World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

[HUElavia]

Difficult Start for HUElavia in WC 86 Qualifiers!

HUElavia 2–3 Squornshelous
(Hamada 7', 83' (P) | Anker 25', 65' (P), 88')
(Estadio Santiago, Puerto Santiago)

Mathuvan Union 1–1 HUElavia
(Ofarionalio 70' | N. Duran 25')
(Estádio de Reí, São Mateus e João)

HUElavia returned to the World Cup Qualifiers, looking to pick up where they left off the previous qualifiers and start off strong. Their opening matches were a home game against Squornshelous and an away game against Mathuvan Union. Despite the promising optimism by the team and fans, the matches would not go as expected.

The first match in Puerto Santiago saw HUElavia take on Squornshelous, with the A-Team being played for the match, given that it was the Pot 2 vs Pot 3 team. The match saw Hamada score the opening goal of the qualifiers in the 7th minute, when a pass by N. Duran went past the defense, allowing Hamada to go one-on-one with Vogdhal, where she chipped it into the goal to make it 1-0, making the crowd go crazy, while she celebrated with her teammates and her boyfriend Navarro. Then, star stiker Anker scored in the 25th minute to tie it at 1-1, coming from a corner kick by Tjaeder to head it past Lobato into the goal. The second half saw a foul by Smirnov over Krupin, which called for a penalty kick, and Anker came up to send Lobato the wrong way to put it 1-2. Late in the match, in the 83rd minute, a foul by Voronin over Cristiano gave way to another penalty kick, which Hamada came up and took it with ease to put it into the goal to make it 2-2, with the crowd going crazy with passion while she celebrated with her boyfriend Navarro. Despite the expectation for the draw, a cross by Storvoll in the 88th minute got to Anker, who chested the ball down and took a blast to put it past Lobato and into the goal to make it the definitive 2-3. A disappointing start for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos.

The second match was a visit to Mathuvan Union, to play at São Mateus e João, with a mix of the A-Team and B-Team playing, this time with Vallares in the goal. The opening goal would come in the 25th minute, as a foul by Klokse on Leite-Reis allowed for a free kick to be taken, which N. Duran took the kick that went over the wall and past Le Auftens into the goal to make it 0-1, with N. Duran celebrating with her teammates and her husband M. A. Duran. Despite the goal, it would not be enough, as in the 70th minute a cross by Plysten would go into the box and Ofarionalio would tower over D'Aquila to head the ball past Vallares and into the goal to make it 1-1. HUElavia would try to start an attack and try to get a goal here and there, but to no avail as they would finish the match in a draw. Another disappointing result for the team.

At the end of these two matches, HUElavia sits in 9th Place with 1 Point, in a record of 0-1-1. Currently, the group leaders is Maccian who has 6 Points (2-0-0), while Reçueçn sit in 2nd Place with 4 Points (1-1-0). While it is still early in the qualifiers, this isn't what the team was expecting to get in the matches, thus there is obligation for the team to perform well in the coming matches. The next two matches will be against Tioguldos and Maccian, both at home at Estadio da Esperança in Rigente, and Goang Stadium in Goang. In particular, Goang Stadium will be having a "Baptism" from the team visiting the stadium for the first time for an international match, which the fairly recent Jeong immigrants and Jeong-HUElavians look to support the team. For the game against Tioguldos, a mix of players from all around the eligible players will play, while against Maccian, a mix of A-Team and B-Team players will play. Patricio-Leite is expected to start against the 1st team, while Lobato will get the start against the Group Leaders. Both matches will be sold out, as the team and the fans look to get their first victory (or victories) of the Qualifiers, and properly get better to be among the Top 3, as it is projected. Regardless, the fans look forward to support the team and cheer them on in the next two matches with joy and passion. And the team wants to give them that joy.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis (OOC Note: Opposition scorers based on teamsheets for CoH77 (FID) and BoF73 (SVS) respectively)

The 3rd WC journey for TJUN-ia began in Filindostan, against a Pula Garuda looking to defend their position as a solid contender in Group 11. The 72nd ranked Jaguars knew they would be entering into an environment that would hate them for the whole 90 minutes, and David Seems wanted to ensure that the crowd here didn't put his men off.

But Filindostan had other ideas. The crowd, however large it was on the night, certainly played to the Red Guard's strengths and they pounced immediately. The first goal was scored by Seto Tuhuteru in the 5th minute, a comical mistake by Aron McKenna allowing the #9 to shoot past Gylfisson. With a few minutes, it was 2-0 as Tuhuteru found space again and found the net...again. 2-0 after 10 minutes was not in the game plan at all but Seems refused to just sit back and let the home side control the game any longer. He rallied his men to push and they got an important goal just before half time, Pedro Vasquez curving a free-kick past Antonio Rafael Vera to give this tie some life.

The 2nd half saw a rejuvenated TJUN-ia go on the offensive, the Pula Garuda forced on the defensive, and many chances to score. Most of the early ones were either saved by Vera of just missed the goal by a few centimetres, but the late game saw all of that effort paid off. Marshall Barry, someone we rarely see in TJUN-ian football, came on to take a corner. He then proceeded to find an open Joe Green, who couldn't miss from that far out to tie this match with 10 minutes to play. The Drawmasters were doing again....until the 87th minute. Prince Carter found space and then proceeded to shoot the ball just outside the box. It just brushed over the fingertips of Vera before hitting the net to give TJUN-ia another late lead. And that was how it finished, TJUN-ia beating the 50th ranked team on the road to kick off their campaign.

Game 2 was our first home game and a North Pacific Derby, against the Potato Cannoneers of Se Vende Skooma. Tikariot was meant to be our original TNP foes, but they have now joined Rushmore (and then proceeded to lose their first 2 games, so I guess they got some bad luck from leaving our region) so SVS will have to do instead. But there was no issue with that at all: TJUN-ian welcomed SVS when they came to town for the WBC, so it was nice to see them back here again for WC duty.

This game was certainly calmer than the one in Filindostan, with TJUN-ia taking a 3-0 lead in the first half - Vladimir Podolov got 2 (23',43') while Kepo Ulawaya scored the other (33'). It was calm football, pure and simple, as the Potato Cannoneer could handle the full might of TJUN-ian football. The foot was eased on the gas pedal for the 2nd half and it showed. Pseudo-Dionysius scored the visitor's first in the 56th which was responded almost immediately by Archer Andrews. The visit got another in the 79th, this time Funky Fresh Delicatessen (what the hell even is this name?!) the scorer but the 3-goal advantage was brought back just before the end via a penalty (TJUN-ia's first-ever in normal time, I believe) converted by captain Jeff Donaldson.

2-from-2 is the best way to go about things and TJUN-ia certainly did that. Not only are we 2 wins to the good but we actually lead the group, due to a better goal difference over Mriin. So, TJUN-ia leads a WCQ group for the first time in it's history and that is a sign that yes, we might be good as this "football" stuff. Next time, we will react to a tough road double-header against Natanians and Nosts and Port Ember. Can we remain unbeaten?! Unlikely, but not impossible...

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SCHEDULE (Group 11) - lines indicate when next edition of Boot It! will be released
MD1: @Filindostan (50) W 3-2 (T-2nd)
MD2: vs Se Vende Skooma (344) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 5-2 (1st)
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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

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

OOC - PotatoFarmers' RP permission restrictions on pandemics made this slightly tricky; I hope I've squared the circle... I've TG'd him separately, and can of course edit if I've crossed any lines


MARG-20 Probability Virus Pandemic: Analysis of First Two World Cup Matches
Report to the Imperial Secretariat of the Purple Inkwell and the State Bureau of Imperial Security

Sirs, Madams, and Miscellaneous Others

You have asked me to give you ongoing reports on the impact of the MARG-20 (the 20th known Moderately Aggressive Reality Garbler) probability virus on the Holy Empire's progress during the 86th edition of the more prominent of the two multiverse World Cups (the edition we have only won four times - and is thus somehow seen as 'fairer' - as opposed to the alternate reality version we have won 86 consecutive times, and last won a final by fewer than six goals in WC 27).

Key issues that you have asked me to report on include:

1) Is MARG-20 either contagious or dangerous to those charming little mundies?

2) What impact are MARG-20 probability disturbances having on World Cup qualification?

3) Are there any other probability pandemic issues that I think might be worth bringing to your attention?

1 - On the first issue, I have little in the way of news to report. Southwest Eastnorth media did not report any immediate impact on their citizens following their visit to the Imperial Hippodrome, merely noting that the match 'felt like a bad nightmare'. I am yet to ascertain if this statement is metaphorical or literal. If the former, it likely needs no comment; if the latter, then it may be cause for concern as several MARG-20 patients have reported an increase in 'slightly surreal nightmares' as a subsidiary symptom.

There are as yet no reports from Poafmersia. However, I have information directly from SBIS - obtained from behind the Imperial Panopticon's Fourth Wall - that strongly suggests that not only is there no probability pandemic in Poafmersia, but that Poafmers may be wholly immune to the impact of the probability pandemic, and are not susceptible to MARG-20 (though this would not stop moderately unlikely events happening to infected Imperial players in matches against The Red Panjias).

However, I would stress that we do not yet know the incubation period, if any, for MARG-20 among mundies should it indeed prove to be either generally or selectively contagious.

2 - On the second point, I recorded the following mildly improbable events over the course of the first two match days:

* All six Holy Empire goals, the four against Southwest Eastnorth and both goals against Poafmersia, were scored by imperial forward Alán Belmores. This remarkable start to the qualifying campaign would be remarkable under any circumstances, but I particularly note the odd coincidence of Mr Belmores's name and that of a prominent player from past World Cup history who was also known for somewhat improbable goalscoring feats.

* After every goal, the hairstyles of each member of the imperial squad spontaneously varied; while this variation was by no means outlandish (no bald players grew hair, or vice versa; no beards spontaneously sprouted), it may explain why Southwest Eastnorth media were so confused over the identity of our goal scorer.

* In the match against Poafmersia, Imperial goalkeeper John Comneno saved three penalties, the third despite diving in the wrong direction - however the ball hit a small clod of dirt once it crossed the mid-way point between the Poafmer penalty taker and Mr Comneno, hitting his left boot, and then bouncing off the crossbar and both posts before finding its way into a grateful goalkeeper's hands.

Since all three events seem somewhat improbable without being in any way totally impossible, I have asked my assistants to review whether they believe MARG-20 margaretites might be responsible in all three cases.

3 - Nothing further to report at this stage; well, nothing that's unusual as the Holy Empire understands 'improbable'. I hope to have more to report on this issue once we start to play more matches in Ordinary Reality.

[The Gothanita Isles]

Previous RP (TGI - Ch 2 Part 1)
Previous RP (Poafmersia - Ch 2 Part 3)

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 2: A tale of 2 nations
Part 4: Zero

"One more bottle please."
For Jakob Hans, God could not have played a bigger joke on him. First, his wife of 16 years suddenly died in a car accident, leaving behind him and his 12-year old child. Then the company that he was working in suddenly went bankrupt, and he was out of job. Of course, the social service workers came and provided him some money to tide over such difficult times, but the misery of losing his livelihood and his lover in the span of 2 weeks was absolutely too much.
His son, Horadous, was studying at a friend's house. Thankfully, he has a number of good friends who were very understanding of the family situation and allowed Horadous to stay in their houses and accompany him overnight. This allowed Jakob to focus on refinding a job and also settle personal issues. To Jakob, however, finding a job was not easy. The economic situation was not at the best, and many people were made redundant as companies try to reform in order to get profits back to normal. Of course, Jakob has some skill certificates. But those may not be enough in such a tight market.
Drinking bottle after bottle of beer at the bar, he was attempting to drown out his sorrows. Despite being a very strong person mentally, the impact of such a situation has caused him to breakdown too. It is not like he could afford to divert his attention elsewhere - maybe to football, but it was the international break. Instead of having the usual inter-Isles tournament, the 4 states have sent a combined team and attempted to compete in the multiverse World Cup. To many football fans like Jakob, it was rather confusing seeing their national team get ultimately dominated on the field. The results are not something to be happy about, with 2 losses thus far anyways.
############
For the national team coaches, it was back to the drawing board. The coaches have tried their best to find the best strategy to do well, but have always seen their efforts explode. Against Banija, the world number 1 never gave any chance, dominated from the onset and scored 4. Against second seed Chromatika, it was a header in the 44th minute that seperated both side.
Maybe coming out to play in the multiverse World Cup Qualifiers was a mistake. Despite gaining lots of confidence slowly and surely from playing in the Baptism of Fire, all hell broke loose when Squidroidia put 5 past the defence in the Bronze Medal match. They failed to find the form that got them a 1-0 win over Poafmersia, or the style that saw them put 7 past Mathuvan Union. Trying out strategies here and there, they have all drawn a blank. Of course, they know they are playing the top 2 seeds of the group, but surely those performances showed how far off they actually are.
"I still think that Charlee Harel should be back in right-back. Though his skills in taking back the ball is not that good as compared to Gerhard Abraham, Charlee is has better ball handling skills," begun Silas.
"Honestly, I don't think the defence is the problem. It is the midfield that has gotten us real problems over the past 2 games, with possession being lost in the weirdest of places," replied Rudolf.
The arguments between the 4 coaches have been continuing on for hours. Substitutions came and went, the team changed tactics, but things didn't get better. Against Banija, the switched from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 and then to 4-1-2-1-2 but not a single goal could get in. Against Chromatika, they stuck with 4-2-3-1, changing some players here and there, but had to make a mistake to let Chromatika score one goal. This gave the coaches no clue about how to play the next 2 matches.
############
For Jakob, he knows he cannot just give up right now. His son needs to look up to him, and his son needs him as much as he needs his son. Even though he might have been rejected by one company after another company, he believes that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. "If this is God's test for me to stay strong, I believe God will help me if I am willing to help myself. Even though the frustrating pain has already bruised me black and blue, I firmly believe the light is in the distance."

---

Scorebox:
Banija 4
Madu Okparra 17', 85'
Ilman Jawara 45'
Gitonga Kahara 66'

The Gothanita Isles 0

Starting 11: Thulile Bolkvadze; Jeanette Ross, Den Benjaminson, Adolf Stenger, Gerhard Abraham; Sardar Chaplin, Remus McQueen; Grigorii McCrory, Ladislava Tyler, Cyneburga London; Abdelkader Kartal
Substitutes: Salwah Sadık (Chaplin 51'); Chloe Brewster (Kartal 70'); Charlee Harel (Abraham 84')

Chromatika 1
Ken 44'

The Gothanita Isles 0

Starting 11: Thulile Bolkvadze; Jeanette Ross, Den Benjaminson, Adolf Stenger, Charlee Harel; Sardar Chaplin, Remus McQueen; Grigorii McCrory, Ladislava Tyler, Cyneburga London; Abdelkader Kartal
Substitutes: Amalija Bothe (McQueen 59'); Vladan Bloxam (London 71'); Marino Barros (Kartal 82')

[The Jovannic]

Oil Spill Near Sotha City, Oil Expected to run into Maccian Waters

Today, A small oil tanker, The Kouvert, crashed into a Maccian Cargo ship and sank, releasing 57 tonnes of oil into the open ocean. The cause of this crash is unknown, however it is likely it is due to a lack of communication between The Jovannic and Maccian. "It was lucky that it was only a small tanker." Enviromentalist Kayor Sulivan said on a live interview today. "The Damage could have been much worse." more than 1000 species of animals live in these waters, and they will most likely be affected. it will cost almost 20 Million Jovs to repair the damage already done, according to estimates.

20 lives were also lost. The oil Spill is most likely to cross into Maccian waters in about 3 hours. Oil Pickup boats are rushing to the scene. "It is going to be a tremendous loss of species." Kayor continued. "The way the oil spilled enabled the oil to travel at unprecedented speeds, reaching the cost in only about an hour."

The Oil tanker was bound for the Emperor's Isle, a small island off Jolivana Island. Emperor Jov has officially apologized for this accident, and promised to "take serious and prompt action". The Sohta Beach will also be closed indefinitely, to the dismay of many travellers and kids.

"If we can save it, we can limit the impacts of this to short term. We implore everyone to help us with this outbreak."

Oil Spill As Per taken via drone.

[Mercedini]

86th World Cup Qualification Opening Review
Twicetagria vs. Mercedini and Mercedini vs. The Orion Islands
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium - Zoloroni, Mercedini

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome back to the World Cup circuit and Mercedini Sports Daily's coverage of it. Following out qualification preview, Mercedini are back in action in qualification and aim to state their case for why they should be included in the draw for the World Cup Group Stage. The Golden Eagles have Baker Park as their main rivals to beat, but Savojarna, Busoga et al are all waiting in the wings to bridge the gap between themselves and the Pot 2 seeding that Mercedini hold. It was the first time in a long while that Mercedini begin their campaign away from home, with their opening match taking place in Twicetagria, with the first home match coming a couple of days later in Zoloroni versus the Orion Islands. With Billic in command, could he take Dini back to the promised land, or was it more of the same problems plaguing the national team.

World Cup Qualification: New Day, Same Strugs

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FULL TIME

WCQ | MD2

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MERCEDINI 1
Alva 10'
ORION ISLANDS 2
Keller 85', Ferguson 90+1'

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Zoloroni, Mercedini
Attendance - 74,046

With the opening two match days now outof the way, we are none the wiser in finding out whether or not Mercedini have turned a corner under Billic, as a solid opening performance against Twicetagria was wiped out just as quickly by a stunning Orion Islands comeback in Zoloroni, to give the Golden Eagles a disappointing 1-0-1 start to World Cup Qualification. While it is still early days in the group, Mercedini have already fallen three points behind the top two spots, against teams they ideally should be beating. Nonetheless, there are some positives coming out of both games, which can be collected and put into their blockbuster match in Baker Park tomorrow. While a win is looking slim there, any sort of result will keep the second-seeds within touching distance, having come out of their most difficult match with something to hold on to. A disparaging result in the BBP Stadium would likely see Mercedni's campaign come crashing down before it has even begun. Is it too early to say a match is already a six-pointer? Perhaps, but the point still stands that Dini need points wherever they can get them, and then hope those around them slip up

Back to the action, and it turned out to be a good return for football for the Mercedinians as they opened their campaign with a drawn-out 1-0 win over highly Fancy-ed Twicetagria. In his pre-match interview, Billic had stated that "a win is something that we would Likey, but you know as a team we're looking for More & More.". The teams lined up with tens of thousands of fans from near and far had turned out to witness that start of qualification for both sides, with a good draw for Twicetagria, getting Mercedini at home for their opening match. The referee gave the Signal for the match to begin, and we were up and running for qualification for the 86th World Cup in Drawkland and Newmanistan. It was a laboured match between both teams, but Mercedini had the upper hand early on, pushing against the will of a spirited home crowd. The biggest chance of the half still fell to the home side, with Vladimirescu curling an effort high and wide after he was put through by a brilliant through ball. In first half stoppage time, Chillotov had the ball in the net for what looked like the opener, but the whistle had already gone for a blatant offside, which was confirmed by VAR in a matter of seconds.

At half-time, both sides were Knock Knock-ing but there was nothing to separate them as they went in for their half-time break. Plenty to mull over with both teams looking like they could edge it on the night, given the chances that were presented. After a short interval, the action was back underway for the second half. Mercedini needed the points more than Twicetagria, so the emphasis was on the team in blue and black to seize the day. Ten minutes had gone in the match and Dini had found the strength to seize the day, and found solace in the form of Daniel Dostalok and give his team lift off in the 56th minute as he slotted the ball into the bottom corner as he fought for possession following a lofted ball by Di Sansev. It meant the team could hold onto something for the remainder of the match, and they could choose to hold back and hang on, or chase something more and put the tie to bed.

Ultimately, Dostalok and Chillotov chose to go for more but couldn't put another goal in their column. Jamie Han stood firm to the admiration of nearly everyone in the stadium, but they couldn't capitalise from that, as Dini confirmed their opening win by a margin of one goal to nil. For Twicetagria, they had to Cheer Up for their perfectly winnable second match against Murphtannia, while Dini could afford to, just for a little while, Dance The Night Away.

Mercedini sat in 5th place following the first day of action, with fans and pundits confident that they could make it two wins from two against the Orion Islands, who were sub-300 in the world rankings and just came off a loss of their own. A capacity crowd were stirred by the world debut of the Mercedinian World Cup Anthem for the cycle, everything was set for a good night in Zoloroni. Billic had opted to rest most of his starters which were present in Twicetagria, which was a risk in itself given how useful a good start could be.

With their fans, Mercedini picked up their left off, even with their less experienced members, as Feliks Alva took full advantage of a misjudged cross by the Orion keeper, as he slammed the ball in the net on the stroke of ten minutes. What took a while in Twicetagria was easily accomplished back home Dini 1-0 up against Orion is what was a comfortable opening exchange. Orion had something to chase if they wanted to take something from the game. They hung in there despite a barrage of chances, the youngsters of Talisky and Alva were pepper-potting the Orion goal, but they couldn't find that two goal margin that would them clear of their opponents.

Time was ticking away for an Orion equaliser or a Mercedinian settler, with Orion keeping it within one to threaten an equaliser the more the advanced. That threat finally paid dividends when a pacey diagonal cross was met by Stephen Keller's head to take it past Hosset for a massive equaliser five minutes from time. The Orion fans were nearly bursting out of their allocated seats as their players celebrated what would have been a massive points.

The pressure was building as Mercedini pushed for a winner of their own, but the remarkable turnaround belonged to Orion as a great save by Hosset came back out, and was ultimately squared to Ferguson who slotted into the open net in added time. It was a winner to crush the hopes of the Mercedinians who had held the lead for so long only to see it evaporate within six minutes to record an embarrassing loss to Orion Islands. Of the remaining fans in the stadium, boos rang out as unsavoury scenes unfolded on the pitch of the Sports City Stadium. Several arrests were made as the Orion fans flooded the pitchto celebrate their 2-1 win against the Pot 2 side. Questions will be asked about the security will be raised, but the emphasis will be made on the squad selection, what was Billic thinking?

After all of that, Dini will have to dust themselves off for their third match of the campaign, a trip to World #8 Baker Park. Any kind of result will do for Mercedini who are now seen as the side that very regularly under performs. A win will mean it will be the first win away to a Pot 1 side since Dini's 2-1 win over Starblaydia. Mercedini do have the ability to turn it up when required, but it seems that once again, the better side will come out with the win, especially with the group favourites playing at home. We hope you have everything crossed, the lads will need all of the help they can get.

[Ko-oren]

Cultural Exchange and Economic Opportunities in Home Game Bid War

In a group with familiar faces, new foes, and even some rivals, the football Dragonflies will be trying to secure a fourth straight World Cup spot - which would make it the joint longest streak of consecutive World Cup appearances, rivalling the famous teams captained by Katanmak Juliasterinthen himself. Huayramarca, a rising force in football, placed in a group that might be a little too tough for it. They're certainly unlucky when it comes to the teams from the pots above them: 95X, Sajnur, Jeruselem, Tequilo - all teams aiming to be far better in the next 1-2 qualification cycles than they are now. Which means that the Dragonflies, too, have a huge task ahead of them.

Of course, we're not singling out the Huayramarcans for nothing. They're the first home opponent we face, and as with every qualification cycle, that's a big game. One of the most viewed television broadcasts all year, and it's a massive honour to host it. The KFA recognised that cash cow, and is going all in. Stadiums and cities now get the opportunity to bid for our nine home games. The most impressive bid gets the most important match, and so on all the way down, until the final game has been given out.

Home fixtures, in order of play v Huayramarca | v Semarland | v 95X | v Sajnur | -- | v Jeruselem | v Netop | v Quebecois Acadiana | v Tequilo | v Iles Rogieres

Rodi Gaubert, chairman of the KFA, looked at the schedule and decided that wasn't the order in which these matches would be handed out. Ordering them from most important to least important, at least as far as we now know, they've been ordered as such:

Home fixtures, in order of importancev 95X | v Huayramarca | v Jeruselem | v Tequilo | v Sajnur | v Semarland | v Netop | v Quebecois Acadiana | v Iles Rogieres

The match versus 95X, fairly early on the campaign, was deemed the most important and profitable - after all, they're our closest rival for the top spot. Huayramarca ended up fairly early in the ranking as well, as the home opener. Then we see that the higher ranked teams were given precedence, with Jeruselem and Tequilo as very, very familiar faces. The latter only appeared in two cycles, and both times they were paired with us. Seeing how fast they climb the KPB ladder, they're a formidable team, with formidable leadership, and a surprisingly good organisation behind it. Last time we could fend them off at least on one out of two attempts, but they're probably the team to knock off more points than any other in group 2. Behind them, unranked Semarland gets the nod over the rest given their history in the competition. The remaining three teams are huge unknowns, at least to us. Let's hope that the scouting staff, led by Saumalindhen, and also featuring Jerrambah, Destroyer of Offences, have a better grasp on these teams. It wouldn't be the first time that the Dragonflies completely overlook a smaller opponent, only to lose. It happens to the best of us, but we're the one team that's designed to not lose these trap games.

Before the end of the first week, bids from all the usual suspects were in. Aminey's Stade sur la Baie, known for hosting a lot of Champions' Bowl finals, is the obvious choice for the biggest match. With a limit of one match per venue, however, the rest is far from out. Surbourneshire Square, not often part of the KFA's planning, put in a thick file as well. Greencaster, where the Square lies, is not exactly a football city. Its stadium is, however, the second largest on the archipelago and as such can't be counted out. The Willowbowl, the Orange Bowl, all seating over fifty thousand, are easy choices. The list goes on, basically.

Within two weeks, the smaller venues also chipped in. Spider Stadium, in Alara, of IUCC final fame (ironically one of the editions of the IUCC when no Ko-orenite club came close to the final, while two of our fiercest rivals wormed clubs into the final, giving us a Quebecois and a Taeshani club fighting over a trophy on Ko-orenite soil with nothing we could do), among them. Given that bidding was open to everyone, some small towns also give it a shot - the worst that could happen was not to get chosen, after all. Het Duivelsveld, in Laringen, for instance. A not-exactly-small town in the north, known for being the largest town you pass through on your way from the Capital Cities to Schemerdrecht and Sterrenwolde.

Before the KFA knew it, they were overran by dozens of applications from all kinds of places. The Rikalathen Arena, on the large size, or FC Bal op 't Dak's third training field, up in the Heuveltuinen region in the central north. The latter's application came with the caveat 'daytime matches only please, no floodlights are installed'. Several backyards were also thrown into the fray. Clever groundsmen in Tikariot quickly found a loophole in the application system, which was supposed to only accept entries from within Ko-oren, and eventually decided on entering Riordan Way Stadium, regular occupiers Carhan Knights FC, to host one of these nine fixtures. KFA representatives also mentioned several other Tikariot stadiums in the list, from Legion Field to Aerodrome Park, until finally getting their act together and writing a 12-page plan to have the Dragonflies visit Riordan Way Stadium instead. Their commitment is commendable, their opportunism admirable, but it remains to be seen whether the KFA will take the bait. Before that was sorted out, jokers from the Sherpa Empire also suggested Syangboche, which is not much worse than choosing any of the Tikariot bids, if it weren't for the extreme height, at an altitude far beyond what's considered healthy human habitation in Ko-oren - no stadium larger than 5000 seats is located above where Syangboche is.

After a month of accepting bids, the interns of the KFA were put to work in wading through stacks and stacks of bids, arranged in knee-high piles on the ground all across the association's headquarters in rural Mayara. Taking into account geographically spacing out these games, as well as having large venues host to get ticket sales going, and considering the linguistic and cultural differences across the archipelago, this is the final list of home venues for the 86th cycle:

v Huayramarca - Orange Bowl, Schemerdrecht (54000)
v Semarland - Hertfield, Mawrystwyth (33000)
v 95X - Stade sur la Baie, Aminey (70000)
v Sajnur - Exhibition Centre, Mayara (41000)
v Jeruselem - Willowbowl, Willowbourne (55000)
v Netop - Stade Amandine, Étouille (30000)
v Quebecois Acadiana - Estádio Marítimo, Santa Teresa (28000)
v Tequilo - Surbourneshire Square, Greencaster (65000)
v Iles Rogieres - Spider Stadium, Alara (21000)

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia 1-2 Cassadaigua

Into the Group of Death, as many were calling it, Flavovespia went. In their 4th cycle, ranked 51st in the world, there’d usually be hopes that on a good year, a team of that stature could make a run for qualification. However at the conclusion of the group draw, few carried much optimism for Flavovespia, with them in what many thought was the toughest group of the 18. Their opening game as well was a tough one, a home match against Pot 1 Cassadaigua.

In the previous 3 World Cup Qualifiers, Flavovespia had failed to start with a win. However, just 10 minutes into this game, everything looked different. Cassadaigua had the early pressure, but with the first Flavovespian attack, Scott Coleman’s good dribble opened up some space. He turned the ball back towards Steven Hall, who fired from the edge of the box. Well placed, the shot beat Tiffany Nelson, and Flavovespia had taken a surprise lead. In one of the tough qualifying games, Flavovespia put down an early marker.

Unfortunately for Flavovespia, they couldn’t hold on. Cassadaigua didn’t lose much compusre following the goal, and remained dominant. Flavovespia ideally needed to go in leading at half-time, but later in the first half, a well timed cross was turned into the net, Aarif Muhammad unable to really do anything about it, nor could the Flavovespian defence to be fair. A moment of magic had unlocked Flavovespia, and given the group favourites the route back into the game.

The second half saw Cassadaigua edge it on the balance of play, and on the scoresheet in the end. Good build up play created the opportunity for a shot from 14 metres out, and although Aarif Muhammad dived well to get a touch on the ball, he wasn’t able to do enough to ultimately keep it out, as the shot deflected off the post and in. Flavovespia had limited opportunities, although both Scott Coleman and substitute Marc Sharratt tested Tiffany Nelson, the Cassadaigua goalkeeper however able to help earn her side the 3 points.

For Flavovespia, a result that wasn’t unexpected, but will always be a little disappointing to take. The performance was good, but not good enough to take anything out of the game against Cassadaigua. The early struggles to make a quick start in the World Cup continued, although few could fault the side for a loss to Cassadaigua.

Electrum 0-2 Flavovespia

Flavovespia travelled to Electrum, with the pressure rising somewhat. They had been somewhat slow starters away from home in previous World Cup Qualifiers, and that was an unwanted record for the Hornets. Additionally, with 0 points from the first game, they wanted something out of this match, amidst what looked like a difficult start in the “Group of Death”, as it was branded. However Electrum, champions only 8 editions ago, had won 1-4 at Kulefati, and came into this game keen to continue their perfect start, as they bid to return to former glories.

The game was a close affair in the opening 30 minutes or so, with Electrum showing why they were able to comprehensively win their opener, and Flavovespia showing how they managed to take a lead against Cassadaigua. It would be shortly after the half-hour mark that a breakthrough would come. Steven Hall drifted out wide, and whipped in a cross into the box. It was initially cleared, only to Valentine Richmond who launched the ball back into the box. Electrum couldn’t get the ball clear, as Ramon Martin pounced on it and tucked it away into the net. It wasn’t a “goal of the tournament” contender, but for Flavovepsia it was enough to take the lead. The question was now, could they hold on to the end?

Electrum were certainly not going out without a fight. They had some good shots in the second half, and Aarif Muhammad had to show why he was the new Flavovespia #1 in goal, with some impressive saves to keep his clean sheet. The pressure was ramping up in the final 10 or 15 minutes, with more and more Electrum players going forward. Of course, this left the risk of the counter, and that would be the downfall of Electrum in this game. A long clearance by Tony Gardner picked out club teammate Steven Hall, who left the defender on his heels, took it from the halfway line to the penalty box, and placed it beyond the goalkeeper and into the net. 0-2 it was, a valiant fightback from Electrum, but ultimately without reward, as Flavovespia picked up the first 3 points of their qualifying campaign.

The next 2 games

Flavovespia host Main Nation Ministry in Matchday 3. 3 encounters between the two sides have seen 2 wins for Main Nation Ministry, with a 2-2 draw in the opener of the last World Cup Qualifiers the other match. For the purposes of these qualifiers, and for vengeance for previous defeats, Flavovespia would dearly love a win when the two sides meet in Hadford Hill. However, Flavovespia will go in as underdogs, with Main Nation Ministry Pot 2, and on a perfect record so far. Even at this stage, potentially a key game for Flavovespia in seeing how realistic dreams of World Cup qualification are.

Flavovespia then travel to Inkopolis, to face Squidroidia. Their Pot 8 and 219th position in the world rankings shouldn’t fool anyone into thinking this game could be an easy ride for Flavovespia. In the Baptism of Fire 73, they were 3rd, but more impressively in the 10th IAC, they managed the same feat. A nation that is very much on the ascendancy, they’ll be looking to make life difficult for anyone visiting Inkopolis, and to claim some scalps on their travels. A game that, if Flavovespia are serious about qualification, they’ll likely need to win, but of the Pot 8 teams to face, this could be one of the toughest. Squidroidia are definitely one of the main contributors to the “Group of Death” label.

The Football Clubs Of Flavovespia

Following on from the first article about the clubs in Waldster, here comes the next 15. These all come from the biggest city-region in Flavovespia, and one of the big rival cities to Waldster. It is of course, Hadford Hill, in the north-east of Flavovespia. Hadford Hill has quite distinct suburban and a few rural areas within its borders, so unlike Waldster, the city area of Hadford Hill is somewhat smaller than the official borders of the city-region.

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Tier 2	Challenge League
	Hadford Hill FC Founded: 89BU Stadium: Highland Road (69518) Rivals: Waldster FC, St Astons City FC (major), Marthorpe City FC (minor) Hadford Hill have a level of success (almost) all teams in Flavovespia could be envious of. They played the first ever professional football match against Waldster, and their rivalry, along with St Astons City, has been going strong for over a century. For much of the classic era, and the first 15 or so years of the modern era, they were a dominant force. Now sadly, they’ve been relegated to the second tier three times, and are nowhere near the level of strength of their former self. Their honours include 24 top flight victories, 13 major domestic cup victories, and countless seasons where they were once considered the best side in the nation.
Tier 4	National League Division 2
	Highhadford FC Founded: 43BU Stadium: Highhadford Stadium (1055) Rivals: South Hadford United (major) Highhadford formed in 43BU, representing the small town of the name, on the outskirts of the city-region of Hadford Hill. They first made the first round proper of the Gold Cup in 41BU, and managed to stun Bavingtor with a 0-1 away win in Round 2. However they’d only reach Round 3 once more in the classic era, in the final Gold Cup of 30BU. They struggled for much of the rest of the classic era in the Hadford League. In the modern era, they were a relatively small side, but in 16AU they were finally playing in the league. Highhadford also have 2 Alliance Shield titles to their record, and have also in recent seasons looked much more like an established league outfit.
	Magic Roundabout FC Founded: 0U Stadium: The Roundabout (1988) Rivals: Addenleigh Rangers, Hadford Dacorum FC Hadford Bypass FC (minor) Magic Roundabout is so named after the party district of Hadford Hill. The local nickname comes from the ring of pubs and clubs, with the ambition for partygoer to visit every one at some point, sometimes in one night. Magic Roundabout were formed at the start of the modern era, as an unconventional club based in that area. Some of the purists don’t like them, for their modern and hipster aesthetic, especially their bright pink and purple kits. 8AU saw them first make the league, although they’ve never progressed beyond the Western League. The club do have a bit of a “cult classic” following, given their unconventional behaviour and style.
	Hadford Industrial United Founded: 6BU Stadium: Iron Road (1865) Rivals: Hadford Aerodrome (major) A relatively new team, Hadford Industrial United formed from a gradual merger of several amateur and factory sides who were struggling in the Hadford League and amatuer divisions that fed into it. Although Hadford Industrial United early years in the Western Alliance (D1) were a struggle, with a relegation at one point, they would reach the Western League by 11AU. They’ve been in and out of the league and non-league for a couple of decades now. Their rivalry with Hadford Aerodrome is a by-product of the rivalries of Hadford Industrial United’s predecessors, and Hadford Aerodrome’s refusal to join the merger.
Tier 5	Alliance D1
	Hadford Dacorum FC Founded: 40BU Stadium: Dacorum Road Stadium (675) Rivals: Addeneligh Rangers FC (major), Magic Roundabout FC (minor) Hadford Dacorum have existed longer than plenty of the other Hadford Hill sides, but until the formation of the Hadofrd League, they were an amateur side, unheard of outside the Dacorum borough. However, they gradually improved their stature in the modern era, and 20AU saw them finally break through and win promotion to the league, although relegation from the Western League quickly followed. Since then they’ve been in and out of the league, with a long term ambition of becoming a more permanent feature of the league. The club have a fierce local rivalry with Addenleigh Rangers, one of the few non-league derbies that can draw attention for on-pitch and off-pitch reasons.
	South Hadford United Founded: 61BU Stadium: Gisella Road (1713) Rivals: Highhadford FC (major) One of the early local teams as opposed to factory teams formed, South Hadford United were a multi-sports club originally. Their ambition was to go on and become the second best team in Hadford Hill, but for many decades, struggled to get any real attention. For 5 years (16BU-12BU), they were members of the United and Eastern Alliance Division 2, the second tier of the United and Eastern pyramid (as opposed to the GWNFA pyramid), but were relegated back to the Hadford League. The modern era saw them play in the National League in 7AU (the final year before it formed the Western League and Eastern League). Relegation did follow, only for them to be promoted back immediately, the same year they won the Alliance Shield. Since then, they’ve largely spent time between the bottom of the league and the top of non-league, as a semi-pro outfit.
	Woodlee Farm Founded: 1AU Stadium: The Farmlands (795) Rivals: Kingsley Green FC, Parmo-by-Hadford FC (minor) Woodlee Farm is about as far as you get from the urban centre of Hadford Hill and remain within the official boundaries of Hadford Hill. It’s about as close to the east coast as it is Highland Road of Hadford Hill FC. Formed in 1AU, by ambitious residents of the village keen to create their own football team, a local drive helped fund them team to finish high enough to qualify for the Alliance D2, starting in 4AU. Just 2 seasons in however, and they resigned due to spiralling costs and debts. The debt was fortunately paid off, and they re-entered the Alliance D2 in 8AU. Despite their status as minnows, even locally, they managed their first promotion to the Alliance D1 in 21AU, and have recently become a side some wonder if they could even make the league proper.
	Addenleigh Rangers FC Founded: 45BU Stadium: Addenleigh Lane (1477) Rivals: Hadford Dacorum FC (major), Magic Roundabout FC (minor) Representing the Addenleigh borough of Hadford Hill, within the urban part of the main city, Addenleigh Rangers have a fair amount of history relative to other Hadford Hill sides. They were a small side for several decades, but twice came close to making into the United and Eastern Alliance Division 2. One of the 64 Alliance D2 debutants in 4AU, their best success came in 10AU when in only their second ever season in the Western Alliance D1, they won promotion to the Western League, in a double promotion. They’ve made sporadic appearances since then in the league, but the clubs following, whilst not large, is fairly dedicated in Addenleigh.
Tier 6	Alliance D2
	Kingsley Green FC Founded: 22BU Stadium: The Green Yard (650) Rivals: Woodlee Farm (minor) Kingsley Green formed in 22BU, again as a potential entrant to the Hadford League. However, they weren’t able to progress beyond the amateur leagues in the classic era, and were relative unknowns. The club is on the edge of the suburbs of Hadford Hill, in fact mere kilometres away from the city-region of Johns Park. The last wave of expansion of the GWFA pyramid, allowed 16 teams to enter the Alliance D2 for 8AU, and Kingsley Green was one of those. The small suburban side haven’t ever gone beyond this level, but have challenged for promotion before, and are certainly better than some of their peers of that expansion.
	Bridles End FC Founded: 22BU Stadium: Bridles End (729) Rivals: Highhadford FC (minor) Bridles End were one of a handful of teams formed in 22BU or around that time, to join the new Hadford League. The new League would become a feeder to the United and Eastern Alliance divisions, although the playoff system between feeder leagues meant that promotion wasn’t a guarantee. Bridles End were one of the unfortunate sides to win the Hadford League, yet not win promotion from it. In the modern era, they’ve made it up to the Alliance D1, but never into the league. Bridles End itself is another small village that, although part of Hadford Hill, is quite far from the urban area. The club is closer to Apsbrooke FC and Johns Park FC than Hadford Hill FC. Nevertheless, this gives it a small, but fiercely loyal local fanbase.
	Hadford Aerodrome Founded: 48BU Stadium: Aerodrome Way (1740) Rivals: Hadford Industrial United (major) One of the newer factory sides to be formed, originally for the workers of Hadford Aerodrome (now Hadford International Airport). The club now only has its name as the official link to the aeronautical industry, but still maintains a local following near the airport. The club have always had ambitions of reaching the league, but in the modern era are yet to achieve it, something their rivals love to point out. The blue-grey and burnt orange colours they wear are one of their distinguishing features.
	Water Gardens FC Founded: 19BU Stadium: Bypass Express Stadium (521) Rivals: none Water Gardens is a seaside resort, situated a short distance from the urban centre of Hadford Hill, popuar with tourists due to the beaches and palace-like picturesque buildings. The original Water Gardens FC played from 62BU to 28BU, but never achieved more than amateur status, not even once making the Gold Cup Round 1 proper. After they went defunct, a new club bearing the same name took over the naming rights, and formed to play. Sporadic appearances in the Hadford League were enough to become an inaugural Alliance D2 side. The club have a small fanbase, even for their level, and are one side that may worry now with relegation from the Alliance D2 possible.
	Parmo-by-Hadford FC Founded: 32BU Stadium: Parmo Field (888) Rivals: Woodlee Farm (minor) AFC Parmonians were one of the 39 clubs in the inaugural Gold Cup, but folded in 45BU, having long since strayed far from even the higher amateur leagues. Parmo-by-Hadford are probably their closest successor, formed in 32BU and representing the Parmo village, a little outside Hadford Hill’s city area. Parmo-by-Hadford have around 500 or so regular or semi-regular fans, and the village side get little attention, even within Hadford Hill. Even in the modern era, they’ve called the Alliance D2 their home since 4AU, never once winning promotion, although thankfully not relegated back below the Alliance as of now.
	Hadford Bypass FC Founded: 20BU Stadium: Anglefield (668) Rivals: Magic Roundabout (minor) Hadford Bypass take their name from the Bypass motorway of Hadford Hill, that passes through the northern areas of the city. The team itself was formed with the intent of competing in the Hadford League and beyond. Although it reached that level, they went no further in the classic era, and struggled for attention. Another one of the 64 teams to enter the Alliance D2 in 4AU, they’ve not gone much further than sporadic appearances in the Alliance D1. A team that can struggle to build up support, due in somewhat because of a lack of local identity that it needs to overcome.
	Gary Hill Rovers FC Founded: 47BU Stadium: Grampian Field (629) Rivals: none Despite an existence of over 70 years, Gary Hill Rovers have been little more than an amateur side for most of it. Their finest season came in 37BU, when they would beat South Hadford United, Oxwich FC and Hopford FC en route to a final 16 Round 4 place in the Gold Cup, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to Capton Club. They spent a little time in the classic era in the Hadford League, before falling back to amateur status. Never added into the league and Alliance as it expanded, they’d spend the modern era largely in the now amateur Hadford League. 27AU saw them almost reach Round 1 proper of the Flavovespia Gold Cup, and 29AU saw them win the Hadford League, to play in the Alliance D2. Still a very small budget side, even by Alliance D2 standards, but one that’s reaping the benefits of the pyramid finally connecting up to the lower local leagues.

Code: Select all

OOC: Tier 1-4 kit graphics taken direct from my domestic newswire

[Starblaydia]

That Draw's Got Six Appeal
One routine win, one anything but routine

With World Cup Qualifying matches now handily arranged into pairs on the calendar for the first time, the media discourse, both social and traditional, has been slowly coming around to the idea that fans and players get twice as hyped for international games, but half as often. Such is the brave new world that we enter ourselves into, which probably had something to do with broadcast rights.

The opening match saw the Stadii Di Bradini rocking to salute their AOCAF Cup Champions as they hosted Saltstead to kick off the Qualifying for the 86th World Cup. The team numbered One to Eleven, as it should do, and it became a fairly standard progression to three points, as Starblaydia ran out 2-0 winners. The most remarkable thing about the match seemed to be the Starblaydi fans enjoying listening to the Saltsteadish national anthem after having belted out their own 'Starblaydia Triumphant'.

Hope Roshanak scored the opening goal, marking her 38th in 67 appearances for the 28 year old. She's closing in on the all-time Top 10 for goals, needing just nine to break into the coveted list and draw equal with two of the greats: Nicole Maitland-Banks and Johan Keifner. If Starblaydia keep up their high standards through the remaining Qualifiers and make a deep run into the Finals, she just might be able to do it during this campaign, with at least another tournament or two in her yet. With the attacking threats of Haråud Haråudssen and Zacharias van den Slåp largely neutralised by the sturdy Starblaydi defence, Renatovic and Kranendonk particularly impressing, Ázëwyn Fëanáro's changes were mostly in the offensive side of things, swapping out her top two strikers for stints by Al Qubaisi and young Lucian Damocles. It proved to be a good switch-up, as the Iskara Daii combination of Damocles down the right crossed low for Jimenez in the middle, which marked the second goal that put the dampener on any Saltsteadish hopes of a comeback.

Final score from Stadii Di Bradini:
Starblaydia 2 - 0 Saltstead
(Roshanak 26, Jimenez 83) - (None)

Three points and a clean sheet is all that anyone could really have asked from the side on Matchday One, and three two-goal victories had put Mattijana, Starblaydia and Sulsuland at the top of the group, with Darmen and The Jovannic just behind on goal difference. Sulsuland's victory at home to Krytenia was the only stand-out shock of the day, with a 4-2 loss for the men in cyan. The trip to Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom, however, would turn out to be one that would re-write the record books.

Starblaydia had participated in three eleven goal matches in the nearly three centuries up until this point, two 6-5s and a 7-4. Seemingly forever, no one had thought to see a game that would out-score than famous 6-5 loss to fellow Strategic Alliance members Hypocria in the AOCAF Cup, all those years ago. By the time the final whistle had eventually blown, the shockwaves around the multiverse were easy to see. The match, one in a sea of other games happening at the same time, had been trending on twii.tur in pretty much every locale since just before Half Time.

It didn't appear to be a game that would deliver something extraordinary coming in. Tenth-ranked side in the world travelling to a side they had played just four years before in the previous qualifiers, with a good win and a high-scoring draw at a time when Starblaydia were playing free-flowing, attaching football and always managing to score just one more than their opponents. Indeed, 78 goals in 24 matches proved Starblaydia had the firepower up front in World Cup 85's Qualifiers, but 46 goals conceded in the same time meant they were a little frail defensively from all that positive outlook. That campaign happily saw eight, nine and ten goal games with a fair regularity, but it would be nothing like this match.

A Starblaydi 4-3-3 versus a Zeta Rekan 4-1-4-1 that transitions nicely into a 4-3-3 of its own didn't even point to how many goals would be scored in this match - the side in red and yellow were usually set out in a fairly defensive formation. What was different about this, however, was that they had already lost to Darmen on Matchday One, and this time they were faced by the Starblaydi second-string side, numbers 12-23, excluding third choice 'keeper Ruby Narvaez at 19. Playing, on paper, the toughest two teams in the group in the opening pair of rounds meant the side had absolutely nothing to lose, so on the pitch the lads figured they might as well go for it. What's the worst that could happen, be smashed by the five-time World title winners and reigning champions of the historically strongest region, who you've yet to beat and are playing their second team in a characteristic display of hubris? Caution was quickly thrown to the winds of fate, although that careless lob appears to have missed and smashed into fate's garage window, smashing the glass everywhere and causing fate to get rather cross, and come onto the pitch and do something about it.

The key ingredient was Bogdan Rawić. This young man, already the leading scorer for his fledgling footballing nation, played like a dæmon from the opening whistle, immediately pressing Starblaydia's forwards at a pace that even made the commentary teams note how fired up he appeared to be. "Either a hat trick or a red card," they said. They didn't say he'd score within 2 minutes. Kolarowić found the pass that split the Starblaydi defence in two, and just no-one was able to catch the 22 year old forward as he sprinted onto the ball and lifted a first-time lob over the onrushing Onish Vadaparthy. Fingers were pointed, voices were raised, and shoulders were shrugged, but the Zeta Reka National Sports Complex was roaring and Starblaydia were behind. The shocked side in white quickly helped their opponents to a dream start when Vincenzo Bernini attempted a pass out wide to Odell Lamont in Starblaydia's own third, which Albertow Nowak pounced on like a cat chasing a laser pointer, outpaced the long legs of Bernini and slotted the ball low past Vadaparthy. Six minutes played, two goals up, and Starblaydia were absolutely dumbfounded.

In these sorts of situations you have to rely on your leaders and experienced players to get the game back under control. 31 years of age, with 79 caps and 25 goals, midfielder Lucy Saraviva was holding the captain's armband for this match, and it was Saraviva who grabbed her team by the scruff of the neck and dragged them back into it. Some neat passing interplay, finally, saw Damocles draw a free kick on the edge of the area, and Saraviva waved everyone else away. At her own pace, she took a long look at the goal and glanced at the ball with her hands on her hips. When the referee's whistle went, it was a short-stepped run up to clip the ball, it seemed, into the area. Saraviva had it it, however, with a deceptive pace and dip on it that wasn't all that apparent from the TV camera's angle. As players in the box watched it fly over their heads, Zlatko Wukowić was scrambling to his far post. He couldn't get there in time, however, as the ball rippled into the net and billowed the side netting. For a moment the Zeta Rekan side didn't know what to do, it appeared, but they knew that perhaps the momentum had shifted already, as there was a short scuffle for the ball between Lucian Damocles and, unsurprisingly given the nation he plays his football in, Bartolomej Wladmirowić.

There was obviously something to this match-up, and barely two minutes from the restart, Starblaydia were level. Damocles turned Wladmirowić beautifully on the edge of the area and hit a snapshot beyond Wukowić's palm, high and wide into the top left corner; his second goal in four matches, after his debut strike in the recent Olympics. 2-2 within 20 minutes, and the world was suddenly wondering why Zeta Reka was trending. Feeds were switched in homes and sports bars across the multiverse, just in case something special was happening. Whether it was the goal-fest that seemed to be in store, or the opportunity to watch the Starblaydi team embarrassed like (almost) never before, billions of eyeballs managed to catch the next goal, which might have just been the pick of the bunch.

Bogdan Rawić collected the ball with his back to goal, as he was often forced to do when facing a high line. He knocked it back to Rybki, who had spotted that Jad al-Ghozali was already racing down the left-hand side. Joel Alberto Filho was just slightly too far forward in his right back position, and the space was there for the taking. Clipping the ball forward, there felt like an acre of space to run into for Jad. He got there first and skipped past the challenge of covering centre-back April Hoyt, who had thrown her arms out behind her back as Jad sailed by, to ensure there was no chance of an obvious-looking penalty. Jad aimed low and at the near post, but Vadaparthy's strong hand scooped it away just in time. Half-cleared into the air by the grateful Hoyt, the ball went high into the air, and dropped over the shoulder of Bernini, and straight onto the chest of Rawić. The cushioning action was absolutely perfect, and the volley better still. Like a rocket, the ball streaked into the net and Vadaparthy had no chance to contend with the pace of the ball.

The roar was so loud, it seemed like the roof had just come off.

The game had to calm down at some point, and this was the moment when Starblaydia finally got their foot on the ball and tried to kill the momentum of the match. There was no sense in trying to contain Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom's speedsters when they were so fired up, so Starblaydia switched to keeping the ball, denying the space and making the home team work for every sniff of it. There were a few nervous moments, but by the half hour mark, with "only" five goals scored, the game began to settle down into something of a regular football match. It would quickly get going again, however, when Omar Al Qubaisi was brought down by a solid shirty pull in the penalty area by Wladmir Bogdanić. The crowd's boos and whistles told their own story, but Lucian Damocles stepped up to slot the penalty past Wukowić and level the scoreline.

Jeers continued throughout the rest of Al Qubaisi's time on the pitch, but he didn't appear to be bothered by the attention. Those jeers didn't take long before they were turned into cheers, however, as yet another goal was scored, Albertow Nowak doubling his tally and putting the home team into the lead yet again with half time looming. Ázëwyn Fëanáro's face told the entire story, coming in for the break the moment the referee put the whistle to his lips without a single emotion betraying her. This would not be a happy team talk. Changes were coming, and on for the second half came Lucius Wolffe to shore up the defensive game plan into the more usual counter-press, as well as Betanni Jetvanna on for the largely ineffective Velasquez. Jetvanna and Damocles would then be pivoting around Al Qubaisi up front, and this was what Fëanáro seemed to think could turn the tide in Starblaydia's favour.

In a way it did, either that tactical change or the simple fact that no-one can sprint like their lives depend on it for ninety whole minutes. The Zeta Reka side played things a little cooler and a little tidier, making their opponents chase the goal they needed. It was an agonising half an hour for everyone involved, whether tense from protecting the lead, or nervous from trying to level the scores. But then, with just under twenty minutes left, there was a breakthrough... for the hosts.

Donald Royce, harried by Rybki and with Dorboslawić closing in, played the simple pass back to Ortiz. Substitute Miloš Simeoniwić, however, had read this and was on the Corinthian Spirits defensive midfielder within a heartbeat. The ball popped free and was collected by Želmir Kolarowić, who immediately turned and played a through ball past the long legs of Bernini. Rawić was on it in a flash, knocked it past the goalkeeper and tapped it from out wide into the unguarded net. Hat-trick for Rawić, 5-3 to Zeta Reka, and dreamland once again for the home fans. Instantly the final Starblaydi substitution was made - Jewel Maddison coming on for the tiring Kristof Faiisa in the crucial attacking midfield role. When Lucian Damocles pulled one back three minutes later to make it 5-4 after some great work from Maddison and Jetvanna, it looked to be a great gambit paying off. When substitute Miloš Simeoniwić, however, re-established the two goal advantage with less than ten minutes to go, switching wings and cutting inside to slam the ball home at the near post, Starblaydia looked done for. Surely two goals in ten minutes wasn't possible, everyone in the multiverse appeared to be thinking at that moment (except for the ones who were posting lmaoooooooo [sic], and various iterations thereof, on Social Media, that is).

With five minutes to go, Jewel Maddison, the 22 year old talent for Taeshani side X Island Marauders and scorer in the recent AOCAF Cup Final, hit an absolutely outrageous half-volley from fully thirty yards. It absolutely flew towards Wukowić's goal, hit the underside of the bar, landed over the line and bounced out again into the waiting arms of the goalkeeper. The referee instantly gave it, and video replay eventually confirmed it had just crossed the line. Time may have been spent on checking the decision, but it was time Starblaydia didn't have to waste.

Frantic, desperate play ensued, with the home crowd whistling en masse for the referee to signal for the end of the game a good two minutes before normal time would usually end. Bodies were put on the line, atrocious gamesmanship fouls committed just to try and break up play or wind down the clock. Starblaydia's management team were in no mood for their players to take long range shots, as time could tick inexorably down as Wukowić would surely take a millennium to take a goal kick. When Andvar Galdarhim shaped his short, squat, bearded frame to take a shot from over thirty yards, every Starblaydi on the field and watching on TV instinctively cringed. The ball rolled out harmlessly, twenty-five yards wide, for a goal kick.

No. For a corner, signaled the referee. It had clipped Dorboslawić on the way past. Up came Vadaparthy as the sprint as the atmosphere in the stadium reached a peak. Shepherd swung the corner in, bodies went up and flailed and came back down again. The ball dropped, was blasted toward goal, ricocheted around like a pinball, was swiped at, half cleared, sent back in and fought over in a dictionary definition of a goalmouth scramble. Normal time was up, but the ball was still pinging around the penalty area as the seconds of Added Time ticked inexorably onward at a snail's pace. Still the danger hadn't cleared. White and red and yellow blurred in the box until, somehow, Betanni Jetvanna found the space to swing her leg at the ball in the six yard box.

It hit her shin.

It didn't matter.

It hit the back of the net.

The whistle went, as the official pointed to the centre circle. Then, before anyone could think, came the familiar sound of the three full blasts to end the game. The scoreline was, somehow, 6-6, and it would mark the highest-scoring match in the history of both teams - one just a few years old and the other with nearly three centuries and almost 1900 games behind them. As it turned out later, missed by commentators at the time in all the excitement, Lucian Damocles' hat trick had marked the 4,000th goal at senior level in the history of the Starblaydia national football team, scored in 1,864 matches.

If this was a story, you wouldn't believe it.

Final score from Zeta Reka National Sports Complex:
Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom 6 - 6 Starblaydia
(Rawić 2, 23 & 72, Nowak 6 & 41, Simeoniwić 81) - (Saraviva 15, Damocles 18, 35 (P) & 76, Maddison 86, Jetvanna 90)

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Persistence and a late goal give Savojarna a double to begin qualification

By Jaukka Halanen

World Cup 86 Qualification - Group 18
Calendar:
Week 1: Savojarna 5-2 West Angola / Savojarna 2-1 Busoga Islands
Week 2: Twicetagria vs. Savojarna / Savojarna vs. Orion Islands
Week 3: Baker Park vs. Savojarna / Savojarna vs. TOTEL
Week 4: Cheergirls vs. Savojarna / Savojarna vs. Mercedini
Week 5: Murphtannia vs. Savojarna / friendly match (TBD)
Week 6: West Angola vs. Savojarna / Busoga Islands vs. Savojarna
Week 7: Savojarna vs. Twicetagria / Orion Islands vs. Savojarna
Week 8: Savojarna vs. Baker Park / TOTEL vs. Savojarna
Week 9: Savojarna vs. Cheergirls / Mercedini vs. Savojarna
Week 10: Savojarna vs. Murphtannia
Standings: 1. Baker Park 6/+10. 2. Savojarna 6/+4. 3. Cheergirls 3/-6.
4. Orion Islands 3/0. 5. Mercedini 3/0. 6. TOTEL 3/-1. 7. Murphtannia 2/0.
8. Busoga Islands 1/-1. 9. Twicetagria 1/-1. 10. West Angola 0/-5.

A convincing Savojarna side got their first win in what most observers considered a campaign-defining game against the Busoga Islands in a sold out Bjurman. After rainy weather, a not well known opponent, and high ticket prices kept out people in Savojarna’s opening victory against West Angola, demand had spiked for the Busoga game as the opposition was significantly higher ranked. Being the third seed of the group, Busoga are a team against whom the Savojars need to score at least even points, if not more, in order to ensure their chances to crack the top two are intact. While the same is true of Mercedini, the placement of Busoga Islands as the second opponent of the campaign, as opposed to Dini’s penultimate game, makes this a much more predictive matchup - former national team goalie Viktorija Petrova said on STV2: “Against Mercedini we will have to finish the job, but we have to build the fundament today”.

The fact that the weather had cleared up and Sjoedrhavn presented itself in a glistening, golden April sunlight for the occasion may have also contributed to the popular interest, and around noon there were already fans gathering in the central squares around the Parliament and in the Docklands pubs. A massive trail of estimatedly 25-30’000 fans made their way along a pre-approved route from Revolution Square to the Bjurman, a 45-minute walk under normal circumstances that turned into a 90 minute celebration of Savojar culture, pride, and football. The stadium itself was sold out, and around 15’000 more fans gathered in the Park of the Revolution, within sight of the national stadium, to watch on a giant screen, connected to the international feed with a special line to ensure that noise from the stadium could not spoil the results. The setup is being tested for the Copa Rushmori games that will be held here in summer, including the opening match of Savojarna against Yuezhou.

On the pitch, it was obvious that Mikaela Rangren shared the general wisdom about the relevance of this match, as she put forward a strong side that may very well be equal to the starting side for the Copa; opting for Lundell over Poulsen in the playmaking position and Skov over Nurkanen, unlike against West Angola, has been considered a pointer for the home tournament to come. The manner in which Savojarna played also showed a clear vision and a goal, playing aggressively and with high pressing. However, Busoga’s replacement keeper Taal, playing due to a suspension, showed a good game, denying Jotansson early on from close range and stopping a Maersk free kick from twenty-four metres out twenty minutes in. The Busoga Islands’ quick wingers troubled Savojarna’s advanced fullbacks, however, and it was Skov who committed a bit too hard after half an hour to allow Jacobs to elope and beat Pakanen between the goalie’s legs.

Savojarna, however, proved resilient, and in front of the full stadium, they came out of the break furious. Within five minutes, Voynov had missed wide and Forsberg set a corner just above the crossbar. The Northlights took command of the game and pushed back Busoga slowly and steadily, obtaining 68% of possession in the first ten minutes of the second half, until their reward came. Jashkin dribbled down the right side, leaving Gassama in the dust as he crossed perfectly onto the second post, where Jotansson beat Taal clean for the equaliser. The Savojars pushed even more and almost doubled up before the hour, but the long ball towards Voynov was no good as the Russian winger was whistled back off-side. Clearly annoyed, he trotted back.

Both at Raynor City United and in the National team, Voynov had gotten some criticism for egoism and a lack of making his team better, prompting debates about the quality of his play compared to Jashkin and Maersk, the two other established Savojar international stars, and breakout player Rika Lundell. It seemed as if Voynov was destined to silence the critics, though, as he broke away from the coverage of Guennoun in the late phase of the game, and a through ball by Lundell found his left foot. He stopped dead in his tracks and pulled the ball to the right to bypass Thakshak on the inside, and curled the ball to the far top corner in a manner that only Krister Voynov can do, and celebrated his goal in front of the Savojar curve in what will surely become an iconic image of Savojar football. Savojarna’s oldest, original international star was here to re-assert his dominance, and Busoga Islands were to be his victims in this strike; this was the language his celebration seemed to pass on.

With the victory, Savojarna get to take six points along to their game in Twicetagria in late May, where a heavily rotated team will play. According to the post-interview, multiple players will get their first cap in the game; although no names were mentioned, suggestions included Kaapo Terkala who is having a splendid season in Quebec so far, Birkir Evaldsson who is slated to be Andersson’s successor in Storevik, or defender Lauri Anttakari, who keeps the domestic transfer rumour mill spinning at high speeds.

Savojarna 5-2 West Angola (1-1)
Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman, Sjoedrhavn, Savojarna - 67’945

GOALS: 13’ Jashkin 1-0 (Poulsen), 36’ unknown 1-1, 48’ Jacobsen 2-1 (Pedersen), 56’ Maersk 3-1, 73’ Gren 4-1 (Jotansson), 84’ unknown 4-2, 90’+2 Jacobsen 5-2 (Voynov).
YELLOW CARDS: 64’ Nurkanen (foul).

SAVOJARNA: Pakanen - Pedersen, Zirkova, Forsberg (71’ Kjaer), Nurkanen - Andersson, Maersk - Voynov, Poulsen (64’ Gren), Jashkin (85’ Mellin) - Jacobsen.

---

Savojarna 2-1 Busoga Islands (0-1)
Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman, Sjoedrhavn, Savojarna - 76’800 (sold out)

GOALS: 35’ Jacobs 0-1 (Khano), 55’ Jotansson 1-1 (Jashkin), 78’ Voynov 2-1 (Lundell).
YELLOW CARDS: 17’ Andersson, 42’ Nigam (both foul).
REMARKS: 85’ Birla hits crossbar. Busoga Islands without al-Shareef (suspended) and Amitabh (injury).

SAVOJARNA: Pakanen - Pedersen, Zirkova, Forsberg, Skov (68’ Nurkanen) - Andersson, Maersk (73’ Gren) - Voynov, Lundell, Jashkin - Jotansson (82’ Jacobsen).
BUSOGA ISLANDS: Taal - Gassama (73’ Ozen), Thakshak, Nigam (68’ Biri), Guennoun - Ishan, Jarju, Khano - Jacobs, Birla, Fatah.

Savojarna line-ups for Week 2
vs. Twicetagria (4-2-3-1): Pakanen - Pedersen, Kjaer, Anttakari, Skov - Ilkkanen, Maersk - Voynov, Poulsen, Mellin - Jacobsen
Bench: Virulainen, Viipuri, Ullqvist, Loeseth, Hoyberg, Evaldsson, Rajala, Grivoshenko, Terkala
vs. Orion Islands (4-3-3): Virulainen - Viipuri, Ullqvist, Kjaer, Loeseth - Hoyberg, Evaldsson, Poulsen - Rajala, Terkala, Grivoshenko
Bench: Pakanen, Pedersen, Anttakari, Skov, Ilkkanen, Maersk, Voynov, Mellin, Jacobsen

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots! It’s TTV with a newsreel about latest games of our team at the WCQ86.

TROLLEBORG – RIENA 2:1

Our first rival was the national team Riennic Isles, known worldwide as Riena. The guest team is playing in the qualifying tournament with an extremely young roster, 24-year-old center midfielder Hijiri Sakuranami looks like a veteran compared to the rest, and the coach is only 26 years old. But this country is located in a well-known sports region, and this itself should make you take it seriously. Apparently, AI, coordinating the broadcast in 3D, was also imbued with such sentiments, since when building the picture he replace all the ladies in the guest team by men. Attempts to get explanations on this topic from him have so far been unsuccessful.

As you know, our team scored 97 goals in qualifying matches by the time this tournament began. Of course, the fans were eager for the team to bring the score to a hundred, and if possible at home. Having such things at the mind, the December 1 Stadium immediately push our lads into the attack, and they created several goal-scoring moments in the first half. Knowing about the habits of our forwards, the guests did not use their traditional offside trap, preferring simpler ways to restrain opponents, did not allow them any freedoms in the penalty area, and on occasion sent expeditions of swift midfielders along the flanks, seriously straining our defenders.

When faced with well-organized teams, it is sometimes necessary for someone to showcase their individual skill. We have found such a player this time. On the 20th minute, Troll insidiously and suddenly shot on goal from a free kick at the moment when everyone expected to pass on Gulbranden - and changes figures on the board.

Soon after, Kolding pressed the defender on the flank, made him make a mistake and pass the ball wherever he could without clear direction. This is just Finnsnes waiting for, he intercept the ball and cool-headingly pass it to Kerr, and our forward did his job brilliantly.

2-0 in the first half hour is an excellent result, and, of course, all spectators were looking forward to the 100th goal, if not before the break, then at least in the second half. But the guests were not timid, and constantly made it clear that two goals in a match with them were not insurance against problems. Kotsson rescued the team more than once or twice, and, in fact, we all agree that he deserved the right to make a mistake, which he made in the second half. He was going out in the crowd of players, not quite figuring out where the ball will fly after a corner kick. A point-blank shot was saved by Troger standing on the goal line, but then the opponent's forward flew into him by inertia, both players knocked down for a second, and Flare Steiner, already on the ground, somehow managed to shot at goal. Ball flew precisely into the net whilst everyone around was just standing idle.

It’s a lesson for us to fight every moment till the end. Fortunately, it was not much time remain to play and our guys did not give their opponents a chance for a draw.

Yes, Trolleborg doesn't see 100th goal in this game, and, as it turns out, only most steadfast and loyal fans, who take a pains to be on the stands in far away Savigliane, see it in person.

SAVIGLIANE – TROLLEBORG 2:4

Our next rival is a newcomer to world football, and in addition to difficult external circumstances, the country is going through a severe internal political crisis. Wishing to somehow cheer up the opponents, our players, during the traditional greeting wished a good day both in French and Italian to each player of the Savigliane team, and after the game our lads asked to take a collective photo of both teams, prudently distributing places so that everyone was mixed, in the hope at least a little to help improve the moral climate.

On the field that day there was a scoring extravaganza, both teams did not sit out in defense, and in the first quarter of an hour they already exchanged goals. First Dirac, center midfielder by trade, joined the attack from the depth of field, defenders first expected him to pass to one of the forwards, but he shot very cleverly and cunningly at the corner of the net, two our players throwing themselves in trying to deflect ball but in vain.

But our players did not give up playing, and almost immediately scored their 100th goal in the qualifying matches of the World Championships. Groningen intercepted the ball in midfield, quickly sent it forward and then Troll showed true mastery, did it all himself and crowned his efforts with a shot – a real masterpiece of individual football.

This goal deserves to be our 100th, truly!
A few more minutes passed and already our players took the lead, Kerr cold-heartedly converted a penalty kick for handball – many call it unintentional, but nevertheless referee is a referee.

Conceded goals give a Savigliane a visible cold feet. But in moments when the game is difficult for a team, combat experience often helps. This seasoned 34th-year old Durand became one of the forwards in Savigliane. And experience is experience, and, apparently, rest in the first game helped him. He took game on himself and upset our goalkeeper with a strong and insidious shot, catching him by surprise.

But still, our players left for the break with an advantage in the score, catching opponents on a counterattack. Groningen made a successful interception on the edge, Kolding run and passed to the center, Kerr pretended to hit, but in fact gave the chance to Valgren who rushed from the depth of field like the wind, and he brought our team forward in terms of score

In the second half, both we and the hosts had chances, and already at the end of the match, Troll took advantage of the fact that the hosts' players rushed forward trying to even with great forces and brought the substitute Severin to the goal with an accurate pass, and he set the final score.

At the injury time Durand almost make a double, but the ball is flew past the upper corner, and game ended with our victory, 4-2.

We thing congratulations to the hosts due, they build a good strong team in short time, although undoubtedly will have a hard time to give a good result right now.

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom Federativna Republika Zeta Reka i Hügeltaldom
World Cup 86 Coverage World Cup Qualifying Matches 1 & 2

---

It's finally begun, with two matches out of the way Zeta Reka is starting to show it's form in this World Cup campaign. Coming in with strong expectations, nobody expected the results that have befallen the Rekan side. Observers have a lot to say about the team after seeing it’s first fruits, but there are still a lot games to go.

Firstly the team went to visit Darmen for a match at the Estadio Monumental Ernesto Chavarría. The Darmeni team kept ahead and won by a single goal. The match was an important test of the new Rekan line up, and to some it was a failure. Cracks were exploited in the defensive line, and there was a lack of quality in set pieces. After a defeat, the Rekan team came home to face off against Starblaydia. The belligerents have been faced off already in World Cup qualifying durring the last cycle. A 0-3 defeat and 3-3 draw were Zeta Rekas prior results. This game was significantly different that the others. Coach Dusan was looking for three points to keep the national team in the conversation. Even though the match ended in a draw, it’s assumed that the world still gave this contest a glance or two. The Rekan, and their opposition, had a wild game with six goals per team!

“This game was like blots of ink on paper,” sports analyst Othmar Albrecht said on Televizija-4, “A few people will say our team was great because we scored six, and Starblaydia gave up six. Another group will say Starblaydia looked like champs, and we looked like chumps.” Zlatko Wukowić has been feeling the heat, he’s given up nines goals in two matches, including multiple from set peices, and a goal “perhaps unjust” by Coach Dusan that was awarded to Starblaydia’s Jewel Maddison. The defensive line has come under strong criticism. Nobody is being harsh to Bogdan Rawić. Rawić has already scored four goals in two appearances, and scored a hat trick against one of the most prestigious nations in all of athletics. Rybki has been a solid player, though with his age he will be taking some time off of starting. In an online poll conducted in Zeta Reka, Rawić was considered the team’s best player, with second place being Želmir Kolarowić, who has scored once and assisted three goals.

For the yellow and red donning Zeta Reka, Rangers FC and the Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison will play opposition in the next two games. The ranking of these teams is well below Zeta Reka, who will be the favorites. To keep themselves healthy in qualifying, the Rekan team should look to collect seven points. Another loss would be a bad sign, as would two draws. “I’m not looking at the standings right now,” Coach Dusan said, “and we shouldn’t have to look for a while. We have plenty of time to win games and keep our chances strong.” Leaked documents show the players who will be in the next two matches, and it appears Coach Dusan may be using reservists more often in the upcoming days.

---

Darmen 3-2 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom

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GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 04: Janko Yakowić
CB 26: Wlad Wlad
CB 03: Bartolomej Wladmirowić
RB 15: Wladmir Zuzkoff 38'
DM 06: Mullow Dorboslawić
CM 10: Rybki (c): v61’
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić: 67'
LW 07: Jad: v70'
RW 18: Albertow Nowak
ST 09: Bogdan Rawić: 74'

---

Subs
CM 21: Denis Silvester: ^61’
LW 19: Stojan Heiden: ^70'

---

Possession: 48%
Shots: 5
On Goal: 4
Saves: 2
Fouls: 10
Corners: 7
Offsides: 1
Yellow Cards: 1
Red Cards: 0

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Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom 6 - 6 Starblaydia

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GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 04: Janko Yakowić
CB 26: Wlad Wlad
CB 13: Wladmir Bogdanić: v77'
RB 03: Bartolomej Wladmirowić
DM 06: Mullow Dorboslawić
CM 10: Rybki (c)
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić
LW 07: Jad
RW 18: Albertow Nowak: 06' 41', v62'
ST 09: Bogdan Rawić: 02', 23', 72'

---

Subs
RW 08: Miloš Simeoniwić: ^62', 81'
CB 28: Wuk Koziwier: ^77

---

Possession: 47% (average 47.5%)
Shots: 13 (total 18)
On Goal: 10 (total 13)
Saves: 3 (total 5)
Fouls: 10 (total 20)
Corners: 8 (total 13)
Offsides: 1 (total 2)
Yellow Cards: 0 (total 1)
Red Cards: 0 (total 0)

---

Leaked Rosters for the upcoming matches. Presumed starters are in bold, reserve players are italicized.

GK 01: Bosko Nowak
GK 27: Klaudio Rekawić
GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 05: Steffanow Kostessen
LB 04: Janko Yakowić
CB 26: Wlad Wlad
CB 13: Wladmir Bogdanić
CB 46: Tito Jankoslawić
CB 28: Wuk Koziwier
RB 15: Wladmir Zuzkoff
RB 16: Wukdrag Nikowić
DM 06: Mullow Dorboslawić
DM 17: Stani Gröss
DM 31: Nikola Branić
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić (c)
CM 10: Rybki
CM 30: David Dix
LW 19: Stojan Heiden
LW 07: Jad
RW 08: Albertow Nowak
RW 18: Miloš Simeoniwić
FW 29: Arnald Gal
FW 33: Horst Rühl

GK 01: Bosko Nowak
GK 27: Klaudio Rekawić
GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 04: Janko Yakowić
LB 37: Zaur-Luka Igorić
CB 14: Jan Thimig
CB 13: Wladmir Bogdanić
CB 32: Skewar Skop
CB 38: Josef Jowanowić
RB 03: Bartolomej Wladmirowić
RB 16: Wukdrag Nikowić
DM 17: Stani Gröss
DM 31: Nikola Branić
CM 10: Rybki
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić
CM 40: Stanimir Rekawić
CM/RW 47: Tomislaw Radowić
LW 07: Jad
LW 19: Stojan Heiden
RW 18: Albertow Nowak
RW 48: Josip Jorowić
FW 29: Arnald Gal
FW 09: Bogdan Rawić

[Ko-oren]

Fantasy Update : MD2 Edition

Jarongi Sports Statistics

Jarongi has put together the first five takeaways from WC 86 Fantasy. Unfortunately it's too late to put in your submissions, but please keep looking at the sheet to track your progress!

1. Average points per submission
The average user has gotten 59.79 points from the first two games. Excluding the bottom submission (just 28 points) puts the average nearly a full point higher, at 60.63. Getting sixty points off the first two matchdays means that the average picked nation has yielded 1.6667 points per matchday - that's a little better than a draw.

2. Best choices of MD1 and 2
Baker Park would have been your best choice so far, the group 18 nation has gotten 9 points. That's one win by between 3 and 4 goals, and one win by 5 goals or more. They have beaten TOTEL 3-0 to start out their campaign and followed it up with a 7-0 away win at Cheergirls. Other good choices were Vdara, one of the most popular choices among all submissions (more on that later), with eight points (two 3/4 goal wins), with a 2-5 away win at Grand Quebecois and a 4-1 win at home against Fujai. Vilita and Banija also managed eight points off their first two games - but with higher ranks than Vdara, that's less impressive. Marginally less impressive, because 176 nations scored worse than them, of course.

3. Most popular choices
With submissions closed, the most popular choices are clear. That's a combination of low cost, high ceiling, and often few other good choices in that group. Two-thirds of all fantasy picks include group 2's Tequilo - still at a cost just over 10 KPB but in all honesty in a very tough group. Vdara shows up on 64% of all submissions, a little more expensive, but with worse options in the rest of the group. Eura's just too expensive for most, as is Pasarga, with little clues as to which other nations could surprise us. A safe choice in a decent group. Only one other team popped up in more than 50% of all picks: Chromatika, in 51% of cases. The group 7 team has Banija as clear (but extremely expensive) rivals to win the group, with several other big names. At nearly 20 points, Chromatika is not a cheap choice, but it's a safe one in a group with few alternatives.

4. The Baptism of Fire effect
Graduates of the latest class of the Baptism of Fire are also an often seen pick. Graintfjall are in the top 5 of choices, at a cheap sub-3 KPB, with Tioguldos just behind them, but still the most popular choice of group 10. A lesser known effect is the fate of the nations in the previous Baptism of Fire: Mavinet, Zeta Reka, and Tequilo, the top three of that tournament, remain popular choices even though they now are between 6 and 10.5 points - getting closer to that 13 points to spend on each team on average (240 KPB limit, divided by 18 groups). Surprisingly, while Mavinet won that tournament, they are now the 'worst' team, while bronze Tequilo are now almost the most expensive ('best') team to come out of Baptism of Fire 72. Fourth place Riena are the highest ranked team from the class of '72, and are group 12's most popular pick. Going back even further, to the 71st BoF: these nations have certainly dropped in Fantasy popularity, with Appalachian Nation (silver) getting picked zero times, and Trolleborg (gold) and Poafmersia (bronze) being selected a handful of times. Trolleborg is the second-most popular team from the group of Riena, while Poafmersia have simply gotten too expensive for a normal 'throwaway' selection.

5. Expensive teams are never popular
It's what several prospective Fantasy champions are here for: the highly ranked, 'expensive' teams. The Banijas, the Nepharas, the Vilitas. Or even the budget versions of those teams; the Mriin, the Hinodejin, the Audioslavians.

We could have even named the Starblaydians as budget version of Vilita. Ancient, full-trophy-cabinet Atlantian Oceanian nations. Just wanted to put that out there. Just happy we could throw Audioslavia in there as budget Vilita. Don't know what glass-houses-yet-throwing-stones-status we have as a company based in Ko-oren, but we'll take what we'll get.

Anyway, going by the KPB rankings, the first nation we find that appears in more than 25% of picks, is Sargossa at 35th. Turns out that expensive teams are not very popular. Nephara, 2nd in the rankings, comes close, being in 23% all picks (that's a lot). That said, nearly every top team is at least picked once, except for the Free Republics (AWOL, 4th place) and Turori (6th place).

[Valanora]

Who was Lathwen Raynor? It was the question burning in the entirety of the Empire as seemingly out of the blue, one of the Raynors emerged from nowhere to lay claim back to the throne that their family built. With such timing and the fact that she had failed to make herself known when the rest of the Elves and her family disappeared, there was sincere doubts about the validity of her being a member of the House of Raynor, though no one could deny her elven background with her physical characteristics giving the signs that she was at least a member of the elven race. However that being said, her appearance was definitely different than most other elves of the Empire, both those who lived on the surface and those who dwelled in the under cities, her skin so pale that is was reminiscent of a vampire's, like Lady Viannor of Starblaydia, and a hair of unusual color for the surface dwelling elves, whom most often had hair of browns, reds, or golds or some color in between. The color of her hair and the complexion of her skin were indeed very peculiar oddities.

The Senate was at a loss on what to do, they had entered into their deliberations knowing what the likely ending was going to be, just going through the procedural motions to satiate any of the dissenters who wanted a fully electoral system to at least be given its time in the chamber. No one among the Senators could have ever predicted that someone belonging to the Raynor dynasty would show up at the chamber and be demanding their oaths of fealty and restoration of the Raynor line as the Emperor(ess) of the Empire once more. It had thrown the entire chamber into a frantic mode, with accusations of her being a fake or upstart, while others were demanding that they all immediately prepare a coronation for the would be Empress. It seemed likely that the different factions were going to be at each others throats and perhaps even spill over into physical violence in the chamber, luckily however cooler heads prevailed and some of the elder statesmen of the chamber were able to calm their colleagues down from the frantic state and were able to discuss things more diplomatically. It was then agreed upon that they would do their research into this woman who was claiming that the throne was her birthright.

For her end, Lathwen was not happy that her ascent to the throne was being denied by these politicians who had no idea what she had gone through in order just to appear in the Senate building to assert her claim to the throne of the Eternal Empire. It was well enough though, she had the documents proving her bloodline, even if she was not part of the Tobias Raynor branch, she was still a member of the household. The throne was hers by rights and while she had been content enough to let the human have the throne with their elected Emperor, that even he did not see his own kin as fit to rule the Empire was all the proof that she needed that she and her kin should have maintained the throne. Honestly, it did not even have had to been her or any other distant Raynor relative, any of the elves who had not gone to the other plane during The Calling would have sufficed, though she suspected that they like her had decided to let their human cousins a shot a ruling the Empire and now that chance had come and gone with Hector's passing.

While she waited for the fools to verify that her records that showed her bloodline and matched her DNA with that of her family, Lathwen decided that she would at least make her presence known among the people. Given the fervor that the populace had with sport, it seemed only fitting to go and watch a match of the national team as they were playing in the Empire that weekend. While it did mean that she had to travel from the capital to the island of Capri, it was a short and easy trip thanks to the nation's well kept infrastructure, even if it did continue to have a ban on motor vehicles for the general populace. Unfortunately, Lathwen was not much a sports enthusiast, she had never really seen the purpose in the competitions beyond keeping ones self in peak athletic fitness and found it difficult to keep up with the going ons of the match, as she watched from a box that had been reserved for the Raynor family, even if it had been over a decade since anyone had last seen any of the Raynors. However she could tell that the outcome was disappointing, as most of the fans seemed frustrated and pointing out flaws of the manager or players, though most of it seemed constructive even if the recipients of the criticism probably would never hear it.

It was a refreshing trip, even if the outcome was less than ideal, and it helped her get more acquainted with the men and women that she hoped she would soon be ruling. If nothing else, she had at least endeared herself somewhat with the common people, looking to take a vested interest in their own interests and a sense of national pride in coming out to support the Empire's national team. In doing that, she had done more than most of the members of the Senate had done in their whole careers she predicted, a bit of leverage that she could use if they refused to acknowledge her bloodline and her rightful claim to be the Empress of the Eternal Empire. For all their sakes, she had hopes that such political maneuvers would not be needed and they would simply acquiesce to their rightful liege.

[Pasarga]

Top Five (Active) Foreign Players in the SuperLiga

There is constant discussion among the fans of the SuperLiga who exactly the best foreigners in the league are, with such a plethora of them plying their trade in the dual islands these days, particularly from the rest of Rushmore. Every year at the end of the season the PFA votes on who they think the best three foreign players in the league were that season, but they only take into account the performance of that season and not the actual skill of the player in question. It is widely known that a player could have a bit of a break out or abnormally good season here and there where they play well above and beyond their natural talent, so we here at the Torgos Tribune have decided to step in and show who we think are the best five foreign players currently playing in the SuperLiga. For this, we will be looking at not only how they have performed in recent seasons, but also what their natural skill appears to be, in addition to how well may or may not be doing with their national teams. Let's begin.

5 - Fox Charnwood - Hellinic Rouge

There is perhaps no greater player in the SuperLiga that has had it rough with their national team while being a domestic godsend than Fox Charnwood. The Brenecia was everything for the Spartans as they rose through the ranks and eventually broke the barrier and the duolopy of CAP and Tani, helping the Spartans to back to back titles. The goal scoring was always consistent even if it was never among the best league, but he was a penned in player for the Spartans for every match up until this season, where he has been downgraded to a rotation player thanks to Nya Murray. Still, he will forever be a Hellinic icon and could not not be in this list even if he is towards the twilight of his career.

4 - Stanimir Ilev - CA Paulinthal
It took him a season to fully integrate into the SuperLiga, but after a mediocre first season, he has been tearing up the SuperLiga as if it was his own personal playground. His rise in play has coincided with CAP now getting back to winning the title and looking to be an elite club once more. With twenty-eight goals in the last campaign, there is no denying how good this striker is, especially when one considers he is splitting starts up front and still putting in that sort of goal record. It is easy to see why he has made his national team ask questions as to who should be their starting striker.

3 - Keller Marsden - Tanrısal
While Tani might not be the same club as they were just five years ago, they can not blame it on this Nepharim striker who has been one of the most consistent scorers of the last few seasons. There is very little that this lithe striker can not do and it is a big surprise that she has has not been getting more looks for the Nephara national team given how good she has been in the SuperLiga.

2 - Hadrian Pazos - CA Paulinthal
This is a bit of an odd choice, given he has only started a single season in the SuperLiga, but at just twenty-one years of age, he has all the makings of a great player to be. Already part of a stern CAP defensive line that won the title and a part of the team of the year, this fullback is a proven product that will only get better, a boon both for the Hurricane as well as Ko-oren.

1 - Riona Parker - Galatica
Galatica have been a model of consistency over the last several years, though they continually be on the outside of the IFCF places. At the heart of their midfield is a Brenecian national team regular as Parker orchestrates everything in the middle of the park for the Galaticos. It would be fair to say that without her directing everything in the middle, Galatica would likely not have seen their resurgence and be back among the IFCF contention rather than being in the midtable. For that, she has to be best current foreigner playing in the SuperLiga, though she does benefit in Harvey likely going to be retiring before the start of next season.

[Astograth]

Olentzaro Karazatorre typed on his phone in the hallway, careful not to let the boots, bottle, medical tape or allergy medication he was carrying out of his grasp. Just as he clicked send on his search query of ‘Valrauncion se queda?’, someone’s shoulder barged into his back, knocking him off balance. Through quick reflexes, he managed to hang onto the phone, but the rest of his things clattered to the ground.

He was halfway through an expletive when he saw who’d bumped into him. Aire Epherra, the team’s new starting striker. Karazatorre was tall, 1.88m, but Epherra had some 5cm on him and was built like a rugby player. His neck was short and impossibly wide, and his chest and shoulders bulged with muscle. The shaved head and permanent frown also did their part in making him look as intimidating as possible. It had rankled Karazatorre and his fellow striker, Yokin Arana, that Epherra had come into the team and instantly received both the no. 9 shirt and a place on the starting lineup, but they were hardly going to take it up with him directly.

Next to Epherra stood one of his teammates from Urbizania Wanderers, left-back Urre Remondegi, looking apprehensive. This hallway of the FAF’s High Performance Centre was wide and empty enough for them both to go past Karazatorre with no issue. Epherra scoffed and kept walking.

It had been this way since they’d first met – met on the national team, at least. On the pitches of the Astograthian First Division they’d done so several times, Karazatorre playing for Antiguoko and Ituraitz and Epherra for Wanderers. Now though, as teammates, from day one Epherra had been passive-aggressive, bumping into him, tripping him up, tossing things at him. Why? That he was guarding his starting spot seemed obvious, sending out a warning to Karazatorre. Yet Epherra did nothing to Arana, who was the more experienced, proven striker in comparison to Karazatorre. Why? Because Karazatorre was the more similar player to Epherra? It baffled Karazatorre. He also seemed to be the only one to care or notice, and was reticent to bring it up with the manager or his assistant – what would they even do? Ground Epherra? Ridiculous.

Moreover, Epherra had plenty of friends on the team: Remondegi, Sorrosua, Bergara, the goalkeeper Bedigax. Karazatorre barely knew anybody. He’d only joined Olibondeka for their brief and disastrous Copa Rushmori run, and from his one season at Ituraitz he was hardly more than a friendly acquaintance of Lizarza and Raldua. Enduring it was the only option – if he was lucky, Epherra would get bored.

Karazatorre sighed. Glancing at his phone, not even the rumour mills of the internet could brighten his day by telling him whether Valrauncion stays or goes.

[Cassadaigua]

After the group stage exit in World Cup 85, manager Stephanie Sweeney tried to think positive. There was still no pressure on her as CASE President, Taylor Connolly, continued to speak well of her. The team had rolled through qualifying, scoring 102 goals along the way before entering the World Cup proper. You could say that it was over after one game within Mriin, as the Fillies fell to one of the co-hosts, 4-1, on the first matchday, making it very difficult for a scenario to play out where Cassadaigua would still advance. After losing to Recuecn, it was mathematically still possible, but realistically decided. Since the inevitable was postponed a couple days, Sweeney had the chance to prepare her answers why the team failed to reach the round of sixteen. It was a result that disappointed the nation, but on itself, it is something that you could live with. But it was not “on itself”. It came on the heels of losing in the round of 16 to Eura in World Cup 84, in Concord Heights, in a tournament where Cassadaigua was #4 going in. Safe to say, expectations were high. Now, the team had fallen. She did not know where the nation would end up in the rankings afterwards, but it was pretty clear that the Matriarchy would no longer have a single digit number beside them in those rankings.

Sweeney did not watch any more of the World Cup games after the win over Drawkland in the final game got the team some points, but not much else. “It stings too much. I will follow what happens, but I don’t want to watch any of the matches. There are a few nations that I would prefer to see win over others, but to be honest, I would rather just figure out what went wrong and work on trying to fix it.”

Right away, work began on fixing it. The team was so dominant during qualifying, but did not play well during the World Cup itself, so the first conclusion that you could make was that the Dagans peaked too early. It’s an easy conclusion, and not the final answer, but worth digging into a little more. Cassadaigua also played an aggressive series of friendlies, seven in fact, as well as having the whole Wonder Cup before that. At the time, there were question marks to determine roster spots, some of which would be starting spots, so the games were seen as a necessity. Players were rotated between games, so no individual player, not even Rachel Schanke, would be seen as having played in too many games. Still, there was a lot of soccer that was played before the qualifiers even began. Perhaps, it was too much. Sweeney phoned CASE President Connolly soon after and told her that the team would not have many friendlies for World Cup 85. A couple versus Mavinet were planned, but other than that, Cassadaigua would not have other exhibitions. Had there been a Wonder Cup, which there was not, Cassadaigua would not have taken part. “Cruising through qualifying is wonderful, but nothing something that we need to be doing,” Sweeney said, “If it comes at the expense of wearing ourselves out for the Proper, then the great numbers from qualifying are not going to mean anything. We’re not going to play all those exhibitions again, or smaller tournaments. We are going to focus on getting things right at the right time. If we dominate qualifying, so be it, but we need to save it for wherever the next Cup gets played.” That quote was before the hosts of Newmanistan and Drawkland were known, and once they were, Sweeney simply confirmed her statement, “We are confident that we can get to Newmanistan or Drawkland, a couple of nations that we have had success in, within other sports, in the past. Our fans know how to get to either of them, whether it requires going to Sonnel or the shorter trip to Esportiva.”

Sweeney didn’t concern herself with the group draw, or people calling it a Group of Death. “Looks like there will be some good challenges for us. You don’t want to play a bunch of pancakes in qualifying, and I think we can emerge from this group in good shape over the long haul. Maybe we won’t go wire to wire at or near the top, but we’ll get there, and we’ll be ready to roll and perform better then we did last time out.” Forward Rachel Schanke, serving as captain for the first time said to reporters that, “We believe that Stephanie has the right plan to guide us to success. As well as we did in qualifiers last time, look at what that got us in the Proper last time.”

Inside, Sweeney had concern. This was not something that she was going to show the media, but she knew there were some pretty good teams in this group, and it was worthy of the “Group of Death” label many had given it. Main Nation Ministry has been on the up and up for a while now, and very capable of winning the division. So, if they finish second, and are not one of the automatic bids from the second place teams, what happens if they end up against another power in the playoff? Sweeney did not detest the pressure that would come from that, but winning the group seemed like it had to happen. Then, you have teams like Quebec, who were outstanding last time out, doing all they could attempting to qualify before eventually falling short. They would certainly look to build on that. Flavovespia was a good looking, still newer side, and Electrum knows how to get it done. Even teams like Squidroidia, who are well down the charts of the rankings, seemed to be doing all the right things in order to build a good program. Should she have scheduled all of those additional friendlies? Well, it would be too late now.

Stephanie knew that Lupe Enriquez, now 35, was not going to be part of the team. As with fellow 35-year old Sierra Mattison, the captain of the last squad. Enriquez was such a rock in the back. You don’t find players like Lupe often, she does so much, but then has that added factor of being able to play at a highly physical level, and perfecting the role of agitator. She’d get under the skin of opposing forwards, and throw them off their game. Sweeney looked at the list of defenders who would be the “next woman (or man) up”. There was ability there, and players she knew she could count on. What there wasn’t, was another Lupe Enriquez. No one, that would fill that role of the physical agitator which is needed in a sport like this, especially at this level. That person was not there. She looked within the Cassadagan Soccer League at the most “Lupe-like” alternatives, and was not confident that any of them could step up into such an integral role on the national team. “We’ll get that player in another spot on the field then,” Sweeney thought as penciled in Michelle Graves as the next likely (and now is) starting defender. Michelle has earned it and plays the spot well. She’s just not an Enriquez.

In the midfield, Sweeney was most focused on the loss of Sierra Mattison, who was also 35 years old, and opted to retire from the national team. Mattison has been such an important part of this team, but Sweeney knew that she had Preston Newfeld groomed for this role. Newfeld got plenty of time as a substitute during the last qualification, and would certainly be able to play the set pieces well. He’s offensive minded, but more in terms of setting up others for goals then putting it in the back of the net himself, much like Mattison was. Then, perhaps the loss she did not think about as much: Shelby Mayer. Another player in her mid 30’s who stepped down from international duty. Shelby was a completely defensive minded midfielder, and a hard nosed physical player. The second most physical player on the team after Enriquez. And that was gone as well. This was a stinger. Courtney Graham would get the spot, and would earn it as a defensive midfielder, but she too was not known for physicality.

How would all of this go? Would Cassadaigua’s surprisingly lack of a physical presence hurt them in qualifiers? Ten minutes into the match against Flavovespia, she got a concerning answer. Scott Coleman seemed to get through the defense way too easily, and she was confident that he could have been taken out by Lupe Enriquez. Though, it was his getting around Courtney Graham that was more concerning. Did they miss Shelby Mayer more than they’d ever realize? Coleman passed to Steven Hall to give the opponent the goal advantage. Stephanie looked up, a tad annoyed at what happened, not as much because of the individual play itself, but concern that she might see more of this.

Actually, as the game went on, the Fillies locked things down pretty well. Brooke Sutter showed leadership ability in the back, and both of the key newcomers, Courtney Graham and Michelle Graves would have a good game. Preston Newfeld’s excellent cross delivery to Rachel Schanke, for the captain’s 39th minute goal, showed that Preston could fill in the loss of Mattison okay, too. Meghan Wolcott scored the decider in the 59th, and Cassadaigua got a gritty 2-1 win. Keeper Tiffany Nelson did well in the match, making some key stops when she needed too.

Therefore, Sweeney was confident after the first game, but the next match against Quebec had a different layer of pressure associated with it. When Queen Cassie II calls you, you know it is going to be important. Of course, all the Queen was doing was wishing Sweeney and the team the best against Quebec, the nation where her son, Caspian, is married, of course, to Queen Christine. All media publications picked up on the story, focusing on that element, more so than the game. There is a high level of friendship and trust between Cassadaigua and Quebec as a whole, but on the soccer pitch, that meant the potential for a rivalry. Not a rivalry out of dislike, but a “sibling” rivalry sort of thing. You know, where no one wants to lose to their brother or sister. That kind of thing.

Everything was good at the start of the match, but soon it became clear that the Grim Reapers had done their homework in regards to the Fillies. Forward Michel Fillion is physically imposing, and is a challenge for any defender to play. Right away, on Quebec’s first opportunity, he was sure to push Michelle Graves to the ground in a perfectly legal manner after some contact for the ball, with his intent to show his strength. Sweeney could only look up after that play. It was only the 4th minute, and it was still 0-0. Cassadaigua did not have an answer for him. Stephanie knew this going in, so tried to have Brooke Sutter step up into this role during the pre-game preparations. Brooke was willing to do this and in the 11th minute, went in hard on a tackle. Fillion went down, and the referee pulled out a yellow. It was mis-timed. Brooke knew it, and didn’t complain about the card. Fillion seemed to hold back laughter soon after and appeared to say something to Sutter after. Five minutes later, Fillion out muscled Sutter and got a great shot on Tiffany Nelson, putting Quebec up 1-0. He was enjoying this. Sweeney, not as much.

In the 22nd minute, Michelle Graves tried to win a battle with Fillion, and would receive the same yellow card for a mis-timed tackle. Three minutes later, goal, Fillion. Sweeney, tossed her clipboard to the ground so hard after the play it may have caused an earthquake on Sonnel. Cassadaigua did respond, and after Meghan Wolcott scored in the 31st minute, with a little of her showboating celebration added in, the team seemed to be back in good spirits. At half time, Fillion and Wolcott had an exchange which was not angry but seemed to be a product of two people doing a little taunting on one another.

Cassadaigua played smarter defensively in the second half, and got the equalizer from Zack Pierce in the 52nd minute, trying to get a little momentum. It seemed like they were poised to take the lead at this point, until a dagger was delivered by Marco Hertel in the 67th. Simply put, an innocent shot that Tiffany Nelson saves 99% of the time, but did not here. Spirits were deflated, and three minutes later, Sutter picked up her second yellow of the game, out of apparent frustration with Fillion. Fillion completed his hat trick in the 76th, but interestingly got yellow carded two minutes later for a shove on Meghan Wolcott. It really didn’t matter, Cassadaigua had been defeated, 4-2.

But this was not just a loss or just one game. It was something on display for everyone to see. Cassadaigua had a glaring weakness, and it needed to be fixed or this loss to the Grim Reapers could be crushing in the Group of Death.

[Zwangzug]

The Arlington Moon-Tribune

-The question we're all asking; did Stefred get away with a foul against Sara Moorhouse in the opener? I've watched the replay a couple times and--at the risk of local bias--I think the referee got it right. Not so much local bias in the sense of wanting Zwangzug to have won fairly, but having watched a lot of Stefred playing for Arlington. If she's lashing out and playing aggressively, it's usually because she was "provoked"--not necessarily in an objective sense, but by her opponents (or, frankly, teammates) droning on about the past and annoying her. Then again, there's a lot of history between our side and the Suns, and there was that possible-diving play against Hampton Island a couple qualifiers ago. So who knows, maybe she's more contentious than we like to admit.

-I've seen the social media commentary on the Ziwana, um, disappointment against the Zseparatists. (Battle of the Z's!) Obviously their loss was unfortunate, but it makes me wonder how do other players deal with such maladies? Is there an algorithm for when you're just like "coach, gotta sub me out"? Satenik Banach, if you're reading this, we need your expertise.

-At the beginning of the cycle I was excited to watch Anne-Sophie Groothuis because of the, uh, sophisticated Confederate techniques for filtering out managers reported on a few CoHs ago. Unfortunately, it looks like she's turned the team into an actual threat to be wary of in Group 17. Credit to Jzeovak Vladcik for getting on the scoreboard, but also to the defense for styming Zwangzug in general; the black-and-reds' tactics were almost a mirror of ours, and it seemed to work in their favor. Jonah McCollins has lost some pace in the midfield, and Shrike Hagaz' midfield physicality saw Ione Friede dispossessed several times. Good thing they didn't sub in Kivrin to please the locals or she'd probably have been a literal pushover.

-In an era of long qualifying campaigns, should Zwangzug be considering following the lead of other nations in having an expanded pool of players available to call up during qualifiers and only selecting a final 23 when the World Cup proper, or Cup of Harmony, rolls around? Some fans I've spoken with say it could be a good way to prevent burnout, with many of our domestic-based players facing long competitions in the IFCF and FFI as well as in the 1./. Others, however, suggest it would be more effort on the part of the coaches and the federation than it's worth. At least I haven't heard anything about "devaluing" or "undermining" the glories of earning a cap, because...like...come on.

-Having said that, I have no idea if trips to unheralded Eurasies or Abanhfleft will see Sonnabend play the subs, or buckle down because there might be little margin for error after a result like that.

[Tioguldos]

The World Cup qualifiers have begun!

It has finally started. The eyes of millions around the world are filled with illusion when they see their compatriots going out onto the field, representing their colors, their flags, their anthems. The World Cup brings together people of totally different origins under the same passion. From Tioguldós we see in sport an opportunity to get closer to different communities and form lasting ties between our peoples.

Expecting the arrival of visitors from different countries of the world, the Ministry of Tourism of Tioguldós presented a tourist guide that is currently being gifted at the main airports in the country. With it, tourists will know the most popular destinations in Tioguldós and will get an idea of which regions of the country are the most visited. The guide is complemented with a list of typical foods of the Tiog culture for those who wish to delight their palate. Also, the tourist calendar is attached in case their stay coincides with the date of one of the many festivals and parades that decorate the cities of Tioguldós, some of them have been doing it for centuries. It will also serve as a preview of the country for those who just want to stay at Mo Bmodo during the matchday.

.oooooooTIOGULDÓSooooooo.
oooooooTourist Guideooooooo

Welcome to Tioguldós, a country of vast
culture and great diversity.

Through our cities you will be able to
discover the long history that led the Tiog
people here, knowing everything about our
customs and traditions.

In our lands you will find incredible
mountain ranges and green and pristine
plains; rivers of great flow and calm streams;
you can enjoy the sunrise in front of the sea
and watch the sun go down in our lagoons.

However, you can also enjoy the cultural
richness of our people within the cities.
From the warmth and homely atmosphere
of our small country towns to the charming
and dazzling life of our capitals.

Tioguldós is the right place to travel quietly
and enjoy the enviromnmet. The multiple
tourist destinations provide a specific space
for each preference. The locals open their
arms cordially to foreign visitors, and they
are always ready to help, guide, and
accompany them on their journeys.

.ooooooUnforgettableoooooo.
.ooooooooMomentsoooooooo.

Whether you travel alone, with family, or
with friends, an afternoon of relaxation near
thelagoon can be an exceptional moment.
Kholpenil is a city located in the northeast of
the country, popular for its unmissable views
at sunset.

Here you can take a boat ride, walk around
enjoying the view or simply sit and enjoy
some traditional mates with medialunas.

Needless to say, if you are a person who likes
tranquility and silence, you will want to
return to Kholpenil.

..ooooooooRoad tooooooooo..
..oooooooAdventureooooooo..

The mountain ranges of Tioguldós offer
unique adventures for the most daring, and
memorable scenes for fans of landscapes.

Going south from Tioguldós you will come
across the Gosdósuo mountain system.
Here is the Drakh Bupekh Hill, the
highest point in the country, frequented by
hikers and trekkers, both local and foreign.

sea may not be a very good idea. However, it
is an extraordinary time to explore the most
pristine beaches. They present a space of
solitude and quiet by the sea.

Across the long coastline are very different
beaches. Some of them are crossed by cliffs,
others are lenghty and flat, and others are
full of dunes.

ooooooNor fam Bmodooooooo
..ooooThe cheerful cityoooo..

The capital of Tioguldós, Nor fam Bmodo,
also known as 'The Cheerful City', is the
cradle of Tiog socialism.

Most of the cultural attractions are located
here. Theaters, museums, art galleries. It is
also home to a good part of the international
trade of Tioguldós.

For a lightly populated country, Nor fam
Bmodo's 1 million inhabitants make up more
than ten percent of the country's total
population.

The nickname of 'Cheerful City' was baptized
during the economic boom that catapulted
internal tourism within the country, at that
time the Republic of Orkasduso. As it was
said, "everyone who came wanted to
return."

Ministry of Tourism of Tioguldós
For more information visit
www.tiogdirulne.gov.tg

..oooooooCentenaryooooooo..
.ooooooooCultureooooooooo.

Created in 114 Before the Revolution, the
Alboxian Theater is one of the most
outstanding architectural works of Tioguldós.
The country's most acclaimed plays,
musicals, and artistic performances take
place here.

The theater is located in the city of Draspa
Moipas, in the west of the country. Draspa
Moipas is considered the capital of
federalism in Tioguldós, since it was chosen
by the government as the first Special
Economic Zone in the country.

Huge economic and demographic growth is
expected in the city, and visiting now could
be an opportunity to witness that change
in person.

...ooooooooRusticoooooooo...
.ooooooooBeachesooooooooo.

During the summer, tourists from all over
Tioguldós come to the coast to enjoy the sea.
Right now, during the winter, going into the

[South Newlandia]

Football talk live (South Newlandia One, between MD2 and 3)

TL: Good evening viewers, and welcome to Football talk here on South Newlandia One! I am Tommy Lambert, and today, I once again have a few awesome guests here. Meet David Watts, the coach of the Walstreim Lions (applause), and Bjorn Cohen, the South Newlandian national team player! (applause). I am glad to have you two here this evening, and we will be talking to you two more later, but first, we will have to rewind, and watch the highlights of the two South Newlandian games! (slightly obnoxious sound of rewinding video plays)
(some highlights from the South Newlandian games are now shown, with commentary by Brandon van Simonson. Of course, this is the live commentary from the games, he isn’t actually present in the studio. Occasionally, someone talks over those highlights)
BvS: And so it begins. We are in the Dome right now, with the stadium entirely filled; I cannot spot a single empty seat. South Newlandia will be playing Port Ember in a few minutes, and we are ready for sure. The players are coming in now; Trischuk, the South Newlandian captain first of course, with the other players following behind. The Elephants will be playing in the expected 4-4-2 diamond, and here come the players. Trischuk in the goal; Roy, Schroeder, Anderson and Wright being the four on defense, Mohamed, Green, McMora and Wallis in midfield, and McCabe and Irving up front. South Newlandia has won the coin flip and is going to kick off this game. Here we go, the World Cup Qualifiers for the 86th World Cup in Drawkland and Newmanistan start right now!
DW: I am especially proud to see Patrick McMora in that starting line-up, and hope that Lancaster will also get there eventually. I am still not entirely over Brandon Irving leaving, but he seems to be happy with Barnley FC in Kohnhead.
BvS: We are in the 17th minute, no goals just yet, South Newlandia is standing solid on defense, but there isn’t a lot coming from the Elephants currently. Port Ember is clearly controlling the play, but following the bad defensive play in the last games, Wolverine seems to have improved things a bit. Or maybe, Port Ember is just very ineffective. Anyway, Wright isn’t looking good here, and now there is a flank coming into the middle, but Trischuk is easily plucking this one from the air.
NL: To ask you directly, Bjorn Cohen: Would you be able to help the Elephants right now?
BC: Well, no, considering I am still injured and not really able to play, but if I would be fit? Maybe.
BvS: A bit more than a half hour played here, still no goals at all, the situation hasn’t really changed either. The Elephants aren’t allowing a lot on defense, but aren’t getting a lot going up front either. Maybe now, Finnley Wallis has received a free kick from a bit more then twenty-five metres; he can score from this defense, he did it before. Here comes the shot; but well saved by the goalkeeper, nothing else to say.
BvS: We are in the last minute of the first half, still no goals to speak of, and very few chances all around. That’s the half; the players are going back inside. The Elephants play well on defense, and that’s about it. The two shots Trischuk had to look at, he easily saved, but without a goal, all of that is only half as great. We will have to see if Wolverine makes any substitutions following this first half.
BvS: And we are back, the second half is soon to start in the sold-out Elephant Dome, all the 21500 were sold. Robert Wolverine has decided to make just one change to his team, replacing Corban Green with Donald Lancaster. Green had been basically invisible in the first half, maybe Lancaster can do something better than that.
DW: The correct decision, obviously.
BC: Well, you are slightly biased. I like Green much better.
DW: You are biased too! Green plays in your team, after all.
BvS: An hour has been played here now, still nothing new; Robert Wolverine has just brought Michael Glossman on the field for Brandon Irving, but the team still isnt exactly creating a lot of chances. Instead, here is Port Ember pushing again, good play over the right side, Dhruv Roy well in the way, we have a corner for Port Ember. It’s coming in, Kevin Mohamed is too small for his opponent, good header, but there is Mikhail Trischuk with an excellent catch! The match remains tied, no goals just yet.
BvS: Only ten minutes remain here between South Newlandia and Port Ember, and it is starting to look like a draw today. Maybe one side can get a lucky punch in, Wolverine has decided that his last substitution would be Abdurahman Bishop for Finnley Wallis, another change that leaves the formation unchanged. Maybe one team can get a lucky punch here, to take three points out of the opening match. Here are the Elephants again, pushing down the middle with Bishop here, good pass to Simon McCabe, he takes a shot, but it narrowly misses the goal and we stay tied here.
BvS: Few moments remain here, and it looks like both teams are ready to settle on that scoreless draw; both teams played well, but never risked a whole lot in this game, and this means the Elephants are likely going to take a point from the second seed, a very decent start, they can be happy with that. And that is the final whistle, 0-0 it is.
DW: A fair draw in my opinion. Port Ember was in the driver’s seat a lot, but the Elephants played a good match.
BC: I agree, and it was a fairly good start to the campaign. Not as good as the 4-3 over Tamgu we started with last time, but still very good.
NL: A good start; who would you name the best player of the team for that match?
DW: Patrick McMora.
BC: I would go for Trischuk, although I really liked the impulse Bishop gave the team late into the game.
BvS: Here we are, the second South Newlandian game for these World Cup Qualifiers. At home, the first ever international game played in the Sophie City Bowl, and the team is going to be up against the Southern Palm Islands. The squad is the same as last time, Trischuk, the captain, in the goal, Roy, Schroeder, Anderson and Wright as the four defenders, the diamond in the middle with Mohamed, Green, McMora and Wallis, and Irving and Simon McCabe as strikers. The Bowl is almost full, just a few empty seats here and there, which is a bit unusual for the stadium. The game is going to kick off every second now. The Elephants are obviously the high favourites here, three points would be very important, but it wouldn’t be the first time South Newlandia struggles against weak opponents at home.
NL: Foreshadowing!
BvS: Three minutes have been played, and South Newlandia is already pushing for a goal here. Brandon Irving here with the ball, presses forward, and that is an excellent shot, but it only hits the cross-bar.
DW: We know how much Brandon hated being substituted off last game.
BvS: After a few early chances for the Elephants, things have slowed down here, with not a lot of action in the last 30 minutes. A few okay shots for South Newlandia, one really good chance for Daniel Plascas that saw Mikhail Trischuk making a great save, otherwise not terribly much. Here is a corner for Corban Green, its coming in well, to Roy, and GOAL! Brandon Irving scores, the Elephants are in the lead! Roy’s header was saved by goalkeeper Rawat Khan, but the ball dropped right onto the head of Irving, who had no trouble scoring. One-nil, we could go on like this!
DW: A beautiful goal. Did I mention that I disliked him going?
TL: Well, it was for the highest sum ever paid for a South Newlandian, so you had that.
BvS: And it’s half-time here in Sophie City! South Newlandia mostly in control of the game, but only one goal to show for it; those are typically shaky leads, so this is far from over. Once again, the defense is doing quite well; maybe we will see some changes for the second half anyway.
TL: More foreshadowing!
BvS: We are back; the second half against the Southern Palm Islands is soon to start. Wolverine is going to make two substitutions here; Dhruv Roy is replaced by John Li; first ever WCC-game for him, and first game as Left Back, and Tommy Anderson is replaced by Manuel O’Neill, so two changes on defense. I have to admit, I do not really understand that.
TL: Do you two?
DW: Nope!
BC: I guess he wants to test some strategies and stuff, give Li some play time?
BvS: These substitutions didn’t help the game a lot, we are now in the 72nd minute, with the second half considerably less interesting compared to half one. At least the Elephants still have the lead.
TL: Can he stop? Or does he know more than we do?
BvS: Ten minutes to go, Michael Glossman now in the game for Simon McCabe as a striker, still very few chances in this second half. Here are the Southern Palm Islands with a good attack, deep pass, looks like offside, but now Peter Plascas is alone in front of Trischuk! The assistant referee not signalling offside, I am not so sure about that; Plascas now with a lob; and it’s a goal, no chance for Trischuk. Let me see a replay of that…
Yeah, it is indeed not offside. John Li is standing out of line, that’s why, and of course Trischuk can’t really do anything here. Good play by the Southern Palm Islands, and they get rewarded with the equalizer.
TL: Not good.
DW: Not good.
BvS: The last seconds here in the Bowl, but it looks like South Newlandia is giving two points away here. They just don’t seem to be able to get another goal. The momentum is entirely gone. In fact, Trischuk had to make a few good saves at the end there, to even hold the tie. And that is the final whistle, South Newlandia only with a draw. That’s all for today, we will hear us soon.
DW: Not enough. I don’t think Li is ready yet.
BC: He is good at what he does; he just needs a little time. The pressure today on him was intense, of course.
TL: Two points put South Newlandia into the middle of the pack, but that’s all you can expect on scoring just one goal. We have to take a look at the next game week before our time is over; we will first visit Tikariot at the ”Jewel of the Coast”, the Snowy Owls didn’t exactly have the best start to their tournament.
BC: Yeah, I was really surprised when they lost that first game, but they looked very powerful against Mriin.
TL: And South Newlandia is physically unable to beat Tikariot, it seems, so the game against the Rushmori nation will be a tough one. And after that, we move back home to play our regionmates from Filindostan in the Jecken Arena.
DW: Definitely not an easy match either, they are still the third seed. They had an okay start with three points, but nothing huge. Another difficult game.
TL: It is really hard to predict either match, we could well have two or eight after these two. I just don’t know. What we do know is the starting formation for the Elephants for those two games. Here it is!

BC: Looks quite similar to the old one, only two changes, right?
TL: Exactly, Finnley Wallis taken out for Abdurahman Bishop, and Simon McCabe will sit out for Michael Glossman. That’s it, so we will see the same four players on defense again, which doesn’t surprise me too much. They played 135 minutes without a goal against them.
DW: Yeah, I still do think Lancaster would be the right call.
TL: Sadly, our time for today is already up; the news are waiting. Thank you for watching Football talk here on South Newlandia One, and we will see us soon again!

[Krytenia]

Part I: Miasma

IBIXAN PIECES

Part II: Mistral

At the Capricorn Desert Research Station, Professor James Golightly studied his soil samples, and sighed. The geologist had been at Capricorn for nearly thirty years, and, frankly, they were getting nowhere. Initial attempts at terraforming had gone well; Project Curie had demagnetised the densely packed soil, and for a few years the Ibixan sands had been permeated with verdant patches. They'd been able to plant crops and even trees, and looked to be on the way to reforming the former Ibex into a green and pleasant land. Settlers had moved into the cities, and all was well.

Then the sands returned. True, the soil below was no longer hostile, but with the desert creeping back to reclaim the land, the Ibixan project had all but collapsed. A few hardy settlers remained, trading with the Ibexi to sustain themselves, but the numbers had thinned. Only Istanbull, close to the Krytenian border, had thrived.

The research station was still there, of course, searching for answers why. The locals - the few Ibexi who remained - told tales of a curse, a shadow of war that had ripped the land of the evils of the past and left desolation in its wake. Those, though, were fairytales as far as Professor Golightly was concerned; stories to explain a tragedy in a way the superstitious and religious Ibexi could better come to terms with their loss.

The report printed out on the professor's soil samples, taken from lowland hills west of the mountain chain that marked the border with Terra Henricus. The Quebecois may have thankfully stopped their nuclear testing, but there was still the long-term effects to worry about; whether the soil in the area west of the border had traces of radiation, whether the water table was contaminated, that sort of thing. This wasn't what the report said.

The report said there were large amounts of dormant cyanobacteria in the soil. More specifically, xanthoria elegans.

"Lichens?" A scowl crossed the professor's face. "Mountain lichens. Why would they turn up there? The hills in the area aren't that tall!"

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Shrike Hagaz had been around the block a few times.

He was not the oldest player on the team, nor even in the midfield. Neither was he the most experienced when it came to international caps, not by a long shot. His twenty and change barely held a candle to some of the totals that other players, even much younger players, had put up the past few cycles. He'd spent that time, head down, nose to the grindstone, in Brenecia. Six seasons with Westpike, up and down between the A and B-Leagues had impressed on him the value of hard work, and a hard challenge. Maybe even an elbow here and there when the situation called for it.

Some time ago, couldn't say exactly when, he had made his peace with the fact that his international career was probably done. That dream of being on the team that would finally break through and make the Finals, it had been a nice dream, but it was time to be practical. He'd been pushing 30 at the time, and if reality wasn't perfect, it wasn't terrible either. Westpike were fighting to earn their way back to the A-League after a bad year, but they'd managed a magical cup run as a mid-table club just a couple seasons earlier. It had been a pretty good career, and even if his international days were done, he had a few years left before age and his physical play style started to take too much of a toll.

Not that it hadn't been frustrating to watch. Two cycles of first round exits, finding ways to miss out on qualification, and just general mediocrity. Feeling like he could have contributed, could have changed things somehow if he'd been there was awful. Shrike had definitely been interested when the SCFA had introduced Groothuis as the new manager. He hadn't known a lot about her beforehand, but looking at film of her Omerican teams had threatened to raise his hopes. He knew, looking at the way her teams played, that it was a system he could contribute to. Still, new managers often looked for young talent to build the future of their teams. He didn't want to form expectations that Groothuis would call up a player on the wrong side of 30 just because she happened to favor playing a holding midfielder or two.

He'd almost been surprised, therefore, when the call did come. Even then, he hadn't expected to find a place in the first team, not with so many other possibilities. Next to Lomidan and Takala, he'd felt pretty insignificant sometimes. Lomidan, like him, was a player that had put in most of his work abroad, first in Qusmo. But while Shrike's Westpike side had been mid-top tier at best, Lomidan and Ibini had been to the IFCF. It was with good reason that the tall Sivolvian had been named team captain, and confirmed in that role by Groothuis. Takala, meanwhile, was Megabrantid's favorite son, looked set the play for the Firm as long as he cared to. Still in his prime, he could do things on the ball that were just incredible, and Shrike didn't think he'd ever been close to that level, even in his early years, playing in the wide open Chalesm setup.

Even so, there was always need for a counter-balance, and to win possession, you need someone who can win the ball. Shrike had no illusions about his role on this team, he was too old for that. Besides, he had plenty of experience partnering with a more offensively dynamic midfielder in Noor Na'Saan, his counterpart at Westpike. He'd been pretty happy with the way things had gone at the IAC. Sure, getting knocked out always hurts, no matter what your initial expectations were, but making the quarters was a start to putting this team back on the map. Evidently the selection committee felt the same way, as they'd asked him back for qualifying.

Back to the moment at hand though. Late in the second half, he and the rest of the defense had been retreating back behind the ball, working hard to make Vladcik's goal stand up, and take full points home from Zwangzug. He felt good about the way they'd been able to break things up in the midfield so far, but all it took was one moment of complacency to ruin everything. They couldn't afford that after a sloppy performance in the opener, and he was determined not to concede so much as a shot on goal. There was a pause, and Takala's number was called from the sideline. Tabur replacing him.

"Take the left side," he direct as she neared his position. "Get right up in their faces, it's been working. You watch my back, I'll watch yours and we'll win this thing."



Team Selection for Matchdays 3 and 4 against South Covello and When U Die:

GK: Stovar Krieven, Dagmund Zarek, Marzanna Furnadjiev
LB: Jaylene Kazarov, Prijat Vodsavo
RB: Janar Delu, Reuter Storsjo
CB: Rudi Dalso, Walda Harkhan, Zemen Ystrad, Svardo Vrboska
DM: Shrike Hagaz, Selvala Tabur
LM: Jzeovak Vladcik, Lavanya Naqvi
RM: Naiva Storrev, Oliwer Starosta
CM: Iuri Takala, Jirar Lomidan, Mithya Hashemi
ST: Zoban Ajao, Lyzolda Petrov, Kaalia Gerstlauer

SRS Qualifying Schedule:

MD 1: SRS 2-2 EUS @ Green Heart Center (cap. 20,760), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD 2: ZWZ 0-1 SRS @ City Athletic Venue, Arlington, ZWZ
MD 3: SRS  v  SCO @ Albrechtsson Park (cap. 65,400), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD 4: WUD  v  SRS @ TBA
MD 5: SRS  v  LGL @ The Lutenstaad (cap. 75,000), Lutenblag, Molvania, SRS
MD 6: LDS  v  SRS @ TBA
MD 7: SRS  v  FVR @ Emerald Coast Colosseum (cap. 31,200), Vassilian, Algolia, SRS
MD 8: BAU  v  SRS @ TBA
MD 9: SRS  v  AFT @ Viltvodle Civic Arena (cap. 58,300), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD10: EUS  v  SRS @ TBA
MD11: SRS  v  ZWZ @ Raftel Park (cap. 59,870), Chalesm, Megabrantis, SRS
MD12: SCO  v  SRS @ Revolution Stadium (cap.42,000), Riverview, SCO
MD13: SRS  v  WUD @ Henkmar Field (cap. 29,850), Brasta, Sivolvia, SRS
MD14: LGL  v  SRS @ TBA
MD15: SRS  v  LDS @ Flanoil Arena (cap. 50,350), Traal, West Flania, SRS
MD16: FVR  v  SRS @ TBA
MD17: SRS  v  BAU @ Olympiastad (cap. 47,550), Arkintoofle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD18: AFT  v  SRS @ TBA

[Omerica]

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Alexis Stephanidis’s newbie gambit: a football masterstroke or a soccer catastrophe?
By Serena Kendall

Ps Group 5                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Omerica                                2    2   0   0     8    3   +5     6
 2 Turori                                 2    2   0   0     4    0   +4     6
 3 Siovanija and Teusland                 2    2   0   0     6    3   +3     6
 4 Norralesse                             2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
 5 Gopnikea                               2    1   0   1     2    3   −1     3
 6 Astograth                              2    0   1   1     1    2   −1     1
 6 Valladares                             2    0   1   1     5    6   −1     1
 8 Garifunya                              2    0   1   1     3    5   −2     1
 9 the Holy Junta                         2    0   1   1     4    7   −3     1
10 Blampano                               2    0   0   2     2    6   −4     0

(*happy Stephanidis noises*)

The Incorrigibles stumbled in the first sequence of their home opener against Garifunya, but pulled ahead from two goals down by the hour mark. Sure, Garifunya got an equaliser, but Omerica put another two past Stijn Kruit to collect all three points and maintain a very early lead in Group 5.

Easy enough when your opening game is against a Baptism flop and your second against a bottom-half nation just hoping to play spoiler, but a twice-away double-header against two of the top three seeds in the group is going to be the first real test of former Malavan and Andreaskruis boss Alexis Stephanidis’s managerial grit. To make matters worse, she will be sending out “third-string” line-ups in Rushmore and in Atlantian Oceania.

Against Astograth in Rumiatzi and against Siovanija-Teusland in Stelburg.

This is a team that put together a 1–1 draw against Quebec in a friendly—which, to be fair, is only the second time in six meetings that Quebec have failed to defeat Omerica—, but that probably doesn’t bode well for real competitive matches against the two teams not named “Valladares” who will be the Incorrigibles’ biggest rivals for second place. It makes you wonder if Stephanidis ought to be sent back home to Brétolles and committed.

But there’s a perverse logic to the decision, though: Omerica’s second-string were able to stun Krytenia 5–1 in Ashton to start last cycle’s qualifiers. Another resting of the starters got Omerica a 4–0 win in Qasden, though that match was a dead rubber what with the top two already confirmed. And the gaffer will certainly be aware that she owes her current position to the Incorrigibles’ incredible collapse at IAX, where Space managed a humbling draw in her hometown and TJUN-ia came from behind to deal a knockout blow in their “Miracle of Falconbarrow”. Consequently, she will be understandably nervous about the ability of her predecessor’s first-choice players to perform under pressure.

“Some of these players in the pool need to learn how to win and win consistently. I want them to get back on their feet and rebuild their confidence,” Stephanidis stated in Norralesse after the opening win. “The new kids, though, don’t have the same kind of hang-ups. This is an opportunity for them, rather than a pressure test and all I’m asking of them is for them to just do their best.”

Former Omerica manager and noted sweary-man James-Alexandre Christopherson agreed with her logic on Football Aujourd’hui: “Would I have made the same decision? Hell no. Do I understand why she’s done it? Fuck yes. I look back to Ashton and I saw there a team that was free. No pressure to crack under, just beautiful football. That’s what Stephanidis wants. The first team would feel pressured to win. Her team will be hungry to prove themselves against the big kids.”

His Football Aujourd’hui co-host and former Omerica striker Morgan Barzetti was not nearly as impressed. “I’d be offended if I were Astograthian or from Siovanija-Teusland. I think she’s shooting herself in the foot here. They aren’t used to this kind of competition. They are going to get chewed up and spat out by these teams. Alexis has killed our qualifying campaign before it’s even started.”

“I want to qualify, of course. Any coach or manager would,” the Omerica gaffer stated in response to Barzetti via Twii thread. “But I don’t think we’re in a position where we can demand qualification. I’m here to put up the best result we can and if we qualify, that’s a bonus.”

In the middle of dealing with her own qualifying campaign with the Squornshelan Remnant States, Stephanidis’s Malavan successor Anne-Sophie Groothuis had things to say about Alexis’s decision. “I made hard decisions like that. I took a mostly ‘second-string’ side to a Cup of Harmony and we made an unprecedented semifinal run. I think she’s a smart manager who knows exactly what she is doing.”

One thing we can definitely say for certain is that this team will need to develop chemistry quickly and if they fumble at the Grand Duke’s Stadium, they will need to regroup even more quickly when they head to the Franz-Gorz-Stadion. Stephanidis and the Incorrigibles are taking a huge risk with this gambit, but it could pay massive dividends in terms of Omerica’s confidence, momentum and qualifying odds if it pays off.

But the questions still remain: is Stephanidis honking mad? Certifiably so. Is she on to something? We shall all soon find out. ◇

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Other Football News:
• WCQ86: Norralesse easily despatched in the seventh straight away opener and fifth straight opening win for the Incorrigibles
• OPSL Gold Division: OPSL announce protest entries for the so-called “FFI Victors League” ahead of the Gold Division kickoff
• OPSL Silver Division: Financial reports show Força Lisboa “must win promotion soon” or teeter on the edge of insolvency

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Uniting Omerican sport fans across the United Republics — blogdefootball: a proud member of the Gryphon Pride network

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United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, MS 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA

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Norralesse 0–3 Omerica
World Cup 86 qualficiation — Matchday One
Old Sample, Sampleville, Norralesse
Goalscorers: (none); Jamal Ahmad 10’, 78’ – Thom Magalhães 31’
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Valentine Augustin; Alphonse Notley – Charity Kayode – Raphaël Martin – Lauren Kerry; Thom Magalhães – Soraya Archambault – Red Bolton (captain); Jessie Beckett – Jean-François Fernand – Jamal Ahmad
Substitutions: Beckett > Adélaïde Argyris (55’) – Martin > Noah Clement (65’) – Magalhães > Simone Bonfils (65’)

Omerica 5–3 Garifunya
World Cup 86 qualficiation — Matchday Two
Stade de la République, Romainbourg [Centre-Ville]
Goalscorers: Jean-François Fernand 38’ – Jessie Beckett 41’, 88’ – Lauren Kerry 54’ – Red Bolton 78’; Floris-Jan Klenkman 16’, 65’ – Muhammad Kamerling 21’
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Valentine Augustin; Alphonse Notley – Charity Kayode – Raphaël Martin – Lauren Kerry; Thom Magalhães – Soraya Archambault – Red Bolton (captain); Jessie Beckett – Jean-François Fernand – Jamal Ahmad
Substitutions: Archambault > Fearchar Mac Cléirich (63’) – Ahmad > Maïa Bustos (63’) – Notley > Frédérique Marquetti (79’)

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United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, MS 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA

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Astograth v Omerica
World Cup 86 qualficiation — Matchday Three
Grand Duke’s Stadium, Rumiatzi, Astograth
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Alexandra McGuire; Sylvain Aiello – Anna Charles – Justin Thyme – Sacha Sepulveda; Nadiya al-Hashim – Paige Boyce – Maxime Fournier (captain); Rasoul Qadir – Anaïs Guérin – Wesley Sawyer

Siovanija and Teusland v Omerica
World Cup 86 qualficiation — Matchday Four
Franz-Gorz-Stadion, Stelburg, Siovanija and Teusland
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Alexandra McGuire; Sylvain Aiello – Anna Charles – Justin Thyme – Sacha Sepulveda; Nadiya al-Hashim – Paige Boyce – Maxime Fournier (captain); Rasoul Qadir – Anaïs Guérin – Wesley Sawyer

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[Ethane]

The oldest member of the team, but not yet past his best. Leyton Underwood has been at the heart of the Red Kites since he debuted in the qualifying campaign of the 79th World Cup, making key contributions through his skilled passing and distribution. He is game smart, and controls it all from the middle; while Leyton Underwood is not a fast player, he finds himself in the right positions and makes the right passes. And that is why he is still here now. Because while he is not as fit as he once was and is not as fast, his passing capabilities and game sense have only heightened. He's not the player that is going to play the full ninety minutes, but he is that player that will start a game off on the right foot, controlling and commanding it. Or he's that player you can throw on for the last thirty minutes to shut it down.

Underwood has been a regular presence in this national team. He's racked up 112 appearances since he debuted in the 79th qualifying campaign for the World Cup, and he shows no signs of stopping for this World Cup campaign. In fact, he's been regularly increasing the number of games he's been playing as the campaigns have progressed. Before the 81st qualifying campaign, he was playing less than 10 games in the campaign (excluding qualification to the World Cup). However, from the 81st campaign onward he has become even more crucial to the team, even with a diverse array of midfield talents waiting to supplant him in the national team. 13 appearances in WCQ82 AND WCQ83 make for a heavy load, but Underwood topped that with 15 appearances in WCQ84. Yet he's greatest contribution in minutes played came only last World Cup, when he appeared in 19 games. For someone who's in their mid-thirties, that is an impressive workload. That's even more astounding considering the contribution he is making in the game. He regularly has the highest pass completion rate and pass total. Additionally, Underwood averages 2.6 key passes per match in international team games - slightly below his league average but still impressive for the player. He doesn't shy away from work. On the defensive front, he isn't so good. Underwood only averages 0.3 tackles per match, and often finds himself making the least ground in the match; he certainly won't be the player forcing the high press in the team. But where he excels is at controlling possession. He has a high rate of dribble completions, and is skilled at slowing the game down to a pace he can play at. Hence why on many counter attacks and fast-paced offensive movements, Underwood will often be bypassed. He's a different type of player that still makes a valuable contribution to this side.

He's a solid performer in The Flame League for South Saints as well, helping them in season ten to their first ever title, ending the domination of Loconstead United and Letson Town (before season ten, those two teams had won all but 1 of the previous 9 seasons, Mansestra winning season two). Underwood has now won the Playmaker Award for 3 seasons running, in season 8, 9, and 10. While his assist returns have been diminishing, he has still been making league-leading contributions to his teams; some of the decline could of course be explained by his transfer to a more defensive team - he moved from Letson Town to South Saints for 8 million at the end of season 8. Either way, his assist totals are remarkably impressive, especially at his age: 36 assists in season eight, 29 assists in season nine, and 24 assists in season ten (still 5 assists ahead of the next playmaker). This form is even more remarkable than that which he shows on for the Red Kites; if he can express himself in the same way on the national team then they would fly.

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Hampton Island 0–0 Ethane
Ethane: Araújo | Atanga, Wilburn-Mason, James, McArthur | Underwood (Zavala 56'), Kjaer, Montoya (Obrien 70'), Ford | Smith (Cole 75'), Burgess
Hampton Island: Watson | McGrady, Paulick, Brody, Walstrom | Crowe, Lyzenga, Wentworth, Williams, Jr. (Compton 48') | Perlino (Myles 64'), Coffelt (DeSario 81')

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A stalemate to start off the qualifying campaign for the Red Kites, which saw both teams come close but unable to break down the solid defensive units. Perhaps both teams put too much focus on defending in this game considering the defensive nature of the other team, but both Ethane and Hampton Island come away with a point each from the first game. A crucial game for both teams, with the Red Kites and the Golden Bears vying for qualification through the second spot behind Brenecia (playoffs or automatically). Hampton Island had the better part of the first half in control of the game. Perlino almost picked up his first goal of the campaign with a powerful shot from just inside the box off a Williams, Jr. pass, but it was deflected by Wilburn-Mason. Wentworth almost sneaked it in the bottom right corner as well in the latter stages of the first half, but the shot was met by the outstretched arm of Araújo. Ethane started off the second half better, with a flurry of activity spurred on by Underwood leading to a deflected shot by Ford, and a solid Watson save off Burgess' shot, who looked the more promising of the Ethani strikers. However, Underwood was replaced and the Red Kites settled back down again. Late opportunities came to both teams, with Cole and Burgess linking up but unable to get past Paulick. DeSario had the best opportunity of the game in a one-on-one with Araújo but sent it wide. This is the only encounter the Red Kites will have with the Stafford City roster from Hampton Island, so the reverse game against the Marquette roster is likely to provide a different challenge.

Ethane 0–0 Gyatso-Kai
Ethane: Araújo | Woods, Wilburn-Mason, Capradossi, McArthur | Zavala, Kjaer, Obrien (Roberts 77'), Ford (Headley 72') | Burgess, Cole (Roberts 85')
Gyatso-Kai: NO ROSTER PROVIDED

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A disappointing result for the Red Kites. Having looked on top for most of the game, they were unable to find the breakthrough for the three points. Gyatso-Kai put up a spectacular defensive effort to secure a point from the game, especially considering the international rank deficit between the two teams. However, despite multiple opportunities for Ethane in both halves, the team were unable to exploit them and get the lead. Ford had a disappointing game, barely contributing to the offensive effort; he did look a little off in practice and so eyes will be on him to see if he can pick himself back up and recover his form as we advance into the qualifying campaign. He was subbed off for Headley, who added a special factor in the last 15 minutes or so, but was handled well by the opponent's defence. Cole had a couple of early opportunities, the most notable being a header gone just wide off a corner, but was unable to find the back of the net and tailed off towards the end of the second half. Burgess has been in good form, putting in a lot of effort and making the right runs, but he's so far been unlucky with a few good saves, and multiple times in which the pass never found him. He'll be hoping for better service. The defence though cannot be faulted. Gyatso-Kai came out into the second half flying, peppering the Ethani box, but the Red Kite defence was able to keep calm and hold off any dangerous moments. Wilburn-Mason was his usual skilled self, but Woods put in a very good shift and is surely trying to convince the manager that he should be ahead of Atanga in the lineup.

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Previews

Pemecutan vs Ethane
Lineup: Araújo | Woods, Wilburn-Mason, James, Turner | Zavala, Underwood, Montoya, Obrien | Burgess, Smith

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The Red Kites cannot let their guard down. Going by rank, this should be a relatively easy game for Ethane. Yet, resting on your laurels is not the approach to take; a win was expected against Gyatso-Kai, but they managed to pull of a draw and take 2 points from us. Burgess will be hoping to make it on to the scoreboard, but he will need better service from the other offensive players - the presence of Underwood may help with this. Pemecutan are a more offensive team than the teams Ethane have played so far. Pandu Oka Jaya looks to be a key figure in the team up front, but other players such as Rama Karyadi certainly pose a threat as well. The Ethani strikers are going to have to work to get past Adiguna as well, who has some solid saves up their sleeve.

Ethane vs The Fortem
Lineup: Araújo | Woods, Collins, James, Turner | Zavala, Kjaer, Roberts, Headley | Cole, Smith

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The Fortem Firebirds will be coming to The Marianne Detreux Stadium in Southern Hampton in what should be an entertaining, if not close, match. Ethane will be hoping to easily roll over The Fortem, although know that they have some talent that can pose a threat to their chances. Weiss is the person we reckon The Red Kites need to keep an eye on; he can slip under the radar but has hidden skills that could surprise. Bakerman is also using this game as an opportunity to rest some key players - Burgess, Wilburn-Mason, Underwood, Montoya. He'll be hoping he doesn't have to sub them on to ensure they get a solid rest, with an eye towards some of the harder fixtures Ethane have coming up in the group.

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Schedule and Stats

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MD1: Hampton Island 0-0 Ethane @ Golden Bear Stadium, Stafford City
MD2: Ethane 0-0 Gyatso-Kai @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD3: Pemecutan (316) vs Ethane @ Pemecutan
MD4: Ethane vs The Fortem (UR) @ The Marianne Detreux Stadium, Southern Hampton
MD5: Darkmania (80) vs Ethane @ Darkmania
MD6: Ethane vs Lisander (85) @ Newton-Smith Arena, Letson
MD7: Lo Santano (190) vs Ethane @ Lo Santano
MD8: Brenecia (11) vs Ethane @ Kingsgarden, Rozelle
MD9: Ethane vs Nethertopia (UR) @ The Marianne Detreux Stadium, Southern Hampton
MD10: Ethane vs Hampton Island (37) @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD11: Gyatso-Kai (112) vs Ethane @ Gyatso-Kai
MD12: Ethane vs Pemecutan (316) @ Newton-Smith Arena, Letson
MD13: The Fortem (UR) vs Ethane @ Bayne Arena, Fortem City
MD14: Ethane vs Darkmania (80) @ King Edward Stadium, New Sarum
MD15: Lisander (85) vs Ethane @ Lisander
MD16: Ethane vs Lo Santano (190) @ Newton-Smith Arena, Letson
MD17: Ethane vs Brenecia (11) @ King Edward Stadium, New Sarum
MD18: Nethertopia (UR) vs Ethane @ Nethertopia

[Mavinet]

© Bóng Tròn Magazine
Know Your Government – WC86 Edition: Books, balls and backpacks
by Dang Duc Tri, Associate Sports Editor

World Cup 86 has officially started! Although not as exciting and grand as the final tournament, the qualifying stage still has its shares of thrills and heartbreaks. For Mavinese football fans, there is also hope that the national team can do well and one day make the prestigious tournament proper. That is, of course, a joy for the future. For now, let’s turn our attention to the first pair of qualifying games for the Water Buffaloes.

The Water Buffaloes opened the qualifying campaign with a difficult first match with the second seed Terre Septentrionale on away ground. Head Coach Minh Quan’s squad fought bravely, but in the end they were bested by a superior group 2 goals to 4. Center back Ha Van Thao pulled one back for the Water Buffaloes in the 42nd minute after the team trailed by 2 goals in the first 30 minutes, and Vu Tien Linh capped off a good team play to score another consolation goal in the 77th minute. The scorers for Terre Septentrionale were Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa (8th minute), Sandie McCracken (27th minute and 53rd minute), Roksana Kolodziejczyk (81st minute).

Fortune returned to Mavinet in the second match with Damukuni. Facing another capable team at home, Head Coach Minh Quan chose a better containment approach compared to the first match. Coupled with a clinical front, Mavinet turned most of the counter-attacks into significant threats, five of which were converted in goals. Vo Thanh Hai had a double in the 18th minute and 39th minute; Tran Hoang Minh bagged one for himself in the 25th minute with a powerful curved shot; and Ho Vu Thanh Hoang capped off a strong performance from the team with two goals in the 58th minute and 86th minute. The match ended 5-1 for Mavinet

For a more detailed highlights of the match, please turn to page 4 for an article by my colleague Pham Ngoc Le.

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Headquarter of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In this article, I am happy to bring you the first civic lesson of this World Cup season. What better way to start one of the most important sporting occasions in the world than to make a visit to the government agency that govern sports in our country? (Alright, I know there ARE better ways, but stay with me). Let’s have a look at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Established in 1942 as the Ministry of Cultural Development, this government agency’s initial goals were to promote cultural policies and regulate the socio-cultural aspects of life in Mavinet. That would be your museums, libraries, cinemas, performance centers etc. As the country developed economically and politically, the Ministry grew to manage more as well, adding sports and tourism into its domain. The name “Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism” was established in 1970 when the Tourism Administration Authority and the General Agency for Sports were incorporated into the Ministry as specialized departments. The name has stayed the same since then.

For a more inside perspective, we arranged a meeting with the Honorable Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Thanh Hoa at the Ministry’s headquarter, 64 Cong Hoa Street in Dai Hoa. Mister Minister had graciously accepted our invitation for a short meeting, sharing with the magazine and our readers what the Ministry is about and how the current World Cup qualifiers fit into their daily operation.

1. A lot of people in our country still don’t know much about the activities undertaken by our government agencies. As the head of one such agency, can you summarize what the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism do?

“Sure! In short, we provide guidelines and support for activities related to Mavinese culture, sports and tourism. How do we do that: through policies and instructions, sometimes sanctions if necessary. I can cite the government’s books on what our operations and goals are, but I won’t because that would be so boring, even for me. Let’s use examples: We promote artistic development in the country through policies providing grants for artists, musicians, performers. We regulate how museums need to handle their artifacts and present their collections so that the people can understand more about Mavinese culture and history. We sanction unethical companies or agencies that violate our regulations in the tourism industry so tourists can safely enjoy visiting places in the country. We plan for the development of different sports through planning sessions and documents with the specific sports’ governing bodies. That’s just a few examples of the works we do through our various departments, but the gist is the Ministry creates and maintains a favorable and fair environment for socio-cultural activities to take place.”

2. Mavinet have just started participating in the world’s sporting stage recently, especially in football, and have made some success in our steps. What were the determining factors in these achievements and how do you assess the country’s current development in this area?

“The government’s focus in sport development has been initiated in the early 2000s, long before our first participation in the major international sporting events. At that time, it was decided that sports and tourism would be the bridges for us to reach the international stage. The Ministry created several specialized bodies to oversee the reform of our domestic sport systems like the Professional Football Committee that later became a part of the Mavinet Football Association or the National Endowment for Sport Development. Domestic sport clubs then were incentivized to turn professional; the competitions were professionalized as well; and youth development was being invested in more and more. It took several years but we finally arrived at a point where our athletes and clubs were developed enough to participate in the regional and international competitions. In my opinion, our early successes came as a result of careful planning and execution of a professional development plan for our domestic sport scene. We did not rush the process and the products of our modernization were tested early at the junior levels. Of course, there were also the talents of the players and coaches, and the luck afforded to our teams.

As for the current development, we are still maintaining pace on the established plan. The domestic football leagues were recently reorganized to further incentivize improvement. Now that we have participated on the world’s stage, the government is considering expanding our interaction with the world, with the proposal to set the guidelines for clubs to permanently employ foreign players being one that is in the discussion at this moment. Mavinet should keep the upward momentum in the sporting community, and we at the Ministry are working to ensure that is the case.”

3. How does the current World Cup qualifying campaign fit into the works of the Ministry?

“As you may have expected, it fits right into what we do. The Ministry communicate closely with the Football Association to make sure the objectives, plans and rewards for the national team are clear. With regard to logistics, the Ministry makes sure the FA receive the funding and support for things like transportation, accommodation, personnel… We want the team to have the best possible living and training conditions so they can focus on getting results. And of course, the promotion of our home matches, supporters organization, broadcasting right for away matches… those are all parts of our responsibilities. During this time, there will be visitors, tourists if you will, from other countries coming to see their teams play ours so that’s within our domain as well. These are good times for tourism and cultural promotion.”

4. On a more personal note: Which team do you think will win this World Cup?

“Can I say Mavinet? Aside from Mavinet? I would say I like to see our Rushmori neighbor Cassadaigua bring home the cup. I might be biased but who isn’t. They are a big team, they have won it before and they certainly have the ability to do it again. As the head of the ministry responsible for sport development, I get to work closely with the authorities in Cassadaigua and I have to say they are very professional and advanced. They have also helped us a lot with our sport programs, so I certainly hope they can claim the highest honor this time.

Due to the restraint of time and space, we could not take too much time from the Honorable Minister or publish the full interview here. The above are just the most relevant excerpts from the meeting with Mister Minister. For the full interview, please check out our video and transcription on bongtron.com.

That’s it for this issue’s Know Your Government – WC86 Edition. Thank you for reading and we will see you next time at our next stop: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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MAVINET - 2
42' Ha Van Thao
77' Vu Tien Linh

TERRE SEPTENTRIONALE - 4
8' Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa
27' Sandie McCracken
53' Sandie McCracken
81' Roksana Kolodziejczyk

MAVINET - 5
18' Vo Thanh Hai
25' Tran Hoang Minh
39' Vo Thanh Hai
58' Ho Vu Thanh Hoang
86' Ho Vu Thanh Hoang

DAMUKUNI - 1
65' ???