Copa Rushmori 36 [RPs/rosters/scores]

by **South Jeolerina** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:10 pm

South Jeolerina's National Team for CR36
(Nation flag, national team logo, jersey details to be confirmed)

The Borderlands of South Jeolerina is one of the 4 member states of The Incorporated States of The Gothanita Isles, a union which also comprises of Otksarin, North Handoria and Hallikshire.

About football in South Jeolerina
The organisation in charge of football within South Jeolerina, including the South Jeolerina football team, is the Football Federation of South Jeolerina(FFSJ). The FFSJ oversees football clubs coming from South Jeolerina, is in charge of any submissions to the CdC, as well as oversee the South Jeolerina football team.
League football in South Jeolerina is played as part of the Gothanitan Football League (GFL), which is a conference-based system, incorporating championship playoffs as well as a promotion/relegation system. Clubs from around The Gothanita Isles come together to play in the league. For South Jeolerina, they are part of the Liga Hallirina conference which includes Hallikshire

Squad

#1 - Celsus Becket, 25 (M) - GK - Hangshire FC
#12 - Alèxia Mahoney, 34 (M) - GK - Manclester City
#23 - Peadar Reinders, 28 (M) - GK - Holy Kangarsta FF

#3 - Ayokunle Christian, 33 (M) - LB - Holy Kangarsta FF
#4 - Den Benjaminson, 29 (M) - CB - Manclester United
#5 - Adolf Stenger, 31 (M) - CB - Manclester City
#2 - Lenz Kowalczyk, 28 (M) - RB - Hangshire FC
#14 - Ayokunle Christian, 33 (M) - LB - Holy Kangarsta FF
#15 - Campbell Belo, 25 (M) - CB - Manclester United
#16 - Hartmut Garnet, 32 (M) - CB - Hangshire FC
#13 - Jokovor Quick, 31 (M) - RB - Manclester City

#6 - Christianne Årud, 34 (F) - DCM/CB - Hangshire FC
#8 - Carley Van Bokhoven, 27 (F) - CM/DM - Manclester United
#17 - Leontiy Caulfield, 24 (M) - DCM/CM - Holy Kangarsta FF
#19 - Tarmo Hoefler, 28 (M) - DCM/CB - FC Tyrani

#11 - Marino Barros, 30 (M) - LW/CF - Holy Kangarsta FF
#10 - Tilisia MacLean, 30 (M) - ACM/CM - Manclester City
#7 - Cyneburga London, 34 (M) - RM/RW - Manclester City
#22 - Teodor Quick, 33 (M) - CF/LW - Manclester City
#21 - Love Vestri, 29 (F) - ACM/RM - Holy Kangarsta FF
#18 - Kazimierz Beckett, 29 (M) - CF/RW - Manclester City

#9 - Györgyi Lomidze, 28 (M) - CF - Hangshire FC
#20 - Dragoș Lindsay, 28 (M) - CF - Daris Si Solam

Numbers 1-11 are starters, remainder are substitutes.
A 4-2-3-1 formation perfectly fits a nation where they form the bulk of the defence force of the Gothanita Isles national team. They are very willing to park the bus to play out draws in order to ensure that they reach their limits.

Team Manager
Manager: Eetu Eichel, 56
The manager was appointed as manager following the formation of the South Jeolerina football team. Previously, he served as a co-manager of Manclester City alongside Tashir Haines, leading them to a strong performance over his 20-year tenure between Season 1 and Season 20. During his joint tenure, he won 2 GFL titles, 3 Liga Hallirina titles, as well as 3 Royal Gothanita Isles cup, which is a remarkable achievement in a system where talent is spread among many big clubs.

Style Modifier: -1.876

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my substitutes, goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Any thing which can happen in reality, such as long-range goals, scoring with goalkeepers, etc, will work. Anything else goes to DMs for discussion.
RP injuries to my players: You describe the injury, I decide the severity and length of injury.
Godmod injuries to my players: Anything realistic during the match can be done. Outside the match, it goes to DMs for discussion.
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, up to 1 more than what you give yourself.
Godmod other events: Realistic events can occur (please DM me for me to note). Anything special goes to DMs for discussion.
If you had RP anything about us or our match, please telegram this nation so as to make things easier for me to track.

by **Tikariot** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:07 pm

Group A
Yeet Nationss 0–0 Falkyr
Darmen 4–5 Græntfjall

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Falkyr                 2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
2 Darmen                 2   1  0  1    7   6  +1    3
3 Græntfjall             2   1  0  1    7   7   0    3
4 Yeet Nationss          2   0  1  1    1   3  −2    1

Group B
Thibaea 0–1 Mavinet
Nephara 2–0 Astograth

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nephara                2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Mavinet                2   2  0  0    4   2  +2    6
3 Astograth              2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0
  Thibaea                2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

Group C
Nacaltora 2–1 Nethertopia
Pasarga 2–0 Eastfield Lodge

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pasarga                2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Nacaltora              2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Eastfield Lodge        2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
4 Nethertopia            2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0

Grpup D
South Jeolerina 0–1 Rea San Vegas
Cassadaigua 3–2 Oberour Ar Moro

  Grpup D              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua            2   2  0  0    7   2  +5    6
2 Rea San Vegas          2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
3 Oberour Ar Moro        2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0
4 South Jeolerina        2   0  0  2    0   5  −5    0

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:49 am

Fillies Looking Good In Copa Rushmori,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

So far, so good for Team Cassadaigua in the Copa Rushmori. While the attention of the Cassadagan sporting fan is probably on the World Baseball Classic more than anything else, and probably the World Cup of Hockey second, we do have soccer’s regional tournament going on, and our players are off to a quick 2-0-0 start. In the opener, they would defeat South Jeolerina, a relatively unknown nation to the region in a dominant manner, 4-0. Against the more accomplished Oberour Ar Moro side, it was closer, with a 3-2 win. This means the team will advance to knockouts regardless of their result against fellow 2-0-0 nation Rea San Vegas. Each of those nations are assured of advancement.

If you have not really been watching this tournament, the lineup features a mixture of World Cup starters and others getting a chance to increase their national profile. The biggest opportunity is for Danielle Cotter in goal. She has been behind Kelsey Morgan, and then Tiffany Nelson for a long time, and with Nelson still on good form, that figures to still be the case for her. However, Tiffany opted out of playing in the Copa Rushmori, citing an interest to focus on her domestic club and to stay at home rather than travel to play in this tournament. Nelson really does not have much to lose with her decision, and it is common for senior team starters to opt out of the Coa Rushmori. For this one, it was actually surprising that there were so many returnees. As for Danielle Cotter, she was not tested all that much in the 4-0 win over South Jeolerina, but a clean sheet is a clean sheet, and she will gladly take it. In the win, Rachel Schanke (10’), Morgan Rosenblatt (22’), Preston Newfeld (31’) and Sarah Giles (69’) evenly split the game’s goals. Oberour Ar Moro was a much tougher matchup, but the Fillies never trailed in the contest. Rosenblatt (19’) and Meghan Wolcott (39’) got the Fillies a 2-0 lead at the intermission. Eneour Pique-Pain got the Dominion within one in the 50th, but Rachel Schanke’s 54th minute goal made any celebration of that short-lived. Pierres Branon scored in the 85th minute to make the final score a little closer.

Manager Brittany Byers has announced that Kenzie Schnapper is going to get the start in goal against Rea San Vegas. It will be her first start as a member of the senior team. The 22-year old did start in the most recent Di Bradini Cup. “It is a great chance to get Kenzie in a match. A bit of a no brainer for a decision. She will do well.”

by **Mytanija** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:34 pm

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Elena hopped up onto the pavement, her high-heeled boots clicking and clacking against the dreary concrete. She had thought that the letters were a hoax at first too, but it seemed like whoever was behind them was at least genuine to an extent. If she went to the Central Art Museum and found that the part of the alarm system that was broken included motion detectors which were stuck on the setting which indicated no movement then whoever it was could well be the real deal. To have inside knowledge of that fact would mean it either had to be the person who was involved, someone close to them or someone who had inside knowledge of this particular heist. She just hoped it wasn’t some cop messing with her. That thought had crossed her mind, but given the Policija’s drive to demonstrate a new, professional face to the public she somehow doubted the likelihood of that.

Whoever it was had the details of who the thief was interested in down to a tee, but of course, that information was readily available. Elena had herself reported on the stolen works and anybody who was able to go back to research other stolen pieces would be able to piece together enough information to write the letters that had been sent to her. They were light on details, just names of artists and rough descriptions of the stolen pieces. None of the victims were named, not even the famous fashion designer who had admired the thief’s ingenuity. Elena could understand those who would look at the situation and feel that something was just… a bit off about it.

In her mind though, it just seemed like this was the thief, like he wanted people to know about what he had done and that he was almost trying to get the admiration he felt he deserved. He had read Elena’s newspaper article in the nation’s most read daily paper and had felt implored to send her letters explaining how he had become a thief, what had led him to that life and wanted to tell her about all his ‘masterpieces’ as he put it. What was the word he used to explain the feeling of being drawn to certain places… ‘towed’, that was it, maybe this was just another example of that feeling manifesting itself. He felt towed towards sending the letters. This person was evidently impulsive, whether it was the man behind the crimes or somebody just entertaining themselves with a stupid joke. That fact made Elena err on the side of the former.

Elena wondered whether the route she was taking towards the Central Art Museum from her Gazeta Mytanija offices was similar to the one the thief would have taken. When the news had broken about the theft of the four masterpieces she had written in her newspaper article that the museum was only the throw of a stone away from Liberation Square and all of the various historical and cultural tourist attractions which lie around it. The residence of the Premier, the Premijerska Palata, was nearby; along with the House of Representatives and the Statue of the Worker and Farmwoman too. As she crossed one of the many bridges over the Otor, the river flowing noisily below her feet and wind gusting around her, she looked around and she could see all of them. If he had read her article he could have relived the walk to the museum in his mind and it almost all made sense to her. She had mentioned them and there they were.

The wind had caused two locks of hair to fall across her face and she tucked them, one on each side, behind her ears as she continued to walk towards the museum. People milled about, going about their daily business or taking in the sights. There was something quite brazen about committing a theft of the magnitude that had happened here, even at night there would still be people around, either going to or from restaurants or theatres in the city or making their way home from work. Whoever was writing the letters had said that they had done their ‘masterpiece’ in one night, having recognised the decay of a metal window frame and screws from a previous crime. They had then chipped away at the paint and found that they were the exact same. They didn’t go into further detail on what happened next but it could be assumed that they removed the screws one-by-one and saved them, before removing the window from its frame entirely and then entered.

This occurred at half four in the morning, in the middle of the night essentially. Elena cast any ideas of people stumbling across the thief on the way home from a restaurant or the theatre out of her mind, but there could have been people making their way to or from work at that hour. She also remembered Tosic’s words about the ‘partly malfunctioning’ alarm system, could that be the motion detectors? He had also used the word ‘disassembling’ when describing how the window was removed. That sounded very much like what had been alluded to in the letters. The local police chief Dario Lajic had spoken about the window being tampered with without providing any further information, saying the crime looked like it was down to a professional criminal gang. On that he could be proven very wrong, if the letters were anything to go by.

Elena made a mental note of this as she walked, she had to be concise with the questions she would ask the museum director. She hadn’t spoken to him since the heist, but she could be sure that he would have been told to not speak to the press about the details of the crime by the Policija. She would have to ask about the details of what was wrong with the alarm system and about exactly how the window was removed from its frame. She had been told that the thief was caught on cameras entering the museum through a side window after having cut through a gate padlock and that was what was written in her article when the crime had occurred. But the key now was to find out if the intricate details which had been set out in the letters to her matched up with reality. If they did, the mysterious person behind the letters could be the same person who had stolen four of the most famous pieces of Mytanar art ever produced.

“Look Elena,” Luka Tosic smiled patronisingly as he spoke. She hadn’t particularly enjoyed speaking to the museum’s Acting Director when the crime had taken place, he was leery and overly familiar and every time he touched her arm as he spoke she had the sensation of her skeleton trying to rip itself from her skin to avoid it. “I cannot tell you that information, the Policija were pretty firm on that sort of thing. They said I shouldn’t have given as much detail as I did when I spoke to you the first time, but I thought it might help if some of it was reported.”

“Come on Luka. What harm could it do to tell me how the alarm system was malfunctioning? Or what the thief did to the window?” Elena replied, not wanting to plead with the man, but needing the information at the same time.

“I would love to tell you Elena, but I’ve been advised not to.” Luka said, the same smirk written across his face. “Why do you need to know anyway? You’re not working on a story about it are you? Hope you aren’t going to be blaming us.” He said, concern suddenly etched across his face as his brain computed the idea that Elena needed to know in order to write a hit piece on the museum’s failed security measures.

“Luka, I’m not going to write a piece on how you fucked up.” Elena said bluntly. Perhaps a little too bluntly as Tosic’s face reddened slightly as a result. “I’m not even writing another piece about it, it’ll just be useful information for us to have at the Gazeta. In case we hear anything, you know.”

Elena couldn’t give too much information herself. If she told him that they had somebody writing letters to the newspaper about previous crimes relating to the theft of paintings and cultural artefacts then he’d be straight onto the Policija, encouraging them to seize the letters and try to get to the bottom of the crime that way. They wanted to write a piece about the thief first, he had captured the nation’s attention and the letters were interesting – setting out a life that would be familiar to many young Mytanars: social dislocation, dabbling in petty crime and not doing things completely by the book – and Elena’s editor wanted to sell more newspapers. A feature on the letters sent by the Central Art Museum thief would certainly do that.

“That’s not good enough Elena, you’ll have to come up with something better than that.” Luka replied, sniffing. “We work hard on our security systems and it just so happened that he struck when we were in a state of flux, moving between different things. The alarms should still have worked, but the bloody motion sensors didn’t work properly! Oh…” Luka’s face reddened again. He had unwittingly given away a little too much information. Elena smiled.

“So the motion sensors didn’t work? How exactly did that happen?”

“Elena…” Luka said gloomily. “I’ve already said too much. Come on, leave it now.”

“This is all it is, Luka. Just about the motion sensors and about the window, come on. Help me out here.”

“I just don’t understand what you’re going to do with the information Elena. You said in case you hear anything, but what could you possibly hear to do with the paintings being stolen? It doesn’t make sense to me.” Luka replied sternly. He didn’t want to dig himself a deeper hole, Elena was momentarily wrong-footed. She scrambled for an explanation in her mind, stumbling over one thing and another before coming up with something she thought might just work. Yes, that was it.

“Well, err, in case the Policija’s story doesn’t match up basically. We don’t want them to pin it on your security measures if their investigation doesn’t identify any suspects, they might try to exaggerate the issues to take the heat off their investigation. Especially with the new reputation they’re trying to build these days,” Elena said as casually as she could manage, adding an eye-roll at the end, maybe too much? She couldn’t be sure. Luka’s face remained stern, was he buying it? It didn’t look like it.

“Come this way.” Luka said, strolling off to the left and beckoning to Elena to follow.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“I’ll show you the window he came through.” Luka replied. “Those cops aren’t going to pin this on us if they can’t find out who did it.” He had bought it.

“Thank you so much, Luka.”

“You owe me one.” He replied, causing Elena to cringe behind his back. “The thing with the motion sensors was so stupid. They’re meant to go red when people go past them and some were stuck on green. Around fifteen to twenty around the museum I think, but they didn’t cover all areas anyway so whoever came up with the plan managed to do some bloody good research to work out how to get to the paintings they took.”

So the thing about the motion sensors in the letters was right, Elena thought. Although the thief would have had to know a bit more than they let on about the sensors, they had said their ‘masterpiece’ had been a one night job. She tried to work out a timeline as she walked, they had said they’d noticed the old window frame and screws and then had spoken about feeling uncomfortable whenever they went into galleries and museums as a visitor before talking about the motion detectors. If the ‘masterpiece’ was the heist at the Central Art Museum then they would have had to have done all of that in the same day! Had he been walking past the night before and spotted the window and then gone to the museum as a visitor in the day to work out the logistics of avoiding the museum’s security measures before breaking in at night to take the four paintings? Suddenly that did seem a little far-fetched, but with how easily crime seemed to come to the person writing the letters maybe it could be true.

“What about the window, Luka?” She asked as they walked down another long corridor.

“The whole window was removed from its frame, normally you wouldn’t be able to do it, but this particular one was really old and we had been intending to replace it for ages but it’s so slow to get government money to do it. You know how it can be, the amount of bureaucracy to get anything done.” Luka sighed.

“How did they do that?” She asked, wanting to ask straight out ‘did they chip away at the paint and take each screw out one-by-one’ but stopping herself for fear of giving the game away.

“The mortar around the window’s frame was falling away anyway, but they chipped it away and then unscrewed the old screws keeping the window in place. Again, normally you wouldn’t be able to do that – on most other windows here there are no screws, we’ve been changing them one-by-one, most of the new ones are just full panes of glass from floor to ceiling to allow light in. This was one of the smaller old ones.” Luka explained. This was the detail Elena needed. “He must have set the window aside and then clambered in. Here, look.” Luka added, opening a door into a plush room with a red ceiling and pillars painted gold. It was all a bit gaudy. There were eight or nine gold frames, three of them were empty.

“Which paintings were kept in this room?” She asked as they walked over to a window, presumably the window in question.

“The ones by Akavov, Etcepin and Zlaticanin.” Luka replied. “This is the window they broke into, by the way.” He added, pointing.

“How high up do you think we are here?” Elena asked, peering out. There was a bit of a drop out of the window, it wasn’t too high, but it would have affected trying to get in and out. It especially would have affected removing the window from its frame, but they hadn’t gone up any steps in order to get to the room.

“We’re still on the ground floor obviously, that’s a delivery entrance which leads to a car park underneath the museum. For new exhibits, maintenance stuff, things for the museum cafeteria and shop. That sort of thing.” Luka certainly knew how to take a long time to get to the point, Elena thought. “That entrance there is sloped down, so the window is about two metres or so from the ground level outside. Whoever did it had to break the padlock on the gate in order to get down to there though.”

“Yeah, I remember you saying that,” Elena said, looking down at the gate at the top of the slope which adjoined directly onto the main road at the front of the museum. “Are there no cameras directed down the way towards the car park?”

“There are underneath the museum in the car park and there is at the top facing out towards the main road, but other than that no.” Luka replied.

“So they caught him breaking the padlock then?”

“No. The camera facing towards the road is trained on the road to see incoming deliveries and that sort of thing, there isn’t anything on the gate because we usually have security there when things are delivered to open and close it and make sure nobody enters who shouldn’t be coming in.”

“Do you see how that could be a bit of a problem?” Elena said, baffled by the oversight.

“Well we do now, but you have to remember that this museum is very old Elena, we’ve not had this sort of problem ever before and since Kalinina we’ve not had the money to improve on these things. If she was still around there would have been armed soldiers guarding the museum, we could still do with that today!”

“I’m not sure Kalinina providing more security for the museum absolves her of all the horrific things she did when she was in power, Luka.”

“I know, I’m not saying that. But we’re under-resourced and under-funded. In a way I think it was only a matter of time before something like this happened to be honest.” Luka argued. “You can quote that if the cops do try and criticise our security measures, by the way.” He added hurriedly.

“I know.” Elena said. “And don’t worry, I definitely will. Was there any sign of how they got up to work on removing the window? And did anyone see him breaking the padlock on the street?”

“No nobody saw them on the street and we’re not actually sure about the window. He could have easily used something that was left in the delivery entrance though, there’s some bins and stuff which he might have stood on. I’m not sure the Policija are sure themselves, he might have been a bit unsteady though. Whoever it was knew what they were doing in terms of the actual break-in because that was all carried out without any noise or disturbance. But they seemed to know how to get through the museum and avoid the motion detectors which were still working, so I think it’s got to be a group of people who’ve looked into everything here.” Luka asserted, before adding conspiratorially: “Or they have some inside knowledge.”

“Maybe.” Elena said. Luka had told her pretty much everything she needed to know. She didn’t know what to make of it. “What about the other painting? You said only three were kept in here.”

“Oh yes, the other one is in the next room. It was the Marija Esa by Jovac-Savic. We keep it in with other famous portraits by Mytanar artists. I can show you if you’d like.” Luka smiled again.

“Yeah, please.” Elena replied. Luka strode towards the door they had come through and waved at her to follow. As she did so she spotted the CCTV cameras in the corner of the room, moving into the corridor where she spotted one of the green motion sensors flickering on the wall before turning red as they moved through. “Has that one been fixed?” She asked, pointing.

“Yeah. There’s some more in the corridor which haven’t though, see.” Luka said as he showed her. There they were, stuck on green as he waved his hand across them. “Come on, this way.” Luka walked on towards the next room, Elena looked up and spotted more cameras.

“So the cameras caught him then?”

“Yeah. He’s on the CCTV footage.” Luka replied.

“Was nobody watching that?”

“Usually we have someone watching it.” Luka sighed. “Normally one person stays in that room at all times, watching the cameras, but we were a security guard short and they monitored it most of the time but would go on patrol around the museum in fifteen minute bursts before one of them returning here for the other three-quarters of an hour on that particular night. To make up for being one short. I didn’t advise them on that, I had gone home, but the most senior security guard had decided it on the night.” He moaned. “He doesn’t work here anymore now.”

“I suppose he had a decision to make.” Elena said. “It’s not the easiest job in the world.”

“No, but that was a bad decision.” Luka said. “Here.” He said as they entered the portraits room. Again, there was around eight or nine gold frames, this time all of them were occupied except one at the far end of the room. It was in the middle, with a big board with lots of writing right next to it, it was clearly one of the main attractions.

“I presume his face was covered on the CCTV footage?”

“Yeah. Balaclava on.” Luka said. “Since that happened we have the guards checking every room in the museum when they go on patrol. Before they only checked the corridors, the rooms inside were closed every night and we thought if we covered the corridors then we’d be covered.”

“I guess you weren’t expecting this.”

“Definitely not.” Luka said, he pointed to the empty frame at the end of the room. “This one was the hardest to lose for me personally. It’s the one a lot of domestic tourists come to see.”

“What a shame.” Elena said. She had everything she needed. She still wasn’t one hundred percent sure whether the person behind the letters was the person who had taken the artwork, but things were definitely pointing that way.

by **Yue Zhou** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 7:39 pm

ZHAO XINGLAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
YINCHENG, YUEZHOU

Wang Jiahui, contrary to the YFA’s reassurances, was not fine. He’d inexplicably left the Second Battle of Nangang with no lasting physical injuries, but what the nurses said was a severe concussion had left him bedridden for the next few weeks. While Yuezhou took a commanding lead atop Group F, their young striker was lying prone in a dark room, denied any visual stimuli until he could recover more.

For the first three days, his status within the Yue government had afforded him some additional benefits. He’d been transferred from Nanhai directly to Zhao Xinglan, a military hospital where a team of doctors and nurses fawned over him almost every waking moment. The fourth day, so far, had been a little...different. He’d inexplicably woken up to the lights being turned on, and the nurse - who seemed new, although the bleary-eyed Wang found it hard to tell - had muttered something under his breath when Wang asked him to turn the lights back off. Since then, he’d been alone almost the entire day, with hours passing between each visit, and the button he’d used to call nurses over seemingly no longer attended to.

The reason for this abrupt change in quality of care introduced himself a few minutes after lunch. His name was Guo Daliang, and he was the new director of the hospital. “Sorry for the poor service today, Jiahui, the new administration is still working out some services. I’ve brought someone for you from the YFA,” he continued, and before Wang could ask any questions, he was out the door.

Wang’s concentration, or at least what he could manage, turned to the other figure in the room. Unlike Hu Aiguo, this man was short and slight, but with an understated poise and power that belied his small frame. “Good afternoon, Wang Jiahui. I am Brigadier General Zhao Ruiqing of the National People’s Revolutionary Committee, and effective today, I’ve taken over things in the YFA until the Committee can get things under control.”

“...what? Where’s Hu Aiguo?”

Zhao Ruiqing winced at his mention of the name. “Hu Aiguo has been...relieved of his duties for the time being. We’re trying to undo the damage he’s caused this office - especially with the Yincheng favoritism that we know has been going on.”

“That’s not true! Ren Qiang himself said-”

“Ren Qiang is no longer in the picture. In the meantime, I just came to let you know that there will be significant changes in the politicization of the YFA office. The FA should serve the people and the clubs, not the government, and sweeping changes will be needed in order to adjust that. What that means for you is that you’ll be replaced on the national team roster for the time being.”

It was a lot of information for Wang Jiahui to process even if he wasn’t concussed. He was, so it hit him like a brick to the face. “Hold up - Ren Qiang is gone? Who the fuck took over? You military as-”

Zhao Ruiqing waved him off. “The National People’s Revolutionary Committee is just protecting the people. I would strongly advise you to-”

Wang Jiahui stumbled out of his hospital bed, his indignation briefly overriding his concussion. “Is this a fucking coup? I’ll-” he made it two steps toward Zhao before the concussion reasserted itself and sent him spinning to the ground, his head going straight onto the floor and into the abyss.

“Cheer up, Wang Jiahui,” Zhao said as Wang’s vision faded. “It’s a new dawn for Yuezhou.”

BEIAN, YUEZHOU

“General Chen Guochuan, who has been voted head of the National People’s Revolutionary Committee, moved quickly to impose martial law across the nation, not just in Jiangdong, Nanhai, and Sangau. While there have been nationwide demonstrations against the coup and Chen’s actions since seizing power, the Yue People’s Army has been swift in cracking down on sentiments deemed to be overly inflammatory or sympathetic to Ren Qiang, whose location remains unknown. Radio Free Yuezhou believes that thirty-six activists have already lost their lives, and as purges of Ren loyalists continue within the YPA...”

Luo Dan woke, as always, to the soothing tones of Radio Free Yuezhou. His girlfriend was a serious early bird, and she liked to listen to RFY as she did her activist work. The professional footballer and the schoolteacher-turned-anti-coup activist were a weird pair, but it had been a weird year. At the start of the year, Luo had been Beian’s next star striker, and a surefire starter on the national team if it weren’t for Liu Huiying’s sudden emergence. Then, for reasons unknown the YFA had unexpectedly elevated Wang Jiahui to his backup position, cut him from the national team, and forced Beian City to swap him to the unwatched and unfavored Beian Rovers.

Yet Luo Dan hadn’t let the setbacks stop him, and instead fired Beian Rovers to second place in the YPL, narrowly behind expected favorites and Ren Qiang’s pet club, Yincheng Capitals. He’d become a bit of a cult figure in the Resistance for doing so, which had led him to meet, then move in with, Yan Ailing. And although the political situation was as untenable as it’d ever been, things were going pretty well for Luo Dan - it wasn’t the path he wanted, but “cult hero and Beian football star” was still a pretty good draw.

”...vengeance on the Free Republic of Sangau, after a MISI bombing in Lemaiyi killed forty-one Yue People’s Army soldiers. While Sangau separatists have failed to gain traction in the way Jiangdong and Nanhai have, their prolonged guerilla warfare campaign, aimed at wearing down the YPA, seems to have temporarily succeeded...

Today was different, though. The previous night, after Yan Ailing had gone to sleep, he’d gotten an unexpected call.
.
“Yuan Zilai? What’s going on?”

“Wang Jiahui’s out. YFA orders. How soon can you get to Tikariot?”

“Uh, today, but I don’t know if-”

“Great. We play Valladares in two days. See you then. click.”

It was what he’d dreamed of for the past year, and the thought at the back of his mind ever since Nanhai had broken off. With the Ren Qiang YFA no longer in the picture, nothing was stopping him from reclaiming his national team spot, his #10 shirt at Beian City, what his old life was meant to be. It also meant leaving the past year, condemning it to a weird footnote, a funny story he’d tell at parties after he retired from the national team in a decade.

From the moment he’d gotten off the phone to...well, now, the question of how to break things off had weighed on him. Even as he lingered in the doorway to Yan Ailing’s little home office, he was trying to put it off. He savored the morning scene - the steam from his mug of tea, Yan Ailing’s clicking at her keyboard, the dependable chatter of Radio Free Yuezhou in the background - as if it were his last morning on Earth. In a sense, it was.

He cleared his throat. “Ailing? I, uh, I got called up to the national team.”

Yan Ailing froze in front of him. He knew what was coming. “...are you...going?”

“Look, I know what you’re going to say.”

“What, that you’re only being called up because there was a military coup, and you joining the national team would contribute to legitimize the military coup? Right when we’re trying to mobilize?”

“Ailing, this is-”

“-your childhood dream, I know.” Ailing’s face fell. “Look, I’m not going to try to convince you not to get called up. But, uh, if you haven’t already decided to say no, I think we have to br-”

“We don’t, though! It’ll just be a week or so in Tikariot, more if we move on-”

“Look, this is the most pivotal week in the Yuezhou resistance movement since...well, ever. There’s a military coup going on, thousands of people are dying, our country is falling apart. If your top priority is still football, I can’t see us being compatible.”

It was everything he’d ever wanted, and it was the end of the world.

"-ted its control over Nangang, as after the Nanhai Separatists retook the crucial port city and former capital, the Yue People's Army were able to force them back again. After taking Nangang, Governor Zheng Zhoulun made the ill-advised move to march on Jiangdong, in an attempt to help separatists there win the stalemate in the city. However, Zheng was reportedly surprised by the military coup, and the ensuing change in strategy, and although Nanhai forces were able to make a narrow escape by sea, the National People's Revolutionary Committee have retaken the south..."

by **Nephara** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:05 am

Nephara 2 - 0 Astograth
(4-4-2) 1 - Provost; 2 - Stride, 5 - Thorn (c), 6 - Verlander, 3 - Muscadin (19 - Strassman 76'); 7 - Koerner (23 - Sauthier 76'), 15 - Kastriot, 21 - Moxham (8 - Cromwell 68'), 13 - Belgrade; 9 - Bastable, 10 - Lovelace
Goals: Belgrade 48', Moxham 62'

THE HERALD
EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE SEIZES POINTS
Sorrel Thorne

It was not an aesthetically pleasing performance tonight. Few fans who weren't at the occasion will remember it for long. Astograth came out to hold their ground and jealously defend a clean sheet. For 45 minutes, they managed it, but the roof was always bound to cave in.

It was not a great day for any of the three strikers who started the game. After two games, Kurtis Bastable remains yet to find a goal; ordinary form for most any player but it feels odd in him. Lovelace is the more human of the two up front of Nephara. He shot on sight throughout, it seemed, but Gentza Bedigax was consistently equal to the task, while at the other end, Aire Epherra did all the ugly work asked of him but ultimately, when a fateful opportunity came to him, he was unable to grasp the nettle.

But this was a battle won and lost in midfield and on the wings. It took just eighty seconds for the best chance of the first half to open up - hatchet-man Lekea pulverising Chimera Moxham, Domiku Bergara hooking a diagonal over the top to Malkorra, the Chariots winger taking it almost daintily from the air with his heel and smashing a vicious volley towards the top corner. Aranea Provost went flying in balletic fashion, and just about managed to flick the ball over the crossbar.

The rest of the first half was played out, for the most part, in the centre of the pitch. Lekea and Bergara put forward a near-impenetrable double pivot, and Nephara's best chance came from an overload on the wing, Rovena Stride bombing forward, played in cleverly by Anselm Koerner and driving a ball back across goal. Lovelace got on the end of it but put too much power on the strike. Up it went. Into space, seemingly, from six yards. Bastable had a phantom chance to pull Nephara ahead on the half, but was offside when Moxham played him in; in any case, Beigax closed down the angle and saved well, regardless of the referee's flag.

And so to the second half and, almost immediately, to Ysabet Belgrade's breakthrough goal. It was not a thing of strategy, but artistry; Moxham received a throw-in and slid it over her way, and Belgrade... ran, hard, before braking at the decisive moment, sending Echeberz stumbling halfway to nowhere, pulled inside, feinted through Leskerre's covering challenge and curled a beautiful drive past and under Bedigax for the opener.

Vaudrail was up and fuming at the hole in the defensive line. Rather less constructively, Alarabi Labeaga sprang to his feet as well, the benched defender semeingly insisting he could have done better but quickly rounded upon by both Vaudrail and Carsten Thunder, son of former Cormorants striker Gerhard and Vaudrail's assistant. Instead, on came Iraunkor Berdesagar, a more versatile and tricky threat on the left wing. It almost paid off with his first touch, a free kick stemming from an overenthusiastic challenge by Stride. The strike was hit beautifully. Provost clasped air. But the ball crashed off the crossbar. Epherra's chance was gift-wrapped, but it found him flat-footed and in a shoving match with Thorn; he chested it wide from a seemingly gaping goal. Not as bad a miss at it looked at first glance... but still, he should have put it away.

Moxham made Astograth pay at the other end with a beautiful strike, whipped in from just outside the box with almost casual grace, and from there the Cormorants were content to clamp down on midfield and brace through the rest of the game. The match ended as it began; a brilliant chance for Malkorra, turning Stride fast enough to give the Treason fullback whiplash before hammering a shot at goal before Thorn could get there. But it was too close to Provost, who clawed the ball around the post. There wasn't even time to take the corner. A very creditable performance from Astograth, but not the result they required to stay in the competition following Mavinet's win over Thibaea. Mavinet will play Nephara in what is nominally a dead rubber, but the Cormorants will be out, as always, to win.

by **Nacaltora** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:54 am

NL | EN | FR | ME

National Team Claims Victory over Nethertopia

A Recap of Nacaltora's Win and a Preview of the match with Eastfield Lodge

_{NACALTORA 2-1 NETHERTOPIA
NAC: Carels '35, Marier '68
NET: '44}

Kyrkdorf, Græntfjall --

The Nacaltoran National Team took on Nethertopia in the second match of the Copa Rushmori Group Stage. There were a lot of positives to build on from the Pasarga match. The defense held pretty well and there were a handful of opportunities to equalize down the stretch. For a team making its first international tournament appearance in a few decades, the squad held together well.

Nethertopia opened the competition with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Eastfield Lodge. NACTV's Manu Alfons met with manager Corentin Smits prior to the tilt with Nethertopia to get his thoughts on the match and where he believed the squad stood.

Alfons: "Corentin, before we dive into the Nethertopia match, give us your thoughts on the team's performance against Pasarga.

Smits: "Yeah, I think overall we played pretty well. The defense stopped them from capitalizing on a few chances and Isaac Truchon had a couple of really nice saves. Obviously we want to move the ball better and give ourselves better scoring opportunities. Like I said before the match, Pasarga is number 18 in the world for a reason, so for us to hold them to a 1-0 match was a good result for us. Obviously we need points to stay in this competition, but I was happy with the way we played for the most part.

Alfons: "Moving onto today's match with Nethertopia. What are you looking to see from your squad?"

Smits: "I think the most important thing for us is consistency. We put in a good effort against a very good squad last time, let's build off of that and put together another nice performance. It'll take all aspects of the game to make that happen, but I'm hopeful that we can do it. We obviously respect Nethertopia and their history in both this competition in particular as well as their role in world football as a whole, but that respect is not fear. We know we are unknown to the world of international football, but we feel that this is a good opportunity to make a mark. I'd like to see the midfielders move the ball a little better and give our forwards good chances. If we can do that while continuing to play solid defense, I will be proud of the effort."

Alfons: "What would getting a win today mean to you?"

Smits: 3 points. Obviously for the fans and for everyone who knows our history, they'll tell you a win against a name like Nethertopia means something more, but to us it would mean we get a step closer to advancing which is something we're looking to do.

Alfons: "Thank you, Corentin and best of luck today."

Smits: "Thank you."

Game Notes:
'12 - Mohcine de Goeij puts a smooth tackle on the Nethertopian forward to clear the ball on the far side of the box
'19 - Roland Marier gets a beautiful pass from Fernando van Donselaar that splits the defenders and sets him up for a shot that goes wide of the net to the left
'26 - Raymond Carels is brought down and awarded a free kick which he sends off the crossbar
'31 - A Nethertopian forward splits the defense and takes a shot that is knocked down by Isaac Truchon. Jelco Worst clears it
'34 - Raymond Carels is brought down again just outside the box and takes his own free kick. This time he curves it past a diving keeper and into the net. 1-0 Nacaltora
'38 - Shivan Wingelaar puts a through ball past the defender for Roland Marier who gives it one touch to Sacripant Melanson who is off to his left. Melanson fires it right away off target.
'44 - A Nethertopian forward gets past Gülçin te Nijenhuis and fires a shot past Isaac Truchon for the goal right before half. 1-1.
'52 - Tristan van de Wal makes a great, clean tackle on the ball, but comes up limping. Varden Monjeau comes in as a sub
'59 - Joshi Dijkslag gets one on one with the keeper but is tripped up as the keeper makes a sliding save
'64 - After an excellent passing sequence, Shivan Wingelaar crosses a ball in to the box which Raymond Carels tries to head, but is is cleared away again by the Nethertopian defense.
'68 - Fernando van Donselaar puts a through-ball past the Nethertopian defense to Roland Marier who puts it just left of the diving keeper and into the back of the net. 2-1 Nacaltora
'74 - Nethertopia musters a charge into the Nacaltoran box, but it ends up a goal kick.
'81 - Jelco Worst is subbed off for Geoffrey Laurent
'85 - Mohcine de Goeij makes a nice play on the ball deep in his own half. Nacaltora regains possession.
'89 - Nethertopia sends a long cross into the box for a desperation chance, but it is punched away by Isaac Truchon
'94 - Final whistle goes. Nacaltora earns the 2-1 victory over Nethertopia.

Improving Nacaltora Squad Looks Forward to Eastfield Lodge Matchup

The Nacaltoran National Team is coming off its biggest victory in history over Nethertopia and has their eyes set on a tilt with Eastfield Lodge. A win here could have big implications for the Nacaltoran squad in their efforts to advance, but Eastfield Lodge is a noteworthy adversary. The word around the Eastfield Lodge squad is that they are entering this competition at their lowest point in their history. They have struggled to qualify in recent World Cups and are a shell of what they once were. This does not take away from the quality of players they have as many of them play in one of the best domestic leagues in the region. The talent is certainly there and will be a challenge for the scrappy Nacaltorans to defend.

Keys for the Match:

1) Win the possession battle: Nacaltora did a great job of this against Nethertopia and it allowed them to create more scoring chances. This needs to be the case against a better squad.
2) Take aggressive chances: There is obviously a balance to be aware of with this one, but in order to beat a team with more talent, you cannot be timid and conservative. Nacaltora must get creative in order to score.
3) Continue playing sound defense: The defense has been very solid so far in the tournament and it must maintain that standard in order for a victory over Eastfield Lodge.

Nacaltora vs. Eastfield Lodge can be viewed on NACTV. For more coverage of the Nacaltoran team at Copa Rushmori, stay tuned to the Standard Register.

by **Mytanija** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:37 am

“IT WASN'T PRETTY, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH”
TENTATIVE PERFORMANCE IS JUST ENOUGH FOR VICTORY AND QUALIFICATION

by Nevenka Planinc

CHARRUTERRA 0-1 MYTANIJA
MYT: Odonelec 34’

Charruterra line-up unavailable

MYT: 1. Kasun; 2. Vukovic, 3. Anac, 4. Jernejec, 5. Isaev (C); 16. Brkljacic, 7. Fejzuli; 8. Gavrilovic (sub. Obadko 73’), 10. Odonelec (sub. Kupresak 67’), 11. Kalinic (sub. Brajdic 73’); 21. Aleksic

Mytanija seemed either unwilling or unable to create much in the way of clear opportunities to score in their second group game against Charruterra. The Hoops were largely impotent, only mustering up three shots on target throughout the game, crucially one of them went in and the Hoops kept the opposition to a solitary (blocked) shot on target at the other end. Jasno Odonelec was once again the key man with a wonderful finish from the edge of the penalty area, stroked into the bottom corner to the left of the Charruterra goalkeeper after a nice passage of play. His goal was enough for an important three points which sealed qualification to the knockout stages.

Lev Repin is most known for his commitment to relatively free-flowing attacking movement, imploring his players to interchange positions and move the ball quickly to destabilise the opponent. Here it seemed as if he went against those core beliefs almost entirely, Mytanija were fairly restrained in their off-the-ball movement and conservative when in possession. The enforced introduction of the more defensively minded Branko Brkljacic rather than Vilim Kupresak due to Alen Hrdaljko’s suspension set the tone, with Repin seemingly valuing the solidity he would bring to the team over Kupresak’s superior ability going forwards. It seemed as if conceding three goals in the first-half of the Southwest Eastnorth game had rattled Repin and the manager didn’t want a repeat of that showing here.

This led to a poor game for viewers and any neutrals watching would surely have turned over to watch the Ancharmunn Sheep-rustling Tour or Euran Bog Snorkelling Championships which were on at the same time instead such was the turgidity of the fixture. The best chance in the opening half hour probably fell to Mojmir Anac, the Olympic Thessia centre-half failing to repeat his fine headed goal from the opening game here as he powered the header well over the crossbar. Charruterra seemed to be even more tentative than the Hoops though, often playing the ball around their defence before being hounded by the pressing of Gavrilovic, Aleksic, Odonelec and Kalinic and immediately pumping the ball up field and back into Mytanar possession.

It was from one of those sequences that Mytanija scored the game’s only goal. The ball was punted long by a Charruterra defender and collected by Pedja Kasun. He rolled it out to Srdan Vukovic who drove up the left flank before picking out a wonderful diagonal ball to Boris Kalinic on the right-wing. Kalinic took the ball in stride and flicked it past the Charruterra full-back before cutting back and squaring into Tahir Fejzuli. Fejzuli hurried the ball on as soon as he received it, playing it to Jasno Odonelec who finessed the ball into the bottom corner with expert precision. The Mytanar fans at the opposite end of the Citadel of the North could be heard celebrating wildly, letting out that distant roar emitted by a small contingent in a large stadium when their team scores which is one of the best sounds in football.

After this the Hoops seemed confident in getting their defence and midfield set and allowing Gavrilovic, Aleksic and Kalinic to hassle the Charruterra defence in the knowledge that the opposition seemed to be pretty blunt in attacking areas. The ball was shepherded into the middle of the field where Mytanija had a numerical advantage with Brkljacic, Fejzuli and Odonelec – who took up much deeper positions than we’re used to seeing him in – with that trio then crowding out the opponent, recovering possession and then content to build slowly. It was an unlikely performance from a Lev Repin team, but it got the job done.

In the second period there was a brief moment when Mytanar hearts were in their mouths, when the massed ranks of hooped shirts faced a good spell of possession for Charruterra and the ball seemed to break for one of their forwards in a similar position to that which Odonelec scored from. The striker’s shot was blocked well by Mojmir Anac, the centre-half finding himself involved at both ends of the pitch, with the subsequent corner also dealt with well and cleared away.

The brief scare seemed to only affirm Repin’s belief in this unusual approach for this game as he took Odonelec off for Kupresak to bolster that central midfield area by changing from 4-2-3-1 to a more definite 4-3-3. Odonelec is arguably Mytanija’s best player at the moment, but Kupresak is more familiar with the defensive positioning of the central midfield positioning than Odonelec who normally plays further forward for both club and country. It was only a little later that Repin made his final two changes, taking off his wide players to bring on central defender Niksa Obadko and striker Josip Brajdic. This heralded a change from the 4-3-3 to a 5-3-2 as the manager signalled to his team to be responsible defensively and for Aleksic and Brajdic to be the only ones remaining forward.

Whether it was necessary for Repin to employ such an approach is a good question, there was a feeling that if the Mytanar team had just played their normal game and tried to be a little more expressive in possession then they could have won the game more comfortably. Repin was vindicated in the end though with the game fizzling out a little and finishing 1-0. The three points were secure and as Sargossa romped past Southwest Eastnorth 4-1 in the later game it meant that it was enough for Mytanija to qualify out of the group. The final group game against Sargossa will essentially be a play-off for first place and the crucial higher seeding in the knockout rounds. Winning it would allow Mytanija to avoid the likes of Nephara, Eura, Pasarga and Cassadaigua in the first knockout round and surely make progression a little more likely.

Sargossa’s pedigree in the Copa Rushmori is undoubted and it is a game many Mytanars consider to be a bit of a grudge match given the history of relations between the two nations. The Sargossans sheltered Natella Kalinina when the dictator fled Mytanija as the country fell apart during the Mytanar Conflict, something which still smarts for many Mytanars given the horrific crimes she perpetrated whilst in power. Those that supported her are of course dwindling now, but there are still pockets of supporters in certain regions and some who endorse her political ideas without wanting to endorse her. It’s likely to be a fiery affair in the Citadel of the North stadium and potentially politically divisive back home.

In terms of their on-field exploits, the Sargossans were knocked out of the previous Copa Rushmori at the quarter finals stage by eventual runners-up Savojarna (who won the 31st Copa Rushmori hosted in Mytanija). They also haven’t qualified for either of the previous two World Cups. It may not be a vintage Sargossa team, but they still have quality in their starting line-up – particularly in the form of young forward Mateo Manzanares, as well as veteran midfielders Goyoso and Fonseca. Tikariotian manager Brian McAllister will not be a name familiar to many Mytanars – mainly due to the lack of familiarity with the country’s football in general – but he’s done well with his opening two Copa Rushmori fixtures, winning 3-1 and 4-1 and this may well be a Sargossa team on their way back to their best.

For Mytanija the question will be whether they revert back to the style of play that Repin is known for or if they stick with the approach used against Charruterra which was turgid but ultimately effective. The conservative nature of the approach was clearly outlined in Jasno Odonelec’s comment after the game that: “It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough”, providing a useful quote for the headline of this piece. Sargossa will be tougher opponents than Charruterra, so it may be that we see a similar tactical set-up to try and limit the influence of the quality players the Sargossans have at their disposal, but Repin prefers to be proactive instead of reactive and it may be that he just felt the conservative approach was needed to secure the win and the three points which would be important in qualifying for the knockout stages.

Alen Hrdaljko will be available for selection for the game, returning from his suspension for the red card received against Southwest Eastnorth, whether Repin sees fit to reintroduce him into the team or not is another question. It’s unlikely that the manager will have taken kindly to Hrdaljko’s impetuousness, the second booking for dissent not even occurring during play. A second booking for a badly timed tackle is slightly more forgivable, but the offence was so preventable that it may put doubt in Repin’s mind about selecting Hrdaljko despite his obvious qualities. Jezdimir Ocokoljic is still out injured, but it is looking more likely that he will return for the first knockout game, something which will be an enormous boost to the squad. Expect Andrijasevic or Aleksic to start in his place once again.

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:37 am

Excerpt from The Fußball Show with Jessika Jünkindietrünk.

Jessika, who speaks with a strong Schutzenphalian accent, and usually struggles to get the names of foreign countries right, is in the middle of a conversation with sports journalist Olle Tobiasson about the game between ‘Greatfart’ and ‘Darkman’ in the ‘Copa Hurryless’.

interjects the immaculately coiffed Petter Erlingsson.

says Jessika

don’t

he chuckles.

teases Jessika

Petter nods at Olle,

grumbles Petter.

Jessika moves over to the board to display the results of the poll.

GTV’s graphics department have been exceptional during the CR

chunters Petter

glumly says Olle, to no one’s surprise.

Petter and Olle exchange nervous glances.

offers Petter gently.

Yuezhou

says Olle delicately.

While he tries to work out from which the direction the heat is being applied, Petter steps in.

jumps in Olle.

grins Jessika

Olle and Petter do not grin.

Græntfjall – 5 (2)
Einvarðursson; Vilbertsdóttir, Reynarsson (90+2’), Álfarsson (53’) (60’), Vernerisdóttir (76’ Svennsdóttir ); Snæþórsson (61’ Ernestisson ), Guttisdóttir (28’, 70’), Jvarsson (79’), Noahsdóttir; Dannysdóttir (36’); Antoninsson (81’ Bergmundursson )

Darmen – 4 (2)
Campo; Deniaud (90+2’), Di Stefano, Abbey, Tremblay; Ramírez, Tobias (60’ Ó Baoghill ); Mac Pharlain (41’) (57’ Ó Cuilinn ), Svendsen (34’), Freud (45+1’); Blackwood (76’) (83’ Borde (84’))

by **Savojarna** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:46 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Penalty drama costs Northlights ahead of Tikariot clash

By Jaukka Halanen
Savojarna have been clear favourites ahead of their clash with Crystalline Caverns, whom they met at the previous Copa Rushmori on home soil and took away a 0-1 victory in Thorsborg. Now, they were slated to meet again in their second round clash, the Savojars coming off flying after a 5-0 victory over international debutants Hispinas, whereas the Caverns started off with a 0-0 against the hosts. That meant higher pressure for the outsiders whereas Savojarna are looking to seal qualification with a win, but knew that a point would be enough to keep all cards in their own hand. This was also apparent in the setup of Mikaela Rangren, comparatively more defensive than it had been against Hispinas; it led to a general lack of chances in the first half as the Savojars were hesitant to attack and the Caverns largely failed to beat the Savojar defences.

Play picked up slightly in the second half, with the main chances of the game being a header off a corner by Crystalline Cavern defender Vanamo Starkeysa, saved by Pakanen with a great reaction; on the other side, a dribble by Voynov almost ended with a goal in a rare flash of brilliance from the winger, who otherwise seemed mostly absent and was replaced first out of the Savojar team for Juhamatti Rajala. The Brisara FC winger was in the centre of the final minutes of the match, but for now was relatively impactless as most of Savojarna’s attacks came over the right side. Jacobsen missed two shots from short range, one a tricky volley that went high and one a short-range attempt deflected by Dungren Clerk’s leg. On the other side, little happened; Savojarna’s low defence was strong and could clear most things, thanks to later Player of the Match Polina Zirkova who managed 19 out of 23 duels, the highest rate in the game aside from Milla Viipuri, who won all three duels she was in after her 78th minute substitution.

The drama occurred in the final minutes as Rajala had been sent deep by a diagonal pass of Victoria Maersk. The Finn had taken the ball deep and beaten Arik in a 1v1, then cutting inside and looking for a pass to Nweke or Lundell in the back line. However, a shoulder challenge by Fjordham Alsein sent him tumbling and, although the ball was initially moved on into the middle and the referee had initially hesitated, it netted Savojarna a penalty that could be the game for them, with only five minutes to go and little danger coming from the Caverns. However, the attempt by Maersk was saved and trundled off, the second attempt by Nweke going nowhere. With that, the hopes of Savojarna were over as they didn’t manage a successful attack in the final minutes.

The 0-0 is not the end of the world, and with Tikariot losing to Hispinas, it even left Savojarna in the lead. Winning the game with the hosts would ensure that the Northlights win the group, a draw would still ensure qualification. Even a loss would be enough to go on, as long as the Savojars do not lose by more than two goals, as they would beat Tikariot on goal difference. With this starting position, anything but a qualification for the octofinals would be a nasty surprise; however, the points could be determining the path through the knockout stage and lead to a rocky road forward.

Savojarna 0-0 Crystalline Caverns

Goals: --
Yellow cards: 36’ Forsberg, 74’ Tovnia, 81’ Rockwater (all foul)
Red cards: --
Remarks: Forsberg (SVJ) will miss next match after two yellow cards. 87’ Clerk saves penalty from Maersk (SVJ).

Savojarna: Pakanen - Pedersen (78’ Viipuri), Forsberg, Zirkova, Skov - Ilkkanen, Maersk - Voynov (61’ Rajala), Lundell, Jashkin - Jacobsen (72’ Nweke).

by **Tikariot** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:12 pm

A cold wind is blowing through Port Rhovanyon, bearing news from the Khazagh Mountains, news of winter ever so slowly encroaching upon the more temperate areas of Tikariot. Barely a soul is stirring on this Sunday morning, it is mostly the leaves being dragged through the cobblestone streets of the old harbour district, the leaves that had been torn off their branches by the storm that had swept across the city overnight.

As it is said, the night is darkest just before the dawn and this morning is no difference. But at the edge of the district, like a beacon in the dark stands the Oceanview Stadium, the biggest building in the cluster of sports venues in the Sports City Park on Port Rhovanyon's bayside. It will house two games today, the Crystalline Caverns against Hispinas and then the big one between Tikariot and Savojarna. The outlook for the Snowy Owls, though, is grim, sitting in last place in Group E after a listless 0-0 draw against the Crystalline Caverns and then an upset loss against Hispinas.

A lot of things would have to go right today for the unlikely to happen, a qualification for the knockout stages of the first ever Copa Rushmori they are participating in. It could all already be almost over with the first game, if it does not end in a draw, the winning side is through and then it would hinge even more on the game against Savojarna, as then just a win would not be enough anymore, but they would have to really sweep them off the pitch to advance on goal difference.

The frost coating the grass surface in the stadium is beginning to melt thanks to the heating lines underneath the pitch, but it does not matter as the Savojars are used to wintery conditions, so there would not be an advantage as it would be against some of the tropical nations such as Banija. Despite the early hour a myriad of people are already active in the stadium, making sure that everything is set for match day three as the eyes of Rushmore rest upon Tikariot as co-hosts.

High up in the rows stands a lone figure, almost forlornly looking down at the hive of workers, barely registering the flurry of activity below. Instead he is lost in his own thoughts, going over tactics and words to the team, hoping that some divine intervention would shine the light on the right one, the one that would enable Tikariot to do the unexpected. Stuart Ekstrom is feeling the pressure, the expectations of the fans, the expectations of the federation, but above all his own expectations.

When he led Tikariot onto the international stage, they made a splash, winning the IFC, then reaching the knockout stages of the Baptism of Fire and finally almost making it to the playoffs for World Cup. They just got into the next round of the Cup of Harmony, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed as the momentum had evaporated and successes were becoming scarcer. Now he has one game in the Copa Rushmori to prove that he is still the right man for the job, at least in his eyes.

He looks up, through the plexiglass roof of the stadium, facing east. The sun is announcing its presence by sending out its rays over the horizon, drenching the clouds red. A bloodred dawn, a fitting omen for the coach of a team that would take the pitch tonight in a battle for survival, ready to give it their all. He slowly nods his acknowledgement at the sun slowly starting to crest the horizon and turns to walk down the steps into the stadium.

by **Mavinet** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:28 pm

THE PEOPLE'S STATE OF MAVINET
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Official Statement on the Coup and the Repression of Civil Liberties in Yuezhou

The People’s State of Mavinet strongly condemn the illegal seizure of power in Yuezhou organized by the so-called National People’s Revolutionary Committee. The military government set up by the Committee have violently suppressed civil liberties within the country with the detainment of countless civilians who are peacefully participating in protests and expressing their wish for a peaceful end to the ongoing crisis. These political prisoners have been subject to inhumane treatments and life-threatening conditions, with credible reports of torture and extrajudicial killings already happening. At least thirty-six activists have reportedly been killed by the illegitimate military government since the start of the violent crackdowns. These are flagrant attacks against the freedoms of the Yue people, and a government advocating for and performing these acts has no place in the international community.

The People’s State of Mavinet stand in solidarity with those who are detained, those who have been unjustly killed, and those who continue to peacefully assert their freedoms across Yuezhou. We stand ready to support all democratic forces in their fight for democracy and freedom in Yuezhou.

Office of the Chancellor
12 Cộng Hòa Street, Đại Hòa, Mavinet

“Mr. Chancellor, I ought to remind you that we have already provided considerable financial and material support to Nanhai without much results. Do you have the intention of putting more into this?”

That was Nguyễn Duy Hưng, Majority Leader of the National Council and a senior member of the Intelligence Committee as well as the ruling Nationalist Party. He was invited to meet with the Chancellor Lê Nguyên Bảo shortly after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the official statement on the coup happened in Yuezhou.

“The military coup in Yuezhou was clearly an illegal act, and they are cracking down on civil liberties. If we are to take stronger actions, now is a good chance to justify that.” Chancellor Bảo, in his usual collected manner, replies to the clearly concerned politician.

“And what stronger actions are you suggesting?”

“I need the National Council’s authorization to use military force in Yuezhou to assist our struggling allies.”

“You can’t be serious, Mr. Chancellor. Mavinet is in no position to openly intervene in another state’s affairs like that. What would be the justification? I understand your position and goal in proposing that, but that is simply not possible right now.”

“As I said, the military government flagrantly committed human right violat ̶ “

“Yes, to which we have responded by issuing an official statement. Those violations, Mr. Chancellor, happen after every coup. We can't go to war with another state just because their government crackdown on protests and imprison political rivals, unless you want to risk serious domestic and international backlash. Mavinet is not the police of the region, and we don’t want to be viewed as an aggressor. If we set a precedence, think about what other countries will do when we encounter our own crisis, which I must remind you, already happened once.”

“So we are going to pass up this chance to secure our interests in Yuezhou? I understand the situation doesn’t look promising, but please look at the big picture. The Yuezhou’s People Army shot themselves in the foot by overthrowing Ren Qiang. They are making more enemies within their own ranks and controlled territories.”

Nguyễn Duy Hưng looks away for a moment. He is skeptical of this gamble the Chancellor is making. Despite the generous support Mavinet has provided, the separatists in Nanhai and Jiangdong haven’t made much progress in their fight. In fact, they have been losing recently. With Ren Qiang now gone and a much tougher opponent at the helm at Yincheng, it’s starting to look like a losing game for the separatists and, indirectly, for Chancellor Bảo's ambitions… On the other hand, it’s true that the coup provided a ground for intervention. But what kind?

“Alright, Mr. Chancellor. I think we can reach a compromise here.” Nguyễn Duy Hưng turns to the Chancellor, who have been patiently waiting for a response from one of the most influential politicians in the legislature. “I stand by my point for us to not authorizing use of military forces now, but the National Council can pass a legislation to publicly authorize non-military supports for the ‘freedom fighters’. To make up for that, you can put in an executive notification to the Intelligence Committee for a covert operation to further provide arms and supply intels to the separatists. That is all we can offer now.”

“What about the possibility of future military actions?”

“You are investing too much into this. Unless there is a very compelling national security reason for us to consider, I suggest you drop the thought.” Nguyễn Duy Hưng stands up. “The world is watching Yuezhou, and Mavinet should not be a belligerent in a foreign state’s war, no matter how good the reason is. Good day to you, Mr. Chancellor.”

MD2

THIBAEA - 0

MAVINET - 1
23’ Vo Thanh Hai

MD3's lineup
Hoang Trung (GK) / Khang Anh (LB), Hung Dung (CB), Van Thao (CB), Van Hau (RB) / Tri Thong (DM), Hoai Linh (CM), Hoang Minh (AM) / Tien Linh (LW), Thanh Hoang (RW) / Thanh Hai (ST).

by **Hispinas** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 5:55 pm

"It is imperative for the team to beat the Cavernites."

This was the statement from Iago Escobar when he held a meeting with manager Alfonzo Medrano prior to their final group stage match against Crystalline Caverns. The meeting was supposed to discuss the proposed professional league that will be implemented in Hispinas, but when Ozeano Amunategui gave Hispinas their very first win in their international history, the topic was changed abruptly to how to keep their momentum going and get a win against their next opponents.

With their match not be played at the same time as the match between their two previous opponents, Savojarna, and Tikariot, and with this match going first at Oceanview Stadium before the crucial match for the hosts, the Hispinian team can put more emphasis on either side winning the match - Tikariot do have the goal difference advantage against Hispinas despite losing to them in Matchday 2, so a draw will not be enough for Hispinas to make it through to the Round of 16 and will heavily rely on Savojarna getting at least a draw against the hosts after their match. Losing to the Cavernites would mean certain elimination from the Copa.

Would the first matchday mauling be the factor on the fate of the Golden Sealions' debut Copa Rushmori campaign? They need to win, period.

by **Eura** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:01 pm

OOC: This election storyline is set during the summer of end of Euraleague S45/WC86.

emplor.eur/main/worldnews
PARLIAMENT VOTES FOR UNPRECEDENTED ELECTION
- Yarley and Liberals seek record fifth consecutive victory
- Redrawn boundaries cause uncertainty
- 250 Sameban seats in Euran elections for first time
- Polls suggest Liberals lead; Social trail by twelve points
- Capital “now a minor party” claims former leader Dellingham

The Euran Parliament has voted to hold a general election in two months’ time, the first such election in Eura for six years.

After a cross-party and one off extension of the period between elections from five to six years earlier in this term, to account for the redrawing of constituency boundaries during the integration of Sameba – a second such process in the last decade - Parliament has finally voted to hold a new contest. 2873 MPs voted for an election. 53 MP’s voted against, with less than a hundred abstentions, all of which came from minor opposition parties and rebels within the Capital Party.

The Prime Minister, Amy Yarley, said to reporters that the time had come for post-war Eura to “move on” and consolidate a peaceful, normal political process. Social Party leader Harry Barnham concurred, telling the Emplor last night that his party were “raring to go” in pursuit of their first election victory in decades. The latest leader of the Capital Party, Tom Paldrey, refused to answer questions about the election as a significant portion of backbench Capital MP’s broke the whip to vote against it, amidst claims from former leader Ronald Dellingham that they are increasingly becoming an irrelevance.

The redrawing of boundaries has created much uncertainty about the potential result of the election, with scant polling existing in the region so far and local parties potentially running against national Euran parties. Unrest in former Sameba since the end of the war has continued despite the best efforts of the Provisional Administration and the Euran military. Nevertheless the government has slowly and successfully managed to use the Acceding Territories Bill, brought into law originally to integrate territories seceding from Electrum, to give former Sameba 250 seats in a reformed Euran Parliament of the standard 3,000 seats.

Sameban nationalist organisations and some on the Euran left have criticised this process, arguing that the former Sameba will be massively underrepresented in Parliament, but the government denies this is the case. In the national polls that measure “old Euran” seats, now reduced to 2,750 in number from 3,000, the Liberals remain in the lead with a roughly 40% share of the vote, similar to the figure that won them a huge majority at the last election. However, the Social Party is set to perform much more strongly than last time, meaning the country could be set for a close contest.

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:03 pm

For footballers in Græntfjall, earning large amounts of money is a relatively new phenomenon. But hosting a regional tournament has increased the number of commercial endorsements. Here are some of them:

Hjörleifur Reynarsson is appearing in commercials for Moon Burger, advertising their new Healthy range. Can help you lose weight! As part of a calorie controlled diet.

Christian Einvarðursson was advertising gloves for Woolly Bully. Since his abject record of 8 goals conceded in two games the commercials have been quietly dropped, but people posting pictures of themselves on social media wearing wool gloves and dropping items has become such a meme it’s actually helped sales.

Ásvarður Bergmundursson, who everyone was mildly surprised to see in the squad, is making an equally surprising appearance in commercials for invest+ (a thermal underwear store, nothing to do with finance).

Emeli Vilbertsdóttir is making light of her supposed transgressions during the Cup of Harmony by advertising for ElektroSpong, a white goods company. One TV commercial features her and a steam iron, and was banned by the advertising standards agency for lewdness.

Ralf Álfarsson has appeared in a bonus edition of popular comic Ninja Pirate Zombie Atomic Anti-Communist Force Team Ultra. Owing to a misprint in early runs (the center back was described, not wholly inaccurately in reference to his general level of mobility, as a “cinder block”) it has quickly become a collector’s item.

Tom Ernestisson is advertising cheese. It’s unclear why.

Jason Þórhallursson’s face appears on every second advertising billboard and promotions haven’t particularly slowed down despite his sending off and suspension. Græntfoods have even changed one of their offers, from a free milkshake with every goal he scores, to a free fries upgrade with every additional red card he receives.

Justiina Dannysdóttir is appearing in a striking, if not slightly disturbing, Überolía commercial, urging military intervention in Yuezhou in support of rebels. Given she no longer even plays for Überolía team Steinaux, this appears to be more of a passion project than anything else.

The commercial break is over. And so is the group stage. Cutoff for MD3.

Group E
Crystalline Caverns 0–1 Hispinas
Tikariot 2–0 Savojarna

  Group E                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Hispinas                  3   2  0  1    2   5  −3    6
2 Savojarna                 3   1  1  1    5   2  +3    4
3 Tikariot                  3   1  1  1    2   1  +1    4
4 Crystalline Caverns       3   0  2  1    0   1  −1    2

Group F
Pridnestrovia 4–2 Nyowani Kitara
Yuezhou 1–2 Valladares

  Group F                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Yuezhou                   3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
2 Valladares                3   1  2  0    6   5  +1    5
3 Pridnestrovia             3   1  1  1    7   6  +1    4
4 Nyowani Kitara            3   0  1  2    3   7  −4    1

Group G
Taeshan 1–2 Bleronia
Plane of Possibility 1–1 Eura

  Group G                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eura                      3   2  1  0   10   5  +5    7
2 Plane of Possibility      3   1  1  1    7   8  −1    4
3 Taeshan                   3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
4 Bleronia                  3   1  0  2    7  11  −4    3

Group H
Southwest Eastnorth 2–1 Charruterra
Mytanija 0–1 Sargossa

  Group H                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sargossa                  3   3  0  0    8   2  +6    9
2 Mytanija                  3   2  0  1    5   4  +1    6
3 Southwest Eastnorth       3   1  0  2    6   9  −3    3
4 Charruterra               3   0  0  3    2   6  −4    0

by **Tikariot** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:05 pm

Group A
Græntfjall 2–0 Yeet Nationss
Falkyr 1–0 Darmen

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Falkyr                 3   2  1  0    4   2  +2    7
2 Græntfjall             3   2  0  1    9   7  +2    6
3 Darmen                 3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
4 Yeet Nationss          3   0  1  2    1   5  −4    1

Group B
Astograth 2–0 Thibaea
Mavinet 5–5 Nephara

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nephara                3   2  1  0    9   5  +4    7
2 Mavinet                3   2  1  0    9   7  +2    7
3 Astograth              3   1  0  2    4   5  −1    3
4 Thibaea                3   0  0  3    0   5  −5    0

Group C
Eastfield Lodge 0–3 Nacaltora
Nethertopia 2–6 Pasarga

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pasarga                3   3  0  0    9   2  +7    9
2 Nacaltora              3   2  0  1    5   2  +3    6
3 Eastfield Lodge        3   1  0  2    3   7  −4    3
4 Nethertopia            3   0  0  3    5  11  −6    0

Group D
Oberour Ar Moro 4–1 South Jeolerina
Rea San Vegas 2–6 Cassadaigua

  Group D              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua            3   3  0  0   13   4  +9    9
2 Rea San Vegas          3   2  0  1    4   6  −2    6
3 Oberour Ar Moro        3   1  0  2    6   5  +1    3
4 South Jeolerina        3   0  0  3    1   9  −8    0

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:25 pm

"Christophe la Liniere, my name is Maria l'Amulete. I work for acquisitions with the Oberour Ar Moro National Library. And I know you're holding a book the library needs."

Christophe stared gormlessly before sputtering out. "No I'm not."

Maria shook her head and sighed, then signaled to the bartender. "Please Christophe, I know you stopped by the residence of Mikaelig iij Quartes, and found a book that was in his possession. I'm here to bring that book and you back to Oberour Ar Moro. There is a private jet waiting for us at the airport and we need to get going now."

Christophe realized his jaw was hanging open and resolved to shut it. He looked her up and down, from her stockinged legs to her messy ponytail. She noticed. "Oh, you probably want to see some identification." She fished out her wallet and flipped it open, showing a card that said her name was Maria l'Amulete and that she worked for the Oberour Ar Moro National Library in the Acquisitions Department. The bartender finally made it over and Maria asked for the bill and gave the bartender a credit card.

"How did you know about Mikaelig?" A still surprised Christophe sputtered out. Maria sighed again, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course we were able to locate your step-brother, particularly when he is in possession of contraband. Unfortunately we weren't able to get to his location before someone else did, but you found what we were seeking, so that's good." She then wrapped her arms around his right arm and pulled him tight against her. She had a stronger grip that Christophe expected. "Now we have to get moving." She started guiding them through the crowd to the door.

Mere moments after the left the bar, a car pulled up and stopped in front of them. A bearded man peered over at them from the window. "Do you have the material?"

"Oh!" Maria yelped in surprise, and grabbed at Christophe's bag. "I guess I do need to see the book, huh?"

"C'mon Maria, you can't take stuff sight unseen, you know?" The driver said somewhat teasingly as Maria rifled through Christophe's things, quickly finding the book, pulling it out. She stared at it deeply, feeling the cover, rifling the pages, before telling the man. "This is it." She then open the read door of the car and shoved Christophe in, the followed in and shut the door. The man quickly stepped on the gas and pulled away.

"I'm Salaun, by the way." The driver said in introduction, keeping his eyes firmly on the road. "We're about 20 minutes from the airport, where we're going to take you and that book back to Regium. Then you'll be debriefed and released. Sorry for the hassle."

"Uh." Christophe was still baffled by the whole experience. He turned his head to find Maria reading the book, turning the pages with alacrity. He turned back to Salaun, driving well above the speed limit. "What's the deal with the book?"

"Your brother shouldn't have it. Honestly no one should. We're taking it to the National Library where it can be kept secure and away from people who might want to use it for evil." Christophe could see Salaun's narrow eyes flick up to the rear view mirror. "Like these guys."

Christophe whipped his head around to look over the rear window, and saw a car speeding up to try and catch them, and what appeared to be another car behind them. He thought he heard the cars behind them backfire, before the back window shattered.

"Get down!" Salaun yelled, as he started weaving across the lanes of traffic. Christopher dove to the floor, and he saw Maria had simply slunk down, her head still in the book. Calmly, Salaun continued talking. I have a gun if you need it, unless that book has anything helpful."

"Hmmm..." Maria audibly thought while Christophe heard a bullet hit the trunk behind them. He watched her flip forward a few pages and stop. "No, this book will definitely be useful." She lifted a hand to roll down the window, and then pulled herself up the seat and leaned out the window.

Christophe wanted to scream, but he watched as Maria started reading from the book, her lips moving as she read. She held her hand out from the window and Christophe started to notice a glow. Her right hand, the hand she was holding out, was glowing green. And as he watched it glowed brighter and brighter before suddenly her hand was wrapped in a green flame. And then like she was holding a ball, she hurled a green flame towards the cars chasing them.

Christophe couldn't believe what he was seeking. "I thought you just collected books!" He yelled at the woman leaning outside the window. She looked back at him and calmly said "You didn't ask what kind of books I acquired." She then threw another fireball towards their pursuers.

by **Tikariot** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:37 am

Copa Rushmori 36 Round of 16 Pairings

(1) Cassadaigua - (16) Plane of Possibility
(8) Hispinas    - (9) Mavinet
(5) Nephara     - (12) Græntfjall*
(4) Eura        - (13) Rea San Vegas
(6) Falkyr      - (11) Mytanija*
(3) Sargossa    - (14) Valladares
(7) Yuezhou     - (10) Nacaltora
(2) Pasarga     - (15) Savojarna

*To avoid an immediate group rematch, Græntfjall and Mytanija were switched.

Tikariot Playoff Venues

Nov 17: Round of 16

RoS5: Falkyr v Mytanija @ Dragonscrest Stadium, Port Tacassam
RoS6: Sargossa v Valladares @ Citadel of the North, Fort Viljan
RoS7: Yuezhou v Nacaltora @ Dhaencunor Arena, Tikariot City
RoS8: Pasarga v Savojarna @ Oceanview Stadium, Port Rhovanyon

Nov 19: Quarter-finals

QF3: Winner RoS5 v Winner RoS6 @ Citadel of the North, Fort Viljan
QF4: Winner RoS7 v Winner RoS8 @ Dragonscrest Stadium, Port Tacassam

Nov 21: Semi-finals

SF2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 @ Dhaencunor Arena, Tikariot City
SF1 to be played in Græntfjall

Nov 23: Finals

Loser SF1 v Loser SF2 @ Oceanview Stadium, Port Rhovanyon
Finale to be played in Græntfjall

OOC: These games will be scorinated by Græntfjall and therefore cutoff will be at about 2330 UTC. The games in Græntfjall will be scorinated by Tikariot and the cutoff will be about 0330 UTC.

by **Graintfjall** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:16 am

Græntfjaller Playoff Venues

Nov 17: Round of 16

RoS1: Cassadaigua v Plane of Possibility @ TQG Langvöllur Arena
RoS2: Hispinas v Mavinet @ OptiFone Arena
RoS3: Nephara v Græntfjall @ Sanktjakobvöllur
RoS4: Eura v Rea San Vegas @ PR-1070 Platz

Nov 19: Quarter-finals

QF1: Winner RoS1 v Winner RoS2 @ Florus Stadion
QF2: Winner RoS3 v Winner RoS4 @ New Skoðarhüb

Nov 21: Semi-finals

SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 @ Grand National Arena
SF2 to be played in Tikariot

Nov 23: Finals

Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 @ Grander International Arena
3PPO to be played in Tikariot

OOC: These games will be scorinated by Tikariot and therefore cutoff will be at about 0330 UTC. The games in Tikariot will be scorinated by Græntfjall and the cutoff will be about 2330 UTC.

by **Graintfjall** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:31 pm

In the interests of balance, a look at how two national newspapers, ND and Vestrænnblaðið, are covering some of the big stories in the news. Since the latter’s change in format, both are technically tabloid-sized, though differ just fractionally in their editorial positions.

Bonkers leftists want to BAN football!!!

MAD, BAD, OR JUST PLAIN SAD??? That was the question the nation was left to grapple with last after Left-slate leader Zóphonías Juliusson announced he wanted to BAN FOOTBALL!!! Not content with his vicious assaults on the freedom of the press by trying to TRAMPLE important campaigning journalism on the IMMIGRANT PLAGUE and his scurrilous defense of leftist RAGS raking up MUD on private family members of the Prime Minister, Juliusson has unveiled his plans for the future: and his number one political priority is WIPING OUT the national game!!! “I’m … saying we should [ban] … football,” said the wacko leftist at a recent secret meeting with an ARMY of antifa terrorists.

IT’S POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD: KG mulling “immigrant quotas”

KG are said to be attempting to FORCE GPL clubs to field IMMIGRANT players, saying that the national game is being held back by a so-called lack so-called of so-called “diversity” so-called full stop. The national body overseeing football in Græntfjall is said to be considering the EMBARRASSING rules, prioritizing social engineering over footballing quality, after their annual general meeting passed a resolution on “integration and assimilation at the bare frozen earth* level”. Absurdly, the decision comes even as the Snow Wolves – featuring a fully homegrown squad unafraid of the their true-blooded credentials – triumphed in their quest for qualification in the CR!!!

Left-slate tax raid on hard-working Græntfjallers sparks outrage

Concerned workers are FRANTIC with worry over OUTRAGEOUS leaked documents revealing the Left-slate would use their time in government to SLASH AND BURN tax credits targeted at some of the hardest working members of our society (such as board members and oil company executives). Despite claiming to be the voice of the working-class, the Left-slate’s GRATUITOUS spending plans for subsidized vegan transgender opera and SINISTER SCHEME to tear down border controls and allow marauding IMMIGRANTS to take our JOBS and soak up WELFARE payments will demand brutal tax hikes on the most vulnerable members of society, namely those earning more than 150,000 krónor a year.

Why won’t vile liberal mud-slingers sign clean campaign pledge?

Muck-raking leftist hacks busy churning up sordid details of the private lives of the Austmannsson family appear to have the backing of the Progressive Liberals, after the treacherous former coalition turncoats REFUSED to sign the ND-backed CLEAN CAMPAIGN PLEDGE proposed by Blue-Greens leader Austmannsson. “We just want a good, clean, fair fight, concentrating on the issues that matter to everyday Græntfjallers,” said WAR HERO Austmannsson. The Prime Minister’s commitment to having a fair election on the issues and avoiding personal mud-slinging was rejected by Kaija Michaelsdóttir (who is divorced and possibly a lesbian).

SENSATIONAL SAUSAGES!!! Steinaux stunners secure safety

Sausages teammates Hrærekur Jvarsson and Ásvarður Bergmundursson scored as the Snow Wolves SURGED to victory in the tense final matchday of the Copa Rushmori group stages. At half-time, a tense 0 – 0 threatened disaster, but Jvarsson led from the front with a BULLET header to open the scoring. Bergmundursson then CRASHED in a cross from Bríana Noahsdóttir to seal the result. Falkyr beat Darmen to ensure the Snow Wolves progressed. But the GRIM prospect of a rematch with the Cormorants, who knocked our HEROES IN BLUE-AND-WHITE out of the last Copa, now beckons. The team will be boosted by the return of Ralf Álfarsson and Jason Þórhallursson, with the former Gunzlach naughty boy pledging to do everything he can to atone for his red card earlier in the tournament! Some GOALS would be a good start!!!

ND brings you the TOP stories today:

Immigrant crime monstrosity
Page 3 stunner Chiara says “I’d never date a lad who didn’t consider inheritance tax relief the main electoral issue!”
WEAK WEAK WEAK!!! Progressive-Liberals SLAMMED for their soft line on welfare reform
REVEALED: The benefit scrounging scum sponging up YOUR tax krónor
DIGNIFIED: Kaarin Oskarsdóttir shrugs off brutal leftist smears as she recovers at second holiday home
Does listening to hip-hop cause cancer?

Left-slate back “Kick Out Child Labor” campaign

After shocking revelations of barbaric working conditions in the Export Processing Zones in Græntfjaller Multinesia, including this paper’s exposing of a supply contract between KG and a factory known to use child labor, Zóphonías Juliusson has indicated his support for the campaign to ensure that all balls, kits and promotional materials for the Copa Rushmori are made according to fair labor certification standards. “I’m not saying we should disrupt what has been a successful tournament to date,” he explained in remarks to the Youth wing of the National Bird Watching Club. “But clearly we need to take actions to ensure the success of football in our country doesn’t come at the expense of the livelihoods of exploited children overseas. Our government will close these factories [which account for over 90% of all economic activity in Multinesia] once and for all.”

Lack of diversity hurting Græntfjall’s football development, says report

The inability and unwillingness of GPL clubs to engage with urban immigrant communities is leading to a “serious overlooking of talent pools”, according to the KG. The football’s governing body reports that most GPL scouts do not attend games in the well-regarded Community Leagues of Háttmark and Altendalur. Despite a recent influx of foreign players, only two Græntfjaller nationalized players of first- or second-generation immigrant origin have participated in GPL matches during the past two seasons. “There are communities in our cities where football is popular and played to a high standard by talented youngsters, but a lack of participation pathways and cultural alienation from the national set-up is driving them out of the game before reaching maturity.” KG has outlined several possible ways to address the situation, but firmly ruled out forcing quotas on GPL teams.

Blue-Greens courting NDF swing voters with aggressive line on terrorism

Sweeping new “anti-terror” powers could be part of the platform for a new Blue-Green led government in an effort to win over working class voters who have drifted away to the growing National Democratic Front, according to people close to the manifesto committee. One well placed source said: “All the polls say that crime is the number one issue people don’t feel is being addressed. These are voters who will never go Left-slate but may not feel at home with our economic message.” A move in a more authoritarian direction would make a coalition with Progressive Liberals or Liberal-Conservatives more difficult, predict pundits. Civil liberties groups have criticized such plans: “We have always opposed restrictions on the freedom of press and are appalled the Blue-Greens are trying to stifle speech they don’t like,” said the National Civil Liberties Union.

The Überolía Papers: Scandal grows as more documents uncovered

A network of accounts linking Kaarin Oskarsdóttir, wife of Blue-Green leader David Austmannsson, to payments from oil giant Überolía, continues to grow in scope. Since an anonymous whistleblower came forward to criticize the decision of the Serious Fraud Office not to investigate the payments, described as a “slush fund” used to funnel illegal donations to the Blue-Greens in exchange for favorable policies and administrative rulings, pressure has grown on the Prime Minister to explain why his wife, an interior decorator and homemaker, is being paid upwards of a quarter million krónor a month for “technical consultant services”. Progressive Liberal leader Kaija Michaelsdóttir has been critical of the Prime Minister’s secrecy and refused to sign a pledge not to raise the issue during the forthcoming election TV debates.

Þórhallursson return unlikely to change match outcome, say bookmakers

World number 2 ranked Copa Rushmori champions Nephara are prohibitive favorites in the Round of 16 match with Græntfjall, say betting site Grubby Hands. Though defensive stalwart Ralf Álfarsson and leading goalscorer Jason Þórhallursson will return from suspension, the Snow Wolves enter as heavy underdogs to the team that knocked them out at this stage two years ago. “Former World Cup winners against a team whose highest honor is a third place in the Rabastor Unity Trophy?” says betting analyst Barbara Jürgsdóttir. “It’s not a difficult one to call.” Græntfjall’s insipid showing against Falkyr and struggles to overcome unranked Yeet Nationss, laboring to two second half goals scored in characteristic “whack it upfield and hope a BFG gets a head on it” fashion, have exacerbated concerns that the team will be knocked out at the first playoff stage of the competition they are hosting, says Jürgsdóttir.

In this edition:

EDITORIAL: More concern over red card than labor rights violations shows the corrupting power of money in sports
Government dismisses as ‘conspiracy theory’ links between Überolía and sanctions-busting arms shipments
Institutional racism only possible explanation for lack of senior Muslim CEOs in brewing industry
National Civil Liberties Union backs ban on book: ‘work of disturbing transphobic polemicist’
Short story: The Melon Farmer and The Pearl Necklace
Climate crisis: glacial melt set to reach catastrophic levels, warns meteorologist who predicted 18 of the last 4 major floods

Græntfjall – 2 (0)
Jorgesson; Svennsdóttir, Reynarsson, Ernestisson, Lúthersdóttir (55’ Vernerisdóttir ); Snæþórsson (34’), Guttisdóttir (68’ Ásvaldursson (90’)), Jvarsson (47’), Noahsdóttir; Dannysdóttir; Bergmundursson (57’) (77’ Antoninsson )

Yeet Nationss – 0 (0)
[OOC – I will not be accessing YN’s squad details as it contains personal identifiable information, therefore all details are left blank]

* The phrase “grass roots” isn’t used much in a country where it’s too fucking cold for there to be any grass for 90% of the year.

by **Mytanija** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:39 pm

SORIA STARTS SARGOSSAN CELEBRATIONS
MYTANIJA LOSE OUT IN HARD-FOUGHT GAME; FALKYR AWAIT IN THE FIRST KNOCKOUT ROUND

by Nevenka Planinc

MYTANIJA 0-1 SARGOSSA
SRG: Soria 77’

MYT: 1. Kasun; 2. Vukovic, 3. Anac, 4. Jernejec, 5. Isaev (C); 16. Brkljacic (sub. Kupresak 63’), 7. Fejzuli; 8. Gavrilovic (sub. Vlahovic 72’), 10. Odonelec, 11. Kalinic; 21. Aleksic (sub. Andrijasevic 72’)

SRG: 1. Martinez; 3. Escribano (sub. Ruiz 63’), 5. Esnáider (C), 21. Galán, 2. Carter; 18. Águila (sub. Pomar 59’), 8. Goyoso, 16. Fonseca; 10. Costa, 17. Manzanares (sub. Sainz 59’), 15. Soria

Agustín Soria’s goal was the difference between Sargossa and Mytanija at the end of a high octane and high quality 90 minutes plus stoppage time at the Citadel of the North stadium in Fort Viljan, Tikariot. Mytanija demonstrated a lot of heart in a dogged performance, Lev Repin sticking with much of the same line-up which ground out the 1-0 win over Charruterra, but they were left with nothing to show for their efforts by the time the referee blew the whistle for full-time. Soria capitalised on the increased time and space available to him in the latter stages of the game, cutting in from the right flank and bending a driven effort into the far corner beyond Pedja Kasun. The goal was enough for the win and the three points, allowing Sargossa to top the group and a higher seed for the knockout rounds in the process.

Sticking with the same line-up as the Charruterra game demonstrated the respect Lev Repin has for the Sargossans. Despite Alen Hrdaljko’s return from suspension, Repin went with Branko Brkljacic and Tahir Fejzuli to patrol the centre of midfield and for the vast majority of the game it paid off as Brkljacic broke up Sargossan attacks and gave the ball to Fejzuli to start Mytanija’s own forays forward. Even when Repin decided to try and take the game to Sargossa he turned to Kupresak instead of Hrdaljko, perhaps showing that his patience with the young midfielder is wearing thin. Many had thought Hrdaljko had put disciplinary issues behind him, but the red card against Southwest Eastnorth has raised many of the same questions once again. It will be interesting to see where Repin goes from here with regard to Hrdaljko’s national team career.

Sticking with Brkljacic also demonstrated that Repin’s tactical tinkering has perhaps been curbed by a newly discovered sense of pragmatism. Sargossa may not be the same team that regularly qualified for World Cup after World Cup and could be easily spotted in Copa Rushmori finals, but they’re still a top quality side and the Hoops were set-up in a manner which was aimed at making the game difficult for them. Under Repin there hasn’t always been a sense of ease around ceding possession against technically superior teams but there was here, with Mytanija sitting deep and packing two banks of four inside their own third of the pitch to try and restrict the space available to the Sargossan team. Odonelec and Aleksic were once again tasked with pressing those in possession – which ended up usually being the Sargossan back four as the Mytanar team successfully blocked the passing lanes into their own final third.

Jasno Odonelec’s words about the Charruterra game rang true throughout the first-half, it certainly ‘wasn’t pretty, but it was enough’ to keep the scores level and keep the Hoops in the game. As this game unfolded it seemed as if the Charruterra game had been a bit of a dress rehearsal for this one, the playing style was very similar, although the Hoops did manage more possession in their second group game than they did here against the Sargossans. As long as scores were level Mytanija felt like they had a chance.

Things could have been even better at half-time if Kamil Jernejec had done slightly better with his volleyed effort from a Mojmir Anac flick-on after a driven corner by Tahir Fejzuli. Anac is such a danger from set-pieces and it seemed as if he was trying to power the ball into the back of the net himself but he didn’t quite meet the ball right. As a result it skimmed off his head and skidded off the slick Citadel of the North turf towards Jernejec at the left corner of the six-yard box, his Olympic Thessia colleague couldn’t quite get a hold of the volley such was the pace the ball arrived at and he ended up hitting the side netting with his effort. Some Mytanar supporters thought it was in inside the stadium, but from our view in the press box we could see it had gone just the wrong side of the post. Lev Repin will be heartened by the team’s dangerousness from set-plays though, it can be a real difference maker in knockout football.

Half-time came and went and Mytanija actually grew into the game more in the second period, Jasno Odonelec was getting on the ball more in advanced positions and causing problems for Marcos Águila who was eventually booked for pulling Odonelec back just when it looked like the Hoops might break into a very dangerous four-on-three situation. Odonelec smashed the resulting free-kick just wide of the post with Martinez scrambling for a split-second before recognising the Atletik number ten had only slightly miscalculated the shot. Águila’s yellow led to the introduction of the more experienced Esteban Pomar, Tikariotian manager Brian McAllister not wanting to risk a scenario similar to the one which Mytanija experienced during the opening match with a player in a key position being sent off at a crucial juncture in the match. The lively Mateo Manzanares was also withdrawn for Mauricio Sainz at the same time.

The Hoops were enjoying their best spell of the game and Repin backed his team as they tried to push for a goal, withdrawing the more defensively-minded Brkljacic for Vilim Kupresak. Kupresak was involved immediately, playing a lovely through ball between Galán and Carter Brajko Gavrilovic to run onto. Gavrilovic played an excellent first time pass across goal for Boris Kalinic and the Eura-based winger fired just wide, the ball bouncing a little awkwardly just as he tried to hit the shot. It was a good chance and arguably one that Kalinic would have been expected to score the majority of the time, but this is the pressure of international football and the higher stakes can mean unexpected things happening.

There was a sense that missing those sort of opportunities was going to come back to bite the Hoops, the more open pitch would surely suit the Sargossans and their greater quality as the game went on, but Repin allowed his team to continue with their brave attacking play. The first-half had almost been wholly geared towards staying in the game to set-up a more open second period, the 0-0 score line at half-time a base from which Mytanija seemed determined to build on to try and win the game and avoid more difficult draws in the first knockout round. Missing those sort of chances meant that Sargossa only needed one goal, though, meaning Mytanija would especially regret what was going to happen in the closing stages of the match.

Repin continued with substitutions aimed at securing all three points rather than being content with just one, with like-for-like changes as Gavrilovic went off for Vlahovic and Aleksic for Andrijasevic. He wasn’t shutting up shop as he did against Charruterra, these were changes aimed at pushing on from the foothold the Hoops had gained in the game and taking all three points. It didn’t quite work out how Repin probably envisaged, a mere five minutes after bringing Vlahovic and Andrijasevic on Sargossa were ahead. As expected, the goal came as Mytanija were pressing for a winner of their own.

Martinez’s quick thinking was probably the most important part of the move as he launched the ball overarm to Fonseca who was still up-field on the halfway line, not managing to get back in time to defend the Mytanar attack actually working out well for Sargossa here. Fonseca turned and played a nice ball into Sainz who held off Jernejec well, turning him and bearing down on Anac who was left with a choice of either trying to close him down and leaving Soria open for an easy pass or standing off Sainz and risking a shot from a couple of metres outside the penalty area. It was a tough choice, Vukovic was still in the Sargossan half as he tried to recover from the previous passage of play and Anac made the decision to try and dispossess Sainz. Sainz slipped Soria in and the winger cut inside from the right of the penalty area with a couple of deft touches before bending a driven shot into the far corner out of Kasun’s reach. Sargossa were 1-0 up.

Mytanija had nothing to show from the game despite all their great work going forwards, Repin may well have been better off shutting up shop in the second-half and trying to see the game out as a 0-0 draw and another point on the board, but the way the Hoops were playing made it difficult to do that. They were creating chances in that second-half and it did seem like they would manage to put one in as the pressure grew on the Sargossan defence, but the goal didn’t come and as the game went on the tide turned and it felt as if one incisive Sargossan counter-attack would be enough and in the end the Corsairs engineered the counter-attack which made sure that actually happened.

Post-game Lev Repin was relatively positive, discussing how the game was basically a ‘free hit’ for Mytanija and how they hadn’t expected anything other than an extremely hard game. In what was most likely a thinly veiled shot at Alen Hrdaljko’s red card in the opening group game he also praised his players for maintaining their discipline in what had been hyped up to be a potentially fiery encounter. This wasn’t something which ever really came to pass during the game with both teams remaining within the rules of the game for the most part. The Mytanar contingent in the Citadel of the North booed and whistled throughout the Sargossan national anthem, but uncharacteristically there was no pre-planned choreography aimed at the opposition – something which had been expected given the historical linkages between the two nations which haven’t always been positive.

Looking ahead to the knockout rounds Mytanija had expected to be drawn against Nephara as the results trickled in around the various stadiums, this was something very few in Mytanija had wanted to happen knowing the strength that the Cormorants have in their ranks (although we actually knocked Nephara out of the Copa Rushmori on penalties the last time we met them in the 32nd edition held in Qusmo). In the end the Hoops received a bit of luck in being drawn against Falkyr instead. This was because the draw for the knockout rounds prohibited two teams from the same group being drawn against one another as would have been the case for Falkyr and Græntfjall had the seeding rules been strictly applied.

Whilst many may believe this is a stroke of good fortune in avoiding Nephara, it is worth remembering that Falkyr still topped their group with two wins and a draw. It was a group that contained one of the host nations and a name which will be very familiar to Mytanars in the form of Darmen, meaning qualification wasn’t the easiest of tasks for the team nicknamed the Queen’s Wings. Mytanija will have to keep an eye out for Juha Jankovič, the 25 year old scoring two of Falkyr’s goals in their 3-2 win over co-hosts Græntfjall. That 3-2 score line is perhaps not the best thing to base your view of our opponents on, however, Falkyr are a fairly well-organised and slightly defensively minded team usually. They play in a 5-4-1 formation with captain Zdzisława Laukkanen playing a sweeper role which will hark back to Mytanar teams from before the Top League era. Lev Repin will have to dig into his box of tactical tricks to come up with a plan to break them down and ensure Mytanija can prolong their stay in Tikariot a little longer.

Should the Hoops win they will play the winners of Sargossa and Valladares and whichever way you look at that it is an attractive tie if they can complete a difficult objective in beating Falkyr. A rematch against Sargossa – need I remind you of the enmity many Mytanars feel towards that nation – or a match against a team who we haven’t had too many games against in our history yet serve a reminder of a time when Mytanija was at the pinnacle of Rushmori football. Mytanija and Valladares were competitive rivals who didn’t play each other much but could be caught glancing at each other from afar as they kept an eye on the other’s exploits. You can be sure that Repin will be encouraging his players to not look any further ahead than the Falkyr game, but even he may be a little excited at the prospect of meeting either of those teams in the next round should the Hoops manage to get there.

Ocokoljic will be back from injury against Falkyr, something which will undoubtedly provide the whole team a boost and could herald a return to the 4-6-0 in order to draw that block of five defenders out of position and create space for Gavrilovic and Kalinic’s runs in behind from the wing to the centre of the pitch. Whether Repin will trust Hrdaljko again is anybody’s guess, but he might feel that his ability on the ball could be useful against a team that is so proficient defensively. Kupresak could be preferred in his place if Repin cannot see past Hrdaljko’s opening day red card.

by **Yue Zhou** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:43 am

REN QIANG ESCAPES TO NYOWANI KITARA

LUO Liuxing - The Yincheng International

XIHAISHI -- In a shocking twist of events, Ren Qiang (as well as several other senior government officials, whose identities are unknown) has reportedly escaped military captivity on the island of Xilindao and escaped to the socialist central Rushmori republic of Nyowani Kitara, who announced this evening that they would be granting Yuezhou's de jure leader asylum for the foreseeable future. While details on how Ren Qiang escaped are still unclear, it is believed that a pocket of Ren loyalists within the Yue People's Army were able to successfully break into the compound where Premier Ren was being held before extraditing him to Nyowani Kitara, one of the Ren government's few allies in the region (owing to their common socialist ideology).

It has been from Nyowani Kitara where Ren Qiang has declared a government-in-exile. "I still believe in the people," Ren said in a statement that was banned from Yue television channels but controversially broadcasted over platforms such as Radio Free Yuezhou, "and that they will rise up against this military dictatorship and re-establish a federal republic in service of all people of Yuezhou. Until they do so, I will continue to fight on behalf of the workers of this nation however I can." For their part, the government of Nyowani Kitara also issued a public statement in support of Ren Qiang, suggesting that they "support the legitimate leader of Yuezhou and will protect him from the tyrannical regime that seeks to replace him." While it is clear that Ren Qiang has no desire to relinquish his status, with his loyalists largely purged from the military and scattered across the nation. how much of a say he'll have in that is unknown.

The chaos surrounding Ren Qiang's successful escape have sparked significant civil uprest in Xilindao, where pockets of his supporters - including many former members of the Yue People's Army - have violently taken to the streets, claiming various buildings for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yuezhou and even forming nascent militias. The YPA, whose loyalties have largely been consolidated by the National People's Revolutionary Council, suppressed many of these movements violently, as well as a series of peaceful protests supporting Ren Qiang in Yincheng and opposing the military coup in Beian. While the National People's Revolutionary Council has rapidly consolidated control over the military and won a series of victories against separatists in the south, the disturbances in the northern provinces (which up until now have remained relatively peaceful) may be the opportunity Nanhai and Jiangdong need to regain ground in the south...

TIKARIOT CITY, TIKARIOT

"It's all the military's doing! I bet they had Yuan Zilai on the phone as soon as that happened. Complete bullshit," Wen Xiaohui shouted into her phone. From thousands of miles away, in the faraway region of Esportiva, her uncle Wen Xiaoli, former national team star, card-carrying Sangau National Movement member, and eventual Yue expatriate in Brenecia, winced.

She would never admit it, but as soon as the news out of Lemaiyi struck, she had seen the writing on the wall. Ren Qiang's regime had been oppressive and hell-bent on getting as many Yincheng players onto the national team as possible, but they'd seemed content enough with their little minion as an assistant coach and none of the separatists getting on the team. As soon as the National People's Revolutionary Council had taken over the YFA, though, they'd immediately sent YFA darling Wang Jiahui out, brought back popular Beian striker Luo Dan, and scared Liang Wei badly enough to get him into exile (with surprisingly many assistant coaches fleeing the country, Yuan Zilai had had to do things without a designated assistant manager for a few matches). So when some guy from the Movement for Immediate Sangauese Independence had blown a bunch of Yue soldiers straight to hell, she knew she was going to be dropped.

"Well, you can't blame Yuan Zilai or Li Jing, right, Xiaohui?"

She sighed, her uncle's voice snapping her back into reality. "Yeah, I get the optics and all, it's just...fuck. No disrespect to Nacaltora, but this is the match we finally get past the Round of 16, and I'm going to be on the bench because everyone from Sangau is suddenly poison."

"Hey, you know I went through this too," Wen Xiaoli offered. "Did I ever tell you about the WC78 qualifiers?"

"Only, like, a trillion times, Uncle."

"It's actually relevant now!" he protested, to his niece's laughs. "You're where I was then, kiddo. Abandoned by the government, the LFA - but we're better than that. I'm where I am now because I made them need me." Even over the phone, she could feel the grim determination still in his voice. "They dropped me, they left me off the roster, and I just played until they couldn't afford to do it anymore. You're, what, 21 and already forcing Yuan Zilai to change his formations to fit you in? You just have to keep fighting."

"Thanks, Uncle. That means a lot coming from you."

"Of course. But there's, uh...there's something you need to know. Our situations are a little different now."

His change in tone suddenly made a little more sense. "Uhhh...what's wrong?"

"It's uh, the attack in Lemaiyi. The one we've been talking about?"

"What about it?"

"It's uh, I think it was your cousin. Xiaoyong. I can't reach him, his mother is worried sick...and we've heard from some of his MISI friends that he was going to be involved. We didn't think it was happening, but...I think he's the one who carried it out."

"Like...a suicide bombing?"

"We don't know if it was a suicide bombing or not. But uh, Xiaoyong's never been gone this long before. I might be...flying back to Yuezhou to figure this out," he offered, his voice breaking on 'Yuezhou'. Wen Xiaohui sat down heavily on the nearest available surface. The cold wood of a bench pressed against her as she tried to process the news. "Look, I don't know if this is going to come out, or what's going on, but if the news comes out that your cousin was part of this...you need to be ready, Xiaohui. Because they are going to come after you. And you listen to me...you can't stop fighting. It's important that I tell you that. Because this could be worse than anything I've ever gone through."

MD2: Yuezhou 2 - 0 Nyowani Kitara
Lineup: Ruo - Kang (Qiu 65), Ren, Han, Zhu - Guo, Yang (Chen 74) - Liu, Wen, Gu (C) - Huang (Yu 61)
Goals: Liu 12, Yu 80

A comfortable MD2 victory over Nyowani Kitara, still blissfully unaware that the only other socialist government nearby was about to be violently overthrown in a military coup, combined with a shock three-all draw between the group's top two seeds, meant that the Red Dragons clinched first place in their group, and the improved seeding that came with it, after just two matches. The nominal visitors played a spirited first half, but although they had chances early to draw first blood, it was young Liu Huiying who would do so, beautifully corralling a long pass from Guo Xiawei with one touch, splitting two defenders with her second, and blasting past the opposing keeper with the third. As is standard procedure when they score first, Yuezhou were more than happy to sit back and let Nyowani Kitara bang their heads against a wall. To their credit, while Nyowani Kitara weren't able to score, they did rattle the woodwork a few times, keeping the match a nervy affair until substitute Yu Wei's late header finished things.

MD3: Yuezhou 1 - 2 Valladares
Lineup: Ruo - Qiu, Zhuang, Han (Guo 63), Zhu - Li Keqiang, Yang (Liu 75) - Gao, Li Jing, Gu (C) - Yu (Huang 70)
Goals: Li Keqiang 45+1

With absolutely nothing to play for besides the prospect of facing a slightly different group runner-up in the Round of 16, Yuan Zilai opted to rest some of his key players, including the likes of Huang Shedong, Liu Huiying, Ren Fang, and Guo Xiawei, against Valladares. The fact that Yuezhou were able to keep things competitive against overwhelmingly favored Valladares was a good sign, but although Li Keqiang (in his first appearance at a major tournament!) was able to fire home from long range to give the Red Dragons the early lead, Valladares' overwhelming quality proved more resilient in the second half.

Lineup to play Nacaltora (Ro16): Ruo - Kang, Ren, Han, Zhu - Guo, Yang - Liu, Li Jing, Gu (C) - Huang

by **Nephara** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:22 am

Mavinet 5 - 5 Nephara
(4-4-2 -> 4-3-3) 1 - Provost; 2 - Stride, 5 - Thorn (c), 6 - Verlander, 3 - Muscadin; 7 - Koerner (15 - Mrdja 63'), 4 - Shone (15 - Kastriot 57'), 21 - Moxham, 13 - Belgrade; 9 - Bastable, 10 - Lovelace (8 - Cromwell 63')
Goals: Koerner 14', Lovelace 51', Moxham 68', Bastable 73', Mrdja 86'

Daniella Strauss read the room.
Plenty to be pleased about with the performance. Selectively. Five goals against a good side. A successful formation switch. Effective substitutions. Koerner's first tournament goal, and a contending player-of-the-match performance for Traudl Mrdja earned by like half an hour on the pitch.
But ... five goals conceded, as well. To anyone. And she blamed herself, as well, for getting too caught up in tactics and not enough with, like, a reshuffle that would stop Vivica Muscadin repeatedly getting destroyed by the La Nueva Avenida winger Thanh Hoang. Come to think of it, every right winger got on the scoresheet. Just, Thanh Hoang did so twice, with two assists - the last of his goals coming in injury time, the treacherous knife in the heart. Mrdja would not win the award. That was Thanh Hoang's.
"Who was happy with that performance?" Strauss floated to the dressing room. "Hands up."
No hands up. She'd half-expected Moxham to put her hand up like 'yea guys I scored a goal and defence isn't what I do anyway'.
"Good. Silver linings, doubtless, sure. Some well-taken goals. A lot of well-taken goals. Doesn't matter, does it? We still mock the curate for eating the egg. Draw was enough for us, but that performance was not; we'll get picked apart long before the final with more shitshows like that." She puffed out her cheeks. "Still. Top of the group, seven points. Two clean sheets. We'd have taken that, at the start. Now we just gotta... you know. None of. This. Again."

Thunk!
Konrad Lovelace was a lethal marksman in more ways than one. Not only was he a fine striker, fast and raw-boned with nerves of steel, but it wasn't a coincidence that he'd often suggest breaking out the bows for team-building. He was the best archer. He always put money down and he always came away with the pot, the bastard.
Nobody had bothered to tell relative newcomer Anselm Koerner this, of course. Give a man vs. teach a man to fish, et cetera. So Koerner, a fine enough bowman, was left to lean on his bow and frown at the target.
"Huh," he said, for the fourth time.
"That's the fourth time you've said that. After the fourth bullseye. You're getting predictable, Anselm."
"Uhm."
"See, that's new." Lovelace bent the bow again, and loosed another fine shot. Koerner winced.
"You know," he said, to try and get a better reputation for novelty. "What I think I get now, that I didn't when I first turned up, is the whole victory fetish."
Aranea Provost was not a great marksman. She was here mostly to humblebrag about how much money she was raking in from her club and how she could afford to get bow-sharked every now and again. "What do you mean you don't get it? You're a Nephar."
"Sure. But on the sporting pitch, it's..." He shrugs. "But I get it now, 'cause I've been at Cathair."
Lovelace casually fired off a merely fair shot that still beat Provost's average. "Yeah? The swank one everyone hates, right?"
"That's the one. And like... at Chenoworth Rovers, it's like, great, we scored five goals. But here, and there, it's like, fuck, we conceded five goals. Should've scored six anyway. Heads wil roll and you're all dropped for next week." He shrugs. "It's weird getting the result we needed and me scoring and still not sleeping right all night."
"Is that why you're so shit at archery tonight?"
"Ah, shut up, Nea."
Lovelace chuckled. "Well, you're up, anyway."
He was up. He stepped up. He fucked up, drilling a shot over the target entirely.
"Fuck. Anyway, point is, it's just... it's weird, it took time to adapt to." He shrugs. "But I got used to it at Cathair, and I'll get used to it here."
"Yeah." Provost grinned. "Well, that's the nature of it, isn't it? You'll get used to it, or you won't have to."
"... Thanks, Nea, that's a real fucking comfort."
"Don't mention it, mate."

by **Savojarna** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:12 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
NOW LIVE: Can Savojarna beat out Pasarga and keep the dream alive?

Live coverage by Mirko Henström

Pre-Game: Welcome to the octofinals!
Hello from me, Mirko Henström, to this octofinal coverage of the 36th Copa Rushmori! Savojarna are facing one of the hardest opponents they have met in such an early K.O.-game in a long time, battling Pasarga to advance. The game is set to begin at 23:00 Sjoedrhavn time, and we are happy to share this match with you!

Pre-Game: Savojarna’s streak at risk
Savojarna have a streak of seven consecutive Copa Rushmori quarterfinals, missing out last in Copa Rushmori 28 after a crushing 0-5 defeat to Ceni in the octofinals. This is the second-longest ongoing quarterfinal streak in the region, although it pales to Eura’s ongoing series of 17 consecutive quarterfinals. The Eurans last missed out all the way back in CR 18, losing to Sargossa in a shootout in octofinals.

Pre-Game: Pasarga’s commanding performance
The Pasargans closed out this group stage with a brutal 6-2 over Nethertopia to clench second seed behind Cassadaigua. They have managed to win all three group stage games against Nacaltora, Eastfield Lodge and Nethertopia, netting a +7 goal differential. Only Cassadaigua and Sargossa matched this achievement, making it very clear that the Wanderers come here as the favourites.

Pre-Game: Savojarna need to pick up their slack
The Northlights have convinced when they put themselves into the history books of international football by handing Hispinas a 5-0 loss on the latter’s first international game, but all the offensive powder seems to have been shot in that game as they followed up with a scoreless draw to Crystalline Caverns and a 0-2 against the hosts. Now, they will have to slay giants as a punishment for their lacklustre group stage.

Pre-Game: Revenge for last time?
The last time Savojarna and Pasarga played each other had been prior to the World Cup 86 in a friendly. The Savojar side had lost that friendly quite clearly, and conceded five goals - more than in any game since then. Now, the mood will be different and we can expect a more focused performance from the Savojars, given the higher stakes - but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’d get a better outcome. Pasarga are very clearly the favourites tonight.

Pre-Game: Pasarga line-up
We have been given the line-up for the Pasargan side. The starting lineup we have been given appears to be the same as in the group stage, an even balance between offence and defence centered around the stars of the collective. Júlia Müller will be the centrepiece of the offence, but partnered with Nagy in what appears to be a 4-4-2. They will play in the green home kit, banishing Savojarna to their white away jersey - not that many Savojar fans will complain, as the white attire has grown a considerable fan base.

Pre-Game: Savojarna line-up
Savojarna seem to be back to usual, with Forsberg returning to the starting lineup after his suspension against Tikariot. The SFFB gave us this practical twii:

SAVOJARNA FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL ✓

@SFFB_international
It’s time for the big one - we’re lining up for the #CopaRushmori octofinal against #Pasarga in less than an hour!

Pre-Game: The conditions are solid for football
The pitch seems in good order here in Port Rhovanyon. It’s cool, but not cold, and dry. The weather is unlikely to affect the game much, perhaps for the best. We're waiting for the final moments before the game, and the teams should come out at any moment now!

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by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:11 pm

Fillies Earn Top Seed,
By Chelsea Dufrense, Concord Heights Times

In the final game of the Copa Rushmori’s group stage, Team Cassadaigua played to an impressive 6-2 win over Rea San Vegas, a nation that also had come into the match with a 2-0-0 record. This victory went a long way to propel the Fillies into the #1 seed for the round of sixteen, where they will next meet Plane Of Possibility. No, I did not accidentally look at the matchups from Copa Rushmori 35’s round of sixteen. Once again, we will meet up with Plane of Possibility in the first round of knockouts. Last year, it was a battle against this team, with the game tied 2-2 after extra time. Cassadaigua managed to score twice in extra time to pull out the win. Since that game, Plane of Possibility showed improvement in their effort to qualify for the World Cup, and is becoming a more respectable sports nation within this region in every game that they play. They went 1-1-1 in Group G, getting a key draw in matchday three against Eura. That's right, I said Eura. That result alone means that they are a very dangerous opponent, and we should not act as though this is a given, since it is a 1-16 matchup.

As for Cassadaigua, they have certainly earned their way here, and the game against Rea San Vegas was particularly noteworthy in that it was the first senior team cap for goalkeeper Kenzie Schnapper. Since qualification had already been clinched, manager Brittany Byers opted to give the 22-year old this fantastic opportunity. At some point, Kenzie figures to be in the deeper plans of the senior team, even though right now Tiffany Nelson and Danielle Cotter seem to have the #1 and #2 World Cup spots nailed down. And as long as Kelsey Morgan continues to play like she is 26 and not 36, she probably still will hold the #3 spot. For Schnapper then, that means she is #4 on the depth chart for the position currently, but also needs to make sure she stays ahead of those behind her. This was a great chance for her, as she told me after the game, “I just have to thank coach Byers for giving me this opportunity. I was not really nervous, I am playing the game I love and the game I feel I am good at but want to get better at. I had the best defense in the nation in front of me, so there was nothing else I could ask for in that.” Well, she also got a 3rd minute goal from Madison McClain to put the team up 1-0 before she ever touched the ball.

The Fillies controlled the pace of play in the first half and ended up scoring four goals before the intermission. After McClain’s tally, the pink and black also got goals from Rachel Schanke in the 12th, the red-hot Morgan Rosenblatt in the 23rd, and McClain again in the 31st. Schanpper was solid in goal, but she will want to have #10’s 44th minute goal back. She mis-timed her jump, it appeared, though in reality the forward's stutter step right before the shot was the reason for the mis-timed leap. The second half saw the Fillies jump out to a 6-1 lead, thanks to Meghan Wolcott’s 56th minute score and Morgan Rosenblatt in the 70th. Rosenblatt, we probably should be writing a separate article about because the 21-year old is really impressing many during this tournament. Schnapper was again plagued by a mis-leap late in the half, this coming in the 85th from #9. All in all, Schnapper was solid, but may have shown that there is still a little more work she needs to do. Fortunately for all of us, she is still only 22 so has time to learn.

Against Plane of Possibility, Danielle Cotter will be back in net, and no changes from the original lineup will be made.

Copa Rushmori 36 [RPs/rosters/scores]

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