Di Bradini Cup 49/U21WC70 Everything Thread

by **Tikariot** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:46 pm

He was like in a trance as he stood at the edge of the pitch when the referee blew the whistle. 4-0 against Hispinas. How was this possible? He felt people hugging him and clapping his shoulder, but he did not really notice them as his mind tried to come to terms with what had been happening since they arrived in Valanora. Was it the presence of the elves that did something to these young men?

After the 9-0 against Krytenia it was absolute mayhem. Family, friends, media. So much media. It was as if they had just won the whole World Cup, but it was just one game. Granted, it was a win against Krytenia, whose senior team had won the Cup of Harmony. Granted, it was a 9-0 win. Against Krytenia, whose senior team had won the Cup of Harmony. Yes, he could see now why they had made such a big deal about it. But it just wouldn't stop! He had to turn off his phone, because it kept ringing non stop. At first he tried to just ignore it, then he put it on vibrate, then he turned it off.

Of course that did not make the journalists outside of the hotel go away, oh no. That is when he learned that his players were more inventive than he would have thought. They tried to check out the different exits of the hotel to see, if any reporters were camping out there, but they were everywhere. Then two of them had the idea of serving as distraction, so the others could slip out the back. Haparanta and Grandelius, both from the Anhedron Wanderers and always up for some mischief, grabbed a ball and waltzed out the main entrance, crossing the street into a little park and just started to do some tricks with the ball. Oh, how the journalists and fans gobbled that right up. They all followed them, drawn like a moth to a flame. Word spread quickly, so all the other reporters also made their way to the front, leaving a clear path for the rest of the team, it was genius.

Thankfully at the stadium there was enough security and barriers to avoid them having to deal with an onslaught of people. No, they did not have a problem being close to the fans, but especially before a game he wanted the guys to have some peace and quiet to focus and not getting held up. There would be time for autographs and everything after the game no problem. Actually he insisted on them taking some time for the fans. As they went into the locker room, the atmosphere was strangely the same as before the first game, no signs of arrogance or talk about how high they would win this time. No, they were focused.

And then they played as if it was a test game, as if they did not have a worry in the world. Four goals again, two Haigh, two Haparanta, it was insane! These two and Stainthorpe. 2 games, 10 goals, 6 assists. And that was just these three players! Oh, how worried he was that they had Pasarga in the group and now after two games they were already qualified and that last game pretty much only was for if they would be first or second after the group stage.

He came back to his senses after someone dumped a bucket of ice cold water over him, including the bucket, helping whoever did this escape unnoticed. For now. He could not help but laughing as someone from the organizing team motioned for him to come to the press conference, drenched in water. Oh well, nothing he could do now.

Tikariot 4-0 Hispinas
Tikariot: Prediger - Bergstrand (82' Dinanga), McKinley, Faizullah 4', Waltham - Conrad (50' Vainionpää), Vassilev, Fernandez 54' - Haigh 57' 74', Haparanta 24' 49', Stainthorpe (70' Grandelius).

by **Chromatika** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:26 pm

Goals by Eli Apt and Shane Eckerthorp within five minutes of halftime and a strong showing by Cathryn Nio were the highlights as the Chromatik U-21 team handled HUElavia by a score of 2-0, a result that all but secures their spot in the Round of Sixteen after Sarzonia also prevailed over Kohnhead by a score of 6-3 in Di Bradini Cup 49 Group Stage Action.

After the 3-3 barnburner against Sarzonia, Chromatik U-21 Manager Shani Hayashida was cautiously optimistic before the match. "I saw enough things to build off of after the Sarzonia game," stated Shani, "And was confident that as long as we set the midfield, we would be able to control the game."

Sure enough, the midfield of Martha Baum, Eli Apt, Mare Si, and Lili Germaine were instrumental in making sure that Chromatika held onto the ball - the U-21 Anomalies maintained a 65-35 edge in possession - which meant that the HUElavian attack could never get going, forcing the squad to play off of counters instead.

Cathryn Nio had a much sharper day in goal, stopping all five shots on goal, including a sharp corner by Arina Maximovna that she corralled with one hand.

"(Cathryn) Was very sharp today in pitching a clean sheet," mentioned Hayashida, "Three of the shots were one-on-one situations that she handled without a problem. They (the back three) also did a good job in keeping her clean, and Mare was quite good at dropping back when it needed to happen.

On the scoring front, Eli Apt's goal in the forty-second minute off of a free kick at the edge of the box was a beauty that dipped right below Quadros's hand.

"I saw the angle and took the shot," stated the long-balled midfielder who reportedly likes to push forth a zinger or two when available, "There was no wind, the ball bent just right, and I was lucky that he (Quadros) misjudged it.

After halftime, it was Eckerthorp's turn, as the winger buried a header off of a Mare Si corner that rounded out the scoring for the match.

Their last opponent of the Group Stage will be that of Kohnhead, who were routed by Sarzonia by a score of 3 to 6 on the second Matchday. As Sarzonia would have to be considered massive favorites to defeat HUElavia, it means that as long as Chromatika doesn't lose by more than two to Kohnhead, they would prevail via Goals Differential; in the rare occasion that HUElavia defeates Sarzonia, it would all go down to Goal Differential and the Chromatiks will have to make sure that they don't lose to Kohnhead by more than one.

Don't tell Hayashida that, though.

"We have an opportunity here to make it to the knockout rounds for the first time in three editions, and to do it in our own terms. We will make sure that we treat this game with the importance that it deserves."

In other news, how this team does can have an impact on whether or not any of the players here will be called up to the national team pool for the next World Cup, should the Chromatiks bid with the Vanorians to host the World Cup fail. Kaia Larriet-Cortes and Baillaire Fillar are considered to be lock-ins despite being on the bench, based on their presence on the recent AOCAF squad; whether or not any of the other players, notably Mare Si and Karra Oveni, join them will rely on the team making at least the Semifinals by some pundits' estimates.

"It is highly unlikely but not impossible," stated a CFF insider.

The Metropolis in Ibini will decide if those dreams end prematurely. For fans of Chromatik youth football, it is an exciting prospect.

by **Pasarga** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:25 pm

It was not the mesmerizing nine to nil that Tikariot had put on four days prior, but the Young Wanderers emphatically thumped Krytenia is a similar fashion to their Rushmori counterparts to put them in a solid position to be moving on to the knockout stages. An emphatic five to nil drubbing of Krytenia, whose senior team had recently made a small bit of history with their lifting of the Cup of Harmony, had reassured fans and media back in the dual islands that the Young Wanderers were very much in the mood for trying to win another Di Bradini Cup and reassert the Pasargan dominance when it comes to Youth Football. However, the Rushmori rivals of Tikariot were not ready to be outdone in the group and rushed to push their advantage against Hispinas and put them to the sword where the Young Wanderers had not been able to, and indeed Tikariot was able to do exactly that, putting four goals past the same side who had held the Young Wanderers attack mostly in check while keeping Hispinas from grabbing any goals themselves, an utter display of domination after their defeat of Krytenia to open up the group. The pair of victories means that Tikariot has already qualified for the Round of Sixteen and the the Young Wanderers still have some work to do to progress as well.

Against Krytenia, the Cyan Men had absolutely no answer for Elek Salai, as the Ibini striker was carving up the Krytenia midfield and defense like a hot knife in butter, getting a brace and setting up Magana for a goal as well to showcase all the ability that the young man has in his wheelhouse. He opened up the scoring in the fourteenth minute and doubled his tally in the fifty-sixth, while grabbing his assist on Magana's goal in the thirty-second. Despite the dominance of the side, they were only up by two goals to nil at the half, before Salai's second extended the lead and then Mozes Szölôsi put the game out of reach off a corner in the sixty-second, rising above his mark and putting it on the near post where the Krytenia goalkeeper had no chance of saving it. The fifth and final goal in the game and for the Young Wanderers came in the seventy-ninth minute, when substitute striker Péter Csorba connected with as Gillen Madrigal López' low cross, redirecting the ball into the back of the net with ease. It was a win that ensured that the Wanderers were going to have a good shot at advancing and where looking just as capable as Tikariot, while eliminating Krytenia at any chance of progressing out of the group.

Hispinas has to feel a bit hard done by, to have come into such a tough group and held the Young Wanderers to a draw but then were completely undone in the following match against Tikariot. It was a tough draw for all parties involved and our fellow Rushmori side had to feel like they had just as much chance as any of the sides in the group at advancing after they were able to keep our own side from collecting all three points in that opening matchday. However it might have been the undoing of them, as it looked like they were a bit hungover in the match against Tikariot, though they had held their ground rather well in the first half, with only a single goal conceded. However in the second half, they were quickly outmatched in the second half, with two more goals before the hour mark and a fourth one that put the cherry on top for Tikariot with just over a quarter hour left. Youth football is always such a toss up and a lot of players who feature at these levels don't always make it to their senior teams, as that talent or consistency just never seems to come. For Hispinas, they have to hope that consistency comes as they attempt to rise through the ranks in both the Youth and Senior levels, though that result means they are likely only playing for pride and not a real chance of advancing on the last matchday.

For the Young Wanderers, they had work to do, though they are all but assured of their place in the Round of Sixteen already, unless Hispinas is able undo the nine goal difference that the Young Wanderers have over their fellow Rushmori side. That being said, Tikariot has already put nine goals past Krytenia and we put five, so nothing is a certainty, especially with Tikariot looking like a squad possessed here in group play. For the Young Wanderers, they know that a draw will be enough to send them through to the knockout stages, while a win would allow the side to leapfrog Tikariot and to the top of the group table. The key to getting a result against them is obvious, slow down and hamper their attack, as the thirteen goals through two matches makes it very much obvious that the Tikariot side is built on an attack that is currently flourishing like no other. That perhaps overshadows the fact that they have also not conceded a single goal through those first two matches either and very much look like a team that is ready to be playing for a Di Bradini Cup Final and not just in the group stage play. The Young Wanderers have played reasonably well themselves but Hispinas held them in check and looked dangerous at times against our defenders, while the Krytenia side never really stood much of a chance. At the end of the day, a draw seems likely, although based on how the other groups are playing out, it does not look like any Round of Sixteen matchup will be easy, but it always feels better to enter the knockouts with momentum than coming off a poor result.

by **Valanora** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:32 pm

Matchday 3

Group A
Chromatika 2–2 Kohnhead
Sarzonia 2–0 HUElavia

P Group A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                    3   2  1  0   10   5  +5    7
2 Chromatika                  3   1  2  0    6   4  +2    5
3 Kohnhead                    3   0  2  1    8  11  −3    2
4 HUElavia                    3   0  1  2    3   7  −4    1

Group B
Devonta 1–3 Mapletish
Starblaydia 2–3 Siovanija and Teusland

P Group B                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mapletish                   3   3  0  0    9   1  +8    9
2 Siovanija and Teusland      3   2  0  1    6   6   0    6
3 Starblaydia                 3   1  0  2    5   7  −2    3
4 Devonta                     3   0  0  3    3   9  −6    0

Group C
Xanneria 5–2 Quebec
TJUN-ia 0–3 San Ortelio

P Group C                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 San Ortelio                 3   3  0  0   13   1 +12    9
2 TJUN-ia                     3   1  0  2    2   5  −3    3*
3 Xanneria                    3   1  0  2    5   8  −3    3*
4 Quebec                      3   1  0  2    5  11  −6    3*
*TJUN-ia and Xanneria ahead of Quebec on GD, TJUN-ia ahead of Xanneria on H2H

Group D
Tikariot 2–2 Pasarga
Krytenia 2–2 Hispinas

P Group D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tikariot                    3   2  1  0   15   2 +13    7
2 Pasarga                     3   1  2  0    8   3  +5    5
3 Hispinas                    3   0  2  1    3   7  −4    2
4 Krytenia                    3   0  1  2    2  16 −14    1

Group E
Transvolcanic 1–7 Mytanija
Valladares 0–1 Wapistan

P  Group E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mytanija                    3   3  0  0   16   3 +13    9
2 Wapistan                    3   2  0  1    8   9  −1    6
3 Transvolcanic               3   1  0  2    8  15  −7    3
4 Valladares                  3   0  0  3    3   8  −5    0

Group F
Equestria 1–1 Northwest Kalactin
Hebitaka 1–2 Saint-Domingues

P Group F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Saint-Domingues             3   2  0  1    8   5  +3    6
2 Northwest Kalactin          3   1  2  0    7   6  +1    5
3 Hebitaka                    3   1  1  1    8   5  +3    4
4 Equestria                   3   0  1  2    2   9  −7    1

Group G
Sylestone 1–2 Cassadaigua
Khytonya 2–3 Graintfjall

P Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                 3   1  2  0    9   8  +1    5*
2 Graintfjall                 3   1  2  0    8   7  +1    5*
3 Sylestone                   3   1  1  1    7   7   0    4
4 Khytonya                    3   0  1  2    9  11  −2    1
*Cassadaigua ahead of Graintfjall on GF

Group H
Darmen 1–1 Island of the Lost
Megistos 0–2 Baker Park

P Group H                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Island of the Lost          3   1  2  0    7   6  +1    5
2 Baker Park                  3   1  1  1    3   2  +1    4
3 Darmen                      3   0  3  0    3   3   0    3
4 Megistos                    3   0  2  1    6   8  −2    2

Round of Sixteen Fixtures
Sarzonia v Pasarga @ Hellgate, Raynor City
Mapletish v TJUN-ia @ Duran Palace, Valanari
San Ortelio v Siovanija and Teusland @ Sabinal Stadium, Sabinal
Tikariot v Chromatika @ Rose Gardens, Kareen
Mytanija v Baker Park @ Hatire Memorial, Capri
Saint-Domingues v Graintfjall @ Caddo Park, Caddo
Cassadaigua v Northwest Kalactin @ Turmondale Grounds, Turmondale
Island of the Lost v Wapistan @ The Pitch, Turbani

by **Mapletish** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:15 pm

Part 1|Part 2| Part 3| Part 4| Part 5| Part 6| Part 7| Part 8| Part 9| Part 10
Part 11|

The Forgotten War

My uniform was covered with so much blood from the assault and the attempted rescue. The Army mates got one of their uniform for me. From that point on, I had an extra piece of army uniform and I looked like one of them whenever I put them on, not that my original uniform was a standout though. It was however a little weird to be wearing someone else's uniform, but it was also an honour to be considered a member of the team to the point where they'd outfit me. Even better, they gave me both a beanie and jacket to match the cold weather.

Dana
We were driving the car one day and Viktor spoke out of the blue. Just like how he always was but this time round it was a little different. Did you know there is a certain kind of smell when someone dies in a particular way? I was a little taken aback and replied, "Nope, I didn't know that." Viktor continued with his story, gruesome indeed. Stories from him crowd our conversations and a lot of times, he said things to see what I could handle. I told I really do not care what he did in the wartime. He had my unconditional support any other way. Still, he was considerate, I would say, just testing the waters to make sure I didn't puke or get disgusted.

I think he needed to know that he have my support and I wouldn't look at him differently and perhaps more than that. He knew he would deploy again, and he didn't want to scare me.

As far as I can see it, I wasn't afraid and neither was I scared of his image in the war. Anyone who probably has a problem with the Maplish in Somalia were disturbed by their incapability of empathy. People want the Maplish troops to be somewhat of a saviour in their conflict over in Somalia. It was different, very different. Over here, we are fighting for our family and the safety of our homeland. But does that mean, invading someone else's homeland? We can think it through thoroughly and heading towards the Revolutionist's stronghold with the support of the Somalian government seemed like a viable solution to exterminate the Revolutionists.

Another concern one can bring up with is one we have a country fighting for their homeland while the other is just blindly following their belief and had no qualms about sending their children or toddler to die from a grenade or to put in suicide attacks to disrupt the Maplish momentum. This was the difference though.

Viktor followed the ROEs because he had to. Some of the more broad-spectrum ROEs are fine. The problem with the ROEs covering minutiae is that Revolutionists really don’t give a shit about any convention or honour. I would say our soldiers were indeed responding in kind and against the somewhat lawless enemy, it was indeed unfair to pick the actions of our soldiers apart. I care about my husband and other Maplish and hoped with all my faith for them to come home safely and alive. So other than being concerned for Viktor's safety, I truly wasn't afraid to hear anything he wanted to share.

War was never pretty and it can turn all ugly. It was the ugliness of humanity all packed into one. How can it ever be pretty or nice or beautiful? When he told me the story about kill someone up close, all I thought was, thank goodness he's okay. Then I thought, glad that we have people like him defending our homeland from the Revolutionists who could have otherwise launch terror attacks on our mainland instead. We were launching a pre-emptive strike in this case.

Mostly, we didn't talk about killing, or the war, but then it would intrude.

Not always in a bad way: one day, Viktor was getting his breakfast at a local cafe. Some men were in the lobby with him. The guy behind the counter called Viktor’s name. Viktor paid his bill, took his breakfast and got back to his seat. One of the guys waiting for his own food looked at him and said, “Are you Viktor?”

And Viktor said, “Yeah.”

“Were you in Mogadishu?”

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit, you’re the guy who saved our ass.”

The guy’s father was there and he came over to thank Viktor and shake his hand. They were all saying, “You were great. Keeping them out of here.”

Viktor got embarrassed and very humbly said, “Y’all saved my ass, too.”

And that was it.

Down in the Mud
On the street, one of the boys looked at me with a mixture of excitement and disbelief. He was a young soldier, eager but tempered by the fight we had been waging the past week.

“Do you want to be a sniper?” I asked him. “Right now?”

“Hell yeah!” he said finally.

“Good,” I told him, handing over my rifle. “Give me your rifle. You take my sniper rifle. I’m going in the front door.”

And with that, I headed over to the squad we’d been working with and told them I was helping them hit the houses.

Over the past few days, and over the past few attempts to retake the strongholds, the Revolutionists had stopped coming out but that didn't stop me from observing their movements. They stayed inside and that reduced our overwatch kill rate, but that didn't stop them from dealing damage. Despite that, they let the soldiers in to their houses and made their ambushes and shoot the Maplish troops up in the small rooms and tiny hallways. I was seeing a lot of guys being carried out and medi-evacuated.

Street to street fighting has always been a casualty heavy endeavour, no matter how thick the armour and how much luck there is, at most you don't die. I had been turning the idea of going down on the street over in my head for awhile, before finally deciding to go ahead with it. I picked out one of the soldiers who'd been helping the sniper team. He was a good kid, with lots of potential, and most important of all, keen to learn. Part of the reason I went down on the streets was because I was bored.

The bigger part was that I felt that i could do a better job protecting our soldiers on the ground and if I was with them, I know what is going on, rather than providing overwatch from so far away. The soldiers were going in the front door of these houses and getting whacked, ambushed and getting bloodied after a few gunshots. The next thing I saw, is someone hauling out a casualty in a sketcher. Clearing house to house as in turned become more of a casualty evacuation exercise more than anything else. It angers me to see them get shot up even though it was part and parcel of close quarters combat.

I had no doubt that the soldiers were tough and were keen to fight but the truth is these guys had never been taught to do room clearances like I had. Neither have they practised the art and science of clearing rooms down to the very detail of the number of steps you take and the breathing practice you get. The elementary training provided by the conventional army simply could not triumph the hours we spent clearing rooms and the exact movement drills engaging the close quarter environment. It is simply not a speciality of the Army. They were all tough fighters, but they had a lot to learn about urban warfare. Much was simple stuff: how to hold your rifle as you come into the a room, so that it is difficult for someone else to grab your muzzle, for example. Or where to move as you enter the room, how to fight with an all around threat environment especially in the city with so many variables coming into play.

The squad didn’t have an officer; the highest-ranking NCO was a staff sergeant, one of the more senior NCOs. I was more junior than him but he had no problem having me take charge of the situation. We’d already been working together for a while, and I think I’d won a certain amount of respect. Plus, he didn’t want his guys getting shot up, either.

We trained a little bit during the break. I gave some of my explosives to one of the squad members with experience in explosives. We did a little run-through on how to blow locks off. Until that point, they’d had such a small amount of explosives that they’d mostly been knocking the doors in, which, of course, took time and made them more vulnerable. Break time's over, we started going in, ready to put everything that we have trained for on the line.

I took the lead.

This was what I had hope to do, and what I had trained to do. Getting shot up was the least of my concern, but seeing the guys being pulled out, of course I did not want to be one of them. It was hard to get that idea out of my mind though and I would be in a shitload of trouble though if I get hurt, going down on the streets when I am not supposed to be doing that. But I had no other regrets, because this was definitely something that I had to do, I could not bear to let anyone do something that was not their speciality and getting shot up. But it would severely piss the top brass off.

"Let's do it," I said, in the calmest of tones, all ready for the battle ahead.

We blew the door open, leading the way to clear the room. Through my training and instincts, we managed to clear the front room easily. I stepped a side immediately, and directed the traffic, the pace was quick and automatic. Once things got started and I began to move into the house, the instincts took over and I was in the zone. Everything felt like slow motion and I could see and visualise all the movements clearly. I didn't worry about the casualties. I did not think about anything except what the house would be like, that is already plenty enough.

Going to a house, we never know what we were going to find inside. Clearing the space in the house was a step by step routine. We cannot take for granted what was presented to us. Even if the first floor is clear, it doesn't mean the rest of the floors are safe. It was a dangerous feeling that lingers on. Each room had to be cleared, and even that you had to be on your guard at all times. You never know whether the Revolutionists had one of the guys play dead and attack us from behind. While many of the houses were small and cramped, we had made our way through the city neatly as the battle progressed.

During our breaks between battles, I will run through drills with the Army guys. While other units were taking their lunch, I was determined to impart all of the knowledge to them from everything I have learned about room clearance.

"Look, I dont want to lose a guy, everyone is precious!", I yelled at them. The Army guys adjusted and got back a little smoother each time. While they were supposed to be resting, they were working hard, that was what will save their lives in the future.

I have no idea how many blocks, let alone how many houses, we took down and cleared. It was a systematic plan and the Army were following it carefully and to a tee indeed— we had to be at a certain spot each lunchtime, then reach another objective by nightfall. The entire invasion force moved across the city in choreographed order. They made sure there were no holes or weak spots the Revolutionists could use to get behind us and attack. Every once in a while, we’d come across a building still occupied by families, but for the most part, the only people we were seeing were the Revolutionists. We would do a full search of each house and made sure we did our job.

After a couple of days, one of the Army snipers decided come down on the streets with me. He probably seen how much work I was doing and wanted part of it. We would take a house on the left side of one street, go over to the right and take the house directly across the previous house and do it over and over again, back and forth, back and forth. It was time consuming, you had to go around the gates, stacking up against the doors, blowing up the doors and rushing in. The Revolutionists had plenty of time. Even with our contribution, we were running out of explosives, from blowing down all those doors.

We had a desert patrol vehicle with us, working with us, down the street, at the centre of the street as went. It only had a 0.50 calibre for a weapon but its asset was its firepower. No wall could remaining standing once it got shot at. In turn, we had the 0,5 guns blow down the doors instead of blowing them up with explosives. Pounding up and down the stairs, running to the roof, coming back down, hitting the next house- we did it over and over again and just showed up, taking fifty to one hundred houses a day.

It was tough and exhausting as we can see. I lost ten kilos from the five to six weeks Mogadishu. I think I must have sweated them off on the ground. The Army guys on one hand were so much younger than me - practically teenagers, some of them. When we got talking, they were surprised when they know my age. They would stare at me and say with disbelief, "You're that old?" I was thirty and an old man in Mogadishu.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:40 am

By Peter Davis

You're all probably wondering what I meant by that title, but I'll explain. Here in Gladerial, it was time for the final game for the Young Jags in this group stage as they took on the team to beat in Tiradir: the Young Swordfishes of San Ortelio. They have been a force to be reconned with in DBC play, winning their first 2 games by a combined score of 11-1. Eleven to one. So, Philip von Oosterend had to somehow take a point away from this team in order to assure qualification to the knockouts for the first time. It would be hard even for David Seems himself to do that and yet it was up to PvO to try...

The game went as many expected as these Young Swordfishes added TJUN-ia's name to the list of nations they have slaughtered thus far. The fact we conceded the least goals to this team so far may be something we can take as a positive, but losing 3-0 to opposition like this isn't fun at all. This team hasn't even played in any other footballing tournament before and is not going to the BoF, but this team could become a force in WCQ if the seniors are just as good as these guys. Denis Spaviero would score in both halves while the 3rd and final goal they would score would be late on, by the delightfully-named Pier Luigi Vitali.

As for TJUN-ia, you'd think we'd be out after that...but apparently not. Xanneria beat Quebec 5-2 in the other game to record their first points so TJUN-ia actually qualified by Head-to-Head over the Maroons, due to the 2-0 victory on MD1. Philip von Oosterend lost a crucial game but still ended up qualifying for the first time. I don't really know how we did it, but we'll obviously move on and take our chances.

Our first ever knockout game in youth play will be up against the winners of Group B in the form of Mapletish, an ultra-defensive outfit who also went undefeated in their group. Can the Jags cause the upset. Maybe? GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: vs Xanneria @Tiradir, Gladerial (31,000) W 2-0 (2nd)
MD2: vs The Royal Kingdom of Quebec @Lathal, Ianisle (29,000) L 0-2 (2nd)
MD3: vs San Ortelio @Tiradir, Gladerial (31,000) L 0-3 (2nd/1W-0D-2L/-3GD/H2H Adv. Over Xanneria)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RO16: vs Mapletish @Duran Palace, Valanari (51,000)

by **Saint-Domingues** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:09 pm

Hebitaka 1-2 Saint-Domingue: Qualification secured after late drama
HT 0-1
Group F's final matchday came to a thrilling end as Nico Pozo's injury-time goal secured progression to the last sixteen for Saint-Domingue at the expense of Hebitaka.

It was an unchanged side from that which handily defeated Equestria that took to the field, in full knowledge that a win was almost certainly required if Saint-Domingue were to advance into the next round. For Hebitaka, a draw would have been enough to see them continue their Valanorian adventure and the last-gasp defeat must surely sting.

As perhaps expected it was Saint-Domingue who began the game on the front foot, as they sought an early breakthrough. Nareen Mathur was forced into a full-length safe to deny Pozo and Alfredo Camejo struck the post from distance amid rising noise at the Orange Gate Falls, the pressure cranking up. A dangerous run from Leonard Marial that led to a Roger Carls shot deflecting just wide provided a stark reminder of the dangers that Hebitaka could offer in response, if the Avengers were to attack too hap-haphazardly.

A curling shot from Napoléon Berlioz was pushed around the post, before the opening goal was found five minutes before the interval. A long kick from Marcos Tomes was flicked on by Pozo to Cheikh Dieng, who knocked the ball past Vector McDonald at left-back and after opening up his body, stroked the ball around Mathur and into the Hebitakan net.

The second-half was more tense, with the Dominguans caught in two minds between defending the lead that they already had or pursuing further goals to make the results sure, but risk squandering their tournament hopes. Ultimately they were caught in the middle, and began to suffer creatively whilst also giving up some chances by sitting back. Other than Caceres forcing a save, the opportunities began to fall their opponent's way. Ranzer Lawson tested Tomes with a rasping shot, and Yamada Datsuno missed a good chance from twelve yards out. Calming words were barked from the bench by Gaëtan Souchon, but his pleas evidently fell on deaf ears as Hebitaka scored soon after. A long ball by Hitami Minamoto caught out the defence and the ball was ultimately squared for Datsuno to bury the chance.

Suddenly, it was once again Hebitaka who were in pole position to make it into the last sixteen, and Saint-Domingue facing the exit. With the score in the Northwest Kalactin-Equestria game unable to be verified, only a win would safely secure passage for the Avengers. Souchon made a series of attacking substitutions to chase the win.

Napoléon Berlioz was collapsed on the ground with three minutes to go, looking desolate. The winger had just shot wide from a one-on-one with the goalkeeper after being played through by Juan Diego Reyes, and could be forgiven for thinking that he had squandered the Dominguans' last chance to continue at the tournament. But the Avengers' time in Valanora will continue, as the winger picked himself up in injury-time to embark on a blistering run from his own half, beating three players and then sending a cross-field ball across for Pozo to volley in at a tight angle amid wild celebrations on the bench.

By the time he had gotten around to the round of post-match interviews, Souchon appeared to have calmed down. The coach preached calmness, stressing that they could not celebrate yet as there is much work to be done. Saint-Domingue hopes to be competitive in the tournament, and the team are hoping to beat Graintfjall in the last 16. Graintfjall finished 2nd in Group G, and like Saint-Domingue only qualified with a final day win, theirs against Khytonya 3-2. For the Hebitakans, their journey is unfortunately at an end. Northwest Kalactin, who only managed to get 2nd after dropping points to unfancied Equestria, will be facing Group G winners Cassadaigua, The Cassadaiguans narrowly won their group on goals scored after beating Sylvestone 2-1.
Lineups:
Tomes
Gide
Soyer
Kolley
Camejo <- Parmentier 76'
Ngoy
Cisse
Caceres <- Cadet 86'
Dieng <- Reyes 72'
Pozo
Berlioz

Hebitaka: Datsuno (65)
Saint-Domingue: Dieng (40), Pozo (90+2)
Venue: Orange Gate Falls, Monaven

by **Mytanija** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 4:40 pm

HOOPS THRASH TRANSVOLCANIC; SET-UP KNOCKOUT TIE AGAINST BAKER PARK
DAMIEN GANNOT AND DUSKO OCOKOLJIC STAR IN ROTATED TEAM; LAST SIXTEEN TIE IS A REMATCH OF BAD TEMPERED DBC44 GROUP GAME

by Nevenka Planinc

TRANSVOLCANIC 1-7 MYTANIJA
TRA: Giuliano 17’
MYT: Gannot 4’, 42’; Majdandzic 12’; Secujac 32’; Ugljanin 56’; Ocokoljic 71’, 82’

TRA: 1. Romanno; 5. Galvani, 6. Poszcesz, 8. Di Crusso (sub. Pamez 60’), 3. Alliscori; 22. Gonzalez, 10. Giuliano, 7. Reiss, 18. Latzmaier (sub. Nikochenko 52’); 11. Vassi, 17. Parra (sub. Mandala 60’)

MYT: 1. Besak; 13. Milcic, 14. Racic, 15. Ugljanin, 5. Nestorovski (c); 6. Ajanovic (sub. Kurtcehajic 45’), 7. Smajic (sub. Simselevic 67’), 17. Ocokoljic; 19. Secujac; 21. Majdandzic, 22. Gannot (sub. Simic 45’)

Damien Gannot and Dusko Ocokoljic scored a brace each against a Transvolcanic team that were blown away by a heavily rotated Mytanar squad. Adem Fejzic saw an opportunity to rest some key players given his team merely needed a draw to qualify through to the knockout rounds and those who he brought in did magnificently to add another big victory to what has been an absolutely dominant group stage performance by the young Hoops. Fejzic was able to withdraw Sefir Ajanovic and Damien Gannot at half-time with the team 4-1 up and then later brought Mersudin Smajic off with just over twenty minutes remaining to give the Tekstil man – a key lynchpin in this side – a much needed break ahead of the knockout rounds.

Mytanija will be feeling confident, this was an emphatic win carried out without many of the team’s key players (Prinelec, Shishkin, Savicevic; Patrik and Usten Odonelec were all rested entirely), Adem Fejzic will surely believe that they can go a long way in this tournament if this is what some of the second choice players can do. Three games and three wins in the group stage, with 16 goals scored and a mere 3 conceded mean Mytanija have the best record of any team so far – but at the end of the day what really matters is what comes next, what this under-21 team can do in the latter stages of the tournament. The FSM and Mytanar football clubs have always had a good track record of producing good players – we have won a Di Bradini Cup before after all – but they will want this team to go on and achieve tangible success, both in the form of a trophy at the end of this tournament and in players being capped by the senior national team. That will end up being the real measure of this team.

We sometimes wonder if there is too much pressure on young sportspeople by the Mytanar media, but it is perhaps the one area of life where Mytanija can have a claim at being consistently excellent in the past. We’ve won football tournaments (even if we didn’t manage to match some of our rivals in winning a World Cup); produced arguably the single best cyclist in the multiverse in the form of Wes van der Stijnen; one of the greatest swimmers ever in Zuzana Spevakova with all the medals she won at the Olympics and Rushmori games; and some fantastic skiers who will be targeting gold at the upcoming Winter Olympiad in Kelssek. The pressure is there to continue this tradition, but so far this group of players look like they can handle it.

Zvonko Nestorovski – taking the captain’s armband with Savicevic rested – was the embodiment of this on the pitch against Transvolcanic. He was roaring instructions at his team mates from the first minute, constantly trying to keep the team organised by pointing to where they were meant to be for set pieces. Mytanija were 2-0 up through Damien Gannot’s first, a tap-in after he rounded the goalkeeper and Petar Majdandzic’s towering header. Transvolcanic pulled one back through an absolute peach of a strike from perhaps their sole bright spark Giuliano. Nestorovski went absolutely ballistic at his midfield for not closing Giuliano down and allowing him to get the strike off and immediately the level of the Mytanar players went up again as they fizzed the ball around at speed and were constantly harrying their opponents when out of possession, trying to regain the ball as soon as they could.

They found a determined Transvolcanic defence once they did have possession and it took fifteen minutes to break their resistance and restore the two-goal lead, FK Arsika’s Pasha Secujac jinking through the tightly packed defence before poking the ball beyond Romanno with his weak foot. A fine goal which made the game more comfortable again and from then on it was exhibition stuff – Gannot added his second just before half-time with his trademark movement (see by colleague Stevan Ugaljak’s weekly column for more on that), causing all sorts of issues for the opposition’s defence and a brilliant knockdown into the space in the middle of the penalty area by big Petar Majdandzic was rifled home. A 4-1 scoreline at half-time and the Hoops were cruising, Gannot and Ajanovic went off at half-time for Simic and Kurtcehajic.

Andrija Ugljanin added Mytanija’s fifth goal just before the hour mark, a glanced header at the near post from Dusko Ocokoljic’s whipped corner. Smajic exited the fray heading into the final twenty minutes or so with Adver Simselevic coming on for a brief run out and then Ocokoljic turned from provider to scorer with a clever free kick which he hit underneath the wall and into the bottom corner. He then added a second ten minutes from time after he drove at the Transvolcanic defence before playing a quick one-two with Mijat Simic and placing a low shot into the opposite corner from the free kick he scored for his first goal.

All in all an excellent performance from near enough everybody, both Adem Fejzic and goalkeeper Semir Besak will be disappointed that they couldn’t quite keep a clean sheet in this game but Giuliano’s strike was arguably the best goal of the match and given the sheer amount of goals there were a few potential contenders for that award.

The win sets up a rematch with Baker Park from the 44th Di Bradini Cup, where a group game turned into a pretty hard-fought affair as Alen Hrdaljko and his team smashed into tackles. This occurred after a comment by the Baker Park manager regarding the technical qualities of the Mytanar team was taken as a personal insult by many of the players, the then under-21 captain Alen Hrdaljko responding in his own inimitable way by flying into a tackle with the Baker Park captain Nicki Stone and giving her a mouthful of abuse afterward. Veselin Hristov was later sent off in the match. Afterwards the Executive Director of the FAC David Carlson claimed that Hrdaljko’s tackle was both ‘violent’ and ‘unsportsmanlike’ and hinted that he thought Lev Repin may have even instructed Hrdaljko to play in such a manner. Repin hit back soon after, saying that he didn’t think it was ‘necessary [for Carlson] to talk [the Mytanar squad’s technical ability] down like he did’.

It is perhaps unlikely for this set of Mytanar youngsters to play in such a physical way (although there is no shortage of players who could do so if required, I’m sure Usten Odonelec, Savicevic, Smajic, Simselevic, Majdandzic and Prinelec would only relish such an encounter). This generation of Mytanar youngsters seem more comfortable in possession than they would be in turning a match into a real physical battle or a war of attrition. So far in this tournament they haven’t needed to show that side of their game and with the form they are in it may not be necessary at any point, the suits within the FSM would undoubtedly prefer it if the team did not need to resort to that side of the game given the amount of investment in improving the technical side of the game over the past few years. Of course, if Damien Gannot continues to play the way he has done so far (7 goals in 3 games) he could well blow them away on his own.

Baker Park qualified to the knockout stages by finishing 2nd in their group behind Islands of the Lost. They needed a win in their final group game against Megistos to scrape through and their team duly obliged, running out 2-0 winners whilst Darmen could only draw 1-1 with Islands of the Lost. Adem Fejzic will hope that the game keeps to the form book and that there isn’t a surprise in store. He was able to rest key players to keep the team fresh ahead of this knockout game, but that will mean very little if his team cannot keep their rhythm and win the game to reach the quarter finals. A fairly large Mytanar contingent are expected at the Hatire Memorial stadium in Capri, Valanora is a place we know very well after so many tournaments played there over the years, let’s hope they get to see a Mytanar win in this game.

Expected line-up vs. Baker Park: 1. Besak; 2. P. Odonelec, 3. Savicevic (c), 4. U. Odonelec, 5. Nestorovski; 6. Ajanovic, 7. Smajic, 8. Simselevic; 10. Shishkin; 9. Prinelec, 22. Gannot

World Cup 81/82/83/84

BP U21's survive to fight another day
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Chief Soccer Correspondent

The Commonwealth National Under-21 team finally found their scoring touch, and not a moment too soon. A 2-0 win over Megistos on matchday 3 of the DiBradini Cup was enough to get the side through to knockout stage, along with Darmen being held to another draw against Island of the Lost. That result meant that four of the six Group H fixtures failed to produce a winner, with BP involved in the pair of matches that did.

A second consecutive clean sheet was a well earned result for the defensive grouping of Megan Walker, Antoine Jones and Heidi Jorgensson out in front of Beth Rossi, making her U21 debut in goal. Manager Liam Sullivan wouldn't be drawn on the subject of who would be in the side for the match against Mytanija, and tamped down all talk of controversy ahead of a rematch from DBC 44, a scoreless draw at The Tar Pit in Char Sara that still reverberates today (in fact, the match at La Gran Avenida in AOCAF LX against Muradil had a strong tie-in to the earlier BP-Mytanar affair).

"What happened then is of no concern to this squad. These are two completely different teams who will lineup against one another. We are going to focus on the fact that they scored nearly as many goals (16) as all the teams in our group (19). We will face an excellent strike partnership up front, so it's critical that we get the tactics just right."

This will be the third time the U21's have played at the Vanorian national stadium, Hatire Memorial in Capri, with the previous occasions coming in the group stage of DBC 47, where they were eliminated from advancing to knockouts by the eventual champions Imperial Josean.

Prior to the second match in Valaneri against Megistos, the squad had a visit from NT star Annabeth Westmoreland, who made the short trip over from Hondo to support the team; she impressed upon the 22 player group that although there was a certain amount of transition going on currently within the NT pool, the senior team players kept a close eye on the 21's, and expected to see them conduct themselves with professionalism and to play with pride for the shirt.

lineup vs Mytanija (3-5-2):
Albertson; Jones, Slater, Obodime; Ryan, Wiley (C), Taylor, Vetter, Logan; Diaz, Obulundi

by **Graintfjall** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 5:57 am

Excerpt from Kekulé Meets Jörmungandr: Tour Diaries of the DBC49 Campaign.

Set Piece Efficiency

Excerpt from The Fußball Show with Jessika Jünkindietrünk.

It’s a special Di Bradini Cup edition of

, but all the usual staples are there: Olle, Petter, and a blatant disregard for proper rules of pronunciation.

Háttmark Harbinger

Khytonya – 2 (1)

Hart; Madigan, Marson (44’) (71’ Kwong ), Pulford, Hussein; Gilmour (45’ Scott ); Faizal, Gretzky (90’), Robertson (1’), Elliott (73’ Schriner ); Panarin (88’ pen.)

Græntfjall – 3 (1)

Ernestisson; Kristersson (7’) (88’); Leonhardsdóttir, Kristoffersdóttir, Adamsson (28’) (58’ Wolfgangsdóttir (85’) (90’ Mikaelsson )), Rögnvaldursson, Álvgeirsdóttir (68’) (80’ Hlynursbur ), Kjartansson, Hólmarsdóttir (44’, 61’), Marvinsson, Grímólfursson

by **San Ortelio** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:32 am

I do not consider myself an expert, nor the man who will guide this team to the eternal success. And I have no ambition to claim that. But across my years steering young players to a higher level, I’ve determined that the success rate of a football player does not solely depend upon his quantifiable skills. Or even, not just his football skills. Quite often, people tend to call that their 'qualities in the dressing room' or their 'off-the-pitch attitude'. Ironically, I’ve discovered that the best place to get insight in that attitude is… On the pitch. It simmers through and mostly at one specific moment, the one that just happens after what most consider the crucial split second. Because then, the masks go off.

**

It had been a difficult opening half. The Young Jaguars were hungry for goals, aware that points were required to break open the gates to the knock-out phase. Van Oosterend pushed his boys forward and al-Kalhrani took our goalie under fire on three occasions, but Moro kept the board scoreless. Even if his role had not gotten the highlights it deserved so far, he stood fast and this was not the first time. Evidently, they fell victim to an age-old law in football: if you don’t score your opportunities, the opposition will. Cappa gained possession in midfield and spotted the corridor between the central defenders. Some of the spectators in Gladerial might have been wondering up to that point who that ‘man of the seven goals’ was but Denis Spaviero printed it there and then in big letters with a forceful strike. 'The man of eight goals' now.

Syong-Ya had tried a last-ditch effort and floored the striker in his shot but even when lying down, there was that triumphant finger from Denis. As he rose, his eyes immediately searched for Domenico Cappa who had been the firestarter and as the teammates encircled ‘Pumpy’, he still made time to thank the midfielder personally. Every single one of our players made a point of running up to Spaviero, even Moro sprinted across the pitch to fistbump.

I like Spaviero, for various reasons. First of all, he is dedicated and considers no exercise too heavy. On top of that, he’s a multitool in the box of any manager. Despite his age, he possesses the versatility to use him as a sole striker, a second attacker or in a partnership up front. But why he’s one of the first on my board gets outlined above.

**

With the pressure lifted off our shoulders and pushed upon those of the Young Jags, space became abundant. It allowed some of the less visible reserves, who had earned some time under the sun on the training pitch, to make their mark. Such as Luca Cadili, a youngster who – if given a scurvy dog – could perfectly come across as a stoner but when given a leather ball, took the grass like an artist. Direct opponent von Krjker struggled to contain him and another cross whipped into the box. Once more, he was looking for Niccolo Galli, the tall striker from Borgonovo. Despite only twenty, Galli looked already like a unit, with broad shoulders and a jaw that combusted women. If only he were a proper footballer. On this occasion, he entangled with Marshall and went down – the referee didn’t hesitate.

Denis Spaviero clutched the ball, as had been foreseen. I hadn’t discussed his decision from the previous game, when he offered Vitali the opportunity to score, in person. After all, players came here to learn and make mistakes – or at least, that’s what I tried to repeat to myself under the watchful eye of the international press. Denis didn’t make a mistake now – or at least, when it came to blasting it past Brykilawa. But before putting it on the spot, he had ignored the outstretched arm from Galli, who was desperate to get his name on the scoresheet and simply shoved aside Moreschini who pulled his shirt to get his attention. It was not a full team that gathered around him as he raised two clenched fists towards the crowd, but those who were did make a point of congratulating him, long and clear.

**

The result from the other pitch started to trickle in and gave the game a mixed face. The Jaguars hesitated between containing the correct scoreline, which looked to be sufficient for progression, and pushing the pedal one more time. As a consequence, we happily allowed them possession but kept them away from the box. Only Pier Luigi Vitali chased down the opposition now, a seemingly futile attempt to catch the limelight. He shouldn’t worry, actually. Giving Galli some minutes on the pitch had learned me everything I knew already: he could be useful when a height and power was required during a last-ditch attempt but otherwise he missed the class for this pace of execution. Vitali didn’t and showed his speed of wit when Blaszczykowski tried to cross it to the left wing. One interception and a daft yet fluent dribble later, he executed Sputnik Brykilawa for the final score.

It was the goal that confirmed a perfect record to qualify for the next round, but the celebration was modest at least. Pier Luigi Vitali had just scored his first goal in international football, but simply turned around and walked back to his starting position. No cheer, no fist, not even a glance into the cameras. Somehow, it looked to be a long walk, only interrupted by a congratulation from Spaviero.

I do not consider myself an expert, nor the man who will guide this team to the eternal success. In those few weeks that the group was gathered, I do feel that I’ve honed their skillset, drilled them tactically and given them an opportunity to develop into a better version of themselves. But at the same time they offer me puzzles I cannot solve. From how I saw it, there was only one who could do that.

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:40 am

The first two matches of the group stage of the 49th Di Bradini Cup, anyone following the Sarzonian under 21 national team could be excused for questioning the team's commitment to defence. After all, the team conceded five goals in two matches, a clip that is bound to concern all but the most offensive-minded managers.

Sarzonia manager Diego Cristobol certainly wanted to see his team's offensive flow improve even over the Nathan Hanifer-managed Junior Stars teams of the recent past, but he certainly had concerns about his team's ability to keep the ball out of the net. That was the case no matter if it was nominal starting goalkeeper Glen Baker or reserve netminder Eleanor Keating, who got the start in the final group stage match against HUElavia.

He could rest a little easier after Sarzonia wrapped up the Group A title with a 2-0 victory that gave the Junior Stars a mark of 2-1-0 and seven points from a possible nine. The team wasn't a favourite compared to teams that earned a full nine points, but they were in a group that easily could be considered a group of death. They got goals from Suzi Calderon in the 26th minute and from Nick Raiden in the 64th to send Clara Savedra's side packing from Valanora.

Sarzonia's reward for winning the group was what would likely be considered by some Junior Stars supporters as an away match as they get ready to face Pasarga. That country may not be a familiar opponent for Under 21 football, but the main national teams for both countries have significant recent history with each other, as Pasarga defeated Sarzonia in the semifinals of the 76th Cup of Harmony during the World Cup 84 cycle. The Wanderers also faced the Stars in the group stage of World Cup 85, resulting in a draw. Cristobal said he wasn't concerned with carryover from the main national team.

"We haven't played that team," Cristobal said of Pasarga. The fact the match is in Raynor City in Valanora doesn't necessarily mean it's an away match for us. This is still Valanora, not Pasarga we're playing in."

As for starting goalkeepers, Cristobal said he was starting Baker in the Round of 16 match against Pasarga. Keating will return to the reserve bench, but will likely be called upon if needed.

"We have every confidence in Eleanor," he said. "She's earned her place on this team."

by **Island of the Lost** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 11:30 am

DARMEN - 1
Kennard Hale (26')

ISLAND OF THE LOST - 1
Eva Sanders (70')

"We are the Island of the Lost. We are scoundrels. We are liars. We are thieves. We are the scum of the earth. We have been sent here both for our own safety and for the safety of the world outside. This barrier protects the world from us, and us from the world. This is our home. This is where we will stay for the rest of our lives."

I’m just going to say this right here and right now so that there’s no more room for mistakes: I am a perfectionist. Always have been, always will be. It’s the only way I can know for sure if this day is going to be a good one or not. And if you’ve been following the Island of the Lost throughout this Under-21 World Cup, you might have noticed that a lot of days have not been good ones for me, and it’s all because things have not gone my way, plain and simple. Against Megistos, the temperature had been just a little bit too cold, and I was simply not interested in running around in such conditions for more than was absolutely necessary. And in our opening game against Baker Park, the grass was too slippery even though the sun was out and the sky was clear. How can I be expected to perform 100 percent in such conditions without thinking about myself first?

You may laugh about me and my perfectionism, but I’m telling you, all this is not without reason. The last time I played on slippery grass on a hot day, I broke my arm. And the last time my team played a cold game, one of my teammates went down with some sickness that he got because he spent too long out in the cold. Trust me, everything I do is for a reason. Just like there’s always a reason why I’m quite picky when it comes to taking my chances with scoring. Like everything else in my life, everything has to be just right before I even think about taking the chance. The ball has to come from just the right direction, the wind must be blowing just this strongly or softly depending on the circumstance, even I have to positioned just right in the field or else I won’t even bother. People have kept telling me that I will miss 100 percent of the shots I don’t take, and at first glance my goalscoring record seems to speak in their favor. But while I may not have scored a lot of goals, all of those goals have been vastly important ones in the grand scheme of things. The goals I score are the goals needed for my team to draw or even win the games we play. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like scoring hat tricks; of course I do. What kind of idiot wouldn’t like to see their name mentioned at least three times on their team’s score sheet?

Still, I know many people have been scratching their heads in wonder thinking about how our coach Mr. Evans was going to make use of me as a player given my, well, nature. I knew I was surprised when I saw my name on my team sheet for our first game against Baker Park. I was being put on the front line alongside Marion Li, a player whom I’ve barely heard of outside of the games between Playa del Mal and Port Maleficent in the Youth League of the Lost. But even during those few encounters, I’ve already known that he was the opposite type of player to me. There is no chance that he will not take, no cause that he truly considers lost. He will chase after balls all day long while I shake my head at him and laugh while he wastes his energy needlessly going after something that may or may not convert into a goal. Maybe Mr. Evans was hoping that he would rub off on me, or maybe pick up the pieces when he inevitably shoots wide of the target. It seems though that I may have rubbed Li the wrong way, as all he ever seems to do is tell me to get moving or get ready or some such variation thereof. But what did he expect from me? Surely he must have known that I am not and will never be anything like him, chasing after balls like a puppy does a car.

Sure, Li might have the lion’s share of goals in this team, but that was fine by me. That was just the law of averages working itself out. He takes a lot of chances just because he thinks he can, and he’s bound to convert at least a few of those chances once in a while. Me? I like to pace myself, keep myself ready for the one chance that absolutely counts. They don’t come very often, sure, but when they come, I’m unstoppable.

Or at least I had been unstoppable before I arrived here in Valanora. Most things have not gone my way here, but there have been a few times when everything was just perfect: the wind, the sun, the ball, my position. All of those had been in my favor except for one thing: the position of the goalkeeper. Maybe it’s because I’m playing against foreigners now. Obviously they don’t play football in exactly the same way as we do on the Island of the Lost. I’ve yet to study and learn how exactly they position themselves in relation to me, so nothing can truly be perfectly perfect for me in this tournament just yet. But perfect is the next best thing. And perfection finally came in the game against Darmen, with the Lost a goal down in a game that could very well decide who the leaders of Group H will be, who will be runners-up, and who will have to go back home in disappointment. One thing was for sure though: as long as I was on the field, the Island of the Lost will not be going home just yet.

What a day that was. The sun was shining, but the afternoon made its heat a warm not and not very oppressive. Barely a wind was blowing. All around me was chaos as the goblin and the trash-talking big girl, Hamilton and Morrison, drove the opposition nuts. Meanwhile, I was in my own peaceful bubble, a center of calm in the middle of a maelstrom, a hidden viper waiting for the right moment to strike. And then a slight change in the wind told me that a ball was on its way towards me. I opened my eyes, saw the ball, and saw that it was headed right exactly where I wanted it to go. What happened next was, for me, child’s play. I jumped up and struck the ball with a bicycle kick. Even as I made contact with the ball, I already knew that I had hit it perfectly, and with all other things going in my favor, there was no way that that was not a goal for me.

I thought so.

They say that practice makes perfect, but when everything is already perfect in the first place, why even practice?

~ Eva Sanders

"We are the Island of the Lost. We are sons, we are daughters, we are brothers, we are sisters. We are fathers and we are mothers. We will fight for what we have and for what others have. We are the Lost. We were here before and we will still be here after. We will fight for what is ours because it is our right to fight for it, and we will fight for others because it is their right to be fought for."

by **Tikariot** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:54 pm

Two wins, one draw, against Pasarga on top of it, it was done! They had aced the group stage even though many had penned them in as third behind Pasarga and Krytenia. The boys had done an admirable job in not just playing very well, but also withstanding the increasing pressure and media presence. Seymour McCann was standing on the balcony of his hotel room, looking out over the city as the sun was setting, trying to process what had happened in the first three games.

He was aware that especially in the juniors things are very, very unpredictable, but this was not just some backyard grassroots tournament either, it was the Di Bradini Cup after all to decide which U-21 team would be the best of the world. He sat down, took a long sip of iced tea and picked up his notes for each player.

Matthias Prediger in goal had been great so far, only conceding twice against Pasarga. It was clear to him that without Prediger in goal Ancarea would be far worse off in the TPL standings, despite having an equally very promising back up goalie in Malachai Morgenstern. If only he wasn't such a hothead still, but he hoped that age could calm him down. His defense overall also was outstanding, Ximon Bergstrand out on the left even managed to score two goals, but the central defense of Caleb McKinley and Salmah Faizullah quenched almost all attacks and these two young men already showed an incredible chemistry that some players playing together for years could only hope for.

The midfield actually is the only position where he had to change something since the opening game, but even that only because Pierre Sukunda had picked up a knock against Krytenia and now he is stuck behind Kane Vassilev, because the player now in Kohnhead really took his chance and ran with it, with three assists to his name. A lot of people were surprised when Israel Conrad decided to sign with OMB in Tioguldos in the off season, because they were sure he could have landed at least a decent contract in Tikariot, but a goal and an assist show that he was and still is a good first choice.

But the true gem of this team is the offense, which has produced numbers most coaches would plainly drool over. Parramore Haigh: 5 goals, 1 assist. Veikko Haparanta: 4 goals, 2 assists. And Hamish Stainthorpe: 2 goals, 4 assists. 11 goals and 7 assists in three games by these three youngsters alone are just a phenomenal streak. He felt a little bad for the second string to not really get any real chances outside of subs, but how could he justify not to field any of the ones starting so far?

But all of that was in the past, all that right now counted was Chromatika. If they could not beat them, the last three games were pretty much for nothing. Well, maybe not for nothing, but they wanted more now. Way more. So on to the next folder, labelled Chromatika.

In a group with Sarzonia, HUElavia and Kohnhead. Whoever could get out of this one was definitely a force to be reckoned with. One win against HUElavia, two draws against Sarzonia and Kohnhead. Some said that they were far less impressive than our run, but in the end who cares? All that counted was that they advanced. A sticky note was attached to the roster with three names: Cathryn Nio, Mare Si and Karra Oveni. Goalkeeper, central midfielder and striker. The beginning of the dance on the blade, of coming up with a tactic to neutralize the players that have been marked down as the biggest potential threats, but at the same not to underestimate what a too strong focus on them could do, opening up holes that were not necessary. Not that holes were necessary at all, at least not in the own defense.

Nio was given the chance to start in goal and she grabbed it by the proverbial horns. She is one of the prime examples of what confidence can do to a player and as the Cup progressed, it grew dramatically. Si's biggest asset is speed. The captain of the team is bristling with energy and likely is one of the biggest threats on the Chromatik team and likely strong enough to pull two players onto her in an attempt to defend. Given the 4-3-3 formation of Tikariot that was a danger and really required very diligent defensive work of even the forwards or at least the wingers in order to generate a number advantage with a very fluid shape. He noted down zonal defense for this area as he did not want to get his players to have to compete in one-on-one speed contests too often.

And finally Oveni, one of the youngest on the team, forming the centre of the Chromatik offensive trident. She was a bit of a "throw in the river and see if she can swim" moment, but can she ever swim! She will definitely be a handful for McKinley and Faizullah, but going with how these two have been playing so far in this tournament, he was very confident that they could get the job done.

He put down the folders and looked on as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Things were getting serious now, no more room for mistakes. Find the middle way between making sure to keep their own style of play and try to force Chromatika to react to it, but at the same time still be flexible enough not to run into the open blade by neglecting the strengths of the opponent. He took a deep breath and got up, gathering up the folders and going back into the room. He had work to do!

Pasarga 2-2 Tikariot
Tikariot: Prediger - Bergstrand 25', McKinley, Faizullah, Waltham - Conrad (47' Vainionpää), Vassilev, Fernandez - Haigh 43', Haparanta 23' (74' Siroki), Stainthorpe (88' Grandelius).

by **Pasarga** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:31 pm

It was far from the convincing win that Meriadoc Griffiths had wanted against Tikariot, that sort of result would have been the morale boosting win that the side dearly needed to make sure that their heads were still high for that first match in the knockouts. In addition, a win would have meant that the Young Wanderers would have leapfrogged Tikariot on the final day to have won the group rather than have come in as runners up and having to face a group winner themselves in the first knockout round. However a score draw was far from the worst result that could have transpired when the Young Wanderers had taken on Tikariot, especially given how dominant their fellow Rushmori side had been through the first two games of the group. The defense had not been able to handle completely the offensive fireworks that Tikariot had at thier disposal, but unlike Krytenia and Hispinas, they were able to at least control them to a point, not allowing them a goal in the second half of the match and only the pair to boot. Maybe more impressive was that his side had been able to break down the Tikariot defense not once but twice after Tikariot had not conceded through the first two matches of the group.

Ásmundur Jónatansson had gotten the first goal for the Young Wanderers in that match, a few minutes after the second half began and it had put a bit of life into the side that was having trouble slowing down Tikariot. Griffiths had been waiting for one of the central midfielders to finally have an impact in the tournament, given that both of them were tall and imposing figures but who had yet to really make their mark. Yet that first goal was the change of that and it definitely changed the outlook of the game and the Young Wanderers began to work their way into the ascent and by the final quarter hour of the match, it was the side clad in white and green that were in the ascendency. Szescõ Erôss would be the one who would bring the Young Wanderers level, after Salai put in a beautiful cross from the byline after Ásmundur Jónatansson slid him the ball on a freekick. The centerback would be the first to the cross and sent the header into the far post in that upper corner and that was the goal that earned the side the draw, even though Griffiths had desperately wanted the side to grab another and get the victory, but it was not to be and the two Rushmori sides were forced to split the points.

Griffiths looked up and down the team sheet and wondered what moves he should make if any for the upcoming Round of Sixteen fixture. He had been able to give a few players some rest in the second half of the Krytenia match but had not fully rested any of his starters through the tournament so far. While these were young lads that could run all day if he really asked them to, he knew that they style of play that he asked of his players would end up taking a toll by the end of the tournament if he did not give them at least a game off here and there. Pace and technical prowess was how he crafted teams and this squad of his in the Di Bradini Cup was definitely full of players that measured up to his high standard, but even as young adults with lots of energy, they needed a break here and there. Péter Csorba deserved a start and Magana could use a rest, Csorba was also blessed with great speed even for a Pasargan, so fit even more into Griffiths tactical preference, as did Irenke Fenyvesi. Those were the changes he would make, he only hoped that they would end up being the sort of changes that paid dividends and did not look to be considered tactical meddling in error.

That was because he was having to match up against Sarzonia, a side that had yet to taste defeat here in Valanora, defeating Kohnhead and HUElavia whilst drawing Chromatika. Unlike Tikariot, they had not been completely dominant en route to their group title and Griffiths could see a few spots where his charges could have a go at the Sarzonia side. The concerns were more in the defense and if they would be able to maintain a bend and not break philosophy that had managed them to get a result against Tikariot, even if was ultimately not the desired result. Only ten goals for is something of a low tally for a group winner given what we have seen from other sides in the tournament but it still got the job done with an average of over three goals a game. If this defense really is as improved as Griffiths wanted to believe that it was, then they would be able to handle the Sarzonia attack, at least enough so that their own attack could find the seems and edges to exploit. That was going to have to be the game plan, it did not feel Griffiths with a ton of confidence, but he was optimistic if not confident. Youth football was notorious for its inconsistency, a loss would not be the end of the world, but a win and continued progress sure would be sweet.

by **Chromatika** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:34 pm

Shani Hayashida sat in her hotel room after Chromatika's 2-2 draw against Kohnhead. Once again, the U-21 Anomalies had taken an early lead - this time led by a goal apiece from Mare Si and Charisma Mott - to just squander it in the second half once again as the Anomalies were rather lucky to have gotten away with a draw at all.

What is leading to the second half collapses?

Against Sarzonia, it was the Junior Stars' adaptation to a different keeper. Against Kohnhead, it was simply that the intensity of play shifted dramatically.

With Sarzonia's blanking of HUElavia, Chromatika did make it to the knockout rounds for the first time in three editions. Their opponent? Tikariot, a squad that has scored fifteen goals (yes, fifteen) in three games after tying Pasarga 2-2. Sure, they've slowed down a bit - from 9 to 4 to 2, but this will do a number on the Chromatik defense that has already been overwhelmed in second halves. Parramore Haigh (5 goals, 1 assist), Veikko Haparanta (4 goals, 2 assists) and Hamish Stainthorpe (2 goals, 4 assists) are the three monsters that have perpetuated the scoring, while LB Ximon Bergstrand and CM Kane Vassilev are also key players.

Most pundits would agree that if the Chromatiks to win this match, it would be an upset for certain.

A win and two draws is not the best, but not bad. However, now is when the actual competition begins.

And they had worked too hard to not take full advantage of it.

by **Valanora** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:51 pm

Round of Sixteen
Sarzonia 1–0 Pasarga*
Mapletish 1–0 TJUN-ia
San Ortelio 3–1 Siovanija and Teusland
Tikariot 1–1(1–1 AET) (4–3 PKs) Chromatika
Mytanija 3–2 Baker Park
Saint-Domingues 2–4 Graintfjall
Cassadaigua 4–3 Northwest Kalactin
Island of the Lost 5–2 Wapistan
*Scorinated by Mriin

Quarterfinal Fixtures
Sarzonia v Mapletish @ The White Fortress, Gladerial
San Ortelio v Tikariot @ Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara
Mytanija v Graintfjall @ Hatire Memorial, Capri
Cassadaigua v Island of the Lost @ Aranfield Bridge, Everlin

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:37 pm

Ten goals in three group stage matches was likely never going to be a sustainable pace for the Sarzonian under 21 national team even with Diego Cristobal as manager.

Especially not when facing Pasarga. The Junior Stars may not have the recent history with Pasarga that resulted in two important matches between the Stars and the Wanderers, but teams wearing a Sarzonia kit facing Pasarga kits was intriguing.

Pasarga knocked out the Stars in Cup of Harmony 76 during the World Cup 84 cycle en route to a title. Sarzonia and the Wanderers played to a draw in the World Cup 85 group stage. The70th Under 21 World Cup is taking place between the World Cup 86 and 87 cycles. This time, the Junior Stars sent Pasarga wandering back home with a Nick Raiden goal in the 87th minute.

Glen Baker felt the need to redeem himself after two unsightly performances in the group stage and he was stellar, making six saves and controlling his box in a way the Junior Stars hadn't seen since Carlton Sandt started for them.

"Absolutely," Baker said when asked about redemption for the first two matches of the group stage. "You let in two goals early in the first match and three goals in the second match when you're a goalkeeper, it's not a good look."

The Junior Stars will face Mapletish, who defeated TJUN-ia 1-0 in their Round of 16 matchup. They won Group B with an unblemished 3-0-0 record and have only conceded one goal, to Devonta in the group stage finale, which Mapletish won 3-1. It's a match Raiden described as "the irresistible force against the immovable object."

"We're going to have to figure out a way to get past that defence if we want to qualify for the semifinals," Raiden said. "They've combined a potent offence with a sturdy defence in a way that we didn't until only recently."

Cristobal said the team's victory was one that he would remember for a while since it was his first as the manager of the Junior Stars.

"You never forget your first," he said with a smile.

by **San Ortelio** » Thu Dec 10, 2020 5:57 am

The clash with the Goldhorns had everything in store for the neutral fan, with two sides eager to get in front rather than avoiding a goal from the adversary. It was an excellent moment for the two goalkeepers to showcase their worth. Our very own Walter Moro underlined his solid tournament with a few important interceptions whilst his opposite number Lino Kaberle proved that the positive sounds coming out of Astograth aligned with the truth. His spectacular flying save on a distance shot from Trillo formed the kind of snap that editors like to splash across their front pages. Nonetheless, even he had to bow to the nearly ridiculous form from Denis Spaviero, first one to the ball when a corner kick got lost in a sea of legs. The equalizer from Krukenberg, a few minutes later, aligned better with the flow of play.

As time started to run out, the twenty-two on the field became more aware of the importance of their defensive work. As such, it came as a surprise when right-back Lorenzo Moreschini suddenly sped up from the wing, darted in between Mrazek and Porsche before finding Frantisek Polak between him and a one-on-one. Many expected a pass to the right, where Vitali had made some space for himself but Moreschini opted for the tough road, trying to make his way past Polak. The Vlaikograd defender was having none of that and halted the San Ortelian in his progress. A second of mayhem ensued: the almost beastly cry from Moreschini, Polak raising his hands in innocence and – after an endless split second of hesitation – the outstretched arm from the referee to the penalty point. Television watchers across the globe saw the ref’s mistake from various angles but as the linesman didn’t give a peep, San Ortelio got handed a golden opportunity on a silver plate.

“Good work, Lorenzo,” Denis jubilated, stretching his arm to the ball out of habit.
“Yeah, no,” Moreschini tried to avoid his smile and held it firmly, pacing to the penalty point.

With one hand, Denis Spaviero tried to stop him.

“This one – this one is mine,” Moreschini snarked, “and I wouldn’t try to stop me, Pumpy.”
“But… But the manager said…” Denis looked a bit flustered. After all, he still was in the race for the Golden Boot and penalty goals counted as well as bicycle kicks from outside the box.
“Yeah. But also, fuck him.”

Moreschini didn’t hesitate and placed it out of reach for Kaberle seconds later. Rather than jubilating, he returned to his spot, composed, but Spaviero couldn’t bring himself to congratulate the successful kick. Still in that mental spot, Denis barely registered that Sgarbi put the cherry on the cake a minute or two later.

**

During the first few occasions, Siboni needed to tap the whiteboard repeatedly before all eyes were locked but today, all stared to the black-and-blue x’s and o’s like docile lambs. He smiled internally over their awareness that tomorrow they would face an opponent of an even stronger caliber. The need for penalties against Chromatika had not blinded his boys: Tikariot deserved their status as title favorite. Beat them and suddenly, everything was possible. But that was easier said than done.

“So, the Owlets go with this academic 4-3-3 which creates, in theory, superior numbers for us in midfield. But we can only achieve this if we lure the outside men away from the action.” he spoke as he encircled the black dots representing Conrad and Fernandez, “These are their workhorses, well, make them work for it. If we don’t allow them to close us down, make them cover a lot of ground, there will be space in abundance. In case of loss of possession, however, I need a striker to drop back and put some Gegenpressung on Vassilev, you got that Denis and Pier Luigi? Pier Luigi?”

It took a second for Denis, who tried to imprint every word from the coach, to register the absence of his partner up front. The dressing room got ripped in two by a loud bang on the board, added to a spit and a curse.

“Merda, where is Pier Luigi?”

As if he had been waiting for this cue, the door opened and Pier Luigi stepped in. He looked soaked and took his spot without a single word. No apology, no reply. His face stood still but his eyes shot fire.

“Pier Luigi! Where were you!” Siboni repeated, a teaspoon of sugary relieve slipping into his angered voice.
“Locked in in the bathroom stalls,” Vitali replied under his breath.

Every start of muffled laughter got stopped by the stern look from Ernesto Siboni. Just as we felt a shrubbery coming along, one that would ring in our ears for hours to come, he turned on his heels and returned to his whiteboard as if nothing had changed.

“This should be part of a piercing move, with one of our wing players forcing Vassilev to opt for a wing. If we can…”

Denis barely registered what followed afterwards. Anyone could tell from the snickering, the sneaky winks and the eyes from Vitali making ditches in the floor tiles what had happened. And Siboni was going to let this slide?

**

Six hours. Siboni’s complete apathy allowed the anger within Spaviero to build up for six hours. By now, it had reached the brim and with every step, bits of his rage dripped overboard, squashing on the floor in hard steps as he approached the room from Moreschini and Tornaghi. The bang on the door made clear he wasn’t here to blow them a good night kiss. Nunzio Tornaghi looked slightly shocked, yet the look from his roommate made clear that he had been expecting Denis sooner or later.

“Nunz, why don’t you go and check in on Luca and Daniele? I’ll drop by as soon as possible.”
“Oh, but I’ve just seen them, they’re…” the San Savola midfielder replied bluntly, not aware of his own incapacity to take a hint.
“And yet,” Lorenzo stressed, with a swishing snake sound, “I think you should go check in on them.”
“Oh, ok, sure,” Nunzio mumbled, scrambling to get out.

As the door clicked back into place, Denis erupted.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Lorenzo? Why on earth did you lock up Pier Luigi?”
“For the record, Niccolo placed that chair in front of the door, so I’m not sure if you’re in the right room,” came the agonizingly calm reply.
“Oh, you bastard. Galli can’t tie his own shoes without assistance – let alone that he can come up with this alone unless you handed him the chair. Why? Why!?”
“Well, I suspect Galli wants to be a starting player, it would be a nice opport-“
“Don’t make this about Niccolo, you cunt. He would sell his own mother just for a step up the ranks and you know it – he’s just a bloody tool.”
“You mean like the literal or the proverbial meani-“ Lorenzo grinned.

Denis snapped at such a cynical approach.

“What the fuck is wrong with you,” he repeated, his voice skipping a tone there, “you don’t care? You didn’t hear what Siboni told us all about Pier Luigi? The poor lad already struggled to connect to people and then his brother gets killed – killed! – for something stupid like a football match! It’s fucking courageous he’s still out there and you just don’t care and give him an awful time. You just don’t ca-“

Now it was Lorenzo’s turn to cut the other one short. As composed as he had been throughout, as swiftly he exploded. Despite being the same height as Denis, he lifted the striker up and placed him against the wall. With his eyes peering above the forearm which was pushed against Denis’ throat, he whispered.

“Don’t you dare to claim I don’t care, Pumpy. Don’t you even dare. You don’t know half of it, you.”

Denis tried to swallow, but the pressure applied made it difficult. Speaking up had released some of his frustration, making it hard to overpower an enraged Lorenzo.

“Why do you have to give him such a hard time?” he tried to sooth him, gasping for air.
“Pier Luigi? He doesn’t matter and besides…,” Lorenzo sighed, releasing Denis from his grasp. He slowly stepped back, seemingly shocked by the might of his own hands and mechanically sat down on the bed.
“He just doesn’t fucking care,” the defender repeated, softly now.

He had come in to find answers, but now Denis saw himself confronted with even more questions.

“But Siboni said…”
“Siboni,” Lorenzo snorted, “of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know why his brother died?” Lorenzo asked a perplexed Denis.
“Well… He got chased all the way home by Inter Catrallo fans after a very fiery derby game and just outside his own door, he made a dangerous tumble due to the chase, hit his head on the pavement… All that in front of Pier Luigi, who they then threatened with a knife. It must have been horrible,” Denis replied by the best of his knowledge.
“You’re not answering me,” Lorenzo said, all intonation withdrawn from his voice, “that’s how he died. Not why.”

After a second of hesitation, Lorenzo started to talk. It came like a volcano, a story that had been rumbling deep down for years and now came in gulfs of sorrow. How the Primavera game between rivals Inter and Calcio Catrallo had run out of hand and turned from harsh to nasty. How a sneaky maneuver from Pier Luigi had caused two Inter players to bang into one another – one of them still couldn’t walk a mile without going dizzy and vomiting, the other one remained lost for pro football as well. How, facing only nine opponents and already holding a lead, the Catrallo players decided to put out the fire and simply play out the game: of course they wanted to win the derby but there was no honor in running up the score against a shellshocked adversary. How all held themselves to the pact… Apart from Pier Luigi, who scored three more before the final whistle. How his brother had instructed Pier Luigi to go home quickly afterwards, only to get in a melee with some Inter fans whilst trying to defend his brother’s name.

“It was a stupid accident, in the end,” Lorenzo muttered. “But it didn’t have to be.”
“That’s awful, Lorenzo, but still… Nobody wanted that and definitely not Pier Luigi,” Denis tried to regroup his brain.
“At the funeral, he didn’t shed a tear,” Lorenzo continued, unphased by the remark, “And in the weekend, he played as if nothing had happened. He was told to play as if nothing had happened.”

There was a lot to process and little time to do it. Start from the start, Denis thought, start from the beginning.

“Pier Luigi maybe didn’t fully grasp why you wanted to quit the play and…”
“Yeah – you’re not paying attention here, Denis. This is not about Pier Luigi doing that.”
“And maybe someone should’ve protected him there? Like a parent or some sort of…”
“You wonder why Siboni didn’t tell you this part of the truth?”

A whole part of the puzzle slowly clicked into place for Denis, but Lorenzo did repeat it for those in the back.

“Ernesto Siboni was the manager that day. He let him on the pitch, firing him on to score another and another. Of course he cleans up the version told, that tosser.”

Again, wheels were turning and slowly clicked into place inside Denis’ head.

“But… How do you know?”
“Mauro Vitali…” in a second, the cracks in the façade gave in together and sobbing, Lorenzo tried to continue, “I lost my best friend that day, Denis. Heck, Mauro was… He was a hero for our team. For me. You know, he would’ve been in the frontline with you in this tournament? He was such a talented player, such a talented person… Mauro would have tried to stop Pier Luigi, but he was already in the showers and then…”
“That must have been hard on you, Lorenzo,” Denis whispered.
“It was three years, the day of the Siovanija game. I just needed to take that penalty. To score it.”

Still, there was one thing rattling in the back of his mind.

“Why… Why Pier Luigi? He can’t help it either?”
“You still think that he is what all this is about?”

Denis stalled... "You can't do this... You can't use..."
"I must."

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:50 am

Final: Mapletish 1-0 TJUN-ia (Patrick (56'))

And that is that. After 2 losses in a row didn't derail the Young Jags, the 3rd definitely did. Mapletish may be a defensive team at heart, but they have so much heart - as you would expect from a former Di Bradini champion. The only goal of this game was scored by Leonde Patrick in the 56th and that would be the end of Philip van Oosterend's first taste of knockout football.

The Regional Academies have been set up. The pipeline is set and ready to produce more talent. Peter von Krjker, Hwang Syong-Ya and Petor Szektkovsky have played in their last DBC and you can expect to see Peter wit the senior team soon. But TJUN-ia will be back, with new players and a new vision: to continue the development of fine players to play across the multiverse. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: vs Xanneria @Tiradir, Gladerial (31,000) W 2-0 (2nd)
MD2: vs The Royal Kingdom of Quebec @Lathal, Ianisle (29,000) L 0-2 (2nd)
MD3: vs San Ortelio @Tiradir, Gladerial (31,000) L 0-3 (2nd/1W-0D-2L/-3GD/H2H Adv. Over Xanneria)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RO16: vs Mapletish @Duran Palace, Valanari (51,000) L 0-1

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Dec 10, 2020 9:23 am

Excerpts from GBC Two [radio] coverage.

is

mile

trickling

*Græntfjaller idiomatic expression similar to the ‘doghouse’.

Saint-Domingue – 2 (1)

Tomes; Camejo, Kolley (87’ Moise ), Soyer, Gide; Caceres (35’ pen.), Ngoy (41’), Cisse; Berlioz (79’), Pozo (59’ Parmentier (83’)), Dieng (68’ Reyes )

Græntfjall – 4 (2)

Ernestisson (35’); Robertsson, Markusson; Kristoffersdóttir (41’, 90+4’), Adamsson, Rögnvaldursson (59’ Hlynursbur ), Álvgeirsdóttir, Hólmarsdóttir (14’, 59’) (76’ Eljasson ), Marvinsson, Grímólfursson; Auðunsdóttir (87’ Gunnþórsson )

by **Mytanija** » Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:29 pm

Let's take a look at today's Gazeta Mytanija:

PARTIES OF THE LEFT SURGE AS RADNIKA FALTER
VOTERS SEEM TO BE PUT OFF BY ACIMOVIC’S APPROACH - ARE WE ABOUT TO SEE A HUGE REALIGNMENT IN MYTANAR POLITICS?

by Mladen Sambunjak

We are ten days into this election campaign and the battle lines have been well and truly drawn at this point. We’ve also had the first set of polls released since the official campaigns began and the results are pretty interesting whatever your political persuasion. For Slobodan Acimovic and his party they will be pretty alarming and he has already had to do some fire-fighting when journalists put questions to him about the poll results this afternoon. The poll conducted by the television station MKV shows the MNK as the most popular party nationally with 25% of those polled saying they would vote for them; the left-wing populists Jedinstvo and Ekologija neck-and-neck for second place with 20% and 19% respectively; and Radnika are all the way back in fourth at the moment with a mere 10% and this will undoubtedly concern the party which dominated the centre-left of Mytanar politics prior to the Kalinina regime. It is worth bearing in mind that it is difficult to see exactly how the poll results will map onto the constituency seats available but it is at least a good guide in seeing how the proportional representation seats will pan out.

When asked if he was worried Acimovic told reporters that he was ‘not hugely concerned at the moment, the only poll that matters is the one carried out by all voters on election day’ but one can’t help but link the party’s poor polling numbers with their failure to take a position on the post-Mytanar Conflict settlement or really setting out their vision for the country’s future. The MNK have taken a position – Radovan Stefanovic as wily as ever – and this means they are one of the parties set to benefit from Acimovic’s decision to avoid the issue.

We may be seeing a schism between what younger people want from Mytanija’s future and what older people want. Older generations tend to be distrustful of those from other regions, either because they were on the receiving end of some pretty unforgivable treatment during the Kalinina regime and the Mytanar Conflict (ie. those from Thessia, Visoravna and Rauchnya); or because they occupied a privileged position in Mytanar society under Kalinina due to their adherence to the Orthodox Church and their supposed greater degree of ethnic homogeneity (ie. those from Zentria, Magevskaya, Nasto and Avnalia and some in Vojovitica). As a result they still look down upon those from the other regions and do not want an overly strenuous reconciliation process or rhetoric about a ‘shared future’, something which has been called ethnic discrimination or cultural racism by some commentators.

Younger people have been reported as seeing the future of Mytanija as the single biggest issue in this election, although the poll conducted by MKV did report that young people seem to be enormously politicised heading into this election and the 18-24 and 25-39 groups seem to hold the strongest views on a range of issues – from climate change to policing to tax policy. Young people generally want to see a shared future and want to move away from Mytanija’s fractured past and back towards the nation which Alex Util and Premier Pamic left in their image. Issues of regional ethnicity and religion are not seen as divisive among young people like they are by older generations, with many wanting those from different regions to be able to mix freely and without prejudice.

This seems to be one of the dividing lines this election is going to be fought upon and was something I commented on beforehand. Radnika’s failure to take a position really does seem like it could cost them if the results of these polls are borne out but the biggest thing we can take from the polls is that the main beneficiaries appear to be the parties to their left, Jedinstvo and Ekologija. They have both set out very clearly that they want to take the country forward and into a reconciliation process which puts the horrors of the Mytanar Conflict into context and will be designed to try and heal the wounds left behind by Kalinina’s regime. Ana Mecava-Catic’s party are so clear about their vision of a ‘shared future’ that their name means ‘unity’, they are firmly on the side of those who want to put regional differences in the past and see a more unified, multi-ethnic, multicultural future for Mytanija and Ekologija are on the same page too.

Radnika appear to have been undermined from the left by those two parties, with Acimovic’s decision to, well, not make a decision on his party’s stance regarding this important issue appearing to hurt his party. Radnika are caught a little between the devil and the deep blue sea here, with the MNK only too happy to take the opposite stance to Jedinstvo and Ekologija. Stefanovic’s party have very clearly stated that they will allow regions to uphold their regional identity first and foremost, repeating specific lines until they are blue in the face in the hope that they remain clear in voters’ minds. Acimovic may have thought that he was making an intelligent political decision by almost taking the middle ground, but the problem is that he hasn’t even done that. His party haven’t yet told voters what their stance is on this issue and at the moment it seems like this could become a major sticking point for many.

The major surprise is perhaps the scale of how badly this has affected Radnika’s vote share. They had been expected to be the second largest party when the election is finished, many pollsters have made contingent forecasts but not one had predicted this. A vote share of 10% would be Radnika’s worst ever result and would be tantamount to desecrating Premier Pamic’s memory. Radnika are always so quick to claim they are the party continuing his legacy and taking up the mantle from him but voters seem to be deciding that they either aren’t doing it correctly or that they want to diverge from that path if what Radnika are doing does represent it.

This is occurring in the aftermath of the Kalinina regime’s dictatorship, a civil war and a period of rebuilding under an unelected technocratic government so a lot has changed in Mytanija, but nobody believed it would lead to the major big-tent party of the centre-left being marginalised and becoming a bit-part player in Mytanar politics. If the MKV poll is borne out then that will be what happens and it could end up being a fundamental realignment in Mytanar politics with Jedinstvo and Ekologija replacing Radnika as the main voice of the left on a national level.

Some argue that Radnika’s poor polling isn’t only down to the contentious issue of how to deal with Mytanija’s future however, with Acimovic trying to move the party to the centre ground to try and ward off the threat of liberal centrists Zajedno Naprijed! and to try and appeal to some MNK voters. I would support this assertion and would argue that this move has put off many would-be Radnika voters who support more left-wing policies than what Acimovic’s Radnika subscribe to – policies such as higher tax rates for corporations and the richest in society; worker representation on company boards; the full nationalisation of all healthcare provision; and more ambitious climate change policies.

It appears that Jedinstvo and Ekologija are benefiting, their polling figures of 20% and 19% would represent genuinely unexpected levels of success if they are repeated on election day. What perhaps isn’t a surprise is that Ana Mecava-Catic and Radenka Kovacevic have two of the higher net approval ratings out of the party leaders. They have both been extremely well received in television appearances and at rallies around the country in the opening ten days of the campaign and both have commented on the other and how they believe their parties could be kindred spirits post-election. It will be interesting to see how they go on in the upcoming television debates, there are two and it will be a chance to see the counter-arguments the other party leaders put forward against their policy agendas.

So far Radovan Stefanovic’s main attacks have been on Radnika and Slobodan Acimovic, but with these latest polling results he may decide to focus his attacks on the more left-wing parties. He has made some comments about how the two women ‘seem like nice ladies’ but did say their politics was ‘like a child’s birthday wish list’. Whether these sort of comments are ramped up as Mecava-Catic’s and Kovacevic’s parties are now polling well and are potentially going to be the MNK’s closest rivals remains to be seen. Some feel that Stefanovic could potentially fall foul of appearing patronising towards the two women during the televised debates, both are exceptionally well-read and precise on policy and it will be difficult to pin them down on any issues with their policy agendas unless Stefanovic is similarly knowledgeable not only about his own policies but theirs too. If he simply dismisses their policies without adequate reasoning he could end up being punished by voters.

Spasenje, Zajedno Naprijed and the PsD all seem set to end up with less than 10% of the national vote and that’s not really much surprise. Spasenje will be looking to secure seats in Kalinina’s old strongholds but it may be difficult for them to find appeal with the MNK setting their stall out so clearly regarding the future of the country and allowing each region to maintain their own separate identities. Spasenje will be hoping to find support among those who want something more hard-line than that and they may actually benefit from the success of Jedinstvo and Ekologija in that regard as some MNK voters could decide to go with Spasenje if they see those left-wing parties as a greater threat to their vision of a Mytanija which doesn’t mix its different identities up too much.

Jedinstvo and Ekologija don’t want people to let go of their regional/ethnic identity completely, they just want to make sure that there isn’t discrimination based on that and want to make sure that the discrimination which has occurred and led to actual ethnic cleaning in the past is not repeated. There are some who believe that that was just an unfortunate part of a civil war started by disorderly and disruptive Thessians, Visoravs and Rauchiks rather than an organised system aimed at the marginalisation and eventual eradication of those people conducted by the Kalinina regime. Spasenje might benefit from this which points to the fact that maybe the reconciliation process that the likes of Jedinstvo and Ekologija are calling for is much needed.

___________________________________

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by **Mapletish** » Thu Dec 10, 2020 11:16 pm

Part 1|Part 2| Part 3| Part 4| Part 5| Part 6| Part 7| Part 8| Part 9| Part 10
Part 11|Part 12|

The Forgotten War

Just another day, just another day, this is something one tells themselves in the heat of everything. As the Army troops drive neared the southern edge of the city, the ground action in our section started to peter out. I went back up in the houses and started doing overwatches again, thinking I would catch more targets from there. What didnt catch me this time round was that the tides of the battle had turned. The Maplish had mostly wrestled control of the city from the bad guys, it was just a matter of time before the Revolutionists would run out of steam and the resistance collapsed. But, being in the midst of all of the action, I could not tell indeed.

Knowing that cemeteries are a scared location for us, the Revolutionists used them extensively to hide caches of weapons and explosives. Despicable if you ask me. At one point, we were in a hide overlooking the boundaries of the cemetery, the cemetery sat in the middle of the city. Roughly three football fields long by two football fields wide, it was filled with tombstones and mausoleums, the final resting place for the dead. We set up watch on the roof near a prayer tower and mosque overlooking the cemetery. The roof we were on was fairly elaborate. Ringed with brick walls punctuated with iron gates.

An excellent firing position with little need to set up elaborate firing spots. I sat down on my haunches and spotted in my rifle through a gap in the grid work. I was able to study the layout and paths between the stones just a few hundred metres out. Dust and sand in the air are the usual and I had to keep my goggles on. I kept my helmet on surprisingly if you ask me, having it cinched tight, wary of the fragments that flew from the firefights that lie ahead.

At a certain interval, I picked out some figures moving through the cemetery. I zeroed in one and tried to figure what those people were doing. Damn Revolutionists, burying crates. Unloading rockets. I had to fire and get them down. I fired.

Within seconds, we were fully engaged in a firefight. Revolutionists coming out from everywhere, ready to take us down from behind the tombstones. I don't if there was a tunnel or where they pop out from. Shots flew from everywhere, it was mess, a messy firefight indeed. I studied my shots as the Army troops around me poured out the fire and rallied against the Revolutionists strongly. Everything they did though faded in the background, as I carefully placed my shot on the targets, steadied my aim and squeezed the trigger. It was as smoothly as I have practised.

The targets fell, one after another, as I looked on for another and another and off it went. Until finally there were no more. I got up, moved a few metres to a new spot where the wall completely shielded me from the open space. There was when I blow out some air and removed my helmet and leaned back against the wall. The roof was littered with spent shells. There was a heavy feeling weighing down on me . It could have been dread, having engaged in another firefight. I sipped my coffee from my thermal flask as I leaned myself against the wall to find withdrawal.

The rest of the soldiers were taking their breaks as the firefight died down and subsequently come to a standstill. While a heavy feeling weighed me down, the air was stale in the building. One of the soldiers pulled his ruck over and used it as a pillow, as he caught a nap. Another went downstairs, towards the first storey to catch the flames as he lit up his flavoured cigarette. The scent mingled with the heavy stench that always hung over in Somalia, a stench of sewage, sweat and death.

Just another day in Mogadishu, if you ask me.

The streets were covered with splinters and various debris. The city, never exactly one of the most magnificent, was a wreck. Squashed water bottles sat in the middle of the road next to piles of wood and twisted metal. Holes littered the roads. We worked on one block of three-story buildings where the bottom level was filled with shops. Each of their awnings were covered with a thick layer of dust and grit, turning the bright colors of the fabric into a hazy blur. Metal shields blocked most of the storefronts; they were pockmarked with shrapnel chips. A few had handbills showing Revolutionists wanted by the Somalian government.

I have a few photos from that time. The effects of war are obvious. Every so often, there’s a sign of normal life before the war, something that has nothing to do with it: a kid’s toy, for example.

War and peace don’t seem to go together right.

The Air Force was always flying the air support missions above us. We had enough confidence in them that we could call in strikes just down the clock. The communication guys were working a street from us with a unit that came under heavy fire from a building packed with Revolutionists. He got on the radio and called over to the Air Force to get a call in for a strike. As soon as the strike was approved and the order directed, he got on the line with a pilot and gave him the location, details and coordinates to take the strike.

"Danger, incoming, close!", the pilot directed over the radio. "Take cover."

We hid inside the building, ready to take cover. I had no idea how big the bomb he dropped was, but the explosion that followed, rattled the walls, cracks found their way on the walls. My buddy reported later that it had taken out at least thirty people, definitely a clear indication of how many people we were up against, and how much opposition was stacking against us. It showed how essential closed air support was with us. The pilots overhead were pretty accurate, I have to say and in a lot of situations, we were requesting for bombs and missiles to hit within a few hundred metres.

The damage radius was just within a few hundred metres around all of us. That was really very close when there were so much destruction and tonnes of bombs dropped. However, we were all safe and sound nonetheless, that made us really confident of our overhead support.

One day, a group of Maplish troops near us got fired at from a few blocks away. We could see where the man was shooting from but we could not take aim on him. He had a good position, a domineering position which allowed him to overlook the whole city from his elevation and angle. It was a tower just beside a mosque. Usually, places of worship were spared and not touched by us, since it was a basis for cultural and religious respect. The sniper's presence however, made it a legitimate target for us to take down. An air strike was called on the tower.

We took cover as the air strike hit. The bomb flew through the sky and hit the top of the minaret. It broke one of the large panes at the top of the tower, and exploded soon after, even though there seemed to be not much of a visible impact. We thought the bomb had gone through and hit too low from the intended target. We stormed the tower soon after to check on the impact, suspecting that the sniper was not taken out. We ran down a few blocks and stormed the tower, climbing what seemed like an endless flight of stairs to reach the top.

Throughout this time, we were wary of any attacks that might come from the sniper or the remaining Revolutionists in the tower themselves. No one did, fortunately none of the speculations we made were true. When we made it to the top, we saw the reason. The sniper was alone in the building and had been taken out by the bomb as it flew through the tower. By chance, the bomb also took out an alley of Revolutionists, we found their bodies and weapons a short time later as we swept through the tower. I think it was one of the best air strikes ever.

After two weeks of work with the Army company, our commanders called all the SOF snipers back. We were about to be redistributed.

One of the SOF snipers I met pulled me aside and asked, "What the hell were you doing on the streets back there?". I shrugged and thought nothing about it.

"I had my fun," I said with a straight face.

He was right though, why did I do that, what if our Commanding Officer finds out? I will be out of here if news spreads to him.

On the other hand, I knew that I had to do what I had to. I also felt pretty confident in my officer in charge. He was direct and task oriented. He was keen in getting the job done and that was all. Not the mention that I was out of touch with the top brass anyways, It would take a fairly long period of time before they find out about my exploits anyway. By the time, they sent the order down to pull me out, I could have finished my deployment in Somalia anyway.

A bunch of the other guys gathered around me with their thermal flasks and mugs filled with coffee and tea as they took their sips and smoke their cigarettes. We were chatting each other up and they too started agreeing with me. Down on the street was where we needed to be, we could not let the Army guys soak up all the risk doing things that they are not experts in. Certainly, I didn't know what happened to them eventually but for all I know, they stuck to sniping off from the roof tops.

I had always kept assault rifle with me and it was to be a great addition to my inventory ever since. I was to be making use of it regularly. I was reassigned to work with another assault Company, Company L. Company L was operating a few blocks away from Company K, and Company L's main task is to fill in the gaps and taking down pockets of Revolutionists that got through the cracks as the assault swept. They were seeing tons of action from their operation sphere. That evening, I took my coffee break towards the Company's office as I spoke to the company leadership. The commander had earlier heard about my exploits on the streets, and was keen to use my help. We talked a bit.

"I would like to go down on the street with you all"

"Great, I have been waiting for you to replicate what you have done in Company K."

A direct approval from the company leadership. Company L proved to be another solid group of guys.

A few days passed and we were clearing a block together, this time round with the guys from Company L when I heard shooting on a nearby street. I informed the Army guys for them to stay where they were and then run over to see if I could help. I found another group of Army guys as I ran over. They had started out up at the alley and ran into heavy fire. They had already pulled back and gotten under cover by the time I got there. One of the guys did not quite make it. He was lying on his back some metres away from the group, he was in pain.

My first instinct was to grab him by his vest and put some suppressive fire to be able to pull him back. When I got to him, he was in a pretty bad shape. I dropped my reach and got an arum under each of his, then started hauling him backwards, as I pulled him along. I was tired and winded from the pulling. I laid on my back for a few minutes, still in the line of fire from the Revolutionists as the rounds flew by. I was lucky the rounds didn't get to me.

The kid was rather young, should be about eighteen years old. He was in a bad shape, badly hurt and without a doubt he looked like he was on the brink of death.

"Please dont tell my mom that I died in pain," he muttered, mustering his strength to mutter those words.

"Don't worry, I will get help, everybody will make it out from here. Everybody."

He died soon after. He didn't even live long enough to hear my bullshit about how everything was going to be okay and how everybody is going to make it out of the situation, alive.

A bunch of soldiers came and they lifted him away and put him in the back of a hummer. We called in another air strike and took out the rest of the firing positions against us at the other end of the alley. I went back to my block, adjusted my feelings and continued the fight from there.

Vulnerability - thoughts of death and mortality leaves people vulnerable. I thought about the causalities that I had seen. images of myself being carried back home in a flag draped coffin filled my mind soon after. But, that thought was not enough to stop me. I wasn't going to give up. I wasn't going to stop going into the houses or stop supporting my other mates out there on the streets or from the roofs. I couldn't let those young soldiers i was with down.

I told myself that I'm an SOF operator. I was supposed to be tougher and better, I am not going to give up on them. It wasn't that I thought I was tougher or better than they were but it was that I knew that was how people looked at us. And I didn't want to let these people down. I didn't want to fail in their eyes - or mine in fact. We aren't invincible however. There was no invincibility in this feeling, we were as vulnerable, just that we didn't give up, or at least I didn't give up. I could have been through all this shit and I could die. How was that invincibility?

Traditionally, the Maplish don't celebrate Thanksgiving but in the spirit of the war and the sacrifices everyone had done for each other, we ended up giving thanks to each other in the midst of the battle. We exchanged words of thanks and had our meal together sitted in a circle as we each take a sip of coffee from each other's mug, signifying our togetherness and brotherhood. It was a simple gathering, a simple meal in fact. But what lies were complicated feelings. Complicated feelings forged, complicated bonds of friendship and brotherhood formed from the perils and the ugly face of war.

Compared to the Meal Ready to Eats we have been consuming, it was great.

I stayed with Company L for a little while more, roughly for another week, before going back to Company K. It was terrible to hear who had been hit and who they had lost in the time I had been gone.

With the assault about to be finished, we were given a new task which was to set up a cordon to make sure none of the Revolutionists were able to get back. A traditional hold and wait kind of operation I suppose. Our sector was over by the west side of the city. From then, I re took the sniper position once again. And back to figuring my shots again but this time round over a longer distance with much more variability.

We set up in a two-storey house overlooking the river a few hundred metres away from a bridge. There was a marsh across the river, completely overgrown with weeds as I have observed. It was near a hospital the Revolutionists held. It was then converted into a headquarters before our assault, and even now the area seemed to draw brutal firefights.

Every night, we’d have someone trying to probe in from there. Every night I would get my shots off, taking out one or two or sometimes more. The Somalian government troops also had a camp nearby. We hung a visual panel over our position—an indicator showing we were
friendly—and the shots kept coming. We radioed their command. The shots kept coming. We called back and cussed out their command. The shots kept coming. We tried everything to get them to stop, short of calling in a bomb strike. They must have thought we were the Revolutionists, those damn government troops, are they blind?

by **Saint-Domingues** » Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:50 am

Saint-Domingue bids farewell to the Di Bradini Cup
Saint-Domingue's journey in Valanora and their hopes of winning the U21 World Cup are at an end after a 4-2 defeat to Graintfjall in the round of sixteen. We at RTD look back in review of the team's games in the tournament.

Match 1 - Saint-Domingue 2-3 Northwest Kalactin
Miner's Haven, Goldsan
The Avengers did not start the Di Bradini cup in the most positive fashion, and a disastrous first-half meant that they went into the break already 3-0 down. Saint-Domingue struggled to deal with a heavy Kalactinin attack for the first forty-five, and though there was a fightback in the second-half that brought two consolation goals spurred on by some tactical changes, the team began with a loss.

Match 2 - Saint-Domingue 4-1 Equestria
Miner's Haven, Goldsan
An opening loss was followed by a greatly-improved victory in the second game, when the Avengers battered Equestria by four goals to one - a result which eliminated their unfortunate opponents. Saint-Domingue dominated throughout the game, blasting in three second-half goals as they emerged triumphant and boosted their chances of making the second round. The situation was awkward but the Avengers were able to go into their game against Hebitaka in the knowledge that a win would take them through regardless of other results.

Match 3 - Hebitaka 1-2 Saint-Domingue
Orange Gate Falls, Monaven
Saint-Domingue scored at the death to secure their place in the round of sixteen at the expense of Hebitaka. It was an incredibly dramatic match, with fortunes swinging in the favour of both teams before Pozo struck late to ensure it was Saint-Domingue who made it through. An unlikely Equestrian draw with Northwest Kalactin also meant that the Avengers won Group F despite losing the opening fixture.

Match 4 - Saint-Domingue 2-4 Græntfjall
Caddo Park, Caddo
And so the journey concluded at Caddo Park, losing to the Snow Pups by four goals to two. Two braces put Græntfjall into the quarter-finals, and though Saint-Domingue equalised briefly courtesy of a Caceres penalty it was the Snow Pups who capitalised on their chances and put in a mature performance to earn them the win. It was an enjoyable first-time for the Dominguans, who managed to win their group in dramatic fashion but were unfortunately not up to scratch in the knockout rounds. Still, Gaëtan Souchon can be very proud of his young team's efforts and this is evidently an improving side which will hopefully compete in the later rounds of this tournament in the future. Congratulations to Græntfjall, who will have the support of Saint-Domingue for the rest of the cup. They will be playing Mytanija at the Hatire Memorial in Capri tonight - live on RTD.
Berlioz - 4
Caceres - 4
Camejo - 4
Cisse - 4
Dieng - 4
Kolley - 4
Ngoy - 3(1)
Pozo - 4
Reyes - 0(4)
Soyer - 4
Tomes - 4
Gide - 3
Parmentier - 0(3)
Cadet - 0(2)
Berger - 1
Giordano - 0(1)
Kujabi - 1
Moise - 0(1)
Berlioz - 3
Caceres - 2
Pozo - 2
Dieng - 1
Ngoy - 1
Soyer - 1

by **Island of the Lost** » Fri Dec 11, 2020 11:56 am

ISLAND OF THE LOST - 5
Claudia O'Brien (15')
Eva Sanders (22')
Marion Li (54', 62, 79')

WAPISTAN - 2
Lou Rose (26', own goal)
Siddharth Mccormick (37', own goal)

"We are the Island of the Lost. We are scoundrels. We are liars. We are thieves. We are the scum of the earth. We have been sent here both for our own safety and for the safety of the world outside. This barrier protects the world from us, and us from the world. This is our home. This is where we will stay for the rest of our lives."

You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take. That’s not just some preachy motivational shit you might find inside a fortune cookie. That’s a fact. Eva can be the perfectionist she wants to be. Let her bask in the glory of being the hero that sealed the Island of the Lost’s qualification to the knockouts. I’m the one who’s scored the most goals among the whole team so far. Then again, it’s not really a competition, is it? It shouldn’t really matter who scores the goals in this team, so long as we do score more than our opponents. Now that we’re in the knockout stages, that objective now is more important than ever.

I’ll be honest, though. Football is really more of a hobby for me. Engineering is where it’s really at, at least for me. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been interested in the way things work. I would use my dad’s tools to open up my toys to see what exactly makes them move, and why they move the way they do. I would build towers and bridges and then tear them down only to build them right back up and repeat the process, just so I could find the design that best stands up to the pressure. I would watch shows about how buildings such as stadiums, churches, and skyscrapers were built and also designed to withstand extreme forces such as storms and earthquakes. I also watched shows investigating the nature of disasters such as building collapses and airplane crashes, something that disturbed my parents when I was young, but eventually they got used to it.

As I grew older, I took a particular interest in physics, and I guess you could say that it was this interest in physics that got me into football in the first place. No, it’s not because I took an interest in how a ball flies through the air depending on where it was struck and how strong the strike was. No, that comes later. My first encounter with football was during this afternoon in college where I was just making my way from one class to another when I happened to notice the varsity football team having a kickabout. It may have been tryouts for the team; I’m not entirely sure. All I know was that the guys on the field were sending balls everywhere, even though it looked like they were actually trying to aim for the goal. Whether intentionally or not, the goalkeeper had walked away from his post and was chatting up some girls. But even without the obstacle of an actual person standing in between the sticks, the guys were still unable to find the target. I don’t know what came over me, but I ended up walking to the field and saying, “No, that’s not how you kick a ball!”

“Oh, really?” one of the guys said back to me. “All right then, Engineering,” he said. At this college, students wore different colored uniforms based on the course they were taking. “If you know so much about how to kick a football, why don’t you do it yourself?”

Shit. I hadn’t been prepared for this particular outcome. “Okay now,” I said. “I was just saying that that’s not how you kick a ball. You don’t need me to show you that, right?”

“Oh, but we do!” the guy said. “We wanna see how you do it, Engineering.”

“Oh, shit,” I muttered. I dropped my bags and walked up to one of the balls on the pitch. I could hear the guys behind me muttering and laughing. They were probably expecting me to swing and miss for this one. And frankly, I was thinking the same. This was the first time in many years that I’d tried to kick a ball, and even back then it had never been anything more than a casual thing. My reputation was riding on this one kick though, and while I was already prepared for the moment that I would become a laughingstock, I still dreaded its coming.

“Can’t I get at least one practice kick first?” I asked, more to stall than anything else.

“Oh no, Engineering,” the guy said. “You got just one chance at this. I wouldn’t waste it if I were you.”

Right. Time, then, for the end of the social life of Marion Alexis Li. I stepped back, locked my eyes on the ball, took a deep breath, and then I swung my foot as hard as I could. I felt some resistance against my instep, so at least I actually hit the ball and I didn’t hit clear air. Now my humiliation was going to be defined by me sending the ball straight into a treetop. But then, to my complete surprise, the ball kept itself lower than the trees before eventually hitting the top left corner of the goal.

“What the fuck was that?” someone said. Me, I was just speechless. I literally didn’t know what to say at the time. Even today I still don’t know how the fuck I managed to even get the ball anywhere near the goal, let alone pick out the top left corner and score an absolute banger.

“Hey, Engineering,” someone called out. I turned and saw that it was the goalkeeper who was supposed to be guarding the goal but had walked off when it was clear that nobody else was going to score against him. “What’s your name?”

“Marion,” I replied.

“You ever play ball before?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I think this is actually the first ball I’ve kicked since grade school.”

“Yeah, well, it’s never too late to get started, eh?” the goalie asked rhetorically. “There’s a trial for the Magic this weekend. I’d like to invite you there.”

“Wait a minute. What Magic are you talking about?” I asked. “The Port Maleficent Magic?”

“See you there, Marion,” the goalie said.

“Wait! I’ve got classes on Saturday!” I said. “I’ve got an exam to study for as well!”

“I’ll still see you there!” the goalie shouted back.

To make a long story short, I found myself becoming a member of Port Maleficent’s academy at the ripe old age of 17. I can’t even remember how I did on the exam that Saturday, just that even though I took my time answering it, I still wasn’t thinking of the exam 100 percent because of the trial for Port Maleficent. And now here I am in Valanora, leading the line for the Island of the Lost in the Under-21 World Cup, and I have just scored a hat trick thanks to my love of engineering and physics. Of course, this was very much a learning process, and even though I did score three goals, I must have had at least ten attempts, and that was just in the second half. Still, the deed was done, and the Island of the Lost are now through to the quarterfinals for the first time in our history. I’ve read about our next opponents Cassadaigua, one of the most storied and successful nations in this world. They’re sure to be a tough nut to crack, but with my knowledge of physics and engineering, I’m pretty sure that there’s something that I can say about that.

~ Marion Li

"We are the Island of the Lost. We are sons, we are daughters, we are brothers, we are sisters. We are fathers and we are mothers. We will fight for what we have and for what others have. We are the Lost. We were here before and we will still be here after. We will fight for what is ours because it is our right to fight for it, and we will fight for others because it is their right to be fought for."

Di Bradini Cup 49/U21WC70 Everything Thread

Part 12

Boot It!: We Lost...But We Also Didn't?!

Boot It!: We Fall Again...

Part 13

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