Campionato Esportiva 28 - Everything Thread

[The Grearish Union]

Samantha Anderson designs the new CE28 identity
David Eckhardt · World · 15^th November, 2020

The nation found itself in an unexpected wave of celebration as news from South Newlandia reached the Grearish shores: the Grearish people's very own Samantha Anderson's design had been chosen by the South Newlandian authorities to be the official logo of the 28th Campionato Esportiva tournament. After an intensive screening process and fighting out quite a few other entries, Anderson has solidified her place in the world as one of the premier designers around. Samantha has been known to be involved with Aer Sportswear, influencing a lot of their designs, including the recent Euran national team kit that the company created: which was accepted and loved with great critical acclaim. 'I have only tried to create something to pay homage to the South Newlandian people, their colours and the culture,' said Anderson, when questioned about her inspirations behind the vibrant design, that will now be the icon that the warm, welcoming and enthusiastic South Newlandian hosting of the 28th Campionato Esportiva will be remembered by. All of this attention seemingly couldn't faze the indomitable spirit that Anderson embodies, with her self getting to work on further undeclared projects already. 'I only got the news that my design was selected when I was in my Forsho office, and we celebrated it throughout the firm. However, it's now time to get back to work again!' she said as she walked away briskly toward the elevator in anticipation of bigger opportunities to come. The news has come as a welcome surprise for the students of Design and Fashion Technology students around the country, with them starting to take a keen interest in Grearish designing norms and styles more than ever before. One small logo selection for Samantha Anderson, may now well be a giant leap for the Grearish design industry!

© Grearish Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[South Newlandia]

This is the very first cutoff of the 28th Campionato Esportiva! Welcome to South Newlandia!

Group A

South Newlandia 3-0 Copper Cuprum (scorinated by The Grearish Union)
Burgburgh 2–1 Cyborg Cocoabo Islands

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 South Newlandia           1    1   0   0     3    0   +3     3
2 Burgburgh                 1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
3 Cyborg Cocoabo Islands    1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0
4 Copper Cuprum             1    0   0   1     0    3   −3     0

Group B

South Covello 0–6 Xanneria
Ancherion 3–2 Hallikshire

Group B                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Xanneria                         1   1  0  0    6   0  +6    3
2 Ancherion                        1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
3 Hallikshire                      1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
4 South Covello                    1   0  0  1    0   6  −6    0

Group C

Vdara 4–3 Ceyne Islands
Laahana 0–2 Ethane

Group C                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ethane                           1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Vdara                            1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Ceyne Islands                    1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
4 Laahana                          1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group D

Nova Anglicana (AZE) 0–1 Racing
Sylestone 0–0 Fhulghamous Peninsula

Group D                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Racing                           1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Fhulghamous Peninsula            1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Sylestone                        1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Nova Anglicana (AZE)             1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group E

Starcom Racing 0–2 Lisander
Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom 1–1 Gergary

Group E                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lisander                         1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Gergary                          1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom         1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Starcom Racing                   1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group F

Esportivan Darmen 4–1 Summer Beach
Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison 3–7 Newmanistan

Group F                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Newmanistan                      1   1  0  0    7   3  +4    3
2 Esportivan Darmen                1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
3 Summer Beach                     1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0
4 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison   1   0  0  1    3   7  −4    0

Group G

Prinz-Eugens-Land 0–1 Hampton Island
Damukuni 1–4 The Golden Lotus

Group G                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Golden Lotus                 1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
2 Hampton Island                   1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Prinz-Eugens-Land                1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Damukuni                         1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

Group H

Sangti 3–3 Natanians and Nosts
Brenecia 4–0 The Grearish Union

Group H                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                         1   1  0  0    4   0  +4    3
2 Natanians and Nosts              1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Sangti                           1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
4 The Grearish Union               1   0  0  1    0   4  −4    0

[Hampton Island]

(Setting: Locker room before opening game)

Chase Walstrom: So, coach, who is going to be the captain?

Brianna Carter: Uhh, I don’t know.

Tyler Wentworth: Which one of you is the coach?

Brittany Carter: Uhmm, me I guess.

Brianna Carter: Sometimes her, sometimes me.

Tyler Wentworth: This is dumb.

Daquan Perlino: I have never in my life heard of a team having co-managers. Either one of you is the head coach and one of you is the assistant coach. And Hannah never named a captain. Which one of us is going to wear the armband?

Brittany Carter: Uhm, I guess you can. Here you go. (hands Perlino captain’s armband)

Chase Walstrom: I like Daquan but he is 22. He is not ready for the captain’s role.

Daquan Perlino: Come on now, Chase, I was captain in high school and my last two years of college!

Brianna Carter: But he mentioned it first so you are captain. What is your name again?

Daquan Perlino: Daquan.

Brianna Carter: Everybody, Daquan is the captain.

Tyler Wentworth: Way to go. (said sarcastically)

Brittany Carter: He said he was a captain in high school. So he is completely qualified.

Chase Walstrom: I am pretty sure every player in this room was the captain of their high school team.

Daquan Perlino: C’mon man, don’t make light of it.

Chase Walstrom: I am a captain of my team right now. Daquan is not a captain yet professionally.

Brianna Carter: Ok, you can be captain. Daquan, give Chase the armband.

Tyler Wentworth: But I am the oldest starter on the team and have been a captain longer.

Brittany Carter: Ok, you can be captain then. How about you all be captains.

Daquan Perlino: First captain keeps the armband.

Brianna Carter: Good idea.

Chase Walstrom: What a joke.

Tyler Wentworth: Daquan, I hope you are as good a shooter on the pitch as you are in here.

[Burgburgh]

Burgeoisie Bugle
Agricultural Industry Worker Bowl
Percival Thompson

It's the matchup Esportiva has been waiting for since the region's inception in the early 60s (in World Cup Cycle units, the most reliable timescale in these parts of NS). Two teams composed entirely of people with dayjobs producing and selling foodstuffs. What could be more classic than Sunshine Lewin, greenhouse engineer, beating Cyborg Cocoabo Islands' Storage Technician and scoring a banger of a goal? Or when spokesperson Wendolyn Fairburn turned on her fellow advertising guru Sales Associate to chip the ball over the latter and put the scoreline to two-nil? A clash of industry and footballing titans the multiverse has never seen, and may never again see. A once in a lifetime opportunity playing out in front of our very eyes. How lucky we are to be alive to witness it.

The Cyborg Cocoboabosians would strike back in the second half. A sloppy challenge from Safety Inspector Patty McNamara took out the Director of Transportation and Logistics, transporting their ass to the grass. The resulting free kick saw said Director put the ball directly past the Burgeoisie wall and past Foreman Levi Odell, who looked quite embarrassed to be caught off-guard like that. He'd get things under control from that point forward, however. As time wound down he'd deal with three more dangerous shots on goal and came away with each well in-hand, and with that securing Burgburgh's first three points of this Compionato in Elephant Valley.

[Sylestone]

The Sentients were ready. The hype was enormous. Sylestone were preparing for their first game in the Campionato Esportiva, the best-ever regional sports tournament in the best every region. Ahhh, Esportiva. What a place. Better than any other regions. Atlantian Oceania? Rushmore? Sonnel? Melayu Archipelago? Nah. Actually, I'll be honest. Sonnel is pretty fucking good. Especially the FAP political party. But the others? OK, they're alright. But they're no Esportiva. Nothing was, nothing will.
Anyway. where were we? Ah yes, the Campionato Esportiva. In the best ever nation on Earth. South Newlandia. What a fucking epic place. But anyway, we've gone off-topic yet again, bribing the hosts to give us a win against the Nova Anglicanan Admin Zone of Esportiva, instead of discussing the game against Flaming Fhulghamous Peninsula.
So an exciting tournament in the multiverse's best region should have resulted in a nailbiting, thrilling game between the two sides, right? But no. Typically, it had to be a 0-0 draw. Don't get me wrong, there were some stunning games, such as defending champions Xanneria slaughtering South Covello, currently ranked 51st in the world and former-supergiant 6-0. Like, what the fuck? Newmanistan also somehow manage to smash Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalision 7-3. Margaret... calm down, please?
For the game itself, much of the first half was boring, with sides intent on wearing the other down. Sylestone had a good chance at goal in the 38th minute, but a brilliant save meant that the scoreline remained 0-0. Fhulghamous Peninsula bounced back with a header that cannoned into the edge of the Brick Wall and out of the goal just moments before half-time.
The Toaster was relatively happy with the Sentients performance, saying that "you played well. You kept Flaming Peninsula or whatever their name is at bay, which is what we really need to do. A draw is all we really need against these guys, although a win will be nice. So let's keep it going!"
So they did. The two evenly-matched sides just couldn't break through each other as the game began to peter out to a draw. Sylestone had the only real chance late in the second half when the Mixer and Bar Stool ran headlong at the goal in the 84th minute. Both players were shut down, but the Tumble Dryer was flanking them as the Bar Stool's backpass nearly resulted in a goal. After this, both sides were happy to just play possession football until the end of the game, where the 0-0 result was determined.

Sylestone's next game is against fake Nova Anglicana, so it shouldn't be too hard. But it is important to never underestimate them. Matchday three will bring about a game against the Pot 1 side in the group. Although they are seemingly the best team, a team of cars shouldn't bee too ahrd to knock off. Then again, we are a team of Sentients, so you can never know.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS PUT UP SEVEN

By Kristen Fuller,

They aren’t from the nation of Sevendia, but citizens of that country will be proud of the amount of goals that Newmanistan scored in their opening match against Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison. It didn’t seem as though the team was heading for such a dominant performance with the way that things struggled, but eventually this team took over.

For the first twenty five minutes or so, it looked like the players wearing sky blue looked to win just for showing up, and it showed on the field. The first goal of the match would go the other way, coming in just the 5th minute. It was by the player wearing #10, but the Coalison, whatever that is, has opted to utilize the secret roster strategy for this competition, at least up to this point. Newmanistan responded to this goal quickly, just three minutes later on a great passing play that ended up with Madison Desalvo sneaking through the defense as the forwards possessed the ball, and Maddie fired the shot home. The quick response may have only cemented the feeling that the team did not have much to worry about, and instead of taking control of the match after the score, they fell into a rather flat style of play, and they were punished. The opponent scored 19th and 25th minute goals to take a 3-1 lead, and that would leave the Rockets faithful that made the trip to Ratzupalfu Colosseum quite discouraged. This stadium with a 16,000 capacity was constructed for the Campionato Esportiva, and the Rockets were looking to be the first ever such winner in this tournament at the stadium. However, nothing was going right and Michael Starre was not pleased. In the 29th minute, this showed with an interesting substitution, taking out forward Tyrone Baxter and replacing him with Kenzie Miller. This got everyone’s attention, and served as the wake up call this team needed. Certainly, that was the intention of the move.

The team got the message, and the flow of the game tilted dramatically towards the Rockets from that point until the end of the game. Miller would score quickly, coming in the 35th minute as her fresh legs were beneficial, and eight minutes later, Vinny Donaldson tied the game up. Now, this team that was not playing well and looked to be inexplicably trailing at halftime had at least tied up the game. The second half was all Rockets, and in fact goalkeeper Matthew Costner only touched the ball two times within the second half as the sky blue dominated possession. When you do that, chances are you are going to score goals, and the team would do so four times. Miller gets her second in the 52nd, then Allister Levy took over, with 61st, 70th, and 81st minute goals to complete the scoring. In the end, Newmanistan does what they expected to do, and win handily, with a 7-3 scoreline.

Now, the team looks forward to their next match, against unranked Summer Beach at Newport Park, and older but classic facility. A win would clinch the group for the Rockets. There has been some question on whether or not Kenzie Miller’s two goal performance would lead to her getting the starting nod for the match over Tyrone Baxter, but coach Starre stated that Baxter will return to the starting lineup. Hopefully, he will play in a manner that he feels he needs to prove himself. We know he can be hot and cold as a player, and perhaps that is exactly why Starre chose him to be the one to be substituted out early on in the opening match. You would think this game would go well for the Rockets, but obviously, nothing is ever guaranteed.

[Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva]

Lions take tough loss in CE 28, still standing

Wesley Wilson, Rutupiae Free Beacon

The Nova Anglicana Lions national football team returned to the stage in the Campionato Esportiva this week, traveling to South Newlandia to take part in the competition. Whereas last time the Lions sent a miscellaneous group of mid-level NAFL players, this time around, we are sending our best, or at least who we hope are our best. Unfortunately, the Lions' first group-stage game didn't end so well. They took on the regional #8 Racing, who had advanced to the quarterfinals last time and were considered a strong side. Despite Racing's well-deserved reputation for fast-paced action and lots of goals, there was only a single goal in the game. Despite Tim Hopkins' eight saves, Racing came away with the victory, 1-0. The Lions were outpaced and outpossessed in the game, generating five shots on goal and precious few chances overall. The defense held up well, but other than that, not a lot of positives from this game.

However, the good news is that the Lions still have a fighting chance. Racing were the best side in their group, and Sylestone and Fhulghamous Peninsula are not nearly as dangerous. Additionally, the other two teams drew, 2-2, meaning that they're only one point ahead of the Lions right now. Up next for our boys is Sylestone, the nation of sentient appliances. They showed some fight against Fhulghamous Peninsula, but they are closest to the Lions in rank and theoretically represent the best chance for a victory. A draw is a must, as a loss would, barring some shenanigans, almost certainly eliminate them. However, a win would be best. A win puts them at 3 points and at least not last in the group. The best situation is likely a win for Nova Anglicana and a draw for Racing and Fhulghamous Peninsula. That would put Racing on 4, Nova Anglicana on 3, FP on 2, and Sylestone on 1. This way, Racing still have to play well in order to avoid falling into second place in the group, while the Lions can come away with a draw or a win in order to advance. It won't be easy, but the Lions are bringing their best effort, a real chance for them to show Esportiva they're not just baseball-only fanatics, but good at other sports too.

In any case, the Lions have a special chance to show two bullies what's what in this next game. First, the Sylestone media's baseless slander of us as "fake Nova Anglicana." This just shows a depressing lack of research on their part. The NAAZE is a full part of Nova Anglicana, not a colony or a protectorate, but since we're the only part of Nova Anglicana that's actually in Esportiva, we can understand the mistake. Still, the game against Sylestone's a good opportunity to make them eat their words. Speaking of "fake Nova Anglicana", the second bully is the Ramsey government and the despicable far-right King Voss, whose decision to force everyone to sing one national anthem and brainwash kids about it also carried the implication that those who prefer "God Save the Queen" are not real Nova Anglicans. In the NAAZE, we have an amazing diversity of people, not only from Nova Anglicana, but also from Esportiva. It's a rich tapestry of ethnicity, language, religion, and culture, and "God Save the Queen" is surely something we can all agree on, whereas "Jesus Shall Reign" promotes one group over another and divides us against each other. A victory for the Lions in this upcoming game would show the Ramsey government that diversity, community, and harmony with our neighbours are true Nova Anglican values, not narrow-minded parochialism and exclusionary tactics.

OOC: The Rutupiae Free Beacon is the main newspaper of the NAAZE. Although journalistically and ethically sound, they do have somewhat of a left lean, as does the NAAZE.

[Xanneria]

Records fall against South Covello as Myrone's Militia marches on!
excerpts from http://www.xtrasports.xan/nationalteam.htm

SOUTH NEWLANDIA - While 7,000 screaming fans may not sound like a loud noise, it can in South Newlandia where the smaller stadium sizes mean louder crowds with fewer people. An estimated 7,500 Xannerians showed up and out of the estimated crowd of 9,000 a chunk of the remaining 1,500 were locals who wanted to see the action and Kevin Bryse a new acquisition for the SNL domestic scene. Xannerian Football is coming off a fairly week stretch where they struggled in Qualifiers with some of the weaker teams and got steam rolled by the invincible Banijan team. The Cup Of Harmony went better till a shock elimination by Sylestone saw them out, but on the flip side it was the first time the Maroons made the playoffs in the CoH so thats a fair point to say it was a good run even with the shock by Sylestone. Now here the defending Campianato Esportiva champions took off with a brand new roster. The Myrone Militia as the fans are dubbing it have taken over with a 6-0 drubbing over South Covello. A team most know is a fine international competitor, but with in the Esportivan confines of the CE, they just really don't care. It became obvious when the fifth goal went in at just the 50 minute mark. While the record for goals in a game is 7 set in last years CE, the game did break last competition's MoV record that was tied in the WCQ the year after. a 6-0 victory over South Covello has seen the Maroons once again assert themselves as one of the regions big three sporting powers. While Newmanistan may have
scored 7 goals in their game they did give up three goals and their goalie play was much weaker than that of the Maroons. Brenecia won 4-0 over the tough Gerish Union team.

One of the aspects of this Maroon team people were most curious about were the new Donnaconnan' expats who came over a couple years ago and were Naturalized after that nations collapse. Kylian LaCroix made it into the Starting lineup as a striker and he showed his strengths right away with a 2 goal game. 4 players scored goals with Alex Bronson scoring two goals from Midfield. This was in part to an overly aggressive goalkeeper who found himself out of place more than not. Next up for the Maroons is a game in the small "Coast Stadium" near Elephant Town. The Opponent for this game will be a relative newcomer the Hallikshire team.

Xanneria - 6
Bronson 3' 35'
Lacroix 9' 62'
Brower 22'
Feltzer 50'

South Covello - 0

[The Grearish Union]

A crushing defeat at the hands of Brenecia
Paula McNish · Sport · 26^th November, 2020

Brenecia 4 - 0 The Grearish Union
BRE: (4', 15' (P) L. Cheney, 66' White, 76' Fife)
GRU: -

The runners up from the 27th Campionato Esportiva have come out all guns blazing in the 28th edition of the tournament, as they handed the Black Dolphins a hearty 4-0 thrashing at the magnificent Jecken Arena in Newport in the Northeast of the country, with an attendance of just over 16,000 spectators. The humbling affair has led the Black Dolphins to skip attending the press conference that followed soon after the conclusion of the game. A lot had to be running through the Grearish minds as they reached the stadium on the matchday, with pressure back home for the formation of a formal, professional football league and the decision of the government to pay heed to that mostly depending on the performances of the Black Dolphins in this CE. They looked shaky ever since the start, with Suzanna Schaeffer being very busy right from the start of the game, blocking off countless pacy, stingy Brenecian attacks while the Grearish leftback and captain in Joanna Rodrigues found herself at sea every time there was a fast Brenecian pressing attack from Cheney's right hand side. The breakthrough came fairly early for the Patriots, as Cheney's long-ranger found the net with only 5 minutes recorded on the clock. The buoyant patriots then crashed on to the Grearish lines of defence like roaring waves on a stormy day at the Forsho docks. The Allman-led defence still held up to the massive task of containing the onslaught, until the point when Mario Elliott fouled Mhacha White inside the penalty box to concede a spot-kick to the Brenecians. The opening goalscorer in Cheney was asked to step up, and she delivered without flinching. Schaeffer was sent the wrong way, and the Patriots were up 2-0, only 15 minutes into the game. Blanchard then expectedly asked his troops to fall back and defend tooth-and-nail to secure the scoreline till the end of the first half. The Grearish did manage to break very rarely, but those breaks were of no real consequence, as vice-captin McAuley and Willis Kline on the frontline couldn't convert openings into chances - let alone into the only thing that is meaningful in the beautiful game - goals. The beginning of the second half saw a couple of changes from the Grearish side, with Fergus Sloan of Shamrock Cathair coming on for the already-criticised Cassandra Preston, and Frank from the Kinetik Islanders coming on for Lilah Buchanan, who had a dismal day in right wing back. The Brenecians held back their subsititutes for the time being, as the fresh pair of legs for the GU turned out to be positive, but the leaky left-hand side of the defence where the skipper Joanna Rodrigues and Cheney met, continued to be an area of worry. It is said that Blanchard saved the final substitution as an injury-contingency-plan, but that had clearly backfired. While subbing out the captian might have been a bold move to make, it was necessary, and more importantly: never made. It wasn't long before the menace turned into a real cause of worry, and then disaster struck when a Cheney cross found Mhacha White in the area, who headed it into the Grearish net. It may be argued that Susanna may have done a better job, but the real problem was now identified as Joanna Rodrigues's left side. It was at this moment that Mhacha White was substituted for Mathgamain Fife, who quickly switched positions with the tiring Cheney. This proved even more of a problem for the weak left-side of the Black Dolphins' defence, when a sudden forward, piercing run from Fife drew a 1v1 situation against Susanna Schaeffer and eventually scored with a cheeky flick over the advancing keeper. 76 minutes, and the game was put to bed. The rest of the match was holding on the whatever scoreline could be salvaged, for the Grearish on the ground, and for those at home, was another disappointing night while they switched TV off to get some sleep before work the next day.

© Grearish Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Vdara]

Early Signs of Trouble?


Coast Stadium
Dressing Room

Just before the match, Moustakakos was pacing around the room. The players were busy getting their kits on and their shoelaces tied, whereas Moustakakos was suited and booted. Y’know, the usual managerial wear. White shirt, striped tie, suit jacket, trousers, loafers, the whole lot. After all, he had to let the players know that he was the boss around here, despite him seeming quite young compared to other managers. As expected, Moustakakos stopped pacing about and stood in front of the door, and the players all looked at him, eagerly waiting for him to speak.

”Well lads,” began Moustakakos. ”I hope you’re all ready for this match. Y’see, the first match within a group stage is always gonna be your toughest, no matter who your opponent is. Heck, it doesn’t matter whether you’re playing Brenecia or whether you’re playing Sangti, you always want to win that first match to send a message to your other group mates. If you don’t... well, you can probably count yourself out. But we don’t lose, do we lads? We are at the top of our game, and I can assure you all that this match is going the start of something bigger. Everyone understand?”

No verbal response was given, but a few players nodded their heads in agreement. Some continued to stare at the manager without giving any hints as to what they were thinking.

”I’ll take that as a yes, then. Let’s get out there, let’s bag some goals and let’s win this game, boys!”

And now, live coverage from Vai Sports!

”God, I do love the start of a new tournament, don’t you? I mean, you always end up in a new country, and best of all - we get to see Vdara play some football! Hello to all of you at home, and welcome to Vai Sports’ coverage of the coveted Campionato Esportiva! We’re at the Coast Stadium in South Newlandia, and we’re gonna be watching the Young Magicians play against the Ceyne Isles. Just so you know, we’re running behind schedule here, and the players are already coming out of the tunnel, so we may as well just cut to the live feed from the stadium as quick as possible.”

1: Well, here we go! The referee has blown the whistle, and the match has kicked off. I think we’re gonna see a shower of goals tonight!
2: It’s an early penalty to Vdara! Petras was just about to take a shot on goal when Sherry Brosnan tackled him from behind, and the referee pointed to the spot.
3: It’s Lambros Tantalopoulos who’s stepping up to take the penalty, as he places the ball on the penalty spot and takes a few steps back from the ball. He takes a deep breath, runs up to the ball and... fires it into the top right corner with immense power! Vdara take the lead 3 minutes in, and it’s a lovely penalty from the captain!
8: It’s a corner to to the Ceyne Isles, and it’ll be Commons who takes it. Commons whips the ball into the box... and it’s in off the head of Knox! The Ceyne Isles have equalised, and what a spectacle this match is turning out to be!
18: Demotis flicks the ball forward to Scafididis, and it looks like he’ll try and run down the right hand side. Scafididis tries to put the ball into the box... but it’s went out for a goal kick.
23: Muleas is in possession of the ball, and he looks to be attempting a long range shot... which sails past Garrick and puts Vdara back into the lead! Muleas is proud of that goal, and rightly so!
29: It’s another corner for the Ceyne Isles, and Commons will be taking this one as well. Commons swerves the ball into the box with lots of technique from the corner kick... and it’s gone in off the crossbar! Memphis Commons has bagged himself a goal AND an assist from the corner flag in this game, and what a goal it was! The game’s back on level terms!
32: Moustakakos seems to be trying his best to will the players on, they seem to be taking their foot off the gas a little.
45: Well, that’s halftime. The first half hour was full of surprises, but the last fifteen minutes can be considered a bit of a bore-fest, eh?

”Well, this match certainly seems to be a lot closer than we were expecting, eh? I mean, we’re drawing 2-2 with a team that the media said we could ‘beat easily’. Definitely not our finest hour at the moment, eh? I’m sure we can pull through, though. You guys just need to keep up with the goal scoring and press their attackers much more. Oh, also, don’t be conceding as many corners. We’ve already had 2 goals scored against us from corner kicks, so make sure that we either kick the ball further up the pitch or out for a throw-in, okay?”

46: Oh, there we go! The second half’s begun earlier than I expected, honestly.
52: The Ceyne Isles seem to have started the second half a lot better than Vdara, having kept possession of the ball for most of time. Will this last much longer? I hope not.
61: The Ceyne Isles are gunning for a third goal, as Monrow dashes down the left hand side with the ball firmly at their feet. Monrow tries to cross the ball into the box, but it’s headed away by Tolakis... and it’s volleyed past Frangoglou by Susanne Mpenza! The Ceyne Isles lead by 3 goals to 2, to the shock of many travelling fans!
70: The Young Magicians are breaking forward on the counter attack here, as Manolakis has got the ball over on the right hand side. Manolakis nutmegs Knox, pirouettes past Greene... and equalises for Vdara with a stunning rainbow flick volley! This truly is a game of skill, eh?
88: Petras has intercepted a pass from Bastoni, and he’s not giving the opposition any chance to retrieve it, as he flicks it over towards Makrotsis, who sidesteps past Knox and... scores the winning goal for Vdara in stunning fashion! Nobody predicted that this game would be a struggle for the Vdarans, but they’ve managed to pull through and take the lead in the final few minutes! Can they hold on for the remainder of this match?
90: Yes, they can! It’s over, it’s done, and it’s a win for Vdara! Moustakakos will be pleased with that performance, this game was a lot tougher than he was expecting!

While this game was not an easy one, what mattered was that the Vdarans had bagged all three points. This didn’t take them to the top of the group, however, as group leaders Ethane bagged a 2-0 victory over unranked Laahana. Would Vdara also be able to claim victory over Laahana, or would they stumble and put their knockout stage hopes in jeopardy? Find out... in the next RP!

Vdara - 4
Tantalopoulos (penalty) 3’
Muleas 23’
Manolakis 70’
Makrotsis 88’
Ceyne Isles - 3
Knox 8’
Commons 29’
Mpenza 61’

[South Newlandia]

This is the second cutoff of the 28th Campionato Esportiva! Today, we might see the first elimations, and the first teams clinching the Ro16. Of course, all teams will be having high hopes.

Group A

Copper Cuprum 4–1 Cyborg Cocoabo Islands
South Newlandia 0-0 Burgburgh (scorinated by The Grearish Union)

Group A                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 South Newlandia           2    1   1   0     3    0   +3     4
2 Burgburgh                 2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4
3 Copper Cuprum             2    1   0   1     4    4    0     3
4 Cyborg Cocoabo Islands    2    0   0   2     2    6   −4     0

Group B

Xanneria 3–1 Hallikshire
South Covello 1–5 Ancherion

Group B                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Xanneria                         2   2  0  0    9   1  +8    6
2 Ancherion                        2   2  0  0    8   3  +5    6
3 Hallikshire                      2   0  0  2    3   6  −3    0
4 South Covello                    2   0  0  2    1  11 −10    0

Group C

Ceyne Islands 0–1 Ethane
Vdara 4–1 Laahana

Group C                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vdara                            2   2  0  0    8   4  +4    6
2 Ethane                           2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
3 Ceyne Islands                    2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0
4 Laahana                          2   0  0  2    1   6  −5    0

Group D

Racing 1–0 Fhulghamous Peninsula
Nova Anglicana (AZE) 3–3 Sylestone

Group D                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Racing                           2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Sylestone                        2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
3 Nova Anglicana (AZE)             2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1
4 Fhulghamous Peninsula            2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1

Group E

Lisander 0–1 Gergary
Starcom Racing 1–1 Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom

Group E                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gergary                          2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
2 Lisander                         2   1  0  1    2   1  +1    3
3 Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom         2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Starcom Racing                   2   0  1  1    1   3  −2    1

Group F

Summer Beach 2–5 Newmanistan
Esportivan Darmen 1–3 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison

Group F                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Newmanistan                      2   2  0  0   12   5  +7    6
2 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison   2   1  0  1    6   8  −2    3
3 Esportivan Darmen                2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
4 Summer Beach                     2   0  0  2    3   9  −6    0

Group G

Hampton Island 1–0 The Golden Lotus
Prinz-Eugens-Land 3–4 Damukuni

Group G                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Hampton Island                   2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 The Golden Lotus                 2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
3 Damukuni                         2   1  0  1    5   7  −2    3
4 Prinz-Eugens-Land                2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0

Group H

Natanians and Nosts 0–1 The Grearish Union
Sangti 0–4 Brenecia

Group H                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                         2   2  0  0    8   0  +8    6
2 The Grearish Union               2   1  0  1    1   4  −3    3
3 Natanians and Nosts              2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1
4 Sangti                           2   0  1  1    3   7  −4    1

Teams in Green have already secured a place in the Round of 16, while teams in Red are already eliminated from the tournament.

[Gergary]

Gergary's Number Two News Outlet - at least we're honest here.

Sport
Der Weissengeier upset Lisander, tops Group E

Newport, SOUTH NEWLANDIA - After the Gergarian National Football team, known as Der Weissengeier or A Feher Keselyuk, drew with top seeds Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom in Ratzupalfu, they managed to score their first scalping of the tournament in Newport Park when Erik Bartos' header went past the Lisanderian goalkeeper late in the match to give Heidemarie Frost her first win in this edition's Campionato Esportiva. Both teams made their chances but it was the nation in northeastern Esportiva that capitalized on their chances with that late goal. Bartos' goal also makes him the top scorer of Der Weissengeier as he scored the equalizing goal against the top seeds when Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom was leading 1-0 at the time.

With the win, Gergary unexpectedly leads Group E with 4 points, and will face Starcom Racing in Elephant Valley, having shared the spoils with Gergary's MD1 opponents with the same scoreline. A draw against the bottom placed team at the moment may eliminate the Gergarians if Zeta Reka manage to beat Lisander on the final matchday at Northern Stadium which is the nearest stadium from Elephant Dome, which is the only scenario Der Weissengeier will be out of the Campionato from the Group Stage.

But for us and Domonkos' sake, the team hopes to not to rely to the other match to progress to the playoffs.

[Sangti]

OOC: CE28 is held relatively the same time as the group stages of the WBC50.

After Sangti was shellacked by five time Campionato winners Brenecia, Marcos Romualdez is now thinking twice whether he would fly to South Newlandia to attend the final group stage match of the team against The Grearish Union.

At home, he has watched his baseball team lose all their home games so far in the Group Stages of the Classic, which is another reason he wanted to go to the current hosts of the Campionato for a refreshing sight. However, there might be more cons than pros if he flies away from Filindostan at the moment. Dorigo Dutete, current president of Filindostan, may just refuse entry to Marcos once he is away from Filindo territory, which may result to him losing his master plan of taking the isles. He had already struck a deal with the president to explore the uninhabited portion mainland beside Damukuni from the site where Swyftherth was originally located, whether they can be able to cleanse the site of radiation, which is now below dangerous levels.

But Marcos wanted to prioritize the mainland first before the teams, and he wanted to make sure the radiation levels can be cleansed out or to be reduced to livable levels. As such, he decided to record a video encouraging the team against their matchday 3 opponents, and send a reputable assistant to South Newlandia to deliver the video message.

[Hampton Island]

(Setting: Locker room after second game)

Brianna Carter: Oh my God, we are like doing so good right now!

Brittany Carter: Yeah and they said it would be stupid to have two head coaches. We are proving them wrong!

Brianna Carter: Absolutely!

Brittany Carter: We are geniuses!

Chase Walstrom: Ladies, I hate to interrupt your personal back-patting, but you know maybe we had something to do with it, too.

Brianna Carter: Yeah, but you have to admit it is really cool that me and Brittany have two wins to start this whatever it is called Camping Esportiva or something.

Brittany Carter: Yeah, I mean like how many other teams have two managers.

Brianna Carter: It’s like I can claim one win and Brittany can claim the other.

Tyler Wentworth: Are we going to have a post game meeting here, or not?

Brianna Carter: Yeah, okay. Good job guys, you played good.

Daquan Perlino: Well, as the captain of this team, I just wanted to say that I am proud of our effort on the pitch, but all of the credit needs to go to our amazing defenders, and of course, our goalkeeper, Alexander Watson for two clean sheets.

Brianna Carter: Why do they call it a clean sheet? It’s not laundry.

Chase Walstrom: Seriously?

Brittany Carter: And why do they call it a pitch? That’s what some baseball players do.

Tyler Wentworth: Oh boy. Daquan, you were right, all the congrats here to Alexander and the defenders.

Chase Walstrom: Thank you guys, all in spite of, I mean, thanks to our coaching for sure.

Alexander Watson: You make my job easy in front, thanks.

Brianna Carter: Who do we play next?

Chase Walstrom: Damukuni.

Brianna Carter: Don’t you be damning me!

Brittany Carter: Seriously Chase what brought on, she is my sister and why did you call her Kuni. That’s just weird.

Tyler Wentworth: Wow. Again.

Daquan Perlino: That’s the name of the country. I mean, they are pretty prevalent in this region, surely you have heard of them.

Brianna Carter: Oh okay. But come on I am here for my great soccer knowledge and coaching, as evidenced by our start.

Brittany Carter: So am I, so we aren’t experts on other things.

Tyler Wentworth: Can we end this poor excuse for, I mean, wonderful post-game team meeting now?

Brianna Carter: Yeah, I think so. You’re amazing coaches say this meeting is over.

Brittany Carter: Have a good day!

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom Federativna Republika Zeta Reka i Hügeltaldom
28th Campionato Esportiva Roster that will hopefully not be eliminated in the round of 16 for a third time

---

Goalkeepers
01: Zlatko Wukowić — 24 yo — 185.25cm/6'1" — 32 caps — Lonngeylin City (Vilita)
12: Dejan Wasić — 27 yo — 193cm/6'4" — 3 caps — Montreal Koreana (Quebec)
27: Andrejow Werisokić — 27 yo — 200cm/6’6.75” — 0 caps — Ogroven Vanguardi FK

Center Backs
03: Janko Yakowić — 30 yo — 193cm/6'4" — 53 caps — Aleiusia Capital
02: Wlad Wlad — 24 yo — 192.5cm/6’3.875” — 31 caps – Resplendiente (Tequilo)
04: Bartolomej Wladowić (c) — 30 yo — 171.33cm/5'7.5" — 65 caps — KT Morezura (Audioslavia)
42: Skewar Skop — 29 yo — 190.75cm/6'3.125" — 4 caps — Platinastigrade
15: Wuk Kozifier — 24 yo — 177.5cm/5'9.875" — 20 caps — DD Porto Nowi
43: Damjan Protić — 19 yo — 190cm/6'2.75" — 1 cap — Avanaroch White Wings FC (Tikariot)

Wing backs
16: Zaur-Luka Igorić (left) — 20 yo — 177cm/5’9.75” — 9 caps — Ogroven Vanguadi FK
05: Jad (right) — 27 yo — 184cm/6'0.5" — 58 caps — Aleiusia Capital
38: Hermann Hampe (left) — 23 yo — 178.66cm/5’10.75” — 2 caps — Aleiusia Capital
18: Yuri Kewić (right) — 24 yo — 172.33cm/5’7.75” — 4 caps — DD Porto Nowi

Midfielders
06: Stani Gröss (defense) — 25 yo — 174cm/5'8.5" — 41 caps — 1830 Cathair FC (Audioslavia)
08: Stanimir Rekawić (center) — 21 yo — 174cm/5'8.5" — 11 caps — KT Ferramendiak (Audioslavia)
11: Želmir Kolarowić (center) — 29 yo — 190cm/6'2.75" — 60 caps — Kven FK
17: Mullow Dorboslawić (defense) — 30 yo — 174.66cm/5'8.75" — 54 caps — DD Porto Nowi
10: Rybki (center) — 37 yo — 176.25cm/5'9.625" — 54 caps — DD Porto Nowi
40: Anpele Zork (center) — 28 yo — 182.75cm/6’ — 1 cap — Langmere Green Rovers FC (Flavovespia)

Forwards
20: Arnald Gal — 21 yo — 177.5cm/5'9.875" — 16 caps— DD Porto Nowi
22: Stojan Heiden — 25 yo — 162.75cm/5'4.125" — 32 caps — AK Stanimir
46: Adam Wladić-Herman — 21 yo — 172.33cm/5'7.75" — 0 caps — Avanaroch White Wings FC (Tikariot)
36: Petar Karić — 19 yo — 175.75cm/5"9.75" — 2 caps — Ribar PRD

Standard XI
Wukowić - Yakowić, Wlad Wlad, Wladmirowić - Igorić, Jad -Gröss, Rekawić, Kolarowić - Gal, Heiden

Staff Credits
Head Coach: Marko Dusan
Assistant: Yuri Pendžeraši
Goalkeping Coach: Wolfgang Marcellić
Trainer: Andrijana Protić
Official team writer: Milan Jankić

---

OOC:
Formation: 5-3-2/3-5-2
Style: 0

---

Permissions: Yes?
Pick Scorers: Y
Godmod Scores: Y
Injure Players: Y
Godmod injuries: Y
Godmod anything: Y

[Sylestone]

Another draw, this time against fourth-pot Nova Anglican AZE, has put Sylestone into second place on the Group D table. It was an intense 3-3 draw, but it simply wasn't good enough as now Sylestone are faced with a hard task of beating Racing to qualify. They don't need to, but it's the way it's looking like. A drawn game will result in the other game having to be a draw for the Sentients to progress to the next round.

Sylestone scored first in the 16th minute from a corner. The Stove took it and the Bar Stool slotted it in with a brilliant header. They soon made it 2-0, after the Mixer spanked in a penalty in the 21st minute to take a strong early lead. The Sylestonean section of the crowd was on their cheering the brilliant start their national side had put on. But it didn't last.
It was quite clear that Darren Williams hadn't been taken into account. His brilliant dribbling skills completely outclassed the lax Sylestonean defence as he scored a hattrick in the 31st, 34th and 45th minutes. All of a sudden, the score was 3-2 at half-time and the game was on the line.

After half-time, both sides began defensively, determined to not let any goals in. As the minutes wasted away, Sylestone got more and mre desperate. But fake Nova Anglicana were tiring and that's what gave way. The Toilet finally broke through and scored an amazing goal, completely fooling Tim Hopkins in goals. It was the 76th minute and both sides seemed happy with the drasw result. So that's what they got.

Racing is up next, and despite being already qualified as first in the group and Pot 1, they are only cars so we should be able to take them. Join us for that!

[Xanneria]

Repeat Customer?
excerpt from www.xtrasports.xan/nationalteam.html

SOUTH NEWLANDIA - Remember those blokes from the Gothania Isles we played a couple times last cycle? Well a few of them returned. The island of Hallikshire did its best to triumph but a surge in scoring from the Maroons, lead to a three one win for the powerful team from the outer fringes of Esportiva. Bray Feltzer and Kyle Falcon who got the start at RW this match due to Kylian LaCroix calling in sick with a fever took over the game and with assits from the midfielders, they dominate a well executed and carefully planned slower,aggressive attack. With Ancherion taking down poor South Covello, this confirms that both the Ancherion and the Xannerian teams will move on as they both stand at 2-0-0 and the other two teams lie at 0-0-2. Next up is Ancherion, for the group title. The game will be played in (Hold on let me copy-aste this town name) Ratzupalfu Colosseum in Ratzupalfu, South Newlandia.

XANNERIA - 3
Feltzer 39' 77'
Falcon 51'

HALLIKSHIRE - 1
Goliath Jackson 62'

[Burgburgh]

Burgeoisie Bugle
Low-Energy Match Disappoints Sponsors
Percival Thompson

Kinetik Stadium is a fascinating structure; sleek and modern, but like all stadia in South Newlandia, having a relatively tiny capacity by the standards of international football. Perhaps it's a mix of the nation's relatively strict environmental regulations and limited amount of land to build on? Either way, I snagged on of the 13-thousand-odd tickets and snagged a boat out of Elephant Valley to see the ocean-bound stadium host Burgburgh and the hosts themselves.

The match was a very low-key affair where neither team seemed confident in committing to an all-out attack. The amount of casual midfield backpassing must have brought shame upon advertising staff at Kinetik, a Grearish energy drink company, who would surely want to see the stadium toting their name feature high-octane action. The first half saw a sum total of two shots on goal combined, one for each squad. Levi Odell made a diving save to deprive Simon McCabe, by far the most experienced Newlandian player, of a veteran's-guile-style opening goal. At the other end Archer Nguyen provided an excellent challenge to Celeste Forester shot that may have gone uncontested were the closest back not as attentive; this let Olly Evans collect the tamely hit ball with ease. There were a few more chances, but it was largely things like Erick Honeycutt and John Li bashing shots wide and/or high when the opposing defense had forward options well cut-off and they couldn't stomach yet another backpass.

The second half was slightly more lively, with each team getting more comfortable against the other and venturing forward more aggressively. Nothing came of it but it was a little more entertaining to watch. Abdurahman Bishop made some sleek plays to create chances for the Newlandians but neither he nor Bjorn Cohen were able to find that special finishing touch. Cándido Samuel also found his stride for the Ranchers, and both Sunshine Lewin and Forester were able to take good shots off that momentum; Evans stepped up to clear them all out, albeit giving away a corner or two more than was probably strictly necessary. It worked out, though, as his defense defended those corners well--Nguyen and Mike Sloah both having impressive clearances that ended the goal threat before it even began.

This leave us in a familiar position: A final-matchday matchup against an Abahnfleft satellite state for all the marbles. But unlike the matches against Fhulghamous Peninsula in the last two CEs, a win isn't necessary: with the Ranchers on 4 points and Copper Cuprum on 3, a draw would be sufficient to advance to the round of sixteen. This would leave us playing one of Xanneria or Ancherion who have both wrapped up their advancement from Group B. (Editor's note: Percival is an idiot who didn't read the official announcements. The round of 16 will feature a complete reseeding based on group stage performance, so Burgburgh's potential opponent there is still a mystery.)

[Vdara]

Can’t Complain, Can We?

Following a dramatic comeback victory over the Ceyne Isles, both tensions and optimism were high. While the fans were concerned about the amount of goals Vdara conceded, they were quite pleased that they had managed to take the victory nonetheless - and now they were up against Laahana.

As usual, the players were in the dressing room. However, Moustakakos was nowhere to be seen, and the players began to wonder where he was.

Tantalopoulos: ”Any of you guys seen the gaffer?”

Frangoglou: ”Not at all, mate. What about you, Andrianos?”

Petras: ”You think I’d know? I haven’t a clue, lads.”

Tantalopoulos: ”Huh. Y’know, maybe he’s just la-“

At that exact moment, the air conditioning vent in the dressing room swung open, and Markos Moustakakos climbed out.

”Sorry for the delay!” said Moustakakos, slowly hoisting himself to the floor. ”I got a bit stuck. Anyhow, I’m here now, and that’s what matters!”

The players simply continued to look at him with utter confusion. Why had he come out of the vent? Was he an imposter? Who knows, honestly.

”Well, lads. You ready for some tactics? You ready for some genius? You ready for some fucking football? Because I sure as hell am! I mean, come on. This is a side we should be defeating quite tidily if our recent form says anything about us. However, you can’t judge a book by its cover, and Laahana is that book. Now, Laathana seem to be quite a defensive side, so I want you lot in midfield and on the wings to mark every defender they’ve got. Andrianos, you should be catching them out by getting in behind those defenders and causing chaos. Themistolikis and Mathaios - you lot should focus on either breaking through the defence yourselves or getting it to Andrianos as fast as possible, alright? Y’all catch my drift? You sure? Good. Now that you all understand what the game plan is, let’s get out there and please our fans!”

You know the drill now, don’t you? Of course you do, it’s time for the live coverage!

Lineups Song

”Zaharias Frangoglou replaces the manager in goals today, with Christakos, Tolakis and Zerveas taking up the three spots in front of him. In midfield, we have the dynamic and solid duo of Akakios Demotis and Lambros Tantalopoulos, who have both been bossing the midfield in recent matches. Looking towards the front five, we’ve got Alkiviadis Manolakis starting on the left wing, with Themistoklis Muleas in left forward. At the right wing, we have Manousos Scafididis, with Mathaios Makrotsis slotting into the right forward position. Last but not least, Andrianos Petras completes the lineup in the striker position, and he’s been banging in the goals recently! Will he do the same tonight? Stay here to find out!”



The match report is as follows:

1: A whistle’s been blown, a ball’s been kicked, and the match has begun! Can Vdara make it 2 wins in 2?
9: Frangoglou has launched the ball quite far up the pitch, and it’s reached Petras at the other end! He’s left all the defenders for dead... and he’s swerved the ball past the keeper and put Vdara 1-0 up!
20: Laahana have a corner here, and one of their attackers tries to cross it into the box... but it’s too powerful. It’s even managed to go out for a Vdaran throw in, heh!
27: Demotis has flicked it forwards towards Muleas, who’s tried to hit the ball from range... and it’s gone well over the crossbar. Goal kick.
32: It’s a free kick to Vdara, and it’s Manousos Scafididis who’s stepping up to take it. Scafididis takes a few steps back from the ball, runs up to shoot it... and it curves over the wall and hits the bar. It’s rebounded to the feet of Trifonas Tolakis, who shoots... and scores! The free kick may not have gone in, but the rebound definitely has! It’s now 2-0 to Vdara, and the fans are full of excitement!
45: The whistle blows for halftime, and Moustakakos and his players must be brimming with confidence now, eh?

Moustakakos: ”It’s been a good first half performance from you lot, keep it up! I mean, that goal from the set-piece would have been brilliant if it flew into the top left, but thank heavens that Trifonas was ready for it, eh? Anyhow, I don’t really have any criticisms for now. Just keep doing what you’re doing, keep pressing them, and keep scoring goals! Show them what you’re all made of!”

46: The match restarts, and Makrotsis has intercepted a pass straight from kickoff. He makes a run down the right hand side, beats two defenders, tries to cross the ball into the box... and it’s headed in by Lambros Tantalopoulos! The captain has put Vdara 3 goals up, and it’s not been long since the second half started!
54: This Vdaran squad is really well-oiled, their passing play is simply sublime! So far, over 85% of their passes have been completed, and they’ve made 104 more passes than their opponents. Vdara have also had much more possession than Laahana, with the stats showing it as 64% for Vdara and 36% for Laahana. Wow!
68: It’s another corner for Laahana, as one of their midfielders swerves the ball into the box... and it’s a goal for Laahana! I couldn’t actually tell you who’s scored that, but they’ve made it 3-1. Is this the start of a comeback?
69: Laahana look to be on for a second, as on of their midfielders attempts a volley from range... which flies tidily into the steady hands of Zaharias Frangoglou.
70: It’s a corner to Vdara, and it’s Scafididis who’s taking it. Scafididis crosses it towards the outside of the box, and Tantalopoulos hits it on the volley... straight into the top right corner to put Vdara 4-1 up! The captain has bagged two goals today, and both of them have been absolute stunners! The celebrations on the pitch and in the crowd are wild, it’s amazing!
87: The Vdarans seem to be easing off the pressure a little bit, now that the game’s coming to an end. Fair play, honestly - they’re 4-1 up!
90: The final whistle blows, and Vdara go top of the group ahead of Ethane with that result! It was an absolutely wonderful game for Vdara with every player putting in 100% effort against the opposition. The coach and players alike can (and should) certainly be pleased with that match!

The mood in the dressing room after the match was one of pride and excitement. After almost dropping points against the Ceyne Isles, the Vdarans had managed to get back into top form and absolutely crush the opposition. Moustakakos was especially delighted.

”I don’t think I could have asked for much more, lads. That was a gorgeous performance, to say the least. I mean, the passing was sublime, the shooting was sublime, the set-piece play was sublime, heck, even the defending was sublime! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves too much, though. The next game is going to be extremely tough. I’m going to need more than 100% effort from every single one of you lot when we play Ethane, alright? I mean, we’re already into the knockouts, but for the sake of our international record - let’s get a good win!”


Vdara 4-1 Laahana
MAN OF THE MATCH: Lambros Tantalopoulos

Could the Vdarans topple an in-form Ethane, or would they have to settle for second place in their group? Find out... after the game!

[South Newlandia]

This is the second cutoff of the 28th Campionato Esportiva! Sadly, we will have to say goodbye to half of our field today.

Group A

Burgburgh 3–0 Copper Cuprum
South Newlandia 3–2 Cyborg Cocoabo Islands (scorinated by The Grearish Union)

Group A                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Burgburgh                 3    2   1   0     5    1   +4     7*
2 South Newlandia           3    2   1   0     6    2   +4     7*
3 Copper Cuprum             3    1   0   2     4    7   −3     3
4 Cyborg Cocoabo Islands    3    0   0   3     4    9   −5     0

*tie broken by RP Bonus (IC coinflip)

Group B

Ancherion 4–3 Xanneria
Hallikshire 3–2 South Covello

Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ancherion                        3   3  0  0   12   6  +6    9
2 Xanneria                         3   2  0  1   12   5  +7    6
3 Hallikshire                      3   1  0  2    6   8  −2    3
4 South Covello                    3   0  0  3    3  14 −11    0

Group C

Laahana 2–7 Ceyne Islands
Ethane 1–4 Vdara

Group C                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vdara                            3   3  0  0   12   5  +7    9
2 Ethane                           3   2  0  1    4   4   0    6
3 Ceyne Islands                    3   1  0  2   10   7  +3    3
4 Laahana                          3   0  0  3    3  13 −10    0

Group D

Sylestone 0–1 Racing
Fhulghamous Peninsula 2–1 Nova Anglicana (AZE)

Group D                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Racing                           3   3  0  0    3   0  +3    9
2 Fhulghamous Peninsula            3   1  1  1    2   2   0    4
3 Sylestone                        3   0  2  1    3   4  −1    2
4 Nova Anglicana (AZE)             3   0  1  2    4   6  −2    1

Group E

Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom 6–3 Lisander
Gergary 0–0 Starcom Racing

Group E                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom         3   1  2  0    8   5  +3    5*
2 Gergary                          3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5*
3 Lisander                         3   1  0  2    5   7  −2    3
4 Starcom Racing                   3   0  2  1    1   3  −2    2

*tie broken by goal difference

Group F

Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison 0–1 Summer Beach
Newmanistan 1–1 Esportivan Darmen

Group F                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Newmanistan                      3   2  1  0   13   6  +7    7
2 Esportivan Darmen                3   1  1  1    6   5  +1    4
3 Summer Beach                     3   1  0  2    4   9  −5    3*
4 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison   3   1  0  2    6   9  −3    3*

*tie broken by H2H record

Group G

Damukuni 0–1 Hampton Island
The Golden Lotus 1–0 Prinz-Eugens-Land

Group G                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Hampton Island                   3   3  0  0    3   0  +3    9
2 The Golden Lotus                 3   2  0  1    5   2  +3    6
3 Damukuni                         3   1  0  2    5   8  −3    3
4 Prinz-Eugens-Land                3   0  0  3    3   6  −3    0

Group H

Brenecia 1–0 Natanians and Nosts
The Grearish Union 2–1 Sangti

Group H                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                         3   3  0  0    9   0  +9    9
2 The Grearish Union               3   2  0  1    3   5  −2    6
3 Natanians and Nosts              3   0  1  2    3   5  −2    1*
4 Sangti                           3   0  1  2    4   9  −5    1*

*tie broken by goal difference


Seeding of group winners:

1 Brenecia                         3   3  0  0    9   0  +9    9
1 Vdara                            3   3  0  0   12   5  +7    9
1 Ancherion                        3   3  0  0   12   6  +6    9
1 Hampton Island                   3   3  0  0    3   0  +3    9*
1 Racing                           3   3  0  0    3   0  +3    9*
1 Newmanistan                      3   2  1  0   13   6  +7    7
1 Burgburgh                        3   2  1  0    5   1  +4    7
1 Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom         3   1  2  0    8   5  +3    5

*tie broken by RP Bonus (IC coinflip)

Seeding of 2nd placed teams:

2 South Newlandia                  3   2  1  0    6   2  +4    7
2 Xanneria                         3   2  0  1   12   5  +7    6
2 The Golden Lotus                 3   2  0  1    5   2  +3    6
2 Ethane                           3   2  0  1    4   4   0    6
2 The Grearish Union               3   2  0  1    3   5  −2    6
2 Gergary                          3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5
2 Esportivan Darmen                3   1  1  1    6   5  +1    4
2 Fhulghamous Peninsula            3   1  1  1    2   2   0    4

Round of 16 matchups:

(1) Brenecia - Fhulghamous Peninsula (16) @Walstreim City Stadium, Walstreim
(8) Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom - South Newlandia (9) @Coast Stadium, Elephant Town

(4) Hampton Island - The Grearish Union (13) @Ratzupalfu Colosseum, Ratzupalfu
(5) Racing - Ethane (12) @Northern Stadium, Elephant Valley


(2) Vdara - Esportivan Darmen (15) @Elephant Dome, Elephant Valley
(7) Burgburgh - Xanneria (10) @Jecken Arena, Newport

(3) Ancherion - Gergary (14) @Newport Park, Newport
(6) Newmanistan - The Golden Lotus (11) @Kinetik Stadium, Elephant Island

There will be no re-seeding in between rounds. No swapping to prevent group stage rematches was needed.

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

Zeta Reka & Hügeltaldom Federativna Republika Zeta Reka i Hügeltaldom
28th Campionato Esportiva Group Stage Recap

---

The team from Zeta Reka has played three games, and I was there for all of them. The people deserve eyes and ears around the national team. This humble graduate of an unprestigious school was given an assignment. I was to follow around the team representing all Rekans favorite country. I naturally am talking about the team that steals points from Starblaydia and flops in the octofinal. The famous Baptism of Fire runner ups of Zeta Reka. For this Campionato Esportiva the roster is a bit different than the ones before. A high amount of young players are in the ranks, but some classic faces too.

Of course, to follow the team I had to visit South Newlandia. Entering the country took longer than intended due to a shortage of flights. However, I was still able to rendezvous towards the city of Ratzupalfu. The facilities at the city’s new stadium were state of the art, and there I met with the impressed national team. Captain Bartolomej Wladmirowić felt the stadium was, “almost equally as impressive compared to the Complex,” in reference to the Zeta Reka National Sports Complex. "It's a wonderful country," Rybki told me in a quick chat. He also "Never saw me before," and wondered if I liked Mullow Dorboslawić's, "aggressive bathroom stance." Not sure what he meant by that, but fellow DD Porto Nowi player Arnald Gal laughed at the question. Tangents aside, South Newlandia is a country worth the trip, if you get free football tickets out of the deal.

Speaking of football, we played a match in Ratzupalfu. Gergary provided opposition at the Ratzupalfu Colosseum. The gang of green and gold were a foe familiar to all good Rekans, but did lose during our last encounter in the last Campionato. Gergary were seemingly a much improved side since last time, as they scored a goal. Ultimately Stojan Heiden scored to give Zeta Reka a point. It was a good game, but some of the locker room were unhappy with the plucky come from behind story developed about the game on social media. “If you bug me, I just you when you can’t DM me my wife’s shoe collection,” Rybki told me. “I just think people should get lives," Waldmirowić said seriously, "Maybe they can stop writing stories about sports too.” Harsh.

Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom 1–1 Gergary
GK: Zlatko Wukowić
CB: Janko Yakowić: 34'
CB: Wlad Wlad: v76'
CB: Bartolomej Wladmirowić (c)
LWB: Zaur-Luka Igorić
RWB: Jad: v57'
DM: Mullow Dorboslawić
CM: Stanimir Rekawić: v66'
CM: Želmir Kolarowić
FW: Arnald Gal
FW: Stojan Heiden: 72'
Subs
RWB: Yuri Kewić: ^57'
CM: Rybki: ^66'
CB: Damjan Protić: ^76'

Coming into in stands of the Jecken Arena, I met two young men who came to the Campionato to get away from their wives. The first gentleman was a true doom peddler, and boldly predicted that no Rekan would score today. His friend, who I learned had the name Stanko, was a bit coy and reserved. Stanko quietly wagered the other man’s cutlery set. It must’ve been a big deal to someone, because the first fellow accepted the hopefully fair and legal bet. In the first half, the doubter was looking pretty happy as nobody scored on either side. “I’m okay with a draw,” he told me, “they just better win if I’m losing my knives.”

In the second half, the back line broke down badly, and Starcom’s striker zipped by everyone to score a tap-in. Shortly afterwards, Wuk Kozifier was sent off after just twenty minutes of play. I tried to talk with Kozifier after the match, but he wasn’t having any of it. Damjan Protić was a raw substitute in his third appearance across all senior competition, but his sporadic play allowed him to fill in holes.

The clock wound down, and the cynic to my right was scratching an itch on his as some kind of taunt. Right wingback Jad went to a part of the field he knew well, the corner circle. Jad pitched the ball up and over the heads of a cramped box. The ball went evermore closer to the top bar, and just slipped by. Starcom’s keeper saw the goal too late, and thus Jad was a last second savior. The team was unbeaten, a man had lost his cleaver, but our nation had no wins with only one match remaining.

Starcom Racing 1–1 Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom
GK: Dejan Wasić
CB: Janko Yakowić
CB: Skewar Skop
CB: Bartolomej Wladmirowić (c): v59'
LWB: Zaur-Luka Igorić
RWB: Jad: 90'
DM: Stani Gröss
CM: Stanimir Rekawić
CM: Želmir Kolarowić
FW: Arnald Gal
FW: Stojan Heiden: v73'
Subs
CB: Wuk Kozifier: ^59', v79'
FW: Adam Wladić-Hermman: ^73'
CB: Damjan Protić: ^79'

The downside of being in third place was that the final match against Lisander, was do or die. Being one point behind their opponents, and two points behind Gergary meant that the entire nation was tense and twitchy before the final game. I could see the eyes of Coach Dusan slowly pushing out of their socket when I shadowed a staff meeting. I could not blame Marko, the guy’s job was on the line. Everyone noticed it too, but it seemed like assistant coach Yuri Pendžeraši was pleased with the pressure. I talked with him the day after the match at our hotel. “The team needs to be on edge,” he told me, “they’ve been dealing with some cozy runs in this tournament.” Pendžeraši was a legend in our nation, and he would know what it’s like to play under pressure. However, he made an abnormal comment that stuck in my mind. Yuri told me with a wrinkly grin that, “The worse case scenario is that we face a decapitation strike.”

Whatever Yuri talked about didn’t matter in the end. Even so, I certainly thought about Yuri’s little riddle the first hour of the game. Once again the Rekan team failed to lead after the first half. It was 2–2 with our only scorer going down from some organ cramping up after a half hour. Rekan fans really pounded the old stands of the Northern Stadium as the game went on, wanting a needing to see victory. There was still tension in the air, but also disappointment and impatience. Rybki had been selected to start the game, but he was sent off for Stanimir Rekawić. I don’t know what they do in Audioslavia, but Rekawić picked up on some good moves to score a long shot goal. “Now the lead was secured,” backup Skewar Skop told me after the game.

“Normally when we’re in the lead, we rest. Dusan wasn’t interested in rest though. “Zaur-Luka Igorić got a break, but only because he’d been playing like a dog with a million sticks. As for everyone else, a message spread out across the pitch, ‘keep fighting.’” For Heiden, that commend was answered by a beautiful run, and a goal. Now The score was 4–2, and then 5-2 from another Heiden goal, this time on the counter attack. The tiny man Heiden tried for a third time afterwards, but was roughly rebuffed by opposing defenders. The happiness was short for them when Želmir Kolarowić got a sweet hook shot between the bars. With a bit over ten minutes left, it was Zeta Reka 6 and Lisander at 2. “I was shocked.” Skop said, and he explained that, “I feel bad for the other guys. We were not like this before. Perhaps they pushed us into the corner too hard, and made my friends play better than we had before.”

Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 6–3 Lisander
GK: Zlatko Wukowić
CB: Janko Yakowić
CB: Wlad Wlad
CB: Bartolomej Wladmirowić (c)
LWB: Zaur-Luka Igorić: v73'
RWB: Yuri Kewić
DM: Stani Gröss
CM: Rybki: v64’
CM: Želmir Kolarowić: 79'
FW: Arnald Gal: 16', 27', v35'
FW: Stojan Heiden: 69', 74'
Subs
FW: Adam Wladić-Hermman: ^35', 52'
CM: Stanimir Rekawić: ^64', 67'
LWB: Hermann Hammppe: ^73’

Hours later, I’m here in my hotel room. That game was a trip. Lisander got some measure of revenge when they scored a third goal. Nothing Lisander’s played did mattered to the fans. We eliminated Lisander in brutal fashion for our survival. I imagine our victims will be back for revenge someday. For now, the team I’m here to cover seems highly motivated and optimistically looking for a victory against the tournaments hosts. South Newlandia will be facing a team with some top shelf player. I’m not sure if weathered players like Kolarowić or Yakowić will be there. In any case I hope we score in the first half this time. Millions of Rekan patriots agree, and probably the wife of that knife lover. Hopefully he doesn’t gamble away the spoons next time.

[Burgburgh]

Burgeoisie Bugle
I Was Right, You Fucks
Percival Thompson

First time I've ever had the editor have to jump in on one of my articles and he had the gall to call me an idiot in public. And for a statement that wasn't even false! Sure, it was correct via the wrong line of thinking, as Burgburgh was matched into Xanneria by virtue of being seeded 7th and 10th respectively rather than winning group A and finishing second in group B respectively. But each did those things and now they're playing each other. Coincidence? I think not. Margaret is on my side today.

The win that put the Ranchers atop their group was a rather routine victory over a flaccid Copper Cuprum side. Maybe all the Copperites are too busy watching the Rugby Union World Cup they forgot to enter to pay the Campionato any mind? It certainly didn't seem to be a vintage side sent forward, though they did manage to topple the Cyborg Cocoabo Islands, a feat South Newlandia only narrowly accomplished. We were already had by two goals some twenty minutes into the game courtesy of a clean one-two between Cailin Walker and Patty McNamara as well as a thunderous shot off of Sunshine Lewin's boot that the Copperite keeper couldn't confidently catch.

Sprinkle in a second-half scuffle that ended in Jojo Gärtner netting his first career international goal (accompanied by an appropriately stupid pose), and it was a clean three-oh that the Ranchers put away. Couple that with the Newlandians winning by one goal, the two teams were gridlocked at 7 points and equal goal differential. Thanks to a lack of goals for or goals against breakers (a quality recent trend), it came down to a coin flip. Provisional captains Simon McCabe and Cándido Samuel (neither are actually recognized as such on their nation's official roster, but spiritually fill the role) met in Elephant Valley for the ceremony. Samuel, as the visiting captain, called tails. The coin rattled to the ground tails-up. And so Burgburgh finishes atop Group A and gets a bump into the top half of the knockout round seeding.

It was a bit of devil's choice as to which side of the draw you'd prefer. The Xannerians are a particularly tough draw to pull out of all second-place teams, but the Newlandians aren't that much better off having to face Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom. In terms of the broader bracket the lower half may be more difficult in sum, thanks to Xanneria and Newmanistan; second and third respectively in the Campionato rankings. On the other hand, the top half of the bracket features Brenecia. Goes to show there's never an easy path to the final.

[Brenecia]

Brenecia 4 - 0 Grearish Union
(4-3-3) 1 - Wright; 2 - Bravender, 5 - Leadbetter (22 - Giltanan 81'), 6 - Ford, 19 - Watermark; 14 - Caitiff (13 - Deal 61'), 4 - Townsend (c), 21 - Archer; 7 - Cheney, 9 - White (15 - Fife 72'), 16 - Fletcher
Goals: Cheney 4' 15' pen, White 66', Fife 76'

Sangti 0 - 4 Brenecia
(4-3-3) 1 - Wright; 2 - Bravender, 5 - Leadbetter (vc), 6 - Ford, 3 - Roscommon (19 - Watermark 71'); 13 - Deal, 4 - Townsend (c, 23 - Ondrejko 65'), 10 - Parrish (21 - Archer 80'); 15 - Fife, 9 - White, 11 - Pace
Goals: Deal 25', Roscommon 27', Leadbetter 43', Parrish 60'

Brenecia 1 - 0 Natanians and Nosts
(4-3-3) 1 - Wright; 18 - Lonergan, 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Ford, 3 - Roscommon; 14 - Caitiff (13 - Deal 74'), 23 - Ondrejko, 10 - Parrish; 7 - Cheney (14 - Hazeldean 57'), 17 - Lindauer, 11 - Pace
Goal: Lindauer 49'

Catherine Bardsley coughed. And coughed, and coughed, and coughed.
God. Damn. It just further confirmed the decision she already planned to make. She was 73, going on about 93, and she was only halfway up this damn staircase--
The next set of coughs sent her to her knees. A couple of aides flocked uselessly; she waved them away. Got to her feet. Kept on moving.
Quiet dignity felt like all she had left.

One year ago...
"One term... ?" Marena Corbay laughed, nervously, and glanced around at the other core disciples. This wasn't something that had come to the whole party. This wasn't even something going out to the cabinet, or the central leadership.
This was the inner circle. Corbay, austere ex-military Eloise Pennant, union boss Morraine Herrick, and former Northern Union fullback Rhea Lockhart. The first and strongest of her candidates, though only Lockhart held a Cabinet post now (sport, naturally).
That was the unfortunate thing about disciples. They tended to like you.
"I'm tired, Marena," said Bardsley. "I feel myself... fraying away at the edges. I got here through being a strong campaign, but it's... it's time for someone else."
"Someone else? But who?" Herrick blustered. "No, there is nobody else, not with your recognition, not with the love of the people--"
"There must be. Are we a party, or are we not?"
"You are the party, ma'am," Corbay blurted out.
A moment of pause. Reflection. And then Bardsley sighed, and leaned back in her chair. "Yes, I was rather afraid you'd say that..."

... but it had been a mistake. Bardsley had been right. She'd more or less kept it together over the campaign, enough to swat down the unpopular Clovette Packard through a swathe of negative, direct campaigning. Lots of images of Packard snatching bread from orphans' mouths. Well, she'd been Ward's treasurer, and there'd been no limits to where she'd found the cash.
Victory for the LDR. Defeat for the CPP. Irrelevance for the NPD - the New Progressive Democrats, who had seen their old nemesis and Bardsley's upstarts both opt for trigramme acronym names and wanted in and got thirteen seats. Bardsley was Prime Minister again.
She felt an odd pang of dread when Packard conceded. There was no joy in her acceptance speech. News sites commented on her wan, pale look.
There wasn't really a sweeping early agenda like last time, either. Last time they'd hanged the last Minister for Defence for treason within a fortnight, by which time another former cabinet member - covertly, the sinister Director for intelligence - had been assassinated by Nepharan agents. She'd unleashed a devastating trail of reform, keeping almost every promise she'd made no matter what rule or person needed to be broken. It was eventful. It was draining. And she was ... spent, now. She'd done so much in service of her country. It was time to let someone else shoulder the burden.

So she drummed up the inner circle again. They were waiting at the top of the damn staircase. They weren't happy about it but this time, yes, they knew. And they accepted.
So it went to the party. She took an active hand in the succession, naturally. She slipped the word through the ranks that it might be nice if Brigid Locke were allowed to ascend unchallenged. Strangely enough, Locke ascended unchallenged, and Bardsley went to the cameras to announce resignation and replacement. It didn't even leak before she got the chance.
Bardsley was ancient. Locke was 52, a highly capable, driven and ambitious Treasurer. She'd been highly successful in undoing Packard's legacy, and unlike seemingly everyone else in the LDR she actually did want the power. Fine. let her take it, bask in it. Let the sins weigh down her broad, wiry shoulders.
Bardsley would sit back. Represent her constituency for a couple more years, then... fuck. Watch football. Maybe write a book or something.
She'd done enough. She'd done so much more than enough.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

TIME FOR KNOCKOUTS

By Kristen Fuller,

Newmanistan was only able to get a single point against Esportivan Darmen, a nation that they are starting to get some extended history with here in the Campionato Esportiva, but it was enough to see both of the nations through. The reward for the sky blue is to face The Golden Lotus in the round of sixteen, they were the runner up in Group G as the old guys from Hampton Island won that group with a 3-0-0 record. Nevermind, they don’t use old guys, nor do they use bears. I’d love to see the old guys play a group of bears. But, anyway, let’s move on.

The Golden Lotus entered the competition ranked 23rd in the region, and they seem to prefer a more defensive approach. This could perhaps cause a problem for Michael Starre’s offensive approach, but we’ll look at it as more of a case of our offense being a challenge for them. This roster of theirs has had tremendous stability over the years, as they have brought the same exact group of players in every edition of the Campionato Esportiva since #23. Also, amazingly, manager Sung-Moon Hashimoto never aged between Campionato Esportiva 24 and 25, nor did his assistant manager, Shiro Hayashi. I have to think that this is very frustrating for the players on this roster who continue to be subs and reserves every Classic, knowing that they are not getting a chance to be regular starters. Also, it does not seem to speak well of overall system of soccer players within The Golden Lotus that they do not have anyone else who can step up to one of these positions, even a reserve role, and they have to continue to rely the same group of players they had eight years ago, according to age progression of their manager. Perhaps, the players were all 18 when they started, but the ages of the players were never released. Regardless, their considerable experience in the Campionato Esportiva has led them to two victories, and the Rockets will need to put an end to that here.

[Vdara]

Oh, Yes Sir!

Who really is Markos Moustakakos? Some say he’s the greatest tactical genius known to man. Some say he’s a dumbass whose only talent is saving penalties. All we know is that he’s just masterminded the Vdaran national team to a 4-1 victory over Ethane. Needless to say, he was quite ecstatic.

”Well fucking done, boys! That was a performance which’ll be remembered forever, and rightly so. I mean, heck, they were our closest rivals in the group, and we just HAMMERED them 4-1? It’s mad, I tell you. Mad! Anyhow, since we’re heading to the knockout stages, now shall be the time where we need to get our heads down and properly focus. I know we’ve been banging in goal after goal in every game we play, but we keep having defensive mishaps - and eventually that’ll cost us. Conceding the odd goal isn’t a tournament-ender, but it’s quite a concern. I mean, we couldn’t even keep a clean sheet against Laahana, and they’re a bloody unranked team! Anyways, I think we need to have a mini-celebration for making it this far again. You lot can boogie, right?”

The players simply stared back at him with seemingly no idea what he meant.

”Gaffer, what does ‘boogie’ mean?” asked Tantalopoulos, confused.

”Heh, well, listen and find out, Lambros.”

Seemingly out of nowhere, Moustakakos pulled out a wireless speaker and clicked a button on his phone. A song began to play.

The Song (skip to 0:39 for the start of the actual lyrics)

♫ Mister ♫
♫ Your eyes are full of hesitation ♫
♫ Sure makes me wonder ♫
♫ If you know what your looking for ♫

Moustakakos was bopping his head back and forth, but some of the players were still confused.

”C’mon, fellas! Just enjoy yourselves to the music!”

♫ Baby ♫
♫ I want to keep my reputation ♫
♫ I'm a sensation ♫
♫ You try me once you'll beg for more ♫

♫ Oooohh! Yes sir, I can boogie ♫
♫ But I need a certain song ♫
♫ I can boogie, boogie boogie all night long ♫

Moustakakos could tell that the players were starting to enjoy themselves. After all, the song was really damn catchy.

♫ Yes sir, I can boogie ♫
♫ If you stay, you can't go wrong ♫
♫ I can boogie, boogie boogie all night long ♫

I’ll just cut it off there to save you listening to any more of that song, haha. Anyhow, Vdara are now going to be coming up against Esportivan Darmen - the team that knocked Vdara out of CE27 - in the Round of 16. Would the Vdarans be able to right the wrongs of the last Campionato Esportiva and breeze past their opponents, or would they feel the effects of déja vu and face defeat for the first time this tournament? Find out... in the next RP!