5 months ago, before the IAC in a friendly where they won 5-3, and then again during the IAC group stage, where Squidroidia won 2-1. He has personally predicted Squidroidia to be the favourites for the title, though that didn't happen as Tioguldos scored a really close win over Squidroidia in the other semifinals. He took it to himself to go to the team hotel (which he found out previously during the pre-BoF friendly) to take a look at how the team is feeling.

As Jurica Bouchard and Silas Unterbrink came up to their hotel rooms, they were surprised to see Adnan waiting outside for them. Since Jurica and Silas took 2 connecting rooms in the hotel, they could welcome Adnan into the hotel room together without much thought. Of course, the mood at first was rather sombre. Losing a match is one thing, but getting hammered really badly is a completely different issue at that. The 3 of them kept really quiet, before Adnan broke the silence. "Congratulations on completing the team's debut tournament!"
Silas and Jurica looked at each other, before Silas replied. "Thanks, but well, I don't know whether that performance is deserving of your congratulations."
Adnan broke into a smile. "Come on, I know how it feels to lose that way. They are a really strong side and I would say that if not for your team's strong emphasis on defence, the scoreline could have been much worse."
Jurica smiled. "If anything, I think this has been a really nice learning lesson for both of us managers as well. We were exposed to really differing strategies and techniques from the different teams, and understood a bit more about how the style of multiverse football really works out. The only bummer was the manner we lost the match - it was really brutal."
"What Margret giveth, Margret taketh," chuckled Adnan. "We have seen how nonsensical things can turn out. For instance, we got a really lucky group in our first qualification cycle. That Cup of Harmony the year later was really a bust - we messed up a supposedly easy group. The next cycle, we got into a group of death with Brenecia, Reçueçn, Filindostan, Damukuni and Quebec. I know what you feel - everyone feels like that went they reach the dizzy heights of a 6-goal win, only to fall badly at the last hurdle to a 5-goal loss. There may be some things you have to iron out, such as your defence, which I assure you, is an issue even I am ironing out right now with my team. It doesn't mean you have to go forward, it may mean that the players have to be more sure about their game plan, stick to it, and perform it."
The 3 managers sat and talked about how the team could proceed going forward. Jurica and Silas said that they might bring their Otksarin and South Jeolerina counterparts into the fray as well, so as to discuss what is best for the combined team. They also discussed some strategies, before having a traditional drinking cheers to hope each other's team gets good draws for the qualifiers. After all, Poafmersia and the Isles are friends on the geopolitical level, so at the sports level, they hope to avoid each other and cheer each other on to get to a good performance in the qualifiers.

Just as the song lyrics goes, the Yellow Lions are seriously lost and wondering how they should bounce back from this setback. However, nobody is willing to give up. Jurica and Silas both are trying to figure out how to get this team back to where they belong, and hopefully, they can do just that. Understanding their mistakes from the BoF is probably what they can do before the qualifiers starts, and the managers would be out to look for 1 or 2 friendlies to fill in the gaps and to fiddle around with the team dynamics. Of course, Poafmersia might be on that list too, just for both sides to fine tune their starting lineup. Nevertheless, the team is on their crossroads, the place where they have to keep believing, understand that this setback doesn't mean anything apart from the fact that they have some problems which they can, and have to fix before the qualifier proper starts.

You don't have to feel like a wasted space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time, you'll know.

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:51 pm

Excerpts from GBC Two [radio] coverage of the final.

The Internationale

dances

Istria, Banija, twenty minutes later

Kaija Michaelsdóttir had been in Istria for close to a week now, and was still getting used to how warm it was at this hour. Yet the warm summer city air was somehow easier to breathe in than had been the cool of the air-conditioned hotel. In there, the profound sense of despair and doom had become more oppressive than any humidity. The glum faces staring at shoes. The disappointed children allowed to stay up late by indulgent parents, now throwing tantrums. The awkwardness as drinks were silently refilled by obliging wait staff. What had been intended as a party to celebrate Græntfjall’s first major sporting final had turned into something so funereal Kaija had found herself unable to breathe. So now she was walking the streets of Istria in sneakers – she’d dispensed with the heels after Andrin Franklínsson was shown a second yellow card – munching some sort of pancake she’d bought from a street vendor. Comfort food.

Political journalists liked to call her the most powerful woman in Græntfjall. She wasn’t a Queen or a Princess, she wasn’t the Prime Minister, her party had come fourth in the most recent elections, only the second she had ever contested. Yet while the Progressive Liberals held the balance of power supporting the Left-slate government, not a budget line could pass without her agreement. Sketchwriters portrayed her as some kind of Lady Florina figure (from the classic Græntfjaller tragedy Florina, a tale of scheming betrayal and vicious bloodshed, mythologizing an early Græntfjaller king) plotting against her enemies, controlling Zóphonías Juliusson like a puppet-master, bending the will of the government to her whim. Tonight, she just felt as powerless as does every other fan who can only sit and watch as their team slides to defeat.

Up ahead, revellers at a bar were cheering as they spilled out on the street. She needed a drink – the chapatti had made her thirsty, dried out her mouth. The bar was packed, shoulder-room, and she was a petite woman in flats. But she hadn’t come this far in politics without knowing how to throw an elbow or two to the ribs, and began working her way through the throng to order. A tumult of languages swirled around her, English, French, Spanish; Ko-orenite, Teus, Græntfjaller. …what a header!… She ignored the snatch of dialogue she recognized, made it to the bar. Flagged down a bartender and shouted her order. She couldn’t barely hear her own voice.

It was a sports bar, or at least, had big screens showing sports – in an Olympic host city, she realized, every bar was probably a sports bar – and as the bartender mixed her wodka-tonic, she glanced up. Basketball ‘3x3’, she didn’t understand the rules. Another screen was showing volleyball. Field hockey. Some sport with an egg-shaped ball, men hitting each other. She swiped her card and had to smile a ‘thank you’ to the bartender as she took her drink, the noise was getting so loud. …a hat-trick!… She sipped, and frowned. More sports she didn’t understand the rules of. Her eyes darted across the screens until she found one showing football. Players in blue celebrating, shaking hands with tired players in red, confetti falling, fireworks. Some replay. She sipped her drink again and managed to squeeze-elbow-slip her way back out to drink on the covered patio.

Why would a sports bar in the middle of a city hosting the largest sporting competition on the planets be showing a replay?

Kaija turned, and struggled back into the bar. At some point she slopped half the drink onto someone else, muttered a distant apology. The …no worries… she received was Græntfjaller. She looked up sharply into a beaming face, a smile that clearly didn’t care about a wet sleeve. The screen was showing weightlifting now, no, it was the wrong screen. She found it again in the corner. The blue team clapping the red team off. Behind them officials setting up a small stand for a trophy. The picture cut to a crowd shot. Blue flags waving. Men dressed up as old women hugging each other. Women waving stuffed wolves in the air. Back to the field. A graphic came up. The graphic had two numbers on it.

She spilled the other half of her drink, but it didn’t matter. There would be many refills before the night was over.

Baptism of Fire 73 - Everything Thread

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