B71 Invitational Football Tournament

[Baggieland]

Welcome to the B71 Invitational Football Tournament

The nations of B71 will be competing in an inter-regional, regular tournament together with one invited guest nation.

The nations of B71 are:
Baggieland.
HMS Onslaught.
Vapidistan.
Liberaltania.

The invited guest nation for the inaugural tournament is:
Zwangzug.

The tournament format will be based on rugby's Six Nations; each team will play each other once with two home games and two away games. The nation at the top of the group standings at the end will be crowned the champions.

Tie-breakers will be determined as follows:
1. Points.
2. Goal difference.
3. Goals scored.
4. H2H.
5. Coin toss.

The teams will be ranked according to the current KPB rankings:
Zwangzug: 29.79.
Baggieland: 7.19.
HMS Onslaught: unranked.
Vapidistan: unranked.
Liberaltania: unranked.

All matches will be scorinated by Baggieland using SQIS with additive multipliers.

Here's the schedule:

22/11 Round 1.
Zwangzug vs Vapidistan @ Wayr Stadium.
HMS Onslaught vs Baggieland @ The Tanker.

23/11 Round 2.
Vapidistan vs HMS Onslaught @ Apocalypse Peaks Stadium.
Liberaltania vs Zwangzug @ Serendipity Park.

24/11 Round 3.
HMS Onslaught vs Liberaltania @ The Tanker.
Baggieland vs Vapidistan @ Dartmouth Hill.

25/11 Round 4.
Liberaltania vs Baggieland @ Serendipity Park.
Zwangzug vs HMS Onslaught @ Wayr Stadium.

26/11 Round 5.
Baggieland vs Zwangzug @ Dartmouth Hill.
Vapidistan vs Liberaltania @ Apocalypse Peaks Stadium.

[Baggieland]

Nickname:
The Throstles.

Home Ground:
Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn (capacity: 97,842).


Colours:


Formation:
4 – 5 – 1.


Style:
+2.

Manager:
Fred Buckingham.
Won the domestic league title three seasons in a row before being appointed to the national team.

Goalkeepers:
1. Ben Osborne (GK).
First choice keeper. Has a commanding presence in the box, very little gets past him.
13. John Foster (GK).
Excellent back-up keeper, has a reputation as a penalty-saver.
23. Tom Hoult (GK).
Dependable and reliable 3rd choice keeper.

Defenders:
2. Jonas McAuley (LCB).
A giant of a man at 6’ 6”, has good ball control too, plays for the same club side as Moore.
3. John Moore (RCB).
Has a great understanding with McAuley, together they clear away anything sent their way.
12. Gareth Olsson (LCB).
Dependable defender, can play anywhere along the back-four.
14. Darren Wile (RCB).
A man-mountain who weighs in at 15 stones, underestimate his agility at your peril.
4. Derek Pennington (LB).
Solid on the left side of defence, often gets forward to support attacks as well.
15. Jesse Statham (LB).
Almost identical to Pennington, although crossing is not of the same quality.
5. Brendon Dawson (RB).
A reliable defender, but is best known for getting forward, sometimes thinks he is more of a RWF than a RB! The DM and RCB always cover his position when he goes on a foray forward. Scores a few goals as well.
16. Craig Batson (RB).
A decent defender, but doesn’t like to get forward too much.

Midfielders:
6. Len Livermore (DM).
Very little gets past him as he patrols in front of the back-four. Likes to get forward too and has a decent long-shot on him.
17. Jake Cantello (DM).
Similar to Livermore, but doesn’t get forward as much.
7. “Bomber” Robson (C) (CM).
Captain fantastic. One of the best midfield playmakers in the world. A regular goal-scorer. It is said he is a Brazilian trapped inside a Baggielandian body.
18. Bryan Brown (CM).
Solid in the middle of the park, shows great vision in setting up attacks.
8. Ray Brunt (VC) (LW).
A left foot wizard, pinpoint crosses, first choice free-kick and corner taker, has the most assists in the domestic league.
19. Chris Barlow (LW).
Would walk into the first team of many other nations, unfortunately for him, has Ray Brunt ahead of him.
9. Laurie Bassett (RW).
Could have represented Baggieland as an Olympic sprinter, accurate crosser of the ball. Gets his fair share of goals too.
20. Billy Cunningham (RW).
Not as quick as Bassett, but has better ball control.
10. Ronnie Regis (AM).
Versatile attacker, can play anywhere in the final third of the pitch.
21. Cyrille Allen (AM).
Similar to Regis, but scores fewer goals.

Forwards:
11. Jeff Richardson (CF).
First choice striker, deadly with either foot as well as his head.
22. “Ginger” Astle (CF).
Lethal with his right foot, great at holding the ball up to bring others into attack.

International tournament records:
Nordsjø Derby: winners (x1).
Baptism of Fire 72: group stage.
Cup of Harmony 77: group stage.
World Cup 85: qualification group stage.

First ever game:
Baggieland 3 – 1 Electrum.

Biggest win:
Jerauuk 1 – 4 Baggieland.

Biggest defeat:
Baggieland 3 – 6 Starblaydia.

If my opponents RP first:
Choose my goalscorers- Y.
Godmod scoring events- Y.
Roleplay injuries to my players- Y.
Godmod injuries to my players- Y.
Hand out yellow cards to my players- Y.
Hand out red cards to my players- Y.
Godmod other events- Y.
*Nothing ridiculous please.

[HMS Onslaught]

Nickname:
The Submariners.

Home Ground:
The Tanker (capacity: 152).


Colours:


Formation:
4 – 3 – 3.

Style:
+5.

Bio:
Ahoy there! HMS Onslaught be a rogue submarine, patrolling the waters of B71 looking for whatever booty we can get our hands on. Our crew be all young and fit men who are good at sports, but it’s kinda difficult to prepare for a tournament on a submarine. Therefore, we have recently “acquired” an oil tanker and our home games will be played on the deck of that ship. Please bring plenty of extra balls with you, as they tend to get sent to Davy Jones’ locker, yarr!

Manager:
Todd Hill.

Goalkeepers:
1. Howard Davenport.
13. Greg Dixon.
23. Jimmie Miles.

Defenders:
2. Elmer Bryan.
3. Louis Waller.
4. Lonnie Best.
5. William Farley.
12. Kevin Chan.
14. Edwin Dennis.
15. Eddie Herring.
16. Sean Hicks.

Midfielders:
6. George Hamilton.
7. Lester Estrada.
8. Bryan Joseph.
17. Jon Rollins.
18. Ross Hinton.
19. Tom Middleton.

Forwards:
9. Claude Irwin.
10. Carl McCarty.
11. Armando Lindsey.
20. Lewis Travis.
21. Martin Moss.
22. Sam Perkins.

If my opponents RP first:
Choose my goalscorers- Y.
Godmod scoring events- Y.
Roleplay injuries to my players- Y.
Godmod injuries to my players- Y.
Hand out yellow cards to my players- Y.
Hand out red cards to my players- Y.
Godmod other events- Y.
*Nothing ridiculous please.

[Vapidistan]

Nickname:
The Martyrs.

Home Ground:
Apocalypse Peaks Stadium, Apocalypse Peaks (capacity: 9,542).


Colours:


Formation:
4 – 4 – 2.

Style:
+5.

Bio:
Vapidistan is a nation of devout and God-fearing citizens. Although sport is of no importance to the government; the locals like and play sport in the streets. We do have a handful of very talented players that are capable of causing an upset or two. Our biggest problem is that there are no sports facilities in our country, there is just one stadium in the whole country and that is mostly used for public executions. Also, local people allow their goats to graze on the grass on the pitch.

Manager:
Vincent Jensen.

Goalkeepers:
1. Christopher Rose.
13. Greg Dixon.
23. Jesse Kaufman.

Defenders:
2. Clinton Nolan.
3. Clayton Moran.
4. Salvador Conley.
5. Virgil Pruitt.
12. Nathan Holder.
14. Tom Sanchez.
15. Dale Mathis.
16. Dean Boone.

Midfielders:
6. Jesse Stewart.
7. Adam Kaufman.
8. Jordan Turner.
9. Kenneth Dotson.
17. Leonard Sparks.
18. Ryan Booker.
19. John Norman.
20. Ted Bass.

Forwards:
10. Bob Delgado.
11. Kurt Avila.
21. Sam Gamble.
22. Jessie McDonald.

If my opponents RP first:
Choose my goalscorers- Y.
Godmod scoring events- Y.
Roleplay injuries to my players- Y.
Godmod injuries to my players- Y.
Hand out yellow cards to my players- Y.
Hand out red cards to my players- Y.
Godmod other events- Y.
*Nothing ridiculous please.

[Liberaltania]

Nickname:
The Doves.

Home Ground:
Serendipity Park, Serendipity (capacity: 1,267).


Colours:


Formation:
5 – 4 – 1.

Style:
-5.

Bio:
Liberaltania banned competitive sport a long time ago, however, sport for exercise is still encouraged. So we will send our fittest citizens to participate in this tournament (a participation trophy would be appreciated). There are no stadiums in our country, but there are plenty of parks that can be used for matches.

Manager:
Stephanie Fischer.

Goalkeepers:
1. Lucille Jackson.
13. Tamara Dejesus.
23. Phyllis Jarvis.

Defenders:
2. Charlotte Casey.
3. Ashley York.
4. Yolanda Pratt.
5. Bessie Fisher.
6. Rita Emerson.
12. Naomi Knapp.
14. Dora Velez.
15. Ellen Carney.
16. Kathy Vance.
17. Michele Frost.

Midfielders:
7. Tammy Simon.
8. Josephine Walls.
9. Carolyn Pierce.
10. Dawn Fitzgerald.
18. Alma Thomas.
19. Heidi Rush.
20. Lucy Schmidt.
21. Vicki Lowery.

Forwards:
11. Wendy McGuire.
22. Misty Jimenez.

If my opponents RP first:
Choose my goalscorers- Y.
Godmod scoring events- Y.
Roleplay injuries to my players- Y.
Godmod injuries to my players- Y.
Hand out yellow cards to my players- Y.
Hand out red cards to my players- Y.
Godmod other events- Y.
*Nothing ridiculous please.

[Zwangzug]

Style: -2

Manager: Brandon Sonnabend. Can be quick to substitute players out after perceived injuries; his critics say he has some double standards and is less willing to let women potentially play through the pain than men. Led the team to the quarterfinals in WC85, his international debut. In our calendar, this is happening at the same time as Eagles Cup 9, and takes place after domestic season 31 but before the recent season 32. (If you don't know what this means, don't worry about it.)

Goalkeepers:
1. Paige Daunten (La Nueva Avenida, Farfadillis) (f) (first tournament: WC82 Q)
12. Itzhak Canterbury (Spenson Suburbia) (m) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 8)
23. Laurel Tinker-Witt (Strathcona Internationals, Kelssek) (f) (first tournament: WC84 Q)

Defenders:
2. Tova Miovuku (Trebuchet Cham) (f) (1 goal) (first tournament: WC84 Q)
3. Lissa Crain (Baraldhur AFC, Tikariot) (f) (first tournament: WC85 Q)
4. Sydney Stefred (Arlington City) (f) (3 goals) (first tournament: CoH 74)
5. Akhil Sibal (Energija Chernovets, Siovanija and Teusland) (m) (2 goals) (first tournament: WC84 Q)
13. Javier Drouet (Spenson Suburbia) (m) (first tournament: WC86 Q)
14. Randall Saitta (Bassabook Old Boys) (m) (13 goals) (first tournament: WC83 Q)
15. Simon Gannett (Canbix Muses) (m) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 9)
16. Kausalya Vizirani (Namiri Forest) (f) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 8)

Midfielders:
6. Edwin Cherenkov-Nguyen (Trebuchet Cham) (m) (21 goals) (first tournament: WC83 Q)
7. Riley Kivrin (Arlington City) (f) (1 goal) (first tournament: WC83 Q)
8. Nora Kent-Maner (Sporting Esper) (f) (1 goal) (first tournament: WC86 Q)
9. Sophie Munshi (Mierton Manatees, Taeshan) (f) (6 goals) (first tournament: WC83 Q)
10. Jonah McCollins (Bassabook Old Boys) (m) (23 goals) (first tournament: WC83 Q) (captain)
17. Hanna Suzuki (Eintracht Trink) (f) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 9)
18. Junia McCue (Arlington City) (f) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 9)
19. Esther Axelrod-Conway (club tbd, Farfadillis) (f) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 9)
20. Amos Noile-Murne (Bassabook Old Boys) (m) (5 goals) (first tournament: WC84 Q)
21. Jaclyn Burkhart (Ephesian FC) (f) (6 goals) (first tournament: WC84 Q)

Forwards:
11. Johan Idmar (Keppal Cosmos) (m) (13 goals) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 8)
22. Gordon Blum (Bassabook Old Boys) (m) (9 goal) (first tournament: Eagles Cup 8)

Numbers 1-11 are the most likely starting eleven, but do whatever.

For this tournament, our games will be played at Wayr Stadium, in the Rackham Range of mountains.

We have a wiki page where I am slowly migrating information about the team; there's also some slightly outdated factbooks you can riffle through if you're bored.

Colors: White with black stripes. Or black with white stripes. We go for the basics.

If RPing first, please feel free to name goalscorers, injure, and distribute cards to my players at will! You can also godmod events, though I'd appreciate advance warning if you want to take narrative liberties that I couldn't just as easily do to your team (due to being, e.g., an MT, mostly-human country). Put another way, metaphorical "godmodding" is welcome if clever, but I'd avoid the literal sense. Also, do not cause lasting harm in my country and/or to my citizens without contacting me first.

[Baggieland]

Now that the teams have all checked in, let's have a pre-tournament round-up.

The hot favourites are Zwangzug with Baggieland the bookies' pick to be the runners up.

Little is known of the footballing prowess of the three unranked teams, will they cause an upset? Who will get the wooden spoon?

Aren't there some horrendous stadiums from those three unranked teams? However, these appalling conditions could help them get that upset against one of the two more professional teams. As Zwangzug and Baggieland are used to playing on pristine pitches in front of sell-out crowds, these conditions could be their downfall.

Stay tuned for what promises to be an entertaining tournament!

[Baggieland]

Round 1.

Zwangzug 3–1 Vapidistan
HMS Onslaught 0–1 Baggieland

*                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zwangzug               1    1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Baggieland             1    1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 HMS Onslaught          1    0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Vapidistan             1    0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

[Baggieland]

Match Day One Round Up.

The two favourites, Zwangzug and Baggieland, both got their B71 campaigns off to a winning start.

In the first game, Zwangzug easily overcame their unranked opposition on home turf with a comfortable 3 - 1 win. Zwangzug dominated the game and never looked like they were in any trouble. However, they will be disappointed in allowing a far weaker team to grab a consolation goal and the manner in which it was conceded will no doubt anger Brandon Sonnabend.

In the other game, Baggieland just about eased past the Submariners with a 1 - 0 victory. No doubt having to play a game on the deck of a tanker must have been a hard task for the Throstles. This had to be the most difficult of Baggieland's away fixtures, but prevail they did.

[Baggieland]

Round 2.

Vapidistan 2–1 HMS Onslaught
Liberaltania 0–0 Zwangzug

*                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zwangzug               2    1  1  0    3   1  +2    4
2 Baggieland             1    1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Vapidistan             2    1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
4 Liberaltania           1    0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 HMS Onslaught          2    0  0  2    1   3  −2    0

[Baggieland]

Match Day Two Round Up.

Let's begin with the second of the games played in round two, where a major shock occurred. Not just the nations of B71, but the whole footballing world was stunned when the mighty Zwangzug was held to a goalless draw away to Liberaltania.

Zwangzug's manager, Brandon Sonnabend, already had issues regarding his female players surrounding him before this tournament kicked off. As Liberaltania fielded an entirely female team, likewise did Sonnabend for this match - with the sole exception of Johan Idmar - the only male player on the pitch. Does Sonnabend have an inherent bias, that he felt it would be unfair to field more male players against the ladies of Liberaltania? That, of course, is for the Zwangzug F.A. to decide. The pitch couldn't be blamed either, as although there is no stadia in Liberaltania, their city parks are nicely kept and it was an even playing surface.

Will Baggieland take advantage of this slip up by Zwangzug? Or could one of the unranked teams surprise us all and claim the inaugural championship?

In the other game, Vapidistan came back from their opening day defeat to see off HMS Onslaught by two goals to one, leaving them with a decent chance of rising up the table. However, it might be all over already for the boys from the deep blue sea as they sit bottom of the table with no points and half their games played.

Stay tuned for what should be an exciting match day three.

[Baggieland]

Round 3.

HMS Onslaught 3–2 Liberaltania
Baggieland 3–0 Vapidistan

*                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baggieland             2    2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Zwangzug               2    1  1  0    3   1  +2    4
3 HMS Onslaught          3    1  0  2    4   5  −1    3
4 Vapidistan             3    1  0  2    3   7  −4    3
5 Liberaltania           2    0  1  1    2   3  −1    1

[Baggieland]

Match Day Three Round Up.

In the first of the games, previously without-a-win HMS Onslaught turned everything upside down by getting their first win against Liberaltania. The Doves must have been in good spirits following their unexpected point against Zwangzug, but it appears they couldn't master the treacherous conditions onboard the Tanker. The game was played in choppy seas, which clearly favoured the home side. This was evident when Wendy McGuire, the Liberaltanian forward, struck a fierce shot that was heading towards the top corner of the goal, when the Tanker crashed through a wave, lowering the bow significantly, that McGuire's shot ended up going way over the crossbar and into the drink.

In the other game, Baggieland took full advantage of Zwangzug's slip-up by seeing off Vapidistan with a comfortable 3 - 0 win at Dartmouth Hill. The Throstles are two points clear of Zwangzug and both teams have played two of their four games. Vapidistan couldn't reproduce the same cohesion that gave them the win against the Submariners, and the Baggielandian game plan overwhelmed them at times. The Martyrs only managed one shot on target the entire game and they will have to improve a lot in their final game against Liberaltania in round 5.

[Baggieland]

Round 4.

Liberaltania 1–0 Baggieland
Zwangzug 4–1 HMS Onslaught

*                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zwangzug               3    2  1  0    7   2  +5    7
2 Baggieland             3    2  0  1    4   1  +3    6
3 Liberaltania           3    1  1  1    3   3   0    4
4 HMS Onslaught          4    1  0  3    5   9  −4    3
5 Vapidistan             3    1  0  2    3   7  −4    3

[Baggieland]

Match Day Four Round Up.

If anyone thought that Liberaltania's impressive draw against Zwangzug was a fluke, they were wrong. The Doves went one better and took all three points off Baggieland. In a game that most expected the Throstles to win, they were undone by determined defending from the home side. Despite having an impressive 69% possession, Baggieland just couldn't find a way through: their shots going high, wide, hit the woodwork, saved and cleared off the line. Only to be sucker-punched by Liberaltania's only attempt at goal in the whole game. This result now leaves the tournament much more wide open than most predicted at the beginning. Zwangzug are probably still the favourites, but with results going their way, either Baggieland or Liberaltania could pinch it from under their nose.

In the other game, Zwangzug had an easy victory over HMS Onslaught and reclaimed top spot in the table. A comfortable 4 - 1 win over the Submariners, who don't seem comfortable playing on dry land, has put Zwangzug in the driving seat going into the final round of matches.

[Baggieland]

Round 5.

Baggieland 0–0 Zwangzug
Vapidistan 2–0 Liberaltania

*                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zwangzug               4    2  2  0    7   2  +5    8
2 Baggieland             4    2  1  1    4   1  +3    7
3 Vapidistan             4    2  0  2    5   7  −2    6
4 Liberaltania           4    1  1  2    3   5  −2    4
5 HMS Onslaught          4    1  0  3    5   9  −4    3

[Baggieland]

Match Day Five Round Up.

Congratulations to Zwangzug, who become the first champions of the B71 Invitational Trophy.

Zwangzug travelled to Baggieland for the final game and in front of a sold-out Dartmouth Hill ground, got themselves the requisite result to clinch the trophy. The game began with a bit of a controversy as Zwangzug, expected to play in their away colours of black with white stripes, instead opted for their white with black stripes kit. As Baggieland's home kit is white with blue stripes, it required a last minute change meaning that the home team played in their away colours of yellow with green stripes. Was this a deliberate ploy by Brandon Sonnabend to rile the home team before the match?

The game was quite an uneventful one, compared to some of the exciting games previously in this tournament. It ended nil - nil and there were just a handful of half-chances for both teams. Johan Idmar sent a shot just wide of the upright on 53 minutes for Zwangzug, and Baggieland protested furiously for a penalty in the 76th minute, but the referee wasn't having any of it. No goals at the final whistle and a somewhat disappointing end to an otherwise entertaining tournament.

In the other game, it seems like Liberaltania only turn up when they are playing more seasoned opposition, judging by their lacklustre performance against Vapidistan. Their eye-popping results against Zwangzug and Baggieland seemed a distant memory as the Martyrs easily coped with everything the Doves could muster. Two - nil it finished, which meant that Vapidistan leap-frogged Liberaltania in the final standings.

HMS Onslaught got the wooden spoon, but as all the unranked teams notched up at least one win each, they will no doubt look forward to future editions of the B71 Invitational.



Zwangzug midfielder Sophie Munshi enjoys the local Baggielandian ale, Old Speckled Throstle, from the B71 trophy with some of her team-mates.

[Zwangzug]

From the clipboard of Brandon Sonnabend

Vapidistan. A little concerned by the team's nickname, people ready and willing to die in a holy war would make intimidating opponents. They are clearly used to mountainous conditions, thankfully none of the visting fans brought their goats. That could have been awkward.

(Kent-Maner 31, Munshi 45+1, Blum 70; Turner 73)

Liberaltania. Stefred deputy captain with McCollins (et al.) resting. She is less of an issue playing against unknowns who don't have any history to speak of. They're a bit karelan, innit? It seems that competitive sport is illegal here, wonder if we could lure any of their defenders into the First Division if we kept it on the down-low.

HMS Onslaught. This team I'm not too disappointed about missing out on their home games, I think some of us would get a bit seasick. McCollins pointed out that oil tanking has some environmentalist externatities too. he is from Bassabook why is he being such a hippie all of a sudden Anyway, good showing from the lads.

(Idmar 12 and 39, Cherenkov-Nguyen 67, Miovuku 80; Irwin 52)

Baggieland. The hosts, cheers! Saitta is a bit clumsy but that was never a foul on Robson. Daunten getting a bit on in years but she is still poised and mature, and also no one really understands what our temporal-chronology system is so it doesn't matter. A good tuneup, now onto the Eagle's Cup!