World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

by **Kelssek** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 3:44 pm

THE FOOTBALL ZINE ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE READING
EXPLICIT BUROFAX SINCE 162 F.E.

Galacticos list makes case for Kelssek lineup shuffle

As the World Cup qualifiers get underway again, is the Galacticos list lobbying for Mason Blueman and Tim Bowler to get more international caps? Sure looks like it, after the two players were named to the longlist of the world’s top footballers this season, although neither has been the clear first choice for Kelssek.

That’s not to say Kelssek manager Andrea Crowe has been wantonly ignoring the talents of the two players. Mason Blueman caught the attention of Soldarian FC, a Vanorian club that’s one of the most successful in international club football, two years ago when he was playing for Colwynian Vale. Initially a squad player, his first season saw Soldarian come visit Kelssek as they went to Outineau for the Challengers Cup final (which they lost, unfortunately).

After earning 9 caps in the World Cup 85 qualifiers, he then went along to the finals in Farfadillis, although he’s clearly behind Ruslan Demetriev and Gabriel Lapierre in the midfield pecking order. But that could change as Blueman has gone on to work his way into the starting lineup for Soldarian this year, and after an excellent start to the season Blueman is a key part of a team that is a strong challenger for the Elven Premiership despite many expecting Raynor City United to simply stroll to another win.

Therein lies the dilemma for Blueman – he’s certainly as good as Demetriev and Lapierre overall, but while Demetriev is an energetic ball-winner and Lapierre a crafty playmaker, Blueman is more of a jack of all trades and does both jobs well but not at the level of those two. The chance will come if Demetriev decides to step back from the national team, making a gap that the 26-year old Blueman would be the odds-on favourite to fill.

Tim Bowler, in his fourth season at Taeshan’s Bayern Phoenix, has seen both ups and downs with his club, although he’s long been the established left-back for the club. Yet Andrea Crowe has preferred the more attack-minded Thamior Liadon on the left to overlap with Colm Ó Tuathail. The understanding between the two is something Crowe will probably be reluctant to break up even if Bowler is making a strong case for the left-back position. But it might also be an option to play Liadon as right-back, where he’s accustomed to playing with his club Burnaby SC, and then move the versatile Ashley Douglass up to right midfield.

However, it’s when things are going well as they seem to be that there can be a reluctance to change the methods that got Kelssek into the knockouts of the World Cup. Better to be proactive and switch things up – whether Crowe will do this will depend on how the first set of fixtures go.

by **Zwangzug** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:26 pm

The Spenson Star

The draw for the World Cup 86 qualifiers saw Zwangzug sneak into pot one via the withdrawal of the Free Republics after they won the title last cycle. This means that, on paper, they are the "worst" of the first seeds, and yet still a first seed, with all the heavy KPB ranking that implies. Despite this bizarre combination, six nations have chosen them as their "fantasy" pick for group 17. "Really, people?" said one source close to the federation. "You saw how we underperformed early on in 84, I mean, [Tavish] Willow was so fed up that he quit." The anonymous source also said that they "couldn't be bothered" to produce their own predictions. "I mean, it'd be wrong not to pick ourselves, that'd be a bit of a conflict of interest there, innit. But then, statistically, we can't justify it."

The draw presents several intriguing opponents for Zwangzug, as well as relatively "budget" picks for fantasy players. Among them are frequent opponents Barunia, who Zwangzug faced in the qualifiers for World Cups 69, 80, 82, and 83 (which for us were consecutive appearances!). "Suns" fans are well-known for their chant of communist anthem "The People's Flag," which Zwangzug supporters have irreverently adapted into "The People's Net."

The second seeds, South Covello, are introducing a new mascot, a goat named Sir Nicholas von Chompington I, and hoping he survives eating various materials to symbolically represent the "Rebels" devouring their opponents. Perhaps surprisingly, Brandon Sonnabend has come out in favor of this endeavor. "We appreciate goats here, whether they be Yard Goats or the literal kind. And we support more goat-related endeavors in the World Cup community so they're not defined by the Sloopy Incident of World Cup 40." Sonnabend was interrupted by Sydney Stefred engaging in her typical violence against anyone who dares to reference ancient history in a less-than-scornful tone.

The Squornshelan Remnant States are known to Trink fans as the homeland of Eyob Zonde, and known to the rest of the country as definitely not being the same as the Imperium of Squornshelous, who Zwangzug faced last time out. And venerable Wayr Stadium returns to hosting international football, after being extensively renovated last cycle to decontaminate after the Rovers United lockdown. The opponents when Zwangzug return there are none other than "When U Die," a decision that has been described as "in poor taste" by some and "freaking hilarious" by others.

Roster-wise, Zwangzug exhibit relatively little turnover. Not only are there no WC81 rookies who might have aged out, last cycle saw a smooth qualification and a breakthrough to the quarterfinals. Former captain Chevanthi Arokiaraj retires, to be replaced by Allison Levi-Gold, the former Sporting Esper wunderkind who may finally have matured; the Robins also see Nora Kent-Maner join the bench in the midfield, replacing Micah Angier. Javier Drouet, known to be a stickler for the rules, takes over on the bench. Meanwhile, Laurel Tinker-Witt has been "demoted" to #23, with Itzhak Canterbury assuming the #12 after Spenson Suburbia's overachievement last season. We're sure that Spenson definitely won't regress to the mean as they fight on several fronts with the LdV and league and stuff, and that messing with the goalkeepers' self-esteem won't backfire in any way whatsoever.

Assuming the armband is Joshua Twoni, part of the remarkable generation at Arlington that led the northeastern city from mediocrity to league, IFF, and perhaps more titles. "Golden" they may not be--if only because Stefred would have my head for suggesting that no future Arlington side could match them--but their new yellow-and-blue kits are certainly an eyesore. Riley Kivrin has been figuratively overshadowed by Twoni and Stefred, and literally overshadowed by...just about everyone, she's tiny. But she scored the dramatic equalizer against Farfadillis last time around. She may take more of a defensive role when she gets to start, but don't look past her.

Sonnabend seems to have calmed his critics since taking the reins last cycle, and the consistent performances of Satenik Banach and Ione Friede are evidence against an "old boys' club" mentality holding him back. A few fans, though, took issue with his decision-making at, of all places, the qualifying draw. "Just because [South Newlandia representative Sandra] Elephantson was tired and had a migraine, he had to be all worried about her and stuff?" griped Jill McKrear of 102d. "How paternalistic is that, she should just tough off migraines like [former national team midfielder Subroto] Parida and everyone else." Sources close to the federation assure us that, considering the kind of nonsense that others engage in at World Cup draws, Sonnabend's behavior was completely fine if not actively pleasant.

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 5:22 pm

He Only Knew Heartbreak
People left him there.
A sad and painful death started.
He's just a friend now.
More like an acquaintance.
Does the gods hate him?
Didn't seem like it, yet maybe it was.
All the happiness, sucked away.
His feelings drained.
He Only Knew Heartbreak.

Home >> Sports >> International

Ryoviste wishing to start WCQ86 with a bang; Group Preview
by Antonov Vasilyev

Our hopes were dashed a few weeks ago when we failed to make the playoffs in the AOCAF. Despite strong performances in all of our matches, we didn't manage to get 3rd or higher.
Now, the footballing world is turning its eyes towards the WCQ86. Happening in a few days, this qualifier will determine who will qualify for the World Cup 86. Big giants are here to slay it again, old names are coming back, and new teams are looking to upset everyone(like us).
The question about our qualification is clear cut: Unless Savojarna, Busoga Islands and Mercedini mess up, we have no chance.
As a 5th pot, we were one of the stronger sides. Yet, there are still teams above us who can spoil our chances. However, with our strong showing last season, maybe we could pop a surprise.
Ryoviste isn't thinking about qualification in particular.
"I'm just making sure we leave the qualys strong and do well in the CoH. If we qualify that's a dream in two but I don't think it's logical." explained Ryoviste.
Who exactly is in our group, and just how much are we supposed to fear them?

Baker Park
If you were paying any attention to last WCQ, you would've noticed that Baker Park was our competitor then. Now, we've met twice. Whether or not we win is up in the clouds, but since we're playing them, causing an upset since we know them well would be the dream.
Savojarna
Another very strong side, they're expected to defend 2nd place. Of course, if we cause a giant killing against them, then maybe we would beat them to it.
Busoga Islands
Busoga Islands, another fellow island nation, is also one of the higher ranked nations. Strong performances in the past ought to make us scared, but we believe a draw is more than possible.
Mercedini
Mercedini is a team we should be heavily taking note of. They are a good side, but we believe they may not be performing at their best. We're hoping for at least a draw.
Cheergirls
We should by any means not be afraid of a few cheergirls, but we should. This group is different from others, in that they are a formidable side. There's a high chance of them screwing us up, but we're preparing our horrible band music.
West Angola
We don't know anything about them, except they are 18xth ranked. We'll most likely beat them.
Orion Islands
We've skipped ranks 200-299, and end up in 316th place. Easy meat.
TOTEL
See above.
Murphtannia
This side may be easy to beat, but we can see them become a superpower.

Our first matchups are against Mercedini and Murphtannia. Make sure to catch them here.

by **Audioslavia** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 7:33 pm

Jeremy Jaffacake had known the jig was up after five minutes. The Starblaydis were smart, you had to give them that. Smug, but smart. They’d examined at the Audioslavians and pinpointed their main weakness, and their main weakness was the manager. Get to him, and in a round about way you’ll get to the team. Patterick’s veneer of confidence was a thin one. If you broke it, he’d start making bad decisions.

Four years ago, in Patterick’s first competition, Euran Oceania Territories had beaten the Bulls in a similar fashion. Blood and thunder, an eye for an eye, you go low, we also go low, everything is low and also a mess. Audioslavian footballers weren’t physical, tenacious shithouses because they were tough. Quite the opposite. If you tried to turn the other cheek the Bulls would demolish you. If you stood up to them and gave them a taste of their own medicine, they all of a sudden didn’t seem so willing to fight. Confused by their opponents’ acceptance of their invitation to bring the game into disrepute, it was the Audioslavians’ turn to lose sight of the gameplan. Audioslavia had had the better of much of their game with EOT, and had had strong spells against the Starblaydis, but in the end they never really got into their rhythm.

And so it went. Audioslavia lose another final. Starblaydia win a tournament for the first time it was popular speculate on what Michael Jackson's next album would be like. AOCAF Cup time was over. World Cup time was upon us again.

Jeremy Jaffacake held the newspaper open, surveyed Audioslavia’s qualifying group and inhaled through his teeth.

Poafmersia at home in the opening game and the unranked Silver Commonwealth away. To get off on the right foot, that really needed to be four points minimum. Another bout with Euran Oceania Territories would come next - Audioslavia had already taken two measures of revenge over EOT for that AOCAF Cup exit and another win would do nicely, especially with the side having to visit Delaclava immediately afterwards. Juvencus would have been a super tough tie a few years ago, but at least a point should be the minimum requirement this time out, while Lovisa would have been a tough tie two hundred years ago. Their form now... who knew?

After that the Sylestone encounter could go either way, and then there was The Holy Empire, the group’s top seeds. What kind of team would they be bringing? God knew. In fact it could even be a team of gods again. Either way, they’d be strong. Two points from those two matches would go a long way. The Bulls would finish up both halves of qualifying against the south western east northerners.

The odds on getting that sole auto-qualification spot went in the Imperial’s favour. A good showing and a second place finish would hopefully be enough for the Bulls to qualify.

Jeremy put down his newspaper and threw his cigarette onto the floor, stamping it out with his right foot. He paused for a split second and wondered what was wrong with this current situation, and recalled that, with this being a hot Calorborne day and with him being near the beach, he’d taken his shoes off an hour previously. He jerks his foot from the floor sharply and banged his knee so hard against the table that he laughed. The various patrons at the cafe watched as the strange barefooted man in the beige trilby, white shirt and khaki shorts hopped and chuckle-yelped back towards the beach.

Within twenty minutes, his foot had stopped burning and he’d made his way to a largish wooden house that overlooked the beach. There were lights on and the noise of a radio inside that was so muffled that it was most likely in a room at the back of the house. Jeremy walked silently up the short stairway to the porch and paused at the front door. Knock or sneak? Knowing who it was on the inside, sneaking was probably not going to work. A few decades ago he’d have swung up to the second floor and slipped through the window, but that would have been a very lavish entrance and, in any case, these days his knees creaked and cracked so much under duress that in climbing he’d have sounded like monkey popping bubblewrap with two maracas.

Jeremy looked to his right and noticed a rocking chair and a hammock, both positioned so that its occupant would get a good view of the beach. The rocking chair was about the right size for a person. The hammock looked big enough to fit a horse into.

Slowly, Jeremy twisted the door handle and let the door glide open on its hinges. A kitchen. Cooking area to the right, washing machine and cupboards to the left, along with a door to what he supposed would be the living room. In the middle of the kitchen stood a chest-high table with three stools, one large enough to seat a horse, one dark blue and regular sized, one pink and baby blue with a large ‘J’ on the top. On the table was a large white cloth that looked to be covering an array of crockery and what he assumed must be a bottle of wine, unless it was instead the thing he'd come here for.

Before he could check, something caught Jeremy’s attention. After so many years of breaking into places that didn’t want to be broken into, Jeremy had learned to pick up on things that he wouldn’t have expected to be there. One time, breaking into the house of someone who deserved to have their house broken into, the strange thing had been a dog bowl. The dog itself hadn’t been strange when it had introduced itself to him four seconds later, except perhaps for how much it had seemed to relish eating Jeremy’s left boot while his right had escaped with Jeremy. Another time, breaking into the offices of a newspaper he’d previously worked for, the strange thing had been a walkie-talkie on his old desk. A very big, very old and very heavy walkie-talkie that made it very useful for disabling the type of security guard who loses walkie-talkies and comes back to get them while playing Ornery Avians on their phone.

In this instance, the strange thing was a device built into the wall that appeared, at first glance, to be the sort of camera that specialises in facial recogni…

Four white ceiling lights pinged into a bright dazzle at exactly the same time as the music hit. While Jeremy was shielding his eyes from the glare, an enormous figure blocked the doorway in front of him - the one leading from the kitchen the living room - and removed the cloth from the table with a flourish.

“Emmanuel!” said the figure. “Our guest has finally arrived!”

A hand rested gently on Jeremy’s shoulder. Jeremy didn’t have to unshield his eyes to figure out that the owner of the hand was stood behind him.

“I know, honey” came the voice of the hand’s owner. “I expected him to come up through the window, but he didn’t, so I figured I’d go out of it myself and shimmy down to give him a warm welcome.”
“Oh really?” said the other voice. “Why didn’t you use the window, Jeremy? It appears Emmanuel was waiting right there for you”
 “Monkeys with maracas” said Jeremy. “It’s a long story. And would you turn that effing music off!”

Jeremy had felt, for a fleeing split second, a feeling of dread when he’d seen that third stool. What if the ‘J’ is for ‘Jaffacake’ he’d thought, before dismissing that idea as silly. He was right to have dismissed the idea. It turned out the ‘J’ was for ‘Jeremy’.

“More tea, Jeremy?” asked Swing. Sweet Swing was Emmanuel Portico’s lover-stroke-girlfrield-stroke-wife-stroke-horse. It was an arrangement that was apparently normal to Karditanis but incredibly weird to Audioslavians. Jeremy wanted to continue his line of conversation, which had consisted entirely of him saying it was weirder for them to have been planning this so long than it was for him to have been given his WA Commendation for Services to Journalistic Integrity. An award sitting as the centre-piece of the table at unexpected the tea party they were having. Unexpected for Jeremy, of course. Jeremy nodded and Swing fit her entire right hoof into the right-hoof sized handle of the teapot and topped him up.

“It’s good tea isn’t it, Jeremy” said Emmanuel.
“It’s actually not bad, yeah” said Jeremy.
“I went out and bought some of the finest Earl of Camomilia tea I could find” said Swing. “And then Emmanuel chuckled at me and, the next day, brought back a pack of cheap teabags and said that, if I boiled two in a mug until the tea was a sort of dull orange, drowned it in milk and then put four spoonfuls of sugar in it, you’d like that much better”
“Some call it Builder’s Tea” said Jeremy. “I don’t know how anyone can drink any other type of tea. Also..” Jeremy nodded at the small bowl of sugar with a very tiny spoon sitting in it “I would have thought you’d have sugar lumps”
“Why?” said Swing. Jeremy blinked and then looked at Emmanuel, who was stirring his coffee and looking expectantly at Jeremy.
“Because you’re a horse” said Jeremy to the horse.
Silence.
“Horses eat sugar lumps in Audioslavia?” asked Swing.
“Horses eat sugar lumps everywhere” said Jeremy. “It’s a horse thing”
“I don’t think it is a horse thing” said Swing. “I mean… where would horses find sugar lumps?”
“Where do they find blinkers and bits and large brightly coloured poles to jump over” said Jeremy. “Horses are…”
“Horses are lots of things, yes” said Swing, raising an eyebrow. “I mean… by now you must appreciate that ponies, especially those from Equestria, are… y’know…” “A horse of a different colour” said Jeremy.
“Often more than one” said Emmanuel
“A pony of loads of colours” doesn’t quite fall off the tongue so easily. Anyway. So you’ve had this dinner party set up since…”
“Since I got back, pretty much. Well, since I figured that our mutual friend didn’t feel too affronted that I’d double-crossed him”
“Jusuf Naid, or whatever he’s calling himself this week” said Jeremy. “Have you spoken to him?”
“We speak often” said Emmanuel.
“He’s a friend?”
“I don’t think he’s anyone’s friend, or, at least, anyone who regards him as a friend should probably count their thumbs after they’ve shaken his hand, but he’s good company and he knows when the game has ended”
Jeremy took a sip of his tea and helped himself to another scone.
“So what next?” asked Jeremy. “There’s people in Vilita and Valanora who have won similar awards recently. I trust you’ll be trying to steal those as well?”
“Not at all” said Emmanuel. “Those ones are deserved.”
“You’ve got to do something though” said Jeremy. “I mean, this is a lovely house and all but… well I tried retiring to Calorborne once myself and, honestly, after a couple of years you get bored”
Swing bristled slightly at the comment. Emmanuel gave her a small wink and smiled.
“I’m sure there will be more adventures to be had, but some of us rather enjoy being retired”
Sweet Swing did whatever horses do when they smile. Jeremy had previously figured that to be some sort of shake of their head accompanied by a ‘huwwahurrahurra’ sound, but it actually just resembled a smile.
“Make sure to take that ghastly trophy with you when you go” said Swing. “I can’t believe we’ve had to keep it on this table for so long”
Jeremy eyed the trophy. His trophy.
“Y’know. I deserved this just as much as any of those guys in Vilita or Valanora.”
“Sure you did, Jeremy” said Emmanuel, patting JJ on the back. “Sure you did”.

by **Geektopia** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:13 pm

Geektivities
*Be cool, be woke.
Reports done by Rodakowski, our new Sports categorist. Alongside him as an editor is Carrube.

New generation brings forth more attacking depth, a defender, a midfielder, and a freshened up goalkeeper.

Our most popular left back Loui brings a lot of limelight to his short career by stating just before the draw that he thought his hip flexor strain was a minor setback in a major success regarding playing for the Greens of Geektopia, the striker didn't tell anyone, but the trainers that were on field already knew and tried to be accessory in the recovery of this injury from the last two games onwards, amid Loui's further interest to want to play first team football. Underperformance and underwhelment were seen in the last few days of last cycle's World Cup qualification against Talamia and Cosumar, from then there on, the defender tried out his best impression of a ghost in the Cup of Harmony and disappeared from the pitch, although some of his efforts did assist the Geeks in getting into a WCC final.

This new defender, though, I've got good feelings about him and his mentality, the same trait that dragged Loui out of the squad proper. Idstein knows how to get injured and tell somebody about his injury. More similarly, he can opportunistically and communicatively spot gaps in attacking play and act as sort of a feeder in terms of passing or longing to central mids. This one also knows how to finish, although the media doesn't think he'll score more than five goals in the campaign.

Our attacking three up front from the last three millennia didn't really seem to be affected by our horrible records against UR and Baptism of Fire nations, so much so, that after the qualification itself had ended, they were late to training three out of nine times. This could possibly be due to celebrations of our highest table position in the nation's history and the lack of retrospect and self-improvement from prior games that only edged out the, at that time, inferior looking Baggieland and Aldaveria. We need an attacking three who are willing to improve under Dingledine to make this squad the best in the nation's history.

And that's where the trio of Dolivo, Picolet, and Rydelek come in. Firstly, Dolivo has played in a few different positions to sum up his short career before the international call-up, but he plays well in varied attacking midfielder/winger roles and boosts Geektopia with unpredictable creativity if this APR formation gets too boring too quickly; in his youth days he even went as statistically far as averaging 20.11 passes per 90 at the Di Bradini Cup 2900 years back, and he offers vision as well with this passing excellence and can cohesively link up to lower roles such as a defender or a midfielder.

Picolet plays less creative APR football but gets the job done if everyone else strays from the tactics given and can be quick to shout a teammate out for the ball when it's his turn and it's been more than 8 seconds. He also takes corners pretty nicely, featuring as a second choice from both angles, while Crete stars.

Rydelek is a strong, surging powerhouse who likes to foot the ball in his own way while not being very tactically adherive, that being usually why he gets the last touch APR-wise. In most attacks going forward, Rydelek likes popping up in wider positions, and tends to levitate over to the left side of the pitch if the centre gets too crowded. Then, he cuts inside with his stronger left foot and it usually works from what we've seen.

Goalkeepers from first look are very important, but the GFA keeps shrugging the position off and sending each goalie who does take part in a cycle back to the nether realm of mediocrity they inhibited before, no matter the clean sheet count or percentage per game.

Szczerbinski brings a lot of mental attributes to the team which didn't have them in World Cup 85 against smaller nations they lost or drew to. Pillars, by comparison, is a more inferior leader, only pointing to what the team tactically should've done without their manager at post. Szczer self-starts and works every day for his first team spot, and although the sport domestically isn't completely taken over by big offshore money deals or high payrolls, there still is a lot to demand for a leader figure on and off the pitch, and Szczerbinski fits the bill. His coallegiates are so fond and well-kempt of the midfielder that a regular name that gets thrown around in training a lot is, well, Szczer. Doesn't that sound cute?

No?

Skedaddle.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:49 am

By Peter Davis

After an interesting WCQ draw for the 86th edition of this tournament, the road to Newmanistan and Drawkland is set. 18 Groups of 10 teams each will compete for the right to enter to pearly gates to the finals itself, with all group winners and 6 2nd placed teams qualifying automatically. The other 12 2nd placed teams will compete in a playoff series (home and away against another team) in order to decide the final 6 entrants to this WC.

For the first time in its history, TJUN-ia will be considered a challenger to make the big time as a Pot 4 nation. The stakes for David Seems' side are greater than they have ever been before as many back home will be hoping for definite improvement from 9th at the last WCQ. This TJUN-ian side has risen to this point, now they must prove they belong to be here among the greats. But who are the teams they must face to reach a new high?

Mriin (16)
Let's start from the top with Mriin. Co-hosts of the last WC with Farfadillis, the Reavers reached the last 16 at their home tournament before falling to eventual runners-up Nephara. A quarterfinal appearance at the lastest AOCAF was a sign that these guys are still at their best but some improvement in results is a must. They will be the favourites to take this group, but you can never fully expect predictability in world football. Expect ties against the satyrs to be considered a chance to show the world what TJUN-ia is made off.

Port Ember (38)
The expected contender for the Group is Port Ember, whos WC85 campaign was marred by tragedy in all extremes. Described by the local paper as "The Season of Death and Misery", the Dragons saw their team captain (Raymond Reddington) murdered by another footballer (Frazer Murray, who would be sentenced to death) and saw their head coach resign due to the murder and then commit suicide. The real kicker: they missed out on qualification by a single point. It was a campaign that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. This will be the first WC since the Dragons suffered so much, so they will be fired up to continue the legacy Rey left behind. It will emotional occasions when they play us.

Filindostan (50)
Our nearest contender in front of us is Filindostan. The Pula Garuda has always been up there or thereabout as a top contender in this sport. The winners of Baptism of Fire 66 are known for being a high-scoring side, which must be taken into consideration when we play them ourselves. This is the team TJUN-ia must try and keep pace with, so our games against them should be quite the spectacle.

South Newlandia (87)
Now here comes the teams below us, starting with South Newlandia. The team from Elephant Valley has been a rising force in U3 sports in recent times and their football team is no different. Considered one of the best debuting nations at the last WC, they will be hoping to avoid a 2nd season slump and to challenge the order in the group. With 2 of TJUN-ia's starters playing their domestic football here, it will be interesting to see what happens when two rising nations clash in this campaign.

Natanians and Nosts (114)
Oh god, not them again! Yep, next up is Natanians and Nosts. They were in our group at the last WC, and they were the side that always seemed to have our number. Losing 4-0 to them in Szensky is never good, nor is only getting a point from the other game. N&N may be a curse to TJUN-ian football, but there is some silver lining. Playing them again might give us the opportunity to exact some revenge for the struggles of last time.

Tikariot (243)
Next up is Tikariot, our neighbours in The North Pacific. They have been making their debuts in multiple tournaments now, including a playoff run in the WBC, but this will be their first WC. A quarterfinal run in the latest BoF kicked off their footballing careers and they seemed to be a quite good team in that tournament. How the Thunder does against the big boys is yet to be seen, but the prospect of a competitive "North Pacific Derby" excites many in TJUN-ia. We play them in the final match of both haves of the campaign, so expect fireworks in these fixtures depending on how the other games go for both teams.

Southern Palm Islands (310)
Continuing the BoF theme is the Southern Palm Islands of the Melayu Archipelago, a puppet of WC regulars Indusse. They actually lost to Tikariot at the BoF Round of 16, so they will be looking for revenge in that fixture. Sides from MA are known for being a bit unpredictable to play against and the SPI is no exception: they may have made the BoF knockouts as the 16th seeds, but you should never underestimate your opponents at all.

Se Vende Skooma (344)
Next up is a nation who will be familiar to those who watched the last WBC. Se Vende Skooma were in our group for that tournament and now they have seemingly followed us to this WCQ group. 5th in their BoF group, the Potato Cannoneers (yes, that is their nickname) use very weird nicknames for player positions - like "Central Ballkicker" (central midfielder) and Constable (goalkeeper). To many they may be "just another team" but to FA-TJUN-ia, no one should be underestimated- not even the Potato Cannoneers.

Union Europae (UR)
And finally, we have the only unranked nation in this group - Union Europae. WC86 will be UE's first-ever football tournament and as such, we have nothing on these guys. No teamsheets, no previous matches, nothing. UE may look small, but it always the unranked nations that are the most dangerous in U3 - you have no idea what sort of team you are up against until play begins.

SCHEDULE (Group 11) - lines indicate when next edition of Boot It! will be released
MD1: @Filindostan (50)
MD2: vs Se Vende Skooma (344) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
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MD3: @Natanians and Nosts (114) - Stadion Nacional (?)
MD4: @Port Ember (38) - Lilly Black Memorial Stadium, Port Ember Megalopolis
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MD5: vs Union Europae (UR) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD6: @Mriin (16)
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MD7: vs South Newlandia (87) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD8: @Southern Palm Islands (310)
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MD9: vs Tikariot (243) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
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MD10: vs Filindostan (50) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD11: @Se Vende Skooma (344)
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MD12: vs Natanians and Nosts (114) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD13: vs Port Ember (38) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
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MD14: @Union Europae (UR)
MD15: vs Mriin (16) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
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MD16: @South Newlandia (87) - Jecken Arena, Newport
MD17: vs Southern Palm Islands (310) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
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MD18: @Tikariot (243) - Dhaencunor Arena, Tikariot City

by **Pluvia and the Saxean Isles** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:09 pm

Pluvia and the Saxean Isles Team Introduction

Pluvia and the Saxean Isles are newcomers to the multiversal football scene, having competed in the Baptism of Fire and now their first World Cup. Unfortunately, Pluvian media's transmission abilities went dark during the BoF, so only native Pluvians or Saxean Islanders were able to read the coverage. With those abilities restored, we offer an introduction to the national team.

Team Nickname and History

Although the national animal of Pluvia and the Saxean Isles is the eagle, the team nickname is the Magpies. This is a reflection of football and organised sport being seen as not worthy of governmental support or attention. The team knew they couldn't rely on excellent training and development or pure footballing ability, so a symbol of strength like the eagle wasn't a good representation. Instead, they settled on the magpie, a crafty bird they felt epitomised their style of play and self-image.

Magpies are intelligent, and Pluvian teams pride themselves on tactical awareness more than raw physical ability or skill. In Pluvian folklore and in other places around the multiverse, the magpie is an ill omen, a harbinger of bad fortune, thus playing a Pluvian team is also a symbol of bad luck. This may founder on the rocks of cultural differences (in other cultures, magpies are well-regarded), but it gives Pluvian teams a boost of self-confidence and a self-image to rally around. Finally, the magpie is reputed to have an eye for stealing or snatching shiny objects, so it's also a bit of a cheeky reference to stealing silverware such as trophies through their play.

Uniform

The Magpies' uniform is a traditional black and white striped kit with black shorts. However, they may be seen on occasion sporting the national colors of blue and gold with white shorts.

Supporters' Group

The Pluvian football team is followed by a rather large group of Magpies fanatics calling themselves The Dastardly Curse. This is a reference to the Pluvian rhyme One for Sorrow, about counting magpies. Though there are multiple versions, the one that has survived to modern day and inspired the supporters' group goes like this:

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss
Eleven is worse
Twelve for a dastardly curse.

Members of the group chant this at Magpies matches, with a special emphasis on the last two lines. The eleven Magpies on the pitch are "worse" for the opponent, while the support of the fans is regarded as a twelfth Magpie, hence the group's name, The Dastardly Curse. It's also a bit of superstition among Magpies fans that the course of a relationship, engagement, or marriage that occurs on the day of a Magpies game can be determined by the number of goals the Pluvian team scores that day. Unfortunately, the rhyme doesn't say what happens if the Magpies are shut out.

The Players

Everything starts with Kilian Kistler in goal for the Magpies. The 30 year old is the team captain and the keeper for PSI Elite League powerhouse RSC Marienburg. He has an excellent grasp of tactics and strategy, and is very difficult to beat on set pieces. However, he is not elite physically and can be beaten in the open field. The other keepers are Kaspar Abendroth, a well-regarded veteran for rivals Marienburg City, and Bram Holger, a young player from the Saxean Isles. Neither will see all that much time if all goes well.

On the defensive line, Lyle Mullens and Axel Newman are the fullbacks, and Marcus Rabb and Alistair Turner the centrebacks. Mullens and Newman bring drive, effort, and energy, while the veterans Rabb and Turner are rocks of stability on the back end. Expect the fullbacks to play in a box-to-box manner to give the formation more width, while Rabb and Turner will rarely venture that far up the pitch. Lachlan West and Ashton Houghton are fullbacks who offer pace but not finesse yet, while the Saxean Islanders Jonah McCullough and Gregor O'Connell are the centrebacks. McCullough is a steady defender while O'Connell is a giant at 2.1 metres and 110 kilos.

In the midfield, Niko Gardner is the key linchpin connecting and distributing in the centre, while Tristan Schuerer is a creative attacker on the right flank and Matthew Fletcher offers tactical knowledge and keen passing on the left side. A lot will depend on these three; they have to defend and attack, provide width and connect up the middle. The veteran Jack Johnstone is a solid if unspectacular presence who will make a good substitute, Alfie Baker is young, enthusiastic, energetic and quick, and Bernard Davies plays a similar game to Gardner, but with a bit more of a defensive focus.

But the attackers up front will determine success or failure. Each occupies a bit of a different role, but they work together well for the team. Thorsten Bishop is a burly target man, standing 1.93 metres and applying pressure through his height and physical presence in the centre, while Saxean Islander Keir Gilbride on the left is well regarded for his crossing and precision passing. But it's Carsten Grisbaum, on the right wing, playing as an inverted winger, that excites people. He's quick and a good passer, but he also is a relentless attacker with a nose for the goal. He's light enough to beat defenders one-on-one, but can hold his own against a more physical player as well. Otto Pearce is another target-man striker type, while Finn Roberts is a diminutive speed demon most comfortable operating on either wing. Finally, Rory Goldberg is a Saxean wunderkind who will play on the wing, but often drift into the centre to create, distribute, and attack. He is one to watch, but is still raw.

The team has four players from traditional powerhouse RSC Marienburg, followed by three each from Marienburg City, Victoria Alenard, Racing Club Alenard (the four traditional top Pluvian teams), and the best Saxean team, Claesey Athletic. The rest are drawn from the lower half of the PSI Elite League. The PSIEL is a fully professional league that prides itself on playing competitive football, but without international competition, it's hard to know how it stacks up.

The Pluvian team is ready to compete, and God willing, they'll have some success in their first-ever World Cup.

by **Taeshan** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:54 pm

Newmanistan 1-1 Taeshan 
Drawkland 0-2 Taeshan 
Receucn 0-1 Taeshan 
Delaclava 0-2 Taeshan 
Banija 0-2 Taeshan
Taeshan 1-0 Astograth @ Atlantea Coliseum (490,000), Atlantea, Atlantea Island 
Taeshan Vs Zseperatists @ Stairway to Heaven (90,000), Mt Ceabring, Wolf Island 
Taeshan Vs Fluvannia @ Fadron University Field (89,000), Fadrön, Taeshan Island 
Trolleborg vs Taeshan 
Taeshan Vs Springmont @ The Haberdashery (85,000), Hannah, Williams Isle
Grearish Union vs Taeshan 
Taeshan Vs Ziwana @ The Den (70,000), Wolfin, Wolf Island 
Hinode vs Taeshan
Taeshan Vs Riena @ New Capetown Memorial Park (100,111), New Capetown, Cape Island 
Savigliane vs Taeshan
Zseperatists Vs Taeshan
Fluvannia Vs Taeshan
Taeshan vs Trolleborg @ the Atlantea Coliseum (490,000), Atlantea, Atlantea Island 
Springmont vs Taeshan
Taeshan vs Grearish Union @ X Island Metropark (250,000), X Island, X Island 
Ziwana vs Taeshan
Taeshan vs Hinode @ the Atlantea Coliseum (490,000), Atlantea, Atlantea Island
Riena vs Taeshan
Taeshan vs Savigliane @ Real Stadium on the Lake (90.001), Chinchinhua, Lake Island

From the Notes of Dr. Ashley Ramoray

"So Mr. Garret. Your wife has asked for you to see me for a few weeks, just to get you through this rough patch in your life. Mostly she's worried about the way you've responded to your friends death, but also just feels like you've kind of had a lot of issues since you retired from football. Does that make sense?"

"I mean, I think I've had issues dealing with his...dealing with it. I mean I've known him since our early national team days, he was one of the first guys to invite me into the team after my first call-up. He knew what it was like to be the new guy, the young guy, all the expectations. I think it happening so shortly after I left the game I love, I can see it being an issue."

"So would you like to talk about it?"

"I mean, can't we start with some earlier issue, like being the odd man out for 2 whole World Cup campaigns, a 16 year old starter? Or like my mom's death? Or just being an awkward young adult, with huge expectations?"

"We can start wherever you would like. This is about you not me."

"I uh, I think it's only right to start where it began. Being the awkward kid among the adults. Expected to be so good, often failing. Having a whole countries expectations on your back early, playing out of position. It was rough."

"How did you feel when you got that call-up at sixteen?"

"IT was incredible. I went from some random kid to a national team starter, that doesn't happen. At 16 I was the second best left back in the nation, and beat out a guy who played in three other countries, and started over him in my first tournament. That was incredible, and then to play another 10 years after that for my country, nothing compares."

"Do you think you were ready? Were the expectations too much?"

"I think I was ready then. But when things got harder, I think it became an issue. When I got challenged in the lineup and had to fight after Falstaff came in. It was rough. But my team was built to contend. I had to see that coming. I had to fight for it, and that's only right at that level. I think as a kid sometimes you miss those facts."

"What do you think you learned from being so young on the international stage?"

"I think I learned that no matter how much you wish to be older, you wish to make it to the next point in your career, don't miss the small things. Don't let the goal get in the way of the journey. So many moments when I was a kid, hell when I was a player in Moresville...I missed the adventure along the way, because the end goal...The dream, the dream was more important. I think if I could go back and talk to a young Sullivan, a young me...I'd tell him to live a little more. Be in the moment. Dreams are great, but sometimes they don't happen. Not every national team wins a world cup, or makes it to the semi-finals. Sometimes your high water mark, is being good and competing.

by **Krytenia** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:58 pm

IBIXAN PIECES

Part I: Miasma

Doctor Samuel Fisher was no stranger to this trip. The Desert Shuttle was a neat little train, four clean carriages which took Ousevale's finest along the Trans-Calanian Railway to the station in Istanbull. From there, the geologists, climatologists, and those others taking part in the ongoing terraforming experiments would head down south to Capricorn. Once a simple research base, the operation had become a city in its own right; an odd technocracy where the researchers acted as civic council and their families had simply put down roots. It had a population of maybe five thousand now, and probably had the highest average IQ in the whole of Atlantian Oceania.

That wasn't Samuel's destination though. The good doctor was just that; a consulting surgeon with a practice in what now acted as the Ibixan capital. It helped that he was no ordinary doctor. Growing up in Wick, just across the border from the wild nation to the south, he'd been fascinated by the Ibexi who came across the borders every now and then, usually to trade food crops or textiles on the more lucrative Krytenian market. When he went to university, he'd studied biology, anatomy, and medicine of both species, making him a rarity and a valuable one at that. Dr Fisher had found his calling in Istanbull, healing Ibixan and Ibexi alike. He'd listened to the words of the Ibexan mystics, and proffered to them opinions of science and reason sympathetic to Ibexi mythology.

Usually when he got off the train, there'd be a hive of activity. The fruit market outside the station, with its colours and fragrances, would have its aroma waft towards the open-air platforms, lifting the spirits of the weary traveller. The pedal taxis - petrol was prohibitively expensive - parked outside the station, waiting to whisk commuters to their destination. The hustle and bustle of the various shops that lined the city centre streets.

Today? Today there was almost nothing. The market stalls lay bereft, the only sound being awnings flappins softly in the warm breeze. A handful of Ibixans dotted the streets, leaving stores with no customers. A few were even boarded up, the lack of custom sending them bankrupt. At the front of the station, a single pedal taxi, driver with a cap over his head, seemingly dozing.

It was at this point that Samuel realised that only a handful of people on the train had alighted here; much fewer than usual. He approached the pedal taxi, and almost on cue, the driver roused, lifting the cap to its designed position, and introducing himself to the doctor as Jordi.

Samuel boarded the pedal taxi, headed for the hospital a mile and a half away. He turned to Jordi as they set off. "Seems awful quiet," he posited.

"Has been for a while", replied Jordi, pedalling at a decent if not record-breaking pace. "The mystics say there is an ill wind spreading, and they're going loco down at Capricorn from what I've heard. Won't tell any of what's going on, mind."

"And what do you think, Jordi?" Samuel asked the question whilst forming his own mental theories.

"Think something's got everyone spooked. It gets strange down here from time to time. They say it was like this back in the last days of Xian - I'm too young to remember that, though."

Samuel grunted a noise of acknowledgement, and continued his scanning of the area. The lack of activity was quite noticable. There must be an answer, he mused, but I won't find it sitting here.

by **Savigliane** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:20 pm

>>>IN BRIEF: WHAT'S GOING ON IN SAVIGLIANE?
By: Nicolas Soares, AO / Interdimensional Teleportation Expert. |11 • 1 • 2017

A mysterious teleportation event has sent Savigliane reeling and put Achille Canaveri's government's backs against the wall. What happened to Savigliane, and how are they responding to this crisis?

WHAT IS SAVIGLIANE?

Savigliane is a small, Franco-Italian nation of roughly eight million people, located in northern Atlantian Oceania. Before 2017, it was located in the southern portion of a continent known as "Europa". Savigliane can roughly be divided into two sections - a Francophone region to the east, mostly comprised of coast and farmland, as well as an Italophone region to the north and west, a more mountainous, less densely populated region where the nation's substantial copper and iron deposits are located. The former consists of the provinces Villeneuve and Trinité, while the latter consists of Acqui Bolente, Vecchio, and Aradcine.

Originally formed in the early twentieth from the Northern "Italian" duchy of Savigliane, as well as the Francophone county of Ligurie, to serve as a buffer state between the powerful neighboring countries of United Occitania and The Papal States, Savigliane's history has been defined by external pressure from its more powerful neighbors, as well as internal tensions between the wealthier Francophone minority and poorer Italophone majority. While intra-Savigliane migration has become more common in recent years, there remain significant distance between the two communities, leading to political gridlock and a lack of national cohesion.

Politically, Savigliane is a unitary parliamentary republic. As defined in a 1952 agreement, it is notable for its two capitals - Acqui Bollente, located on an inland plateau amongst its eponymous hot springs, serves as the capital of the nation's judicial branch, while the coastal Villeneuve serves as the capital of the legislative branch. Each newly-elected prime minister can then select between the two cities where they will base their executive branch; the past four prime ministers have all chosen Villeneuve, including Vecchio-born Achille Canaveri, the current prime minister.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SAVIGLIANE?

On October 17, 2017 (local datetime), the nation of Savigliane fell through an interdimensional portal and were mysteriously transported to the region of Atlantian Oceania, in our dimension. While interdimensional portals are fairly common in our reality, this is the first known instance of one accidentally being opened in the reality from which Savigliane originates. As a result, the nation was forcibly cut off from its dimension, resulting in a large number of refugees from other countries, as well as missing and internally displaced Savigliano persons.

While Savigliane's pre-teleportation population stood at 8.1 million, roughly 270,000 Saviglianos are believed to have been in other countries at the time of the teleportation, leaving them presumed missing. Additionally, 460,000 foreign nationals were in Savigliane at the time; thus, Savigliane's current population is estimated at 8.3 million. The events of October 17, 2017, sparked a national panic that caused extensive property damage, especially in the cities of Porto Vecchio and L'Escarene, and killed an estimated 800 people.

While violence has drastically declined in the weeks since the teleportation, the economic impacts of the teleportation are immense. Savigliane has completely been cut off from the global trade network that it was formerly connected to, and supply shortages have struck the nation as the government scrambles to find alternate sources for such goods. Additionally, much of Savigliane's wealth comes in the form of equity in foreign companies, as well as foreign direct investment projects from countries such as Occitania and Caledonia, all of which is now gone. The government has estimated that the teleportation threatens to shrink the national GDP by upwards of 45%.

HOW IS SAVIGLIANE HANDLING THE CRISIS?

Prime Minister Achille Canaveri has struggled to maintain control of his government, especially after the unpopular decision to institute a monthlong period of martial law in Savigliane in response to the national panic that only ended up lasting four days. However, he has earned praise for rapidly working to remodel Savigliane's economy while providing pathways to citizenship for stranded foreign nationals and mental health services for the entire country.

However, the opposition to Canaveri has grown in strength due to recent events. Canaveri leads a fiscally conservative, socially liberal Ligue-Est party, while the fiercely left-wing Alliance Socialiste-Democratique (ASD) and the Acqui Bollente-based Populistas have both criticized Canaveri for focusing on profits over people, especially those in more rural areas of Savigliane.

Canaveri has tried to focus national attention on the nation's football team, which had qualified for its first World Cup on the night of the teleportation; however, the Swans failed to advance past the Round of Sixteen in their international debut. In a 3-4 loss to Glazgo, the team showed the Francophone-Italophone tension that has defined their nation for decades when Gabriel Lefebvre and Thea Squarciafichi fought over who would take a penalty for the Swans; Lefebvre won, but missed a penalty that could've equalized against Glazgo.

by **Vdara** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:30 pm

The Draw (yet again, woohoo!)

What has Vdara done, and where have they been since the last World Cup?

Since WC85:
- Vdara’s senior squad made the Cup of Harmony, but crashed out in the Quarterfinals in a 4-2 loss to Squornshelous
- Vdaran U-18s won the U-18 World Cup with an inspired performance, which was brought about by first-team goalkeeper Markos Moustakakos
- Vdaran U-18s made the Quarterfinals of the Campionato Esportiva, but lost 2-0 to Esportivan Darmen
- In addition to all this, Vdara has played five friendlies, with three of them being wins. In fact, let’s take a look at those friendlies right now:

And now, live coverage of the group draw from Vai Sports 1!

”Well, tonight is the night. The night which could become one of the most pivotal nights in Vdaran footballing history, not that there’s been many. We’re live with Guntheris Steinerakis for the World Cup 86 Group Draw!”

*Guntheris Steinerakis appears on screen*

Guntheris: ”Hello wankers and wankesses! It is me, your wanker of an FA delegate, Guntheris Steinerakis! Now, us wankers are here for the group draw in Drawkland, so all you wankers at home should stay tuned to this channel for more info about the wankers we’ll be playing in the qualifiers!”

*multiple glasses of champagne later*

Guntheris: “Hey, look! The wanker on stage is mentioning pot 4 again! That’s our pot! At least, I think so. I’m so wankered I can barely remember which number is which. Wanker is a number, right?”

Iarocav: ”Attention, drunk wanker in the back! Group 3 has gotten Vdara!”

Guntheris: *gutteral screams of joy*

At this point, the live feed is cut off. Guntheris is wildly drunk and has been deemed no longer fit to broadcast, at least for tonight. Instead of waiting for the rest of the draw to play out, let’s just cut to the group preview.

Group 3 Preview:

Team 1 - Eura - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 5th
Welp, what can we do here? Probably not that much, I’ll tell you that. Eura are a well-experienced team, and we’ve just come off the back of finishing 5th in our group. I’m going to predict a loss in both games against this team.
Team 2 - Pasarga - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 26th
A top, top opponent with a top, top team. No chance of getting past these guys, going to have to predict that both matches against Pasarga will be losses.
Team 3 - Timuria - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 40th
Oooh, now this match is going to be a tough one. Timuria are a very experienced team in this tournament, and I can’t see us really getting too many chances. However, I have plenty of faith in our lads,so I think both matches against Timuria will be draws.
Team 4 - Vdara - Record: N/A (that’s us, you muppet!)
KPB Rank: 62nd
Woo, that’s us! Time to celebrate another cycle of World Cup action!
Team 5 - Acronius - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 84th
While we have never played Acronius, they are a team that could easily take some points off of us, or even beat us on a bad day. I’m going to put this one down as a tie in one match, but a win in the other.
Team 6 - Drunk People at the Local Tavern - Record: N/A
KPB Rank: 142nd
Hah! Drunkards? Really? Doubt these lads will be a hassle for us. Do I even need to say that the matches against these guys are predicted wins? I don’t think I do- wait, never mind, I just did.
Team 7 - Fujai - Record: 1W - 1D - 0L
KPB Rank: 148th
Here we go, we finally have a team we have some history with! Fujai held us to a draw in the last World Cup, but in the return fixture Vdara were victorious. I don’t think Fujai will take any points off of us on this occasion, I think it’s going to be wins in the two games against these guys.
Team 8 - Megistos - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 267th
As the Pot 8 seed, Megistos should, in theory, not be too much of a problem for us. If anything, we’ll be winning by a large margin against them. It should be wins for Vdara in these two games.
Team 9 - Grand Quebecois - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: N/A (UR)
A team we haven’t really heard of until now, Grand Quebecois should be a team that Vdara makes easy work out of. My prediction is that both matches against these guys will both turn out as wins.
Team 10 - Vangaziland - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: N/A (UR)
Having never played or even really heard of Vangaziland, I think it’s safe to predict the two results against this team as wins. However, you can never expect too much from Oi Magoi or their younger counterparts, so don’t be too hasty here.

Last Group Table:
1. Equestria
2. HUElavia
3. Kandorith
4. Xanneria
5. Vdara
6. Ancherion
7. Blouman Empire
8. Nooooooooooooooo
9. Monglechabagd
10. Fujai
11. Jamestownnnn
12. Lo Santano
13. South Concepthuania
Predicted Group Table:
1. Eura
2. Pasarga
3. Timuria
4. Vdara
5. Fujai
6. Drunk People at the Local Tavern
7. Acronius
8. Vangaziland
9. Megistos
10. Grand Quebecois

”Well, that’s all for now! Will Vdara slip up in their first few matches as they did last time, or will they start off strongly and show the rest of the group that they mean business? Find out in a couple of days as Vdara play their first few matches in this World Cup against... Fujai and Megistos!”

by **Rangers FC** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:03 pm

Stevenakios Gerardikis had a dilemma. Ever since the rubbish Baptism of Fire campaign, the fans were having doubts about his managerial qualities. There weren’t exactly angry mobs outside Stadio Ibrosikis calling for his resignation, but there was still plenty anger about. At the end of the day, all Gerardikis could do was his best. Simply his best, you could say.

And now, a wee tune.
Who’s that team they call the Rangers,
who’s that team they all adore?
They’re the boys in royal blue,
aye - their spirits shall be true,
and they’re out to show the world what they can do!

I’ve heard it said that Drawkland is the greatest football team,
I’ve even heard that Pasarga’s the best they’ve ever seen
There’s Timuria and Eura, and Starblaydia, too
There’s Banija, Nephara, BP, just to name a famous few, but...

Who’s that team they call the Rangers,
who’s that team they all adore?
They’re the boys in royal blue,
aye - their spirits shall be true,
and they’re out to show the world what they can do!
So, bring on Krytenia and Starblaydia,
bring on Mattijana too!
Zeta Reka, Jovannic, they shall make a gallant bid,
but we’re out to show the world what we can do!

’MON THE GERS, WE’RE SIMPLY THE BEST!

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:45 pm

Time for Another World Cup,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Are you excited? Well, if you live, breathe and eat soccer then you have to be as the 86th World Cup is about to get underway in terms of its qualifying. The competition will be co-hosted by two nations that are very familiar to us, one of which being Newmanistan. The last time they hosted the World Cup was in number 49, which of course was the competition right before we went on to win the next two. For us, it was seen as the “set up” Cup. In other words, our strong play in that competition allowed for the run in 50 and 51 to happen. The other co-host is Drawkland, and the last time they co-hosted the tournament was our first qualification since our return to international soccer. That, too, was a pivotal competition for us to get back to where we are today as a contender for a World Cup title. Therefore, this co-host pairing is seen as a good omen for us, but the team will still have to go out there and execute.

The Fillies will be in Group 15, and as the group draw was televised throughout Cassadaigua, we heard some rumblings that this was going to be a Group of Death even before both us and Main Nation Ministry were put into it. Clearly, Main Nation Ministry is the biggest threat to us in the group, but you have to expect to get something good out of pot 2. A very interesting nation in our group is Quebec, and we will get to play them very soon. Naturally, with everything that went on with Prince Caspian and Princess Christine’s marriage, that is a very intriguing matchup for everyone involved. Even Queen Cassie II got into the spirit of the draw saying, “I don’t usually pay that close attention to the draws, but when I saw that I was definitely excited. Perhaps, it could be the start of us playing one another frequently, even if it is just friendlies. But, I will leave all that to CASE (Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence).” Other opponents in the group include Flavovespia, Devonta, Squidroidia, Kulefati, Electrum, Ihilthracna, and Wymondham. Is that “Group of Death” level? Maybe for everyone else, but I do believe we should be able to handle it. Main Nation Ministry, of course, is the biggest threat to us, but I do think Quebec has the ability to get up there and be a challenger. Electrum cannot be ruled out, then we just see what the others can do. Make no mistake, Cassadaigua is the team to beat here.

The team will return many key faces, but Cassadaigua may have just become a little easier to play against. I mean that facetiously, given the departure of 35-year old Lupe Enriquez who has moved on from this team, though is still active as a professional. The highly physical and aggressive defender was known for being as rough as she could within the rules of the game, while trying to sneak in the occasional “cheap” shot while the referee was not looking. She was also a leader, and the type of player everyone would love to have on their team. Lupe simply excelled in this role, following in the footsteps of Erica Lambert, who the #15 is retired for now. The current team will not have a player as physical as her. You can call Brooke Sutter the most physical now, but this is an element of the game that the Fillies will miss. Manager Stephanie Sweeney acknowledged that the team did not fully replace Enriquez, “We will have four excellent starting defenders, and they all deserve to be there. Michelle Graves is moving into the position on the field that Lupe used to hold. You are correct that none of them are as physical as Lupe was. That will be missed, but I was not going to just look for that type of player that did not have all of the other intangibles that Lupe had for us. We have the best four right now.” Substitute Amanda Clayton is a physical one, so could be used late in games for that purpose.

Another big loss is Sierra Mattison, the former captain. Sierra was known especially for being the best at set pieces for the team, especially with delivering corner kicks. The former captain was obviously a leader given she had that role. Her name would appear on the scoresheet a few times, but mostly she was a set up player for Rachel Schanke, Meghan Wolcott, or other forwards. Preston Newfeld, the long time substitute will get his first chance to be a regular starter. The loss of Mattison seems to have been covered better then the loss of Enriquez, so expect Newfeld to jump right in and succeed. Courtney Graham also steps in as a starter, replacing defensive midfielder Shelby Mayer. Graham will have the similar role as did Mayer.

Up front, expect another big qualifying campaign and then hopefully, World Cup, from Rachel Schanke, who at 27, is in the prime of her career. So is midfielder Meghan Wolcott, and it is through these two that there is plenty of reason to believe that the Fillies will recover from failing to reach the round of 16 last time out. Madison McClain is a starter for the first time officially, but look for Ashley Dahlin to get regular time. Loreen Hazen is a young player that keeps impressive manager Stephanie Sweeney, so we will see if that trend continues.

Overall, I like this team’s ability to score goals, but I would not be surprised if they did not fly out of the box early on in the qualifying campaign racking up win after win. There are some key players missing and while they have been replaced, they might need some time to get some chemistry. They did not have the Wonder Cup this time like we saw in the last two cycles, and CASE interestingly did not opt for a large set of friendlies. Eventually, look for Schanke and Wolcott to carry this team, and if they do start off well, then they should win this group with room to spare.

by **Yue Zhou** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:56 pm

Yincheng, Yuezhou
YFA Headquarters
Three weeks before the start of the WCQ

One of the disadvantages of going from struggling lower-midtable side WNS Nangang to National Team manager was how little leverage you had over anything. Yuan Zilai had learned this the hard way - initially ecstatic that the Yuezhou Footballing Association had tapped him to take over the Red Dragons, he had quickly seen his control over the team dwindle as additional clause after additional clause was added to his contract, accompanied by a blunt "If you don't like it, you can quit" from that day's YFA representative.

For instance, the YFA had given themselves the ability to veto any of his national team callups. This hadn't been much of an issue for the Copa Rushmori - he'd barely been given time to get things together after his predecessor, Wu Zhongshan, had resigned out of protest (perhaps a red flag, in hindsight), and so had taken largely the same roster that Wu had planned to take. But, as he tried to reassert his control over the roster before the World Cup Qualifiers, he had started to run into some serious opposition.

"Thanks for meeting me here," offered Liang Wei, the YFA's representative, from the comfort of his mahogany desk. "I've taken a look at some of your new callups, and unfortunately, it doesn't look like many of them fit the Red Dragons culture we've been working hard to cultivate."

"Well, from a tactical standpoint, we both saw how limited our roster was during the Copa Rushmori, especially for the tactics I've been trying to impose on them. I just think some fresh blood would be really welcome."

"To the contrary, we thought you did an excellent job during the Copa Rushmori. A Round of Sixteen berth is something to be proud of, and we don't expect to be competing with Eura as fiercely as you did. We think continuity could cause the improvements you've been looking for, and we don't want to mess with success too much."

"...Uh, did you have specific issues with the players I selected? Because maybe we can compromise, only take a few of them for these first qualifying matches, and see where we can go from there."

"Who did you have in mind?"

"How about Sun Renyuan? He's a forward for FC Shanbei. Scored twelve last season, but I really think he's the kind of quick, skilled forward we could use as squad depth."

"Sun's from Mükiachou, unfortunately, and he's expressed a lot of anti-government tendencies in the past. We're all for freedom of speech, but we're worried about the kind of tensions he could cause in our roster."

"I mean, I could take Wang Jiahui off for him. He's been kind of a dick about politics, so I'd assume things couldn't get that much worse...also, what did you say he said? Because I did some research on him before we met, and I definitely didn't see anything come up."

"Why don't you let us do the vetting, Yuan. If you-"

"-like it, I can leave. Right. How about Li Caiyuan? Midfielder, Nangang Royals. We could use some reinforcements there, and I don't think Yang Tao and Chen Xiwei are more than rotational options, really. I think Li would be a great midfield partner for Gu Zhalei, as I've laid out."

"Li's been very vocal about Nanhai independence lately, unfortunately. Again, we don't want anyone bringing their petty regional squabbles into your Red Dragons project. But if there are other midfield options?"

"Well, in terms of other options, we have Wang Xiong, from Beiyun Stars. He's played with Chen Xiwei in the past, so maybe they'd have some chemistry, and there's no way he's had any sort of anti-government sentiments."

"Hm," Liang Wei replied, scratching his chin. "Wang could work. This dossier you gave me said he'd just be a depth option?"

"Right, uh, I think he can be a rotational piece, we can maybe work him into the starting eleven eventually."

"In that case, Wang could work. But you'll have to drop Wen Xiaohui."

"...seriously? Neither of our other two bench midfielders can do shit. Wen at least has-"

"You can have Wang Xiong, or you can keep Wen Xiaoli's niece. Your call, Yuan."

"That's ridiculous. Just because Wen Xiaoli has a little activist streak doesn't-"

"If you don't like it, you can leave, Yuan. I'm sure WNS would love to have you back."

by **Chromatika** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 6:56 pm

Now with Video!

It had been Jordan Lawless's idea - as was almost any other idea from The Rebel's sports - to send Kimi Jin around the country and ask some of the Anomalies fans in the bars and streets what they thought of the team's chances before, during, and after the qualifiers as the games went on.

Now, Kimi Jin was a green journalist fresh out of Chromatik State University, with a tendency to speak her mind but a heart for the common people. She had interned with The Rebel for two years - mostly doing writeups of high school sports - and was ready for a new challenge.

That was how she ended up in The Barbed Inn, on one of the hills looking over downtown Chromia. The Barbed Inn was famous for being one of three different bars/saloons that had shown every single game of the Chromatik National Team - authorized by the Chromatik Party, kept safe through the Rainbow Revolution, and now one of the most bustling places every time the Anomalies took to the pitch.

As Kimi walked in - wearing a neat blazer, button-up, and having all of her credentials - she went up to the counter and saw that there were two men deep in conversation. One was a tall, thin man with white hair and a pair of glasses; the other, a shorter, shaven fellow who appeared at least twenty years younger.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she stated, "My name is Kimi Jin, and I'm with The Rebel. You here to watch the Group Draw?"

Headquarters had made sure that she would be there during the Draw - it was the best way to make sure that there would be people to talk with.

The two men nodded, a bit nervous at the cameras. The tall thin man spoke up first.

"Matthias Sern, High School teacher at nearby Redwoods High," he began, "I teach math- mostly geometry and advanced algebra. Been a diehard fan of the Anomalies from the very beginning, and a Crusader, too."

"This here," he pointed to his compatriot, "Is Frederick Hugo, a no-good college student who's here on vacation. He's a friend of my son's - Jared had to leave for CCCU already."

Frederick took the jab and smiled in reply, and it wasn't hard to see that the two were close. He stated in a deeper tone than was expected, "Nice to meet you. A big fan of The Rebel. I've been a fan since my parents let me watch the games - I think since WC 80? And unlike this gaffer here, I support the best team in the Capital - AFC."

Kimi raised an eyebrow. This was going to be easy - two diehard NT fans who also shared in the Chromia derbies rivalries? This was journalist heaven.

The barkeeper went over to her, and she ordered a soda - she couldn't drink on the job, after all. Matthias ordered another beer, and Frederick held up his to show that he was still nursing it.

"So, what do you have to ask us, lady? We have like five minutes until the Draw Show starts. Still can't believe the sent Keira Andisori there instead of a member of the press," said Matthais.

"Let's start from the top, then. What do you think of how the team's been struggling since they returned in World Cup 83 after the one-year hiatus? The team hasn't advanced to the Second Round since, and then there was the debacle last season. What do you think?" asked Kimi.

Frederick was the first to speak. "I loved Silian Parker, I really did. To come back after that one-cycle absence - the worst years ever, by the way - and lead the squad to back-to-back propers? I really think the CFF dropped the ball by letting him go, but I guess getting a foreign Manager seemed too enticing. Not that I have anything against Konrad Evans, mind - he looked capable for the job - but then with the way that the last cycle ended up, it was time for a new start. Now, it's not all bad news - the Golden Boys are fun, the good oldies are still around, and they look really determined to wipe away that memory."

Matthias added, "I agree with Frederick for the most part. Konrad and Kathleen were great people, but circumstances just didn't work out... and it was time we moved on. The young generation looks rather promising. All they need is stable management, and I guess if you can't beat them, you join them, no?"

"I see you're referring to Richard Velens, the new Manager," picked up Kimi, "Do you think that the 4-3-1-2 will present better opportunities for the team?"

"It doesn't really matter if it's a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-2-1, or 4-3-1-2 - it allows multiple playmakers up front, and the rest is just semantics," explained Matthias, "I am looking forward to having Keira, Olimpia, Hermaeus, Kaytlyn, and Retta all on the pitch at once, though. Should provide plenty of scoring opportunities."

"Additionally," stated Frederick while gesturing to the TV, where the anchor started to show the scene where the Drawkish and Newmanistanian representatives were starting to draw the lower seeds, "All we really need is the five back supporting Ria, and you'd think that the defense will hold. Nah - the more important thing is to ensure that the mental holds strong. It'll be a slog again - eighteen games is a lot - and they'll need to pull through."

For the next hour or so, the three watched the Draw commence, making a comment here or there when teams that played in the recent Baptism of Fire were mentioned. It turned out that Matthias had actually been at the Third Place match, while Frederick had made a few Group Stage matches. These two were absolute football junkies.

As the third seeds started to get announced, the consensus was that Groups 2 and 15 looked the most difficult. Tequilo, Huayramarca, Semarland, and Jeruselem highlighted Group 2 while Squidroidia, Devonta, Flavovespia, Quebec, and Electrum truly made Group 15 the Group of Death.

"Anywhere you want them to go?" asked Kimi as the hosts took a break before announcing Pot 2.

"Not 2 and 15," started Matthias, "And 9 seems tricky with Glazgo and Schottia. Other than that... I think we'd be okay."

"I agree," chimed in Frederick, "Group 14 has them pesky Planars, too, while 18 has Savojarna and Mercedini."

Group 1's second seed was revealed to be Hampton Island, followed by:

Group 2: 95X
Group 3: Pasarga ("Still waiting for them to make another breakthrough," admitted Frederick.)
Group 4: Terre Septentrionale (to numerous boos from everyone in the Inn.)
Group 5: Siovanija and Teusland ("They are a fun team to watch, that's for certain," said Matthias.)
Group 6: Audioslavia (to quite a few rounds of applause)

When the announcer stated that Group 7 would see Chromatika be the second seed, the bar erupted in a huge cheer.

"Xanneria is a very offensive team that we'll need to keep an eye on," rattled Frederick quickly, "But the likes of Tamgu, Quakmybush, Blouman Empire, The Gothanita Isles, Pripet Socialist Republic, Free Republic of Hong Kong, and HAIKU mean that it's a very doable group. Having three teams that were in the recent Baptism of Fire we hosted is also interesting - that Gothanita Isles game at home should be a lot of fun - but it could definitely be worse!"

The discussion then went to first seeds to avoid.

"Starblaydia and Valanora because we just lost to them in the AOCAF, Farfadillis because they're a handful, and Vilita," stated Matthias, while Frederick added, "Reçueçn because they're a team riding the wings of destiny."

When Banija was announced as the top seed, there was a mixture of boos and cheers. Chromatiks mostly liked Banijans, but they were the World #1.

"It will be a rough series with them," admitted Frederick, "But we gave them a good game in the AOCAF, and they're an honorable #1. That home match in the Capiatlizt Dome is going to be insane!"

"What other groups are you going to be keeping an eye on?" Asked Kimi.

"Group 15 for sure," was the reply from Frederick, "Cassadaigua and Main Nation Ministry definitely will have their hands full."

As Kimi turned to thank them before she left, the two had parting words.

"We believe in you, Anomalies," said Frederick, "Go and make us proud."

"Thank you for all you've done for our nation," added Matthias, "I hope we can get more."

As Kimi left, she was emboldened with a sense of hope from the people that she had interacted with.

Perhaps this would be different.

Team Selection
MD1: @ Quakmybush
MD2: vs. The Gothanita Isles @ Jewel Dome, Ming (Cap. 22,300)
Starting XI: Tioux; Chapman - Will - Ken - Rowles; Kelly - Zuniga - Dragana (C); Gail; Sierra - Thibodeaux.
Bench: Alexander, De Saint-Pierre, Friedman, Baugh, Pomeroy, Marc, Limones, Kim, M.S., Reynolds, Kim, M.J., Bird, Non.

by **Maccian** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:39 pm

"Enter," said King Timofeé. The doors were slowly opened by two royal guardsmen and Naia Varaka walked into the room. The king gestured the guardsmen to close the door for privacy. Naia looked around the room and locked onto a pile of skulls. His Majesty hadn’t even spoken and Naia was already intimidated by him. His pale hands scribbled away at the paper before he put down his pen and rose out of his seat.

“Let’s skip the formalities shall we? How was that World Cup draw?” asked King Timofeé.

"Well, where to start. It was so hectic, Your Majesty. The Northwest Kalactin representative kept trying to sell cocaine juice. Someone kept throwing custard pies around the place. Representatives were already intoxicated before the group draw had even taken place. Also, I might have made a rather offensive statement".

"What did you say? Was it something about French speakers? Because I explicitly told you to leave whatever views you have at home."

"Well yes, but it wasn't even negative in hindsight. I simply asked if there were any French speakers present. Admittedly I was slightly intoxicated so I may have advocated for the eradication of all French speakers.”

“Why in the hell would you do that? Please tell me you didn’t piss off Quebec’s representative?”

“I was forcibly removed from the room three times by the livid Omerican representative, Christine Cocaine if I recall correctly. The Quebec representative was very angry after I threatened to have Angelo Gelinas be a subject for our biological weapons program.”

“How do you even know about that? I’ve never even briefed you on that. You know what, forget it. One nation is sure to be hostile towards us and you have strained the relationship with Quebec.”

“There wasn’t much of a relationship with the latter anyways.”

“That’s beside the point. I could have sent Aaliyah, Urigato or Minari who are more experienced with this sort of thing but I sent you because you’re the youngest and I want to have a significant role in this Kingdom. I’m appointing you as Sports Minister. You will also be the head of the MFA.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will contact Mr Gelinas at once,” said Naia, as she curtsied and headed for the door. The two guardsmen escorted her out of Sarrooner’s Palace and opened the door for her limousine. Naia got into the limo as it drove off into the night.

Finally, after an hour’s long journey she approached her residence. She entered her house and immediately went to her phone as she scrolled on the contact list to find ‘Angelo Gelinas’ and selected his name.
“Mr Gelinas, I have recently become the Sports Minister and the head of the MFA. We will need to have a meeting to discuss the Maccian National Team for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. Please list time and location that is convenient for you.- Naia K. Varaka” wrote Naia, as she sent the text message. Exhausted, Naia climbed into her bed and almost instantly fell asleep.

Bursting rays of sunlight blinded Naia as she groggily got out of bed and prepared herself. After she had got out of the shower, she heard her phone’s notification sound and went to go check it.

“We’ll meet in the MFA headquarters which is based in The Vexurs. I don’t have a specific time to have this meeting so could you come as soon as possible?” he wrote. After she finished dressing up, Naia left her house and headed to the airport to board a private jet. The journey took around 4 hours to land in the city of The Vexurs and reached the MFA headquarters in under half an hour. Confidently, she strolled into the building, flashing her identification at the secretary before she stepped into the lift and pressed number 12, the floor where Gelinas’ office was. She got out of the lift and went straight into the office.

“Hello Ms Varaka, please take a seat here so we can swiftly get onto our discussion,” said Gelinas as he motioned for Naia to sit down.

“Please, call me Naia,” replied Naia as she sat down. “Let’s get right to it. So the World Cup 86 Qualifiers are right around the corner and you still haven’t selected the squad. I hope not too many of that AOCAF squad will be in your team because that group stage was quite frankly embarrassing for our nation. Start off with who will not be called up, we’ll work our way up”

Gelinas pulled out a file from his desk and handed it to Naia. “Starting with the goalkeeper position, Ajiernudun will be dropped because of his subpar performances and the fact that he is a, forgive my crudeness, shitty leader. Rupio-Yakezeid always seems to actively make our team lose by fouling any forward he can get his hands on. Zoren is not only too undersized to play fullback, but he is also poor defensively. In my opinion, he’d be better off as a winger but even then we’re already stacked at that position so he’s out. Kutatzi will be out for the same reason plus his terrible crossing which has no place in my squad. Ackermann is just a pace merchant so he’ll be put as well. The players I have listed would have been out no matter what, they’re simply not good enough,” stated Gelinas.

“There are still players on the list you have decided to drop,” said Naia. Gelinas rose from his seat and grabbed a remote to pull down a large flatscreen TV. Footage of Swisse Kadune’s WC85 Qualifiers games was displayed on the board. A full 8 minutes of Kadune showing off his wide range of passing and underrated playmaking was shown to Naia.

“If you didn’t know, Naia, that is Swisse Kadune, who has played nothing but centre-back in his entire career.”

“Yes, but why did you show me 8 minutes of highlights when you could have just told me?”

“To show you the type of player I want in midfield. You see, I am torn between who I have in the middle. Zeyla and Rukommpt are safe but the issue is that there are too many players who are similar to each other. Zeyla is a box-to-box midfielder, whereas Rukommpt is a defensive midfielder. Drowska is creative, which I highly doubt because she has almost nothing to show for it. Sien Brouge is a ball-winning midfielder but rarely puts in a tackle and is poor at interceptions. Eidon is just a confusing player, I don’t even know what role she fulfils.”

“So you are saying that you need a box to box midfielder, a defensive player and a creative player, right?”

“Correct. You see I would like for Kadune to be a deep-lying playmaker and for Zeyla to be a box to box player. But, I also want an attacking midfielder. Which is why I’m asking you to allow me to put Calinnflores in the team.”

“Non-negotiable.”

“I don’t care whatever she did in the past, she will be useful right now so just look past her mischievous deeds.”

“No. Surely there is another player who can easily fit this role? Because I am not having a bonafide whore represent our glorious nation!” exclaimed Naia.

“The second-best attacking midfielder in my eyes is Zujaierder, but she’s almost 33. I intended to have Calinnflores starting and Zujaierder on the bench and acting as a mentor to Calinnflores by teaching her all about the trade. We had to rely on Kiyle to provide for us, which didn’t work for us because if she was injured or suspended, this team would be royally fucked, no pun intended. Just hear me out.”

“I will think about it. Who will be the deep-lying playmaker and box to box substitutes then, if you’re going along with those three you’ve mentioned”

“What? Oh, Naia you seem to have shed your prudishness and put the football team first!”

“Get on with it,” warned Naia.

“Oh, I forgot about Liga Koiu! She will be the second box to box player, however, you have to allocate the national team some more funds so that we can get her in a tip-top physical condition because she has terrible stamina. Stzasner is another centre-back who could play deep-lying playmaker but my concern is that sometimes he has these lapses of concentration where he doesn’t read the ball properly and then loses track of his man or makes a costly mistake. That being said I do believe he would be the best candidate for this role, although we will have to work on the defensive side of things.”

“Well, that’s the midfield sorted. But Angelo, what of the defence now? You’ve just gotten rid of almost all of the defence.”

“Saseirein will retain his position, as will Saint Markudjos who will be the starting centre back. While the defence was bad at the AOCAF, Isojuwa looked like the only fully competent player out there as he was one of the best performers in the entire squad. He’ll slot right into to centre-back alongside Saint Markudjos. They are both the starting centre-backs for the Singlewave Surf so they already have strong chemistry. Solomon and Agaia did underperform but I believe because of their chemistry as well, they could work well together. Although I need a strong centre-back who will compensate for Solomon’s lack of physicality. Husjidin was horrible when he played so he is out of the question. Heinrich Massami Samanta, Antiri Snyderphire and Stepahnie London come to mind. I lean more towards London because she is 6’6 and 235 lbs, she’s an absolute unit,” remarked Angelo.

“His Majesty said he only wants those suited for the job, not any token players to appear ‘woke’. If you believe Ms London is the best candidate, by all means go for it.”

“Honestly, it is such a-”

“I know. I don’t know how it is for you guys over in Quebec, but here in Maccian, some people are very conservative when it comes to issues like these. Hell, even I refused to have Calinnflores on the team before I gave in to you. While it is not illegal under any circumstances, there is still a big social stigma around that topic. Hopefully this will change as the King’s reign goes on.”

“Moving on… I believe Sien Brouge can play right-back provided he works on his speed. Devin Nénuphar was playing quite well in the AOCAF and should be in the squad. The right-back position is quite weak so having these two vying for the starting spot will be a good indicator of who is the better player. Aurellix won’t be touching a football until the near end of the qualifiers rolls about and even then I doubt she’d be fully healthy to start in the last few games. Kriessman is also injured and will be unavailable by the 5th-7th matchday so we will have to make do with the crop of players we do select. Kiyle, Luftboltzen, Kizerain are guaranteed places I’ll settle with Jan Weiss in the meantime and I’ll get another winger and a striker.”

“What about that hyped up kid who went number one overall, Jake Sexter? Will he be getting a cap?”

“I’m not picking Sexter because unlike the players I just mentioned who were tossed into tournaments from the get-go and have steadily improved, Sexter has just been drafted and I haven’t been too impressed with his performances in the AOCAF. I think I called him up too early, so I’d rather him get a season under his belt before I consider calling him up again.”

“The attack in the AOCAF was the worst I’ve ever seen. Perhaps we can put Sorrentingerclausen on the left-wing and make her play as a wide playmaker?”

“Maybe. She could be a place holder while Kriessman recovers from her injury. In fact no, she's not fast enough and she frequently goes missing in games. I'm bringing Jane Air along instead of Sorrentingerlcausen to act as a place holder. As for the other winger, Zakharova can play on both sides of the wing and striker, so I think she can be a good fit for the qualifiers as she’s versatile. And at last, we'll bring along Broskellis because he had some decent games in the AOCAF and would be the third choice keeper.”

“That’s the squad sorted. I take it you know all your opponents in Group 10, correct?”

“Yes ma’am! We’re up against Praeceptia at home and then we’re heading to
Squornshelous for the second matchday. I think this meeting has concluded, thank you for your time, Naia,” said Angelo as he rose out of his seat and shook Naia’s hand.

“Let see if our time together will pay off, farewell Mr Gelinas,” replied Naia as she left the office.

by **Natanians and Nosts** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:30 pm

Functionary fired after commiting error on transfer

One of the functionaries responsibles for the transfers at the Northern Blue Lions was fired for acquiring Jun Kazama on the last international transfer window.The functionary said he "should have looked better and paid more attention",he also apologized and justified saying that "Jun is also a boy's name...".*Kazama will be training on the club,but will not be allowed to play only friendly matches with the women's team,and none with the men's team,to which she was transferred into.

Last game of Lucas Lucius Vit

Natanians and Nosts defeated Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison at the Stadion Nacional by 3x0.The man scored the first and third goals of the match.The first one occurred when he received a goal-kick and ran just righ in front of the area,when he saw the opportunity and shot.The second goal was scored by Natan Nínnio Gonçalo in a corner on the 23rd minute of the second period.And the last goal both of the match and of his for the National team was a penalty goal at the 38th minute of the second period.After the match ended,he was clearly emotionally impacted.

A poll

A poll was made consulting the overall optimism in Natanians and Nosts regarding the next Wold Cup Qaulifiers.The poll included a sample of 500.000 people all over the country.The first question was whether Natanians and Nosts would qualify,the majority picked the option of maybe.

Will Natanians and Nosts qualify for the 86th World Cup?
Maybe                             30%
Yes                               20%
Yes!Surely!                       17%
No                                16%
No way!                           15%
Haha,you're kidding...!            2%

The question was repeated a second time after remiding the interviewed who all the group members were by reading a list of them.

Will Natanians and Nosts qualify for the 86th World Cup?
Haha,you're kidding...!           60%
No way!                           20%
Maybe                              7%
Yes                                5%
Yes!Surely!                        4%
No                                 4%

This is shows how dreamy the inhabitants of this nation can be.

Realization

Natanians and Nosts,literally,when realized that Filindostan was in the same group:

*Chuckles*
I'm in danger

*The information that the player was female was not input yet when the free transfer was made.

by **Blouman Empire** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:08 pm

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Eagles Seek To Improve Qualification Standings

The 68th World Cup Qualifiers start tonight with the Blouman Empire Eagles facing off against Xanneria at Old Road. The two sides last met in Match Day 23 of the 85th World Cup Qualifiers with the Empire securing a 1-nil win thanks to an impressive goal from Ty Freltron. The midfielder has again been selected for the side and has been named as a starting player against Xanneria and will be hoping to repeat his winning performance.

These qualifiers is manager Lewis Parry’s second attempt at getting the Eagles into the World Cup Proper but he has insisted that the goal is not something for fans or the players to expect labelling it as another round to improve our international experience and finish as high as possible with the possibility of again competing in the Cup of Harmony. Parry has made no changes to his squad that won 8 games from 24 matches last time but is expecting to have a higher win ratio this time around so that the team can be a real challenge for a World Cup spot in future qualifying campaigns.

With Xanneria up first it will show just how much the side has improved with their international experience as well as when they face number 1 ranked Banija when the two sides meet in Round 6. It is a match Parry is looking forward to “Coming up against the top side in football at the moment I am going to relish, it doesn’t come often and will certainly be a big test for not only the players but myself”.

The Empire will also face off against Quakmybush, HAIKU, Tamgu, The Gothanita Isles, Free Republic of Hong Kong, Pripet Socialist Republic, and Chromatika.

FFB Announces Hosting Rights

The Football Federation of Bloumany (FFB) has announced the six fields that will host the first six home games of World Cup Qualifying. General Secretary Hamish Alpin has nominated six different stadiums to host the games with the stated aim to allow as many Bloumans as possible to attend international games due to the success and popularity of hosting matches across the Empire during the 85th World Cup qualifiers.

Round 1 and Round 11
Ground: Old Road
Home to the football Club Old Road in Holchmain the ground has seen many big battles including twice hosting the Imperial League Final. A capacity of 50,000 will see a large crowd for the Eagles’ first game.

Round 3 and Round 14
Ground: Intosh Street Park
Port Fansat has been one of the prominent football clubs in North Baxon in recent history and their redevelopment of Intosh Street Park has seen an increase in capacity to 75,000 and new facilities

Round 4 and Round 13
Ground: Ambong Stadium
Ambong Stadium in Fraycrant is home to Fraycrant Premier league side Salton United and of Fraycrant League 1 side 1901 Salton and ready to host 60,000 fans.

Round 6 and Round 16
Gound: Kings Park
Kings Park at Reddam in East Bloumany is the smallest of the hosting grounds only able to hold 40,000 but is home to Kings Park FC considered to be one of the founding clubs of football in the Empire

Round 8
Ground: City of Braxon Stadium
Braxon City is considered to be the Premier clubs of Braxon having won the most first divison titles in Braxon and a the only team to have featured in every instance of the Imperial League. City of Braxon Stadium was rebuilt 3 years ago and has a capacity of 70,000

Round 18
Ground: New Field
New Field of Jollipville Athletic is sure to stir those in Promdrania who don’t support the club especially fans of cross town rivals Jollipville United who may feel their stadium should’ve been chosen to host the game. With a capacity of 80,000 the visiting team of Pripet Socialist Republic in the final qualifying match will be sure not to have a friendly crowd when they face the Empire.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

A "New" WC Campaign to mark end of 'Golden Generation'?
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail National Team Writer

The opening match for the qualification tournament ahead of World Cup 86, co-hosted by Newmanistan & Drawkland, will be the first chapter in what will surely be the story of Baker Park's first significant generational shift of the mixed gender era.

When the teams from the Commonwealth & TOTEL, the first opponent from Group 18, walk onto the pitch at Newport City Stadium, the clock will begin it's countdown towards the final World Cup experience for many of the players who will be in the squad for the WC Finals--of course, should they advance for the seventh consecutive time--in addition to signalling a changing of the guard.

The main core of the National Team player pool, who were the first products of the FAC Development Charter, have been deservedly called the nation's "Golden Generation", having re-written nearly all of the records set during the 74 year history of international soccer in this country. But the time is fast approaching for their immediate heirs to begin the transition to the Second Generation--the 'Kids' of the SWC 5 U18 Championship side that captured the first major trophy in FAC history in Abanhfleft.

While several members of that squad have played important roles in the NT for some time, it is only recently that several others who had lagged behind in their subsequent careers have caught up; 21 of the 23 who won medals on that team have now appeared for the full Senior team (although Samantha Bradley, currently in her fifth year in the NSC following graduation from the Naval Academy, is unlikely to increase her total of 3 caps earned in the inaugural BP Open Cup) and are seemingly on track for further consideration for future call-ups.

Speaking of Bradley, she was the first player to lead a mixed gender side as captain when she was a last minute replacement for Sam Harrison at the NLighten Cosmetics Arena in Suwkpel against Northwest Kalactin in the first match at the SWC; that began a tradition that will be played out again when Amanda Hayes will don the armband in Newport--the female co-captain of every squad is allowed the honor of leading the team out in the first match of a tournament.

Ichi Tuzzio is expected to name a full-strength squad for the opening pair of matches against the WC newcomers and the trip to Cheergirls on matchday 2. The buildup to the tourney included several friendlies, where nearly the entire prospective qualifying pool got a run-out in the starting XI; all five contests were BP victories and gave the staff a chance to get a first look at potential new combinations along with knocking the rust off for established pairings.

The opponents feature a mix of familiar sides and first time opponents; in addition to the opening doubleheader, BP will face three other nations for the first time--Orion Islands, West Angola & Murphtannia--along with three previous opponents in The Busoga Islands, Savojarna and Twicetagria, a foe in the last WCQ who impressed with a fourth placed finish. The other opponent is the group's second seed Mercedini, ranked 34th in the world; the nations have never met at senior level, but have faced off twice in U18's--the first coming in SWC 5 in the quarterfinal, where the Commonwealth prevailed 3-2 after extra time was needed. The Mercedinians got their revenge in SWC with a 2-1 victory in the Round of 16.

Lineups for MD1/2

vs TOTEL: Coffey; Briggs, Rasanamira, Stephens; Callum, Hayes (C), Taborn, Ngoba; Bozeman; Simmons, Patton
Subs--Gaines, Bartok, O'Connell, N Underwood, Westmoreland, Stone, Sotolongo, Fernandez, Tilton, Jones

vs Cheergirls: Gaines; Bartok (C), Underwood, O'Connell; Callum, Westmoreland, Stone, Fernandez; Sotolongo; Jones, Tilton
Subs--Coffey, Briggs, Rasanamira, Stephens, Hayes, Taborn, Ngoba, Bozeman, Simmons, Patton

by **Delaclava** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 12:36 am

These events take place prior to AOCAF 61.

Luke Lemieux woke up slowly and lazily, as one only could on a Saturday, smiling as his girlfriend Natalie wrapped her arms around his broad chest. With the sun splashing across their faces and providing just the right amount of warmth, he could have stayed like this all day.

It had been a long and busy few months for him - after wrapping up a fourth-place finish in the UFL and campaigns in the World Cup and Cup of Harmony, he got signed to leave Cleopatrana SC and head to Lotus Park in Brenecia. Cleopatrana was his home, where his family and friends were, but he and Natalie procured an apartment in Brenecia and spent some time traveling the region. Interspersed were various national team friendlies to keep the program sharp, before a more intensive training camp in Catherina to sort out the present and future of the team. And plenty of stress came with all of that - at 28 years old, with so many young guns coming up behind him, he wasn't sure how much longer he fit into that mix. With all the moving and traveling, training and playing, he wasn't sure if the best part of his career was starting or if it was ending.

So in this, one of the first mornings in a long time where he was back home in Cleopatrana, in his house by the beach, cuddling up with his lover and no other obligations for the day, it was tempting to stay there as long as possible.

A loud vibration of his phone on the nightstand at least got his attention. He sleepily reached across to grab his phone, but started a little bit when looking at the cause of the noise. "Mmm...what?" Natalie asked.

"National team selections."

Natalie sat up straight. "You don't seem concerned about this.

"Hmm, I know where I stand. I'm gonna be number two behind Kelly, but unless they bring Pavel back, I'm still going with them."

He kept reading and his suspicions were confirmed. Luke Lemieux was listed, and so was Carlos Berrera, Valentin Gusev, Kelly Joseph, Arnau Mata, and Keghart Nazaretian. Starters weren't listed, but Luke knew what Johannes Detmer was thinking. He somewhat cursed that Joseph was being moved to the left side from his natural right side to accommodate both him and the young legacy of Carlos Berrera. Left was Luke's natural side, and while he knew Kelly was more experienced and had more caps, he was coming into his prime now and was more physical and aggressive than the sometimes tentative Kelly. He knew he was lucky just to get a taste of national team action last cycle, but he thought he'd made the most of it at the time, and he had strong opinions about how to take his squad to the next level.

"Well?" Natalie's soft voice brought him back to focus.

"Yeah, I'm on it." He kept scrolling. "Oh, and it looks like I'm probably starting for this Memorial Trophy."

"Really?"

"Yeah, no Pavel or Kelly, I think it's going to be me, Ollie, and Arnie starting in back. It'll be nice to get the old team back together..." He suddenly sat up straight.

"What is it?"

"Well, there is one weird name on here..."

"Who?

"It's Ryan."

"Really? But he wasn't even at - "

"Yeah, I know. I have no idea how this happened..."

But he figured it was time to pay his friend and former teammate a visit.

Schedule

MD1 vs. Sylestone - Chiefs Stadium (30,000), Kitsuartat
MD2 vs. Juvencus - Hamilton O'Connor Stadium (70,000), Manchester
MD3 @ Lovisa
MD4 vs. Audioslavia - Golden Phoenix Field (closed to spectators), Catherina
MD5 @ The Holy Empire
MD6 vs. Southwest Eastnorth - BioCoal Field (24,317), Irisbenis
MD7 @ Poafmersia
MD8 vs. Silver Commonwealth - Virtuous Stadium (80,000), Quinniville
MD9 @ Euran Oceania Territories
MD10 @ Sylestone
MD11 @ Juvencus
MD12 vs. Lovisa - Colosseum (66,000), Athens
MD13 @ Audioslavia
MD14 vs. The Holy Empire - DENFO Stadium (20,000), Salem
MD15 @ Southwest Eastnorth
MD16 vs. Poafmersia - Babbage Grounds (52,000), Mariana
MD17 @ Silver Commonwealth
MD18 vs. Euran Oceania Territories - Golden Phoenix Field (150,000), Catherina

Lineups

MD1 vs. Sylestone AND MD2 vs. Juvencus (full roster and descriptions here)

Starters: Ross; Cicak, V. Gusev, Berrera; Keating, Girardi; Ingram, Zaitsev, Durbridge (C); Kohut, Meyer.
Substitutes: Soler, Janaczek, Lemieux, Nazaretian, Joseph, Martin, Albert, Nazaryan, Campbell, Rogers, De Vroome, Hovhannisyan.

Wanting to put the best foot forward in two home matches to open qualifying, Detmer has selected the very best lineup for both starters and reserves. The only exception is starting the more experienced Valentin Gusev at center back in place of the surging yet greener Keghart Nazaretian.

by **Nephara** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:00 am

Savojarna 2 - 2 Nephara (2-5 AET)
(4-4-2) 1 - Mercator; 2 - Stride, 5 - Thorn (c), 6 - Brosch, 3 - Muscadin (19 - Katarec 76'); 13 - Saroszi (7 - Kuepper 96'), 4 - Shone (15 - Kastriot 72'), 21 - Moxham, 11 - Deventer; 9 - Bastable, 10 - Metzger (23 - Lovelace 82')
Goals: Saroszi 26', Metzger 48', Bastable 99', Lovelace 107', Moxham 119'

Click.
The coin span into the air. Provost watched it, snatched it. Flicked it again.
She'd been doing this for the past twenty minutes, looking for all the world like she was bored to hell. She was. But at least this helped her focus.
Click.
In a moment of weakness, she'd allowed herself to become a team player. Practically salivating at the prospect of her first piece of international silverware, the Copa Rushmori tantalisingly waiting on the sidelines.
It had been a ferocious match against Savojarna, and she'd had an enviable vantage, in a vacuum. She got to watch from close up! On the bench. Victoria Maersk, exuding quiet dignity, commanding the game from the centre of the park. Mikhail Jashkin, trotting confidently down the right, daring Muscadin to overcommit. Twice, the impulsive leftback did; this had given the Savojars their goals, one a bullet to where Rika Lundell was driving into space and could neatly, unmarked, whip the ball low past Mercator (Provost could've done better, she knew!), the second a solo effort, screaming over Mercator's head into the top corner.
Click.
Provost remembered how Strauss hooked Muscadin with the expression of someone taking an old sheepdog out the back for the last time. The luckless Kastriot had only just come on, the Cormorants conceding before he'd actually managed to touch the ball. That had levelled the scores, sank morale, and, fuck, it was Savojarna. They had a weird hold over Nephara, which was to say they always fucking beat the Cormorants.
The Cormorants' goals had also come from the right; Monako Saroszi was tapping every reserve they had, tearing their heart out for the team, arcing the opener beyond Pakanen and setting up Metzger to drill home what they prayed, and wasn't, the winner. It was their last game, and everyone knew it; maybe it would be Metzger's, too.
Click.
Provost couldn't remember a word Strauss said in the tunnel. All anyone could say was that they'd all been convinced of defeat going into the dressing room and all convinced of victory coming out of it. Saroszi had nothing left. Their body was practically broken; but then Marica Kuepper arrived in their stead, and the blood began to flow...
Click.
Provost had heard, perhaps hallucinated the leather burst with every goal as though it was behind her in play. First was Kurtis Bastable, found by Moxham, shoulder slamming into Zirkova, muscling some space, turning on nothing and seemingly getting the ball into the net on force of will alone. He bellowed something, the fresh substitute Lovelace raced to take the ball out of the net. They wanted the quick restart, ahead or not, and they were right; a Savojar attack collapsed, Brosch coming in from nowhere with a sliding challenge hard enough to slam the ball down the left, an exhausted Deventer beat an exhausted Skov to find Lovelace, who didn't challenge Forsberg but simply found his range on the corner of the penalty area.
Click.
5-2 was a ridiculous scoreline that reflected little of Savojarna's defensive discipline, the excellence of the dignified veteran Andersson who against all odds remained on the pitch at this stage. Savojarna needed two goals in two minutes, it was little wonder they were exposed at the back, and little wonder a player like Moxham could take advantage.
Click. Click. Clic-- shit, dropped it. Whatever.
So they'd lined up for the photo op. Roxelana Thorn, who really did believe in these things, shoved everyone out of the way to get her captainly hands on the trophy first and lift it for the cameras. Everyone lost their shit. It was great. Yeah, more of the same, Provost reckoned. Maybe next year, maybe the one after. More glory.
And maybe she could play a more active role in it this time.
This qualifying cycle was less a marathon than last time, though there had been international mass conflicts less of a marathon than last time. But Strauss had still taken the opportunity to rest a few jaded stars, perhaps for the final time. Among them, Hesterine Mercator, Nephara's second-most-capped goalkeeper. Someone had to pick the 1, and while the harmless, apolitical Matheny was right there to take the 'vacant' number, Provost had found out in a press conference that the number was hers to take.
Strauss' exact words were: "We'll see how she wears it."
She planned to wear it comfortably. For that matter, she didn't plan to let go.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Holdenberg, EUR), 12 - Alexandra Markgraf (Sabrefell Moths), 20 - Konrad Matheny (Royal Rumiatzi, ASG)
Defenders: 2 - Valeri Longship (Crisisbless), 3 - Vivica Muscadin (Sabrefell Moths), 5 - Roxelana Thorn (Revolutionaries, EUR, c), 6 - Ilyana Brosch (Brinemouth), 18 - Linde Rostock (Stahlburg City), 19 - Sander Katarec (Starling), 22 - Gabriel Lockheed (AFC Treason)
Midfielders: 4 - Ferena Rauch (AFC Treason), 7 - Marica Kuepper (Jungle Strike, VIL), 8 - Lothaire Cromwell (AFC Treason), 11 - Sonya Latimore (AFC Corvistone), 13 - Anselm Koerner (Chenoworth Rovers), 15 - Mercurio Kastriot (Crisisbless), 16 - Rasmus Caracole (Coret Hawks), 21 - Varina Roebling (Starling)
Forwards: 9 - Latona Basilisk (Coret Hawks), 10 - Konrad Lovelace (Revolutionaries, EUR), 14 - Arista Tzorvas (CA Paulinthal, PAS), 17 - Voska Avetisyan (Cornellians, SCT), 23 - Traudl Mrdja (Vermillion Rage)

SCHEDULE
Nephara vs. Hwiccemark @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Unimon vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. The Minarchist Free State @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Terre Septentrionale vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. New Lusitania @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Sharktail vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Mavinet @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Nephara vs. Havynwilde @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Damukuni vs. Nephara
Hwiccemark vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Unimon @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
The Minarchist Free State vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Terre Septentrionale @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
New Lusitania vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Sharktail @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Mavinet vs. Nephara
Havynwilde vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Damukuni @ The Gauntlet (Treason)

by **Graintfjall** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:57 am

Excerpt from The Fußball Show with Jessika Jünkindietrünk.

Jessika Jünkindietrünk, the Schutzenphalian journalist whose staggering salary doesn’t seem enough to cover pronunciation lessons when it comes to foreign countries, is in the studio with her regular panelists, the incredibly handsome footballer Petter Erlingsson and the incredibly not sports writer Olle Tobiasson. They are watching highlights from the third and final friendly Græntfjall played prior to the World Cup, with Alexander Leonardsson’s net being rattled yet again by another Sarzonian goal.

Sardinetine

Fourfourtwo

and

Alabaster Cumrag

After a spluttering cough…

win

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:15 am

OOC: Cross-posted from Roster Thread.

Press Release:

For Immediate Distribution

The Holy Empire Football Association wishes to advise visitors to the Dreamed Realm of the recent outbreak of a novel probability virus, MARG-20 (Moderately Aggressive Reality Garbler 20), believed to be spread by tiny particles known as 'margaretites'.

The probability virus is not dangerous to Imperial citizens, but we do not yet know the impact on mundies, or indeed whether it would prove contagious to mundies. The only impact on Imperial citizens so far is to make the infected prone to experiencing mildly improbably events. Visitors during the upcoming World Cup 86 World Cup campaign can expect to see moderately improbable events take place during football matches; slightly comical own goals may be more likely, star strikers may be more prone to tripping over blades of grass at inopportune moments, balls may deflect off passing seagulls, freak gusts of wind may cause a goalkeeper's clearance to carry into the opposing goal, the name of the Holy Empire's leading goalscorer might - slightly improbably - resemble that of a famous goal scorer of World Cups past, etc. There will likely be impacts outside of football as well, but we are currently unable to predict these other that the infected will experience multiple improbable events and coincidences each day.

Note that these events will only be mildly unlikely, not wildly improbable. Nor do we believe that the virus is dangerous; it is the belief of our leading oneirologists that, should mundies become infected, they will not be more likely to die, though there may be occasions where a death that would have happened anyway will occur in a slightly more unlikely manner.

We hope that this will not adversely impact your enjoyment of WC86 in the Holy Empire.

The Holy Empire Football Association

by **PotatoFarmers** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:46 am

Previous RP (TGI - Ch 2 Part 1)
Previous RP (Poafmersia - Ch 2 Part 2)

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 2: A tale of 2 nations
Part 3: Ironing out Details

The Poafmersian Broadcasting Corporation, known as PFBC, has decided to conduct an interview with assistant head coach Katiri Hedge, with regards to the upcoming qualifiers. Below is the transcript between the interviewer, Goldeen Yakari (GY) and Katiri Hedge (KH). This was a teleconference call, as the national team was in North Handoria (The Gothanita Isles) for a friendly against the home side.
GY: Today, we are pleased to have with us Katiri Hedge, assistant manager of the Poafmersian national team!
KH: Thank you to PFBC for having me on the show!
GY: First of all, the Red Panjias has just completed their series of friendlies with an away match against The Gothanita Isles. This is our 3rd friendly match against them over the past 3 months, so what is different about this match?
KH: Our original plan was that they could help us fine tune some selection strategies and tactics that we were testing out. They have proved to be a really interesting side to test on, especially as they are pushing for a sturdier defence and aim to break through on set pieces as part of their game plan. Those strategies are our weakness, and we have found the match to be a nice testbed.
GY: So how was the series of friendlies?
KH: The friendlies this time was really nice. Although we didn't play big teams since we did that before the BoF, against Baker Park and HUElavia, we had average teams we hoped to deal with. Of course, there was the home match against Terre Septentrionale, which we won 2-1. These friendlies has helped us to shortlist our 35 player team, and allowed us to catch the teething problems. Against Vdara, we slipped up really hard because we were not playing the 3-4-3 formation correctly, but now we are more confident with that formation.
GY: Is that a change in formation I see? Why are we talking about 3-4-3 formations since typically, the Red Panjias play a 4-3-3 formation?
KH: Tactical flexibility, in our opinion, is what that is brining us to the World Cup. Our qualification group was widely chided as a meme, but honestly, I feel that we need to be able to rotate our players really well to get them into shape and get the necessary results.
GY: Speaking of the qualification group, I want to hear the coaching team's opinion on the draw. Many analysts have pointed out that this is a "protect 3rd fight 2nd" job ahead of the team, but honestly, is it as straight forward as that?
KH: Maybe not that straight forward. Originally, when we got into this group, we thought that that was the case, but after a more detailed look, we realise that this is not straightforward. There are some sides which we think will provide some form of challenge, such as Delaclava, Blouman Empire and Sylestone. Then the top 2 seeds are not teams which you wish to fight - The Holy Empire are a side which has long history, and they present really nice attacking football. Audioslavia, finalists at the recent AOCAF, are also a really good side, and Shakira Handris can testify about the level of football there.
GY: However, having said so much, surely top 2 is in your team's target?
KH: Of course! If we don't get top 2, I can't say that I will be really upset, but I think we need to set that target for ourselves. Our opening matches will clearly set the tempo - an away tie at Audioslavia before welcoming the Holy Empire at Libra. Those are really exciting matches that we want to work on getting as much points as possible.
GY: I would like to look at your team selection for the 35 players - lots of fresh players getting call-ups, although a bunch of experienced players still dominate the squad. First, let us talk about Dargis Walshor's return to the national team set-up - why now?
KH: Sarim Potato FC, in the last 2 seasons, has been revolving around Walshor, and honestly, we have often been thinking how to incorporate his abilities in the squad. We have lots of good players on the left side - including Hansel Tang, Joel Haodao, and Walshor. If we are switching to a 3-4-3 formation, Dargis can play the left position while Tang plays up front. Tang's abilities in poaching tight defences, learnt from her experience in Ko-oren, is needed in front, and so we can play Dargis in midfield.
GY: However, on the right side, neither Daak Kalson not Jessie Mchargarita got the call up. What made the coaches decide on that.
KH: Mchargarita is 35. Kalson is 33. It is not like we are missing a good right midfielder, since there are a few players who can play there. Aubrey Mayer and Witney Rios both can play there, although the former prefers playing up front. Josef Gentry and Monesty Erdos has shown their abilities over the past few friendlies, especially the latter, since she has shown talent from being in the Under-21 team. I think we are well prepared - at this time, not only are we finding good players, we are also finding players who can take over the reins when the main crop of players step down. Many of the main starters may not be on the lineup 2 years later when we play the 87th World Cup - for instance, captain Danzik Hoboson and Pasits Rikachz both indicated that they will step down next year, and the Pickford siblings will probably join them soon enough. Shakira Handris is also reaching the end of her peak, and now we are getting a new generation of players to shadow our current players, and then step up slowly.
GY: Thank you for your insights with regards to the team selection - I believe they answer the questions fans may have in their head. At this time, may we just ask you for your opinion on one last thing - how do you think about The Gothanita Isles and their chances in the group?
KH: We were joking that the match fixture list is ridiculous - they start by playing top 2 seeds away consecutively in Matchday 1 and 2. If they catch a Chromatika side stuck in their form last qualification cycle, maybe they can get a jackpot. Against Banija, the odds are heavily stacked against them though. They are relatively okay, similar to how we started off, but that 5-0 loss to Squidroidia really must have lowered morale. If they can bounce back from that, and get some good results in the first 2 match, maybe they can get into the top half. It is very possible - I think they have lots of potential to do well, even more potential than our side had back then in my opinion.
GY: Thank you for coming for this interview!
KH: Thank you!
GY: So the qualification campaign begins. For everyone who is watching the show right now, we shall see the team 3 days later, where they play Audioslavia in Atlantian Oceania. The match will kickoff at 5.30pm, and will be broadcasted live on PFBC Sports. This will be followed by the home match against The Holy Empire next week, which will kickoff at 7.15pm in Fiskadaha. All the best to our team!

Starting 11s:
Against Audioslavia - Jaliaha; A. Hoboson, D. Hoboson (c), N. Sanchez; Walshor, Shwentin, Moonar, Rios; Tuft, Tang, Mayer

Against THE - Jaliaha; A. Pickford, Stephenson, Rikachz, D. Pickford; Taisg, Wariq, Moonar; Haodao, Handris, Carisa

by **Electrum** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:20 am

The Turnip: Preview of World Cup 86 Qualification
by Sweet-T, citizen journalist

It's World Cup time again, and this time footballers are competing for the dubious misfortune in playing in Drawkland, or for the marvellous fortune of playing in Newmanistan, noted for its lack of drawks and its lack of obsession of the number seven. Despite Electrum being ranked 119th in the rankings, many pundits are have stated that our group is the "Group of Death" due to the Electrumite National Team presence. This article will preview our group, and we will truly see whether those pundits are overselling the "Group of Death" title, and whether Electrum can really defeat these nations in our role as a "dark horse". We will cover the nations in order of us playing them.

Kulefati (UR)
Ahh, Kulefati, a formidable nation that everyone's heard of before, surely one of the most well known nations in the entire multiverse. The nation comprises of a rather cool and generously proportioned populace, whose main tactic is to roll around the pitch like an oversized football, hiding the real football inside their skin flabs. The resultant confusion is sure to confuse the Electrumite team as they don't know where the football is, and if they wrongly kick someone suspected of having the ball right inside their skin pocket, then that's a penalty. We expect two losses to this team.

Flavovespia (51)
Now this country we really know -- Flavovespia was supposed to be named Flavortown in order to honour one of their patron saints, Guy Fieri. Unfortunately, the World Assembly refused to rename the nation from their old name of "Greater What The Fork?" to Flavortown because it was copyrighted, so instead they chose the Flavovespia. Their bright yellow and black kits indicate their ability to summon hornets at will to attack the Electrumite players. Although King Einarsson can probably swat them away with his big bear claws, its unlikely that our human players will be able to stop the hornet attack. For crying out loud, they have a stadium called "Hornet's Nest". They're going to buzz buzz our team away, making our team look like the dudliest duds. We expect two losses to this team.

Quebec (81)
The Quebecois are known for their ghastly and ghoulish team name of "The Grim Reapers" with their ultra group being called "The Bubonic Plague". Their national team is well known for eating a lot of edibles and parting all day and all night long. Because of the evolution of the Quebecois physique over the past few decades, allowing all Quebecois to absorb a massive amount of drugs and partying, its no surprise to learn that the Quebecois team are simply made of super-humans. There's simply no way we could beat the Quebecois, they just have too much stamina from all their partying. It's all doom and gloom really. We expect two losses to this team.

Ihilthracna (335)
Err hello, did someone pass out on the keyboard? It looks like someone spilled alphabet soup and managed to make a nation name from said spillage. Ihilthracna are a team with no inherent weaknesses. Sure, their roster might list each player's weakness such as "slow" or "weak" or "old", but when you have a 62 year old Central Mobile Defender, that's an advantage that the Electrumite team do not have. We really like the cut of their jib, their honesty is just refreshing and they're not afraid to say that they don't have that much gumption. It's this kind of honesty that will make us lose -- their pants won't spontaneously combust every time they say or do something on the field. That's going to happen to us. We expect two losses to this team.

Cassadaigua (13)
They are the top team in the group and we have absolutely zero chance to beat them. If we do beat them, or even draw with Cassadaigua, then there must surely be something wrong with Margaret. Margaret would have to be so sick that she would have to cry out tears of vomit. In other words, we've got no chance. We expect two losses to this team.

Wymondham (305)
The whimsical whippersnappers of Wymondham have come into this World Cup qualifiers for the first time, and have a rather odd fellow on their flag. That fellow has to surely be their national leader, Wymondham Lacerta-Asteorra. Yes, that's right, the name of the leader is also in the name of the nation. Reminds us of a certain other nation, which was formerly one of the world's shining examples of the best places to live forever. Back to Wymondham, they are just so whimsical and quaint that their goalkeeper is a bear! Imagine that, having a bear on your team, it's ludicrous really. We certainly aren't aware of any other nation that has a bear in their team. That's just fanciful. Anyways, the unexpected whimsy of their bear, and their whole 4-1-3-2 structure, not to mention that odd fellow on the flag will surely be our undoing. We expect two losses to this team.

Main Nation Ministry (27)
Yes. This is a nation we've heard of before. Much like Cassadaigua, they are one of the more experienced teams in this group. They've had a stellar record of who really cares really, they're twenty-seventh in the world, you can look that up for yourself. We expect two losses to this team.

Squidroidia (219)
Squidroidia are a bizarre name for a nation. This nation is solely made up of roided up squids, who have threatened the human population with ink bombs if they didn't name the nation after them. The flag has a squid. The team is nicknamed the "Squidroidia Inklings". They have non-human creatures called "inklings" on their team. I mean, just by reading the name of the nation, one can get some sort of inkling that they worship the slimy, icky, disgusting tentacled creatures. Of course, the natural slipperiness of squid tentacles means that they will make the ball extra slimy and slippery, which will make it all but impossible for our goalkeeper, Ralph Mills to get his hands on the ball. We expect two losses to this team.

Devonta (76)
Finally, Devonta. Do we know their coach? Nope. Do we know their players? Nope. Do we know what they eat for breakfast? Nope. Do we know their mother's maiden name, social security number and credit card information? Nope. Their last previously available roster was from World Cup 83. Nope. Oh wait, that wasn't a question. Nope. We are going to be in so much trouble playing a team we know absolutely nothing about. We expect two losses to this team.

So there you have it, it looks like we're going to be absolutely shit in this World Cup qualifier. Who the hell said that this was the Group of Death? We have probably three and a quarter good teams out of nine, which is a pretty poor strike rate if you ask us. The real Group of Death should be some other group. Not ours.

World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

Boot It!: Group 11 It Is! Stadium Allocations Revealed!

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