World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

by **Springmont** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:06 am

"The Linderham International Tour places the state on the world map," said Mayor Noah Abbott when he gave the starting signal to this great competition, which brings together the best of cycling worldwide.

Locate Linderham on the map, in Northern Malaya, with this race where cyclists will give their best to get the best place in this fair, said the state president, after starting this competition which will tour the entire state , for a week. Local, national and international journalists are covering this important event, which means that it will be covered and Linderham will be the point of attraction for those who are aware of the event, either on television or via the Internet.

The Linderham International Tour is placed on a par with many Northern Malaya jousts, with its good organization, logistics, the roads are in good condition, it does not ask anything of the others, said Mayor Abbott. He also commented that some of the cyclists who come today, were not in last year, which means that it had a large influx and was recognized as one of the best competitions, all participants have high quality and great performance.

It is important to note that the International Tour will pass through large town, the Brigabull, through the valley, in short, through many characteristic places of the entity, which will allow Linderham to consolidate itself, both socially, politically, culturally and sportively.

by **Trolleborg** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:27 am

Greetings, compatriors!
It’s me, Tiernes Riper.

As you always know, in the very near future our TV launches a new project, a specialized satellite TV channel "Trolleborg TV - Sport", which can be received all over the world. Today we have the CEO of the channel Alexander Limburn in the studio.

A.L. Greetings, our dear viewers! I would like to say right away that it is a great honor for me to receive this post, I am not completely sure that I deserve it, and in a month after the opening of the TV channel I will certainly submit documents for the procedure of approval of my performance by the population. We spend government money and you have every right to determine the fate of what is done with it.

T.R.: I would like to start with a visual representation of your creation. Is it true that the emblem of the channel was decided to be a troll?

A.L.: Yes. There were big disputes on this topic, - a week and two ago, if you remember, almost all the residents of the network interested in sports participated in disputes – so the decision, you can be sure, was made taking results of discussion into account. If you remember, at the opening of "Trolleborg Wings" we all discussed for a long time which symbol to take, and decided for something neutral. Well, with the TV channel, taking into account the opinion of our public and general shifts in the consciousness of the world community ...

T.R.: Let me interrupt you, what do you mean?

A.L.: Well, in the last couple of years - and not least as a result of our "policy of openness" and its derivatives, including sports - trolls have moved in the public consciousness elsewhere in the Multiverse from the ranks of outright villains to the category of quite worthy members in the family of the peoples of the world. People stopped being afraid of us and considered us as monsters, we were able to get rid of the flair given to us by fairy tales and myths. Now we are just one of the many peoples of the universe, albeit with our traits, some of them quite outlandish for outsiders.

T.R.: An interesting observation ... But back to the theme. Why is the troll as a symbol?

A.L.: So we decided that it is already possible to use our national symbols without fear that negative connotations will outweigh this move, and this emblem will immediately distinguish us from everyone else.

T.R.: We are glad to hear that the channel is immediately trying to stand out visually. And how else i will stand out apart from a multitude of others?

A.L.: You know, we have watched almost everything that exists in the world of sports broadcasting, worked out our options. Apparently, over time, we will implement the idea of integrating with the media of other countries that are most interesting for our viewers, we will repost sports news, and it will be possible to follow the links to the world's sports channels from the portal of our channel.

T.R.: What you planned to offer to viewers?

A.L.: Well, right now we decide not to come up with anything fundamentally new, although there were suggestions to think about novelties more strongly. Basically there will be a news feed: goals, points, seconds, positions in the table, but plus there will certainly be video inserts in 3D about the most important events.

T.R.: Broadcast full 3D matches planned?..

A.L.: No, they are not provided, most countries do not have such an opportunity to view them properly, so there is no point. So, only highlights for especially large events, such as decisive matches of championships, cup finals and most famous events. Well, and replays of the memorable matches of our teams on the international arena also. The question of the need for a talk show is being discussed.

T.R.: And?..

A.L.: So far, we, TV people, are inclined to think that this format is not particularly needed. But your voice, dear viewers, is more important to the cause than our considerations, in the end it's we work for you. Therefore, participate actively in the discussion if you have a different opinion.

T.R.: And what, if this is not a secret, will be offered to the world viewer fundamentally new? He's probably try everything already, since he has so many channels to choose from?

A.L.: Well, our television in this time will inevitably be brighter and more lively than its competitors - not because we are greatests fellows ever, but because for the most part foreign TV channels are all the same. Will we be able to go further along this road than just trump our advanced technical capabilities, will we be able to present an interesting enough media product so that when buying a package of satellite channels abroad, people will ask meticulously “do you really have Trolleborg-sport?” – this is the question. And we have a couple of trump cards in stock.

T.R.: Probably the most burning question - what kinds of sports are supposed to be shown?

A.L.: You shouldn't count on just football. Although, of course, this is the most popular sport in the world, we would like to show a wider range of sports. There will be football, hockey, rugby, handball, archers, hammer throw ... well, we will try to present our domestic entertainment to the world: troll wrestling, stone throwing, who-is-louder.

T.R.: And ... uh ... do you think it's a good export item?

A.L.: In fact, you are not the first to express doubt, but we decided that it is not worth starting a TV channel in order to feed the viewers the same as all other sports channels in the world. Let's try, see how things will go, see the viewers reaction. Let's measure the ratings after the first tests, then we'll see.

T.R.: Well, thanks for the interesting interview, and we are all looking forward to what our new face in the media will be like.

by **Blouman Empire** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 3:54 am

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Eagles Demolish Pripet Socialist Republic

Pripet gave the Eagles an early scare but teenager Liam Peach was the star act in the visiting side’s response with two goals, while Luke Cousins, Brad Hunter and Lincoln Zilva each scored to put the game to bed. Peach scored in each half as the Eagles scored five in the World Cup Qualifiers for the first time. It was the 18 year olds first time appearing in the starting line up for the campaign and has made himself undroppable. Blouman manager Lewis Parry was understandably delighted. “He is a fantastic goalscorer”. “The moments he chose the goals, they were very important moments for us. He is a very talented boy with a lot of potential and is the reason why he is in the international side despite being so young”. The victory made it seven from nine games for the Eagles and took them into second spot at the halfway point of the qualifiers. Parry may still be unhappy with the defence as they have now allowed 20 goals to be scored against them (a rate of over two per game).

Peach’s first goal was the equaliser, cancelling out Azhishchenkov Vitomir’s opener, the Pripet forward nutmegging David Parson before beating the equally hapless Henry Polinoir at the near post from a tight angle. The latest in a series of goal-costing errors in recent matches. The Eagles responded, John Miller who endured an uneven performance, found Hunter, who had switched flanks, along the left. He turned the ball inside to Ty Freltron, who relayed it across to a lurking Peach, who proved just how lethal he is with a 20-yard strike that beat Grigory Ivanov for power as much as accuracy. Cousins was soon to score his goal. A lax defence allowed Hunter a free header and was handballed by Khantsev Fyodor while the ref looked to play advantage it didn’t come and so awarded the penalty. Cousins slotted the ball past Ivanov which left Parry celebrating in the technical area. Moments later Hunter stepped inside from the left and curled the ball in which went in off the crossbar.

Almost immediately, after the second half started Parson gave away a Polinoir no chance and made the score 3-2. A few moments later Polinoir again looked shaky when Kudashov Lubomir beat him again at the near post, the upright that time saving him. A helter-skelter few minutes took a new twist when Pripet had a goal disallowed for offside but then so did Cousins, before Peach restored the Eagles’ two-goal lead. This strike, again, was superb, the midfielder skipping wide and hitting home a right-foot finish. Zilva took a 20-yard free-kick flying over the wall and into the near top corner and that finished the game 5-2.

Parry said it was a game the visiting home side would’ve enjoyed, before praising his forward his players “They are on the same team and working towards one common goal this is a big factor in our success”. The Eagles will next play Xanneria, but this time the Eagles won’t have the home crowd behind them that Parry said was an important part of their 1-0 win. Xanneria manager Myrone Rhule had some words to say after that match something Parry was asked about “His comments don’t affect me but clearly we have gotten into his head, if he is thinking and worrying about us that means he isn’t focusing on his team if he wants to focus on us and not his team that already gives us the upper hand”.

by **Taeshan** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:50 am

"It must be weir to earn 150 odd caps for your nation, play so well internationally, multiple World Cups, etc, and still wonder if you're good enough"?

"I mean weird to you, but I also have known nothing else but that mental state. Thinking in my head you're not good enough. I didn't play my natural position for half my career because Santiago Santiago was the best Left Back in the Country, and then Santiago Santiago was too settled to move over to Right Back. So many reasons."

"That must have annoyed you"?

"It was somewhat of an open secret that me and Santiago had a less than fun relationship. It was the sort of thing where you think you and a player get along because you play the same sort of way, and you both can play, but he was always in my way. I wanted to play on the Left Side, but no so long I had to be a Right side guy. I had to use a foot that just didn't hit the ball the way I wished. Of course I was apt, I was skilled, but I think for a few years of my international skill I got used to being more defensive, by the time I moved the the left it was quite a surprise to the fans that I was as good on my natural foot as I was, especially as Moresville sort of hampered my attacking play."

"What was it like being constantly in relegation scraps as a young player"?

"Rough. When you have to be mentally on at all times, and any mistake is punished it's a crazy feeling. With the national team I could count on one hand the amount of times I had to play each game worried about failure, worried about being the person who failed the team. Moresville every game was a worry. Every game us losing could mean relegation. We weren't that good, we didn't compete much, and it's surprising how many times at the end of the season we'd look at ourselves, usually in a playoff and then just sigh in relief."

"What was a relegation playoff like"?

"Well you usually won those. Up and down the system maybe 1 relegation playoff was lost, besides that time Williams Isle was embarrassed by Al Haxire, it just didn't happen often in the Premier League ones. Once the Siebte division was fully realized you saw more and more down the table, but the Premier League relegation battle was kind of cushy if you made a playoff. The second division just wasn't on the level. That's why so many promoted sides head straight back down, Celtic Rangers had that horrid season, Al Haxire had one a few years prior. The league is set-up for the powers to compete, and the other teams to rotate like a chicken on a spit."

"Do you think you leaving Moresville when you did caused strife?"

"Most certainly. I loved being home, we know how hard it was for my family for me to leave. But the fans loved me, and I was their second Left Back national team product in a row. But I left before we got knocked down and had to get up again. I left on my own terms, earned the Owls a lot of money, and moved forward. Sometimes you are bigger than the club you are at, and I was bigger than Moresville, even as a late teen. No doubt in my mind."

by **Zwangzug** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:28 am

The Bassabook Baritone

Brandon Sonnabend has reached out to his Verceolan counterpart, Joseph Peters, on the status of saxophones in the Allied Nation. "As was discussed during the qualifying draw, many of us in Zwangzug consider saxophones to be beautiful and expressive instruments, even if the representative from South Covello did not admire my enthusiasm," Sonnabend was quoted as saying. "However, I recognize that they are linked to the jazz tradition, and that such improvisational methods may not be welcomed in the unflinchingly scientific society of Verceola. Please advise."

Zwangzug will visit Verceola at the end of qualifiers, and there's no telling whether there will be much or little to play for; the first seeds currently top group 17, but Abanhfleft are two points (international style) behind, with many others following closely. Sonnabend has to date shown no intentions of reinstituting archaic traditions such as having the national anthem performed by saxophone (singing might be too patriotic), but one never knows.

"Were our fans to bring instruments or other oversized baggage to the game," he went on, "it would be important to know whether these would be searched and/or confiscated. I mean, some of the oboists have those little knives for their reeds, those might be dangerous in the wrong quarters."

Zwangzug won the matchday nine encounter behind a goal from Gordon Blum; all visiting fans were welcomed without incident, except for a couple with Chopin sheet music in their suitcases who had to pay the import tax for promoting "overly emotional and subjective expression."

--

The Nautilus Cycling Team has announced that Sarah Espin and Mikhail Struve have qualified for its racing team next season. Nautilus is known for its oddly-philosophical approach to disciplines such as the omnium (track), but Espin and Struve are noteworthy for their allegiance to the Divine Host of Archangels, an obscure sect that has grown in adherents thanks to immigration and vocal proselytizing. Many DHA faithful refuse to interact with those outside of their religion, but Espin has claimed she will have no difficulty assimilating. "By the aid of the Glorious Seraphim, I shall obtain transcendence and overcome the limitations of my earthly flesh," she announced. "And perhaps if fortune smiles upon us, Mikhail of the Worshipful Cherubim or myself may even obtain victory in this nation where we are rejected and despised." Espin declined comment on what, exactly, motivated her to compete in such a location.

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:47 am

By Peter Davis

If you would have told us at the beginning of the campaign that this home match against Tikariot would be a battle for 2nd in the group the I think many wouldn't believe you. TJUN-ia and Tikariot, fighting for 2nd?! Impossible! But here we are, MD9 in TJUN-ia City, and that is exactly the situation we find ourselves in - Jaguars and Snowy Owls fighting it out for 2 Top 2 before the first half break. No one quite knew how they did it but coming into tonight, David Seems and Stuart Ekstrom had led their men to this position and neither wanted the other take a mental advantage heading into the 2nd half of the campaign.

No one quite knew what to expect in this clash, but Tikariot started stronger. Within 4 minutes they were ahead, Adrian Grimaud the man who did it. From that point on, it was pure chaos. No goals were scored but chances were aplenty and the scoreline could have easily bloated to scoragami-level territory. But other than that early goal from Grimaud, nothing else to report as TJUN-ia slumped to a 3rd defeat in 4 games.

But it isn't all that bad at all. 3rd after 9 games is a definite improvement form last time and Seems' side is arguably playing their best football in history. Still, the maths is simple: we are 7 points behind leaders Mriin, 3 behind Tikariot, 2 ahead of both South Newlandia and Union Europae and 3 ahead of both Port Ember and the Southern Palm Islands. There is a long train of teams behind us and we need to ensure that not only is the gap ahead decreasing but the gap behind is increasing.

The 2nd half begins in Tiankong against Filindostan before we travel to the nightmare known as Se Vende Skooma. Can we make Top 2 from this position? There's a chance, but we must play well from here on out. GO JAGS!

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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD3: @Natanians and Nosts (114) - Stadion Nacional (?) D 0-0 (1st)
MD4: @Port Ember (38) - Lilly Black Memorial Stadium, Port Ember Megalopolis W 1-0 (1st)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD5: vs Union Europae (UR) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky D 0-0 (1st)
MD6: @Mriin (16) - Haven, Maal L 1-3 (2nd)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD7: vs South Newlandia (87) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong L 2-3 (4th)
MD8: @Southern Palm Islands (310) W 1-0 (T-2nd)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD9: vs Tikariot (243) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City L 0-1 (3rd/4W-2D-3L/+2GD/14pts)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD10: vs Filindostan (50) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD11: @Se Vende Skooma (344)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD12: vs Natanians and Nosts (114) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD13: vs Port Ember (38) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD14: @Union Europae (UR)
MD15: vs Mriin (16) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD16: @South Newlandia (87) - Jecken Arena, Newport
MD17: vs Southern Palm Islands (310) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MD18: @Tikariot (243) - Dhaencunor Arena, Tikariot City

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:26 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with Graham O'Doherty

I'M NOT PANICKING, YOU'RE PANICKING

Hello guys, and welcome back to another edition of The Football Fallacies with me, your gay Irishman Graham O'Doherty. Right, before things get a little bit too busy for me around here, let me just let all you guys know that for the next few days, I'm going to be off to Neu Engollon to cover the AVBF Sevens for The Rugby Rundown, so if you notice activity here in The Football Fallacies goes down a little bit then you'll know the reason. The AVBF Sevens like all rugby sevens tourneys is very quick; I don't expect to be in Neu Engollon for more than four days at most. I don't think I'm gonna miss any international weekends while I'm there, but in any case nabbing a stream is always easier as far as football is concerned. Try to find a stream for some rugby sevens? Good luck with that!

Anyway, we come to the final game of the first half of the qualifiers for the 86th World Cup. Man, has it really been nine games into qualifying already? The first games seem oh so far away in the sands of time... Anyway, it's the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft versus the Confederacy of Squornshelan Remnant States. Try saying that three times fast. All right, all right, I'll make it easier for you: it's Abanhfleft versus West Squornshelous. Funny, they seem to think that that particular name is the real tongue twister, but I don't seem to have a problem with it at all. West Squornshelous. West Squornshelous. I don't know. Maybe it's the way I say it that makes it slide off the tongue a little bit better than usual. It's definitely hell in a hand basket to type into your favorite search engine though. Can't use just "the Confederacy" to search for it as well because all it brings up is some kind of rebellion to keep their slaves or whatever. Strange, the things you find on the Internet.

Back on topic then. Abanhfleft were sitting pretty at the top of Group 17 but holding off the likes of Zwangzug only by goal difference. I wouldn't say that things were looking peachy, but the prospects were certainly much better than the last few qualifying campaigns. A trip to West Squornshelous was in the cards for us, and if we wanted to hang on to first place we needed to win here. Well, for lack of a better word, we certainly tried.

You know what, I think I should make it a point to never big up one of our younger players once they're beginning to get good ever again. Last time around I talked about how Hiroko Kellerman was probably the backup striker that Kelly McGinnis, Ginny Katesmar and the women's national team had been looking for their whole lives after being spoiled rotten by the Stuart-Rousseau tandem, and in this game, you wanna know what happened? Yep, Miss Kellerman became as useful on the pitch as a screen door on a submarine. Every single touch would not go her way. On the rare times she did manage to get the ball under control and not simply put it on a plate for a Squornshelous player to take, she would miss the goal by so much that it would have been honestly better if she hadn't attempted a single shot at all. Bless the other lasses though, they really tried to get her into the game. Might have been detrimental to the team as a whole in hindsight, but given how well Hiroko's been playing in the last few qualifiers it was understandable. I told you, I'm a walking breathing jinx.

I mean, this was really a team effort, literally. Everyone contributed their fair share of the effort to see this result across the line. Not their fault that the Squornshelous team were doing their darndest to see the result across the line as well. Overall a crazy game. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with heart problems. If you don't have heart problems or anxiety then feel free to watch this game. A classic "great for the neutrals" game; not so much for the supporters on either side obviously.

Given that we were only able to draw against Squornshelous today and Zwangzug scraped through a 1-0 win against Verceola, we're no longer first place in Group 17. That honor now goes to Zwangzug, and they've got a two-point advantage. Now I'm not saying that it's time for us fans to panic just yet, but it is slightly worrying that after a good run of victories we've begun stumbling our way through the rest of the qualifiers once again. This is a common trend for Abanhfleft. Why are we always surprised when this happens? It's always happened, and there appears to be nothing in the world that could change that. Not prayers, not players, not hope, not pessimism, not culture change, nothing. Not even rolling with the punches helps because it just allows the punches to come harder and faster. Remember guys, there's still the second half of qualifying to go. Lots and lots of opportunities for this team to muck this up. I really want to support this team with all my heart. Honestly, I really do. But given the history of all the other Fleftic teams I've supported with all my heart, there's still room for this hopeless gay man to lose the last bit of lingering hope I didn't even know I had left. XOXO from Graham....

WEST SQUORNSHELOUS 3 - 3 ABANHFLEFT
     KAZAROV (18')       LINER (25')
    AJAO (57' pen)       McGINNIS (29')
     VLADCIK (68')       WOODWARD (87')

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:34 am

Previous RP (TGI - Ch 2 Part 9)
Previous RP (Poafmersia - Ch 2 Part 8)

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 2: A tale of 2 nations
Part 10: Notion of Time

Adnan Suliaha couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at the 2 team sheets in front of him. On the left was an archive he got from the newspaper archives from a certain nation, which was the roster of Lovisa more than 140 years ago, during the 15th World Cup. On the right was the team roster sheet of Lovisa, for the 86th World Cup qualifiers.

The Lovisa Team for WC15 RANK: 49
Goalkeeper:
[nr. 1] Piotr Jedlinski (age:26, club:FC Keno Neuville)

Defenders:
[4] Jacek Lacheta (23, FC Leve)
[17] Krystian Biel (21, Telecom Cxal Shepenyagah)
[3] Morten Solem (24, FC Leve)
[19] Sebastian Vilgoor (21, FC Leve)

Midfielders:
[6] Grzegorz Siedlecki (26, Edda EB Ulfborg)
[21] Jacek Szymanski (22, RCL Atma)
[5] Valdek Kulig (30, RCL Atma)
[8] Andrzej Górka (26, Telecom Cxal Shepenyagah)

Strikers:
[12] Georg Lunz (22, Bearnaise F.C. /Giant Zucchini/)
[9] Henrik Baecker (25, EDF Atma)

Reserves:
[2] Miroslaw Jagoda (GK) /23,FC Leve/
[7]Marek Kossowski (D) /24,EMC Goar/
[10]Vincent Moreux (D) /21,FC Keno Neuville/
[11]Piotr Corey (M) /27,Lovos-Renault Atma/
[14] Mariusz Lem (M) /22, EDF Goar/
[18]Mariusz Palczuk (S) /25,EBBC Bosch Atma/
[20]Leszek Tylko (S) /28,RCL Atma/

Coach:Pawel Janas /age:37/

The Lovisa Team for WC86
Style: +2

Goalkeeper:
[1] Fritjof Sievers (26, Metropolitano, Cafundeu)
[4] Jason McCouler (28, Visby Quarcoo)
[18] Marcel Dalbier (23, EMC Goar)

Defenders:
[19] Sebastian Vilgoor (23, Clube Imperial, Cafundeu)
[17] Krystian Biel (23, SD Borland Leve)
[31] Christian Hartwig (26, Blaupunkt Leve)
[22] Matti Leppisoe (23, Atma Teatanic)
[7] Christian Goor (24, EMC Goar)
[10] Vincent Moreux (21, Edda EB Ulforg)

Midfielders:
[5] Jan Sandler (22, Lovos Atma)
[8] Eric Tamme (25, Blaupaunkt Leve)
[2] Philip Meehan (28, Visby Quarcoo)
[3] Constantin Pappanidoulis (28, LKS Perros-Guirec)
[11] Sebastian Kremer (26, EBBC Bosch Atma)
[24] Andre Blazer (26, AG Bitola Quarcoo)
[14] Hakon Indgaard (22, Telecom Cxal Shepenyagah)

Strikers:
[12] Georg Lunz (24, América, Cafundeu)
[33] Mariusz Franke (27, Lovos Atma)
[9] Henrik Baecker (25, Porto Lacruz, Cafundeu)
[6] Austin Cirillo (25, EMC Goar)
[15] Diego Valderrama (28, ASC Calvena Goar)

Coach:Henryk Kasperczak /age:46/

Annotations made by Adnan Suliaha

<-- This player looks extremely familiar (1)

<--- Wait so does this player (2)
Wait this is (2), 2 years older -->
And this is (1), 2 years older -->

(3) And this appears on the left too! But this person didn't age? -->

<--- This player will age by 2 years old (4)
<--- But this player does not age (5)

<--- Links to the player above (3)

(4) -->

(5) Yup did not age at all -->

When Adnan pointed this out to Katiri, Katiri was like, "what if they are like decedents of the others, and somehow they have the same names?"
"That was what I thought at first, and until I found this one." Adnan took outa third piece of paper, which bore the name "Oxen Cup 11". "This was held approximately between the 46th and 47th World Cup, in case you are wondering." He hands the piece of paper over to Katiri.

Katiri stared at the roster list, shocked at what he was seeing... "So these players don't age?"
Adnan smiled at Katiri. "Don't you find their playing styles rather...old school?"
"What was old school about it? They are playing a standard 3-4-3 formation, nothing wrong about it."
"But it wasn't any typical 3-4-3. Typically, the position of the playmaker goes to the wide forwards, which is what we employ with Pete being the one providing all the balls to Shakira. For them, their midfielders are the ones giving the ball, creating chances for the front 3 to pick up."
"Maybe it is just the strangeness of the multiverse, how time is fluid everywhere. In Audioslavia, they have 4 years between every World Cup, yet we only have it between 2. Some people have their IFCF club competitions all within a short time period, others have it weekly in between domestic matches like us. Our calendar states that the World Cup Qualifiers is done in one go - this may not be the case in just another nation outright. To Lovisa, maybe they just had numerous World Cups in 1 year, such that what happens over 100 years for us happens in just 2 years."
"So...how do you rate our performance against a team that has historically done so well in the World Cup?"
"They were one of the first teams in the World Cup Hall of Fame right?"
"Yes, you are right."
"I think our players played really excellently. After the defeat against Juvencus, they have bounced back really stronger, something which I am slowly seeing from the team. It was just like how we never gave any chance in the IAC after that loss (against Squidriodia), we just came into every match trying to get better and the players promptly delivered the results."
"We need to work hard over these 5 days, trying to ensure that we do not lose against Audioslavia or the Holy Empire."
"Of course we have to. If the players are feeling hungry to get wins, then if we do enough work, we won't fail badly against either of those teams again."

For Jabik Henderson, watching the Poafmersia team defeat Lovisa in Libira live brought him back memories of the very first World Cup qualifiers. Then, Poafmersia was just a nation that broke through the Baptism of Fire, and were wrecking havoc by defeating stronger sides like Bolgano, Squornshelous, and The Macabees on their way to getting a really good performance out of Group 5 of the qualifiers. Watching the players grow more confident, more mature, and more close-knitted as a team was something that Jabik was really thankful for.
Sometimes, Jabik wished that he was born few years earlier, to be able to play with the team and truly be part of this generation of stars. Players all approaching or at their peaks putting in performances after performances to show that they can truly cause an upset over long-time qualifiers Audioslavia. Maybe all the glory would be with him if he is still part of this team now. However, after his retirement, the players only seemed to do better. In a "Group of Death" last cycle, the players got in a win against Brenecia, 2 draws against Reçueçn, among other results, that ensured that they improved on their point per game ratio. Then they went on to win the Independents' Association Cup against all odds, defeating teams who have been to the World Cup and back.
Time really flies over people's fingertips. It does so so fast, that every time you blink, a few "periods of little forevers" dissipate. What was thought to be a difficult challenge, such as winning a major trophy, or getting close to qualifying for the World Cup, is silently getting changed currently, and everything seems to be within reach right now. Poafmersia has achieved the first aim of getting a trophy within the first 10 years; they have gotten into the top 32 associations on the club level; and now have a very good chance of getting into the World Cup, playoffs at least. The team will go into the 5 day break trying to prepare to defeat Audioslavia once again, this time in front of the home crowd. Win over Audioslavia, and Poafmersia may very well have taken their own fate into their own hands.
Times may have changed. The world may have grown into something really different. Poafmersia's step out of isolation into the multiverse's embrace has gotten really well. However, there is always the unknown of tomorrow. What challenges will we face? Will there be obstacles that will try to hinder us from progressing? If anything, Jabik has learnt one thing about tomorrow -
Whatever happens tomorrow, our aspirations will never change.

Poafmersia 2
Monesty Erdos 18' (assist by Joel Haodao)
Shakira Handris 62' (assist by Joel Haodao)

Lovisa 1
Georg Lunz 80'

Starting 11: Sandi Jaliaha; Nasri Sanchez, Pasits Rikachz, Alex Hoboson, Natalia Abbott; Gisiik Moonar, Ftiks Wariq, Daas Taisg; Joel Haodao, Shakira Handris, Monesty Erdos
Substitues: None

Starting 11 against Audioslavia and The Holy Empire:
(3-4-3) Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Hoboson, Danzik Hoboson (c), Nasri Sanchez; Dargis Walshor, Arnold Shwentin, Gisiik Moonar, Whitney Rios; Hansel Tang, Shakira Handris, Pete Carisa

by **Tikariot** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 8:33 am

Alistair McIntosh: Good mordayaftervening, ladies and gentlemen!

Duncan Haldane: Are you ok, Alistair?

Alistair McIntosh: Yes, why?

Duncan Haldane: Oh, nothing, nothing... Carry on.

Alistair McIntosh: From wherever you are tuning in, we bid you welcome for our half-way show with our report on our match in TJUN-ia and where our group and everybody else stands after the first half of the World Cup qualification done. With me in the studio, as usual, Duncan Haldane, Martin Seagrave and Andreas Svedberg and gentlemen, what a campaign so far!

Martin Seagrave: Yes, it has been exciting, at times frustrating, but still an outstanding experience overall for our first attempt to stay out of last place in the qualifiers.

Duncan Haldane: If anybody would have told me that we would be joint second after eight match days I would have tried to figure out what they were on and try to get some of the same. But let's have a look at our game in TJUN-ia first, coincidentally the nation we had been joint second with, shall we?

Andreas Svedberg: Absolutely. So as expected we had a few line-up changes compared to our win against Nathanians and Nosts. Eren Knox coming in for Thomas, Adil Al Hak replacing Liniack, Donald Jowlit returning for McTierney and Wagstaff and Grimaud joining in instead of Sheffield and Aspinall, so quite a few changes actually, but that is normal for a campaign as long as this one.

Martin Seagrave: Yes, you cannot expect everybody to play every game and even if you are on a streak here, you don't want to burn out anybody, because you never know what is going to happen.

Alistair McIntosh: So with Nighthorse, Wagstaff and Grimaud we have three technically wingers on the field and not dedicated centre forward. How does that make tactical sense for this game, especially given the importance?

Andreas Svedberg: Well, TJUN-ia so far has the second best defense in the group, so it looks like Stuart Ekstrom was trying to bring more fluidity to the game and make it less predictable. Nighthorse and Grimaud already have been switching sides frequently, now if you add Wagstaff to it, you can rotate left, right and centre and get this flexibility to hopefully tear holes into the defense, because I didn't expect a whole lot of goals for this game.

Alistair McIntosh: But wouldn't one central point in the attack be important to build the offense around?

Andreas Svedberg: Yes and no. It depends on how you play. If you come over the wings a lot, but have the opposing winger pull into the box to be an option for the ball, then it is less important. And with three wingers you can have them roam around and pull the defense apart that way.

Alistair McIntosh: So the premise was clear: Try to get at least one point to stay in touch with the playoff spots and it did not take long for the game to gain momentum.

Three minutes played and it is obvious that both teams want to score here, knowing the importance of the game. Umkala playing the ball out of TJUN-nian defense, to Johnson. Tries to go forward, but Thorniley is in the way, sideways to Peliniho and on to Podolov. Goes to the goal line, cuts back to Johnson again, high ball into the box and Chatelet punches it away just inches before Green could get to it! Now Jowlit with the ball, this could be a great chances for a counter attack. Feeds the ball to Nighthorse, he manages to find an opening between Kallah and Donaldson, in the box, lays it off to Grimaud and GOAL! GOAL! 1-0 Tikariot after only four minutes and this was a picture perfect counter attack here in three quick moves from Chatelet to Jowlit to Nighthorse to Grimaud. Efficiency at work here, ladies and gentlemen!

Martin Seagrave: This is one of the idiosyncracies of two 4-3-3 teams playing against each other, quick plays can open up the game very quickly and this was one of those situations. No real mistakes here on the TJUN-ian side, they were in the forward motion, with a very nice cross by Johnson here, trying to get the ball to Green, who does manage to rise above Coronello here, but Chatelet just timed it very well, does not even attempt to catch it, but punches it out and it's pure coincidence that Jowlit is right where the ball ends up. Now pause the picture here. You can see Nighthorse and Grimaud have stayed towards the centre line and the back four are a bit disaligned because they were pushing forward. If we continue, it looks as if Donaldson and Kallah both think that the other one will move towards Nighthorse and when neither of them do, he just uses his speed to push right through and on the right Wagstaff is coming in diagonally and he pulls Umkala out of the centre and Grimaud just barely manages to outspeed McKenna and just get the tip of his foot into the path of the ball and no chance for Gylfisson there, he had to cover the near post in case Nighthorse would have tried to score himself.

Duncan Haldane: And an early goal like this gives a team confidence, especially when playing abroad. Plus it makes things a lot easier, because now TJUN-ia had to open up more in the back when trying to equalize, which in turn could gives us more chances.

Alistair McIntosh: And pushing forward they did.

That goal definitely woke them up here, because since the fourth minute they have been in full attack mode. Again Vasquez, quick high ball to Ulawaya, but Grimes is faster with a clearing header, but McKenna picks it up. Nice cross to Johnson. Tries to take on Thorniley, nutmegs him! Lay-off to Podolov, quick cut in, he goes direct! Chatelet with the foot! The ball is somewhere in there, four or five players trying to get to it, Peliniho with a shot, hits Coronello, Podolov again and Chatelet over the crossbar! This was lucky for Tikariot! Now the corner coming in from Vasquez, Umkala with the header just inches past the post!

Andreas Svedberg: Attack after attack here and they are very good in going for the man advantage wherever the ball goes. But this has two risks. One, if the ball get lost they could be outnumbered in the back and two, their pressing style takes a lot ot stamina, which they have, don't get me wrong, but it could bite them in the rear in the long run.

Duncan Haldane: And that is something very important as well as an advantage of an early goal, thank you for mentioning it, Andreas, that you can fall back at least a bit and preserve strength. You don't have to take the initiative, but can wait for a counter attack or something of the likes. On the other hand you should never ever just park the bus after a goal, because more often than not it will go wrong.

Alistair McIntosh: It did almost go wrong in the 39th minute actually!

The Snowy Owls can't wait to rescue this narrow lead into the half-time break, because offensive wave after wave is coming at Romain Chatelet's goal. Johnson goes down the right side, skips past Thorniley, he does not have a good game so far, on to Podolov, tackle by Coronello! Johnson recovers the ball, lays it back to McKenna, centred to Peliniho, he shoots! Just over the crossbar! They are becoming very wasteful with their chances here!

Martin Seagrave: And that's exactly what you just said, Duncan, if you don't convert your chances, it could happen that you will regret it after.

Alistair McIntosh: TJUN-ia with two substitutions at half time, Vasquez and Green staying in the locker rooms and Manu Kepelewako and Archer Andrews coming on for them. Given their very athletic style of play, wouldn't it have been more prudent to try to wait a little longer to bring on fresh legs?

Andreas Svedberg: Again this is a yes and no. For one we don't know, if either of them may have picked up a knock, for the other Green has not been very lucky in the centre there, so bringing on Andrews could now really make things much worse, haha.

Alistair McIntosh: The second half started roundabout the same way the first had ended, with TJUN-ia pushing forward, but Tikariot now also trying to capitalize on errors or dispossessions overall more than before.

McKenna sending Kepelewako down the left side, past Jowlit and what a tackle by Al Hak! Gets to the ball at first and still sending Kepelewako flying! TJUN-ian players complain to the referee, but he just waves it on, Jowlit, on to Grimaud, back to Jowlit, quick high ball to Wagstaff and Gylfisson has to go full stretch to get to it. Kallah hoofs it forward and Kepelewako now with the counter counter attack. Lays it off to Peliniho, fast low pass into the box, Andrews picks it up, shoots direct and Chatelet gets his fists up just in time! And corner. Johnson curls it away from goal and Coronello with the clearance!

Duncan Haldane: Even though we only had one goal so far it was a great, fast match with a lot of offensive action, but not much shots on goal for Tikariot, so off came Wagstaff and on came Sheffield and only a few minutes after Nathan Ekpetita came on for his first international cap since the IFC having joined the team after Parramore Haigh's injury has ruled him out for the remainder of the qualifiers, replacing Morris Nighthorse, who looked tired. Finally Ozan Welch replaced Marvin Thorniley, who had a pretty rough game, and at the same time Prince Carter subbed in for Peliniho, rounding out all of this game's substitutions.

Martin Seagrave: The game suffered a bit from all the changes and the flow got ruptured, plus the very physical game of TJUN-ia also began to take its toll while Tikariot opted for trying to defend their lead, leading to a lot less action and scoring chances, unfortunately, but this has been the ninth game in fairly quick succession, so I can't blame them.

Not much happening here, but maybe now, McNair gathering up the ball from Knox, he's looking for a free player, Ekpetita out left, with laser precision, Ekpetita takes it down with his chest, quick turn around Donaldson. Pushes into the box, back to McNair, he shoots! Hits Umkala in the stomach, he goes down, but the ball falls back to Sheffield, turns, shoots and Gylfisson with the save!

Andreas Svedberg: I can tell you one thing, I do NOT want to get hit by a shot by McNair in full steam!

Martin Seagrave: Oh heck no. But - another 1-0 win, away on top of it and that puts Tikariot into second position at the half-way point!

Alistair McIntosh: Speaking of which let's have a look at how our group and basically all the other groups are doing, shall we?

Martin Seagrave: With pleasure. So Mriin predictably is in the number one spot, but only four points ahead, which, looking at some of the other groups, is not all that much. Then as I already mentioned Tikariot with a three point lead over TJUN-ia. After that things tighten up considerably, two points behind TJUN-ia we have South Newlandia and Union Europae, another point behind them Port Ember and Natanians and Nosts and the rear is brought up by the Southern Palm Islands, Filindostan and Se Vende Skooma.

Duncan Haldane: Now in terms of surprises, I think that we can put ourselves into this categoru, but also Union Europae. They virtually came out of nowhere and are sitting in fifth position, also thanks to beating us on match day one, so there shall be revenge in the air. On the other side Port Ember and Filindostan are definitely two big disappointments so far, as sixth and ninth, but to be perfectly honest, I'll take that any day, haha.

Alistair McIntosh: Overall our group is not even one of the tighter ones when it comes to the qualifying race, but it has also proven that almost any team can win or at least take points of any other, Se Vende Skooma is one of the joint best last-placed teams with six points, so that makes it even harder to make any predictions outside of Mriin being clear favourites.

Andreas Svedberg: Now our statisticians have decided to play around a bit and they have come up with a little formula to factor in the pots each team was in, so that winning against a higher seeded team is worth more points and this actually shows quite a few changes here. Based on that Tikariot actually would be top of the group ahead of Mriin with Union Europae in third position.

Alistair McIntosh: Interesting, so how does it work?

Andreas Svedberg: Well, depending on the difference in seed spots there is a factor that is being applied to the points you gain. A win will always be at least three points but the bigger the seed discrepancy, the bigger of a multiplication factor you will get. In cases of draws this factor extends all the way to the negatives, so to say, so while the sum will still be two points, it can be split 1.2-0.8 or 1.8-0.2.

Duncan Haldane: I like this one better, can we keep it?

Andreas Svedberg: Haha, I wish! It is just a little playing around with the numbers, but it is interesting to see how weighting can change things around quite a bit.

Alistair McIntosh: So let's have a look at how things would look right now, if the qualification round was over after a single round robin. Looking at the group leaders first, we have 16 pot 1 teams leading the way, one pot 2 and one pot 4, with Pasarga being the former and The Sarian the latter. So a pretty solid display by the favourites.

Martin Seagrave: Definitely. They are the favourites for a reason, haha. If you look through the tables, Ko-oren, Nephara, The Holy Empire and Banija still have perfect records, with Banija scoring a staggering 49 goals in the first 9 games, which is an average of 5.44 goals per game!

Duncan Haldane: Holy! What were their results??

Martin Seagrave: Let's see. 4-0 against the Gothanita Isles, 5-1 in the Free Republic of Hong Kong, 5-0 against the Pripet Socialist Republic, 7-2 in Xanneria, 3-2 against Quakmybush, 6-1 in the Blouman Empire, 9-2 against HAIKU, 6-3 in Tamgu and finally 4-2 against Chromatika, so a very, very impressive run for the Kadongo Kamu, who show that they are the world number one for a reason.

Alistair McIntosh: Definitely. Now we have another graphic prepared (OOC: (c) Poaf) to have a look at the second-placed teams. Now the best six will qualify directly while the other twelve will face off in playoffs to determine the remaining six participants and right now Siovanija and Teusland, Vilita, Qasden, Savojarna, Eura and Poafmersia would be right in the WC proper, while Blouman Empire, Trolleborg, Main Nation Ministry, Kelssek, Plane of Possibility, 95X, Mavinet, HUElavia, Hampton Island, Abanhfleft, Tikariot and The Jovannic would be battling it out for the last few spots.

Andreas Svedberg: Again if we look at the pots, this group is very varied here. 2 pot 1, 7 pot 2, 2 pot 3, 2 pot 4, 1 pot 5, 3 pot 6 and 1 pot 7, which is us, so we have quite the spread here. This also means that we have ten pot 2 teams that currently are on the outside looking in with Terre Septentrionale, Audioslavia, Chromatika, Sargossa, Port Ember, Taeshan, Sarzonia, Darmen, South Covello and Mercedini.

Duncan Haldane: This is like a who's who of international football right here!

Andreas Svedberg: Very much so.

Alistair McIntosh: OK, before we have to go, let's have a quick look at the performance of our team or more precisely our players. In nine games we have scored 17 times so far, three times each for Morris Nighthorse, Iain Aspinall and Ellis Wagstaff, while on the assist front Nighthorse is the clear frontrunner with five, followed by Sheffield with three and a whole bunch of players with one each. Overall we have ten different goal scorers and eleven different assistants, assisters, whatever you want to call them.

Martin Seagrave: This is a very nice spread and also shows that if one player has a bad day or just has more attention by the defense, there are others that can jump in and score, so that is a very good foundation to build on.

Alistair McIntosh: Now outlook in the nearer future, aka the next two match days. Union Europae and then Mriin in Alcassar, how are we looking here?

Duncan Haldane: Well, the outlook is technically the same as at the very beginning. Hopefully three points against Union Europae, even though we all know how that ended, and then a hail Maggie pass against Mriin hoping for the best.

Andreas Svedberg: The Tikariot coaching team has sent us the preliminary line ups and for the Union Europae game our projected starting eleven will be: Chatelet, Grimes, Knox, Coronello, Liniack, Thorniley, McNair, Welch, Nighthorse, Wagstaff, Aspinall and for Mriin the only planned changes are Cumbernauld, Sheffield and Grimaud for Welch, Wagstaff and Aspinall.

Alistair McIntosh: Alright, that is it from us for now, make sure to tune in again for our live coverage as well as our analysis of these two games, see you then and stay safe!

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 9:12 am

See, everything is fine,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Early in the World Cup 86 qualifying campaign, we told you to stop looking at the group tables prematurely. As is always the case, the results don’t always go in accordance to how people think they will in accordance to the pots. Cassadaigua, after four matchdays, seemed to be in a vulnerable spot, sitting fourth on the table. At the time, I already started hearing the noise that we were going to be in trouble. Manager Stephanie Sweeney never wavered in her confidence, and I said then to wait until the midway to look at the group tables and see where we stand.

And would you look at that? Who’s in first in Group 15? Why, that would be the Fillies. Now, having said that, yes, this group is tight. Main Nation Ministry is tied with us at the top of the table, though we have the current tiebreaker advantage on them. Third place Quebec is a point back. Quebec is the interesting one, because they are the “upstart” so to speak. Pot wise, they are not one of the top seeds, but they are also a nation that everyone expects to do well. The Grim Reapers have done a great job, but they are still at that point in their climb, where they are going to have that “shock” result that probably annoys them greatly, but statistically losing 2-1 away to Devonta, on matchday six, is not really a shock result. A team in their predicament will look up at the teams like us and Main Nation Ministry and obviously get up and excited to play us, but they must keep that intensity going for the Devontas of the group. Everyone knows that, but the issue with that is the Devontas of the group see themselves as being able to play spoiler more to a team like Quebec then towards us or to Main Nation Ministry.

I do believe Cassadaigua will win this group. They won their final three games of the first half of qualifying, to put themselves at 6-2-1. You have to keep in mind, though, that this was a team that is missing two major contributors from the last campaign, and overall has five different starters in the lineup. Therefore, it was not a team that you could expect to fly out of the starting gate, and in a way that was really how things played out for this team. It was also why I was a little more vocal in my articles at the beginning in pointing out that I believe everything is going to be perfectly fine with this squad, and to downplay some of the disappointing early results. Stephanie Sweeney seemed to realize that as well, and many of things that seemed to be early problems are working themselves out. I think that the second half will be very successful for this team, as they continue to find their identity and push to the World Cup itself. You want to be peaking at the right time, and for this team, playing well in Newmanistan or Drawkland is the more important thing. Also, bear in mind that the pressure is on Main Nation Ministry and Quebec more than it is us if we play well. If we keep turning out wins, then each of those squads will feel the heat even more and realize that their fight is with each other to get that second spot.

What about the other teams in this group? Well, right now they are just looking to play spoilers to Main Nation Ministry and Quebec. Perhaps, they can rise up and grab the second spot from one of them, but with our seven point advantage over a fourth place tie between Squidroidia and Flavovespia, it is extremely unlikely that we would end up behind one of them at the end of the group stage. If we did, then we don’t deserve to be in the World Cup anyway. I do believe that there is some ability further down on the table, and sixth place Electrum is also a capable side, so as they look to make a name for themselves, we might see the qualification scenarios get interesting for other teams.

For the Fillies, the next two matches are home to Flavovespia and away to Quebec. The always outspoken Meghan Wolcott came out with an interesting post on Spacebook saying that, “I guarantee that we will defeat Quebec by at least three, allowing us to have the head to head tiebreaker over them.” The comment generated a lot of interest, and in turn, Wolcott announced what she will do if the Fillies fail to have a three-goal victory over the Grim Reapers, “I will donate one million dollars to a charity of Michel Fillion’s choice.” Wolcott and Fillion spent a lot of time jawing at one another during Quebec’s 4-2 win over Cassadaigua in Concord Heights, and Wolcott says the team is highly motivated to not only win, but to do so in a convincing manner considering the way Fillion laughed at Brooke Sutter after his first goal. “I like the nation of Quebec a lot,” Wolcott said, “but I think Fillion is a jerk. We have talked about it in our locker room, and we are ready to make a statement to him. This is why I am so confident that we are going to have a great result against them. I cannot wait for it.” Manager Stephanie Sweeney did not mind the guarantee and says, “That’s Cassadagan swagger at its finest. I am glad to see this team showing some of that, and Meghan will be that player, no doubt, to lead it.”

Forward Rachel Schanke, the captain, says she does not mind Wolcott’s guarantee, but did say, “First things first, and that is Flavovespia,” she said, “That is a very good team, much better then their record shows. It is a tough task for them to come to the Dagan Airways Stadium, and we will need to assert ourselves quickly in that match to make sure that they do not leave with a point.” Schanke comes off a hat trick against Kulefati in the 5-2 win that finished off the first half of qualifying. Fittingly, all of her goals were in the first half, coming in the 11th, 22nd, and 40th minutes. Cassadaigua also got a first half goal from Zack Pierce, occurring in the 26th minute, giving the team a 4-0 lead at the intermission. Preston Newfeld chipped one home in the 58th, making it 5-1 at the time. Following Newfeld’s goal, Preston did not celebrate and instead took a knee on the pitch, looked up and pointed to the skies, before then exchanging high fives with his teammates.

Now, the second half begins, and hopefully, we can distance ourselves from the rest of the group, and get them fighting for second place. Regardless, at the midway point, Cassadaigua is on the top of the group, just like we all expected.

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:35 am

The Tourists Guide to Kalactin- Part 1
So, you wanna visit Northwest Kalactin, huh? Admittedly it isn’t a great idea, considering that the nation just fell into anarchy a couple months ago, but I’ll try my best to help you.

Where to Visit
Well there are many places, despite our nation beating considered a 110 degree hellhole, it can be nice, at times. Maybe the best place to visit is Mendez Bay, Mendez Bay is a paradise. Temperatures tend to hover around the mid 80s, due to the close proximity to the ocean. Your best choice to get here is probably to fly down to the Coffs Harbour International Airport, and then take short half an hour long drive up to the bay. There is also a municipal airport at the bay, although most flights come in from either Gold Coast or Kempsey. Mendez Bay has some very rich history behind it, the Havoian Native Tribes were centered there, due to the nice climate you find compared to the rest of the nation. It was the 3rd largest city in the nation for a time, back when the fishing industry thrives off of the shallow waters of the bay. The town now thrives off of the tourism industry, with tons of attractions to visit. The city also has luxurious tennis courts. The courts get a great overview of the Harbour and a unobstructed view of the ocean from the seats. The courts are the only ones that have courts with grass, clay and hard surfaces in Northwest Kalactin, as most courts are hard and clay in Northwest Kalactin.

Now, let’s say you wanna go skiing, or enjoy some great mountain biking in Northwest Kalactin. Well in that case, Mt. Jarrbergen is the place for you! In the winter, it holds some of the best skiing in Northwest Kalactin, with over 125 runs that are friendly to all skill levels. The Jarrbergen Municipal Airport flies in daily from airports across Northwest Kalactin including Gold Coast, Coffs, and Kempsey. Many resorts are placed in Jarrbergen, which includes tons of kid friendly ones for family trips. There are also cross country skiing courses that take place at the base of the mountain from December to March. You can also try your hand at Bandy, which is a popular sport in the area. During the summer at Jarrbergen, you can enjoy great mountain and Road Biking for all ages. Many road biking courses run through the beautiful Williams Lake Drive, where you can take a swim and cool off in the lake during the summer. The mountain biking is the best in the nation, with over 100 runs and multiple terrain parks.

by **Kandorith** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:37 am

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

Lotus Warriors And Hayabusa Under Pressure

The results speak for themselves. After another match which ended in a draw, the voice of criticism is becoming ever larger. While during a normal season a draw against Ancherion would not be a problem; but slowly and surely it's becoming the story of the national team, which is now 8 points removed from a number one spot and seven from the number two.

It is becoming more likely that only a miracle can cause the Kandorese team to return onto the field as the heroes they once were. Currently the Warriors are lacking on every side of the field. Defensively they are a mess and when it comes to the attack, they lack finesse and finishing prowess.

The manager, Hayabusa, is still urging that the team will bounce back from this but it might as well be the final season of the once so revered manager. The Kandorese Football Association has given Hayabusa the benefit of the doubt and offered him one more game to play. Might the Kandorese national team fail to perform in the next match, he is urged to leave as the manager of the national squad. For Kandorith this would of course be a disaster on top of the very disappointing qualifying campaign so far.

The KFA and fans are on the same side however, Hayabusa has failed to impress the fans and the association so far. The Lotus Warriors look dislodged and only seem to be a shadow of the team which won the finals of the Cup of Harmony. Ranking 39th in the world; they are playing like a team which belongs in the 200's, not the top 50.

Tomorrow Hayabusa will be meeting the KFA and the Ministry of Sports in very pressing talks; no one knows what will be discussed behind the glass walls of the KFA main building, we only know it will be a pressing and unpleasant meeting for Hayabusa. The last time a manager was called to a meeting with both the ministry and the KFA, his resignation followed the very next day.

So far in the qualification campaign, the Kandorese team has been the most disappointing team of the entire group. Grossly underperforming and seemingly lost on the field, unable to even beat teams they should pass easily on paper. Football of course isn't just fought on paper, but the main word coming to mind when discussing the Kandorese national team is; "an utter disgrace". Even the Empress herself mentioned the current campaign very shortly during the weekly press conference. Her Majesty being an absolute fan of football only said she did not want to comment on the current state of the national squad, a warning Hayabusa should absolutely consider.

One thing we know for sure; the Kandorese squad has to pick up their game and bring a drastic change to their tactics. For the fans are growing tired of the abysmal performance so far and we all know that manager Hayabusa does not look comfortable with the current team either. Hopefully in the coming games things will have changed, else Hayabusa will be removed from his position which he held for so long.

   Group 9                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora                               9    7   2   0    29   12  +17    23
 2 Qasden                                 9    7   1   1    28   15  +13    22
 3 Ancherion                              9    5   2   2    17   12   +5    17
   Lochario                               9    5   2   2    17   12   +5    17
 5 Kandorith                              9    4   3   2    29   20   +9    15
 6 Kencana                                9    2   2   5     3   10   −7     8
 7 Schottia                               9    2   2   5    11   17   −6     8
 8 Emastalia                              9    2   2   5    10   16   −6     8
 9 Solharcht Kirale                       9    1   2   6     9   28  −19     5
10 Glazgo                                 9    0   2   7    10   21  −11     2

by **Kelssek** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:45 am

The Avant-match

“...Greg, you think that the transition really needs work. What do Kelssek need to do better and what did they do well in this match?”

“Yes well early on, as you can see here. Kohnhead lose possession, and they have their players form basically a pentagram. This is a classic daemonic summoning formation and they have a defensive midfielder who focuses his mana in order to quickly tap into the netherworld and channel those energies into a very compact pattern. The problem here which Kelssek do well to take advantage of is that the flanks become wide open, and that’s where precise, long range passing, a switch of play, a good counter-spell, that really can unlock this kind of defence but only if you have players with the ability to play that kind of fluid one-touch football.”

“And also, they’ve not taken into account the referee’s psychic link with his shadow clones, you know, and you have to remember the official is a part of the game and it’s a bit of a lack of awareness that the spellcasting won’t work because the referee’s chakra will interfere with the pattern.”

“You do see Aaron Korkson trying to break that psychic link, right? Which would then enable the spell to take effect. And he’s someone the Kohnhead media have really criticized for not doing enough.”

“And that’s fair because he’s not doing enough. Just not doing enough. And the result is that the ley lines get out of control and it’s actually Andrey Yusupov who’s in the apex and that stretches out the pentagram and that’s what creates the problem in the first place.”

“Quite right, and you can see it’s Tim Bowler with the ball and he’s looking around for a passing option. Yusupov is not only disrupting the summoning circle of the defence but he’s making himself available for a pass and he’s got a lot of space because the full-backs have inverted and it takes at least seven seconds for them to return from the alternate dimension. It’s a player of the match performance from the winger, and well-deserved too.”

“Can I ask what that shaded circle is all about, gentlemen?”

“Ah, yeah, that’s the zone that’s been electrified and no one can get into it, and there’s space and the angles that Thamior Liadon could have run into, and if the backline can push up and really launch an arrow, a very pointy arrow, this one’s a bit rounded, but a really pointy arrow can totally pierce the shape of this defence, and you saw something like that with Kelssek’s first goal.”

“Fascinating analysis and we’ll have more to discuss about arrows on the pitch when we come back here on The Avant-Match.”

KELSSEK 2 – Wylten (24’), Lapierre (66’)
Poirier, Liadon, Halliger, Curtin, Bowler, Tremblay-Fillon (Demetriev 71’), Lapierre, Lafrenière, Yusupov, Torshen, Wylten (Karven 65’)
KOHNHEAD 0
Stadium of the Stars, Ulyanof (attendance 41,022)

by **Valanora** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:38 pm

The first half of the Qualifiers had gone reasonably well for the Marauders, maintaining an unbeaten record and being top of Group 9 through the first nine matches of the campaign. The only two times that the side failed to record the full three points was when they faced the second and third seeds respectively, recording draws against both Kandorith and Qasden. The latter was a respectable result, having traveled to Kandorith and gotten the result in a hostile crowd against a side that had needed a victory to get their qualifying campaign back on track, though the former was a bit of a wasteful match from the Marauders. Credit to Qasden for becoming a strong second seed but the Marauders are supposed to be a step above them in the footballing hierarchy and thus dropping two points to the southwestern rivals at home was a very bitter pill to have to swallow and definitely two points lost rather than a point earned. This is especially true given that it is Qasden who sits in a second place, only a point off of the pace that the Marauders are setting for the rest of the group to try and follow.

Where could the Marauders improve to try and maintain this blistering pace and make sure that they top the group and not have to worry about a potential playoff, which is the reward most teams who come in second place will receive. The answer is definitely not in the attack, as the Marauders have put twenty-nine goals past their competition in the first nine games, which comes in at a click just above three goals a game that are being scored. I do not care if you are Bettia or Farfadillis and not really a team that is known for playing defense but if you are scoring at least three goals a match, you are going to win more often than not. Harlem Saxstrom has picked up just where she left off from the last World Cup and truly has looked to be the missing piece in the Marauders' attack, with the way she has so comfortably adapted to the role and fit in with Hawk and Thor. It is a three headed monster that opposing defenders are having a nightmare at trying to contain and if it continues in the second half, the side should be comfortably atop the group with that sort of consistent offensive outpouring.

What about the defense then, could that use a bit of work to get the Marauders a bit of breathing room from their chasing opponents? At twelve goals conceded in the first half, it is a respectable record but definitely one that could be improved upon slightly, as the team has had the trouble of keeping the better teams at bay. In that draw against Kandorith, the hosts gathered three goals against the side, a quarter of the goals that the Marauders have conceded in the entire first half of the qualifying campaign. That is a troubling trend for the side, as they are quite hungry to not only qualify but truly put in a chase for that elusive sixth title, feeling that this is their best opportunity to do so in the last two decades. There is plenty of players in the squad who are in the prime of their careers, then of course there is Hawk as well, this squad is built to win now. While the managerial staff will not be expecting to get a clean sheet in every match, doing so against some of the lower ranked teams and then trying to control the amount of chances they afford the better teams would be a good step towards getting the Marauders back to that elite level of football that they are renowned in footballing history for.

As has been said, the first half was a good but not great example of what the Marauders are capable of and that they have an unbeaten record still is a testament to the quality of the players and the discipline that the managerial staff has instilled into the side. Nine matches left to go and should the side replicate the sort of form from the first half of the qualifying campaign, then qualification to Drawkland-Newmanistan should be all but assured. That is where the discipline that has been put into the players by this managerial staff comes in, as they continue to take every opponent not as a pushover but a match in the Finals themselves and give their full effort, even if the starters are a bit rotated. There is quite a bit of potential youth players just on the edge of the national team and a few who are in the pool but a bit off the first team. Bleeding them in while maintaining their high level of professionalism and results will be the balancing act for the squad, in addition to putting a bit of daylight between themselves and Qasden so that they might show why they are indeed worthy of their top ten ranking once more.

by **Savojarna** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:52 pm

PitchNerds - Savojarna’s footballing blog
What To Think Of Our New National Players

Written by Alexander Japarov | @japa_A

One of my main jobs at PitchNerds is to scout players - most of the time, it’s about youth players, but we’re also looking at the pros - and the World Cup is a particular arena for this. It has both the best players in the world present, and therefore presents a special challenge, and offers a more diverse set of opponents than a single tournament, offering a unique combination of high-level competition and more appearances by players who don’t regularly play internationally. Savojarna have fielded a 40-man-pool (although not all players have been used yet), meaning that some players that are not commonly on the board were now seeing some strong play. I’ve collected the complete list of players to watch that Mikaela Rangren is probably thinking about bringing to Drawkland or Newmanistan, should we make it there.

There isn’t much to look at in goal, as Aleksandra Virulainen is a well-known player already, although seeing that she is indeed living up to international competition shows that the future of Savojarna’s goalkeeping position is indeed looking great. Perhaps, it is even time to soon consider bringing Sergey Sharin into the fold, as the current U21 goalkeeper has been growing well into his sudden position as leading goalkeeper of FK Torpedo Pawlograd, an often difficult position. Here, perhaps the most notable thing is just how patchy the performances of Thomas Larsen have been, struggling to control games.

Defence, however, is an interesting position, especially on the sides. Milla Viipuri’s two games thus far have shown how incredibly composed the Finn, playing at Quebec’s Swanguard Athletic, is. She has been used against Murphtannia to fill in on the right side after Flemming Skov had conceded an unnecessary yellow, and slotted into this uncommon position as well as she did on her more common left, demonstrating an astute tactical awareness. Her statistics in Quebec back this up, showing a high likelihood to win duels she takes, as well as a high quote of progressive passes, which is a sign of her being well-suited to the direct and vertical style of Rangren’s Savojarna. Eino Kiivälä, another young Finnish left back, has also shown to be a skilful defender, but has been more patchy in his overlaps. Between the two, despite her younger age, Viipuri is the more controlled player and more likely to receive future call-ups behind Pedersen.

Perhaps the most contested position, however, is the Joonas Andersson spot, the central holding midfielder. This position is on the mind of Savojarna’s community as the legendary Andersson has held it ever since Savojarna’s Baptism of Fire, back then as a young midfielder, now as a veteran and historic first Savojar Galacticos longlist member. Aged 35, Andersson’s succession is looming on the horizon, and there have been multiple approaches to the position. Otso Ilkkanen and Birkir Evaldsson have both been run as a one to one replacement, but neither has completely convinced. While Ilkkanen is offensively strong - even stronger than Andersson with his shots from long range - his defensive numbers are poor for the position, and especially his attempts are rare. On the pitch, this is visible as he is slow and often out of position. Evaldsson mimicks Andersson in his calm, magistral play, but lacks the passing accuracy of the elder midfielder, failing to live up to his superb passing stats. This means that Savojarna with Evaldsson get more predictable, as the ball is more likely to progress through Maersk, and more vulnerable to pressing as Evaldsson lacks the skill in playing long balls.

Up front, Savojarna have always (the brief Jurtanen stint excepted) been about individual talent being able to make the most out of the space conceded by opposition attacks. Rika Lundell barely qualifies as a new name anymore, but we have to mention the player who may just be the biggest hidden talent of the last five years. The playmaker proved her worth and versatility last night against Murphtannia, when she beat a significantly taller opponent in a header duel to score Savojarna’s second goal. Although twii.tur users were quick to point out the atrocious play of the defender in question, it speaks to Lundell’s quality and confidence that she has been in the position to contend a header in the first place.

But while Lundell is a name to watch, and will continue to make waves in North Laithland, there are others to watch. Especially Sergey Nweke has come truly into his own, getting a first taste of glory in the professional game in the past seasons, and now runs absolute circles around the opposition. Nweke has been incredibly good at creating chances for his allies, drawing cover and setting up goals almost more than he scores them himself, despite being a brilliant pouncer from short distances. This is a quality that few other Savojars share, as Savojar forwards tend to be short, technical and quick players in the mold of Karjanen or big, bullish players who are primarily scorers like Jotansson. Kaapo Terkala, although already 27 years old, also matches the “new style” requirement, creating a deadly and efficient hybrid of a player who is more withdrawn and technical, but still brutally egoistic, a pouncer from second row. This style, which he picked up in Quebec, has carried him to his highly successful game against the Orion Islands, and makes him one of the best statistical forwards in Savojarna, although he has not yet played any top-level opposition.

Savojarna may be more varied than ever before, and the new competition seems to have sparked motivation among established players as well. The team is looking better than in years, now being unbeaten since the Baker Park match and not having conceded a goal the last three matches, and may be bound for the World Cup Playoffs fairly soon. Some of those players may have seen their first and last stint in blue and white, especially those who are more advanced in their career and not playing much, but others are likely to become mainstays of the Savojar National Team.

HejaSavojarna91 - 2h ago - +127
I am SO EXCITED about this team! Real class in it, and Sharin/Brygg/Klaebo are still coming. HEJA SAVOJARNA we’re going to go to the world cup!
+ | - | Respond

VitaliN - 48m ago - +87
@LokForeverAndBeyond you are what is the problem with svj team, never any trust from the fans. i bet that you also think ljurbyn is better than rika bc he is taller or smth like that. we were only beaten away by cbp and you think it’s over… by thor gimme a break.
+ | - | Respond

QuebecoisPitchnerd - 5h ago - +83
All of Swanguard Athletic is so proud of Milla right now, you are killing it in this campaign! Great work by you guys, I never thought I would get into the Savojar league but you did it. Love from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec!
+ | - | Respond

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Savojar lineup for Week 6
vs. West Angola (4-2-3-1): Virulainen - Viipuri, Zirkova, Dmitriev, Loeseth - Andersson, Hoyberg - Rajala, Poulsen, Midtjaer - Nweke
Bench: Pakanen, Pedersen, Forsberg, Skov, Maersk, Voynov, Lundell, Jashkin, Jotansson.
vs. Busoga Islands (4-2-3-1): Pakanen - Pedersen, Zirkova, Forsberg, Skov - Andersson, Maersk - Voynov, Lundell, Jashkin - Jotansson
Bench: Virulainen, Viipuri, Dmitriev, Loeseth, Hoyberg, Rajala, Poulsen, Midtjaer, Nweke.

by **Chromatika** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:07 pm

Part 1: The Barbed Inn, Chromia
Part 2: The Emerald, Ming
Part 3: Killjoy, Cortez River
Part 4: Jordan's Talk
Part 5: Islander Dome, Myana

World Cup 86 Qualifying Matchday 9:

Score: Banija 4-2 Chromatika
Goals: Andisori, K. '8, Mora '52
Starting XI: Ria; Xiao - de Aea - Anderson - Ilya; Victoriane - Armageddon (C) - Conrad; Mora; Andisori, K. - Vidal.
Substitutes: Dias -> Armageddon ('52), Will -> de Aea ('61), Kuzami -> Mora ('82)

Now with Video!

The visit to Busukuma had been enlightening. Banijan culture was fascinating, and the fact that they had a close tie to the Chromatik government meant that it was important for the likes of Kimi Jin to learn more about them. The stadium had been electric, the game had been a pleasure to watch despite the result, and the subsequent deal for ChromAir Nouveau to open connections in Busukuma International and South Moravica-Istria International Airport? Very exciting. Afterwards, an exclusive article had come out stating that ChromAir Nouveau would be opening connections to Willowbourne International Airport in Ko-oren, Jhanna International in Starblaydia, and the two connections in Banija. The recently-renamed Franscesca Larriet-Cortez International Airport in Chromia would serve as Chromatika's port of call. There were also concessions that initial talks were taking place to open connections to Gold Coast, Northwest Kalactin, and the two big nations down south - Canterlot, Equestrian States, and Raynor City, Valanora. Chromatika was starting to go out into greater Atlantian Oceania.

However, she did have to submit the "Five Points" to Jordan, and this is what she sent:

1. Chromatika is Back. Yes - they dropped a match on the road to Quakmybush. Yes - HAIKU did trip them up once. However, Chromatika took care of business in all other matches, even the road match in Banija. The Anomalies had the early lead and were competitive through most of the match before two late goals by Jawara and Okparra put the game out of reach. The Anomalies also have won quite a few games by one goal, a stat that they struggled in immensely in the last World Cup. If it wasn't for Blouman Empire overperforming, Chromatika would be in second place comfortably with the way that Xanneria has been faring. They have nineteen points out of twenty-seven currently, which is 70% of the total available points. To put things in context, Chromatika had thirteen out of thirty-six points, which is 36% back in World Cup 85. They are doing so much better, and should be in the race until the end.

2. The Blouman Empire Match Loom Large. Chromatika will host Quakmybush and then go on the road to take on The Gothanita Isles (who should still be pegged as being dangerous). Then, they will play host to Blouman Empire in RCK field in Alnio, and the result of that match will absolutely dictate a lot of the rest of the qualifying cycle. Blouman currently sits two points ahead of Chromatika because they haven't conceded a draw like the Anomalies did to HAIKU; unless Xanneria trips up Blouman Empire in Matchday 10, which is possible, that match in Alnio could be what puts Chromatika ahead of Blouman Empire after Matchday 11. Yes, it's true that they can't afford to drop points anywhere, but this match specifically looms large.

3. Keira Andisori Is Not Done. The striker, in what is likely to be her last tournament as Chromatika's #1, has scored... Five goals in the three matches she has played in so far, including the hat trick against Xanneria. She seems to be the spiritual figurehead of the team on the pitch, and everyone seems to be playing harder when she is out there. The first player to reach a hundred caps and a hundred goals, Andisori is synonymous with the team as far as history is concerned; though there are other avenues that will be beckoning for him as soon as she hangs up her cleats (politics and a few publishing companies), she seems to be hell-bent on making the best out of this last push.

4. Chromatika Shouldn't Use All Fifty Players in Second Half of Qualifying. Hear me out - I agree with Velens/Sanders in fielding the same XI that lost to Quakmybush against Quakmybush. It makes sense to give the first-choice Starting XI a break after their three matches. However, they should field the best eleven against Blouman Empire, Xanneria, and Banija; if that means a few of the lesser known players get less playing time, that's the price you have to be willing to pay to qualify to the World Cup. Petty semantics should not stand in the way, and I will be very surprised if it does.

5. Giles Ken Should Start Instead of Cierra Anderson. I have nothing against Anderson, but after watching Ken play alongside de Aea in the AOCAF, I can't help but compare how de Aea looks with Ken as compared to Anderson. Giles Ken is a supportive player who really complements de Aea; Anderson is someone who seeks out the attention herself and puts herself in more questionable situations as a brand. It will probably be the best for the Anomalies if they were to field Ken with de Aea in the aforementioned important matches - one individual mistake in the backfield could be the difference between qualifying and heading back to the Cup of Harmony.

Tune into the second half of World Cup Qualifying and cheer on your Anomalies - it'll be an interesting journey, for sure.

Team Selection
MD10: vs. Quakmybush @ The Hive, Deprí Sanar (Cap. 122,000; 30,200 Seats)
MD11: @ The Gothanita Isles
Starting XI: Tioux; Chapman - Will - Ken - Rowles; Kelly - Zuniga - Dragana (C); Gail; Sierra - Thibodeaux.
Bench: Alexander, De Saint-Pierre, Friedman, Baugh, Pomeroy, Marc, Limones, Kim, M.S., Reynolds, Kim, M.J., Bird, Non.

by **Mavinet** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:49 pm

© Bóng Tròn Magazine
Know Your Government – WC86 Edition: Papers, please!
by Dang Duc Tri, Associate Sports Editor

Hello again! Time flies when you enjoy our magazine (we hope). We certainly have enjoyed your, our dear readers, continuing support and company. It seems like yesterday when we started on this journey toward civic enlightenment, but we’ve already reached the half way point of both the national team’s World Cup qualifying campaign and this special side series. It has been an exciting first half of qualification, and so far things are looking positive for Mavinet, who went into the mid-qualifying break with 18 points and leading the pursuer pack in second place.

Matchday 7 saw the important match with group leader Nephara played out in the Cormorants’ home ground. A truly formidable team, Nephara had blasted through all of their previous matches, scoring at least 3 goals every game. Mavinet came into this match hoping for a draw to maintain the gap at the top. The Cormorants were in control for much of the match but Mavinet, with a surprisingly good defensive display, made it hard for the second-ranked team to break through. Vu Tien Linh capitalized on a Nepharan mistake to equalize for Mavinet right before half time after Morena Deventer opened the scoring in the 26th minute. In the end, Nephara’s prowess shone through and they got all 3 points with a late goal from international debutant Ysabet Belgrade in the 84th minute. The leaders continued down their unbeatable path.

Mavinet returned to home ground in Matchday 8 to greet The Minarchist Free State. Head Coach Minh Quan employed a more aggressive tactic, looking to overwhelm the underperforming opponent from the get-go. And overwhelmed them we did, with Tran Hoang Minh opened the firing at 9 minutes from a perfectly executed placed shot into the top corner. The match was firmly in Mavinet’s control with Vo Thanh Hai followed up with a tap-in in the 24th minute. Substitute Ha Anh Vu added to the scoreline in the 76th minute, before Man of the Match Tran Hoang Minh completed the rout in the extra time before fulltime. Henry Morgan scored the consolation goal for The Minarchist Free State in the 87th minute. Mavinet kept all 3 points and held on to the second spot.

The last match before the break saw Mavinet playing away at Havynwilde’s. The fellow BoF72 graduate weren’t having a good qualifying campaign, but that didn’t mean it was an easy match for Mavinet. Havynwilde were desperate for a win to turn their fortune, and they showed their determination with 2 quickfire goals in the first half at the 14th and 18th minutes. Striker Tran Duc Vinh, in the second starting appearance for the Water Buffaloes, provided the first Mavinese response with a goal in the 23rd minute. He doubled his tally in the 44th minute to equalize before half time. Mavinet couldn’t afford to lose the match, and the team got off strong in the second half. Do Phuoc Long had a great run on the left flank before blasting the ball into the net in the 50th minute to make it 3-2. Havynwilde pulled the game back with an equalizer in the 65th minute. That was not enough stop Mavinet’s onslaught when only 2 minutes later, Ho Vu Thanh Hoang made it 4-3 for the Water Buffaloes, before scoring the final goal of the match in the 70th minute to bring another important 3 points to Mavinet.

As always, my colleague Pham Ngoc Le has all of the detailed highlights and analysis of the 3 matches for you on page 4. In addition for this issue, we offer our review of the qualifying group’s performances and the predictions for the final positions of each team.

Headquarter of the Ministry of the Interior

In this issue, we explore the third of the “Original Six” ministries that has arguably one of the most comprehensive list of responsibilities in the government structure: From controlling the border, maintaining the police force, surveying land and regulate land use to gathering and keeping census record, and public property management. That all-encompassing agency is the Ministry of the Interior.

Established in 1887, the Ministry was originally named the Ministry of Home Affairs. One of the first major actions taken by the Ministry was the Great Land Reform to survey the agricultural land and public properties held by the old monarchy regime for reorganization and redistribution purposes. The Ministry grew over time as the country stabilized after the Revolution War and developed economically and politically. The Ministry currently has four main operational departments: the Department of Civil Affairs, which oversees local administration services, border and custom, elections, and other civil affairs; the Department of Household Registration, which oversees civil registration, census, nationality etc.; the Department of Domestic Security, which manages the police, firefighter and disaster prevention forces; and the Department of Land Management, which is responsible for land surveys, value assessment, land use registration and land expropriation.

We met with the Deputy Minister for Domestic Security, Ngo Dinh Dong at the headquarter of the Ministry at 15 Bui Dinh Nham Street, Dai Hoa to talk about the work of the agency and how international football has changed the landscape of their operation.

1. As Head of Domestic Security, your work must be very stressful. What is the part of your job that cause the most headaches for you?

“I think every department here will say they have a stressful job, but It’s fair to say the Department of Domestic Security handle the more stressful ones, mainly because we take care of the more basic need of the people that is safety. As a Deputy Minister, I’m indebted to the brave workers in the police forces, the firefighting forces, the emergency response forces, the people directly doing the tough works. So before I talk about my work, I want to say if my work is stressful then their jobs are ten times, maybe a hundred times more so. I think the part of my work that is the most stressful is we, as a specialized department, have to always be vigilant and stay ahead of the threats we are trying to prevent. It is the prevention part that is difficult. Crimes cannot be allowed to happen before we response, as well as fires, or disasters. To use football terminologies, the defenders have to anticipate how the opponents will attack, right? If you let them attack freely and only passively responding to that, eventually you are going to concede, and the fans will be displeased to see they spent money to see a bad performance. Same thing here.”

2. The domestic security forces are usually not as popular as the military despite both served as the guards of the country and people. What do you think about this?

“I have great respect for the military and the Ministry of Defense so I have no hard feelings toward them if what you said is true. I think the main reason is that the external threats always seem to be more apparent and more threatening. Also tying back to what I said, our jobs focus a lot on prevention, and most of the time we are able to neutralize major domestic threats before they happen, so the majority of our works happen in the background where the people don’t readily see. I think if people don’t ever have to see the major domestic threats, we are doing our jobs right.”

3. Since you mentioned football terminologies, let’s talk about the effects of football in your work. Since the participation of our country in regional and international football, how have your work been affected?

“It’s not an overstatement to say that football brought us to the world and the world to us. Before football, we did have international interaction, but the scale and scope were more limited. We have seen increasing tourists, business visitors, goods, football fans of other countries for the past few years than the whole decade before international football participation. With that increasing traffic going in and out of the country, we have to deal with the increased risks of illegal immigration, smuggling, crimes targeting tourists and visitors, foreigners’ violations of the law etc. The participation in the World Cup qualifying matches also means that we now have to make sure the security ahead, during and after each match is maintained. International sport events are special because of the high-profile and highly-emotional nature, so incidents can easily happen there. As Mavinet rise in our reputation as a participant in international football, we have to make sure teams and people coming to our country to enjoy the beautiful game without worries about security threats.”

4. Do you see Mavinet qualifying for this upcoming World Cup given the recent good performances? And if you have to place a bet on a team to win the World Cup, which will it be?

“I would certainly hope we qualify, although it may still be too early to put too hope into that. I am optimistic we can qualify in the future and maybe one day even host a World Cup ourselves. That will be a big challenge for the Ministry and the country, but I fully believe we are up for it.

If it is a friendly guess, I would say I like Baker Park and their quick ascension to the elite group of international football. As a young footballing nation, I think we can try to emulate that. But if it is a bet, then I will bet in the safe options like Banija or Nephara. Between the two, I would pick Nephara, simply because I’m more familiar with a Rushmore team. And look at the way they are convincingly dominating our group, they sure look like a strong contender. They will have my money.”

The end of the article is approaching fast. That means if you feel like knowing more about the Ministry of the Interior, head over to bongtron.com and check out our exclusive interview video with Mister Deputy Minister.

Mavinet closed out the first half of the qualifying campaign with an improbable second place. So far, the efforts of the team have been impressive, and the performances both at home and away have generally exceeded expectations. The competition is fierce, however, with second-seeded Terre Septentrionale and third-seeded New Lusitania only 1 and 2 points away respectively. Any slip up by any team in the top 4, excluding Nephara, will prove costly to the hope of qualifying. The lower half of the table also cannot be disqualified just yet, and they can close the gap quickly should the top teams fall prey to complacency. The second half of qualifying will surely bring plenty of emotions, with the important match against Terre Septentrionale and New Lusitania the decisive moments. With that said, I will see you all again in the next issue at our next destination: the Ministry of Education.

MD7

NEPHARA - 2
26' Morena Deventer
84' Ysabet Belgrade

MAVINET - 1
45' Vu Tien Linh

MD8

MAVINET - 4
9' Tran Hoang Minh
24' Vo Thanh Hai
76' Ha Anh Vu
90+1’ Tran Hoang Minh

THE MINARCHIST FREE STATE - 1
87' Henry Morgan

MD9

HAVYNWILDE - 3
14' ???
18' ???
65' ???

MAVINET - 5
23' Tran Duc Vinh
44’ Tran Duc Vinh
50’ Do Phuoc Long
67' Ho Vu Thanh Hoang
70’ Ho Vu Thanh Hoang

by **Tioguldos** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:04 pm

Tioguldós, football, and economy

The Tiog economy has suffered great blows since the beginning of the revolution. Although it managed to stabilize under acceptable conditions, growth is essentially zero. Tioguldós has great natural wealth, abundance of resources and trained workers. However, it maintains the productive capacities of a nation subjugated to imperialism. Fighting against neocolonialism does not only imply eliminating the economic-political presence of foreign powers within the territory, but also managing to overcome the obstacles they represent for productive development within the framework of the international market.

A few months ago, Tioguldós left the first provisional government behind and set out to build a truly representative and popular democracy. Today the proposal for the First Five-Year Plan of Tioguldós was finalized. It will mark the path of the economy in the country for the following years. The Peslate of Bordusekh has already approved it, and it has yet to be evaluated, accepted and modified by the Peslate of the People, but everything indicates that it will become effective shortly. The document meticulously details the plan to develop Tioguldós, in a period of 50 years divided into 10 stages, from an agro-exporting nation to a fully sustainable nation that produces manufactures. This process will allow the Tiog people to emancipate themselves from oppression.

"The Tiog people have lived at the mercy of foreign interests for years. The workers of Tioguldós have developed this Five-Year Plan with a view to a bright future, based on prosperity, solidarity, the well-being of both human and nature, and the principle of internationalism. This project will allow us to forge ties and break chains through the path of a socialist economy. "

The fundamental axis on which the different articles are based is the development of the productive forces.

"... pursuing the ultimate goal of building a socialist nation in which each citizen can live according to the premise 'from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs' it is necessary to promote the development of the productive forces for it is not possible to achieve socialism without having a nation that produces enough wealth for all its citizens."

What does this have to do with football you ask? Football in Tioguldós is in very precarious conditions. Currently, the teams are financially supported by the income from affiliates and government aid. The post-Revolution economy has not given rise to the development of certain areas, since it has focused strictly on rebuilding infrastructure and improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable population. The First Five-Year Plan will allow the arrival of foreign capital, will release some economic restrictions on advertising and employment, and will encourage competition. Many staunch Tiog leftists consider this to be a betrayal of the values of socialism. Yet, as the Communist Party of Tioguldós said:

Our opening to the market does not imply the abandonment of the socialist path, but rather a difficult but necessary step in overcoming the capitalist economic yoke. Cooperative enterprises will be given high priority and state control will be maintained over all heavy industry, banks, health, education, transportation, and suppliers of energy and water. This will ensure the economic sovereignty of our nation while allowing us to take advantage of foreign capital investments.

Even so, the clubs will remain as non-governmental organizations with democratic systems either vertical, following the model of democratic centralism, or completely horizontal, through direct democracy. It will not be possible to buy or own football teams in Tioguldós. However, economic changes will allow clubs to acquire advertising contracts and operate as a brand in terms of production and sale of merchandise.

With these changes, the Tioguldós Football Federation expects a boom in the economic and sports capacities of the teams. The considerable increase in income will allow them to maintain the high level they provide to their affiliates while being able to compete for good players, even international ones. Teams are already beginning to hire scouts to find players who can fit their needs. Although, there is a particular detail. The Tioguldós Football Federation has announced that the inclusion of foreign goalkeepers will not be allowed, with the intention of ensuring a participatory and high-level space for Tiog goalkeepers in the Tiog League.

This will be a necessary step for the Tiog people. It will hurt their individual freedom a little by favoring the freedom of the market. Tioguldós addresses the complete right of personal property over private property, but that is a reality that today the country is too weak economically to sustain. Still, the future is on the horizon, and Tioguldós advances without respite.

by **Sargossa** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:12 pm

It was unquestionably a beautiful evening. An evening in which lovers, replete after a romantic meal at a fine eatery, may take a stroll through the city’s urbane South Quays district. Where they might pause to appreciate the deep red of the setting sun against the cool blue waters of Carrasco Bay. There, hand in hand, they might drink in the atmosphere. Closing their eyes to enjoy the smell of the sea and the sounds of…

‘The referee’s a wanker! The referee’s a wanker!’

Although an international matchday in Jucaro was probably not the most auspicious moment to enjoy a romantic stroll down by the city’s quay. Not with more than seventy thousand football supporters crammed into the bulk of the district’s most prominent landmark, the Bonilla Arena. It, like every single other football stadium in fairness, is not exactly a venue seeped in romance. Admittedly a couple of seasons ago a particular ardent fan of local side Alianza Jucaro, named for the neighbouring city district in which the club was born, elected to pop the question to his mortified girlfriend at the half time interval of a SuperLiga fixture. Any romance was rapidly sucked out of the occasion when tens of thousands of fans in perfect unison inquired as to the conventionality of their sex life. Poetic, certainly. Romantic, not so much.

Talking of poetic chanting, there was that wanker of a referee to consider. Who’d earned the ire of the majority of the crowd with his refusal to even countenance the locally popular theory that Sargossan substitute Mateo Manzanares had just been upended in the box. Replays showed that the official from… I don’t know, let’s say Mercedini, was probably justified in waving it away. The big centreback’s challenge was unquestionably agricultural but his toe had taken a sliver of the ball before connecting with Manzanares. In fairness he’d have earned the ire of the majority of the crowd just by being the referee. The crowd were tense. They were edgy.

It had been the campaign as a whole that had brought out that tension. Admittedly the Corsairs were unbeaten since that dreadful double header that opening the qualification race but they’d been putting their fans through the ringer regardless. Unranked Transvolcanic had held out until a stoppage time goal from Mauricio Sainz had broken their hearts and similarly unheralded Jamestownnnn had almost forced an upset at the Estadio Silva. Finally though the attack found some form, putting five passed Pluvia and the Saxean Isles. Which would have been both fine and indeed dandy had the defence not going for a collective wonder, allowing the minnows to score four. Two points dropped in Jeckland was followed by another all too narrow win over unimpressive opposition, bottom side Staypuftonia on that occasion. And another five goal haul on the road, at the Golden Throne, was undercut by another three conceded.

And the final match before the halfway point was following a theme of previous home games in this campaign. A lower ranked team were in town and the Corsairs were making hard work of them. A double from Tomas Morillo had seemingly put the hosts in full control but a Freeport goal in the second half had ratcheted up the pressure again. They didn’t look like getting a second but while the one goal cushion remained nerves were inevitable. Because after that double defeat to start the qualification run the nation had been playing catch-up. They couldn’t avoid to drop many more points. Elsewhere Vilita were comfortably in front over in Pluvia and the Saxean Isle, while bottom dwellers Jamestownnnn were unlikely to trouble The Sarian too much.

The Sarian were the story of Group 9. The third seeds had taken all three points from their trip to Sargossa and then, four matchdays later, they went to Vilita and hit the Jungle Cats for six. Meaning The Sarian are out in front, two points clear of Vilita and five above Sargossa. Vying with the Jungle Cats for second place was not in the script and surely can’t end well. Particularly if home form doesn’t improve. Grinding out a narrow win over Freeport was one thing but the Jungle Cats, the next visitors to Sargossa, were unlikely to be ground quite as willingly.

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:35 pm

Election Season Begins

With our 144 seats divided into three different elections, it's always Election Season. In a meritocracy. No, the irony is not lost on us. Once again, ~~the fate of the nation rests in the hand of the electorate...~~ several insignificant details of legislation and budgets will take a slightly different direction based on the 48 seats that are redistributed over the upcoming election.

In the current parliament, 54% of seats lean towards a more democratic system of government, and the government isn't blind to that. Support for a more planned economy plummeted to an all-time low, with just 38% of seats in support of further planning the economy, while 54% are in favour of freeing the economy instead. The strongest 'voting block' is the environmental one, with 77% of seats still in support of extending green policies.

The biggest talking point, however, is how just 36% of seats support a more regionalised Ko-oren. This, too, is at an all-time low, and will likely be different after these elections. Support for further centralising the nation is also low, and how the 48 seats are divided will likely tell us the government's direction for some time.

While the government does not necessarily have to listen to what parliament decides, we see that laws and budgets have been slightly altered based on remarks coming in from the elected officials. A government can only work if its policies are accepted by the general public at least to some extent, and the meritocracy knows fairly well how far it can go in pushing through impopular measures and when to allow input from other sources. After the next elections, with parliament set for three years (and no regional elections coming in), political commentators expect that we'll see a new phase of the meritocracy allowing influences from parliament.

Likely, further centralisation will be put on hold in favour of a more regional strategy - even if that's not currently parliament's position - and the economy will further open up to foreign investment. The industries that have already been allowed to expand abroad have been resounding successes with clear positive effects for the Ko-orenite treasury.

Votes are expected to go to the standard parties: the Meritocrats, the Democrats, the Greens, and the Ko-orenite branches of Liberal and Labour - yet the votes that go to any of the other parties have the capability to swing policies. Ko-oren isn't a very politically extreme nation, so the ascent of the more extreme parties in the last two decades are something new to deal with - we're talking about the PLÉ (Parti pour Liberté Économique), a far more pro-capitalism party than the centre-right Liberals. This also goes for Vert&Bleu, a nationalist/green party, or the FFFP, a socialist party, far more extreme than the centre-left Labour party. The FFFP features all kinds of viewpoints, from revolutionary socialists to fairly standard centre-left politicians. Two more 'non-economic' parties have commanded the limelight in the most recent elections: the PInternational, a party seeking a more active stance from our government in regional and worldwide issues. Another one is the PdRégions, a party aiming to give more autonomy to those regions that want it. Before them, regions did not have one single forum to speak on, and small fringe parties for all these areas and movements worked separately. With the arrival of the PdRégions, who are expected to attract a large amount of votes in the upcoming election, autonomy and independence movements in Finisterre, Mawryshire, Yoshima, Cote Austral, and the northeast, find each other in order to secure a fairer Ko-oren, at least in their eyes.

The Central-Regional, the Democratic-Meritocratic, and the Planned/Local-Liberal/International economy debates rage on.

by **Hampton Island** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:48 pm

(Conversation between Stafford City Stadium CEO and Assistant)

CEO: Eighteen points is not going to do it.

Assistant: They are old, and it’s a better number then you might think. I don’t think they can hit it.

CEO: They’ll hit it. All they have to do is win six games, so beat the minnows of the group and you are on your way to doing that. They qualified for it the last time, they will get the points that they need to here.

Assistant: You also need to remember that they are all two years older now. At that age, that can play a big difference. Especially with someone like Conney.

CEO: I know but the whole thing does not make sense. How in the hell did they even qualify for it the last time. There is no logical rationale to justify how they could have qualified, but they did. They defy age, so two years will not matter.

Assistant: It is just the soccer team anyway, you will have the rest of your sports empire still intact.

CEO: That is true, but I do not want to lose this bet. I also do not want to sabotage the team, even if I could think of a way to make it possible. I have enough national pride in me to where I do want to see them qualify. 36 points will not get them through in the automatic bids. I want no part of the playoff.

Assistant: I am not scared of the playoff, actually. I think we have a good system in place in that format.

CEO: We just might. Looking at the group tables right now, I would say 41 is the number you want to hit to get one of those six automatic spots. That’s a tough ask, I’d like to aim for the group title, but Brenecia has been good.

Assistant: Just have to finish in that top two, which makes rooting against Hannah hard, because Lisander is right there.

CEO: Well, if we root for seventeen points, that gets us 35. That requires Lisander to hit 19 and Ethane 21 for the second half. I don’t know. Wish we could have got more then 18, or at least we should have arranged this to where the old guys played in the second half.

Assistant: Have you talked to Hannah lately about the bet?

CEO: Briefly. All of our conversations are short, to the point, and then we hang up. I had to assure her that I am not going to do anything to get in her way, even though I don’t know why she would even be worried about that. The games are in Marquette and I have no control at all over anything that happens here.

Assistant: See those low ticket prices at Shellshock Batteries Stadium? They are clearly looking to undercut you.

CEO: Not a surprise. There’s a reason we are a better facility, and that is because we know how to run a stadium and make a profit. Besides, we are at 62% tickets sold for the next game to be broadcast at your stadium. We’ll probably make about as much charging the fans for that show up to watch the game on our large projection screens then Marquette will actually in having the game on their field.

Assistant: I did the math, if we get to 78% capacity at our prices, we will match what they do in a sell out. Plus, we charge for parking and they don’t.

CEO: If they could ever figure out that people will spend more money for tickets then what they charge, they could be so much better.

Assistant: So true. Really interested in watching the old guys. Please, don’t embarrass us.

CEO: They will be fine.

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 3:27 pm

Zeta Reka used a fairly strong side against Saltstead in a game that was an essential victory for the Rekan team. Lining up with heavy hitters was a winning tactic against Saltstead's own 4-5-1. While it would be quick to describe the victory as the Rekan eleven "outclassing" their opponents, one should not be so brash. Saltstead were cautious, more so than Zeta Reka is used to attacking. With both sides monopolizing control, large chunks of the match saw one team controlling the ball before losing possession. Bogdan Rawić knocked in a huge goal near the end of the first half on a counter. From there a defensive mindset took shape. Zeta Reka's only extra scoring chances in the match were generated from corners and a free kick, and no chance changed the scoreboard.

Near the end of the match, Wlad Wlad left Thomas Lions dizzy after a hard tackle. Lions was unhurt. A penalty was still awarded, and Haråud Haråudssen stepped up to tie the match. The penalty was a battle between two young players with long futures ahead of them, each one needing to whip up some stoppage time magic. Haråudssen's foot whipped the ball in a rising motion, but Wukowić had gotten the jump on the ball. The Lonngeylin City's keeper had some wrist pain, but also a clean sheet for the first time in the competition. Further yet, the game with a birthday gift for Coach Dusan, who's post match interview was interrupted by a gift giving ceremony courtesy of mutilple players.

After an away win, the National Sports Complex hosted Krytenia on a cloudy and cool day. Krytenia and Zeta Reka were mid table teams looking for a big victories at any cost. Early goals from Bogdan Rawić and Apollo Peters kept the match level. Both sides took advantage of a limited slate of opportunities, with the Rekan defense being tested heavily by “System Garcia.” A late corner from Jad swung out a short distance, and then Janko Yakowić put Zeta Reka ahead with a dribble. Jad was penalized before then for his play on the wings, and wasn't happy with the refs after the game, nor was his grass roots support group on social media.

During the second half Zeta Reka's attack was a tad complacent. However, for the first fifteen minutes of the half the defensive block was holding up. Samuel Johanssen ran clean past Dorboslawić, who stumbled, and a short pass found the feet of the Alun Belmwr, who got the ball to Apollo Peters. Peters juked past Wuk Koziwier, who looked unprepared, and Wukowić could not bat away Peter's brace earning shot. A few minutes after the hour mark, rough play from Miloš Simeoniwić gave away a free kick. The Rekan form was jumbled when Cormac O'Neill passed to Belmwr for the welsh wonderkid's first goal of the game.

Zeta Reka lost their lead thanks to a quick decline in form, and change was necessary. 4-3-3 formation came together as Jad and Simeoniwić swapped places, Rybki was subbed out for David Dix, who's an experienced sub, and there was a new energy in Zeta Reka's shots when Arnald Gal came on looking to keep his goal ratio high. Damien Carpenter showed tenacity by making great saves full of thrills and spills.

As rain began to fall, Eddie Bull was able to steal the ball. Bull, another young prospect from Krytenia, moved forward with the ball before passing to backup Joe Bielsa. Bielsa marched past Wladmir Zuzkoff, who was a wing back in the 4-3-3. Bielsa then kept going as did the entire midfield line, and the forwards. A long rolling pass to Belmwr lead to the teenage prodigy shooting high. Wukowić dove, what an error. Krytenia scored their third goal of the half, and the Rekan side gave up the ghost. The players slowly in the wet ground for the remainder of the game.

After another dreary loss, Zeta Reka were in eighth place and over two wins behind second place. Sulsuland were the final opponent in the group that Zeta Reka had not played. In the first half, cards out numbered goals. David Dix was the first player to be booked when he was behind "sulsU" and tried to kick the ball through sulsU's feet. Fourteen minutes later, Bartolomej Wladmirowić was quite slow to initiate a throw in. The whole opening half wasn't glum as Albertow Nowak cut deep for a goal assisted by Kolarowić.

Kolarowić continued his good day by scoring from a long range kick early in the second half. Janko Yakowić was unahppy because he got his second card of the qualifying stage for pulling Sulsu’s best friend, Dave. The ensuing free kick was saved in Wukowić's second clean sheet in three appearances. As time wound down, Arnald Gal got a tap in during stoppage time to put his name on the scorecard of Zeta Reka's first big win of the cycle. Now after a break Zeta Reka will host Darmen, in a rematch of Zeta Reka’s close campaigning opening loss. From there the best Rekan footballs of our day will travel to the Stadii Di Bradini for a rematch against Starblaydia. The two teams will look for a win this time around no matter how high the score goes.

Saltstead 0–1 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 05: Steffanow Kostessen
CB 26: Wlad Wlad: 43'
CB 13: Wladmir Bogdanić: v68'
RB 15: Wladmir Zuzkoff
DM 06: Mullow Dorboslawić: v46'
CM 10: Rybki (c)
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić
LW 19: Stojan Heiden
RW 18: Albertow Nowak
ST 09: Bogdan Rawić: 44'
Subs
CB 31: Bartolomej Wladmirowić: ^46'
CB 14: Jan Thimig: ^68'
Possession: 51% (avg. 51%)
Shots: 6 (total 59)
On Goal: 3 (total 33)
Saves: 3 (total 36)
Fouls: 11 (total 76)
Corners: 6 (total 51)
Offsides: 1 (total 5)
Yellow Cards: 0 (total: 4)
Red Cards: 1 (total 1)
Red Cards
Wlad Wlad: 1 (Unsportsmanlike tackle vs. Saltstead, MD7) (suspended for MD8)

Yellow Cards
Wladmir Bogdanić: 1 (Shirt pull vs. Starblaydia, MD2)
Stani Gröss: 1 (Delay of game vs. Rangers FC, MD3)
Wlad Wlad: 2 (Rough tackle vs. Rangers FC, MD3 & Shirt pull vs. Jovannic, MD5) (Suspended for MD6)
Krytenia 4–2 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 04: Janko Yakowić: 11', 40'
CB 28: Wuk Koziwier
CB 13: Wladmir Bogdanić
RB 03: Bartolomej Wladmirowić
DM 06: Mullow Dorboslawić
CM 10: Rybki (c): v69'
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić
LW 07: Jad: 25'
RW 08: Miloš Simeoniwić: 65'
FW 09: Bogdan Rawić: 13', v69'
Subs
CM 30: David Dix: ^69'
ST 20: Arnald Gal: ^69'
Possession: 45% (avg 50.25%)
Shots: 13 (total 72)
On Goal: 6 (total 39)
Saves: 2 (total 38)
Fouls: 9 (total 85)
Corners: 10 (total 61)
Offsides: 0 (total 5)
Yellow Cards: 3 (total 7)
Red Cards: 0 (total 1)
Red Cards
Wlad Wlad: 1 (Unsportsmanlike tackle vs. Saltstead, MD7) (suspended for MD8)

Yellow Cards
Wladmir Bogdanić: 1 (Shirt pull vs. Starblaydia, MD2)
Stani Gröss: 1 (Delay of game vs. Rangers FC, MD3)
Jad: 1 (Rough play vs. Krytenia, MD8)
Miloš Simeoniwić: 1 (Foul play vs. Krytenia, MD8)
Janko Yakowić: 1 (Rough tackle vs. Krytenia, MD8)
Wlad Wlad: 2 (Rough tackle vs. Rangers FC, MD3 & Shirt pull vs. Jovannic, MD5) (Suspended for MD6)
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 3–0 Sulsuland
GK 12: Zlatko Wukowić
LB 04: Janko Yakowić: 53', v80'
CB 14: Jan Thimig
CB 13: Wladmir Bogdanić: v54'
RB 03: Bartolomej Wladmirowić (c): 27'
DM 06: Mullow Dorboslawić
CM 30: David Dix: 13'
CM 11: Želmir Kolarowić: 50', v65'
LW 19: Stojan Heiden
RW 18: Albertow Nowak: 35'
ST 29: Arnald Gal: 90+3'
Subs
CB 28: Wuk Koziwier: ^54'
CM 21: Denis Silvester: ^65'
LB 34: Hans Rudda: ^80'
Posession: 62% (avg. 51.5)
Shots: 8 (total 80)
On Goal: 4 (total 43)
Saves: 3 (total 41)
Fouls: 11 (total 96)
Corners: 8 (total 69)
Offsides: 1 (total 6)
Yellow Cards: 3 (total 10)
Red Cards: 0 (total 1)
Red Cards
Wlad Wlad: 1 (Unsportsmanlike tackle vs. Saltstead, MD7) (suspended for MD8)

Yellow Cards
Wladmir Bogdanić: 1 (Shirt pull vs. Starblaydia, MD2)
David Dix: 1 (Foul challenge vs. Sulsuland, MD9)
Jad: 1 (Rough play vs. Krytenia, MD8)
Stani Gröss: 1 (Delay of game vs. Rangers FC, MD3)
Miloš Simeoniwić: 1 (Foul play vs. Krytenia, MD8)
Janko Yakowić: 2 (Rough tackle vs. Krytenia, MD8 & Pull vs. Sulsuland, MD9) (suspended for MD10)
Wlad Wlad: 2 (Rough tackle vs. Rangers FC, MD3 & Shirt pull vs. Jovannic, MD5) (Suspended for MD6)
Bartolomej Wladmirowić: 1 (Delay of game vs. Sulsuland, MD9)

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 3:33 pm

Football talk live (between MD9 and 10, on South Newlandia One)

TL: Good evening viewers, I hope you all had a fantastic day. My name is Tommy Lambert, and I am your host of the Football talk, the talk show where we watch football and talk about football, what else could be more important? As always, I won’t be watching the games, or in this case, the game, alone; I have two wonderful guests here for you! Meet Matthias Boyle, the goalkeeping coach for the Elephants! And here is Peter Tankman, the coach of the Ratzupalfzu Rhinos! As you might’ve been able to tell, this edition is all about goalkeeping, and especially about Mikhail Trischuk, who plays for the Rhinos too.
PT: Exactly, he has been our first choice goalkeeper for several years, even before the Elephants stepped up to the international stage.
MB: I remember that day like it was yesterday. Two and a half years ago, in Delaclava, where South Newlandia played against Havynwilde. I will never forget the 2-1 win.
TL: Trischuk was between the goal posts then, and with a few exceptions, he has been ever since. The most notable exceptition, of course, was the Campionato Esportiva, where Rigby played instead. Rufus Rigby, the goalkeeper of the Guards and second choice of the Elephants will be important later on, too. But for now, let us dive right into the game. South Newlandia in Mriin.
(some highlights from the South Newlandian games are now shown, with commentary by Brandon van Simonson, the South Newlandian star commentator. 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: We are here, in Mriin, in Maal, in the Haven. It is time for the Elephants to visit the top seeds today, and the Reavers appear more than ready. Robert Wolverine has opted for a slightly more aggressive system than usual, with Trischuk in the goal, Roy, Anderson, O’Neill and Wright on defense, Lancaster, Wallis and McMora as the three in midfield, with Lancaster and McMora a little bit further back, and Irving, Glossman and McCabe up front, so basically a 4-2-1-3. The Elephants clearly aren’t planning to be afraid of the very tall satyrs they’ll be playing.
TL: Certainly one of the most interesting teams South Newlandia has ever played against. Matthias Boyle, do you want to tell us something about the matchplan ahead of the game?
MB: Well, high passes obviously wouldn’t be an effective thing to try, so we wanted to play grounded passes ourselves, and try to stop the Reavers from utilizing their air superiority too much.
PT: The latter didn’t work too well.
BvS: Early in the match, Mriin is in possession here over the left side with Popo Tevainen; here comes a good flank into the penalty box, no South Newlandian is tall enough to stop Istria Saara, and goal for Mriin. Certainly not the start Wolverine had hoped for here, but that header caught Trischuk on the wrong foot; not a chance for him.
PT: Yeah, that still happens to him occasionally, but not that often either. Not much he could’ve done anyway, that was a very precise header.
MB: We knew such a goal was a possibility, but if you concede within the first minutes, your match plan goes flying out of the window, so that was not ideal.
BvS: Just minutes after the goal, South Newlandia has received a decent free kick in central position after a foul on McMora here. Finnley Wallis is lining up to kick it, it’s really close to the penalty box. He has played a few of those indirectly recently, but that’s a shot! Right over the wall, a higher one that he is used to, and it sinks right into the upper corner! No chance for the goalie and the game is all tied up again! Wallis is once again priceless with his free kicks.
MB: Boom. We trained for this; we actually got some basketballers to stage a wall that the players from Mriin would build, so it’s nice to see that work out.
BvS: Mriin again over the left side here, the trio of Lancaster, Wright and O’Neill just can’t seem to really lock that side up. That’s a breakthrough and a shot for Tali’raia, the dryad! Truly an.. Well.. Interesting sight to see on a football field, but that’s a goal for Mriin. Trischuk came close to this one, but he was just a bit too slow, and South Newlandia is trailing again.
TL: If I had to save a ball shot by whatever that is, I know I’d be scared.
MB: Yeah, understandable.
BvS: Mriin with the ball again, this time with a corner. Otalia Kasmiir gets it into the centre, a header, and a goal. Tia Mor scores, and Trischuk can only look after the ball in surprise. 1-3, the Elephants aren’t looking too good.
MB: We wanted to avoid corners as much as we could, but they are just necessary at times. Nothing you can do about it.
PT: Corners are a weak spot for Trischuk even when he is playing against regular-sized opponents.
BvS: Not even half an hour played yet, and the Elephants are far from giving up. That is Patrick McMora again over the right side here, good pass for Simon McCabe, we goes past the defender, and is one on one with the goalkeeper! A shot and a goal! Only 2-3, the Elephants are back in this!
MB: McCabe is still as powerful as ever, he didn’t catch a good start to his campaign, honestly.
PT: Yeah, Irving was the key striker so far.
BvS: It’s still not half-time, Mriin is here with another nice attack. Over the left side yet again, it’s Popo Tevainen with a shot, and it is in! Goal for Mriin, 2-4. What happened? It looks like the ball was just barely touched Gustafe Wright there, altering the path of the ball just a little bit, but making it impossible for Trischuk to do absolutely anything here.
MB: If bad luck comes on top of things, it tends to get messy. But the Reavers are the clearly dominating team so far, their lead is well justified. Being down by two at the half is obviously never really pleasant.
BvS: The players are getting out on the field again, and it appears like Wolverine has some substitutions to make. Glossman, who I barely realized was playing at all, is being replaced by Romleb Mada for the second half, the seventeen year old that is well remembered for what he did to Damukuni recently, and Lancaster is being replaced by John Li. Maybe that can help things a bit, we will have to see.
PT: For me, substituting Li in here means that Green is still unfit to play. Is that true?
MB: We do not want to go into details here, but I can tell you that Mada will not be back for a few games.
TL: We are getting ahead of ourselves.
BvS: The game has slowed down a bit now, but that is an interesting attack here over the left side with Li carrying the ball. He stumbles it away in the duel with Tia Mor, but Wallis gets his feet on it, quick pass up front, there is the very fast Romleb Mada! He has the ball, alone against the goalkeeper, but theres Maas Halder trying to catch up from the side, things will get close, that’s a shot for Mada, but ouch! I didn’t like that noise, and Mada is screaming with pain! Certainly no bad intentions from the defender there, especially since his interference made the ball roll over the goal line, and the ref has intended it will count, but all of that isn’t relevant right now. The medics are rushing onto field; Mada will certainly not play on. I don’t think legs are supposed to look like that. I will spare you with graphic images, but either Mada has grown a second right knee on his lower leg or he is in serious trouble. I am sure he will be on his way to a hospital as soon as possible.
MB: Not a lucky day for the Elephants honestly. Mada will be out for a while, we are still not 100% sure if he will ever kick a ball again.
PT: It adds to the tally of injured South Newlandians, with Green, Cohen and Schroeder already missing. The team is now also reduced to three attackers, so who was moving into the game now?
TL: It was Kevin Mohamed, and South Newlandia was now back to the 4-4-2 diamond.
BvS: Mriin is looking to increase the lead back to two, and Otalia Kasmiir might have a chance here with a free kick. Here it comes, and Trischuk didn’t even move! 3-5. Looks like someone was right in his line of sight, but I don’t think he would’ve been able to catch this one even if he had seen it.
PT: Trischuk didn’t get a good day, but a lot of the goals can’t really be blamed on him.
MB: It is only the second time he got shipped five goals in a single game, the first time was a 2-5 loss against Pasarga.
TL: The game wasn’t over just yet.
BvS: We are already in injury time, of course a few minutes were added on after the injury for Mada. The Elephants remarkably aren’t giving up yet, and that is Finnley Wallis here with the ball. A good pass for Simon McCabe, and that’s a beautiful goal after a nice shot. The goalie had his fingers, or whatever she has, on it, but the ball went into the goal anyway. 4-5, but that’s it! The ref is ending the game right now.
TL: A solid performance for the Elephants, but they don’t get anything out of it.
MB: Except for losing Mada. (obvious sarcasm)
TL: Yeah, really unfortunate. In total, South Newlandia ends the first half of the group stage perfectly balanced, with three wins, three draws, and three losses and an goal difference of zero. What do you think about that?
MB: Well, its okay, but not quite what we hoped for. The games against the top four seeds proved we are capable of more, but the four games against the lower seeds showed we need to improve things.
TL: That sounds like a reasonable assessment. Unfortunately, we are short on time today, so we only have time for a short look at the upcoming formation. Here it is:
Trischuk – Roy, Anderson, Gurero, Wright – Mohamed, Li, McMora, Wallis – McCabe, Irving
MB: That’s the diamond again. We are still testing things; Gurero has been playing well, so he gets the start. Li, we are just kind of experimenting. He needs more play time, but Lancaster will likely take over at some point.
PT: Trischuk back in the goal after this game?
MB: We considered giving Rigby the start, but we decided against it for now.
TL: The next games will be two away games in a row, first in Port Ember, and then in the Southern Palm Islands. What are the expectations?
MB: We got two points at home, if we could get more than that, that’d be really nice. But it will be hard, even though neither of our opponents has been doing too great.
TL: That’s unfortunately already it for this edition of the football talk, here on South Newlandia One. Tune in for the next edition again!

by **Pasarga** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 3:49 pm

Torgos Tribune ~ The Test

It was a difficult game, going into Vdara and trying to escape with the three points, especially when Vdara was in desperate need of a victory to keep themselves in the running for the top two of the group at the halfway mark. As has been the trend for the Wanderers during these qualifiers, it was gritty and bit of an ugly game, with a stalemate in the middle of the park, however the Wanderers ultimately had a bit more cutting edge and were able to escape from Vdara with the full share of the points and the lead of their group heading into the halfway point of the qualifiers. It is an uneasy position to be in at the moment, with Eura surging up the table, made all the more noticable by Eura going to Vangaziland and putting seven goals past them while not conceding any. It is the type of performance that puts not just the group on notice, but it makes all the teams that are taking part in the tournament take a pause and take notice of what the Eurans were able to achieve. It is the sort of performance that makes you realize just how good Eura is and how much of a surprise it is that the Wanderers were able to beat them in Torgos on that first matchday.

The game at hand however was one where the home squad came out strong and had hemmed the side in their own defensive half for the first ten minutes of the match. Ambrus Galambos was standing tall though and putting on a good show and why he was given the number one shirt over the rest of his competitors at the keeper position. However even as talented as he is, he was not going to be able to keep the home side at bay for the entirety of the match, with how fervent they were in their attack and in the twelfth minute, the Turkish keeper was finally beaten. Nik Cosmidis was able to convert a low driven cross from the left wing and Galambos was caught on the wrong foot with the redirect from the striker, as the ball nestled comfortably into the back of the net to give the hosts the opening goal. There was a look of disdain from Galambos and many people swear that they could hear him telling the rest of the Wanderers' squad that he was not going to allow the hosts to grab another goal all game. If that is true, it speaks to the confidence of the Turkish keeper and he was true to his word, the hosts would not score another goal for the duration of the match.

Szalyk Földessy started to impose his will on the match and getting stuck in with the Vdara attack, as the most defensive minded of the center midfielders that the Wanderers' have made his presence greatly known. The game started to become a slog in the middle, muddying up the entirety of the middle of the park as tackles flew in and more than a few knees came together, but without injury thankfully for both squads. Just shy of the half time mark, one of those collisions had the ball squirt out to the wing where Jan Gersten calmly collected and began to drive forward. As he approached the endline, he sent in a inswinger that was heading towards the penalty spot, where Júlia Müller calmly chested it down and laid it off for Mária Vöröss calmly potted it home. Markos Moustakakos had tried to get down to stop the shot, but the screen of players in front of the area provided just enough coverage that the attacking midfielder was able to place it just out of the range of the Vdara keeper and netted things up three minutes before the half.

While Alexander Jager may no longer be starting, he is still a force to be reckoned with and a very good impact substitute to bring on, and so he was brought on after the halftime break. Nataša Horvat is a good striker, but it was turning into a match where she would not be able to use her talents to best use, however it was the type of match that Jager could thrive in with his strength and ability to play with his back to goal. It would be an inspired substitution as he and Müller instantly had that connection that they had had the previous four years as starters. While it was still a slog, the Wanderers were starting to edge out the hosts to the fifty-fifty balls and slowly getting more time of possession in the Vdara half. Where the young woman had played supplier to the equalizer, she would be on the other side as Jager got in a through ball from Pellegrin Csapó, using his frame to fight into the area before squaring it for Müller. As she ran onto it, she nimbly pivoted and spun her mark off her and then rounded the keeper and slotted home the game winner, securing the much needed three points and group lead, as neither side could get another goal in the remaining twenty-six minutes.

One test has been passed, by going into Vdara and grabbing a result the home squad seemed to be in the ascendancy, but now the second test is ahead of them and one that has big implications for the outcome of the group. The Wanderers now will travel to Eura to take on their regional rivals for the battle for the group lead going into the stretch of the second half of the qualifying campaign. It is a battle of Rushmori giants and one where the winner has some breathing room heading into the meat of the schedule, while the winner will have to stay focused in and not have any real room for error if the form of the group keeps up. Eura will be wanting to get revenge for that opening match defeat in Torgos, to continue on this huge ascent through the group that they have been making since the fifth match of the group. For the Wanderers, a win will answer a lot of questions about how high they can aim for with this squad and afford them to a result or two where they are not their best. If there is a draw, neither side will be satisfied, though it would allow Vdara to creep back into the group mix, should they manage to keep up the sort of pace they had in the first half of the group.

by **Nephara** » Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:50 pm

Damukuni 1 - 5 Nephara
(4-4-2) 1 - Mercator; 2 - Stride, 5 - Thorn (c), 6 - Brosch, 3 - Muscadin (19 - Strassman 79'); 13 - Belgrade, 4 - Shone, 21 - Moxham, 11 - Deventer (16 - Caracole 71'); 9 - Bastable (17 - Basilisk 61'), 10 - Lovelace
Goals: Belgrade 17', Moxham 22', Stride 48', Bastable 54' pen, Basilisk 74'

THE HERALD
HEARTS BEAT HALE AS CORMORANTS MARCH INEXORABLY ON
Anders Sonnett

Damukuni were destroyed last night, and it wasn't particularly close. It wasn't treated by the players, or manager, like it was anything special. Just another job done, marking the way to a perfect record going into the halfway mark.

Ysabet Belgrade scored her first international goal in spectacular fashion, found unmarked with a sweeping crossfield ball from her effervescent club teammate Muscadin and steering home a vicious volley; in a deeply impressive showing from the young winger, she set up Moxham to drive home the second just five minutes later from the fringes of the box.

Damukuni's best period of play followed going through to the end of the first half, the crowd beginning to regain their belief. It took an impressive save from Mercator to stop the last kick of the half from creeping into the top corner after a heavy deflection off Ilyana Brosch, which could have changed the mood drastically. The mood did not change drastically; instead, a flurry of goals coming out of the gates favoured the Cormorants, finishing on an ugly tap-in from Latona Basilisk before the gates shut for good.

Nephara have nine wins. In all but one of these matches, they have scored more than twice, with Mavinet the lone exception. There have been 'just' three clean sheets, by Mercator's admission the main area for improvement but still a figure most nations wouldn't sniff at. And the most difficult match on paper ended in a 5-0 rout.

It would be really easy to say that this means that everything is clicking, so there's no need to iterate, but actually there's been a surprising amount of tinkering with the side. Monako Saroszi's international retirement has lead to a vacuum into which Anselm Koerner and Ysabet Belgrade have fought out; the latter, judging by this performance, is winning out. Mrdja has punched well above her weight, and her and Kuepper's versatility gives the side more tactical options.

The next few months will be all about making certain the right 23 players clamber onto the plane. This will be the last World Cup for Hesterine Mercator. It will probably be the same for Marica Kuepper, while it is difficult to imagine the entire defensive core of Thorn, Brosch and Shone keeping up their level into the early 30s. Strauss has quietly hinted to the press in the past that she doesn't just want to win things with this generation, but to establish a true dynasty. It is easy, but painful, to remember how the glory of WC74 and 75 gave way to... well, to nothing, for twenty long years.

With an unforgiving pace set in the schedule, Daniella Strauss has indicated that the next international break may be an opportunity for some of the most overworked players to rest home. The likes of Chimera Moxham, Kurtis Bastable and Rovena Stride have done more than enough to protect their places going forward. Nephara is all but assured qualification. Now the game becomes one of managing fatigue and morale, and keeping the squad firing on all cylinders going into the main event.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 6
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Holdenberg, EUR), 12 - Alexandra Markgraf (Sabrefell Moths), 20 - Konrad Matheny (Royal Rumiatzi, ASG)
Defenders: 2 - Valeri Longship (Crisisbless), 3 - Vivica Muscadin (Sabrefell Moths), 5 - Roxelana Thorn (Revolutionaries, EUR, c), 6 - Cedella Verlander (AFC Corvistone), 18 - Linde Rostock (Stahlburg City), 19 - Bremusa Strassman (Crisisbless), 22 - Gabriel Lockheed (AFC Treason)
Midfielders: 4 - Tawny Shone (Sabrefell Moths), 7 - Bryony Westerveld (Sabrefell Athletic), 8 - Lothaire Cromwell (AFC Treason), 11 - Morena Deventer (Brinemouth), 13 - Ysabet Belgrade (Sabrefell Moths), 15 - Mercurio Kastriot (Crisisbless), 16 - Sonya Latimore (AFC Corvistone), 21 - Swansea Reach (Sabrefell Moths)
Forwards: 9 - Voska Avetisyan (Cornellians, SCT), 10 - Konrad Lovelace (Revolutionaries, EUR), 14 - Arista Tzorvas (CA Paulinthal, PAS), 17 - Latona Basilisk (Coret Hawks), 23 - Traudl Mrdja (Vermillion Rage)

SCHEDULE
Nephara 4 - 1 Hwiccemark @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Unimon 3 - 4 Nephara
Nephara 3 - 0 The Minarchist Free State @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Terre Septentrionale 0 - 5 Nephara
Nephara 3 - 2 New Lusitania @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Sharktail 2 - 4 Nephara
Nephara 2 - 1 Mavinet @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Nephara 4 - 0 Havynwilde @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Damukuni 1 - 5 Nephara
Hwiccemark vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Unimon @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
The Minarchist Free State vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Terre Septentrionale @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
New Lusitania vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Sharktail @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Mavinet vs. Nephara
Havynwilde vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Damukuni @ The Gauntlet (Treason)

World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

Boot It!: MD9 - "Halfway Highs And Lows"

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