Baptism of Fire and Ice [BoF74 rosters/RPs/scores]

by **Acastanha** » Thu Dec 17, 2020 11:59 pm

Federação de Futebol Acastanhada
Acastanha Football Federation
Fiderashayo Cokebal Savao

Acastanha Male Senior Football Team

Acastanha or Federation of Acastanha is a country located in northeast part of Melayu Mainland in Melayu Archipelago. It is only have a land border with Kayangan to its southwest. The country is just recently joined in Melayu Archipelago sports competition. Entered at 5th edition of Melayu Archipelago Cup for their international competition debut in which they were able to reached quarterfinal. Their second attempt in 6th Melayu Archipelago Cup makes them reached semifinal for the first time. They are being defeated by Sharktail.

For the national team, Head Coach, Manuel Archanankar have called several new players. This moved are made to resemble the change in Acastanhada domestic situation as players are also have their performance changing throughout the season. Archanankar also given the opportunities for players from Segunda Liga to also experiencing playing in international stage. Example are players from Luz das Estrelas SC., which this season reached second in Segunda Liga and raise their first Cup trophy.

Management Team
Manager : Jorge Garbano
Head Coach : Manuel Archanankar
Assistant Coach : Igor Padvalo
Goalkeeper Coach : Santiago Travolusha
Medical Director : André Dravade

Style Modifier : +3.73
Formation : 4-4-2

Team Line Up
Starting Line Up in bold
Goalkeeper

Santiago Karba (29) - Sporting Arrachai
Tiago Kalabar (30) - Sporting Cabo
Miguel Arrasthar (31) - Vaanchai FC.

Defender

Márcio Haralde (25/LB) - FC. Amarelda
João Biraoko (27/CB) - Luz das Estrelas SC.
André Patruva (26/CB) - Porto Espinhosa
Jorge Vidshav (28/RB) - Sporting Arrachai
David Palisaro (26/LB) - Campo de Libélula SC.
Martinho Urubanda (25/CB) - FC. Amarelda
Santiago Urupao (24/CB) - Samaul FC.
Márcio Barvando (29/RB) - Porto Espinhosa FC.

Midfielder

Pedro Ustankar (24/LM) - Sporting Cabo
André Bishav (27/CM) - FC. Amarelda
Manuel Tiehl (29/CM) - Porto Espinhosa FC.
David Gothrado (24/RM) - Sporting Arrachai
Henrique Gambrig (26/LM) - SC. Tabeira
Martinho Gutrig (28/CM) - Samaul FC.
Igor Stavash (22/CM) - Bahia FC.
Edgar Travahl (25/RM) - Campo de Libélula SC.

Forward

Igor Santahl (23/AT) - Porto Espinhosa FC.
Manuel Yakuro (25/ST) - Luz das Estrelas SC.
Vicente Yakhtar (27/AT) - SC. Tabeira
André Rakrao (24/ST) - Sporting Gajhikapakka

Personnel Kits
Home : Shirt - Red-Yellow Checkerboard, Short - Plain White
Away : Shirt - Red-White Stripes, Short - Plain Yellow
GK Kits : All Black

RP Permission
Opponent may do the following if they RP first
Choose my scorer: Y
Choose Scoring Events: Y
Godmod Scoring Events: Y
RP Injuries to My Players: Y (No career-ending)
Yellow Card My Player: Y (max. 3 players per match)
Red Card My Player: Y (max. 1 player per match)
Godmod Other Events: N

by **Saint-Domingues** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:24 am

Saint-Dominguan national football team
Equipe de Saint-Domingue de football (French)
Selección Santo Domingo de Fútbol (Spanish)
Ekip foutbòl nasyonal Sen-Domink (Creole)

Information
The Saint-Domingue national football team represents the Republic of Saint-Domingue in association football and is controlled by the Saint-Domingue Football Association (SDFA), the governing body for football in Saint-Domingue. The team is coached by Camilo Canisbro, Saint-Domingue's first Hispanophone head coach.

Nicknamed 'the Avengers', the senior side have recently made their competitive bow at the Wonder Cup, following on from appearances by the youth sides at the U18 World Cup and the Di Bradini Cup. As the team were relatively successful at the Wonder Cup, Canisbro has elected to name an almost exact same squad from that tournament and they will immediately fly out to compete at the Baptism of Fire once it is concluded. There is just one change to the squad, with Daniel Trinchard out after media clashes with the coach over his handling of the players. The striker had effectively been in exile during the Wonder Cup and is replaced by 21 year-old Nico Pozo of PAP. Pozo was recently leading the line for the Dominguan U21s at the Di Bradini Cup in Valanora, where he scored 2 goals from 4 appearances.

Head Coach: Camilo Canisbro
Captain: Guillaume Boleyn
Style: -2

No.	Pos.	Player	Age	Caps	Goals	Club
1	GK	Jules Binet	28	9	0	Saint-Marc
2	DEF	Mathieu Ahearn	26	5	0	Jérémie
3	DEF	Jacques Charbonneau	28	3	0	Gonaïves
4	MID	Maxence Vignon	24	3	0	La Navidad
5	DEF	Guillaume Boleyn	27	10	0	Jérémie
6	DEF	Kevin Le Guen	23	6	0	Les Cayes
7	MID	Adama Keller	26	5	0	PAP
8	MID	Carlos Sanabria	31	10	1	Atlético Domingo
9	FWD	Julien Babesco	25	10	6	La Navidad
10	FWD	Jean-Pierre Jeune	27	8	2	PAP
11	FWD	Diego Palacio	32	8	1	Atlético Felipe
12	DEF	Alfredo Cotilla	23	10	0	La Navidad
13	GK	Bruno Mastache	34	1	0	Atlético Domingo
14	FWD	Nico Pozo	21	0	0	PAP
15	DEF	Corentin Sauvage	33	3	0	Le Cap
16	DEF	Antonio Pareja	26	7	0	PAP
17	MID	Fabian Delannoy	17	4	0	Gonaïves
18	DEF	Emilio Campos	30	9	0	Atlético Domingo
19	FWD	Raoul Gimenez	22	7	1	Jérémie
20	MID	Josep Carpeña	25	9	1	Atlético Pantoja
21	MID	Tanguy Lacourse	30	4	0	Les Cayes
22	DEF	Giuseppe Cojuangco	22	6	1	Le Cap
23	GK	Slyvain Deforest	22	1	0	Jacmel

Expected lineup for matchday one:

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y
Give red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y (no death)

by **Stevid** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:11 am

Stevidia National Football Team
Eu Quadrigis Stevidia

BACKGROUND

Stevidia is arguably the most successful national team of any composite state or dominion of the Holy Empire. Since its inception in 1901, Stevidia has never competed on the world football stage and has only ever competed regionally in the Dienstadi Cup. This year marks the team's first foray into those most hallowed of competitions, the Baptism of Fore Cup and the World Cup. Seeing as they have never competed in either competition before there is great trepidation among the players and staff but thankfully no pressure - for any result this year is better than last year's!

The Stevidia team are well loved for their flamboyancy in attack and usually prefer a wide direct approach. But they are also adaptable and so are comfortable at narrow tikki-takka short play.

MANAGEMENT

Head Coach: Davidicus Asper
Assistant Coach: Marcus Meridius
Goalkeeper Coach: Lucius Proclus
General Coach: Maximus Matho
Medical Director: Francessa Certus

Style Modifier : +3
Formation : 4-1-4-1 (Wide)

PLAYER ROSTER

Goalkeepers

Defence

Midfield

Attack

JERSEYS

PREFERED LINE UP

FIRST TEAM

PERMISSIONS

Code: Select all: My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following: Godmod scoring events: Y RP injuries to my players: Y Godmod injuries to my players: Y (TG) Give red cards to my players: N Godmod other events: Y (TG)

by **Yerapia** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:18 am

Yerapias local sports network says;

we gonna win lol

by **Banija** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 3:06 pm

@ABSMgamblingguide As sports gambling becomes more and more popular, we've started a gambling guide twii.tur account- what bets to take, and what bets to not take, and the general sports gambling scene in Banija and beyond!

@ABSMgamblingguide Unsurprisingly, the most popular bets to win the Baptism of Fire (and Ice) are on the nations Banijans are most familiar with. A stunning 45% of Banijan bettors who have put money on a winner have put money on Ranoria. 30% combined are on Saint-Domingues, Khytonya, Caryton, and Icecliff. The remaining 25% are on, for a lack of a better term, the rest of the field. #BoF74

@ABSMgamblingguide This is almost an impossible tournament to gamble on- nobody has any idea how good these teams will be. Just inferring- Khytonya whipped the Banijan women at the Wonder Cup. Ranoria has strong baseball and gridiron programs, maybe that can transfer to soccer. etc...

@ABSMgamblingguide We'll help as best as we can! One thing to note is the scouts- which teams are Banijan clubs scouting? We've got reports that S-FPL scouts will be covering Ranoria's opener and Khytonya's opener at the very least, and surely there will be more to come. Sure to be a fun tourney! #FireAndIce

by **Bluecliff** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 4:38 pm

Just two months ago, the fourteen free cities (and urban areas, if we're really insisting on being particular) of the Bluecliff League united to form a political union of the sort previously thought impossible. Having only ever shared the spare economic relationship, language, trade deal, war, civil war, trade war, cold war, monarchic union, conquest, reluctant proximity, electoral tension, occasional rebellion, nebulously-defined trade union (different than a trade deal somehow), and geographic space with each other, the fourteen free cities now find themselves dealing with being actively perceived, together, on the international stage as a "country" that has some semblance of "unity." Phew.

Not only are they electing thousands of politicos to a joint parliament, not only are they cobbling together a way to provide a single head of state out of fourteen (twenty-eight, really, because traditionally the heirs apparent to each of the thrones also sat on the Council of Kings (the predecessor to the union) but the Council didn't really have much power and after some democratic movements and rebellions (and flat-out wars) led to the majority of the fourteen free cities becoming Republics and their respective Vice-Presidents and Foreign Ministers replacing Crown Princes, the Council's clout was greatly diminished, and, unable to control even the sheer length of the run-on sentences used to describe themselves, they are not seen by the majority of the newly-minted Bluecliffians as possessing the political mandate to so much as invent a better demonym), not only are they busy with indiscernible feuds with one another, now the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League must present their roster for the Seventy-Fourth Baptism of Fire. Sorry. I mean, *ahem*

the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League

must

Present

Their Roster for the Seventy-Fourth Baptism of Fire

The Bluecliff League has spent the essentially the first two months of its existence nearly at blows with one another, trying to agree on an order in which to present a list of the Fourteen Free Cities. Alphabetical order was deemed unacceptable because "Alfoda Aljodillu has never deserved to come first anywhere." The debate culminated in a local ordinance in Kahiang proclaiming that, for purposes of "international diplomacy and brotherhood," K was to be treated as the first letter of the alphabet. The cities (and urban areas) are presented here in the order in which they appear on the roster, a decision that threatens to destroy the nascent union and that tears at the very fabric of the Bluecliff League.
They are:

The element of the names you find in CAPITAL LETTERS is the name listed on the shirt, and is the name that local announcers and media generally use to refer to the players and staff. You can, of course, call the players whatever you want. The Bluecliff League can barely agree on whether it's composed of fourteen free cities or fourteen free cities ^{and urban areas}, and doesn't have the time, ability, or inclination to deal with you.

Staff

Manager: Ninyan MAKKAK (RUV)

There is no prestige in managing the Bluecliff League's national team, which nobody in Bluecliff has ever heard of or understands, and there is every prestige in domestic success or in leading one's free city to victory in the biannual Bluecliff Championship. Now that's international football. Crowning one champion out of fourteen. The WCC stuff is a barely comprehensible afterthought, a bonus for the all-stars with enough free time to sign on to the Bluecliff League's national team (again, not a concept anyone here can handle).
All that is to say, Ninyan Makkak isn't exactly the crème de la crème of the Bluecliff football scene. He wasn't the first choice of the football federation, but that's because the unified football federation didn't exist until fifty-nine days ago, and didn't submit a list of managers for consideration because they were too busy hiring staff and assorted undersecretaries from neighboring cities who hate each other. If they had submitted their list, though, it would have been worse than the standard malpractice to put Makkak near the top. He's a respectable enough tactician, though, and signed up for the job in part because he's a member of the small Bluecliffian (???, the League still needs to fight out a demonym, and the suggestion from the Beryèzians to use "Beryèzian" for everyone was sadly recently dismissed after careful consideration, a close vote, and four resignations) minority who are enthusiastic about the new union. This means he may actually try to deliver a win or two for the League.

Assistant Manager: Makara KEHO (KHN)

This guy has no clue. Seriously. None. Tossed in at the last minute because the football federation realized that only sending one single staff member was a bad look, he's not even happy to be here. Barely even understands the concept of football, let alone the concept of an international tournament. Seriously, no clue. Adds absolutely nothing to the team and has served only to confuse everyone in the delegation as to the reasoning behind his presence. There is none. No. Clue. The dude doesn't get it at all.

Starting XI

Goalkeeper: Fridèk HÒJAK (BER) (captain)

It really can't be overstated how much the players on this team do not consider themselves to be Bluecliffians or representatives of the Bluecliff League in any shape or form. Not only do they dislike their comrades and have no sense of the political legitimacy of the League they claim to represent, they do not understand or care about WCC competition. It's an afterthought, a little bonus tour for the best players in the Bluecliff Championship.
Fridèk Hòjak got the captain's armband, and some might say his spot on the team, for rejecting all of that. He is gung-ho about returning some victories, silverware, and legitimacy to the nascent union, to the great annoyance of his teammates. He's a staunch supporter of a joint parliament that convened last week to regulate "the growth and sale of the noble banana" and came to blows over the differences in regional identity inherent in the formatting of the second page of the regulation. He understands and follows the WCC events, knowing what a KPB ranking is and the basic premise of the Baptism of Fire. Further exasperating even Ninyan Makkak, who shares his pro-union stances, he's also an excellent shot-stopper.

Left Center-back: Fiak BUNIR (BLS)

Bunir is likely the best player on the team. He's quite happy to claim the title of "best player," it's the "on the team" he takes issue with. Belesad sent two players to the national team, ostensibly because their footballing prowess and wealth of talent entitled the Procterate to a larger allocation of players. Those masochists who are in the know about the internal politics of the Fourteen Free Cities (and urban areas), however, will be quick to tell you that the allocation wasn't based on sporting merit so much as it was based on the Belesadian government neglecting demonym duty to demand, then beg for, then plead for, a high profile. Bunir is fuming at being included, and would much rather be at home focused on club and national glory. Once the high profile the Belesaders craved was granted, however, they immediately ordered their top talent to the team, meaning the Belesadis will be overrepresented in both footballing skill and personal resentment.
Happy to stay back and defend or even play up the wing a bit, Bunir is more agressive than Rosadyo, his counterpart on the right and plays further to the outside. That can sometimes leave the left vulnerable, especially because Makkak plays with only three at the back, but more often than not it just makes Bunir look good.

Center-back: Tīnisivitolīno VĪLALATONOsatānatino (IST)

It's not a typo. Īlasatasēvan second names, though written as one word, are double-barreled, and generally only the first is used to refer to the individual. It's not a typo. One of the chief hangups in the negotiation of the political union was the proclivity by the foreign media to refer to Īlasatasēvan individuals with both names. Seriously, it's not a typo. It is borderline bigotry to suggest otherwise and treat any Īlasatasēvan double-barreled last name as a single unit.
Anyway, Vīlalatonosatānatino is a bit of an enigma when it comes to the team. He's played countless international games for Īlasatasēva, he's a club personality, and he is now making his debut with the Bluecliff league on the real international stage, but he is not, as you say, "good." Not only is he the weak link in the Bluecliff back line, he and his countrymate Mātusupa'ulīno Palamē'iloteletāto, sent together in a last-ditch attempt to build some solidarity in the regionally-fragmented squad, absolutely despise each other. The personal animosity has grown to the point that Vīlalatonosatānatino has been known to send an errant pass to the wing rather than a simple one to his countryman. His presence in the starting lineup has taken precedence over defeating the other members of Group F as the main puzzle currently occupying Ninyan Makkak.

Right Center-back: Himeno ROSADYO Rayes (ILV)

Rosadyo is so goddamn sick of everything that's described above and below that when he was asked by the Ila Vardeda sporting authorities to represent them on the team, he said yes before hearing the details just to shut them up. In his early thirties, he sees himself as a bit past getting all excited about sporting novelties like the Baptism of Fire. He was selected because he's a solid defender, point final, deal with it. Old-school in his approach and his philosophy, he is perfectly content to simply stop attacks, leaving the innovation to Bunir on his left. He's also perfectly happy to not talk politics, not deal with his teammates, and get the damn tournament over with - the only thought or skin he has in the game is a vaguely-formed inkling that maybe he should have been chosen to wear the armband, but he has neither the motivation nor the Ruvaslânan language skills to take it up with Makkak.
That's another key note that may have been glossed over with all the talk of political anger and banana regulation. Precious few of the players here representing Bluecliff share a language with each other, much less a common goal, and barely even an appreciation for the game.

Left Midfielder: Olegärjo Damjôn LUKAS Roča (GRT)

The quick 19-year-old Grenďteran, in addition to hailing from a free city and urban area that has actually figured out a decent demonym for itself, has actually earned his spot on the team through sporting merit after a rigorous selection process. This is something so clearly in line with the right way to form a Bluecliff League national team from players representing all fourteen free cities that, sensing something was wrong, the fledgling union government opened a criminal inquiry into Lukas' grandfather, a banking executive. The claims that the spot on the national team was purchased don't seem very credible when considering the fact that nobody cares about the national team, and by all accounts this gentleman isn't particularly fond of his grandson. The case actually may define the terms of the Bluecliff League, as Grenďtera alternates between defying and cooperating with the hapless League authorities.
Internal politics is the last thing anyone wants to discuss, as much as some of Lukas' teammates would love to pay their way out of the team sheet. Despite the drama, Lukas is a decent left midfielder and a spot of promising talent, and because of the drama, absolutely nobody cares.

Defensive Midfielder: Mātusupa'ulīno PALAMĒ'ILOteletāto (IST)

Again, not a typo, not a typo, not a typo. Palamē'iloteletāto forms the second half of the fragile Īlasatasēvan spine down the middle of the formation. He has two major differences with his countryman the center-back. The first is, of course, that Mātusupa'ulīno Palamē'iloteletāto possesses a modicum of footballing talent and will not look completely out of place in the starting eleven of a team playing in an international tournament. The second difference is everything else. The two Īlasatasēvans despise each other, and let personal animosity get in the way of their play pretty much every time they step on the field with each other. Often refusing to pass or cooperate in any way with each other, this means that the middle is the most vulnerable section of Bluecliff's defense.
Palamē'iloteletāto, at least, redeems himself a bit by getting on quite well with everyone else on the team, and in playing competent football. He is the anchor of the midfield and generally expects to be the start of any attack (not that this crew has ever, you know, played together).

Right Midfielder: Vasit Acram Nur ADDIN AJME (ALA)

In the most diplomatic way possible, the government and relevant government departments of Alfoda Aljodillu made it explicitly clear that they wanted to play absolutely zero part in the union's project of chasing such lofty goals as "international recognition." As the Aljodillan economy is one of the major keystones to the entire Bluecliff League project, they expected to be understood. We know by now that that is ridiculous. The fledgling union government had much more important, nation-creating things to do than accept the full report of the Subtleties Committee. When they came to the Aljodillans looking for players, Vasit - a solid midfielder in his mid-20s who's always looking for opportunities to develop his distribution and attacking streak - accepted, learning a couple hours too late of the official policy.
If Addin Ajme performs well in the Baptism of Fire, the Aljodillans are prepared to take full credit for developing such a star, the pride of the young union. If he remains a mere above-average midfielder, though, well, he's always been a rogue.

Left Winger: Sumāne Éloi DUBOIS (COL)

The Football Federation provided one single stroke of brilliance, and it's what may very well save the team from utter humiliation, and perhaps even deliver a victory or two. They put two Colhautois attackers together on the team. Dubois and his compatriot Salamono share rare traits for Bluecliffian teammates. They like each other, they share a language, and they have genuine chemistry on the pitch. None of their teammates come close to possessing these rare qualities. Colhaut is generally regarded as one of the best footballing cities in the league, so much so that some in the Football Federation, desperate to slack off their jobs, suggested simply sending the full Colhautois team to the Baptism of Fire. This was eventually whittled down to just the two attackers, who have taken it as their duty to bang in at least more than Zul Buru scores for Belesad.
Dubois, for his part, is a pacy left winger who is more than happy to both cover and pass into the midfield, but stays to the outside on attacks. His endurance is likely the highest of anyone at the Baptism of Fire, and, coming from the rare Bluecliffian city where the government concerns itself with the quality of its international athletes, he regularly defeats the rest of the squad, save Bunir, in skill competitions.

Right Winger: Zul BURU (BLS)

Zul Buru and Sumāne Éloi Dubois have a friendly rivalry. They often push each other to do better, and their relationship is undoubtedly a good thing for the Bluecliff team and for each of them individually. This needs to be made explicit, because the only other personal relationship of any note on the team is the raw, white-hot hatred between the two Īlasatasēvans. Again, Buru and Dubois channel the historic rivalry between Belesad and Colhaut into a good-natured competitive spirit that is one of the few genuine bright spots for the Bluecliff delegation. Vīlalatonosatānatino and Palamē'iloteletāto, who were only added together in hopes that Īlasatasēvan solidarity would strengthen the back line, genuinely cannot stand each other and actively work against each other. One of them can barely play the game of football. Their hatred is raw and ugly and they never smile, it's creepy.
This is just to make clear the abundant differences between the wings and the center of the Bluecliff formation. Buru, a bit older than the other attackers, is also more likely to cut inside from the right and score rather than send in a cross. He is also more likely to act civilly and play to win. You'd think that didn't need to be said.

Center Forward: Sua'ili Po'ipelo SALAMONO (COL)

Playing under the Colhautois flag with Dubois has allowed Salamono to refine his game as a sort of modified number 10, content to drop back to support Ramire, the sole striker, but always on the attack. In Colhaut, this position allows him to scavenge spare rebounds and finish them off, a task at which he is among the best in Bluecliff. The attacking structure was kept by Makkak mostly as a matter of necessity. There's nothing else to do with these players but to stick them where they are most familiar, which makes an unwieldy puzzle for the medium-competence tactician, if not a particular brain teaser. In keeping with the fact that the Bluecliff attack is much more coherent than the defense, Salamono shares a strong affinity with the man to his left, Dubois, and his striker, Cota. His experiences with the wing man from Belesad have been less pleasant than Dubois', but again, every single personal relationship pales in comparison to the blood feud between the Īlasatasēvans.

Striker: Mark COTA Ramire (ILV)

Ila Vardeda isn't a particular goal-scoring powerhouse, nor is Cota a particularly prolific scorer in the Vardedan league. He would, in fact, be forgiven for assuming that his role in the team is to fire off shots so that his teammates on the attack can finish off the rebounds. Ila Vardeda stacked up their representation in the team more than any other Free City and urban area, though, and they chose their players meticulously. Many scouts in the local scene think the Cota is about to break into his prime, and perhaps a stint on the road playing with no-name nations in the World Cup instead of under the bright lights and heavy pressure that we all know define the Vardedan domestic league is exactly what he needs.

Reserves

Goalkeeper: Fernando SEDVONTE Zapatedo (ILV)
Eager to prove himself to the few back home that may happen to turn on the TV, Sedvonte primarily is interested in domestic opportunities in Ila Vardeda. He's opposed to the union and opposed to the choice of starting keeper, but a chance for playing time is a chance for playing time.

Goalkeeper: Maacaryo PORAAS Cantuu (PII)
Piinos Valdiios did what Alfoda Aljodillu couldn't, because the Piinian officials played the game instead of choosing a decent demonym. If you want to keep your players home in the domestic system and reinforce your standing in the upper echelon of Bluecliff football, eagerly volunteer one single third-string keeper rather than snub the Football Federation outright. Poraas doesn't get it, doesn't want to, and doesn't care.

Defense: Radoslaf LÀNIK (BER)
Lànik's agent, friends, family, and inner circle are all giddy at the prospect of him claiming the starting job in the center of the back line. They'll stop at nothing to expose the very clear and obvious incompetence of Vīlalatonosatānatino. Lànik could not care less.

Defense: Saompaorn BONAG (KHN)
Bonag, unlike a certain other member of the delegation from Kahiang, gets it. Adept on the right flank, he was sent to the Baptism of Fire by the Kahiang national team, which is using the WCC events as a training camp for all the young prospects they can pack a plane with.

Midfield: Whirun KOTORI (ANA)
The Free City of Anatarīpatuhianata, of course, considers it the height of insult that their man isn't on the starting 11, at least until someone accidentally slips a couple centimeters into their port without authorization. They only submitted the one player, though, labeled "MIDFIELD" and with a strong foot and frame but no strong area of specialization. In fact, Kotori prides himself on being able to back up every midfielder if needed.

Midfield: Ratão Lachmi TCHÔDRI (NLB)
Tchôdri sees himself as a sort of standard-bearer for Nialabade and the local football scene there, often thought of as less than relevant. He sees the fact of his selection for the Bluecliff team as proof that Nialabade is taken seriously when it comes to football. Problem is, nobody takes the Bluecliff team seriously.

Midfield: Luwik LEƔAN (ZWA)
Leɣan stands out from the rest of the players in that he has a legitimate complaint to raise regarding the treatment of his nation. In a scandal far too convoluted and mind-numbingly boring to teach you about, Zwazu was cheated out of representation on the League's team. Leɣan will tell anyone who'll listen two things - every detail about the intricacies of this scandal, which might be something to do with doping, and that it's called the "Latin Gamma" and pronounced "gh," or exactly how it looks if you know the IPA.

Attack: Setefana YAKOTA (VHD)
The veteran wing man from Vosohodo Dreki is as versatile as he is slow, and his club was glad to be rid of him for a month or so. While the Drekian national team has seen better days, they were all under Yakota's captaincy, and on a good day he's still got plenty to give the new union, which he is oddly enthusiastic about.

Attack: Tumas UKYAQA (RUV)
The compatriot of the manager has a major problem for his first team ambitions: the manager has never heard of him, and neither has anyone else.

Kits

The general consensus (a rare thing to find in Bluecliff) is that, while the football federation went a bit overboard by splashing the fourteen-diamond ring from the flag everywhere they possibly could, the outfits are the best part of the squad. Purchasing and wearing the jersey will likely do more for League unity than watching the matches will, especially with the players making no effort to hide their animosity towards each other.
Copy-pasting from a hastily-written press release here, the home colors are a clean black-and-blue with white and gray pinstripes, and the elegant splash of a half-ring of seven diamonds on the right shoulder is an ingenious element of design. It allows everyone in Bluecliff to insist that their free city and urban area is represented by one of the seven diamonds, while their neighbors or latest scapegoats were deservedly dropped. Over the heart is the full ring of fourteen diamonds on the flag, which serves as the League's crest, and of course represents the union of the fourteen free cities. The away colors are alternating stripes of white and gray, with the crest in blue enlarged and in the middle of the chest, and blue trim on the sleeves. Also on the sleeves of both shirts can be found the flag of the Free City from which a given player hails.

There is no third kit, and producing one would take up so many negotiation and committee rooms that the Football Federation formed a committee to decide, in a marathon session of heated debate that lasted well into the night, not to bother. If an opponent has color clashes with both kits, however, the Federation has appointed a standing committee to resolve the matter, and they will issue a decision on whether or not to assemble a task force to define the issue to be addressed shortly.

Tactics

Manager Ninyan Makkak has no idea what he signed up for in terms of keeping the personalities of the team balanced. Manager Ninyan Makkak has no idea what he signed up for in terms of navigating fourteen separate deeply complex political minefields. Manager Ninyan Makkak gets a bad rap, though, and knows exactly what he signed up for in terms of trying to win football games. He's not a big name, not a gung-ho personality, but understands players and where to put them and that a ball in the net is a goal.

He'll play an unconventional 3-5-1-1 formation in an attempt to wring the most utility out of his hodgepodge of players. The defense has already descended into a festival of drama and is impossible to keep together. Only a fool would think Bluecliff will stop any shots. Makkak is resigned to this, and will play a +4 style game to take full advantage of his relative strength in attack. The only reason he's not going all-out attack right off the bat is because he's "not one for extremes."

Makara Keho has no clue.

RP Permissions

If it can happen in an RL game of football, you can do it. If it's highly improbable that something happens in an RL game of football, it's highly improbable I will want you to do it.
There's no such thing as COVID-19 in Bluecliff nor is there currently any ongoing public health crisis in Bluecliff nor is there any need for one. They have enough on their plate already.
Please keep those caveats in mind when you see a "Yes."

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

by **Bonbokh u Piche** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:18 pm

Pesjafarolués Bonbo-Pichoso fa Jídgem
Bonbo-Pichean Football Confederation

National Football Team of Bonbokh u Piche "The Bonbokh u Peeps"

The BoF74 is the great debut for the Bonbokh u Piche National Team. The mountainous country began its first professional football season last year after ten years of arduous armed struggle for its sovereignty. After completing the 38 weeks of competition, the PBPJ got down to work to manage the creation of a team that would bring together the best of the best in the country. Nordús Lubupo was chosen by the Confederation as the best coach of the season, after winning the title of Muko Brásuar champion under PO Usfildruomakh. Lubupo signed a contract as coach of the national team, and selected the twenty-three players who represent the country in this competition.

Claimant, together with Tioguldós, of the former territory of Orkasduso, the People's Republic of Bonbokh u Piche has a population of 6,437,838 inhabitants. Despite their small population, they manage to assemble a competitive national team, capable of taking on whoever they face. Of course, the years of revolutionary war have seriously impaired the sports capabilities of the Bonbo-Pichean institutions. Only time will be able to mend the damage, and Bonbokh u Piche plans to work hard to reach that point as soon as possible.

The merits of the sister People's Republic of Tioguldós on the international scene motivate the Bonbokh u Peeps. Whereas, historically, Bonbokh u Piche has closely followed in the footsteps of Tioguldós, both in political and institutional matters. In the country, the economic opening towards the international market is seriously considered, which could greatly strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic league in the long term. However, a large part of the population prefers more rigid measures, which actively protect the local economy. The outcome of the economic policies decided will strongly affect Muko Brásuar, and football in Bonbokh u Piche.

History

The history of Bonbokh u Piche begins many centuries in the past, with the arrival of the first settlers to the area. Various native peoples settled along the Pichean mountains, and near the rivers in the great Bonboan steppe. For centuries they inhabited these lands, until the arrival of foreign settlers, from the Alboxian Empire. They used their technological superiority to enslave and exploit the natives. The original populations were decimated.

The colonial regime lasted hundreds of years, until a revolution supported mainly by descendants of the colonizers overthrew the monarchical regime and imposed a presidential republic: the Republic of Orkasduso. However, the abolition of slavery did little to the native peoples, who continued to be oppressed and exploited by the growing oligarchy. Apart from this, the majority population of mixed descendants of natives and Alboxians did not live in much better conditions. The widespread unrest in Orkasduso only worsened over the years. Except for a few short periods of rulers who hardly helped the people, the predominant policies in Orkasduso were neocolonial.

However, the regime would not last forever. Millions of people were poor, many others very vulnerable. Hunger, unemployment, difficulty in accessing health and education services, corruption. The system collapsed and fell apart during the Tiog Revolution, ten years ago. Shortly after the uprisings began, the town declared the formation of the Bonbo-Pichean State. The dying Republic of Orkasduso did not give up easily, and the civil war dragged on for years. Fortunately, the territories claimed by Bonbokh u Piche were not so aggressively contested. The bulk of the troops were sent to the eastern territories.

Politics

In many respects, the Communist Party of Bonbokh u Piche took the experience of the Communist Party of Tioguldós as a guide in its political and economic actions. Like its eastern neighbors, Bonbokh u Piche is organized as a People's Republic, governed by its workers and administered through democratic centralism. The territory is divided into six provinces, whose representatives are key in making decisions at the national level.

Regarding its policies, in Bonbokh u Piche private property is reserved for light industry and businesses, while all heavy industry or the producer of key goods and services for society is controlled by the workers. The country is in a process of economic development that seeks to eliminate all means of subtraction of the value of the work of the people. The general premise that governs the Bonbo-Pichean model is 'the private property is a violation of the right to individual property.'

Culture

Bonbo-Pichean people are usually very distant and closed. Their attitude should not be confused with xenophobia, since they are, for the most part, openly internationalists. Still, they are usually loners and prefer not to be disturbed. It's easy to drive a Bonbo-Pichean into a rage. While they are not particularly violent, they are prone to losing their cool and perhaps exchanging the occasional insult. As long as they are respected, the Bonbo-Pichean will never interfere in matters that do not concern them.

The language spoken in Bonbokh u Piche is Tiog, spoken almost exclusively there and in Tioguldós. A curiosity of this language, and of the Bonbo-Pichean / Tiog culture, is the absence of gender as a concept. All people consider themselves the same, and they see only a superfluous difference in biological sex. Each and every one of them share the pronouns 'ekhe / ekhekh.'

As fans they are extremely loyal, although they can seem too calm and quiet compared to other fans. Few of them can afford to accompany the national team to other countries, since Bonbokh u Piche is very poor. The new economic model and the cooperation of the international community are expected to be key in improving the productive forces in the country.

Kits

Home - Away

Staff and players

Coach: Nordús Lubupo
Assistant coach: Nosiam Derratés
GK coach: Arup Fam Lim
Fitness coach: Pagus Nordúsal
Doctor: Óstam Naso
Physiotherapist: Norlame Kénal

Squad:

Tactics

Formation: 5-4-1
Style Mod: -3

Despite the clearly aggressive style that his Usfildruomakh used last season, coach Lubupo opted for a very defensive approach to face the Baptism of Fire. Not because he considers the Bonbokh u Peeps to be in a bad spot to win the title, but because "he sees in the Bonbo-Pichean players an enormous capacity for containment and counterattack," as he clarified in a press conference.

His 5-4-1 focuses exclusively on forcing opponents to play on the wings and send balls into the box. There, the three center-backs of the team take advantage of their great stature and physical strength to reject cross balls. The team then uses its volatile midfielders to get the ball to Tunase Kereldulo, the great star of the team.

RP permissions
If my opponent RP first, they may do the following

Choose my scorer: Yes
Choose Scoring events: Yes
God-mod Scoring event: Yes
RP injuries to my Players: Yes
God-mod injuries to my Player: Yes
Yellow Card my Players: Yes 
Red Card my Player: Yes
God-mod Other Events: Yes
                   : Yes

by **Quemorr Isles** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:20 pm

We're just one day out from our first Baptism of Fire game, and we're in Háttmark, Græntfjall for the game. It's a big one, too, against Muralos, the winners of the second International Football Cup. And it may be our easiest. Because the rest of our group contains Sannyamathland, The H Corporation, Gouvanarch and the Ponyville Separatists of Twicetagria Canterlot Territories or whatever the fuck they're called. All good sides.

It's unarguably the hardest group of this Baptism of Fire and there are suspicions that our friends Sylestone might have rigged it so that they could laugh at us when we lose really badly. If we're that bad, which we may not be. Hopefully not. We can beat every side here, but every side can also beat us. As the Blue Whale said, "It must be a compliment to put us un a group with 5 of the other best 10 teams in the competition. Maybe we can actually do this!"

But then again, some fishies think that Quemorr Isles will beat everyone in the group very easily. Here is what the Great White Shark thinks of the group:

Muralos:
There's a reason why their last syllable is homophonic with the word "loss." It's simply because they're going to lose to us.

The H Corporation:
How is someone with a Corporation called "H" going to beat us mighty fish? Also they're a corporation, so they're already at a disadvantage.

Sannyamathland:
These guys have a pretty sick name, but their national football team isn't so. They aren't even fish shakes head.

Gouvanarch:
They are very new to the sporting fold, so they will naturally be at a disadvantage to us mighty Quemorrese. The only thing on their side is that they're from Esportiva, which is nearly as sexy as Sonnel.

PSTCT:
I mean, they could be good but they're ponies (not even fish), so they will automatically lose. They also have a retardedly long name which has to be shortened.

So it's pretty obvious were going 5-0-0, right? Right? OK, clearly not. But we may as well believe.

by **Gouvanarch** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:32 pm

The picture opens up to a room that looks like out of a museum. Ceiling to floor tapestries depicting scenes from Gouvanarch, mostly what seems like royalty, with very bright purple colour visible from between the tapestries, gold guilded crown moulding that extends onto the exposed beams crossing the room. The parquet flooring is partially hidden by rich carpets on top of which stands a massive desk polished to an almost immaculate mirror effect and two high-back chairs behind it, with the same gaudy purple fabric that also is covering the walls and two elderly men in clothing that resembles the kind you will see in depictions of medieval French nobility, complete with frilly white shirts and long grey hair and beards. For some reason the picture quality is kind of dark and fuzzy as if there is insufficient lighting and also hinting at the camera equipment not being the most up-to-date. Suddenly two men in the livery of servants walk into the picture, holding up a wooden board that has some parchment tacked onto it, stopping in front of the camera, reading "Al Kevredigezh Gouvanarchais Mell-Droad kinnig al Badeziant e Tan 74" in a very elegant handwritten script. As soon as they exit the picture left, two more men come with a similar board that reads "La Federation de Football Gouvanarchais présente le Baptême du Feu 74". They exit making room for the third pair of servants. This time the sign reads "The Gouvanarch Football Federation presents the Baptism of Fire 74". As they march off, the camera does not zoom in on the two distinguished gentlemen, but actually moves closer instead. One of the gentlemen who had not been paying attention to what was happening turns his head towards the camera and immediately freezes up.

Uenomail de Mesnildo: De-degemer mat-- W-welcome a n-notre armel conference. Mon anv is Uenomail de Mesnildo and je suis the president de Kevredigezh Gouvarchanais Mell-Droad.

Sweat becomes visible on his forehead despite the poor picture quality and he lifts his hand before keeling over forwards out of his chair. From the off a groan and a "Pas encore!" ("Not again!") can be heard before two servants rush by, grabbing Monsieur de Mesnildo under the arms, dragging him from the visible part of the room. The gentleman in the other chair had not looked at his colleague even once and out of nowhere begins to speak.

Yezekaël de Bethencourt: Je profite de cette occasion pour me présenter en tant que Yezekaël de Bethencourt, vice-président de la Fédération de Football de Gouvanarch et j'ai l'honneur de vous accueillir au Baptême du Feu, le premier tournoi dans lequel notre estimé nation entre sur la scène internationale dans l'espoir d'apporter la fierté à Gouvanarch et de montrer au reste du monde de quoi les vrais Gouvanarchais sont faits, force, honneur, compétitivité, englobant tout ce qui a fait de notre principauté une grande depuis des centaines d'années, à l'insu des nations qui nous entourent ou ceux qui participent à ce tournoi scintillant de masculinité, de virilité, de force et de technique, réunis dans un affrontement passionnant de valeur et de compétitivité internationales, culminant dans ce qui sera la plus belle heure de Gouvanarch dans l'histoire du sport, nous marquant à jamais dans les almanachs et les livres d'histoire comme l'une des entrées les plus magnifiques dans le monde du football.

At this point he seems to breathe for the first time. From the off someone is urgently whispering "Anglais!", which seems to take Monsieur de Bethencourt by surprise. A servant comes into view, once again carrying a wooden board, which this time resembles more of a plank, with another long parchment affixed to it, which reads as follows:

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as Yezekaël de Bethencourt, vice president of the Football Federation of Gouvanarch and it is my honour to welcome you to the Baptism of Fire, the first tournament that our esteemed nation is entering on the international stage in the hopes to bring pride to Gouvanarch and show the rest of the world what true Gouvanarchais are made of, strength, honour, competitiveness, encompassing everything that has made our principality great for the past hundreds of years, unbenownst to the nations surrounding us or the ones participating in this scintillating tournament of masculinity, virility and both strength and technique, brought together in an exciting clash of international valour and competitiveness, culminating in what will be Gouvanarch's finest hour in sporting history, marking us forever into the almanacs and history books as one of the most magnificent entries into the world of football.

As we get towards the end, a man with a feather quill is following the plank on his knees writing out the last few words before collapsing onto the ground. At this moment another man in seemingly medieval garb walks into view, walking as if floating down the aisle of a church with an air of both dignity and arrogance. A woman in jeans, a light blouse and an ear-piece is trying to keep up with him.

Woman: Monsieur, anglais seulement...

He abruptly stops, causing her to bump into him, losing her ear-piece in the process. He turns and casts a withering look at her.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: I know.

Without wasting another look at her, he floats over to the chair that Monsieur de Mesnildo had just conveniently fallen out of shortly before, sitting down. He looks at the camera with heavy eyelids and begins to speak in an extremely monotonous voice.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Welcome to the Gouvanarch. My name is Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien, minister of sports for the government of Gouvanarch. My message is the following for our subjects in our beloved principality: Gouvanarch win.

With that he stands up again and floats out of view, while Monsieur de Bethencourt is still looking lost, looking at his colleague in bewilderment as if he had not been speaking English but some other alien language. The picture fades to black.

by **Hebitaka** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:05 pm

Hebitaka for BoF 74

Hebitaka has decided to send 18 players for the 74th Baptism of Fire and Ice in Graintfjall.

RP allowed:

Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes(Up to 3)
Godmod other events: No

Style modify:-1

Playing Eleven:

Formation:4-3-3

GK: Ganesh Tinnu(C)
Age: 24
Team: Cantonment Club
Playstyle: Stay and Keepdown

RB: Farid Farhan
Age: 24
Team: Athletic Club
Playstyle: Traditional Stamina and Power play

CB: Takeshi Kazuto
Age: 21
Team: Demolishers
Playstyle: Speed play and Slide Tackles

CB: Rohit Talukdar
Age: 26
Team: Giants
Playstyle: Highly Disciplined and co ordinated game

LB: Baldev Tiltankara
Age: 28
Team: Athletic Club
Playstyle: Modern skill and Speed play

RM: Karan Raziq
Age: 25
Team: Blasters
Playstyle: Traditional Stamina conservation play

CM: Elver Dyne
Age: 23
Team: Athletic Club
Playstyle: Long ball

LM: Krishanu Ramesh Ravi
Age: 30
Team: Daredevils
Playstyle: Moderate passing and Dribble

CF: Nitin Masake
Age: 27
Team: Cheetahs
Playstyle: Stamina and Flank Pass

ST: Ram Vijay
Age: 28
Team: Athletic Club
Playstyle: Skill and Swing Shot

CF: Tarun Masake
Age: 29
Team: Demolishers
Playstyle: Power and Flank Long pass

Subs

Jim Roney(ST)
Anver Direns(RM)
Wazir Fareem(CM)
Chahar Rai(LM)
Hari Sur(RB)
Nasae Matoko(CB)
Raju Verman(GK)

Personels:
Coach: Ravi Heera
Manager(Asst.): Hiroshi Sumoto

by **Cascadia Empire** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:46 pm

Coach Cohen Daniel had always been a mainstay of the Seattle area.

As he drove up from his home on the streets on Lakewood, he could remember this same exact place from his childhood. It hadn’t been the place that he grew up in, that had been the crime ridden Federal Way, which was now in a complete meltdown over crime. Daniel’s family never had much money, many friends, or any popularity at school. He did have one thing though, he was one heel of a soccer player. Since he was a little boy, Daniel had always hoped to play in the League Cascadia, and become a star player in the league.

Even though he never grew up there, Lakewood had always held a very special place in Daniel’s heart. Being a large, speedy striker for Federal Way High School as a kid, it was one hell of a time to play soccer there. Along with him played future Cascadia League Goalie, Roberto Ryan. Daniel always had that dedication he needed to become a star player, and his play would reflect that. Being the top scorer in the Pierce County 3A Soccer Division, Daniel received attention from top academies, namely the local Tacoma Stars team.

In the 2002 3A State Championships, the recently renamed Federal Way High School had made a championship run, but they would have to face one of the greatest Athletic High Schools in the entire Washington State. O’Dea. The Fighting Irish of O’Dea High School from the Rich Suburbs of Bellevue held soccer in high regard, 3 State Championships in 10 years was just a showing of their power, and many thought Federal Way High School didn’t stand a chance. But for Federal Way, they had a player named Cohen Daniel.

After holding O’Dea to 1 goal and getting one of their own, the State Championship game would advance straight to penalty kicks, as was the expectation in Washington State Soccer. Roberto Ryan would save Federal Way on the first shot, although a missed shot from them and O’Dea cashing in the next 2 would set the stage. Ryan saved the shot from O’Dea star Nathaniel Jones. All that was left to do, was for Cohen to put the game away. He did just that. Federal Way, the 3 year old high school, had won state championship, Cohen had no idea what that win on the Lakewood field would start for him, but it would be one of the greatest Cascadia soccer stories ever.

He would go and join the Tacoma Stars after his eventful high school career, but would never become one of the greats that he had hoped to be, due to nagging Ankle Injuries and an ACL tear that would in the end, finish off his career at the ripe age of 33. Still, he was a leader of the Tacoma Stars, and would lead the team in goals during 4 years that the team qualified into the Cascadia League. After his career, he would go into coaching the Tacoma Stars, and would soon rise the ranks, becoming a Head Coach at 38, the second youngest coach in the Cascadia League.

5 years later he would be appointed the coach of the first ever Cascadia National Team, and as he drove on that road, that beautiful Cascadian road, past that same field he had won championship on. Cohen Daniel had a bigger job than reflecting on championships though, and the very reason he was at Lakewood, was to hop on the team bus, so he could fly into Sylestone, for his first ever tournament with the National Team. It would be huge if he could do well, show the world the fast paced greatness of Cascadian soccer, all he could do for now though, was think.

by **Ranoria** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:22 pm

The Journey of Barry Chlorid, the best gridiron kicker in Ranoria!
Whistles came from the modest crowd at Whitehaven High School as Barry Chlorid cut through the opposition, leaving a pair of heavier-set midfielders in his dust and continuing his sprint towards the goal. But he was smarter, no better than that. At the last second, he made a move and passed the ball to a teammate, sliding between the two defenders once their attention shifted, and waved for that teammate to pass the ball.

He did, and what came next was automatic. From the corner and into the other, the boot was perfect.

More whistles, shouts, and enthusiastic claps from a crowd of no more than a few dozen, and Chlorid allowed himself to pump his fist. Not high in the air, no, he was too modest for that. Just a little personal celebration.

He looked over to the bleachers, where his parents waved enthusiastically, his mother ringing her god-awful cowbell that she loved so much, and shot them a grin. His father looked around, giving dirty looks to anyone who showed disdain for that cowbell, and Barry rolled his eyes with a goofy grin.

He hardly even knew what was happening as a runner broke free from the charging defenders. Helmet strapped too tight, feeling constricted in his heavy pads, Barry Chlorid's eyes went wide. He didn’t know what to do. This kid had to be twice his size. However, the competitive drive etched into his very being now acted for him.

The kicker moved not as if he was going to cut off a ball carrier in his domain, kneeled down like he had seen so many of these gridiron meatheads do in practice. The runner appeared to try and make a cut, but he wasn’t fast enough, Barry still managed to intercept him, and launched.

Now, the crowd roared in approval as he made the tackle, more than likely taking a touchdown off the board. And that didn’t feel right, as Chlorid plopped down next to his teammates.

“Make a tackle here and the whole town knows. Pull a hat trick on the soccer field, nobody even cares,” he said dejectedly to the quarterback, who glanced over at him and laughed.

“Hey, lawn fairy,” he punched the kicker playfully on the arm, “That’s because nobody cares about soccer.”

“It’s football, almost every country in the world calls it football!” He retorted.

“Alright, smartass,” the passer did a hair flip, smirked, and pointed at Barry in dramatic fashion, “Then tell me, what sport are we playing?” Not giving him time to respond, he shrugged, his smirk transitioning to a grin, “Exactly. There can only be one football. And your version has two names, so guess what, it’s soccer.”

Their conversation was cut short when the defense got itself a turnover, and their quarterback rushed onto the field.

“Gridiron,” Barry muttered, leaning back and staring into the black sky with a sigh, “We’re playing gridiron football.”

Now, look, getting a scholarship to kick a ball in college is awesome. The problem is, when you’re getting that scholarship to kick the wrong football.

Some could say it’s a good problem to have. Some would probably be right. Hell, who’s going to complain about thirty thousand plus in debt free education? The Cold Hill University Buffalo were a mediocre program, but he was the cherry on top of what had been a fantastic recruiting class for their football team, including wideout Jarrett Hauptmann, corner Clara North, tackle Kevin Eakin, pass rusher Earnest Longhorn, and of course, passer Thorn Davis.

Of course, having the leg that he did, he won the starting job halfway through his first practice. But hey, you try keeping up with your studies when you have gridiron, and Barry always stressed that classification, practice at five in the morning and his preferred sport at five in the afternoon.

Now, one could call him the least consequential member of that class, given two first round picks and four more in the top five rounds. But it’s important to note that Cold Hill’s first NSCF championship, while the team was led by Rhine, he scored 14 points, with two extra points and four field goals. With a standard kicker probably only notching 3 of those five kicks, it’s very possible that a Cougars squad, who was shutout, has a little more motivation to come roaring back.

Anyway, yeah. He’s a stud. And here he is, agreeing to participate in the World Cup, probably the biggest sporting event in the world, on behalf of his country. And hey, he hasn’t played in awhile. Training with some of the best in the world for a few months might not have been enough to knock the rust off. But we’ll sure as hell find out here pretty soon.

by **Muralos** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:09 am

About Muralos
Muralos is a cosmopolitan collection of islands located in the corner of the Far East: RL’s Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. It is home to a population of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and indigenous (Ainu and Nivkh) origins. The official language of Muralos is Esperanto- a language designed to be universal and easy to learn- but the population is exceptionally multilingual, with each citizen knowing an average of 4 languages.

The Muralosian National Soccer Team
(also known as the Hawks, after Muralos’ national animal, the Muralosian Hawk)

The Muralosian national soccer team represents Muralos in association football (or soccer, as it is called in Muralos’ former region Asian Archipelago). It is controlled by the Muralosian Soccer Association, the governing body for soccer in Muralos. Muralos' home ground is the Komcatt Arena in the capital city of Urbego, and its current coach is Jozefo Koltakov, former striker for CSKA Urbego and later Muralosian national team captain.

Kits
Unusually, the Muralosian national soccer team elects to use one kit with the national colors of Muralos.

Diagram of player positions for reference

Roster
The Muralosian roster has not changed in the past four years, save for the addition of reserves. The starting players were quite young when they joined the roster in 2016. Now, they are tried-and-true forces, having won the Second International Football Cup in Squidroidia this year after 4 years of not facing competition.

Starting Lineup of the Muralosian National Soccer Team

#1 Rodion Markov - Goalkeeper - as part of the U-20 Muralosian squad, he was nicknamed "the Prophet" for his formidable accuracy in guessing the direction of penalty kicks and capability to pass very wide, "seeing beyond" any obstacles.
#2 Ryo Takeda - Right back - the only team member with Ainu ancestry and hailed as a symbol of Muralosian diversity and Esperantism. (Of course, he is also a great player in his own right.)
#4 Aleksandro Kim - Center back - born in Kurilo of Korean descent, Kim moved to Urbego at the age of 13 to attend Urbego's Zamenhof High School and was part of the team that won the FIS, Muralos' premier high school championship, in 2008.
#5 Rikardo Lei - Center back - his grandparents were Fengjieans who were doctors during the Muralosian Civil War. (Unfortunately, the nation of Fengjie ceased to exist.) Exceptionally strong defender who played a very large role in the Asian Archipelago Regional Cup, most notably in the match against Elbaron in which the Hawks won 2-1.
#3 Koralo Petrov - Left back - another player who rose to fame through an FIS championship. Makes very wide passes and is regarded as a good team player.
#6 Mikhail Zheng - Left midfield - part of the same FIS-winning team as Aleksandro Kim. Had a brief stint playing in the Premier League of Li Qing (now the Confederation of Australian States) before returning to become a member of the Hawks.
#7 Johano Abramovich - Center midfield - Formidable dribbling skills, also the leader in assists during the Asian Archipelago Regional Cup. Jokingly dubbed "the creative type" by coach Koltakov, Abramovich is known for his long-range, curved shots, which proved useful in Muralos' 7-4 victory against Li Qing in early 2016.
#8 Nikolaj Granda - Center midfield - No relation to Walter Granda, who represents Muralos in professional tennis. Despite what his last name may suggest, Granda is a rather petite player. At only 5'7", his shorter stature allows him to be more agile and less injury-prone compared to taller opponents.
#11 Vilhelmo Lumin - Right midfield - a cum laude graduate of Urbego National University, where he played in the Muralosian University League, Lumin made his first international appearance as a substitute player during the Asian Archipelago Regional Cup. Following the retirement of veteran Klaus Sverov, however, he joined the starting lineup in Muralos' match against New Zhengguo in the Embassy Cup.
#9 Rui - Striker - Born Rui Zhang, he changed his name legally to Rui in July 2014. Remarkably fast and shoots penalties with good accuracy. One of the more underrated members of the team.
#10 Adamo Brava - Striker - the 25-year-old team captain, widely considered to be the star player of the Muralosian team and an answer to some premier overseas soccer players. Despite his status, however, he is also known for his maturity and humility, often representing the Muralosian team in interviews and awards ceremonies.

Reserves of the Muralosian National Men's Soccer Team
The reserves of the Muralosian national men's soccer team are newer to the team, most of them having joined in the summer of this year or in the last few weeks, as the Muralosian Soccer Association consolidated the men's and women's national teams into one co-ed team. This list of players will be updated in due time.

#18 Tanya Lubimova - Goalkeeper
#28 Rebeka Mori - Left back
#30 Daniel "Lerta" Donaldson - Left midfield - played for Zamenhof High School and made major contributions to their semifinal and runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In 2019, he enrolled at the Havenurbo Institute of Technology, where he studies mathematics and plays for the soccer team – reigning University League champions. In the summer of 2020, he was invited to practice with the Muralosian national team, becoming the second African-Muralosian player in the team's history and the youngest player on the current squad.
#21 Georgo Zhong - Center midfield - a current teammate of Lerta Donaldson at Havenurbo Tech and an economics major there. While a student at Nord-Urbo High School, he scored a hat-trick against Urbego High School, securing Nord-Urbo's first FIS qualification in 10 years.)
#23 Galina Shchedrina - Right midfield - a recent graduate of Urbego National University like starting midfielder Vilhelmo Lumin, Shchedrina will be playing in her first ever national team games. She is known to play well in high-pressure situations, making accurate passes even when surrounded by opposing midfielders and defenders.
#20 Valora Lin - Striker - a starter for the former Muralosian woman's national soccer team, Lin's presence on the new co-ed team is a boon for Muralos' efforts in international competition. She is sure to hold her own against starting strikers Adamo Brava and Rui, not to mention any competition she may encounter in the BoF. Coach Jozefo Koltakov has considered playing her as a third striker on the field.

Style Modifier and RP Permissions
Style modifier: +2

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
- Choose my goalscorers: Yes
- Godmod scoring events: No
- RP injuries to my players: Yes
- Godmod injuries to my players: No
- Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
- Hand out red cards to my players: Telegram first. (This Muralosian squad isn’t infallible, but they have been pretty sportsmanlike through the years.)
- Godmod other events: No

by **Regmotto** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:49 am

https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1478997

by **Sannyamathland** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:18 am

by **Ranoria** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:44 am

@DiamondRhine Wait, that kicker we had plays the other football? Weird. Whatever, he's an #NSCFXXChamp

@PhilipLux Happy to announce that @B_Chlorid is joining the @RANPAC_Insurance team! Welcome to the club!#Ad #RANPACInsurance

@RANPAC_Insurance Ranorian National Property and Casualty insurance is proud to welcome@B_Chlorid to our team!#GoKrauts #Ad

@Krauts_Soccer_Official Striker Barry Chlorid has made a name for himself as a gridiron kicker. A 3x 1st team all pro, NSCF XX champion, and a domestic college football champion. We are confident that success will translate to the international stage#BoF74

by **Khytonya** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:44 am

Oh, if they didn't screw at the last chances. News broke out that Khytonya are going to play in the Baptism of Fire on the same day as the finals of the Wonder Cup. What seems to be a preparation revision turns into a literal test of endurance. Should Khytonya reach the finals of the tournament, the RKFA would need to engineer a new plan to fill up the whole squad to start the first match against Aeprelh. Eventually, they decided the senior squad should participate in the BoF while the U-21 squad plays in the finals to decide the winner of the Wonder Cup. This is the second time the RKFA received controversy due to poor timing judgment in terms of the dates between these two football tournaments. It also coincided with Khytonya's third appearance in a major football tournament, with its U-21 side participating in their second tournament since being eliminated in the Di Bradini Cup.

Regardless of what goes wrong in the organisation, high hopes have been set to the fullest. Following a successful journey in the Wonder Cup, Khytonya are expected to step their game up and reach at least the knockout rounds. The challenge is set for Arthur Hartley and the Magical Bhoys to put out a victory and impress the international football world. Success means that they'll set the stone for future World Cup qualifying rounds. What would it take for the football world to show that Khyonya are serious contenders of this Baptism of Fire? Find out more once the tournament commences.

THE KHYTONYA NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

Nickname: The Magical Bhoys
Association: Royal Khytonian Football Association
Head Coach: Arthur Hartley
Captain: Thomas Liaw Cheng Swee
Home Stadium: Scarlet Park
Trigramme: KHY
Style Mod: +2.5

Full Squad List/Fomartion

#       Pos     Name                    Age     Team
1	GK	Yukiko Honma	        27	UCD Tsukigawa
2	LB	Vickie MacTavish        25	Royal Navy United 
4	CB	Jack Conacher	        24	Murrayfield Rovers
5	CB	Kyle Conacher	        25	Murrayfield Rovers
3	RB	Wendy McKenna           20      Honeport Crowns FC
6	CM	Dawn Williams	        28	ASC St. Nicholas
17	CDM	Jared O'Reilly	        25	Dundee Flyers 
9	CM	Alice Matthews	        25	Honeport Victory FC
21	LW	Larsen Reinhart	        30	Fort George Bells
22	RW	Nigel Neilson	        32	UCD Tsukigawa
11	ST	Thomas Liaw Cheng Swee  26	Murrayfield Rovers

#       Pos     Name                    Age     Team/Academy
12	GK	Joel Monahan	        20	Honeport Victory FC 
20	GK	Kim Worters	        22	ASC St. Nicholas
13	LB	Leroy Anderson	        23	Thames Valley 55ers
14	CB	Juffri Stefan	        28	Fort George Bells
13	CB	Chester Holt	        29	Honeport Victory FC
15	RB	Sebastien Guidolin      30	Murrayfield Rovers
16	LM	Bryan Daneyko	        28	Honeport Crowns FC
11	CAM	K.P. Boucher	        23	1. FC New Emden
23	CM	Ansell Clarke	        21	Heaven's Bay Wanderers
25	RM	Erica Armand	        20	1. FC New Emden
32	LW	Keiji Sakai             30	Royal Navy United
19	ST	Giovanni Tartaglia	33	Fort George Bells
30	RW	Hironobu Miura	        29	Heaven's Bay Wanderers

Formation

Specialities

Role              Name
Captain           T. Liaw C. S.---> A. Matthews---> J. O'Reilly
Free Kick         A. Matthews
Corners           N. Neilson/L. Reinhardt
Penalties         T. Liaw C. S.---> A. Matthews---> L. Reinhardt---> D. Williams---> N. Neilson

RP Permission

by **United Pink States** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 10:13 am

The national capital of Brookfield sits on the Southeast Coast of the United Pink States. Both it, and the nearby city to the north of Jamestown are among the top five most-populated cities in the country, making the state of Carthage the most populous overall. President Shawn Donovan is from this state, growing up in the city of Milan, which is towards the west. Since being elected, the progressive President, Donovan, has been true to his word to make the United Pink States a more prevalent international power. However, he would not stop there, as he has supported the intergalactic expansion of the nation, off of Sonnel, and to Earth, to go to places like Rushmore, Atlantian Oceania, and many other interesting regions of that planet. Then after that, even Esportiva could be considered.

“If Drawkland can do it, there is no reason that we cannot!”, Donovan proclaimed to his supporters to help win his election over Larry Hillis, the leader of the Conservative party. Hillis was from the mountainous state of Warren, which can often be seen as a battleground state in national elections. Hillis would carry the state, but it was not enough to win him the election. Members of the western portion of the country, and especially the northwest, are highly conservative. They simply prefer for the United Pink States to keep to itself, maintain a normal peaceful relationship with nations like Drawkland, and be content with their lives. Donovan, however, wants none of that, and there is becoming some concern that by bringing the United Pink States to the intergalactic forefront, their ways of life will change.

There have been sports teams in the United Pink States. Simple leagues in soccer, football (gridron), baseball, and basketball are present. There are different options in motorsports, such as stock car racing and open wheel racing. Small leagues in lacrosse, volleyball, curling, and rugby are also present. Curling is quite popular in the western portion of the country, but in the southeast, they simply laugh at the sport. Baseball would be the first sport that the United Pink States would enter the international fray. There was no reason for that, other than for the timing of when the competition began. This was unsuccessful, as the nation struggled to an 8-22 record, finishing in the basement of Group 9. Sure, Banija and Super-Llamaland were part of this group, but it didn’t matter. Up next, would be NSSCRA, where two drivers exclusively compete in the second tier series, now known as the EverLong Contenders Series. That has also been a major disappointment. The press has struggled to cover those competitions, perhaps due to struggles with funding, and while there would be no correlation between that and the on-field or on-track performance, it highlights the difficulty of trying to take part in sporting competitions that are not on the planet.

“We will attempt soccer!” Donovan exclaimed. Soccer fans and players were elated to hear this news, but others had to think this would just be another futile effort. The World Cup is the greatest competition in the World, and with part of it having taken place on Sonnel during the last edition, sports fans could make the trip if they were interested in seeing some of the games. Pinkster media sources were able to go to various cities in that nation to cover it, and give comprehensive recaps of the games taking place there. As for the games in Newmanistan, they would rely on the live feeds of the action that they were able to acquire. This got some fans interested in these tournaments, because the World Cup was not just a one-world Cup, but truly a Universal Cup.

Baptism of Fire 74 would be the first competition that they would get a chance to play in on another planet. This was big news, and the team and fans are hopeful that by playing against other first time opponents, they will not get clobbered in the same manner that they did in the World Baseball Classic, or lapped in NSSCRA, or humiliated like they will be against some opponents in the World Cup. Just maybe, they can win some games. Maybe make the knockout stages, or perhaps even win the whole thing. Okay, that last part is a little far fetched when the competition also features nations like Gouvanarch. I mean, we are all probably just pawns in their ultimate rise to glory if the team is as good on the field as their presentations of their roster seem to be. Or you have someone like Hispinas, who recently went far in the Copa Rushmori before being knocked out by Cassadaigua. Then you have Ranoria, that same nation who went far in the World Baseball Classic and evidently are more known for success in gridiron. My Lord, some of these nations went all out in their roster presentations. Ours looks pretty pathetic compared to them. Oh well, at least these games are played in real life, on an actual soccer field with a real ball and real players, and not just by some person grading rosters and press releases into some funky computer program and then clicking a dice button to provide scores. That’s what we have been told anyway, but this is taking place on another planet, and hopefully we can get some media outlets there.

There are two nations hosting this Baptism of Fire, Græntfjall and Sylestone, and there are both pretty new nations to the sporting scene as well. Græntfjall being the quintessence of a positive first impression, and Sylestone cooking up a lot of interest in their nation very quickly. It was declared that the United Pink States will participate in Group F, which we hope is not a precursor for more Failure. Opponents will be Bluecliff, Stevidia, not-Joey Logano Fraza, Hindu Ram Rajya, and Saint-Domingue. These are all first time nations like ourselves so no one knows who will do better right now. I mean, how does one really make predictions on this right now? I guess you could look at their rosters and use them to make a judgement, and see what the media is proclaiming about them. Stevidia is our first opponent. They have provided a detailed graphic look at their rosters right now, so we can give them a thumbs up for that. Despite that, they also called this tournament the Baptism of Fore in their induction. So, let’s hope they think they are heading to a golf course.

Is anyone going to take the portal and go to Græntfjall? You might want to think twice, because eventually, the organizers have assigned two stadiums to the group which are terribly unfriendly to foreigners. The opening match is in Laxenvöllur, rated as low as one can possibly can rate by Græntfjall sources for friendliness to foreigners. Two of our five group stage games are at this facility, with two others in VG Arena, which is only slightly better.

James Kirkstein, the President of UPS soccer noticed one thing and penned the e-mail to organizers, which has also been provided to this blog:

“Congratulations on being named a co-host for the Baptism of Fire. We have noticed that you are splitting the groups up into three stadiums, however, based on your schedule, you are allowing one nation per group to play in one stadium for the entire group stage while the other five have to travel all around. This is an unfair advantage in which this team, the one you have labelled #6, or the sixth-listed nation per group, will have. They are kept at the first stadium for all of their games. Why are you allowing this to take place? I urge you to change this to make it fair for all teams in the group. If one nation can set up shop at one place, then their traveling budget is less, they can have a routine schedule which does not include travel, all while the other teams need to travel. I hope this is just an oversight on your behalf, and hope now that this inequity has been brought to your attention, that you will correct it.”

We shall see how that goes. For now, plan on playing at the stadium with the most unfriendly locals.

by **Saint-Domingues** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:58 am

"I could never settle abroad, moving back to Saint-Domingue saved my career," - In-depth with Le Cap's Giuseppe Cojuangco
As we approach Saint-Domingue's Baptism of Fire opener against the Bluecliff League, there is one name that is sure to be in the starting XI - centre-back Giuseppe Cojuangco. A short while ago he was towards the bottom of the pecking order when it came to central defenders, behind bigger names such as the experienced Corentin Sauvage - his defensive partner at Le Cap - and Kevin Le Guen of Les Cayes, who was only recently being mooted as the future of the Dominguan backline. Now, it is Cojuangco who people are talking about being a presence in the defence for years to come.

Called up the Wonder Cup but on the bench for the first three games, head coach Camilo Canisbro elected to start Cojuangco in Le Guen's place for a game against Banija. It is not a decision he has regretted, with Cojuangco putting in some excellent performances as he started all of the following seven games at the tournament - and popped up with a first goal in a win against Khytonya. Today we take a look at one of Saint-Domingue's newly emerging stars.

Cojuangco was born close to Port-Républicain to a Filipino-born father and an Italian mother. He describes his upbringing as "comfortable city-living."

"Mum and dad weren't into sport, so just went along with whatever I did. I used to be really into baseball, and my dad would drive me to practice. He didn't care much for it, but he took me along wherever. What really changed things was my grandpa moving to live nearby."

Cojuangco's grandfather, also named Giuseppe, was "calcio-mad" in the words of his grandson. He had coached youth teams for over thirty years, and was a fanatic supporter of Italian team Torino. Giuseppe Snr. had recently relocated to the suburbs of Port-Républicain and promptly became a coach of a local boys team. At the encouragement of his grandfather, Giuseppe Jnr. joined in.

"It was fun. I wasn't a defender to start, I played in midfield. I liked being able to play a bit more, beat a man and play the Hollywood pass. But I wasn't afraid to put a tackle in too, I could tackle harder than anyone else on the team. People didn't like coming up against me," he laughs.

The transition from central midfielder to central defender was a gradual transition, he says. He went from the advanced midfielder to defensive, and after having a growth spurt ended up playing defence. One can still recognise the talents that once marked him out as a midfielder, however. Cojuangco has crafted a reputation as a defender who is good with the ball at his feet, able to play it out from the back and spark counter-attacks in addition to solid defensive capabilities.

His technique and quality as a defender meant that a lot of scouts were drawn to see the young Cojuangco. He was laden with offers from all kinds of teams, from those within Saint-Domingue to those in South America as well as in Europe. Eventually, at the age of sixteen, he decided to take the plunge and moved abroad to Italy, joining the Inter academy.

"I had lots of great offers, and some of them promised me money which for a sixteen year-old was really crazy. Did teenagers really need thousands upon thousands per week? I wouldn't have known what to do with it all, and probably wasted it. Reminds me of Parable of the Rich Fool, in Luke." He says, an indication of his Christian faith.

Cojuangco accepted an offer which he believed was most likely to help him develop his footballing ability and eventually progress into the first-team. While full of praise for the staff there, he says that he never enjoyed the experience.

"I wasn't right, living in Milan. I had an Italian passport, which appeal to the club a lot, but I'd never even been to Italy before I signed. It was weird, very different to Saint-Domingue. I lived at the academy, and whenever I went into the city felt very uncomfortable. I had no friends or family in the area, it was lonely. That affected my training, my head was never right."

He was ultimately released at the age of 19 without ever playing a first-team game. Cojuangco then returned to Saint-Domingue, and, figuring his footballing career would never get off the ground, began to think about enrolling in university instead. In the meantime he continued to play football with his friends, and caught the eye of the scout of lower-league Pétion-Ville.

"It was a one-year deal with Pétion-Ville, and the short contract was actually decided by me. I didn't want to commit to a two, three, four year deal and be one of those players tied down on a long contract but never makes it. I didn't want to waste my time on a career going nowhere, so I figured if the year didn't go well then I could leave at the end of my contract and start at university. I wanted to study theology."

But shortly after signing that deal, Cojuangco impressed in Pétion-Ville's youth ranks. He was swiftly promoted to the first-team to rave reviews. Pétion-Ville were promoted at the end of the year, and Conjuango again had some big suitors.

"I loved being at Pétion-Ville, it was such a fun atmosphere. They had a really small budget, they were starting all kinds of people - they found me at the park! Yet we got promoted, and it was great. That was such a big moment, because it was a a tangible achievement. Winning the league was like a light bulb moment, I realised I could actually achieve something in the game. This was a career I could make something out of. I could never settle abroad, but moving back to Saint-Domingue, getting this chance to play at Pétion-Ville, that saved my career."

Cojuangco ultimately signed for Le Cap, and he quickly went from bench warmer to a nailed-on starter. Now in his third season with the team, he has been an ever-present at the back. A series of fine performances for Le Cap culminated in being selected in the Dominguan squad for the Wonder Cup, and the rest is history.

See the full interview with Giuseppe Cojuangco here.

by **Hispinas** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:15 pm

ES | EN | EU | FIL

Hispinas' PREMIER sports magazine!

Golden Sealions open Baptism of Fire campaign against T Republic
Hispinas expected to top Group D with Sett Forest estimated to be the toughest competition

BETHAM, SYLESTONE - The senior national team of Hispinas have arrived at their base camp in Betham to prepare for the Baptism of Fire tournament, where they and 47 other nations will compete to for the right to become the champion and have a good momentum coming into their respective World Cup qualifying campaigns. The Golden Sealions, as they are known, were put into Group D alongside Rwekazaland, T Republic, Sett Forest, North Alezia, and North Britain, and with four of the six teams advancing into the next phase, the Hispinians should have no trouble making it into the Round of 32.

Of the five opponents Hispinas will face, only Sett Forest and Rwekazaland have experience in regional tournaments, with the former participating in the latest AOCAF Cup where they were eliminated in the Second stage after only managing a draw against Saltstead , and Rwekazaland finished fourth of five teams in Group G in the 11th edition of the AOCAF Cup and be eliminated from the group stages. North Alezia entered a team in the latest World Bowl, and have players participated in the latest NSTT season, but they will be participating in an international tournament for the first time. There was insufficient data on the remaining teams and we assume that they will be competing for the first time as well. As Hispinas have made it out of the group stages in their first foray into regional competition, Alfonzo Medrano's team would have no trouble making it out this time, and may continue to tweak his starting lineup as needed in preparation for their more challenging opponents.

Medrano had a chance to further evaluate his squad after the adventures at the Copa Rushmori with their participation in the Wonder Cup, and there were many flaws uncovered with the squad, especially the lack of teeth in front of goal. In their last four matches, the Golden Sealions have only managed to score in one of them, courtesy of a hattrick by Adrin Losada, which made him Hispinas' top overall scorer, and should be expected to start along with Peppi Palmero and Gorka Uralde in their first match against T Republic.

In addition, aware of the danger of the tropic nature in Sylestone, a deal is being completed with Port Ember's NSPMCG in order to protect the players and staff from any harm caused by the harsh elements in the island nation in Esportiva. The Hispinians will stay in Betham for the first three matches before going to Dunkirk for the last two group stage matches, whereafter they will not be sure if they will keep playing in Sylestone, or fly to a familiar place that is Graintfjall. Iago Escobar, the advisor for the football program of Hispinas, has advised fans to stay in Hispinas and make sure to get insured if they plan to go to Sylestone to watch the matches live.

by **Stevid** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:26 pm

FINAL WHISTLE - BoF 74

Welcome to our Baptism of Fire tournament coverage. Bringing you all the highlights and match reports you need to get you through the rest of this year, and special reports and interviews of the Stevidia national team who are playing through their first ever international-multiverse football competition!

With the recent drawing of the toilet lots, Stevidia have been drawn into Group F together with Bluecliff League, Hindu Ram Rajya, Logano Fraza, United Pink States and Saint-Domingue, with the first game the Vids are playing in against United Pink States. It is a truly diverse competition and very unlike the Dienstadi Cup and the domestic tournaments we are all used to watching. Foreign teams are made up in all sorts of different varieties from mixed sex to mixed species – so it will be a steep learning curve for not only the players and management, but also us, your reporters.

None of these countries seem to be listed within the WC Ranks of the last World Cup or the Qualifiers, so this is really is a group made up of unknown quantities so we will do our best to bring you all the stats and background on the other teams in this competition.

So speaking of the group, let’s take a quick look:

Bluecliff League (BCL)

Otherwise known as the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League are a complex team behind the scenes, with much politicking and heated discussions required to even get here, so we can expect some tenacity from this side – but it is said there is not much enthusiasm from this side because of the background chaos. Needless to say, this may play into their hands because of the wary or overconfident who may become careless in the face of the team’s antipathy or the fact their manager has very little experience. Their manager, one Ninyan MAKKAK of the Republic of Ruvaslâna, is such an unknown quantity that the tactics he will presumably stick to (going off the original team roster posting) are so unorthodox they might actually work!

Keep an eye on these guys, anything could happen.

United Pink States (UPS)

These are the first opponents for the Stevidia team so we’ll look at them a little more closely.

Otherwise known as the Pinksters (Guess their kit colour!), the team comes from a modest and peaceful left-wing utopia, which would jar with what we would be accustomed to here in Stevid, but sport knows no boundaries nor politics! UPS is a place that we would consider outside the our material world and in another. This is weird tournament multiverse, but how much this will effect Stevidia’s players remains to be seen.

One of the biggest changes to normal footballing life of these Stevidians will be that many of them will not have played competitively against professional women players. UPS sports a unisex team with various positions within held by the different sexes. Again, how this will change the dynamic of the Stevidia approach remains to be seen, but it is safe to say that the overtures we expect to hear from the home camp is that they will treat this just like any other game.

They are captained by 28-year old forward Byron Smith, and they are certainly one to look out for as they may cause a lot of trouble for the Stevidia backline. Their manager is Oliver Campagna and is seen as a safe, though plays his team unremarkably. UPS play a conservative attacking game so are widely seen as quite balanced; and play a standard 4-4-2 system. The system has fallen out of favour in the Stevdia game as being too rigid, however it is easy to modify should strategy require plus it does align well with Campagna’s balanced and conservative approach.

This match looks to be interesting and we will bring you all the live action details of this first match as they arrive!

Saint-Domingues (SD)

This team looks formidable. While they don’t have a WC ranking either, there is pedigree in this team as highlighted in their provided national team bio.

Otherwise known as the Avengers, and managed by the capable Canisbro, they made their competitive debut at the Wonder Cup and have named an almost unchanged squad for this competition. Canisbro has his side well drilled defensively and their successful showing at the Wonder Cup proves that they are not docile when going forward. Playing in a delightful 5-2-3, they sport two centre-backs flanked by two wingbacks who I’m sure we’ll see flying up and down pitch. The two midfielders will be asked a lot of too, and this is something we see with the Stevidia team. The lack of numbers in the centre of the park mean they tend to get overrun – especially if they are lazy. But it also means that snappy breaks forward fizzle out to nothing if they aren’t moving up to support the forwards and the wing backs – there is a lot to ask of these gentlemen which may be an issue. Two of them are at least 30 years old, the others are twenty five and twenty six; now this mixture has it’s benefits and the slowing thirty-somethings could act as more conventional defensive ball winning midfielders, with some of the young ones adopting a more balanced box-to-box approach.
There’s additional experience here too from this defensively minded team – the average is a middle range 26, but there are a few old guard in there, which is perfect for a defensive team.

Stevidia plays SD third and this really will be a match you can’t afford to miss!

Stevidia

Finally there is the Holy Empire’s representatives in Stevidia.

(There are two other teams in Group F: Hindu Ram Rajya, Logano Fraza, who haven’t posted a team list. This maybe mindgames but it matters not because none of the teams have WC Ranking anyway!)

Stevid is the most successful team of the Home Isles and the wider Empire, although Guffingford was higher ranked within the region before the territory was swapped by treaty to the Golden Throne.
Manager Davidicus is a very astute and an attacking minded manager who has been known to put hard, fast, pressing play as the primary method of defence and attack – this team does not like to sit back! At first glance it looks a bit disjointed at the back with one wingback and one fullback denoting a preference for left sided play, but it is a strategy brought over from Davidicus’ club days to allow flexibility going forward on the wings and plays more to the individual strengths of the wingers as the players swap sides regularly. One of them will not get up the pitch as far in the transitional period of play in order to guard against counter-attacks.

The majority of the attacks come from the wings and into the centre, with the forward man playing deep ready to spray balls out to the incoming attacking midfield or the inside forwards. This mix up of a seemingly unbalanced back right and an unbalanced front left means goals come from all manners of directions. But it is why Stevidia is weak in defence. In order to have the tactical familiarity this formation requires, coaches focus a lot on the attacking game and requires massive work ethic from the midfield and fullbacks.

Stevidia produces beautiful football, but they’ll all be knackered by the end of the game!

Main man to watch for our guys is front man, and captain, Lukas Cooper, twenty-five year old former wonderkid and frontman for the Capita Saints. He cost them an extortionate £50m two years ago but the goals he brings has pushed his valuation to over £70m! Last season he netted thirty goals in all competitions and forty assists! This versatile lad is as equally good a playmaker as he is a forward.
Another guy to watch is centre back extraordinaire Jordan Smith. This tank of man weighs in at 100kg, is nearly 2-metres tall, and still only 25! Getting around him is a tall order too (Seeing as he's too big and physical to go through), as he is nippy to boot and also a great header of the ball. With him at the back, Stevidia can be self-assured that their goal is not undefended.

Matches begin today from 2100hrs UTC, with Stevidia’s first against UPS. Stay tuned!

by **Bluecliff** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:47 pm

The Standing Committee for Tournament Oversight of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League's temporary Subcommittee on International Tournament's delegated caucus for Preparing and Submitting to the Oversight Committee of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League a Report Concerning the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League's Participation in World Cup Committee Sanctioned Events (in common parlance, of course, known as the SCTOFFFFCBLSITPSOCFFFFBCLRCFFFFBCLPWCCSE) had a meeting today, and everyone was late.

Really, nobody wanted to come, and in reality, nobody cared. To be truthful, it was an utterly inconsequential event. The nascent union's political life is much more concerned with deciding whether the Labor party of Kahiang (center-left) and the Labor party of Belesad (center-left) should sit next to each other or one behind the other when the first parliament is elected (neither party is guaranteed to win seats).

But in the Bluecliff League's new government office park, bylaws are bylaws, and those of the SCTOFFFFCBLSITPSOCFFFFBCLRCFFFFBCLPWCCSE stated that in order for a meeting to be "considered to have been having taken place," a quorum of three of the five officials on the standing committee's temporary subcommittee's delegated caucus had to be present, and business had to be conducted. The unlucky three (decided on by majority vote by another committee, specially appointed for the purpose) sat against the door, careful to ensure that they crossed the threshold and were in the room as per Section 17 of the definition of the terms "room" and "present" in the relevant subchapter of the bylaws. Their aides bustled around, ensuring that the microphones worked and the binders full of blank pages were hidden well enough to pass as meticulously-taken notes. That's very, very important to note. Everyone in Bluecliff has an aide, even Ninyan Makkak (though this may not be the best example, his aide is Makara Keho, who has no clue). The aides to the SCTOFFFFCBLSITPSOCFFFFBCLRCFFFFBCLPWCCSE had called upon their aides earlier today, a most unusual thing to do, to make sure that the first meeting regarding the Baptism of Fire would go as smoothly, and that no relevant business would be addressed.

The gavel banged, the meeting was called to order, one of those slumped against the door picked at his teeth, careful not to put a finger out of the room. Ninyan Makkak's name was mispronounced three times by his own countryman, and the team was not mentioned again. A lively debate seemed to rage for a bit on whether or not the factories in the suburbs or in the city core of Anatarīpatuhianata produced more comfortable chairs, but nobody's heart was in it. After the point that "immigration is directly and irreversibly tied to higher rates of velvet usage" was unable to be rebutted, the bored parliamentarian decreed that the prohibitive requirement in the SCTOFFFFCBLSITPSOCFFFFBCLRCFFFFBCLPWCCSE's bylaws to conduct business has been fulfilled, and everyone bustled out so as not to miss the preparations for tomorrow's meeting of the Working Group of the Permanent Subcommittee of the Council of Industrial Relations between the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League's Temporary Task Force for the Regulation of the Production of Designs outlining the Procedures for the Production, Sale, and Promotion of Synthetic Glass Lenses for Usage in Mid-Range Telescopes.

Makara Keho continues to have no clue

Ninyan Makkak finalized in the hours before the match the Starting XI against Saint-Domingue. After much deliberation, it is exactly the same as the listed eleven on the team sheet.

GK: Fridèk Hòjak

LCB: Fiak Bunir
CB: Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino
RCB: Himeno Rosadyo Reyes

LCM: Olegärjo Damjôn Lukas Roča
DM: Mātusupa'ulīno Palamē'iloteletāto
RCM: Vasit Acram Nur Addin Ajme

LW: Sumāne Éloi Dubois
CF: Sua'ili Po'ipelo Salamono
ST: Mark Cota Ramire
RW: Zul Buru

by **Freechi** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:49 pm

Freechi Team line-up announced (in time) for the Baptism of Fire 74!

History:
The Freechi Team was founded in 2000 by Sandrose I, but never joined any international or even domestic tournament until the government of Sandrose II, the actual emperor. The Freechi Football Confederation (FFC) is directly linked and administrated from the Sandrose II Palace. The President and Emperor chooses and adminstrate all the staff in the FFC, choosing from the Executive Staff to the Gandula (ball boy). The team never won any international tournament, but had good results in regional championships.

Formation:
4-4-2 Diamond

Style Modifier:
-1

Coach:
Sofiya Kuznetsova — a famous football coach in the Freechi Football National League (FFNL) — is a veteran coach, with a not-so-defensive playstile. Chosen by the emperor himself, as the country's Football Confederation is directly runned by him.

Players - Main 11:
Position - Name - Age

GK - Nel Patenaude - 23
LB - Amana Akintola - 35
CB - Alan Ghoa - 22
CB - Malene Alridge - 26
RB - Takira Pasco - 22
LM - Khary Okilo - 30
DM - Mzuzi Iwu - 21
RM - Buri Bulchiru - 23
AM - Vilbogi Franzson - 19
CF - Kondo Achebe - 24
CF - Jengo Solarin - 27

Reserve:

GK - Mithun Deuja - 36
CB - Radoslav Georgijević - 31
RM - Viktor Maximovich - 29
AM - Quinn Ochoa - 27
CF - Zara Taylor - 30

Formation:

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: No
Hand out red cards to my players: No
Godmod other events: Yes

by **Graintfjall** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:16 pm

The organizers thank Mr Kirkstein and can confirm that this was indeed an oversight. The KG [organization responsible for football in Græntfjall] attempted to dock the pay of the intern responsible for the error, but then discovered they were on an unpaid internship anyway.

There has been a slight amendation to the location, though not the scheduling, of the games in the Græntfjaller side of the bracket. Each team will now play 2 of their games each at 2 of the group stadiums, and their other game at the 3rd stadium. This will ensure a relatively more fair distribution of travel burdens as well as affording all teams the opportunity to sample the rich diversity of stadiums on offer, each boasting a different shade of peeling paint on the creaking porta-loos hastily installed to provide overflow capacity.

For his prompt and polite communication, the KG are pleased to generously reimburse Mr Kirkstein with a voucher* for a complimentary coffee at the nearest branch of Cafe Alpine.

[OOC: Seriously that was an error on my part and has now been fixed. It has no practical impact on results but may be RPed by anyone as they wish. Thank you to UPS for flagging it up.]

* Offer valid for one small coffee no refills no substitutes no extras offer must be redeemed within 7 working days offer only valid between 3:26AM and 3:42AM offer only valid when standing on one leg holding nose with opposite hand singing the alphabet backwards in Farsi offer not valid on days ending in -y

With that administrative matter resolved: MD1 cutoff for Groups E - H.

Group E
Khytonya 2–1 Aeprelh
State of Trinity 1–4 Hebitaka
Icecliff 0–1 Fjorsz

  Group E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Hebitaka                    1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
2 Fjorsz                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Khytonya                    1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Aeprelh                     1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
  Icecliff                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
6 State of Trinity            1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

Group F
Bluecliff League 4–2 Saint-Domingue
Stevidia 0–0 United Pink States
Hindu Ram Rajya 0–1 Logano Fraza

  Group F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bluecliff League            1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
2 Logano Fraza                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Stevidia                    1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  United Pink States          1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Hindu Ram Rajya             1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
6 Saint-Domingue              1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0

Group G
Silvedania 0–1 Caryton
Magnecia and Galmencia 0–1 Freechi
Ranoria 1–1 Acastanha

  Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Caryton                     1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Freechi                     1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Acastanha                   1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Ranoria                     1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Magnecia and Galmencia      1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Silvedania                  1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group H
Sannyamathland 2–3 Gouvanarch
PSTCT 0–1 The H Corporation
Muralos 1–0 Quemorr Isles

  Group H                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gouvanarch                  1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
  Muralos                     1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  The H Corporation           1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 PSTCT                       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Quemorr Isles               1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Sannyamathland              1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0

by **Sylestone** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:46 pm

Who is ready for the first cutoff for the 74th Baptism of Fire?

Headlines:

Outcry over security as the Guild is employed for safety, people protesting on the streets.

Heatwave begins one day before the first round of the Baptism of Fire, temperatures shoot over 40C.

Bushfire unleashed in the Melville Rainforest surrounding Chamberley and Emacuton, concern for people, elves and animals.

Group A
Jabal Akhdar 1–1 Hafamarimet
Bonbokh u Piche 3–0 Mexi Catcha
Cascadia 2–2 Regmotto

Group A                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bonbokh u Piche        1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Cascadia               1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Hafamarimet            1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Jabal Akhdar           1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Regmotto               1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
6 Mexi Catcha            1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group B
Critical Operations 1–1 Arklanda
Red Kelp 3–1 U-Koro
Chartistan 3–1 Mand Blustopia

Group B                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chartistan               1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
  Red Kelp                 1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
3 Arklanda                 1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Critical Operations      1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Mand Blustopia           1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
  U-Koro                   1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group C
Cirrus Azale 5–1 Belac
Treekidistan 1–0 Yerapia
ArmedKing 3–0 North Japan

Group C                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cirrus Azale           1   1  0  0    5   1  +4    3
2 ArmedKing              1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
3 Treekidistan           1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Yerapia                1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 North Japan            1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0
6 Belac                  1   0  0  1    1   5  −4    0

Group D
Rwekazaland 1–0 Socialist New Britain
T Republic 3–3 Hispinas
Sett Forest 1–1 North Alezia

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Rwekazaland                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Hispinas                   1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  North Alezia               1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Sett Forest                1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  T Republic                 1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
6 Socialist New Britain      1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Baptism of Fire and Ice [BoF74 rosters/RPs/scores]

Regmotto BoF 74 and WC 87 info

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