World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

by **Newmanistan** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:20 pm

WORLD CUP 86: ROLEPLAY THREAD

NAVIGATION
WC86 Roleplay - WC86 Rosters - WC86 Scores
BoF73 Everything - WC86 Bid - WC Discussion Thread

The time has come for the world's greatest footballing nations to battle it out with aspiring nations for glory in the 86th World Cup. There is one certainty, and that is that we will have a new champion! 182 nations will look to bring home the glory at the Proving Grounds in Tundra Falls, Newmanistan. For now, we need to find out who will be joining the hosts, Newmanistan and Drawkland.

Format Refresher: There will be 18 groups of 10. All group winners, and the six best second place teams will qualify for the World Cup. The remaining 12 second places teams will battle it out in a home/away playoff to determine the other six spots. Tiebreakers used will be head to head results, first, including H2H goal difference. Then overall goal difference, and wins. After that, cumulative RP bonus attained by the nation as the final tiebreaker (in character, this is a coin flip).

World Cup 86 Groups:

Group A:
Newmanistan (38)
The Sarian (53)
Brenecia (10)
Zwangzug (19)

Group B:
Ko-oren (17)
Mriin (14)
Chromatika (37)
Banija (1)

Group C:
Farfadillis (11)
Eura (5)
Quebec (54)
Kelssek (22)

Group D:
Valanora (4)
Savojarna (44)
Reçueçn (18)
The Holy Empire (8)

Group E:
Drawkland (26)
The Hinodejin Empire (16)
Hampton Island (32)
Starblaydia (9)

Group F:
Pasarga (24)
Terre Septentrionale (27)
Equestria (15)
Vilita (3)

Group G:
Siovanija and Teusland (20)
Cassadaigua (13)
Trolleborg (39)
Nephara (2)

Group H:
Baker Park (7)
Kandorith (36)
Audioslavia (21)
Turori (6)

Schedule:
MD1- Wed, 9/30: 1 v 4, 2 v 3
MD2- Fri, 10/2: 4 v 3, 1 v 2
MD3- Sun, 10/4: 2 v 4, 3 v 1
R16- Tues, 10/6: A1 v B2, C1 v D2, B1 v A2, D1 v C2; E1 v F2, G1 v H2, F1 v E2, H1 v G2
Quarterfinals- Thurs, 10/8
Semifinals- Sat, 10/10
3rd Place- Sun, 10/11
FINAL- Mon, 10/12

Drawkland cutoffs: 12am-1am-EDT
Newmanistan cutoffs: 10pm-11pm EDT

by **Newmanistan** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:20 pm

WELCOME TO NEWMANISTAN

The Empire of Newmanistan would like to welcome you to our great nation for the 86th World Cup. We are honored to have been selected as a host nation, and are looking forward to providing all fans with the greatest possible experience.

You will find the nation in the southwestern portion of Esportiva. It is a large nation bordered entirely by water on its west coast, as well as about half of its southern border. This makes Newmanistan easily accessible by air or sea, or by land if located nearby. Once in Newmanistan, be advised that we have unlimited speed roads. The automotive industry is the largest industry in the Empire, so not only are we not one of those nations that have banned cars, we do everything in our power to make them a critical way of life. Burn that fossil fuel with pleasure, allowing your vehicle to fulfill its full potential on the open road! If the thought of that scares you, then there are plenty of taxis or rideshare options to transport you. We won’t talk about it all that much, but light rail is a popular means of transportation, and the Empire has an outstanding long distance rail network to take you from city to city if you choose not to fly. Here are some other things that might interest you about our country.

The Political Landscape

Newmanistan is ruled in its capital city of Pocono City by Emperor Michael V and the royal family goes back to the foundation of the nation. The Emperor is seen as a fair and equitable ruler, doing the best that he can to make Newmanistan a great place to live for all. Newmanistanians are very loyal to him, as he really gives no reason to dislike him. He does have a support network which helps him in the governing, but the bottom line is that all critical decisions go through the Emperor. Our people tend to view democracies as the wrong form of government, given the corruption that is common in elections or the simple matter of candidates “buying” their nominations. The populace casts a suspicious eye on the World Assembly, primarily because of passed resolutions that negatively impact the automotive industry.

Newmanistan has a court system that is unaffiliated with the Emperor that provides a “checks and balances” system against any corruption. That is how it is designed anyway, as the Emperor is allowed to make the laws, but once passed, the court system ensures that the laws are followed. Part of this includes the initial Constitution of the Empire which holds the responsibilities of the Emperor. Therefore, it is impossible for the Emperor to become a tyrant without the court also failing in their duties.

Religion

Newmanistanians are very devout, and the vast majority of our citizens are Roman Catholics. Other religions, such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc., are practiced and welcomed. There is peace and harmony between all faiths within the Empire. If you claim to be an atheist, then do not expect to make many friends here.

The Spirits of the Tundra Falls Proving Grounds are a legend in Newmanistan, and we’ll cover them a little more in depth later. Many people believe that due to their loyal following of their chosen religion, that the Proving Grounds has become a sacred place, and the spirits of Newmanistanians that have passed on still have a presence at the Proving Grounds and see to it that good things happen for those who are the facility, and believe. On the flip side, they are also seen to punish those who have done wrong, either in their own lives towards others, or to Newmanistan, in general.

Sports

Newmanistan is one of the top sports nations in the world, in our own very biased opinion. At home, sports are very important, with large and profitable leagues in baseball, football, gridiron, basketball, and hockey. Moderate sized leagues are found in lacrosse and volleyball. Individual sports, like tennis and golf have a worthwhile following. Motorsports are extremely popular, mainly stock car racing. Open wheel racing is present as well, but not at the level of stock car racing. We also really like to race horses.

Internationally, Newmanistan is most known for its six World Baseball Classic Championships, and being far and away the most dominant nation in the sport when using the Hall of Fame spreadsheet for the sport. The Empire has also managed three titles in the International Basketball Championships. It is the founding nation of the World Bowl, but has lacked a title. On the pitch, Newmanistan has only occasionally qualified for the World Cup, and has not advanced further then the Round of 16 in its history. However, we do boast three Cup of Harmony titles and a Baptism of Fire title.

The nation is also the organizing nation of NSSCRA, which is for stock car racing. It is just part of our vast hosting experience.

Social Issues

Crime is minimal in Newmanistan. Helping it be this way is the great service of the men and women in law enforcement, but also our commitment to education. We’re not going to win any awards for having the greatest social welfare programs in the world, but we will do our best to make sure everyone is given a fair chance in life. We are in the top 5% of highest disposable incomes in the World, so we must be doing something right.

Discrimination of people based on age, gender, race, disability, religion (unless atheist), or sexual orientation is illegal and aggressively punished in a court of law. Discrimination of atheists is frowned upon, but not necessarily punished.

The drinking age in Newmanistan is 16, which is also the age of majority in the Empire. Marijuana and cigarettes are also legal if 16 and up, but only allowed to be smoked in ones home, or in an enclosed space, such as ones vehicle. Enforcement of these laws is aggressive with likely higher then average punishments. Other recreational drugs are banned.

Gambling is legal anywhere and a large industry exists for it.

HOSTING CITIES

1) Tundra Falls (Tundra Falls Proving Grounds)
What is the Proving Grounds? It is simply a marvel of the world, so we think. A football, soccer and baseball stadium, and indoor arena (to host hockey/basketball or other sports) are lined up in a row, each in itself being a state of the art facility in its offerings. These stadiums, however, make up the infield of a 3.5-mile auto racing super speedway. So it is many facilities, within one facility. Additionally, there is a horse racing track that surrounds the indoor arena, and a racing road course throughout the parking lot.

Each stadium has there own individual capacities, but in reality, if for example, the baseball stadium is sold out, fans can then sit in the grandstands of the auto racing facility and watch the game on giant “diamond visions”. As the grandstands of the auto racing facility completely surround the stadiums, it is possible for over half a million people to be in attendance.

All domestic Newmanistanian championship events, from high school level on up, are played at the Proving Grounds, and it is possible for all venues to be hosting events simultaneously. It is Newmanistanian legend (which is RP’d to be fact), that Spirits look over the Proving Grounds, and if Newmanistan gets a “lucky bounce” once in a while, that there was superhuman reasoning for it. During World Cup games, the other stadiums will not be in use, allowing for fans unable to get a ticket in an another facility on the premises so they can still say they were at the game and enjoy the general experience.

It has hosted many interregional championship games, including the championship game of World Cup 49. Tundra Falls is in the south east of the empire, about 100 miles northwest of Pocono City.

Stadium Capacity: 73,200
Overflow Capacity using seating in other venues on premises significantly higher.

Will host the FINAL.
Also: MD1- Group A- Newmanistan vs Zwangzug
MD2- Group C- Eura vs Farfadillis
MD3- Group B- Banija vs Mriin
Round of 16- B1 vs A2 Match
FINAL

2) Pocono City (Emperor Michael IV Stadium)

Welcome to the Capital of Newmanistan. It is located in the south east, and has something for everyone. You can get a sense for a lot of the history of the Empire here with museums galore that feature the Royal Family, but also other cultural features. It is also the most populated city in the Empire.

Any stadium named after Emperor Michael IV is going to be a visually stunning facility, and it delivers exactly that. While the Proving Grounds attracts people and fame due to its history and lore, this is truly the most modern stadium in the Empire. Every now and then, members of the Royal Family will be in attendance.

Stadium Capacity: 88,500

Will host the SEMIFINAL.
Also- MD1- Group B- Mriin vs Chromatika
MD2- Group C- Kelssek vs Quebec
MD3- Group A- Newmanistan vs Brenecia
Round of 16- C1 vs D2 Match
Semfinal

3) Loudon (The Jungle)

The city of Loudon is the third largest city in the empire, and is located in the northeast. It is generally considered the anti-Pocono City because it is a place where people can go to be completely away from the government. Therefore, Loudon is a bit more liberal, overall. The stadium is home to the Loudon Leopards, and “The Jungle” used to just be a nickname before becoming its official name since everyone referred to it as such. It gets LOUD. Though that should not surprise.

Loudon is a good place to go to in Newmanistan if you are into arts and music scene as well.

Stadium Capacity: 66,000

Hosting: MD1- Group D- Reçueçn vs Savojarna
MD2- Group B- Mriin vs Ko-oren
MD3- Group C- Farfadillis vs Quebec
Quarterfinal- 2nd QF Pairing

4) Jessicaville (Empress Jessica I Stadium)

Back in the day, the nation of Secristan was Newmanistan’s neighbor to the east. When Secristan ceased, Newmanistan took over 2/3rds of the land. Jessicaville was formerly Amherst, Secristan, what had been Secristan’s capital. When it was taken over to become part of Newmanistan, the Emperor re-named it Jessicaville in honor of Empress Jessica I, one of the greatest rulers in our history. Since it has been a long time, this is now like any other city in Newmanistan and no longer has the Secristani influence.

As it is a former capital city, you will see a lot of old architecture here. Modern building are mixed in along with it. People who live here take a special pride of their old history, and it still holds the largest percentage of millionaires and up throughout Newmanistan. It is the second most populous city in Newmanistan.

Stadium Capacity: 83,300

Hosting: MD1- Group C- Eura vs Quebec
MD2- Group B- Banija vs Chromatika
MD3- Group D- The Holy Empire vs Savojarna
Round of 16- A1 vs B2 Match

5) Southport (Keisler Stadium)

Named after the great Stacey Keisler, the greatest pitcher of all time (in our opinion of course, though she’d have a very good case for the title), this South Central city lives and breathes baseball. There are monuments throughout the city for Keisler and other Rockets players. Tickets for any international baseball game will sell out within hours, even if the Rockets are not playing, and that passion will carry over to the World Cup so don’t delay in getting your seats. It is the location of the Newmanistan Baseball Hall of Fame. The University of Southport is considered one of the top learning institutions in the country.

Now, don’t think that baseball is the only sport in town. Southport has become well known now for having a loyal fan base for all sports, with basketball being another very popular sport here. Soccer (football) fans might lean towards nearby Putnam Lake a little more due to the Jeremy McAllister connection.

Southport is as the name suggest, and a port city on southern coast (southwest) of the Empire. Therefore, there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the beach life.

Capacity: 65,400

Hosting: MD1- Group D- Valanora vs The Holy Empire
MD2- Group A- Newmanistan vs The Sarian
MD3- Group B- Ko-oren vs Chromatika
Quarterfinal- First QF pairing

6) Putnam Lake (Jeremy McAllister Stadium)

Named for Newmanistan’s greatest soccer player, this southwestern city is the smallest of the eight hosting events and may not offer a ton other then its great beaches. Putnam Lake is actually considered Newmanistan’s “soccer capital”. The McAllister influence plays a large part in that. If you are playing here, you will likely have better conversations with the locals about international soccer not involving Newmanistan, then you will anywhere else in the Empire.

Putnam Lake is also on the coast, and within 200 miles of Southport.

Capacity: 62,020

Hosting: MD1- Group C- Farfadillis vs Kelssek
MD2- Group D- Valanora vs Savojarna
MD3- Group A- Zwangzug vs The Sarian

7) Olympia (Gladiator Stadium)
A typical large city, and the biggest city in the northwest of the Empire. This is not typically a tourist destination for people, and is generally just awarded these events so our citizens in the Northwest can have a convenient location to travel to. There’s nothing wrong with the city or stadium, and you can have a good time here. You just won’t leave it and think that you just visited a place you will remember forever.

Capacity: 72,000

Hosting: MD1- Group B- Banija vs Ko-oren
MD2- Group A- Brenecia vs Zwangzug
MD3- Group C- Eura vs Kelssek
Round of 16- D1 vs C2 Match

8) Centralia (The Firepit)
Not only is Centralia located in the center of the Empire, it is also the center of our automotive industry, which if you have read from the start, you’ve learned is critical here. In general, it is the industrial capital of the Empire. The people work hard, and these blue-collar workers are proud to show their support of any sort of sporting activity.

The primary attraction here are tours of the various automotive plants, if interested. Automobile museums are also present.

Hosting: MD1- Group A- Brenecia vs The Sarian
MD2- Group D- The Holy Empire vs Reçueçn
MD3- Group D- Valanora vs Reçueçn

Capacity: 80,000

by **Drawkland** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:21 pm

WELCOME TO DRAWKLAND

Welcome all comers to Drawkland! We are immensely proud and excited to be hosting the World Cup again. This isn't the first event we've hosted, and it won't be the last, so we're more than prepared to offer each player, staff, and fan the perfect visiting experience while you're here!

As you may or may not know, Drawkland is a large continental nation on the planet of Sonnel. That's right, not just a region, a planet! As there are no other Sonnelian nations that qualified (unfortunately), many of you nations playing matches in Drawkland may be scratching your heads, wondering, "how the hell do we get there?!" Luckily, the Drawkian International Sporting Council (DISC) has been well-prepared for this, ever since World Cup 79.

There are two methods to get to Drawkland. The first one is the cooler way, and probably much more exciting for your players and team. Several Drawkian spaceflight companies offer mid-sized shuttle charter services that will take you to and from Drawkland at your leisure. To speak nothing of the in-flight amenities, the high-tech ion warp drives also allow the ships to land anywhere in your nation for your convenience. Space program launch pad? Check. Airport? Check. Really large empty stadium parking lot? Check. A random grassy field 20 miles from the nearest town? Also check! Commercial spaceflight is already affordable for most national team programs, but DISC is also willing to offer service vouchers for players and staff as well as some lucky fans. Other fans would have to travel on their own dime, however.

For nations who prefer more standard methods of transportation, don't fret! You can also travel to Drawkland in a standard modern airplane. In preparation for the World Cup, the Drawkland and Newmanistan governments collaborated to build an interdimensional portal in the Tundra Falls airport in Newmanistan. This portal, shaped like a short, wide rectangle (imagine a book laying flat), allows airborne vehicles to fly through a dimensional rift. Flying through this portal takes anywhere from 5-60 minutes depending on dimensional weather conditions, and you'll arrive in Iarokannet Bay, Drawkland on the other side! For our Rushmori friends, you may want to try the similar portal in Stratosphere City, Isles of Avon (near Ceni off the coast of Terranea).

History & Leadership

Drawkland is one of the oldest nations in Sonnel, and definitely one of the longest-lasting. Being around for millennia is impressive, and the early history is the stuff you see in myths and legends. Obviously we're not gonna cover it all, but here's the essential information. In the days before Drawkland was founded, the continent was divided into hundreds of small kingdoms and city-states. 4 (technically 5) young upstarts in different areas of the country came in to power around the same time. The most prominent of these was Iarocav, whose visionary battle tactics and charismatic demeanor led his home kingdom of Sadeg to conquer and absorb much nearby territory. The other rulers, Kanyo, Malicoll, and Callagard, similarly united their nearby areas, until their borders began to bump into one another.

The rulers had allied into pairs over their travels and conquests, Iarocav with Kanyo, and Malicoll with Callagard. The resulting battle of attrition for supremacy lasted several years and spanned nearly the entire continent. Things were nearing a bloody stalemate, when Iarocav found a more mystical ruler in the half-elf Ellizdan deep in a hazardous wilderness that was not often explored. With her help, Iarocav was able to just turn the tide and bring the rulers together for a peace accord. The resulting negotiations lasted months, and they resulted in a union of five territories, each ruled by their respective ruler. This nation was called Valsumet, named after the volcano in the center of the continent where the accords were held. A few decades later, the leaders reconvened and formally founded the nation of Drawkland, each ruler dubbed a "Drawkionel."

Not long after Drawkland was founded, the leaders embarked on a quest to a distant dimension under the promise of potentially being able to attain immortality. Long (very long) story short, they succeeded, and returned Drawkland as nearly-invincible beings. What followed was centuries of relative peace and cooperation within the nation, which helped propel it into being the driving cultural, economic, and military force in Sonnel. The Drawkionels still rule today as oligarchs, though most of their tasks are delegated to democratically-elected politicians. Still, they hold the end word in most governmental decisions, and this is what's helped Drawkland become the powerhouse it is today.

Culture & Transport

While the massive size and varied history of Drawkland as a whole has resulted in many cultures and unique areas throughout the nation, nearly every citizen is proud to be a Drawkland, and identifies with the "greater Drawkian culture" which is all-pervasive. The average Drawkian citizen believes in unlocking their full potential as a person, and that anyone with enough work and luck can be truly exceptional. Despite this, team and family-oriented culture is also integral, as you can always be better with a little help from others. This plays a lot into how sports got so popular in Drawkland, but we'll cover that more in a moment.

Citizens of Drawkland are generally quite patriotic, but not in a nationalist or xenophobic way. In this vein, foreigners and tourists are accepted with open arms. The idea is that Drawkland is such a great country, so why not show the best it has to offer and prove its superiority to all that visit? Amenities and transportation are pretty much top notch across the board. Air, rail, and automotive transport options are all available, but which one you use ultimately comes down to personal preference, time, money, and where you're travelling to/from. Those who love technological wonders will probably want to rent a flying car or take a high-speed train, while history buffs may want to take a day for a classic dirigible ride. For a cheaper or more familiar deal, regular airlines, rail, or rented cars are easily available.

Despite the varied locations and cultures of the host cities, Drawkian cuisine is pretty consistent throughout the nation. As a whole, the Drawkian palette is heavily focused on carbs, dairy, and savory proteins. Food one would describe as American pub style, Italian, or Mexican are the most common in Drawkland (although they weren't influenced from those particular sources, obviously). You might want to take a cheat day or week on that diet, because it'll definitely be worth it.

Sports & Success

Sports are one of the biggest cultural events in Drawkland. As mentioned earlier, the competitive spirit in Drawkland is quite high, as is team-oriented success. When the concept of team sports began to develop, they took off very quickly. In this, sports became a microcosm of Drawkian ideals as a whole, not to mention they were fun to play and watch! Ever since, sports have been an integral part of Drawkian culture and vice versa. This was a few hundred years ago now, and now the highly profitable and huge draw of modern sports are alive and thriving as ever.

Domestically, sports of all kinds are practiced throughout the nation. The Big 4 professional leagues consist of Gridiron Football, Basketball, Association Football, and Baseball (in approximate order of total popularity). Still, sports like racing, handball, hockey, and the unique sport of 7ball also draw in big audiences. Collegiate sports, especially in gridiron and basketball, are quite a phenomenon as well. Within Sonnel, Drawkland's national teams are often a dynasty, but it's not uncommon to see another Sonnelian nation pop up with a solid crop of players and win for a few decades.

In the multiversal sphere of the World Cup et al., Drawkland has been participating for a comparatively short time, but has still managed to pull some great success in some sports. Drawkland is one of only a handful of teams to qualify for the World Cup in their first cycle, to name one. They've also won a few World Bowls and IBCs, and collegiate titles. They've also hosted every WCC event at least once, and the Big 3 American sports once, and many collegiate conferences.

HOSTING VENUES

With such a massive array of suitable venues for World Cup play, the only challenge for figuring out host cities lied in whittling down the choices to an acceptable number for hosting. In World Cup 79, the selection was rather haphazard and scattered, and teams had to move around a lot to get to all the different venues and host cities. This time, DISC has made sure that a wide array of Drawkian stadiums and cities are put on display, without being too much of a logistical strain on the competing teams.

That said, the four groups have been divided into four regions of play. Group E, containing the home nation, will be held in Iarocavet, specifically the cultural and political capitals of Drawk City and Metropolon. Group F will be playing in the western lands of Callagardet, Raikennax and Owabrok. Group G will be held on the east coast of Kanyoet, in the territorial capital of Kayo and the port city of Kilnelm. Finally, Group H will play in the mythical and beautiful Ellzidanet, at Shire-Port and Elstrund. Exact information will be outlined below.

Centivar County is the home of the illustrious Seven Stars Stadium, a massive venue which was built specifically to hold the World Cup 79 final. Since the Tundra Falls Proving Grounds will play host to the World Cup 86 final, Seven Stars Stadium will instead host the 3PPO and the special kickoff match between Drawkland and Starblaydia to begin the group stage. Also pictured on the map below is Iarokannet Bay, which the airplane portals in Tundra Falls and Stratosphere City lead to. In addition, Bellator and Gelia will play host to a single quarterfinal match each. See below for more information.

Seven Stars Stadium, Centivar County
MD1: Drawkland vs Starblaydia
World Cup 86 Third Place Match

Drawk City Stadium, Drawk City
MD1: The Hinodejin Empire vs Hampton Island
MD2: Drawkland vs The Hinodejin Empire
MD3: Hampton Island vs Drawkland

National Pitch, Metropolon
MD2: Starblaydia vs Hampton Island
MD3: The Hinodejin Empire vs Starblaydia
Group E Winner's Round of 16

Castle Stadium, Raikennax
MD1: Pasarga vs Vilita
MD2: Vilita vs Equestria
MD3: Terre Septentrionale vs Vilita
Group F Winner's Round of 16

The Raceway Nest, Owabrok
MD1: Terre Septentrionale vs Equestria
MD2: Pasarga vs Terre Septentrionale
MD3: Equestria vs Pasarga

Kanyo Pitch, Kayo
MD1: Siovanija & Teusland vs Nephara
MD2: Nephara vs Trolleborg
MD3: Cassadaigua vs Nephara
Group G Winner's Round of 16

Oreme Field, Kilnelm
MD1: Cassadaigua vs Trolleborg
MD2: Siovanija & Teusland vs Cassadaigua
MD3: Trolleborg vs Siovanija & Teusland

The Root Field, Elstrund
MD1: Baker Park vs Turori
MD2: Turori vs Audioslavia
MD3: Kandorith vs Turori
Group H Winner's Round of 16

Treasure Trove Stadium, Shire-Port
MD1: Kandorith vs Audioslavia
MD2: Baker Park vs Kandorith
MD3: Audioslavia vs Baker Park

Pitch of the Plains, Bellator
Drawkland Side Quarterfinal

"Home of Kickerball" Gelia Field, Gelia
Drawkland Side Quarterfinal

Corps Central Pitch, Drawk City
Drawkland Side Semifinal

GROUP E VENUES

Region
The first region is the one hosting Drawkland, and obviously will be the biggest market. The Metro District, in Drawkland's northern Iarocavet territory, is the most populous. It's also arguably the most culturally and historically significant, depending on who you ask. Most national team matchups for all of Drawkland's sports are hosted in this general area, and many of the tournaments and events hosted in Drawkland so far have had at least a few games hosted in this general area.

The massive 8-digit populations of several cities in this area, combined with the heavily sports-centered culture of the northern territory, made the cities of Drawk City and Metropolon huge sports markets. Because of this, the venues and other travel/hosting arrangements are top notch. Little to no preparation is necessary for events like the World Cup, as pretty much all points are already up to snuff. Teams playing in this area are guaranteed to have an enjoyable experience, and fans will have a lot available to do between matches.

Metropolon
Metropolon has been Drawkland's capital for many years, but it's the youngest of Drawkland's many large cities. Drawk City was planned by Iarocav to be the capital way back in the days of yore, and it remained that way for centuries. But after the advent of what many consider to be modern technology and beyond, Iarocav began planning a new city, perfectly circular, gridded, and symmetrical, to be built on an artificial island in a lake. This plan turned into the city of Metropolon, which would serve as Drawkland's capital from that point forward. The city's outskirts are made up of low buildings, but the height of each building increases gradually as one gets closer and closer to the center of the city. The center of the city is a massive building known as The Pinnapex, the tallest building on Sonnel and one of Drawkland's most iconic structures. While Metropolon never had the benefit of being a years-old city with lots of history and identity, its population quickly spiked due to its proximity to other major cities in the Metro District, as well as its new status as the largest seat of power in Sonnel. After several generations of expansion, cementing its place and purpose in the Drawkian culture, it became one of the biggest cities in the nation, supporting around 20 million citizens in present day.

Metropolon was founded long after sports leagues had cemented their place in Drawkian society. This put them as a disadvantage ... despite having a rapidly ballooning population, it would be harder to bring themselves into the fold. Luckily, after several years of waiting, leagues began to expand, or smaller teams began to fold, and Metropolon's moguls quickly jumped on the opportunity to bring sports to the new capital and fill the brand new sparkling arenas with fans. After over two decades of waiting, Metropolon eventually had a team in each of Drawkland's Big 4 sports - baseball, basketball, soccer, and football (founded in that order). Thanks to the big resources of the rich owners that had made the city their new home, it didn't take long for these fledgling clubs to find success. Metropolon, like other cities in the north, was established as a powerful force in the sporting world.

As one could imagine, Metropolon's immaculately planned construction and layout is beautiful for one to behold. You might just want to spend the day traveling through its simple and effective transit system, dodging "underrunners" (the many commuters of the subway system for which Metropolon's gridiron football team is named) during rush hour, or the aboveground monorail system that goes along major thoroughfares. The biggest tourist attraction is undoubtedly The Pinnapex, as people from all around Drawkland and Sonnel come just to see it and visit its many levels of observation decks. You could also visit all of Drawkland's federal government offices, if you're into that sort of thing. The downtown cluster of Metropolon is absolutely loaded with restaurants, hotels, malls, and any other attractions to spend your time. It wasn't just designed to be the perfect city to host the capitol, but also the perfect tourist trap.

Drawk City
Drawk City is certainly one of the older cities in Drawkland, but it's more recent than most of the other hosting cities. Rather than many Drawkian metropolises, Drawk City did not date back to one of the kingdoms of old. It was planned and built about a century after the founding of the nation, commissioned by the immortal ruler of Drawkland, Iarocav. It was originally built to be the capital of the new nation, a city that was new and unbiased to any old regimes or treaties. When Metropolon was built many centuries later, it took over the capital mantle, but Drawk City remained as the most populous city and the unofficial cultural capital of the nation.

For many centuries, Drawk City has been the heart of the nation. It was built on the banks of a wide, sweeping river in the forests of Iarocav's territory, and quickly expanded once many government functions were moved there. From then on, many citizens from across the continent flooded there to start a new life in the new city. The flooding nearly never stopped, and nowadays, it's home to over 25 million people in its greater area. You could spend months in Drawk City and still not see everything worthwhile there is to see. Fortunately, fans know what they're here to see, and there's plenty of major attractions to visit in the meantime.

One of the biggest elements of Drawkland's culture is its sporting spirit and love of competition. With Drawk City being the cultural capital of the nation, it's not an unfair assumption to believe that Drawk City's sports teams are among the best in the country. You'd be pretty much right. Most of Drawk City's professional sides are dynasties that have been in the mix for many years, and baseball is no exception. The Drawk City Scouts and the Drawk Corps' baseball squad are the main contenders, and their stadia will play host to several WBC series.

As aforementioned, there is so much to do in Drawk City you could probably never write it all down. We'd say the best attractions are the many museums, which cover pretty much every topic you could imagine. I'd personally suggest the Royal Drawk Museum, which is filled with stories and artifacts from Drawkland's almost mythical past. One could visit the many skyscrapers and monuments in the busy and massive downtown, or just take the time to visit the park closest to your hotel (there's a lot). No matter what kind of tourism you enjoy, you'll probably be able to enjoy it here. Unless you like the beach. Then you're hosed. For a quick and easy day trip you could visit any of the nearby old Drawkian cities, like Sadeg or Hellenmack. Multiple-day trips could take you further inland, to perhaps visit the vast mountains and forests that are hallmarks of the northern end of the territory. You'll definitely have more than enough things to do in Drawk City, though, so we doubt you'll need to find your way out of town.

NATIONAL PITCH
Metropolon, Drawkland | Capacity: 149,000 | Metropolon Lights
Hosting: First listed group matches (minus MD1), Group Winner's Round of 16
Metropolon is a symmetric city, arranged in a sort of grid with similar buildings in each quadrant, so the skyline looks similar from every angle. The sports venues are no exception. The "big four" are located near the center of town, right outside "The Cluster", the group of skyscrapers surrounding the Pinnapex. All are large, indoor venues covered in beautiful lights inside and out. National Pitch is home of the Metropolon Lights, the third professional sports team to begin play in town. Its dome does retract, though it has a state-of-the-art natural lighting system that ensures it doesn't feel like playing in a big box store. Like some other popular indoor stadiums, the playing surface is entirely turf, though it's a well-made synthetic that isn't as horrendous as most turf venues.

The stadium is in the center of town, so there's a plethora of transportation options and attractions in close proximity to the venue. Its futuristic facade and interior are sure to be a hit with any foreigners visiting Drawkland. The atmosphere during a game is also infectious, especially thanks to the enclosed nature of the stadium. Crowd advantage can play a big factor in any sport, so a nation that can turn the crowd for them in Capital Park may be able to run away with the game.

DRAWK CITY STADIUM
Drawk City, Drawkland | Capacity: 175,000 | Drawk City Troopers
Hosting: Second listed group matches
Drawk City Stadium, up until recently, was the largest stadium in Drawkland. Housing the Drawk City Troopers (and previously the Sentinels), it was built to pander to crowds of both kinds of football, soccer and gridiron. It has a capacity of 175,000 seats, with a few more thousands being able to fit in through standing room. In addition to these domestic powerhouses, it has also housed the home matches of Drawkland's national soccer team, the Kick Corps, throughout many qualifying cycles. It normally has a canopy over the stands for both style and crowd noise, and has a clear retractable roof which only extends over the field in cases of inclement weather. The field is made of hybrid turf, a synthetic material which provides the benefits of both real grass and artificial turf, while avoiding most of the drawbacks of both (this allows for easy switching between gridiron and soccer matches).

The high-tech developments of this stadium can't be understated either. It's commonly regarded as one of the most advanced stadiums in Drawkland, with awe-inspiring video and ribbon boards. Actually fast Wifi and cellular data connections are available here, and its considerations for broadcast filming and VIP attendants are second to few. It is also remarkably self-sufficient, using solar and wind energy from its own grounds to generate most of its power.

GROUP F VENUES

Region
The next group region is held in the more western lands. In the early days, large or permanent settlements were hard to come by, as the western peoples were generally nomadic tribes that never spent more than a few seasons in one place. As the nation united and modernized over the next centuries, the nomadic lifestyle was mostly given up for the security and convenience of living in one place. Because of the slower development of these areas, only a handful ended up with large and devoted enough markets to really support sports in the time.

Still, a few cities did end up with relatively devoted fanbases with good enough venues and infrastructure to justify hosting some World Cup matches, so here we are! There may not be as much to do or see as other areas, but both cities and stadiums here have their own little charm.

Raikennax
As with most huge cities across Drawkland, Raikennax is an ancient city which traces its roots back to before Drawkland was founded as a nation several thousand years ago. The territory of Callagardet had been a land of mainly nomadic and tribal gatherings, while the settlements of Iarocavet in the north were more permanent and feudal in nature. Raikennax, being in the cradle of both areas, took a mix from both societal structures. In the foothills of Valsum, the massive volcano in Drawkland's center, Raikennax was established as a castle stronghold in the style of the north. However, the people there still took a nomadic lifestyle. This was the place where the southernmost of the northern kingdoms could come and trade with the southern and western tribes, without too much difficulty for both. Raikennax, being in such a central and strategic location for multiple territories, played a major role in the Great Kingdom War that eventually led to Drawkland being founded as a unified nation. Because of its status as a trading hub that surpassed cultural barriers, as well as being in a central location, Raikennax grew quickly as a city. Eventually it became one of the largest cities south of the Metro District (which is famous for harboring several huge cities), and stands today as one of the most culturally important Drawkian towns.

Raikennax's status as a major city obviously led to it quickly becoming a sports hub. As the Iarocavian cities up north quickly took to professional sports as they came, Raikennax was one of the first cities south of that territory to take up professional sports. This turned out to be a great move, as their various teams enjoyed a great deal of success, being able to draw from a larger southern recruiting base since most other cities in those regions had not yet organized teams. This early dominance stayed with the city for years, and stands even to this day.
The most successful of the Raikennax franchise is arguably the Raikennax Charge, the DLK team in the city. The ladies of the Charge have been a force to be reckoned with, especially recently, and rival even the Drawk City sides in pedigree. Also of note is the gridiron team in the Raikennax Stallions, who have a similar level of success. The Lions (basketball) and Eruptors (baseball) have not shared this success, but they're far from middling sides. One can also not forget the University of Raikennax, one of the most storied university sports programs in the nation.

When not watching some World Cup football, visitors have a smorgasbord of attractions in the area to choose from. The aforementioned historical city, with the immaculately-kept original castle walls and interior, is definitely at the top of the list for any tourists. Of course, the looming silhouette of the mountain Valsum can be seen on the eastern horizon, and any outdoorsy and adventurous visitors could take a day trip out to hike the various foothills and mountains, or take a guided tour through Valsum national park. Raikennax is also home to a lively downtown scene, as well as a great deal of parks and green spaces scattered throughout town. Those willing to take longer day trips could consider nearby towns, such as Esmereldane and Ifferdam Station (known for being huge shipping hubs for the regional agriculture systems), or more rural destinations.

Owabrok
Owabrok was not a permanent settlement in the early days, unlike Raikennax. It was an annual meeting place of some tribes, being in a central location inside a slight basin of the plains. The tribes that met here had a great competitive spirit, and this ended up in the tribes conducting races during their meetings, usually the best riders riding their best horses head-to-head in drag races. Once the nomadic lifestyle began dying down, Owabrok's location made it ideal for settlement, and as more flocked to the area, the tradition of racing continued. As the years and technology advanced, the styles and methods of racing increased, until Owabrok was indisputably Drawkland's racing capital. It also led to the automotive industry gaining a great manufacturing foothold, making Owabrok one of the only real industrial-economic powers in the west.

Despite the economic growth, Owabrok was never a very large city for team sports. They only have 2 teams in the Big 4 leagues, one of which is the Owabrok Speed in the DLK. The Speed are a middling squad who mostly suffer under better talent in their division, but they can sometimes slip into the playoffs or make a solid run in the Cup. If you're a racing fan, though, Owabrok is absolutely the place to be. Multiple big-name tracks for all sorts of auto and horse racing can be found in or around town.

This extends to the tourism angle as well. If you think cars or racing is cool in general, then Owabrok will be like a Sonnelian mecca to you. If not, it'll just be your average midsized Drawkian metropolis. It's mostly gotten the nod for a World Cup venue as being close to the favored Raikennax, and having a comparatively large capacity compared to some other stadiums of their team's caliber.

CASTLE STADIUM
Raikennax, Drawkland | Capacity: 149,500 | Raikennax Charge
Hosting: First listed group matches, Group Winner's Round of 16
The largest of all stadiums in Raikennax, Castle Stadium is the home of the vaunted Charge. One of the "big three" stadiums around 150k capacity outside of the Metro District, this one has hosted a fair share of domestic championship games, and has been renovated and improved many times over the years. As the name might suggest, the exterior of the stadium was modeled to look like a castle from the exterior, echoing the storied history and mythos of Raikennax's early days. The stadium is open-air, as the Raikennax climate is mostly mild. Castle Stadium has previously hosted matches during Cup of Harmony 70 #BIGGUNSBIGGOALS and IAC-7!

Group A teams will enjoy the perfectly-kept grass playing surface of Castle Stadium, and the fans will likely enjoy the well-kept accommodations. Located on the north side of town, the stadium was built at the top of one of the foothills of the greater Valsum mountain range. One can see the stadium from afar, and looking out from the upper terraces one has a great view of the sprawling city. It isn't too far from the center of the city though, and is actually the closest to the airport. It shouldn't be too hard to find a hotel within walking or a quick ride's distance from the stadium.

THE RACEWAY NEST
Owabrok, Drawkland | Capacity: 155,500 | Drawk Corps
Hosting: Second listed group matches
As you might guess by the name, The Raceway Nest stadium is actually located in the infield of a much larger venue, the Owabrok Speedway. This may sound especially familiar to some people around here, but don't worry, it's nowhere near as impressive as Tundra Falls. The Speedway itself is not as massive as some of the racing venues you can find across the multiverse, so once you include all the racing necessities in the infield, combined with this large soccer venue, there isn't a whole lot of space left.

Despite Owabrok's relatively small sports market, the capacity of the Nest is actually quite large, and on par with some of the larger market teams in Drawkland. This was mainly due to an owner with delusions of grandeur at the time of building the new venue, and overestimating how many people were willing to show up to games. After all, many hundred thousands squeeze into this raceway all the time, surely they'd do the same for our home games? The result was less than ideal, but the capacity remained, and now it's mostly used for larger events like the World Cup or college football bowl games. The stadium and its pitch are fine (natural grass), but it's mostly getting the nod for its size and location.

GROUP G VENUES

Region
Drawkland's east coast on the Oreme Ocean is some of the finest coastline you'll ever see. Fortunately for Group G competitors, they'll be playing in the two biggest cities on said coastline. The eastern territory of Kanyoet is hallmarked by 3 large peninsulas, 2 of which contain Kayo and Kilnelm, host cities for this World Cup. The territory of Kanyoet was arguably the most advanced at the time of Drawkland's eventual unification, as most of the territory had already been united under the Queendom of Kayo (the capital). Its matriarch at the time was Kanyo, and her alliance with Iarocav proved to be a great decision that kept her territory at the forefront of development once the nation was founded. While the title of Queen became more ceremonial once Kanyo become one of the five Drawkionels of the greater nation, she and the territory still hold on to it as a cultural icon.

The eastern territory didn't take to sports as rabidly as the avid north, but Kanyo's personal and territorial resources made operating sports teams pretty simple. She made sure that interested cities were given all the help they needed to foster sports teams as a matter of course, and thus the venues, especially in Kayo itself, are some of the most beautiful and best-outfitted. Just ask anybody who played in the Kayo half of IAC-7!

Kayo
While Raikennax has had a major role in the pre-Drawkland days of history, Kayo arguably was even more important. Kayo is the capital city of the Kanyoet Territory, and was the seat of power in the region before Drawkland formed as a nation. It was here that the Queendom which eventually gave birth to Kanyo was located. Kanyo is one of the founding members of Drawkland and currently one of its immortal Drawkionels. She was the first to be found by Iarocav in his early explorations of the continent, and was the first to possess a territory rivaling his own in power and size. Kanyo's forces were instrumental in helping Iarocav in the Great Kingdom War which pitted those two against the forces of Callagard and Malicoll.

The city itself is one of the oldest in Drawkland. Situated on one of the eastern peninsulae of Drawkland, Kayo surrounds a large lake which empties into the nearby ocean. Because of this, it enjoys the benefits of being both an inland town and a coastal one. The original center of the city was a massive citadel split into 12 sections, with a central castle where the queens of the land lived. This is where Kanyo still resides some of the time, although she now has residences across the nation. Since these ancient days, the city has expanded more and more as technology and infrastructure grew. Kayo is the third-largest city in Drawkland and the largest outside of the Metro District (specifically Drawk City and Metropolon).

While sports aren't the strongest suit of most cities in the Kanyoet territory, Kanyo herself has made sure that the teams in Kayo were always well-funded and fitted out well. The home DLK side, the Kayo Queens, are the most successful of the 3 professional sides in the city, being consistent playoff contenders year in and year out. The Globes (gridiron) and Miners (basketball) are not as fortunate, but they're far from the worst in their respective leagues. The Queens are famous for their all-too-common 1-0 wins at home and on the road, unusual for Drawkian sides but enough to bring them consistent success. Queen's University, the most prominent of the city's many universities, isn't the best in the sporting world either, but they're certainly the cream of the crop for Kayo itself (however sour the crop may be).

The old citadel of Kayo is 100% the place to be for the city. As with most old and massive Drawkian cities, the old and historical parts of the city are as well-kept as can be, specifically for historical and tourism purposes. Also, the lake the city surrounds is pretty clean considering its locale, and so your average lakefront tourist trap attractions are definitely a go-to, especially for families. Also in the city are many museums, the most prominent being the art, history, and history of art museums (all technically different institutions). Also, one of Drawkland's biggest animation studios is headquarted in town, so you could check that out if it suits your fancy.

For a quick and easy day trip you could visit the Oreme Ocean coast, which is not far from the city (as we've previously mentioned). Multiple-day trips could take you further inland, to perhaps visit the vast mountains and forests that are hallmarks of Kanyoet. Other large cities in the near-ish area include Bethelm, Kilnelm (which is also hosting games), Quinnaber, and Unportade. Kayo is the largest city anywhere near the region though, so you'll probably find enough to do in town while you're there.

Kilnelm
Kilnelm were not as much of a cultural or historic phenomenon as Kayo, but the city was still a big player in Drawkland's middling history. Located on the longest peninsula in the territory, its status as Drawkland's most eastern port made it a key factor in the colonial age and beyond. A navy base was built in town at one point as well, giving it further relevance and helping expand the city even further. While it hasn't ballooned in size like some Drawkian metropolises, it's absolutely a household name, and is also a popular vacation spot.

Like other cities in the east, Kilnelm didn't take to its sports very quickly, with a gridiron football team (the Garrison) being their only claim to fame for awhile. However, Kilnelm's sister city and (usually) friendly rival Bethelm put together a professional soccer side, Kilnelm quickly responded in kind. What happened over the coming decades and centuries was one of Drawkland's most storied professional rivalries. Most pundits today agree that if it weren't for the unofficial competition between Bethelm and Kilnelm to be the better team, neither one would be as relevant or even existant in the league today.

As far as tourism, your best shot is all the coastal attractions. There's also many maritime and military history museums scattered about, especially near the expansive docks, so if that's your cup of tea, you'll highly enjoy it. Kilnelm's retained their relevance in the modern age by pandering to vacationers though, so there's many well-kept beaches and watersport attractions to take advantage of. If you're not as inclined for that, you could travel inland along the peninsula for more land-based natural attractions.

KANYO PITCH
Kayo, Drawkland | Capacity: 164,000 | Kayo Queens
Hosting: First listed group matches, Group Winner's Round of 16
Just like Kayo is the largest city outside of Drawk City and Metropolon, Kanyo Pitch is the largest stadium outside of Drawk City. With massive columns marking the exterior, and a fashionable stone-textured facade right smack in the middle of downtown, it's one of the more iconic and beautiful stadia in the nation. The luxury accommodations are top-notch, and the seating for the hundreds of thousands of regular fans aren't bad either. In a similar manner to the citadel of Kayo, Kanyo Pitch's grandstands are arranged in a perfectly circular bowl, and a similarly circular upper deck. The bowl itself is split into 12 large sections to further mimic the citadel appearance. This will be the fourth time Kanyo Pitch has held international matches, the others being Baptism of Fire 65, World Cup 79, and IAC-7 (in that order).

Being in the center of town, there is no shortage of hotels and public transportation to make life easy for those commuting to and from Kanyo Pitch. Players in Group G will also enjoy the grass pitch of the Pitch, and surely the infectious atmosphere of the large crowd will not disappoint. The only issue is that the airport is further from the center of town, so getting their in the first place will be the only issue. Still, the expansive public transport will surely be a boon here.

OREME FIELD
Kilnelm, Drawkland | Capacity: 115,000 | Kilnelm Crusaders (DLK), Garrison (GLD)
Hosting: Second listed group matches
With Kilnelm's relative apathy for sports, it became a no-brainer that the gridiron and soccer teams share the same stadium at Kilnelm. This isn't to say it's a subpar venue by any means: Oreme Field is located on the site of an abandoned dockyard on the northern side of the peninsula tip. No expense was spared, and the stadium became a jewel worthy of its oceanic namesake located a hundred feet from its walls. It is elevated a bit to prevent any accidental flooding issues, but it's nearly right on the water. The sleek but sensible exterior (which some claim resembles an oblong seashell), as well as its location within the city, makes it one of the most iconic stadiums in Drawkland.

Within the stadium, modern amenities and a great pitch are all available to the fans and players. It may not be the biggest of Drawkian venues, nor the most architecturally outlandish or impressive, but it's beautiful in its own right. There's a few hotels and such near the stadium, but most of the cities attractions are further inland on the downtown area, making it sometimes a pain to get to if there's traffic. Fortunately, a decent public transport system is also available if you need it.

GROUP H VENUES

Region
Group H is being contested in the southeastern region of Ellzidanet. This was the last of the five territories to enter the geopolitical fold in Drawkland's initial conflict that led to its unification and founding. The biggest reason for this was the large and difficult-to-traverse mountain ranges along its western border and nearly impenetrable jungles and forests within. The legendary half-elf Ellzidan hailed from these lands, and it was her that turned the tide in the war and allowed the founding of Drawkland to happen in the first place. Because of the wild nature of the land, development and settlement happened very seldom and usually along the coastlines. Eventually though, these coastal cities gained some big traction and exploded in size.

Due to the slow development of the cities, not many of them ended up fielding sports teams. Thanks to the direct interest and efforts of Ellizdan herself though, the soccer-specific culture in the territory is much stronger than other sports. There will definitely be a lot of interested Drawkian fans (of various species) attending matches as a third party.

Elstrund
Elstrund is not really a "city" by conventional means. It's actually the name of a mind-numbingly massive tree, rooted in a valley in central Ellzidanet. Comparisons to The World Tree or Yggdrasil or whatever equivalent you prefer are easy to make. The supposedly-sentient tree is older than Drawkland as a nation by several thousand years, and even that is possibly lowballing it. Elstrund served as Ellzidan's base of operations in her early days, and became a safe haven in the otherwise perilous wilderness that stretches for hundreds of miles in every direction. Ever since those early days, millions of beings (of many species) have called the Tree home. Despite its status as a "city", there is minimal modern infrastructure, if at all. Most infrastructure is arcane rather than scientific where possible, and buildings made of stone or metal are rare.

Ellzidan is a fighter, to say the least. Her competitive nature is what allowed her to survive in her early life, and what led to her eventually becoming one of the Drawkionels. When the concept of sports, specifically soccer, began to make their rounds around the nation, she took to it like a ring in the bell. She founded a team, the Elstrund Roots, and they were one of the founding members of the DLK. As an immortal, she's been playing ever since, and carrying her team through both good and bad times. While other sports have little to no presence in the Valley, soccer is a massive event.

If you're somebody who enjoys the comforts of the city and the nightlife, you're not going to have as much fun at Elstrund. We'd suggest that most fans coming for Elstrund hosted games bring or rent camping gear to get the full experience. You could also rent a cabin in or near the valley, but those are always in high demand, so it can sometimes be hard to find one on shorter notice. As far as natural beauties though, it's unbeatable. Elstrund Valley, even without the fantastical tree smack in the middle of it, would still be a breathtaking natural wonder. There's a reason why it's one of Sonnel's 7 Wonders of the World. You could spend months hiking, backpacking, climbing, or exploring the mountains and forests of the areas just within an hour's drive. If you're a city slicker though, you could just spend more time in Shire-Port, or try Algornia (the nearest major city).

Shire-Port
Shire-Port is the largest real city in the territory. Located in a large safe bay, its status as an international port in the colonial age and beyond helped balloon its size. There was also a large amount of piracy going on in this time period (mostly due to indifference by the territorial authorities), and the most legitimate of them ended up basing a lot of their operations in or near Shire-Port. Its geographical location along the coastline, about halfway between the northern and southern corners of the territory, made it a convenient middle ground to operate from, and the lack of large inland settlements meant a lot of business and population came and stayed in Shire-Port. Eventually it become one of Drawkland's top 15 largest cities by population.

As the largest population center in its area of the territory, it was natural that sports teams would pop up in the city. Soccer was no exception, especially with Ellzidan's hearty support of cities in her territory taking up the game at a professional level. Due to the (in)famous history of piracy in the city, all 4 major league teams have pirate-themed team nicknames. The Corsairs aren't exactly a force in the DLK, but they're far from an embarrassment, usually ...

Fans travelling to Shire-Port will have a lot of options for tourism. The docks and shipyard are quite active, and have many museums and tours available, including several replica ships. You could also learn the history of piracy in Drawkland and Sonnel, if that's your cup of tea. The big draw of Ellzidanian cities is their proximity to great wilderness sites . Though you can't beat what you find around Elstrund, there's still a plethora of natural beauties to behold within a day's drive of Shire-Port.

THE ROOT FIELD
Elstrund, Drawkland | Capacity: 133,300 | Elstrund Roots
Hosting: First listed group matches, Group Winner's Round of 16
If the mere existence of the tree Elstrund was enough to make your jaw drop, then you'll be floored to hear about the Elstrund Root's stadium. The supposedly sentient nature of the tree and its relationship with Ellzidan, combined with her need for a venue for her new team, resulted in the Root Field being created. The Root Field is not a conventional stadium made of concrete and metal - it is made entirely of wood "naturally" carved out of the surface and interior of a few of Elstrund's above-ground roots near its trunk. If yout didn't understand the scale of how massive this tree is, realize that this 133k seater stadium was formed out of just parts of its roots. Being made from the space between two roots, one of the ends of the stadium is open, making a horseshoe shape.

The field surface is, of course, made of some of the finest natural grass you'll ever play on. The stadium's open end was originally completely bare besides a small fence, but with the advent of video scoreboards and modern amenities, a modestly sized fieldhouse was built which contained a scoreboard on top, as well as some more formal fencing and barriers to make it resemble a more modern stadium. The venue is certainly quirky, but it's going to be the freshest air you've ever breathed, and you'll never play in a stadium like it again.

TREASURE TROVE STADIUM
Shire-Port, Drawkland | Capacity: 106,150 | Shire-Port Corsairs (DLK), Pirates (GLD)
Hosting: Second listed group matches
Shire-Port may be a "big" sporting town compared to its neighbors in the territory, but in the grand Drawkian scheme they're not very obsessed. From that end, both their association and gridiron football teams share the same stadium, to save on stadium costs and logistical convenience. It's located on a northern hill overlooking the bay that Shire-Port has slowly surrounded and filled with various docks and such. The aforementioned pirate theme does run deep though, so the stadium does have lots of quirky pirate-themed decorations and ornamentations. The stadium itself is a sort of horseshoe shape, with the open end faces south towards the bay. In the evenings, the sunlight glimmers on the bay for a beautiful view, but the orientation of the stadium makes sure the sunlight doesn't get into fan's faces.

Being one of Drawkland's more middling venues for middling teams, its amenities and facilities are not top-of-the-line, but they're still easily acceptable for national teams playing in a World Cup. The stadium, like all in its territory, features a natural grass playing surface. Despite its status as a multiple-team venue, the won't be a noticeable difference in the field's feel or the markings or anything of that sort. Every measure was taken to ensure the stadium is in perfect condition for World Cup play.

PLAYOFF VENUES

One-Off Stadiums
While the group stage and Round of 16 matches will be held in the regional group areas, a few venues have been selected from elsewhere in Drawkland to play host to quarterfinal matchups. Since the teams playing there won't be in town for long, we'll just be giving quick descriptions of the stadiums and their cities here.

PITCH of the PLAINS
Bellator, Drawkland | Capacity: 101,000 | Bellator Rangers
Hosting: Quarterfinal Match
Bellator was the great meeting point of the nomadic western tribes and clans in Drawkland's early history. Besides Raikennax and Owabrok, it was one of the only "permanent" settlements in the area. Obviously, once Drawkland was founded as a nation, more cities and towns began to pop up. In this same way, Bellator began to expand into a territorial capital and important trading post. As modernization eventually crept upon Sonnel and Drawkland, Bellator became more of a major player in Drawkland's economy. Sports were never as big a deal in the west or south as they were in the north, but Bellator's status as a large city and biggest population center in its area led to a few sports teams popping up.

This isn't the first time the Pitch of the Plains and Bellator have played host to international play, as it's previously held group play in Baptism of Fire 65 and the World Cup Round of 16 match between Schottia and San Jose Guayabal. The stadium itself is an open-aired bowl, situated on the eastern outskirts of Bellator. The eastern end of the stadium has a gap in the upper deck (which is one of the reasons of its comparatively small capacity) where fans can see an unobstructed view of the most undeveloped grasslands and plains stretching towards the horizon. The rest of the stadium is pretty standard, and besides the size, will likely feel very homely to anybody attending.

"HOME of KICKERBALL" GELIA FIELD
Gelia, Drawkland | Capacity: 111,000 | Gelia Nets
Hosting: Quarterfinal Match
With Sonnel being its own planet with its own people and history, every sport developed in a different way from the multiverse. Conveniently, they ended up being designed nearly identically to the codes played by virtually other nation! In Drawkland, the sport now known as soccer or football was originally called kickerball, and its roots can be traced back to the relatively humble town of Gelia, in the Drawkland mideast. Gelia was a major port on a river that empties into the Oreme Sea, so when the kickerball sport first got its legs, it was travelled up and down the river and outward to the rest of the nation quite quickly.

The "Home of Kickerball", Gelia Field, is not as much of a technological or architectural wonder as some of its company in Drawkland. It does qualify as a large stadium, by Drawkian standards, but it's got much more of a classic feel to it. The stadium itself is a bowl, with a somewhat brutalist concrete façade and nearly perfectly ellipsoid footprint. Inside the stadium there isn't much variation, it's a nearly seamless seating arrangement with an upper deck. That isn't to say the stadium is low-tech, because it still possesses all the modern amenities and conveniences you'd expect at a professional Drawkian venue. Still, its retro charm is timeless and sure to remind one of the days when the sport wasn't so dazzling, if you're an old enough fart to remember that.

CORPS CENTRAL PITCH
Drawk City, Drawkland | Capacity: 150,500 | Drawk Corps (DLK)
Hosting: Semifinal Match
Corps Central Pitch is apart of the larger Corps Central Complex, the headquarters of the Drawk Corps' sports venues. The Complex hosts 4 large venues for the 4 major sports in Drawkland, all adjacent to one another laid out in a 4-pointed manner. In the center is a large skyscraper that servers as the Corps' main HQ. The ground levels of the building are recreational and retail spaces, making this a hub for many Corps members. "But wait!" I hear you saying, "What the hell is a Corps?! And is this a different team from the Kick Corps? What is happening? Ahhhhhhh", to which I tell you to calm down and listen. The concept of the Corps is rather unique to Drawkland. Corps are usually a regional organization, like a club. Most Corps give certain benefits to members, like easy access to jobs within the Corps which relate to particular industries. Many Corps operate universities, and some sports teams as well. The Drawk Corps is the biggest one, with a nationwide reach.

The Corps Central Complex is more on the outskirts of Drawk City. Luckily for fans, it's way closer to the main airport, so it'll be way quicker to get there. Unfortunately, it'll be a while away from the various Drawk City attractions, but if you're interested in the Corps life, you could perhaps see what it's all about. You could even become a member! Though you probably wouldn't be able to reap the bigger benefits from your home nation. Previously, it's hosted some 7 Nation Cup matches, as well as half the matches from Group A in World Cup 79.

SEVEN STARS STADIUM
Centivar County, Drawkland | Capacity: 250,000 | No regular tenant
Hosting: MD1 Drawkland vs Starblaydia, WC86 Third Place Match
Built during World Cup 79 specifically to host the Final match, Seven Stars Stadium is one component of a much larger Centivar County Complex. Seven Stars Stadium is a massive and beautifully constructed indoor arena with the highest level of arcane arts and modern technology combined in its construction. An indoor arena with a retractable vaulted roof, Seven Stars holds a massive 250k fans within it, combining several decks of seating as well as massive multi-level columns for additional seating and luxury boxes. The surface is a combined turf/natural grass to mix the advantages of both. Nano technology allows it to be colored via electronic controls, making switching between sports easy at the press of a button.

If you'd like some more detailed/dramatic descriptions, try these three RPs from the WC79 cycle when it was constructed.

So far, Seven Stars Stadium has held several Drawkian domestic championships in various sports since its construction, but the first match that christened its tenure was the World Cup 79, where Schottia defeated Bonesea 3-2. Since then, it has hosted Drawkland's 2-3 defeat to Omerica in IAC7, Cassadaigua's 3-2 series defeat of Drawkland in the WBC48 playoffs, and Nova Anglicana's first WBC victory via a 4-3 series win over Cassadaigua. There was also a 7 Nation Cup final, but you don't even know what that is. Unfortunately, the equally legendary Tundra Falls Proving Grounds will be hosting this World Cup's final, so this time it will be a pair of saddened semifinalists joining the elite company of those who've played in this great cathedral of competition.

by **Omerica** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 11:48 pm

IAX Omerica — George Kostas leaves the Omerica national team by mutual consent after home soil elimination
Kostas and the United Republican Soccer Federation and will not seek to renew the Incorrigibles manager’s expiring contract after a humiliating IAC group stage exit

Falconbarrow, Strathavon — The United Republican Soccer Federation has confirmed that George Kostas will not be leading Omerica into World Cup qualifying after the nation became the first to crash out of the Independent Associations Championship group stage on home soil.

Omerica won their first two games at the Championship against two-time winners Schottia and unranked Hwiccemark before taking an off-day in the middle of the group stage. After that off day, Omerica managed a grand total of one point in their two remaining group games, drawing an already-eliminated Space and losing to second-seeds TJUN-ia; with Schottia’s simultaneous victory over Hwiccemark, both they and TJUN-ia overtook then-leading Omerica to knock the hosts out of the tournament.

All twelve IAC home team finishes
IAC 1 — Bonesea: Round of 16
IAC 2 — Schottia: Runners-up
IAC 2 — Mercedini: Third place
IAC 3 — Spaam: Round of 16
IAC 3 — Kel Assuk: Quarterfinals
IAC 4 — Schottia: Quarterfinals
IAC 5 — “Free Republics”: Third place
IAC 6 — Mercedini: Quarterfinals
IAC 7 — Drawkland: Runners-up
IAC 8 — Reçueçn: Champions
IAC 9 — HUElavia: Runners-up
IAC X — Omerica: Group stage

Prior to IAX, no Championship host nation had ever been eliminated in the group stage, with Bonesea and Spaam putting up the previous joint-worst host nation performances: both nations were knocked out in the last sixteen by Abanhfleft. In contrast, a majority of the IAC’s previous host teams had advanced to the semifinals: Mercedini (in IAC 2) and the so-called “Free Republics” finished in third place on home soil, Schottia (in IAC 2), Drawkland and HUElavia finished as runners-up and Reçueçn famously won the tournament in front of a home crowd.

Coincidentally, Omerica had previously set the record for worst IAC title-defence campaign in Reçueçn, held in the nation due to the United Republican Soccer Federation’s steadfast refusal to host the Championship as the titleholders. New Lusitania ultimately knocked Omerica—under the management of George Kostas—out in the last sixteen in Zimmerich; Reçueçn, who went on to win the tournament, ultimately matched Omerica’s record in HUElavia two years later with their defeat to Port Ember in Portimao.

“I have to take responsibility for what has happened today,” Kostas said in the press conference after the match which knocked Omerica out of the Championship. “So many things had to go wrong for this to happen, but the ultimate responsibility has to rest on one person’s shoulders and those shoulders are mine.”

“Filling the shoes of Mme [Anne-Sophie] Groothuis was always going to be a tough job for anyone, but we respect the work that Mr Kostas has done over the last half-decade,” URSF Vice Secretary Alexis Peña-Rosales stated when announcing the decision. “Mr Kostas has always had the best interests of the Incorrigibles at heart and this is why both Mr Kostas and the Federation have come to the agreement that it is best for us to part ways and for Omerica to rebuild under a new management team.”

Kostas thus leaves the Incorrigibles after five years in charge, with back-to-back IAC group stage eliminations in that time span. After a clerical error precluded Omerica’s participation in the World Cup 84 qualification, Kostas’s Omerica finished 7th in a group of 13 teams, with Kostas infamously taking a leave of absence for the second half of the campaign after being “about ready to break under pressure”. Nevertheless, depsite Kostas’s full-time reign being generally regarded as a failure, the former Omerica striker leaves the post with the third-best win percentage and third-best points-per-game ratio of all Omerica managers—beaten only Ryan Pritchard and Anne-Sophie Groothuis—and as one of just four Omerica managers with an overall winning record alongside Pritchard, Groothuis and Jean-Baptiste Archambault.

“I’m immensely grateful for the time I’ve been able to spend in the dugout and for the support of the Omerica fans,” Kostas said on twii.tur after his departure was announced. “Things may look a bit bleak right now, but we know best that ‘Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.’”

Corona Christiana manager Michaela Ferreira, Londonderry manager Martin Callaghan and former Malavan Romainbourg manager Alexis Stephanidis are currently considered the favourites for the managerial post by bookmakers, though the URSF have not definitively ruled out searching for a manager from abroad. ⚜️

For your reading pleasure
▶ OPINION: Omerica’s home soil humiliation is the best thing to ever happen to the Independent Associations Championship
▶ IAX Omerica: Where did it all go wrong for the Incorrigibles? What needs to change for the next Independent Associations Championship?
▶ Saint Anne Athletic pull in Saltstead under-21 manager Christiane van Åupħen to replace the departing John Nicholas Rosencrants
▶ Prime Minister Julie Thibault rules out dropping the writ for a spring federal election and commits to the fixed summer date

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:21 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 **Kita-Hinode** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:30 am

Yokurt - Roleplaying is our Life! (OFFICIAL) > Threads > Semi In-Character > Hinodejin Empire to join CotF ranks after WC 86

Hinodejin Empire to join CotF ranks after WC 86

[Staff] Kurt: So, according to the Sunrise Club's Digest latest article, the Imperial Hinodejin Football Association announced that this upcoming World Cup qualifying cycle will be their last for the time being, open for change should interest inside the Empire increase regarding the tournament. Normally, the World Cup season is when we turn to the Semi In-Character section of the communities to get into the football banter but this piece of news caught me (and I'm sure plenty of others) off-guard. Anyway, people of Yokurt, what are your thoughts regarding this announcement? Remember that we're in the Semi In-Character section, so you're free to give your IRL opinion but make sure to make it in character.

[Soccer Academy] OASIS - The Best: Hah! Serves 'em right. Tossers, the whole lot of 'em, fixed matches to get the Main Ministry in the second round, should've called it when they rigged the final.

[Soccer Academy] The Prince of Football BLUR: I don't usually agree with my former academy roommate but he's somewhat accurate in his assessment.

[Soccer Academy] OASIS - The Best: hbu sod off to Ribble

[Soccer Academy] The Prince of Football BLUR: B-But I agree with you!

[Soccer Academy] OASIS - The Best: Ribble, you, sod off to.

[The Adventures of Thun the Fox] Sir Thun the Fox of Kitsuneland (Esq.): That's a bit of a weird flex, don't you guys think? Just flat out announcing that "we don't care about it" like that sounds a tad rough. This fox believes that there's more to it.

[Superathleta] Mateus Carvalho: There is more to it, but it's not really that much of a secret. Finished reading everything, it says that there's a "lack of interest from media partners, sponsors and nationally overall" to justify a return to the qualifiers. I kinda get it, to be honest.

[Super Space Ninja Yoshimitsu] Friend of all children, Yoshimitsu: Thee has't far m're patience than myself. Yond hath said, although i disliketh the idea of cow'ring from playing f'reign pow'rs, the want of stakes madeth those folk quaint rough to gaze upon.

[Superathleta] Mateus Carvalho: In all fairness, I'm a bit... TV savvy. I know the media saw terrible numbers for both the World Cup and the Campionato Esportiva while almost everyone loved watching the Cup of the Futurnites and the Nations' Cup.

[The Adventures of Thun the Fox] Sir Thun the Fox of Kitsuneland (Esq.): Ah! I see! It makes sense to this fox. After all, the Nations' Cup was pretty heated with the debut of the Shintochi regional team, still building off the tensions of the One Night War while the Cup of the Futurnites saw the triumphant return of Dainer to the international scene.

[Superathleta] Mateus Carvalho: And then the HHK had a public poll on whether people would want to watch the national team play the Futurnites or the rest of the multiverse. You can imagine how that went.

[Fatality!] Queen Winteal of Iternia: Well, I for one am dumbfounded with my fellow royal leader. How can someone pull such an act of cowardice as to leave competition merely for such nonsense reasons as "lack of interest"? Isn't this the Hinodejin Empire? Why I should go yell at her right now!

[Fatality!] Princess Mitana of Iternia: Mother... I don't want to alarm you but I believe Killeena is munching your dresses again. I tried to stop her and she almost bit one of my fingers off.

[Fatality!] Princess Kileena of Iternia: Nom-nom-nom... Texture...

[Fatality!] Queen Winteal of Iternia: OH NO!

[Big Bang and Other Shenanigans] Stanley Bronson: I don't know if this move will be the best for the Empire.

[Big Bang and Other Shenanigans] Suk de Koch: Give up, they're not hiring Big Bang Travelling to take the national team to all around the multiverse for games.

[Big Bang and Other Shenanigans] Stanley Bronson: Curses! Still, my Big Bang is just waiting to happen, you know it!

[Big Bang and Other Shenanigans] Suk de Koch: In all seriousness, this isn't a big deal. If the people prefer Thunisia to Brenecia, might as well give them what they want anyway.

[Pokécards Underground] Hinode: ...

[School Life] Hinode: Oh, damn.

[Radio Esportiva] Sunrise: Eh, been there, done that.

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:09 am

It was never supposed to go like this for Kevin Connelly.

He agreed to be coaxed out of retirement to serve for one go around as assistant manager to help a young and inexperienced Bryan Ostrom learn to handle the vagaries of managing an international football side in World Cup qualifying.

He had every intention of calling it a career after qualifying was done, perhaps willing to finish the cycle in the Cup of Harmony if the Stars were invited to participate. He missed his family. He missed the carefree moments waking up at the beach overlooking the waterway that separated Sarzonia from Delaclava.

He missed the visits with friends in Delaclava as External Affairs sadly issued a travel warning as the result of unrest in the land belonging to Sarzonia's southern neighbours. Most of all, he missed the lack of stress that retirement brought him.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Connelly never had the chance to just ride off into a relatively anonymous sunset. His boss, the man he came to like and respect for asking him to become a mentor, committed suicide on the eve of the World Cup, Sarzonia's first after a 27-cycle absence. There was no time for a job search for his successor. There was no way to find someone else to help shepherd the team through the sort of grief that only one other team Sarzonia ever fielded had experienced.

That meant a man who never wanted to manage a team in the World Cup was now having to deal with his own loss. The loss his players dealt with. The media attention as several countries Sarzonia were facing paid tribute to Ostrom and his family.

He closed his eyes, bent his head and took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He'd just remembered that first match against Terre Septentrionale, standing in the tunnel and waiting for stadium officials to give the signal to walk out onto the pitch. He remembered catching himself looking to his left, half hoping he'd see Ostrom standing there. He remembered wishing that he could have the chance to whisper encouragement to Ostrom, but instead hearing a very similar speech from Kevin Wilson, who was now suddenly to his right.

He remembered feeling like his heart caught in his throat when he heard the public address announcer paying tribute to Ostrom and asking for a moment of silence. He would also get the same feeling when he saw Trolleborg pay tribute to Ostrom and his family. He even noted with sadness the uncharacteristically sombre atmosphere in the hours leading up to Sarzonia's match there.

After Sarzonia struggled out of the gate in the first half of qualifying, he felt the weight of the pressure from a football perspective, but even more so, he felt the strain of having to serve as comforter in chief, a role he felt especially I'll equipped to handle. He was struggling with his own emotions in addition to helping his team deal with theirs. Sarzonia's record in the first half of qualifying certainly wasn't helping. He decided then that he was going to walk away. The Incorporated Football Federation understood. They accepted. He was ready to move back to his beach house. Back to his life away from the spotlight. Back to the stress free days he missed so desperately.

Then a funny thing happened. Like the sudden flick of a switch, Sarzonia began to win. Sure, their biggest highlight early on was a draw against Abanhfleft that damaged the chances of the qualifying group's third highest ranked team plus victories against teams that never stood a chance to qualify, but the wins were slowly improving morale even though they weren't improving the team's chances of qualifying.

Then the Stars played away to Brenecia, a team that rudely shoved them aside in Woodstock. When the final whistle sounded, the Stars were the ones who rudely shoved Brenecia out of mathematical contention for the group title. Sure, it wasn't knocking their hosts out of the proper, but it was a signature victory. It was the shot heard around the multiverse. It was an announcement that Sarzonia were back. It was also the signal for the IFF to decide maybe Connelly was the right person for the job after all. Their job search became half-hearted and now focused on trying to convince Connelly to stay.

A couple more upsets followed in the Cup of Harmony and finally, Connelly agreed to stay on after a bit of ghostly intervention. The IFF readily agreed to allow Connelly to take a leave of absence starting with the third place playoff in the Cup of Harmony and running through AOCAF LX. The Stars started slowly in World Cup 85, but ended up with two signature victories that cycle, a 1-0 win at home to Nephara and a 3-2 victory over Banija in the proper. Connelly managed to get the Stars back to the proper only two cycles back from their lengthy absence. They came within a poor result against the eventual champions of actually advancing to the knockouts.

But now, Connelly knew that the time his team's success had pushed back was finally going to come. This time, he knew this was it. He stepped out onto the dais and announced that he was retiring after the World Cup 86 cycle was done.

He was ready to return to his life. To the carefree beach. To his family. To his sense of a lost normal. He was ready to walk away from the scrutiny, for good this time.

by **Indusse** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:43 am

IFA NEWS NETWORK

"We are back!Stronger than ever!" says Joseph Moteudi, coach of the nation."Isn't this what you said last season?" points out Genet Jackson , reporter of KNTV news. Everyone starts laughing loudly which made Moteudi a bit uneasy. Suddenly, Moteudi tapped on the table and it was perfect silence. It continued for a while and Moteudi stood up from the Chair. He said "Yes,that's what I said and that's the truth too" and without saying anything left the conference hall. He could've shouted vulgar language,he could have beaten up Genet, he could've reacted violently. You should also note that Genet Jackson is always against Joseph. That's what Joseph Moteudi is,that is the reason he's still the coach,that's why everyone likes Moteudi."Moteudi! Moteudi!Moteudi! He's our spirit, he's our life elixir. We play for the nation then for Moteudi then only for our will." says Mersiás. Yes, that's why Moteudi still remains in the management and why he's able to build up the team. It's the coordination between the coach and Players. The team is performing good after he joined. They reached good in the Wonder Cup, Round of 16 in IAC X in Omerica, the team won the AIFC 2 Tournament. He was the asst.coach when the team won the 3ppo of Sporting World Cup.

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:28 pm

Jason Mitchell’s Bunker, Murwelldobah, 22:00
Jason Mitchell was in a bunker with 4 other people, his Vice President, his Advisor, his Dad, and his Wife. He had no kids, and his mom died years before he took office.

“Fuck guys, where do we go? We can’t stay here now, 2 of the 3 largest cities have already fallen, and Murwelldobah isn’t looking like it will last long, do we have anywhere to go yet?”

“No, we are trying to get some governments on the phone though.”

“Okay, call everyone you know of, Mriin, Quebec, Delaclava, Banija, Happilopper, Farfadillis, the EOT, anywhere in the AO works, I don’t care where I go at this point. If we don’t get out of here tonight, they will kill us all.”

“Sir, may I make a suggestion, we could try to get to the Murwelldobah port, if some Loyalists are willing to ship us out to a foreign nation that lets us in, we could be safe. The Anarchists have not had any time to take the Naval ships and command them, along with the fact that they don’t really want any military control over the nation, that is our best shot at sneaking out.”

“Aye, Jason we got a call back.”

“Who is it from?”

“The Delaclav government, they are willing to take us in, if we can find a way to get there.”

“Guys, this may be our last and only shot at making it, we gotta take it, Delaclava isn’t too far away, we gotta jet out to the port fast now, without getting caught.”

“But who can get us there?”

“I think I have an idea. You remember that one guy, the guy that always comes into my office asking for money to fund the schools and shit?”

“That’s your fucking secretary of education, Lawrence Cruz.”

“Do you think that he could help sneak us out?”

“Maybe, should we give him a shot?”

“Well, yes, I know where he lives, we just gotta make it 2 miles from here without getting caught.”

“I say it’s a better idea for him to come over here, and let him drive us over to the port.”

“Alright lemme call him. Hey Lawrence! You think you can drive us outa here and give us a ride to the port, I’ll pay you 600,000 Kalactanian Dollars for it.”

“600,000 sounds like a deal, I’ll be over there in 10.”

“Alright, now we just have to hope that those dirty anarchists don’t try to kill Lawrence on the way over here.”

10 minutes later...

“Aye Lawrence! How does it go?”

“Well, you called me while I was watching us about to beat Delaclava 4-1, and you made me come over and drive your asses over to the port, I better get some decent money for it.”

“Yup! I got 600k waiting for you once we get there.”

“Cool, it’s looks like about a 15 minute drive from here to the port, so you guys might wanna lay low back there in my trunk.”

“Alright, where’s your boat?”

“Let’s take one of the small special ops ships from the navy, we should be able to make it to Delaclava from there.”

“Do we know where we wanna go in Delaclava.”

“The government said to go to a large island northeast of mainland which is the province of Valhalla. We can the go there and make further plans to settle elsewhere with the Delaclav Government.”

“Alright, say goodbye to Northwest Kalactin guys, trust me, we will likely never see it again.”

Everyone on the ship was in deep thought as they made their way, they had loved their during their entire lives, and they had to leave, because one person, one arrogant man decided to screw the nation over. Jason Mitchell would never see the light of Northwest Kalactin again. All 5 people on that boat knew though, they would likely be killed if they tried to stay in Northwest Kalactin. They sailed over throughout the night towards Delaclava, and in the morning, they would reach their destination of the Valhalla province. They were all very happy to finally see the beautiful land again, but they knew that their lives would not be the same there, and that they would not be treated the same way as they were back home. They ported in Valhalla, and all 5 of them were accepted into Delaclava, it was not the same as home. They had achieved their goal though. They where able it make it to Delaclava safely, and they didn’t have to feel the wrath of the Anarchists trying to pressure them into quitting entirely. The battle was not over yet, the Loyalists were pretty much screwed though, they would not recover, and they would have to find somewhere to go.

by **Delaclava** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:07 pm

"Mr. President, there's a call for you."

Joseph Urso looked away from the television towards his assistant, Sally Dawkins. They were in the recreational lounge at the executive building in Catherina, staying around to hammer out a new public transportation proposal, before kicking back with the friendly game going on in Quinniville, Delaclava against Northwest Kalactin. It was supposed to be an ideal way to end the evening, but the Kalactanian squad had clearly found some confidence in their quarterfinal AOCAF run, and now Delaclava's five-game winning streak over their rivals was on the ropes.

"At this hour? Who?"

"It's an advisor of Jason Mitchell."

Urso looked at Sally, then at the TV, then back at Sally with a wry laugh. "Really?"

"He said it was an urgent matter."

"Riots that bad? Wow, that was fast..."

"I'll take this," said Michael Schiff, his Secretary of Foreign Affairs, standing up to leave the office. "I'll round up the military and diplomatic councils too. Brief you in a few?"

"Thanks, Michael," President Urso said, turning back to the game and groaning as Artem Kohut cranked another long shot well over the crossbar. The Kalactanians were now nursing a 3-1 lead and the Delaclav offense couldn't seem to solve the minimal defensive resistance they traditionally put up.

A few minutes more of this, and Urso was quite thankful to see Schiff walk in with a new group of people and sit down. Urso muted the game. "What do we have?"

"The riots have gotten wildly out of control. Military bases have been evacuated and police forces have been defunded, and the Secretary of State, Luke Harrison, was assassinated yesterday. And the fact that the police put down his assassin has gotten people so riled up that Jason Mitchell and his entourage have fled the capital into a bunker in Murwelldobah. Mitchell resigned his post and his group is looking to flee the country and find refuge before they are harmed."

"And so he wants to come to Delaclava?"

"He's just trying to get to the first place that'll give him safe haven. I told him we'd have to review the situation. I know many governments are wary of taking in a dictator, or a criminal-"

Urso threw up his arms in disgust. "But he's not! They elected him and now they're throwing their toys out of the pram!"

"That's our understanding, yes. He's unpopular, but that's no reason for this to be unacceptable."

Urso shook his head. "No, we have to help him out. I don't know if we have a place to intervene there, but we should absolutely welcome him here."

"The only question is, do we put our citizens, or our government at risk with this?"

Naval Chief Rickson Andrade interjected. "We'll have intel and counterterrorism surrounding him at all times, when he arrives here and going forward. Now, that may be for the rest of his life..."

Andrade looked to Urso for a judgment call, and the President firmly finished: "Well, that's what we're going to do. We have to protect the democratic leaders of the world, and especially of our region." Urso turned to Schiff. "How many of them are there? It may be difficult to bring in an entire entourage."

"It's just five. It's Mitchell, Michael Norman, the advisor with whom I spoke, and Mitchell's father and wife."

"Easy enough."

Andrade thought a moment, and suggested, "Let's get him to Valhalla. It's an easy ship or flight and they'll be here by the morning. If they can't make it safely themselves, we'll send a vessel there. Otherwise, we'll have the Federal Guard meet them in Nordurin, bring them to the province capitol in Valhalla and go from there."

"Alright, give them a call back and let them know." Urso glanced at the silent game, which now had a scoreline of 4-1. "You know, of all the times for them to ask for our help...

"Sir!"

"I'm kidding!" Urso laughed. "About time they got one on us anyway. Now come on, let's get Mitchell here as soon as possible."

Urso and his team wrestled with how publicly they should handle their acceptance of Jason Mitchell. In the end, Urso thought it was best to announce this to the Delaclav public and to the world, so he called a press conference on the back lawn of the executive building, and began with a statement:

"Thank you for joining me here this morning. Last night at around 2200 hours, we received a request for refuge from the deposed Prime Minister of Northwest Kalactin, Jason Mitchell. After consultation with my staff and advisors, we agreed to accept Prime Minister Mitchell and several companions. Our Federal Guard informs me that they arrived in Delaclava this morning. As of our current knowledge of the unrest in Northwest Kalactin, they will not be arrested or detained here; they will be protected by the Federal Guard until we can find a more permanent solution for his safety and protection. We made this decision in order to support and defend democracy and due process, which are dear tenets of the culture and society we have built in Delaclava, and which we believe were not honored in Prime Minister Mitchell's ousting from his position.

"I will take questions now."

"Mr. President, what drove the decision to accept a potential war criminal into our borders?"

"Let me be clear. Jason Mitchell is not a dictator or a war criminal. He is a democratically elected government official, who was met with a loud and violent minority, and who was pushed out after his military and police force could no longer protect him. If we had any inkling that he was guilty of any wrongdoing or mistreatment of his people, we would not have accepted him into our land. From our political perspective, he was merely a proponent and catalyst of policies that were unpopular and controversial. That should not be a reason for one to fear for their life or liberty."

"Mr. President, if Mitchell is brought up on crimes In Northwest Kalactin, will your government follow diplomatic protocol and extradite him?"

"We will do so if we feel any charges brought against Prime Minister Mitchell are fair and just, consistent with the typical enforcement of Kalactanian law, and consistent with our belief in human rights for all. But we will not honor any contrived accusations. To have a different opinion, or a different plan of action is not a crime."

"Mr. President, will your government pursue further involvement in the unrest of Northwest Kalactin?"

"We will do so if we believe the stability of our region, and of our national interests is threatened. For the time being, our priority is that Jason Mitchell is safe from danger."

by **Silver Commonwealth** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 1:39 am

Prologue before the Great Game - Coach and his team

Salgado Stadium, SC's Brazil

Enrico Sá - the head coach of Silver Commonwealth's team, was checking a bunch of papers in his cabinet, and drinking an another bottle of water. In his face it could be easily seen that he was anxious about something, and for a good reason - while he was a successful coach with sizable amount of years and experience in his field, and had successfully lead his team to victory in several domestic tournaments and competitions in South America, his new task was the biggest challenge he had ever faced yet, and put a pressure on both him and his team. He had to lead his team to victory in an international tournament which surely had teams stronger than those which his team had ever faced in any SC's tournament, and as he was in change of ''SC's international football team'', on the shoulders of his team were not only SC's Brazilian fan, but also the rest of SC's football fan hopes, as his team was picked to represent ''best from the best''. Jesse Camacho, the manager of SC's international football team, had visited Enrico in the morning to ask how the things were going. Enrico said that ''things were going well'', although there was still a lot of uncertainty in the air and the performance of some football players in warm-ups wasn't stellar, as Enrico knew that Jesse wouldn't take it too kindly if he would answer that things weren't that great (And in case of failure in tournament even more so). After Enrico had contained anxiety, he started looking at the Silver Commonwealth's Football Association's (SCFA) intel about his team, while also using what he knew from his experience with his team.

''So, about Vítor Canto'', Enrico started with the goalkeeper. ''He is quite tall, and he has good reflexes, so he will be pretty good for guarding the goal from this post, but will also be sufficient if he needs to run out to intercept the football ball''. Enrico then moved on to the Captain and Vice-Captain, which were supposed to lead his team on the football field. ''One's an attacker, other's a midfielder. Captain Gabriel Vila - hasn't been injured for quite a some time and is in tip-top shape. Not particularly quick runner, but has endurance which could be resourceful with our attack formation. The Vice-Captain, Miguel Fraga, is a midfielder. A bit of ''jack of all trades'' when it comes to attack and defense, but has organizer skills. The striker - Manoel da Costa, pretty good at sprint, but I will tell him to not burn out his energy too quickly. Augusto Serra - a defender, not as fast, the best place for him should be at the back, as he will be more of an use to hold together our weaker defense...''

And in a similar manner he went through the intel of other players in the main team, and the reserves. After finishing the review, he went out of his cabinet to tell the main team and reserves to prepare for an another warm-up before the big tournament. The rest of the team was already waiting for Enrico in the main room - some were checking out morning news in the smartphones manufactured by SC's state electronics companies, while others were discussing about football in general. ''Attention, please!'' Enrico said to the footballers in the room. Everyone stopped talking and had their attention focused on the coach, waiting of what he would say.

''First, how all of you are feeling today?" Enrico started off with a calmer tone.

''We are fine.'' This was the response which most of footballers gave, although it could be seen that some were hesitant.

''Well, then I consider that all of you are ready for the great task ahead.'' Enrico's voice started to get louder. ''It is the most ambitious task in the history of any SC's team, but we also have got a lot of support from SC's football fans, even from the other regional teams. I am going to admit, the SCFA's and The Party's decision to participate in tournament was kind of sudden and took our team by surprise as we had rather prepared for the regional tournaments. Still, I believe that we have trained your team as best as we could, despite the occasional bad weather, and other petty hardships. You probably know the stadium in which our home games will be hosted, so it's already good. We all know how high the stakes are not only for our team, but for the land we represent. So, remember this phrase both now and when you will face other players in the big day: ''To home we shall not bring disappointment!'' Come, repeat with me:''

''To home we shall not bring disappointment!'' Footballers loudly repeated the phrase with Enrico.

''Dismissed. And now, go to the field - in 20 minutes you should better be ready for the warm-ups and training!'' Enrico finished the talk with his team, and the players started to slowly leave the room, with the Captain being first to leave. Enrico was proud of his team, and was sure that the assistant coaches would prove useful as well.

After the talk with his team, he in the hallway stumbled upon Sophie Patel - one of the two assistant coaches. It could be easily seen that this unexpected run-in had surprised both of them.

''Were you honest to Jesse when you told him that our footballers are well prepared for the tournament?'' Sophie broke the moment of silence. ''I am sure that some of the players told me that they didn't receive enough training hours in previous months, and that some of the SC's Brazilian clubs have troubles with finances and perhaps even equipment.''

''Of course - our football players are well trained and will do well in the tournament. They have to be ready. Enrico finished with a hint after which Sophie didn't ask more questions, but just nodded and each of them went in their direction. They both understood of what they had gotten themselves into, and what the risks could be back at home.''

by **Murphtannia** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:39 am

Celebrations across Murphtannia!

Social Media is going wild a long with the press as it is announced Murphtannia will be replacing San Jose Guayabal in the World Cup 86 qualifiers.

Fans have been on the streets celebrating their nations first international competition, after the inaugural premier league and championship seasons football has only grown in popularity, with almost every team filling stadium capacity all season.

After Murphtannia's first friendly win, hopes are high that Murphtannia could qualify for the WC, as the nation awaits the the draw for the group stages, the national team start their preparations. We now go to Susan who is at the Murphtannian training ground.

"Thank you Brian, The players you see behind me arrived early in the mourning and have been here all day, showing their commitment to the national team and it's success.

They have a long road ahead of them and they will need to be at their best if they stand any chance of qualifying, for that reason all the players are working hard.

If you look at them now it is hard to believe that only a few weeks ago these players were competing for the title. They are all getting along as spirits are high, everyone is looking forward to seeing how well Murphtannia can do on the international stage.

While these group of players haven't played in a major competition before, they have had success on the smaller international scale. They most recently reached the QTR final of the British championships, and have been playing in some smaller friendly competitions to get warmed up.

The players aren't the only ones getting ready though, Staff are working around the clock to get the Murphtannia stadium in pristine condition, ready for Murphtannia's home games. The seats are being made spotless, the pitch flawless, Pies and Beers are being prepared and the facilities upgraded.

The 100,000 capacity stadium is the pride of Murphtannia and the national team are proud to represent it, and play in it, and hopefully turn this stadium into a fortress.

While many outside Murphtannia do not expect Murphtannia to do well, many within the nation refuse to share this opinion.

The Premier League and Championship have shown who our best players are and the populace is confident they will shine on the international stage, players such as Murphy, Banks, Jenkins and Styler will be key parts of the national team as they were key parts of their respective clubs, many winning the title and FA cup as a result, it will be interesting to see how they compare to other world class countries from across the globe.

This has been Susan, back to you Brian .

Thank you Susan, we now report to the streets of Murphtannia where fans are putting up flags of the national team, pubs are packed as ground sports and Murphtannia today wrestle over the broadcasting rights to the games, the entire nation is gearing up for this, so let's hope Murphtannia gets far.

That's all folks, when the group stages are announced we will have interviews with the manager and players, as well as predictions for Murphtannia, but until them this is Brian, signing off.

by **Praeceptia** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:55 am

The Fan View

Praeceptia National Team, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, by NottY0Mama1

The Good
After a mixed bag of performances at Baptism of Fire 73, we can look forward to some consistency at the front for our side. Fingit and Tabernus are both consistent goal scorers for their respective sides. Although both have problems getting involved in passing moves or defending, neither will drop the ball for putting shots on target. The real benefit to having both them as striking partners is that Fingit will push the back line and look to poach goals while Tabernus can drop back to pick up a loose ball.

On the left wing, Noxium will pose all sorts of problems for opposing teams. His height alone will make every corner and set piece deadly. This is not even considering his willingness to experiment and get involved in the midfield play. Defensively, Noxium has a talent for interceptions. Time and time again he has one of the highest rates of interceptions in the LFC.

Noxium's partner on the right wing is none other than our favorite person to forget, Arte Mediocris. The consistent winger will never show any flashes of brilliance, but he will also never commit any abhorrent mistakes either. He does his job well and he does it consistently. Mediocris is a valuable tool for any team looking to build a stable style of play.

In the midfield, Saiko's and Figulus's high energy, fast paced game will bridge the massive gap between the defense and the rest of the team. With no defenders who can pass out of the back, especially if they are under pressure, these two midfielders will be vital. Both players are decent defenders as well. They use their speed to track back and slow the opposing players down enough until support arrives. The real question is whether support arrives in the first place.

At the back we have two strong goal keepers, Muta "Mumu" Fortis and Juba Barba. Mumu will most likely be the starting keeper for years to come, given his top notch performances throughout every season with Clava Simia. Juba Barba is a good second, even if his distribution is not up to snuff. He more than makes up for the lack of skills with his tactical knowledge and leadership.

The Bad
Besides Juba Barba, our other substitutes are not quality. Domina Ieiunium had a terrible season. In years past she ran rampant across the league with her passing. She has won the Playmaker award twice. Now, her game is found out. Ieiunium could hardly keep a starting spot. There are other quality midfielders that could replace her and do a better job with less of a reputation. Vastata Vapidus Amet is a questionable choice. Yes, he scored 15 goals in 26 games, only four behind Tabernus. That's not the issue. his off the field issues are why we are worried. On six separate occasions Amet did not show to practice and he missed two games due to 'feeling sick.' We wish him well, but he will jeopardize Praeceptia's national team. Sum Dolor is a tactical genius, however her game relies on being surrounded with capable, knowledgeable defenders, of which none of our defenders are. She lacks the skill to play at this level. We think she will be used more as a player coach than a substitute.

The Ugly

Speaking of defense, why are we repeating the same mistakes as we did in the Baptism of Fire? Some people say 'Well, we added a third defender!' Yes, we all agree that Praeceptia's traditional style of play is all out attack and the defenders get the short end of the stick. But this is not that. This is not a defense. This is a mock up of what our team should be.

Xysticus Grandis is a great set piece defender. He is large and strong, with a good jump height. His speed and agility are lacking, and he could use more tactical work. Grandis is a good substitute player, nothing more.

Qui Pugnator broke into the LFC this past season with admirable performances, yet he is not an international level player. Often times his aggression and agility made up for a missed tackle. Except this isn't the LFC. He won't be catching up to club level players whose shot would probably miss anyway. He will be playing against international squads that punish every mistake. Pugnator is in contention for a substitute spot, though we would be hard pressed to pick him over half of the other defenders in the league.

And Fil Tzoouns. What a screw up he is. There are no words to describe how the fans feel about such a player. Everyone was surprised to see him on the Baptism of Fire squad. We were shocked to see him not only on the World Cup Qualifying squad, but starting in it. I have nothing to say about him. We all know he should not play at the professional level, let alone at the Qualifiers.

Finally, we reach Varro Bibulus. The wide midfielder has had a roller coaster of a career so far. He won this past season's Playmaker award, but also infamously ran the least during the entire league. We don't mean he ran a little less than everyone else. We mean that he did not even average 7 miles (11 kilometers) per game. His average? 4.5 miles (7 kilometers). As a midfielder, that is atrocious. Bibulus's lack of fitness make him an easy target to mark. Combine this with his unwillingness to track back to defend and you have a useless player. His only saving grace is the beautiful crosses he can play. For sure, the only use he has is to send high arcing crosses towards Noxium on corner kicks and free kicks.

Who would we choose?
First off, let's replace the worst player on the team, Fil Tzoouns. You could put most LFC strikers in his position and they would do a better job. But we're looking to put the best of the LFC in the position and for that we would choose Ludum Bonum, the center back for Insulam Bigas. Bonum has the strength, he has the foot skills, and he knows the game well. The only reason he does not lead his club team yet is because Dux Rex is still playing. Whenever Rex chooses to retire is when Bonum will undoubtedly take the captain's armband.

The next man to replace is Varro Bibulus. Although he has some good things going for him, overall Bibulus will let us down. If we had to replace him, we would choose Melius Istibi. The wide midfielder loves to play a versatile game. He doesn't mind dropping back to defend, but also loves to get into the attack and use his show-pony dribbling skills to dazzle the opposition. Istibi's one major issue is that he is injury prone. He only played 8 games this past season and finally made it back in time for the Lascivio Cup before he was injured in the quarter-finals. Yet, he is still eons better than Bibulus who would at best be a substitute for an injured Istibi.

For Qui Pugnator and Xysticus Grandis there are any number of options. Ideally, we could choose a good pairing for Ludom Bonum, perhaps Prope Est or Nimis Velox. Est is a solid defender who knows how to work well in a team. The pairing of Est and Istibi could make life difficult for the opposition, or at least as much as you could in a three-back system. Velox could work excellently as a sweeper behind Est and Istibi, so long as he keeps his temper down. One too many times his heated rants have seen him sent off. If we had to choose a fourth, maybe we could bring in our beloved Munitio Placitum, the left back for Clava Nicoporia. Though, Placitum would only work well in a four-back system that allows him to press forward for the attack. As it stands, half of his talent would not be utilized.

Whatever replacements there are, I doubt that our new manager, FC-47, will listen. He was programmed by the same people who hired Coach Amet. Do we really think they have a better game plan? Why do you think the same mistakes were made this time? And why do we have the same let down players from the Baptism of Fire? The answers are out there, some of them more obvious than others.

That's that, the Fan View of Praeceptia's national team. Tune in next time... Or don't

by **Sharktail** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:23 pm

SHARKTAIL POST EP 30
SHARKTAIL FACILITY DEVELOPMENT NEARLY COMPLETE

Construction of a special facility for the Sharktail national team is almost complete. This project was started a few years ago. This is one of Tengku Muhammad Hazim's efforts in ensuring the development of football continues improving from time to time. The construction of this complex to ensure that all national players can train in a fully equipped condition. Most of the national teams of other countries already have better and more sophisticated facilities.

8 years ago, the sport of football was active and allowed players to become professional players. At that time, several stadiums had begun to be built including the stadium for the national team, the Kota Lama National Arena. However, that is the only pride of the Sharktail Football Association. They can provide a great stadium to host international matches at Sharktail. Most clubs in Sharktail suffer the same fate. However, what about other facilities. Due to lack of funds, they are not able to provide complete facilities for this team such as training fields, treatment centers, gyms and other facilities. When national team players are called up for international duties, they will use the public sports complex and gym facilities, swimming pools available there. The equipment there is also inadequate and not in the best condition.

After a long break from the international tournament that saw Sharktail not participate in any of the championships during the 3 world cup, Sharktail finally returned to the world cup stage. The SFA also changed leadership. Situation changed slightly after Tengku Muhammad Hazim took over as SFA president. It is easy to say, if an important person in a country holds a leadership position, there will definitely be improvements. The first tournament the Sharktail team participated in was MAC 4 on Soracana Island. 23 players were called up to represent the national team in this tournament. The question plays in the minds of every player, will they continue to train in the public sport complex again. Their hope, with the change of leadership they hope they can train on a better quality field. Their annoyance got the attention of Tengku Muhammad Hazim. With his authority, the Sharktail national team has completed an improved training ground in terms of grass quality and field keadnn. Some training equipment was also added for team use. Although not good enough and complete, but the players are really happy with the improvement. In order to ensure the development of football continues to be strengthened, this project has been started. Among the plans in the project is a new stadium that has the same quality as the stadium used for international tournament. An enclosed training complex complete with facilities, swimming pool, fitness center and gym. Many players, commentators, and fans like Tengku Muhammad Hazim's plan. In addition, this plan also includes the development of each club. Each club is asked to upgrade their facilities to the level set by the SFA. The SFA also provides a small funds to each club.

Now, everything is available. All construction is now entering its final phase. The initial expectation is that everything can be used before the MAC 5 tournament but for some reason, and the inspection that needs to be done, this facility can only be used for WCQ 86.
Training facility named Sultan Ahmad Ikram training center, located next to the SFA building will be the official training place for senior teams. Equipped with phsio center, gym, pool and outdoor field. The visiting team for the match against Sharktail will also train here. Tengku Muhammad Hazim stated that the SFA provides the best facilities during the presence of the opposing team in Sharktail. In addition, this place is strategic with mall, restaurant equipment. And can be seen from the 2nd floor of the training complex, a beautiful view of the lake. Now everything is ready. Sharktail is ready to receive a visit from their opponent. Sharktail will expect a good WCQ campaign this time. For all nation in out group, "WELCOME TO SHARKTAIL".

SFA OFFICIAL

Keep following us at http://www.sfaoffial.gov.my for more interesting info. All the latest developments of the team will be posted there.

by **Squidroidia** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 6:53 am

www.thirtysixer.sqr/blog/1

ThirtySixer - The Rebirth of Squidroidian Football isn't a rebirth

Thirty Sixer
A blog about Squidroidia

The Rebirth of Squidroidian Football isn't a rebirth
Entry 1

Squidroidia 1-4 Megistos. Squidroidia 3-5 Poafmersia. To some this was the death of the Squidroidian football national team. A disappointing Euro Cup campaign where the Inklings finished bottom of Group A was growing pains for the national team, that growth was supposedly killed off in the pre-IAC friendlies between Megistos and Poafmersia at Inkopolis City Stadium. 4 goals to Squidroidia. 9 to the 2 opponents. I knew Squidroidian football wasn't going to die here, oh no no. This was, at best, a hot seat moment for manager Mito. Any failure in the IAC could see him sacked and forced to manage TryHard Sporting. Yuck.

Of course, he didn't get sacked. His job was sealed after beating Poafmersia in the rematch in IAC group play, got secure after the national team got to the semis and very nearly had a rematch with Poafmersia in the final only to get 3rd place, and after that Baptism of Fire run, in which Squidroidia got another 3rd place finish, his job is now untouchable. For the forseeable future, Ryūzaki will have his tracksuit on in Inkopolis City Stadium, at least until the 11th IAC tests his skills again.

Some people say that these 2 runs are the rebirth of the national team. I disagree with them. Every team has its growing pains. One moment you are golden, a team that looks like a threat for the future, but shortly afterwards you fall off the side of a cliff, only to rebound. Winning against Sharktail in the inaugural game was just, at the time, a fluke. But flukes can turn into winning runs, and Mito knew this from those 2 friendlies he lost. Something didn't click with the team. After he figured it out, the Squidroidians took no answers and let the football speak for itself, culminating in the Baptism of Fire 3rd place playoff, in which the Inklings of Squidroidia dominated the Gothanita Isles 5-0. Along with the 6-1 group stage win against Fluvannia, this is Squidroidia's biggest win in not just WCC competition, but in the history of the national team.

Another example in the club world is the Squidbreak of Squidroidia, the army team that plays in a old, 30,000 seater stadium on an army base. In the season just done, they reached an all time low, losing in both legs to the Hotshima Slots of Hot Skitty on Wailord Action in the FFI Taca das Confederacoes qualifying round. 11 members of the Squidroidian Armed Forces lost to 11 freaking birbs in not only the old army stadium, but on an empty field in the middle of nowhere. And you know what they did? They won the Super League title over their hated rivals Inkopolis FC, who made it to the group stage of the Liga dos Venecedores... And subsequently crashed out. The Squidbreak rebounded from a terrible loss to win the league. One slipup does not define a campaign. Multiple slipups usually don't define one either. Deliberate failure does.

As the World Cup qualifying campaign draws ever closer, I'm left to wonder if they can pull out their underdog card and qualify for the World Cup. And I think to myself, maybe. It isn't likely at all, but there are other universes where other stuff goes down. Somewhere there is a universe where Squidroidia wins the World Cup on their first attempt. And then there are several billion more in which they don't even make the finals. We're probably living in one of these several billion universes where they don't make it, and I'm fine with that. The journey is more interesting when it takes a long time, not when it happens in one attempt.

If it does happen in one attempt, I could see this making bank in the movie theaters.

by **Ziwana** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 8:03 am

Sharktail 2 - 3 Ziwana: Fernandes inspires Ziwana to a record second Melayu Archipelago CMFA Cup trophy.

By Chosadziwa Botolo, Chief Football Correspondent

ZCOMM Sport @Chadoul National Stadium

16 JULY 2021 • 3:29PM

Akambuku players celebrate after winning. Photograph: Kavinga Haqawi/Natty Images

CMFA Cup Kings Ziwana won the tourament after coming back two down at half-time to achieve victory over Sharktail.

Ziwana were favourites to win the tournament but it was not that easy reaching the final. On matchday one, Ziwana suffered an embarrassing defeat against an unranked Belfitz. This lose tore up the team, with manager Harry Ngonamo and captain Charles Payen having a fall out. The dressing room was torn between supporters of the captain and the manager. Fans wished for the return of legendary striker and captain Jean Wilder, who had previously led the Akambuku to ; 3rd CMFA Cup semi-final, a 71st Baptism of Fire quarter final, a 84th NS world cup qualifiers group stage 2nd place and a 4th CMFA Cup win. Akambuku recovered from this by beating 54th ranked Trolleberg 2- 1 and getting revenge on Belfitz by beating them 6 - 0 in the semi-finals to stroll into the final they eventually won.
Sharktail and Ziwana were not that much different in strength. Ziwana was ranked 82nd and Sharktail ranked 86th, the difference was not that much. Both of these nations had qualified for the quarter finals by leading their respect groups in the group stages. The only notable difference was Ziwana's experience as they had been in more final stages in tournaments. In the past, Ziwana and Sharktail had met in the group stages of the 4th CMFA Cup with the Akambuku coming on top in a 3 - 2 win over the Predators. The finals would be sort of a rematch for Sharktail but once again they blew it and lost 2 - 3 like last time.

Ziwani and Sharktail fans are quite passionate about their national teams. In the last match that the two nations had met the fans of the two sides had tried to upstage each other and intimidate each others players. The 5th CMFA Cup final was no different, Sharktail fans were all dressed or painted in blue sing in perfect harmony at the top of their lungs. Akambuku fans on the other hand were beating their drums and dancing. It was a quite a spectacle to watch. With such sets of fans there was pressure on both sides to perform well and win the cup. Like deja vu, the Ziwani players focused on short passing and possesion, looking for channels to exploit whilst the Predators focused on putting pressure on Ziwana. Both sides were able to keep each other at bay, intercepting each others passes and clearing crosses. However things changed when Sharktail Gaby broke through the Ziwani defence, in an attempt to mark him Jonathan Boi brought the foward down in the Akambuku penalty area. A penalty was given to Sharktail which Gaby quickly dispatched into the net in the 25 minute. Ziwana became more aggressive and attacking more. This led to a counter attack which was launched after Cazadores Cahait mifielder, Azaim who played a through ball which Hafifi got to before blasting the ball into the top right corner of the Ziwani goal past Jean Kane. This goal silenced the Ziwani fans whislt the Sharktail fans got louder. The first half ended with a frustrated Ziwana and a joyful Shartail.

After the break Ziwana seemed to have changed tactics. Inorder to overload the oppositions half, the players were encourage to stretch the opposition by focusing on the channels in the wings. Surinder Fernandes would play as a wing back who would overlap. Around the 50 minute mark Charles Payen had a run down the left flank before passing the ball to Johan Dimanche who quickly shot it but the Shartail keeper Ahmad punched it out towards Surinder Fernandes who quickly lobbed it into the net to give Akambuku hope. A few minutes later in the 61st minute Charles Payen scored from 30 yards out to level up for Ziwana. This goal led to celebrations in the stands, the bench and on the field among the Ziwani.

Akambuku players celebrate Payens goal. Photograph: Kavinga Haqawi/Natty Images

The Predators did not just sit back, they fought with everything they had. They pushed off Ziwani players off the ball and dribbles past the defence but were unable to get past Ziwani keeper Jean Kane who kept the ball out. Jean Gopaul and Surider Fernandes were also instrumental as they cleared crosses from Hidawi to prevent him from feeding the dagerous complete foward Gaby. At a draw both fans sung and danced trying to encourage the players. In the 80th minute Ziwana got a corner kick. Jonathan Boi took the corner kick, captain Charles Payen got to the ball first leeping over the Sharktail defence but his header was punched out by Ahmad. Johan Dimanche got to the ball and shot it but once more Ahmad punched it out towards Surinder Fernandes who blasted it into the Sharktail goal to win the CMFA Cup for Ziwana. Akambuku fans all over Ziwana will testify about the moment Fernandes scored the winning goal, drum and beer were thrown in the air as everyone jumped up and down. The player run towards each other embracing in joy.

Ziwani players celebrate Fernandes' winning goal. Photograph: Kavinga Haqawi/Natty Images

With the 5th CMFA Cup won this is Ziwana's second CMFA Cup. Melayu Archipelago is home to several strong nations such as Soracan Islands, Eraman, Springmont, Southern Palm Islands and Sharktail being able to win back to back CMFA Cups is a huge achievement and puts this Ziwani squad as one of the greatest Melayu Archipelago team. Moreover to win it in the Royal Ziwana Football Association centenary year is a blessing and a perfect gift. The Akambuku have proven themselves in Melayu Archipelago competitions and in the past have shown potential in NS tournaments. As the NS World Cup 86 Qualifiers roll around in the next month, every Akambuku fan now wonders whether the Ziwani national team will be able to challenge for the Qualifiers. In the NS WC 85 Qualifiers Akambuku performances were abysmal, as we all celebrate our 2nd Melayu Archipelago CMFA Cup we all hope that Ziwana can continue to achieve greater and greater feats and the next feat is the WC Qualifiers. As always ZCOMM will be broadcasting the games online and on tv. Visit http://www.zcommsports.com for more information.

by **HUElavia** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 9:21 am

HUElavia to begin a Revolution Ahead of World Cup 86 Qualifiers!

World Cup fever is once again arriving to HUElavia, as they look to qualify for their 3rd consecutive time to the final tournament. Recently, the team is reeling from the 3rd consecutive defeat in the IAC Final, losing out 3-2 in extra time to Poafmersia, in what is seen as a traumatic defeat for the HUElavians. As a result from this, Head Coach Ivan Mendieta-Martinez was relieved from his duties, and a manager has been named: Estela Garcia Kimura.

The 38 year old Portuzian-Yamoto HUElavian was the head coach of SC Toin, who was having a surprising and strong performance in the past few seasons in the league, having a slightly more offensive-minded tactics, involving more support from Left and Right Midfielders, and primarily uses as 4-2-2-2 (or 4-2-4) formation. She was contacted by the HUElavian Football Association (HFA/AFH) for the position which she accepted, making her the first ever Female Head Coach of the National Football Team.

In her first act as the head coach, she decided to call up 50 players to be used throughout the qualifiers, having enough players to make two different 23-player rosters. Despite the massive call up, there will be 23 players selected to the final tournament, whether the team qualifies to the World Cup proper or receives the invitation to the Cup of Harmony. Pundits do believe that at least 14 of the players from the IAC squads should be considered lock-ins to a Final Tournament, assuming they are healthy for the Cup.

Speaking of players, it is noted that Carolina Almeida will not be eligible for the first half of the qualifiers, due to her and her husband Rafael Almeida of her expected pregnancy. Thus, it is suspected that the young Helena Castro Bitencourt will be tipped to take up her spot in a massive match for the Qualifiers throughout the first half. Notably as well, teammates Miguel Angel Duran and Natalia Duran (nee Ramirez) have gotten married, so now their jersies will read M.A. Duran and N. Duran respectively.

There are rumors that each Qualifiers group will have 10 teams, so at least 9 stadiums around the country will be picked to host matches, such as the agreement between the HFA and the different Governments across the states. Currently, only 4 have been officially confirmed, with it being Estadio Nacional (100,000) in Curumba (as traditionally it is picked), Stadio Delle Romano (58,500) in Canternico, Goang Stadium (53,000) in Goang, and Helles Stadion (51,000) in Bish are going to host matches in the Qualifiers. The remaining stadiums are going to be decided once the groups are officially picked, along with the matches being played in the Stadiums.

HUElavia looks to grow moving forward and they look forward as to whomever they will play against.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Zwangzug** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:27 pm

"Good evening," said the voice on the other end of the phone. "I am Georg Quinn, pledged unto the Worshipful Cherubim. And who might I have the honor of speaking with?"

Cautiously, Rachel answered. "Rachel Hawkins-Lee."

"And...?"

"And this is the Zwangzug citizenship and immigration bureaucracy."

"Ah. Ahem," said Georg, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Yes. That is why am calling."

"Are you a current resident of Zwangzug?"

"No-oo. But some of my fellow worshippers of the Divine Host of Archangels, we are seeking to migrate to your nation."

"That should be feasible. Becoming eligible to vote will require passing the knowledge test, but as far as establishing residency here, we can assist with that. Will your government permit you to emigrate from the country?"

"Oh yes. They don't particularly like us here--we are seeking to practice our religion freely."

"Zwangzug is very tolerant towards minority faiths. As long as you obey the laws, there shouldn't be an issue."

"What laws?"

"Well, you know, you can't...like, murder someone who isn't into that kind of thing, even if you think your deities demand a human sacrifice."

"How barbaric! No, we would never stoop to such atrocities."

"Great."

"And I assume we may also proclaim the truth unto nonbelievers?"

"Well, yes. They might be kind of annoyed, mind you."

"You mean we cannot compel them to pledge their faith in the holy words?"

"...No. That would be imposing your religion on them, which you can't do."

"Ah. Yes. Ah, what about the sacred wumfish?"

"I'm not familiar with that?"

"It is a marine species whose flesh is highly prized by our creed for its entheogenic qualities."

"Oh, you mean, like a drug? You will need to fill out some other forms to get an exemption for that."

"I don't see why your government should disapprove, it has well-known medicinal properties also."

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying you have to justify your reasons. Same with the Christians and their whole...wine thing. Rules are rules."

"Oh." Georg sounded a bit apprehensive, but forged ahead. "But we will be able to import it?"

"Is it endangered?"

"No, their population is thriving in the deep abyssal trenches. Our modest harvests do not disturb their ecosystem."

"Well, that's good."

"However, the tools required to plunge to those depths are very expensive and delicate. To procure wumfish from a submersive vehicle will cost many, many checks."

"If you save up enough disposable income after all the taxes and refunds, you should be able to import it."

"At what subsidies?"

"What?"

"The goverment will subsidize some of the exorbitant cost, surely? Because the taxes are so high here?"

"For a religious meal? No, that wouldn't be fair."

"But it's sacred!"

"Exactly how ancient is this religion anyway?"

"What?"

"If you can't get the fish without modern submarines, how traditional is this rite? Or was the Divine Host of whatever just something you made up a couple years ago?"

"I don't see how this is any of your concern. Do you disparage our faith?"

"I'm just saying, if you're fleeing persecution, it might help to be able to explain your doctrine?"

"Explanations? Perish the thought! Blasphemers like you would never understand," yelled Georg, ending the call in his wrath.

Well, thought Rachel, there was one problem averted. At least for the present.

by **Megistos** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 7:59 pm

A World Cup Qualifier Meeting

Megistos were going in their first World Cup Campaign, and they all knew, despite the morale of the teams and the fans extremely high, that the Megistian squad would need to work their butts off to even qualify for the World Cup. Pushing aside that, let's talk about the fans.

The Megistian fanbase stands at around 1.2 billion. To add more, the fans even demanded more seats in the stadiums, and higher class travel throughout Megistos, which the government decided to do, considering that they would make a profit out of it. It was probably not a coincidence that just hours later, the government announced the project of 'New Megistos', which was supposed to make Megistos look like a actual high-tech nation. The first step of that was to build 'Waterfall Tower', a 7.4 km giant tower that spills water into the ocean from up high (making the waters more cooler.). But we are stepping out of football. What did 'New Megistos' have to do with stadiums? Well, here are the stadiums:

New Paradise International Stadium, New Paradise, Megistos (cap. 569,000)
MegTurn Arena, New Paradise, Megistos (cap. 567,000)
Fitbull Internationale, Quetquios, Megistos (cap. 439,000)
Officiale Megistos, Megistos City, Megistos (cap. 412,000)
Stadia Meg86, Adrimiana, Megistos (cap. 400,000)
Charon SpaceStadia, Styx, Megistian Charon (cap. 378,000)
Ganymede GravityArena, Molvoce, Megistian Ganymede (cap. 345,000)
Moonwalk International, Luna City, Megistian Moon (cap. 321,000)
Lam Stadium, Quetquios, Megistos (cap. 242,000)
Winners Internationale Arena, Partynight, Megistos (cap. 104,000)

Yeah, you guessed right. They did spend a lot of time on the stadium costs. But the fans will keep the money moving. Moving on, we've rated the 3 sections of the football lineup.

Attack: 9/10
Maybe a wonderkid, Robertson, paired up with the speedy duo of Cringan and Lukovic, are a danger, and as they are young, can also easily win freekicks and penalties. The only problem here are the numbers.

Midfield: 10/10
The best selection Megistos could do. Howard + Jorgenson, who had a great Sporting World Cup session, along side with Lam, a player who is in his prime and is the backbone of the midfield.

Defense: 6/10
Our defense isn't the best, with the same backline conceding 8 goals in 4 games in the Baptism of Fire, but it has talent and the amazing goalkeeping of Becks can save the day.

Well, there you have it. I'll be back for the group draw. Watch it or not, you'll know by next edition!

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 8:12 pm

Grief, or Happiness?: Prelude
I'm 11 minutes away and I have missed you all day
I'm 11 minutes away, so why aren't you here?
He runs in the rain
Tell me what you need, I can make you more than what you are
He tries to persuade her to come back, but she refuses
Come and lay the roses on the floor, every single Sunday, don't get bored
“You just don’t have enough time for me. I’m tired.”
She goes off. He runs after her.
I just want to freeze, I can give you more than what you are
“Come back” he begs, “I can’t be alone.”
She leaves with someone else.
So call me stupid, call me sad
You're the best I've ever had
You're the worst I've ever had
And that keeps fuckin' with my head
She’s gone. Face it. A voice says in your head.
She’s not. She’ll be back.
She’ll be back.

by **Xanneria** » Fri Aug 28, 2020 12:14 pm

Maroons break through the wall!
Excerpt from http://www.xtrasports.xan

RINNIC ISLES - There's a special club for people who participate in football. It's called the "Triple Crown" and it's for people who win three of the four big multiversal tournaments. A BoF here, a CoH there, A Regional over here, and a WC proper are the combo needed to join this illustrious group. A 1-0 victory over Brenecia and we're now in that special group! Yes, Xanneria has won a Campianato Esportiva! After the disappointment in Filindostan last time out it looked as if some new blood was to take over. Teams such as Jeckland, Darmen's Esportivan Territory and V'dara looked prime to make runs into the future. But for now we will soak this one up as the Maroons took out a highly touted Brenecia team. Coach Rhule went with a unusually defensive formation, and with full quadrant of Defensive Midfielders it held off the Brenecians well. This hurt though in what is seen as Xanneria's biggest strong suit. The offense had to rely much much more heavily on it's three strikers the aging Laymore, and Presintino along side youngblood Bray Feltzer a 25 year old hot prospect out of Chromatika. so it was a penalty kick by Feltzer that showed us the promise of the near future.

For Coach Rhule this has not been his first rodeo, he was a championship winning coach with the Galaxy Sporting Club team a few year before jumping ship to the National Team. Here though he's a international somebody as he is now being seen as one of the hip new coaches in the international footballing scene.

XANNERIA - 1
Feltzer - 68'

Brenecia - 0

Suspicious activities in AO?
Excerpt from http://www.capitalgazettenews.xan/oped.html

So What goes? With troubles in Valanora, there seemed to be an immediate response from Commandant Davidson about the need to protect Xannerian interest in the region in thought of a possible large scale civil war in Valanora. But is that true? We know only a couple days later, a large earthquake struck the AO Territories border. With the reports from a pair of pilots flying over the AOT of a death angel, we can only surmise maybe this angel is of our own volition. A tech monster of military proportions may have been at cause, and the commercial flight that was flying over the border of the AOT and the the irradiated corpse of the former nation of Sorthern Northland that claimed to have flown over a massive light beam? Maybe, Just maybe something else is going on.

by **Starblaydia** » Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:16 pm

Forward to the Future of Football
Atlantian Oceania Champions unveil Oberyn Park and Hall of Fame Inductees

Oberyn Park, the new elite performance center in Starblaydia

In a star-studded evening ceremony that was attended by Lady Protector Korra Starblayde herself, the Starblaydi Football Association (SFA) officially declared Oberyn Park, their elite national performance centre, open and inducted three more names into the World Cup Hall of Fame. A new central nervous system of the Starblaydi football machine, its 330 acres buried in the Calbavero Forest, this brand new, state of the art facility, will host every level of Starblaydi national football to train and develop under the auspices of the best available coaching.

There has always been an aspiration within the SFA to build a world-class training facility that becomes an elite performance centre where the youngest players have a clear pathway to the senior Starting XI. Here, at Oberyn Park, there are 12 training pitches, along with gyms, indoor sports halls, a swimming pool, hydrotherapy complex and specialist sports rehab, along with sports psychology, nutrition and medical suites, plus relaxation and dining areas. There are dedicated TV studios, press conference facilities and an array of offices and meeting rooms with balconies overlooking the pitches.

This facility can house Senior, Under-21 and Under-18 squads, with room for expansion, where each age group is located on a separate part of the site, so the youngsters in the development squads don’t automatically have access to senior team areas. Players have to earn the right to be allowed into the various areas of the building. But it has been said that Ázëwyn Fëanáro wants to be able to take only a short walk between all age groups of squads, and have young players inspired by the global stars working nearby.

The SFA, led by its President, World Cup Hall of Famer Tororin Halatyrion, appointed all-time leading Starblaydi international goalscorer Valrauncion to the position of Sporting Director, with responsibilities for running Oberyn Park. The famous number 10 ha certainly guided the design and construction of this site. "Our designs reflect the identity and ambition of the Starblaydia national football team." said Valrauncion in a prepared statement. "They provide a clear, aspirational pathway to the national team whilst retaining the requirement for each player to earn the right to progress to every level. A symbol of national pride and a hope for the future, this is a long-term venture undertaken by the SFA on behalf of all elements of Starblaydi football - the profound impact and scope of which will multiply as the years unfold."

There's an attention to detail that's typical of Ázëwyn Fëanáro's management style, and it's also said that consulations went out right across Starblaydi football, including senior players, ex-professionals and a number of captains of teams around the country, including Falka Kaumolainen, the first Starblaydi captain to lift an international trophy in many long years. As you walk into the main entrance, you're greeted by a mosaic of Starblaydi championship victories. The senior team's gym is bathed in natural light with panoramic floor to ceiling glass frontage providing a perfect view of the training pitches, providing a source of motivation for anyone inside, particularly on the comeback trail from injury

"Oberyn Park's aim," said Fëanáro after the ceremony, "is to refine the technical and tactical acumen of all national team players, developing them as exciting, powerful, technical & tactically smart athletes. Simply, it's about developing the best individuals for the benefit of the team. We're aiming to create individual technical perfection: quick turns, improving weaker foot and tactical decision making. We'll run highly specific and regimented drills on smaller sized pitches. All teams at all age groups will play 4-3-3, and the focus will be on creating the best individual players – astute, technically proficient and tactically malleable. By developing this style of playing, tactical systems themselves become obsolete to be trained into players, as they can play across any system, whether 4-4-2, the diamond, the 4-3-3, 3-5-2, or whatever. We all value physicality and hard work, but we all value technique and style. This will allow us to develop players with both, working in harmony."

It's clear that Oberyn Park, bringing the latest technology and sports science to bear, will be the beating heart of the national team, and what better place to announce Starblaydia's eighth batch of World Cup Hall of Fame inductees? The SFA was allocated their twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth entries into the Hall of Fame, thanks to participating in World Cup 82 Qualifying (their 63rd entrance and therefore ninth entry from this metric) and making it to the 82nd World Cup (their 48th appearance and therefore 12th entry from this metric). In a bold move, the SFA also pre-selected their twenty-seventh inductee, who presumably will be granted if Starblaydia Qualify for the 86th World Cup:

World Cup Hall of Fame, Starblaydia Entry Number 25:
Viola Capodanno
Left/Defensive Midfielder: 122 Caps, 17 Goals (8 Caps, 0 Goals at Youth level)
Clubs played for: Ionia United , Northern Union (Brenecia)
Medals: AOCAF Cup 56 Third Place, World Cup 83 Runner-Up

Viola Capodanno was just the type of player that Ázëwyn Fëanáro herself would have longed to play alongside. A rock in the middle of the Starblaydi midfield, she made her international in the 43rd Di Bradini Cup, before really announcing herself on the world stage at the age of eighteen with an Extra Time wonder goal against Chromatika in the Quarter-Final to level the score at 4-4. Starblaydia went on to win the Third Place match and claim their most successful finish in an international competition since World Cup 63. By the age of 20 she was starting for her country at World Cup 81, then captained the side in Women's Football at the Games of the 13th Olympiad. Between World Cup 82 and AOCAF 60, she captained her country an enormous and record-breaking 97 times, including in a World Cup Final. Along the way she scored 17 international goals, which qualifies her for the exclusive 'Rapaii 15' club of Starblaydi goalscorers, named after the tally that Starblaydia's first great international striker, Nikola "Laser" Lazerevski accumulated in his twentieth century career. She was Starblaydia's golden girl for over fifteen years, and rightfully deserves a place in the World Cup Hall of Fame.

World Cup Hall of Fame, Starblaydia Entry Number 26:
Sutter McCloud
Striker: 112 Caps, 72 Goals (14 Caps, 18 Goals at Youth level)
Clubs played for: Foxchester Raiders , Yeaddin Owls (Vilita)
Medals: Under-18 World Cup 7 Winner, World Cup 83 Runner-Up

The Starblaydi youth team goalscoring record had stood for two hundred and forty years, ever since the great Dwarf with the rocket of a right foot, Zhorin Tumunzahar, had scored 18 goals in 18 apperances between Under-21 World Cups 11 and 13. It was from the days when the Under-21 tournament was played twice per World Cup cycle, and in that time Starblaydia finished Third, Third and Second, mostly thanks to the goalscoring of Tumunzahar. It stood until Sutter McCloud came along and scored 18 goals in 14 games across Di Bradini Cup 44 and 45, and Under-18 World Cup 7. He had really announced himself by scoring 12 in just seven matches ain the Under-18 side, scoring in every single match of that title-winning tournament, as well as bagging two hat tricks. Even though it was 'only' the Under-18s, it was the first championship at any level that Starblaydia had won since the 14th Di Bradini Cup, in the wake of World Cup 51. It meant that Starblaydia were officially back on the world stage. From there Sutter McCloud would go on to break all sorts of scoring records for his country, handed the Number 10 shirt as a 19 year old and not relinquishing it until his final goal against BakerPark in the 85th World Cup, 112 appearances and 72 goals later. He sits in 10th place on the all-time list of appearance makers for Starblaydia, in human terms behind only Viola Capodanno's 122. For goalscorers, he is the greatest human player ever, and only the elf Valrauncion has a better tally than his 72 - he even managed to outscore Ázëwyn Fëanáro's tally by one - a landmark many thought would be unbeatable by a mortal. Starblaydia have had many famous number 10s, but perhaps none with the statistics of Sutter McCloud, for whom the sky really was the limit.

World Cup Hall of Fame, Starblaydia Pre-Entry Number 27:
Valrauncion
Striker: 242 Caps, 116 Goals (Uncapped at Youth level)
Clubs played for: Telcontarë , Ousevale Borough (Krytenia), AC Izotz Zubia (Audioslavia), Kistina Galaxy (Poafmersia)

Quite simply, there is no one like Valrauncion. Now the Sporting Director of the Starblaydi Football Association, he remains the highest all-time goalscorer for Starblaydia (and bagged a fair few for Krytenia, too). Though Starblaydia had returned to the international stage in World Cup 38, by World Cup 44 they debuted the first of their newly uncovered Elven population. Joining up to an all-Elven club, Telcontarë, in the Starblaydi league, it wasn't long before a number of them were selected for the 44th World Cup squad. Alongside players with Hall of Fame careers like Ázëwyn Fëanáro and Tororin Halatyrion, Valraimcon was top scorer in Starblaydia's World Cup campaigns from the 44th to the 48th edition, which included Starblaydia's record-equalling, then record-breaking, fourth and fifth World Championships. His lengthy career, natural for one of the immortal Elenmacilnóre, took him across the world and even becoming one of the few beings to represent two different countries, alongside the legends such as Urk and Simeone Di Bradini. Whether it's the statistics, the swagger, or the self-aggrandisement, the entire footballing world, never mind just Starblaydia, would be entirely different without the presence of the one and only Valrauncion.

by **Sylestone** » Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:45 pm

The Appliances have a shirt!
Yes, that's right, the Sylestonean football side, aka the Appliances, have a shirt. It has kindly been manufactured in Ziwana, and social media has heaped praise on them for doing it. They have even been fitted specifically for the Appliances themselves, a new and difficult achievement that the Ziwani manufacturers have managed to accomplish to their usual brilliance. The Mixer said:
"I am extremely impressed with this. It must have been hard to pull off, and they did it easily. Big thanks to the producers of this."
One Sylestonean fan, after first showing hostility towards this idea, has admitted that he has been absolutely blown away. "I wasn't particularly open to this idea; I thought that we were already very recognisable for our, well, interesting side. But honestly, this makes our side look so much better. I can't think of anything to say that's bad about them."

Sylestone play friendlies in preparation for WC
Sylestone 2-0 Tikariot
Sylestone’s first friendly was against BoF Quarter-Final makers Tikariot. Any doubts about the Appliances ability, however, were quickly washed away as Sylestone dominated their opponents. The Mixer scored two goals, showing his experience after playing well in the Kohnhead Football League. Sylestone now has an away game in Tikariot, where they will use the Minipliance side to keep the main Appliance side fresh.

Tikariot 1-0 Sylestone
In the away leg at Tikariot, the Minipliances played well, but they just couldn’t keep out the oppressive opposition forwards. They managed to concede only one goal, but Tikariot kept a whopping 62% possession. Sylestonean fans and businessmen are hoping this series to set the tone for some good international relations in the future.

Megistos 0-2 Sylestone
Sylestone’s only self-organised friendly win was against Megistos, a BoF 73 competitor who showed promise. Sylestone have played the eager Megistians twice before and beat them both times. They have now made it 3-0-0.

Sylestone 1-3 Vdara
Vdara are another Esportivan team who are ranked much higher than Sylestone. The Appliances still played very well to keep their regional opponents to only a 3-1 win, though. The score stayed 1-1 for the majority of the game, but two goals in the final 15 minutes made sure that Vdara won the game. The Toilet, playing his first game, is confident of Sylestone’s chances of making the top five of their group, but the rest of the side isn’t so confident.

Sylestone 0-1 Mavinet
The BoF 72 winners played Sylestone in their fourth friendly, and guess who won? No surprise there, Mavinet did. But oh well, 1-0 is still pretty darn good. Just next time, can we win?
Clearly not, oh well.
Mavinet's goal came from a penalty in the 88th minute, and Sylestone felt ripped off. They had scored in the 27th only for it to be called offside.

Drunk People at the Local Tavern 3-1 Sylestone
Probably the second worst game the Appliances played in their pre-qualifying friendlies, Sylestone lost to a bunch of drunks in a shortened match. They just kept on booting the ball really hard into the goal but their incoordination made sure Sylestone managed to get a singular goal.

Sylestone 2-2 The Jovannic
Sylestone and The Jovannic played a close game, which deservedly ended up as a draw. Both sides looked very equal, scoring goals in each half. Neither side could really dominate the other, a good effort for Sylestone as they are at least 50 ranks behind The Jovannic in the KPB ranks. This sort of performance will do them good in the upcoming qualifiers.

Riena 2-0 Sylestone
Sylestone’s second Esportivan friendly resulted in a tough but understandable 2-0 loss to their BoF 72 counterparts Riena. Fresh off hosting the Campianato Esportiva, the Riennic Isles welcomed the Appliances warmly, but it was anything but that on the pitch. The opposition side was ruthless in their attack and impenetrable in their defence. They certainly lived up to their standing as the 66th rank in the world. The Sylestone national side struggled throughout the game, barely managing to break the defence, but ours was nearly as good. Riena only got two goals out of six shots, only three being on target. The goals were two perfect headers off corners in the 61st and 64th minutes as Riena leapt to a deserved 2-0 win. “Unfortunate, but understandable” was what the Brick Wall said of the game, although the Toilet clearly thought that the next encounter between the two sides will be vastly different.

Sylestone 0-1 Poafmersia
Sylestone once again played well to keep a very strong side in Poafmersia to only a 1-0 win in Sylestone. The stocky defences of both sides kept the ball around the midfield for the majority of the game, but once again. the Appliances just couldn't keep possession and that was what lost them the game. The goal in the 43rd minute off a long shot that was very nearly offside sealed Sylestobne's fate, but at least they are slowly warming up to the task.

Sylestone 0-1 Overseas Territories of Sylestone
“Honestly. What the fuck were you doing? We just lost to our fucking Overseas Territories! What were we doing! The independence voices are sounding louder than ever. We’ve got to do better in future. They played well; we didn’t. But if this is how we play, we may as well pack our bags for the Cup of Harmony and not even go to the qualifiers.”

Sylestone drawn into Group 6: aka. Toilet Group
Holy Empire
The Pot 1 side in the Toilet group is one to fear. They put on a splendid performance in the last World Cup, and are looking to go even better this time around. But no one is going to give them an easy game, so they will have to play at their best to qualify.

Audioslavia
Recent runners-up in the AOCAF, Audioslavia were one of the founders of the “Toilet Group” idea along with Krytenia. Expect them to qualify as well as cause a lot of mayhem. Should be fun to play against.

Poafmersia
Sylestone have previously played two friendlies at home against Poafmersia, losing them both. They will provide a huge set of challenges, so we had better be careful.

Juvencus
Not much is known about the Pot 4 side in Sylestone, but we bet after this tournament that will ch change. They have an outside chance of qualification, so we’ll have to work our hearts out to beat them.

Euran Oceanic Territories
A colony of Eura, EOT might be the first side pot-wise that Sylestone will be able to get points against. They, however, will fancy their chances and play like they are the actual Eura side. This is certainly one hard group we’ve got here...

Delaclava
Just when you think it couldn’t get worse, it has. Delaclava, a former giant of the football world, is in the Toilet Group with us. Have fun, Appliances!

Sylestone
The Appliances have been drawn into what was dubbed the "meme group" and "toilet group" by themselves and others. With this group, too, it will be difficult to see how Sylestone is going to advance on their rank. They'll have to try, though, and it won't be easy. Maybe we can just strain ourselves to sneak up from the behind and finish top five. Join us on our joyride!

Southwest Eastnorth
SWEN finished fourth in the Copa Rushmori and will be a side to watch out for. They also came second in the Baptism of Fire Group C. The worst Pot 8 to finish up with. But we'll deal with it and do the best we ca against them.

Lovisa
THE HOLY LORDS! MEME GROUP EXTRAORDINAIRE! No, actually, Lovisa will be a force to be reckoned with. They won't be a blowover as their pot suggests. Talk about group of death.

Silver Commonwealth
OK good, a side that no one has heard of. Finally. Wait WHAT! They actually might do well! Noooooo! But what a welcoming to the World Cup. Drawn into the Toilet Group. This one's coming back for sure.

And there it is. The Toilet Group. Group of Death. Boring old Group 6. Meme group. Call it what you like, but what's for certain is that we're in for a thrilling ride. So pack your bags and strap on your seatbelts; we're going on a big, long, topsy-turvy ride.

by **Springmont** » Sat Aug 29, 2020 1:38 am

Group 12
1. Taeshan (20)
2. Fluvannia (350)
3. Trolleborg (54)
4. Springmont (UR)
5. The Grearish Union (170)
6. Ziwana (82)
7. The Hinodejin Empire (14)
8. Riena (75)
9. Savigliane (279)
10. ZSeparatists (137)

Group 12 Fixtures
MD1: Springmont vs. The Hinodejin Empire
MD2: Riena vs. Springmont
MD3: Springmont vs. Savigliane
MD4: Taeshan vs. Springmont
MD5: Springmont vs. Fluvannia
MD6: Trolleborg vs. Springmont
MD7: Springmont vs. ZSeparatists
MD8: Springmont vs. The Grearish Union
MD9: Ziwana vs. Springmont
MD10: The Hinodejin Empire vs. Springmont
MD11: Springmont vs. Riena
MD12: Savigliane vs. Springmont
MD13: Springmont vs. Taeshan
MD14: Fluvannia vs. Springmont
MD15: Springmont vs. Trolleborg
MD16: ZSeparatists vs. Springmont
MD17: The Grearish Union vs. Springmont
MD18: Springmont vs. Ziwana

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sat Aug 29, 2020 2:46 am

Previous RP (TGI - Ch 2 Part 1)

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 2: A tale of 2 nations
Part 2: After the miracle of Omerica

When the final whistle blew, the Poafmersian bench all stood up and ran onto the field. The fans cheered and shouted loudly, while the players were gathering together and celebrating. Something tells Poafmersia that they definitely weren't favourites to hand HUElavia their 3rd consecutive loss in the finals of the Independents Associations Cup, but the players went through thick and thin to do just it.
Coming into the game, Poafmersia had no head-to-head advantage. Both teams had played each other twice before this meeting, with the most recent friendly being one held before the Independent Associations Cup, where Poafmersia lost. The record for our Red Panjias was 1 draw and 1 loss, which is nothing. HUElavia was certainly favourites to win the title, and they came in showing just that. In the 28th minute, it was striker Cristiano Averio-Lima who scored a goal for HUElavia, finding a defensive error by Alex Pickford, then running with the ball solo till the goal, and then tapped it into the net. In the second half, it was Cristiano who found another nice goal in the 67th minute to put Poafmersia 2-0 down. With nothing to lose, Adnan threw in another midfielder to switch to a 3-4-3 formation, and was rewarded in the 81st minute when Shakira got one back after recieving a nice corner delivery from Emma Conner, and then 8 minutes later, Hansel Tang did a nice 1-2 with Pete Carisa, to allow Pete Carisa to score the equaliser. In extra time, Hansel Tang tapped in another solo goal to allow Poafmersia to win the title 3-2.
Fast forward 6 months from that miracle, and it was time for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. Poafmersia was rather careful to reduce the number of friendlies, choosing difficult opponents like Riena, Vdara and Terre Septentrionale among the list of opponents to play against. It helped Adnan as he was deciding his 35 player squad for the qualifiers. The qualifiers this time would be a time where Poafmersia was aiming to get into the top positions. "Protect 3rd and grab 2nd" would be PFFA's target, and in fact, when the group draw came out, the general sentiment among Poafmers was that "Not getting top 3 would definitely be disgraceful, and we should be contenders for the 2nd place."
Adnan Suliaha and Katiri Hedge had personally attended the group draw, where representatives from Newmanistan and Drawkland had did the live draw. On paper, it wasn't as brutal as it looks. Top seeds The Holy Empire and second seeds Audioslavia headed the group, with a declining Juvencus side taking the 4th seeds, followed by Euran Oceania Territories and Delaclava. Sylestone and Southwest Eastnorth are probably the sides which are aiming to cause a huge upset, before Silver Commonwealth and Lovisa round up the group. The unfamiliarity of the group is the biggest question mark - Poafmersia played Euran Oceania Territories in their first qualification campaign 4 years ago, as well as 2 friendlies against Sylestone and 1 against Delaclava. Apart from that...no senior team meetings with any of these sides.
For Adnan, after the IAC title win, the team morale has certainly reached new heights. The domestic league is not one of the bigger leagues on the domestic scale, and Poafmers are being recognised for their talents overseas. However, many of the first batch of players are reaching their peak age. Finding the substitutes are really difficult, and the aim is really to do that. During the post-friendly interview in North Handoria, where Poafmersia was playing The Gothanira Isles for the 3rd time in 3 months, Adnan commented that the fixture list is "more brutal" than the group list. "We just played The Gothanita Isles, and during one combined session where we were talking to their coaching team, we were comparing notes about our opponents - and realised that the most brutal thing is the fixture list. We open our campaign away once again, this time at second seeds Audioslavia. At first we think that this isn't as bad as the one last campaign where we open at top seeds Brenecia, but then as we scroll down the list, we are like 'eh what?', because our second match would be at home against The Holy Empire. They (the Isles) also got a really tough fixture list, opening against top seeds Banija away before visiting Chromatika. We are finding out the correct way to structure our squad selection, and would probably get the list out these few days before visiting Audioslavia. Key players will probably stay, but apart from that, expect to see new players."
Of course, there was an obvious question - what to do with this ridiculous fixture list? Can Poafmersia score an upset and get top 2 position? Katiri Hedge's Chirper post might provide the hint to what the team is thinking off, and as we revisit the team selection during the friendlies later, or look at how the team plays the first few matches, maybe anyone would understand what it means.

"Don't retreat, we must fight gracefully
Hand-in-hand, we strengthen ourselves before having a battle
Don't hide behind, we must fight honourably
Produce the finest moments, to show the world who we are.
#WCQ86GroupDraw #TeamPoafmersia"
- Katiri Hedge, Sept 16 2024

World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

WC86 Drawkland Information

Pre-World Cup Qualifiers Group Draw

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