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

by **Saint-Domingues** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:37 am

Q&A: Atlético Domingo's Carlos Sanabria
Today RTD's Robin Farage was lucky to have an interview over webcam with the Dominguan midfielder Carlos Sanabria, who discussed with Robin his thoughts on the Baptism of Fire and looked back on his international career.

RF: Hi Carlos, thanks for joining me today. First of all, how is Græntfjall?

CS: Hello Robin. It's... cold! Very cold. It's winter here so plenty of slow, and the wind can really bite sometimes. Have to be wrapped up warm outside of training.

RF: Sounds like something you may not be used to, having to play a tournament in the deep of winter! Do you think that effects the team much?

CS: Not really, no. I think it's a bit of a lazy stereotype by journalists to think 'oh, this team can't play in this weather because it's not like that at home'. I've seen plenty of cold days and windy ones on the coast, so it's not unfamiliar. The snow is actually really scenic, it's beautiful out here in central Græntfjall.

RF: Good to know that you are enjoying the weather, but how is the team enjoying the tournament? What's the atmosphere like in the camp?

CS: It's pretty good, there is a lot of excitement about the Baptism of Fire. This is only the county's second tournament of this type, so this is still a relatively new and exciting experience for us all. Hard to not feel pumped up!

RF: Has it made it better that the national team is led by your old coach, Camilo Canisbro?

CS: It has, yes. I obviously have a great relationship with the gaffer because of our time at Atléti. So I'm familiar with the way Camilo wants us to set up and how he wants us control the game, what positions he wants me to take up. Things like that. It's the same for Emilio [Campos]. People from other teams were texting us about the gaffer 'what's he like, what's he play?' and we were both crystal clear: five at the back out of possession, three at the back when on it with wingers pushing up. He likes a good centre-forward who can link play, like Julien Babesco. And a midfielder to screen the defensive which is me!

RF: How did you feel about your boss leaving Atlético Domingo? Did you want him to go, would you rather he have stayed?

CS: It wasn't something he explicitly talked to the players about. There was speculation about him getting the job before it actually happened but he was always focused on the games, no time for idle talk. Whether I wanted him to go is a hard question, as I think he'd have had success either way! We were great at Domingo, just won the league. But if any man had to lead the national team out for tournaments like this, had to be him. There have been some bumps on the road but we're definitely making progress. He keeps saying it and I agree: we're building to something special.

RF: You mention bumps on the road, can you identify any specific blips that have occurred in the Canisbro reign?

CS: Losing to Hebitaka in the Wonder Cup was the low point, definitely. I thought that we were a much better team than them so to lose and in the manner that we did... we just didn't turn up. The penalty annoys me even now, because it's so harsh. I was right by Guillaume Boleyn and there was no way he could get his arm out the way, the handball wasn't right. And then we couldn't create anything to score. I wasn't good enough that day. It felt awful, like we had missed out on the top bracket and let everyone down. The manager seemed very deflated at first too. But thankfully we turned it around against Khytonya where I scored!

RF: That does bring us on nicely to the question of high points in the reign - beating Khytonya 4-1?

CS: It was great, and not just because I got a goal. Khytonya were a good team and we swept them away, and the late goal by Julien meant we beat Hebitaka to the top bracket on goal different. It was awesome. Then we followed it up by beating Kohnhead, which was a massive upset. I think they were the top seeds and we had to play a really disciplined, patient game to win. That was the high point and the gaffer was so proud after. We proved that his way could win us the big games.

RF: I'm going to rewind a little, and go back to your goal against Khytonya. You're obviously pleased about it, you've been grinning ever since it was brought up! Can you talk to us about the goal a little? You're not normally so far forward, was that part of the tactics in the game?

CS: Of course I'm happy! I never score! *laughs* Yes, the tactical change meant I was in the position. At the start of that tournament we were lining up in a 3-5-2, and it was me, Adama Keller, and Josep Carpeña in the middle. Pep was the more advanced midfielder, and me and Adama formed what was called a "double pivot". This was to help shield the defence and let us get the ball around more. I was the more defensive one, and Adama was in what you might call the box-to-box role. But as we were failing to score the manager wanted us to be more risky with how we played, so instead it was me and Pep in a two. He was always the more advanced one, he can shoot a lot better than me! But I had a lot more ground to cover and was running way more. Sometimes I had to advance further than normal, to help us have numbers in the centre. The forwards are all marked, and I can see this, so I was biding my time to make a late run as the cutback is made. And as the ball comes to me I just stabbed it with my foot and it went in.

RF: Can we expect many more goals from you in the future?

CS: *laughs* I wouldn't count on it. My focus is on doing a good defensive job so the rest of the team can perform at their best. I like doing to the unappreciated stuff so everyone else has a platform to shine.

You can watch Carlos and the Saint-Dominguan National Team next play tonight live on RTD versus the United Pink States.
Lineups:
Binet
Cotilla
Boleyn
Cojuangco <- Pozo 88'
Pareja
Campos
Sanabria <- Delannoy 84'
Carpeña
Gimenez
Babesco
Palacio <- Jeune 68'

Stevidia: Middleton (51'), Cooper (61'), Adams (79')
Saint-Domingue: Palacio (30'), Gimenez (53')
Venue: Folte Arena, Folte

by **North Japan** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:40 am

North-Japan's
National Football Team Roster
Nation Name: Democratic People's Republic of Japan
Demonym: North-Japanese
Team Nickname: Kirin (Mythical creature)
First Qualifiers:
First Appearance: Baptism of Fire 74
Best Result:

Kit
Home: Red-White
Away: White-Blue

Style Modifier +2.6
Formation (3-2-3-2 and adaptive 4-2-2-2),

STAFF
Manager: Gyeon Yongsun - Age 52
Assistant: Eun Mun-Hee - Age 21

GOALKEEPERS
#1. A Chanwook - GK - Age 31
#12. Kar Yong - GK - Age 33
#28. Da Won-Shik - GK - Age 21

Defenders
#29. Namgung Moon - LB - Age 20
#20. Kah Daewon - CB - Age 25
#4. Gyeong Hyun-Ki - RB - Age 24
#6. Gyeong Chin-Hwa - CB - Age 25
#13. Chae Dae-Jung - RB - Age 24
#5. Don Seok - LB - Age 24

Midfielders
#7. Son Jae-Hwa - DM - Age 26
#28. Mo Kyubok - LM - Age 20
#8. Somun Sang-Kyu - LM - Age 24]
#17. Ki Joo-Won - RM - Age 21
#22. To Chong-Hun - RM - Age 21
#9. Nan Songhyon - AM - Age 27
#10. Pang Jung-Nam - LM - Age 19
#18. Ra Hyun-Woo - LM - Age 26
#16. Kyo Hyun-Shik - DM - Age 25
#21. Um Yeong-Jin - RM - Age 22

Forwards
#11. Ah Shi-Won - SC - Age 21
#23. Hwan Kwang-Ho - SC - Age 22
#15. Ae Chunyong - SC - Age 26
#19. Pom Hae-Il - SC - Age 25

==RP Permissions==
Choose Scorers: [Y]
Godmod Goalscoring Events: [Y]
Injure Players: [Y]
Godmod Injury Events: [Y]
Godmod Cards: [Y] (If not outrageous naturally)
Godmod Other Events: [Y] (but make sure to send a TG first)

by **Ranoria** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 11:06 am

Grossman celebrating a goal with his teammates in college

A Brief Biography of Rayko Grossman, one of the Best Soccer Players in Ranoria

There are those who have a dream to go and play professional soccer. Millions, maybe billions given the sheer scale of our world.

It isn't a particularly glamorous dream, not in Ranoria, where you're essentially regarded as a semi-professional athlete, but it was a dream, and it was the endeavor of a lifetime's work. Behind the veil of an apathetic populace were men who spent countless hours mastering their craft, honing their bodies to physical perfection. With the last slots on shared practice fields, the short end of the stick with scheduling and equipment, and lacking the rewarding roar of full-to-the-brim stadiums, those hoping to play in the ARS put their nose to the grindstone.

And look, we should be fair: This league is an easier one to break into. Without much national interest, there just isn't the massive pool of talent to draw from like in gridiron. There aren't quite as many standouts who are more devoted than the rest to fight with over a roster spot. But Rayko Grossman was certainly one of those standouts.

Grossman garnered very little recruiting buzz in an already attention-starved sport coming out of high school. He didn't get to go and play at a larger school, but still managed to draw praise from local outlets for his incredible work ethic. Injuries, illness, adversity, it didn't matter. Rayko never missed a workout, never slacked in his studies, and was always sharp in both practice and on the field. After riding the bench as a freshman, he came out in electric fashion in his sophomore and junior campaigns, his elite play helping to lead his team to their first two playoff berths, and winning three games between the two trips to the postseason.

Now that was enough to generate some buzz. At a program that frankly wasn't big enough to rightfully be in the postseason with teams that qualify as heavyweights in Ranoria, he was snatched up early in the first round of the subsequent draft and has been tearing it up for the Cold Hill Couriers ever since, raking in a nice 115,000 per year on his latest contract.

In his rookie year, some pundits started to talk of his being a bust. The Couriers would stumble out to a 4-11 record, a two game improvement from the year prior, while Rayko's performance was lackluster at best. Local news, however, under the surface, reported that he had been dealing with a hamstring injury all year, severely hampering his play despite a valiant effort. After that, there seemed to be no slowing him down. In the next three seasons, the Couriers would be the best team in Ranorian soccer. Grossman would earn three straight all star nods and a pair of all-pros while leading his squad to marks of 12-3, 13-2, and 11-4, respectively, with a championship win in that thirteen win season and a trip to that final in his second year. Yup, things were going pretty well.

Unfortunately, the Couriers had been in position to snatch him up for a reason. Other contributors left and poor management struggled in the draft. The next four seasons were tough despite their star positioning himself as the best player in Ranoria. Grossman had the best personal stretch of his career, with a whopping four straight first team all pro awards, and all star game bids. Hilariously, he went 4-0 in those all star games. But the Couriers' success did not reflect his own, slipping to 9-6, 7-8, and finally two straight 6-9 outings, only making the playoffs in that first year and failing to advance. Worse yet, it spoiled Grossman's first and only MVP campaign. Remarkably, despite the organization's shoddy results, Rayko never slowed down. Every offseason, reports came in that he was somehow in better shape than the year before, or maybe just a bit faster, seeing the field a little better. If he knows how to slow down, he hasn't let us in on the secret yet.

By now 28 years of age, Rayko was at the end of his prime, and his team finally made some moves to surround their star with some talent. Snagging undersized but athletic striker Julian Morris was a savvy move for their first year GM in the draft, and goalkeeper Tony Berg was a late-round steal. Both of those guys are on the team now, but what really pushed them over the edge was free agent signing at defender in Sam Murphy. The top backup for the national team's defenders, Murphy gave the team a playmaker at all four levels, and you have to understand that free agency isn't really a huge thing in the ARS. Most players never leave the team that drafted them, but Murphy pulled it off.

Finally with some talent around him again, Grossman squad would win two straight championships with consecutive straight 13-2 seasons, and their stalwart midfielder notched another all pro nod and, of course, kept up his long-running streak of all star game appearances. It was enough to bring in some money from one of the country's largest cities, even if the sport is a niche, and re sign all four of their chess pieces of this championship franchise.

Now, you can't win it all every year. That's true. So while the Couriers dropping the final to the Richardson Revolt in a meetup of two 14-1 squads was disappointing, no one is doubting Rayko's work ethic. The guy, in eleven seasons, has ten all star game invitations, an MVP award, and seven all pro nods (5 first team). Don't get us wrong, he's certainly not as fast as he was in his absolute prime, but he's a crafty veteran with a bag of tricks in every pocket he's got and plenty of athleticism left in the tank to keep up with the young bucks.

Rayko Grossman, Career

Year     Record     Finish                       Personal Awards
2013      4-11         No Playoffs                      N/A 
2014      12-3      Lost Championship       1^st Team All-Pro, All Star   
2015      13-2    Association Champions     2^nd Team All-Pro, All Star
2016      11-4      Lost in Semifinals                All Star
2017      9-6       Lost in Quarterfinals 1^st Team All-Pro, All Star, MVP
2018      7-8          No Playoffs          1^st Team All-Pro, All Star
2019      6-9          No Playoffs          1^st Team All-Pro, All Star
2020      6-9          No Playoffs          1^st Team All-Pro, All Star
2021      13-2    Association Champions               All Star
2022      13-2    Association Champions     2^nd Team All-Pro, All Star
2023      14-1      Lost Championship                 All Star

Here in the Baptism of Fire, he's definitely been our most consistently excellent player through three contests, with the strikers having trouble scoring goals. Grossman's We'll have to lean on him through the rest of the tournament if we're going to have any hope of making some sort of splash, really. But this is a team sport, and no one man, no matter how experienced, is going to win it all for us.

by **United Pink States** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 11:45 am

With the Baptism of Fire taking place in Græntfjall, stadium organizers within the United Pink States are trying to learn from their great and wise ways of putting on a tournament. During the World Baseball Classic, we only had one stadium host all of our home games, but there is beginning to become a feeling that we should spread this out throughout the country. That may even include the areas of the nation that are not as interested in the competition. James Kirkstein, the President of UPS Soccer told reporters before the competition began that, “We can look at what these organizers are doing and use that as a basis for what we can and can’t do. What we shouldn’t do, and what we can’t control.” If anything, we are learning that you do not have to be perfect to host international games, and sometimes things will happen.

I was late getting to OptiFone Arena, even though I planned on getting there more than an hour early. My way into the stadium was blocked, evidently for an accident involving turnips. Reportedly, some dimwit was not watching where they were going, and caused a truck carrying a large shipment of the vegetable to swerve, which led to it eventually rolling over. The merchandise would spill all over into the road, causing massive delays. Things can happen, and the shipping of fresh produce is far more important to the city of Folte then some soccer game between United Pink States and Logano Fraza. There have not been any reports of injuries or fatalities from the incident, so it is comforting to know that everyone is okay. The person who caused the truck to swerve out of control may have to pay damages for all of the wasted produce. Farmers put a lot of time and effort to grow those crops, and it is not something that you can just easily replace. Even worse, there was a terrible incident involving a hamster elsewhere in the country. When I heard about that, I had a hard time concentrating for a little while.

Since I was late to arrive at my press box, I was unable to obtain a roster for the nation of Logano Fraza. They did not have the names on the back of their jerseys either, so I will simply call them all Joey, as I promised in my previous article. It was in the 9th minute of the game when I arrived, and one of the Joey’s scored a goal, the one wearing #9, I was told, to put that nation in front by the score of 1-0. From that point, it was all Couriers, and I saw nothing but complete domination by our squad during the time in which I was there. For specific details, you’ll need to go to elsewhere, but we scored three first half goals (Jordan Irvine 21’, Byron Smith 37’, Jordan Irvine 44’), and then two quick goals in the second to go up 5-1. (Jason Kinzey 49’, Ellis Spiers 55’). The foot was taken off the gas at that point. In the 82nd, a substitute Joey, fittingly wearing #22, scored to make it only a three goal win. This victory puts the United Pink States at 2-1-0, trailing Bluecliff League (3-0-0), but ahead of everyone else. As for the fan experiences at the game, many people were impressed with how great the locals were, especially considering the accident that would have given good reason for people to be annoyed if they were not able to make it to the game in time. These responses can be seen by checking out various social media websites.

One thing that UPS Soccer has learned from the stadiums that we have participated in is that they do not have to be these massive 50,000 seat stadiums. They don’t even have to be modern or up to the times. By looking at some of the facilities that we have either been in, or have seen from elsewhere in the Baptism of Fire, it seems it would be perfectly okay for us to host a World Cup qualifying game at a smaller stadium in Goffstown, for example, and not having to have them all in Brookfield. This may result in us having games in more than just the southeastern portion, and a place like Goffstown, in the northwest, may be used. The public in that portion of the nation has been against intergalactic sports, so while it would seem like a place to avoid, it may be logical to bring a game there in order to try and sway the opinion of those living in the area. It would also present a chance for President Donovan to try and show them that he cares about more than just the southeastern portion of UPS. This is still a work in progress, but is worth considering. The market share TV ratings do suggest that there is a lot of work to do to interest places like Kent and Salem in the competition.

TV Ratings For The Baptism of Fire:

Southeast: 24.1
Northeast: 15.3
Southern Tier: 14.8
Central: 12.7
Southwest: 10.1
Northern: 5.2
Northwest: 1.6

OOC Footnote for non-NASCAR fans: The rationale for calling all their players Joey is in reference to well-known NASCAR champion, Joey Logano.

by **Freechi** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:01 pm

Favorable winds to Freechi!

The Freechi Football Confederation

Team Roster

The yesterday's game was full of energy and emotion to the delight of Freechian fans. The Freechi Team scored 3 goals on Acastanha in the Spajoküm Arena. Again, not all fans enjoyed the spectacle, as the stadium quality was poorer than Sanktjakobvöllur arena, that hosted the Freechi x Ranoria match.

With a day full of adversities, it was hard to both teams (and the stadium) to fight the heavy snowfall that targeted Háttmark yesterday, the snow covered the field and, after a long wait, the match organization decided to start the game anyway, doing a fast clearance of the snow. Fans at the grandstand couldn't cheer for their teams, due to the bone-chilling cold.

Sofiya Kuznetsova, the coach, shared some words with the press, acknowledging the importance of the match to certify Freechi Team's 1st position in Group G, position that is being fought round-to-round against Caryton. The MD1 and MD2 of the Freechi Team guaranteed important 6 points in the group, but the defensive playstyle doesn’t help too much on the GD score, putting Freechi in a dangerous position in case of a tie in the group points.

But things changed in the last game. The first referee’s whistle started the match of an aggressive Freechi: ambitious shots at goal, tiki-takas and middle-camp dribbles maintaining the possession of the ball showed a new Freechi in this BoF. The team brought sparkles to that cold arena. The first goal was a magnific shot from outside the area, by Jengo Solarin, scoring his first goal in the tournament at 18'. The second goal had an accurate participation of the middle camp and the defense, as the Acastanha team tried hard to even the score, pushing the game with an aggressive mentality. Malene Alridge, a reference on Freechi’s defense, made accurate steals and clever long passes to the advanced middle camp, that made possible a fast counter-attack finalized with a goal by Kondo Achebe, at 45'.

After a long interval break because of the snow cleaning service, the game was way cooler in the second half. Both teams played a strategical game, with more passing and punctual shots at goal. But at the end of the second half, by distractions of the novice Acastanha’s defense, Vilbogi Franzson's through pass found an inspired Kondo Achebe, that scored the final goal at 90+1'.

Now, the Freechi Team is tied in points and GD with our next opponent, The Spiritual Republic of Caryton, making the next match a must-watch to anyone accompanying this group stage.

Match Report:
Goals: Solarin, 18' :: Achebe, 45' :: Achebe, 90+1'
MVP: Alridge, 9.0
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: N/A

Group G
Magnecia and Galmencia 0–1 Caryton
Ranoria 2–1 Silvedania
Acastanha 0–3 Freechi

                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Caryton                   3    3   0   0     5    0   +5     9
  Freechi                   3    3   0   0     5    0   +5     9
3 Ranoria                   3    1   1   1     3    3    0     4
4 Silvedania                3    1   0   2     2    3   −1     3
5 Acastanha                 3    0   1   2     1    7   −6     1
6 Magnecia and Galmencia    3    0   0   3     0    3   −3     0

by **Gouvanarch** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:45 pm

It is still lights out in Gouvanarch, however there are some developments in the form of candles. Lots of candles. However their faint flickering flames do nothing to aid the already fuzzy picture quality that has plagued the Gouvanarchais TV camera (unconfirmed sources are that this is THE one TV camera of Gouvanarch) since the beginning in perfect lightning. The Messieurs de Bethencourt and de Montchrestien are in their respective chairs, the former as unmoving as ever, the latter slightly disheveled and in a visibly bad mood.

Yezekaël de Bethencourt: Je profite de cette occasion pour me présenter en tant que Yezekaël de Bethencourt--

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: If you start with this again, I will personally throw you off the balcony!

Someone off camera clears their throat, bringing Monsieur de Bethencourt's attention to the fact that the cameras are actually rolling. Immediately he does his best to catch his countenance once more, ire being replaced by a look of utter disdain for anybody deemed below his standing.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Good evening, my dear fellow Gouvanarchais, I am Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien, minister of sports for the government of Gouvanarch. As you can see, we have finally improved upon this completely unsatisfactory situation with candles. And before you ask why it took us this long to come up with candles, the responsible person has been flogged and incarcerated.

Unknown male voice: No, he hasn't.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Who was that? You again? I got you fired yesterday!

Unknown male voice: No, you didn't.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: I know what I did!

Unknown male voice: Well, you said it, but you had no idea who I was. And still don't.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Where on earth are you?

He gets up and walks past the camera. After some unintelligible conversations he comes back to his chair, visibly unhappy.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: I will deal with this later and this time there is no hiding!

He points a menacing finger towards the rest of the room before taking a deep breath.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: So. Gouvanarch's masterplan of Baptism of Fire dominance is still going to plan. We have revised our plans for our defence and decided that we do not really care much about it anymore as long as we score at least one goal more than the enemy.

And I am not sure what is happening, but when we signed up for this tournament we were under the impression that we would be facing equals. Not seafood or ponies that sound like illicit substances. But we beat them, ground them into the dust from whence they came.

Unknown male voice: Seafood does not come from dust!

Now Monsieur de Montchrestien jumps to his feet, sending his chair clattering behind him, any newly found calm evaporated. The weak light of the candles even enough to show his face flushing dangerously.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: That's it! Now you will--

Yezekaël de Bethencourt: Je profite de cette occasion pour me présenter en tant que Yezekaël de Bethencourt--

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: NO, YOU WON'T!

Despite still not moving a fraction of an inch and his eyes still frozen straight ahead, Monsieur de Bethencourt immediately silences.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Everybody come here to this table and place your ID cards here. I will then have each of you step forward so I can verify your face against your card and then match your voice. Come on, go now, everybody!

A female voice clears her throat.

Unknown female voice: Monsieur, we are still live on air.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Oh le lignage desloial et felon, alright! But don't think for one moment that this is over!

One more menacing wag of the finger and he sits back down. If, there is, there was a chair. Instead the floor is very welcoming as he very unceremoniously lands on his backside, disappearing from view behind the table.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Is somebody going to help me? Don't just stand there!

Two people come shuffling into view, their movements conspicuously devoid of much urgency, heaving the Monsieur back to his feet and back onto his chair.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: The next enemy we will be facing is The H Corporation. So what are they now? Appliances?

Unknown female voice: No, Monsieur, appliances are from Sylestone.

The Monsieur looked as if he was about to say something before doing a double take.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Avez-vous serieux? Des électroménagers?

Unknown female voice: Yes, Monsieur, home appliances.

The Monsieur leans forward and buries his face in his hands.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: C'est incroyable. C'est d'enfer. (This is unbelievable, this is hell.)

Bon, are the H Corporation human?

Unknown female voice: Yes, Monsieur.

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Dieu merci... We will be qualifying for the next round with a win against the H Corp--

Yezekaël de Bethencourt: Je pense que je suis en feu! (I think I'm on fire!)

Sulhoiarn de Montchrestien: Tais-toi, vieux connard, j'en ai assez! ASSEZ! (Shut up you old codger I've had enough! ENOUGH!)

Monsieur de Bethencourt is lifting an arm, his robe on fire, causing several people to immediately come to his aid, pushing Monsieur de Montchrestien to the side. He looks at the people tending to his sidekick, then throws his arms up and leaves the room.

by **Quemorr Isles** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:42 pm

"So, fantabulous Mr Shark, as we've completely fucked up any chance we have at reaching the knockout stages, how about we go through the remaining games and make our predictions? That sounds fun, right?
"If you insist, Manta. Although it's pretty obvious we're going to be winning every game 5-0."
"Ok, let's do this."

PSTCT 3-3 Muralos
"Well, one's in first place, the other's in last with us. It's quite obvious what the result's going to be. What do you say, Shark? 3-0, 5-1?"
"I'm actually thinking another draw here. PSTCT don't seem too bad."
"Wow, really?"
"Yeah, well they need a point before they play us."
"3-3?"
"Sure."

Sannyamathland 1-2 Quemorr Isles
"10-0 win."
"No."
"Yes. Me scoring all ten goals."
"Just because you've scored three of the four goals this tournament."
"Also because I'm an arrogant prick."
"Glad you realise."
"It was a joke."
"Bit like that one was."
"10-0 win."
"2-1."
"As long as it's a win."
"Hopefully."

Gouvanarch 1-1 The H Corporation
"I'm actually thinking a draw here, Shark."
"Yeah, perhaps. Both sides were nearly as good as us."
"1-1, 2-2?"
"1-1, I say."
"1-1 it is, then."

The H Corporation 0-0 Sannyamathland
"Final round now, probably another draw here."
"Boring 0-0 draw, both sides seem to SUCK."
"That means we SUCK, too, then."
"NEVER."
"If you say so."
"So 0-0 draw?"
"Yeah, sure."

Muralos 0-1 Gouvanarch
"The big game, right, Mr Shark? Best two teams in the group."
"Well, yeah. Apart from us, of course."
"So what do you think?"
"A draw?"
"I'm actually thinking a 1-0 win to Gouvanarch. Muralos were good, but I'm not sure they were on the same level as Gouvanarch."
"We'll do that, then."

PSTCT 0-2 Quemorr Isles
"Wooden spoon clash here, another draw, Shark?"
"10-0 to us."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Fine."
"Maybe 2-0."
"Whatever you say."
"2-0 is it, then."

Predicted Group H Table:

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gouvanarch              5    4   1   0    12    6   +6     13
2 Muralos                 5    3   1   1     11    5   +6     10
3 The H Corporation       5    2   2   1     6    7   −1     8
4 Quemorr Isles           5    2   0   3     8    9   −1     6
5 Sannyamathland          5    1   1   3     6    10   −4     4
6 PSTCT                   5    0   1   4     6    12   −6     1

"Alright, so that's our prediction!"
"We're qualifying, so that's all that matters."
"Uh-huh, Sharkie. Not about the love or enjoyment of the game at all, is it?"
"NEVER."

by **Sylestone** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:00 pm

Here are some headlines for y'all:

Shock from Group A participants as they walk into treetop city, with treetop accommodation.
Fan discovers Sentient Oval's toilet seats actually flush.
Group C warned as Halpenley records 46C, worry for footballers.

Speaking of footballers, it's cutoff time!

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

Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bonbokh u Piche        4   2  1  1    9   7  +2    7
2 Regmotto               4   2  1  1    6   5  +1    7
3 Jabal Akhdar           4   1  2  1    4   3  +1    5
4 Cascadia               4   1  2  1    7   5  +2    5
5 Hafamarimet            4   1  2  1    5   4  +1    5
6 Mexi Catcha            4   1  0  3    2   9  −7    3

Group B
Arklanda 1–0 U-Koro
Critical Operations 2–2 Mand Blustopia
Red Kelp 2–3 Chartistan

Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chartistan               4   3  1  0    9   3  +6   10
2 Arklanda                 4   2  1  1    3   3   0    7
3 Red Kelp                 4   2  0  2    7   6  +1    6
4 Critical Operations      4   1  2  1    5   6  −1    5
5 U-Koro                   4   1  1  2    4   4   0    4
6 Mand Blustopia           4   0  1  3    3   9  −6    1

Group C
Belac 1–3 Yerapia
Cirrus Azale 3–3 North Japan
Treekidistan 2–1 ArmedKing

Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Treekidistan           4   3  1  0    5   1  +4   10
2 Yerapia                4   3  0  1   10   2  +8    9
3 Cirrus Azale           4   2  2  0    9   4  +5    8
4 ArmedKing              4   1  0  3    4   6  −2    3
5 Belac                  4   1  0  3    6  11  −5    3
6 North Japan            4   0  1  3    4  14 −10    1

Group D
Socialist New Britain 0–2 Hispinas
Rwekazaland 0–0 North Alezia
T Republic 0–1 Sett Forest

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sett Forest                4   2  2  0    7   5  +2    8
2 Hispinas                   4   2  1  1   10   7  +3    7
3 T Republic                 4   1  2  1    5   4  +1    5
4 Rwekazaland                4   1  2  1    4   5  −1    5
5 North Alezia               4   0  3  1    3   5  −2    3
6 Socialist New Britain      4   0  2  2    0   3  −3    2

Code:
Green - Qualified for Round of 32
Red - Eliminated

by **Muralos** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:01 pm

La Gazeto de Sportatoj
Muralosian National Soccer Team Continues Winning Streak in Baptism of Fire
Hawks Score Third-Biggest Win in Muralosian Sporting History
By Adamo Tanaka and Jonathan Liu
December 22, 2020

GRÆNTFJALL. On Monday, the newly formed, co-ed Muralosian national soccer team faced Sannyamathland in their third group stage match of the 74th Baptism of Fire Tournament. Riding off 1-0 and 3-0 victories against Quemorr Isles and The H Corporation, respectively, the co-ed Hawks continued their winning streak by defeating Sannyamathland’s Red Lions 4-1. In terms of goals scored, the victory also marks the co-ed Hawks’ biggest win to date, as well as the third-biggest win of any Muralosian soccer team in history. (In 2016, the former Muralosian men’s soccer team beat Li Qing [now the Confederacy of Indigenous Australian States] 7 - 4, which remains the biggest win ever scored by a Muralosian team. The former Muralosian women’s soccer team is not far behind, having won 6 - 5 against Fengjie, now Fengjie SAR in New Zhengguo.)

The co-ed Hawks’ match against Sannyamathland started strong. In the match’s first thirty minutes, starting midfielders Vilhelmo Lumin and Nikolaj Granda created excellent opportunities for strikers Adamo Brava and Rui to score. A key one came in the 28th minute when Lumin made a long-range pass to Brava from the left; however, Sannymathland’s Joe Wallow failed to stop his momentum and tapped the ball in the direction of his own goal.

28’ - GOAL! Muralos 1, Sannyamathland 0

The Hawks’ scorers were Adamo Brava and Rui, star strikers of the former men’s team. Their chances came in the first half of the match as well. Running down the center of the pitch in the 36th minute, Muralos’ Galina Shchedrina assisted Adamo Brava with a diagonal pass that Brava converted into a long-range goal. Sannyamathland’s keeper David Santos landed on the ground just a few second before he could clear it.

Brava would score again just three minutes later, off a corner kick taken by starting midfielder Vilhelmo Lumin. To top things off, the very last minute of the first half saw Rui finding the ball in yet another pass delivered from the side of the pitch, this time by the Hawks’ Nikolaj Granda. Almost as an extension of his running, Rui sent the ball into the bottom right corner of Sannyamathland’s goal.

36, 39, 44’ - GOALS! Muralos 4, Sannyamathland 0

Sannyamathland’s performance was not without merit, however; in the second half, the Red Lions’ defense was strong enough to prevent any of the co-ed Hawks from scoring, and their attack was precise enough to yield a single goal, scored by Ansu Mbiki in the match’s 78th minute. Meanwhile, Muralosian striker Valora Lin’s two shots on target were thwarted by Sannyamathland’s keeper Mark Handanovic.

78’ - GOAL! Muralos 4, Sannyamathland 1

With that, the match continued in intensity, as Sannyamathland’s squad continued to push toward the attacking third. The Hawks undermined them, however, with Ryo Takeda and Rebeka Mori often taking possession of the ball.

FINAL
Muralos 4 - 1 Sannyamathland
Wallow 28’ (o.g.); Brava 36’, 39’; Rui 44’ | Mbiki 78’

Muralos face the Ponyvilleian Separatists of Twicetagrian Canterlotine Territories (PSTCT) today, and will face Gouvanarch on Wednesday. The matches will continue to be broadcast on RTM-1, Radio Muralana-Sportema, and rtmnet.mur. When asked about his expectations for these last two Baptism of Fire group stage matches, Coach Jozefo told La Gazeto that “we have shown to Muralosians and the whole world what we’re capable of, and we will continue to in the next two days, if not beyond.”

by **Graintfjall** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:17 pm

Today’s cutoff comes with a look at some of the headlines from the White Winter Queendom:

NEWS: Coalition government reaches “People’s Budget” deal including cuts to corporation tax and reductions in child benefit payments

BUSINESS: 80% of Q-Maps searches used to check for kraken sightings, consumer affairs watchdog reports

POLITICS: Left-slate youth group criticized for waving red flag. “Not a communist stunt, just trying to ward off an angry bull,” claims secretary.

SOCIAL AFFAIRS: First openly gay Chief Rabbi appointed

COURT CIRCULAR: Crown Princess Kassandra to attend Baptism of Fire final

TELEVISION: “So You Think You Can Whale?” Christmas special planned

SPORTS: Olympic committee pushes for demonstration status for bandy

WEATHER: Snow.

With that last shocking revelation still ringing in your ears, it’s time to cut off for MD4.

Group E
Aeprelh 0–4 Hebitaka
Khytonya 4–3 Fjorsz
State of Trinity 1–1 Icecliff

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Khytonya                4    4   0   0    11    6   +5    12
2 Hebitaka                4    3   1   0    10    1   +9    10
3 Fjorsz                  4    2   1   1     6    4   +2     7
4 Aeprelh                 4    1   0   3     4    9   −5     3
5 Icecliff                4    0   1   3     1    6   −5     1
6 State of Trinity        4    0   1   3     5   11   −6     1

Group F
Saint-Domingue 2–2 United Pink States
Bluecliff League 4–0 Logano Fraza
Stevidia 5–1 Hindu Ram Rajya

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Bluecliff League        4    4   0   0    13    4   +9    12
2 United Pink States      4    2   2   0     9    5   +4     8
3 Stevidia                4    2   1   1    10    6   +4     7
4 Saint-Domingue          4    1   1   2     7    9   −2     4
5 Logano Fraza            4    1   0   3     3   10   −7     3
6 Hindu Ram Rajya         4    0   0   4     2   10   −8     0

Group G
Caryton 1–3 Freechi
Silvedania 1–0 Acastanha
Magnecia and Galmencia 0–1 Ranoria

                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Freechi                   4    4   0   0     8    1   +7    12
2 Caryton                   4    3   0   1     6    3   +3     9
3 Ranoria                   4    2   1   1     4    3   +1     7
4 Silvedania                4    2   0   2     3    3    0     6
5 Acastanha                 4    0   1   3     1    8   −7     1
6 Magnecia and Galmencia    4    0   0   4     0    4   −4     0

Group H
Gouvanarch 4–1 The H Corporation
Sannyamathland 0–2 Quemorr Isles
PSTCT 3–3 Muralos

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gouvanarch              4    4   0   0    14    6   +8    12
2 Muralos                 4    3   1   0    11    4   +7    10
3 The H Corporation       4    2   0   2     6   10   −4     6
4 Quemorr Isles           4    1   0   3     6    8   −2     3
5 Sannyamathland          4    1   0   3     5   10   −5     3
6 PSTCT                   4    0   1   3     6   10   −4     1

by **Chartistan** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:21 pm

OOC: Inspired by the Twitter and Facebook RPs some people in this BoF have been doing I have decided to RP that concept as well! However, for this RP I have used twii.tur, a Turorian based social network service used in the NS community, almost like Twitter itself. Again, if you don't want to use twii.tur in your RPs that's fine, it's just an option I'm using for this RP. also don't tell banija

@BillboardGazette This might be the most important game of the lot for Chartistan in Group B - Kickoff from Cleorough against Red Kelp! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette A STRIKE FROM AIR LATTE IS FIRST BLOOD! At the 34th, Red Kelp are going to need to hustle if they want to take top of the group. Red Kelp 0-1 Chartistan! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette Other than that goal from Air Latte it isn't much to report on. Halftime from the Carson Stadium, Red Kelp 0, Chartistan 1. #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette What we're hearing from the locker room now will be a joy to some and heartbreak to others - Callie Deadbrush will rest after all! Rustic "Flats" Caldwell will go in net for the 2nd half on his Chartistan debut! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette The teams have took the field once again for another 45 minutes, but Chartistan has a 1-0 lead over Red Kelp. Kickoff for the 2nd half is fast approaching! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette Red Kelp can play. Goal for the white and purple, but what an equalizer for Vincent Tiger! Red Kelp 1-1 Chartistan at the 48th to start the 2nd half. #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette YOUR STARS IN BLACK HAVE RETAKEN THE LEAD! A calm and collected low shot gets Air Latte a brace! Red Kelp 1-2 Chartistan at the 56th! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette Doctor Lucas has performed his second change of this match - Donald Daniel Gomez will replace an out of form Mama Coriel here at the 60th. #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette LITTLE EXNASH EXTENDS THE LEAD TO 2! A nice and calm header from the guy with the best paninis! Red Kelp 1-3 Chartistan at the 64th! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette Goal, Red Kelp. William Afton might have given them a second chance... Red Kelp 2-3 Chartistan at the 87th. #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette And just like that Chartistan's final substitution is in - Two Tree to replace Michael Williams. Might be a jolt of energy on the defense to stop another Red Kelp equalizer. #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette Full time from Cleorough, and we are happy to say that CHARTISTAN HAVE ADVANCED TO THE KNOCKOUTS AND ARE ALL BUT ASSURED OF A GROUP VICTORY! Red Kelp 2, Chartistan 3! #FireAndIce #RKECHA

@BillboardGazette With Chartistan's only chance of finishing 2nd coming if they get a 6-0 loss, Doctor Lucas Combrush has gone with the nuclear option - Start Cheesus Cheesus in net. #FireAndIce #GoChartistan

@BillboardGazette Doctor Lucas: "Sometimes nothing, not even a goalkeeper staying in net, lasts forever. With the team all but assured of a group win, throw Cheesus in net and call it a day." #FireAndIce #GoChartistan #CHAARK

by **Treekidistan** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:45 am

TREEKIDISTAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION OFFICIAL
Fire or Ice, everything gets on the way.

Group C
Belac 1–3 Yerapia
Cirrus Azale 3–3 North Japan
Treekidistan 2–1 ArmedKing

Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Treekidistan           4   3  1  0    5   1  +4   10
2 Yerapia                4   3  0  1   10   2  +8    9
3 Cirrus Azale           4   2  2  0    9   4  +5    8
4 ArmedKing              4   1  0  3    4   6  −2    3
5 Belac                  4   1  0  3    6  11  −5    3
6 North Japan            4   0  1  3    4  14 −10    1

"Yes! This is not bad!" says the coach of the national team. In the fourth Matchday for Treekidistan, the team defeated the national team from ArmedKing. Treekidistan defeated he team for a small goal difference of 2-1. Two goals and the team and fans saw someone other than Gonzales Scoring a goal. Mr. Patel, a 21 year old striker from the remotest villages of Treekidistan (Remotest Villages in Treekidistan are those villages which are having the least accomodation and facilities than the best ones. But, 80% of these remote villages are having water,electricity,schools, hospitals and Wifis.) scored their first ever international tournament goal against the ArmedKing team. Patel scored his debut goal in the sixteenth minute after taking a cross from Gonzales which came from the right side of the post. The header goal was the start of the game. Just after twenty minutes, One of the best players of ArmedKing scored their equilizer goal (36'). Till the half time whistle was blown by the coach, both the team remained in a equisetum. The second half was literally a Treekidistan half. Seventy nine percentage of the time, Treekidistan had the ball with them. From the total of 26 shots taken in the second half, 18 were from Treekidistan. In the Seventy Fifth Minute of the game, Gonzales scored the winning goal for the team. It was a beautiful got born from a quick, cunning and skillful mind. It was just a skillful execution of the plans. After Patel missed a shot, the goalie took the ball from the defenders. Everyone went to the center. Only two defenders of ArmedKing remained in their half and Gonzales was between him. The goalie cleared the ball towards one of the ArmedKing players in the center field. The player due to a sudden suppresion of opponent passed the ball to one of the players in the other half. The player without thinking anything minus passed the ball towards the defender in their half. Just as the ball reached midway, Gonzales who was between them rushed and took over the ball. He didn't look anywhere, a quick shift towards the penalty box and lo, it's a grounded shot. The Goalie saved it while he jumped to the right. The ball got deflected and came back to Gonzales. Gonzales just needed a fraction of second. He kicked it to the left and it's a Goal!!!! That was enough for the opponents confidence to die off. Then, everything was in the hands of Treekidistan players. The defenders came up to try shoot a goal and no one had the fright of ArmedKing shooting a equilizer. ArmedKing had a total of zero confidence now.

With the victory against ArmedKing, Treekidistan successfully secured a pass to the next round of the tournament qualification: Round of Thirty Two. Sixteen teams will qualify from the current thirty two for the next qualification Round. The Round of 16 choses the final eight and the four and the finalists. There's still a game left against Yerapia, if Treekidistan defeats Yerapia then it's going to be a smooth run towards being the group champions. From the Group C, Yerapia and Cirrus Azale also qualified for Ro32 with Treekidistan. There is a small chance for others to qualify Eventhough, they won't make it to the top position. From the Sylestone Half; six teams qualified till now and one got eliminated. The team faced weather problems as Halpenly recorded 46° Centigrade of Heat Waves. The players got drained out of energy which led to the win margins to be low.

Treekidistan Football Federation
@TFFOfficial

This is a time to rejoice! Treekidistan has secured qualification in their first ever International tournament played. Congratulations to the players and staff!#Baptismoffireandice

RETWEETSFAVORITE
3.2K12K

14:73 pm - 22 December 20

EcoHerb Industries ltd
@Ecoherbin

We are proud to be part of the Treekidistan run in the Baptism of Fire and Ice in Sylestone and Graintfjall#Baptismoffireandice #TreekinBoF

RETWEETSFAVORITE
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19:43 pm - 22 December 20

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EcoHerb™
“Official Sponsor of TFF Squads”


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by **Stevid** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 5:05 am

FINAL WHISTLE - BoF 74
Stevidia 5 – 1 Hindu Ram Rajya (HRR)
Stevidia qualify for L32 after goal glut

Stevidia put a HRR team to the sword drubbing them 5-1 in one of the most comprehensive games of the group thus far. Critics are saying that this may have had something to do with the apparent lack of enthusiasm, or even presence of an HRR team that has no only failed to qualify but failed to win any games at all. The laissez-faire approach that HRR have stuck to since day one was again their undoing as Stevidia produced a professional display that betrayed a full and comprehensive background knowledge of the opposition’s tactics; the only mishap being an unlucky own goal after a back pass.

Lukas Cooper celebrates his third in four outings

Stevidia lined up with an unchanged 4-3-3 narrow system from the Saint-Domingues game believing that the knowledge of the opposition would win the day and the attacking aspects of Vid’s game could be realised to its full potential. Within the opening half an hour, Stevidia were three nil up and look good for their lead.

The first came from Lukas Cooper who has continued his good run of form scoring in all games but the first. His effort was well worked with a switch in play from the right wing by Shelly to playmaker Wilson who then laid off Cooper with a single touch. Cooper pivoted on the spot, rounding his man and firing off low into the corner.

The second came only two minutes later, this time a corner from the right over shot its mark and it feel to left wingback Jack Lee who powered in a hopeful shot the ricocheted around the area like a pinball, eventually tumbling unceremoniously over the goal-line.

The third was on thirty-two minutes with Paul Massey scoring his second in this competition with a worldie of a curling effort just outside the area. The game was as good as dead even by that point and so Stevidia were content to knock it about for fun for the remainder of the half. Centre Bostock was unlucky with a back pass to keeper Lindsey where the ball bounced awkwardly on some uneven ground and bobbled past the helpless man in orange. Instead of groans or boos, their was howling laughter from all in the stadium.

Stevidia finished the job on the fiftieth and seventy-first minutes with a through ball pass assist from Middleton onto Miquel Adams and then Middleton himself notching a goal with his head from an out swinging corner.

The game ended 5-1 and solidified Stevidia’s place at not only third but with a slot in the last 32 of the BoFI. It is a tremendous achievement from a side that started on shaky ground and dubious initial performances. But the work it’s over yet according to manager Davidicus. Here’s what he had to say:

Davidicus, two wins in a row and a place in the last 32, not all bad, no?

No it’s not, but frankly it was made easier for us because HRR have been unchanged since the beginning. Obviously there is complacency to take into account when things are set up like that. But the team did well; very professional performance with a smidge of bad luck for Bostock. Overall, happy with qualification and a resounding win.

Saint-Domingue were held to a two-all draw by United Pink States – but it’s the dropped points by UPS that makes the headlines at home. What are your thoughts on that?

It is a splendid opportunity for us to take advantage of. It’s a shame SD couldn’t get the win, not only do they need it to qualify of Logano Fraza, but it would have put us on level points with UPS. We would love to clinch second to give us the best possible pairing in the round of 32 and it is almost in our hands. We need to see of Logano Fraza first with a win, if not for SD’s sake but for ours, and UPS to at least draw. It could even go down to us drawing and UPS losing with goal difference the decider. I know it’s not all that exciting in the grand scheme of things, but we want the absolute best chance of progressing further, and taking second helps no end.

Lukas Cooper got another today, and in fact all the forwards did, but still no clean sheet. Elusive isn’t it?

It must be God’s will, though technically we have one from the first match we played. Nothing other than bad luck there for us and Bostock – but the game was won by then. It is a shame because, as I said, goal difference may be a deciding factor by the end of the group stage. But I’m phenomenally impressed by the standards of our front men. They’re not only getting into the right areas of the pitch, and not only peppering the goal with shots, they’re taking their chances and converting them. You can’t ask for much more than that. Yes the clean sheet is elusive, but I’m an attacking manager and firmly of the belief that it doesn’t matter how many you concede so long as you score more than your opponent!

Stevidia’s final game is against out of sorts Logano Fraza whose sole victory against HRR early on in the competition keeps their hopes alive in this tournament. But Saint-Domingue are up against HRR themselves and will be looking to finally cenment that qualification place. Stevidia’s progression is already assured, but where they come, as highlighted by their manager, is still all to play for.

The team roster has also been published by the Stevidia management team and there are a few interesting changes, including the formation. We will publish this ourselves right here on Final Whistle where we will dive into a deep analysis on the thoughts behind the changes and a look at the other games that are taking place today at 2100hrs UTC and how they effect Stevidia!

For now, here is a look at the results of last night!

Group F
Saint-Domingue 2–2 United Pink States
Bluecliff League 4–0 Logano Fraza
Stevidia 5–1 Hindu Ram Rajya

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Bluecliff League        4    4   0   0    13    4   +9    12
2 United Pink States      4    2   2   0     9    5   +4     8
3 Stevidia                4    2   1   1    10    6   +4     7
4 Saint-Domingue          4    1   1   2     7    9   −2     4
5 Logano Fraza            4    1   0   3     3   10   −7     3
6 Hindu Ram Rajya         4    0   0   4     2   10   −8     0

by **Saint-Domingues** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 7:28 am

Saint-Domingue 2–2 United Pink States: Late drama as both sides miss out on chance to win
HT 1-1
There was a frenetic conclusion to the match between Saint-Domingue and the United Pink states at Laxenvöllur as the Avengers conceded a late goal to miss out on all three points whilst the Couriers faltered when presented with a penalty to win it at the death.

Things had not been going well for Saint-Domingue, who had lost 2 of their first 3 games, only mustering a win against minnows Logano Fraza. By contrast UPS had taken 7 points from their opening three fixtures, and won their last outing 5-2. With a four point gap and just two games to play, Saint-Domingue needed to win the fixture to give themselves a chance of overtaking United Pink States on the final day. The concurrent fixture of Stevidia against whipping boys Hindu Ram Rajya meant that they were very likely to take points and overtake them also. A win was paramount.

Things did not get off to the best start however, as United Pink States managed to take an early lead. Jose Nieves threaded through a pass to captain Byron Smith, who after playing a neat one-two with striker partner Jordan Irvine finished past the goalkeeper. Things threatened to get worse, but Irvine missed a golden chance of their own and full-back Ashley Crossman forced Jules Binet into a diving save to tip their shot around the post.

It was primarily the efforts of the Dominguan goalkeeper which kept the team in the first-half, and he was frequently called upon to rush out and claim crosses and took charge during set-pieces. Another good stop from Smith confirmed Binet's importance.

Towards the end of the first-half Saint-Domingue pulled level. Midfielder Adama Keller, selected to start the match ahead of the dropped Josep Carpeña, was fouled forty yards from goal. He took the free-kick himself, lofting a sumptuous ball into the box which met the head of Guillaume Boleyn and floated into the top corner. 1-1 at half-time and both captains had notched for their respective sides.

The second-half proved more even as the first, with the equaliser giving Saint-Domingue a new lease of life as they grew into the game. Julien Babesco brought a finger-tip save from Logan Hughes and the Avengers almost scored from a set piece for a second time when Alfredo Cotilla headed against the post. An Emilio Campos volley was cleared off the line by Alex Casler as Saint-Domingue began to knock on the door harder and harder, pushing for the goal that would put them into the lead and have them breathing down United Pink States necks.

It was substitute Carpeña who delivered the breakthrough. Clearly fired up by having been dropped, the midfield playmaker dragged his team in front by scoring a beautiful curled shot from 25 yards out.

The Dominguans tried to add to their tally as Raoul Gimenez and Babesco forged chances but were blocked each time by Hughes in goal. They were ultimately punished for falling to extend their lead.

Late on a corner kick brought about pandemonium in the box, with a bouncing ball twice blocked and then failed to be properly cleared away. The ball eventually crawled its way in as a shot by Ellis Spiers struck Brian Tucker and the deflection took the ball in the goal for a late Pinksters equaliser.

The couriers were not content with a point despite scoring so late, and managed a big chance which should have won them the game. Antonio Pareja got into a tangle of legs with Donnie Price, leading to a penalty being given. But with the final kick of the game, Smith's penalty was met with the firm left hand of Binet to push his low shot around the post.

Each side can reasonably feel like they have dropped two points, with both sides having the better of a half. Saint-Domingue lead until late in the day and United Pink States missed the chance to end the game on a win. It is the Pinksters who are best served with the draw, as they confirm their passage into the next round despite now being unable to catch Bluecliff League and their gap ahead of Stevidia cut to a lone point. Saint-Domingue have a point more than Logano Fraza and are in the fourth and final spot, but must match or better the Frazans result to be sure of qualifying, where they will almost certainly be one of the lowest seeds if they do make it.

Across the group
Bluecliff League capitalised on UPS dropping points to ensure that they will finish top of Group F before what would have been a crunch game between the two. The Bluecliffians beat Logano Fraza 4-0 to continue a 100% record. And there was a second trashing as Stevidia won two on the spin to confirm their own qualification. They beat Hindu Ram Rajya 5-1 despite a rather comical own goal. Saint-Domingue will be hoping that the Stevidians can continue their good form to beat Logan Fraza in their final match and ensure Saint-Domingue progress.

Saint-Domingue head coach Camilo Canisbro: "We started the game slow and got punished for our lax behaviour. Without Jules we might have been three down the half-hour mark. But I think we showed a lot of determination, a lot of graft. Heads didn't drop when the game was against us, and we worked hard to get ourselves level. We really kicked on for the second-half, a lot of nice football and clever attacking interplay. But to not see it out at the end... we were so good on set pieces apart from that one, I thought. Excellent and then one foot wrong and we've been punished. An important lesson. And yes, I am very grateful to Jules for his save at the end! I haven't seen the penalty back so don't know what to think. But if we had lost that it would not have been deserved at all. We have one last game and if we win that, we are through. Today felt like a kick in the teeth but we did get something from a strong team."

Lineups:
Binet
Cotilla
Boleyn
Cojuangco <- Sauvage 46'
Pareja
Campos
Sanabria <- Carpeña 57'
Keller
Gimenez <- Lacourse 71'
Babesco
Palacio

Saint-Domingue: Boleyn (39'), Carpeña (63')
United Pink States: Smith (6'), Tucker (88')
Venue: Laxenvöllur, Kyrkdorf

by **United Pink States** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:30 am

There is one game left in the Baptism of Fire’s group stage for the United Pink States, and the team will be looking to prevent a nation known as Bluecliff League from running the table in the group. The nation’s extensive roster presentation proved to be a precursor for the ability of their soccer team, as they are a perfect 4-0-0 right now. The game is actually completely meaningless in reality, since both teams have clinched their spots into the round of 32. Sporting experts will tell you that the teams are playing for seeding right now. Seeding can matter, in theory, but once two teams who have performed at a high level meet each other on the pitch, then anything can happen. In the World Cup, or the World Baseball Classic, or other neat tournaments like that, you can say that you would rather stay away from so and so until a later round, but in the Baptism of Fire, things are still very wide open. Sure, some teams seem better then others, but anything can happen. Each team is playing for one thing in this game: Bluecliff League, to keep those two pretty zeroes on their line in the table, and for them to be next to a five. That would signify that they were a success, but it is all about how you play in the playoffs. The United Pink States will be hoping to give them a “1” on that record, preferably with second zero. That’s about it.

Bluecliff League is actually a pretty interesting nation as it consists of “Fourteen Free Cities”, however they do not seem to be particularly united. Reportedly, they have squabbled over the order in which the cities get listed on a presentation. That can sound like a debate between Progressives and Conservatives in states like Warren or West Monroe, but the situation there seems to be a lot more tense. There is a lot more detail that one can get into concerning the makeup of their country, so if you find yourself so inclined, you can research that information.

With a major holiday coming up, I thought it would be best to not talk about matchups between us and Bluecliff League or to not grovel too much over Brian Tucker’s game tying goal in the 88th minute against Saint Domingue, because it does feel as though they could have stolen a win even later in this match. Let us instead mention what the ideal Baptism of Fire/World Cup gifts would be for people living in various parts of the United Pink States.

Southeast- These people will want the most elaborate gifts for the competition, and that would start with being able to travel to away games or maybe even tickets for the World Cup itself, which is held in Taeshan and Ethane. Regardless, fans in the southeast will settle for jerseys, or hats, or anything that can be attributed to our national soccer team. During this season, they will have some nutty dream that the UPS can actually make the World Cup.

Southern Tier- Along the southern tier, you will find a lot of excitement for the soccer team as well, so you can almost lump these citizens in with the southeast. The main difference is that I do not feel that they are interested in traveling to other countries to watch games, and would rather watch it in bars and environments like that. For them, perhaps a gift card for various ride-share companies so that they do not have to drive to and from where they choose to meet.

Northeast- These people have shown an interest in the intergalactic sporting efforts of our nation, but do not seem too committed to going crazy over it. Essentially, they’ll watch the game at home alone, or with close family while doing other tasks without really analyzing what is going on. They’ll turn it off afterward, win, lose, or draw, and go about the rest of their day no matter what the result had been. Get them a hat, maybe.

Central- An interesting group of people, because there is not a lot of passion for the team in these parts but the ones that are, are actually very fanatical. Those fans are likely to drive to Jamestown or Brookfield to watch the game live if they have the means to do so. They are also trying to get their neighbors into the teams, if they are not. Their vehicles will have multiple bumper stickers showing their support. I could suggest going the merchandise route for these fans, and that would not be a bad gift at all. However, I would be more inclined to purchase a bus or train ticket (round trip) for them to go from a place like Mt. Salem or Marion, to Jamestown or Brookfield.

Southwest- In some respects, people in the Southwest could be considered like those in the Central part of the nation, but not at the same level. This is simply a very rural part of the nation where citizens are not as interested in sports. They are not like the Northwest in that they want us to be completely isolated to ourselves and within Sonnel, and it makes them a group to potentially target to get new fans. They must get interested in sports, so maybe some sort of reading material on the history of the game, or anything that can get them to appreciate what is taking place right now.

Northern & Northwest: It’s not gonna happen. Don’t get them a World Cup/Baptism of Fire themed gift. Not only do they not care, they are adamant in being against the fact that we are even participating in this competition. In fact, there is a rumor surfacing that protestors from the states of Kent and Salem, and perhaps Laurel, will be present at our home World Cup qualifying games to express their disdain for President Donovan’s policy of bringing the competition to the United Pink States.

by **Khytonya** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:50 am

The Tale of Fandom in Matchday 4 (aka Fan Stories on Khytonya's Performance Against Fjorsz)
By: Wilco Mendy

Matchday 4 has been concluded with one of the more iconic matches this edition's Baptism of Fire has to offer; an epic 4-3 thriller between Khytonya and Fjorsz. It has everything a fan wants in an exciting game of football; amazing goals, magnificent ball tricks, and frenzied fans going wild in stands to support their countries (at least for the Khytonians). Of course, here in Knight Light Footy, we think it's an entertaining match and one to remember for years to come. So it's unsurprising that football fans across the country and cyberspace share their excitement (or in this case, relief) when that game has been concluded. To describe what goes inside the mind of all Khytonian fans would be impossible to do. Instead, we'll separate it into three segments: before, during, and after the game. Isn't it time to give the fans a post in a limelight?

Fan chants tend to be on a comedic side, and one of them was a self-deprecating joke about assuming if they were really the worst team in the world. The famous "You Think We Are Sh*t" chant was sung to taunt their opponents for horribly underestimating Khytonya (or in this case, "how wrong must you be"). It might be fittingly unironic considering how many goals Khytonya has conceded, but it was nice to see some humour added in for a lovely effect in the stands.

Meanwhile, an unknown streaker came out from the stands and ran around the pitch as he was set on fire. It took him a good few minutes before Khytonya's Jared O'Reilly speared the streaker to the ground for security to apprehend him. The fan gave him a standing ovation for his efforts. Then, Fjordis threw flares onto the field as an intimidation plan on what the Magical Bhoys were really facing. Keeper Yukiko Honma responded to the fans by picking it up and threw it back to the stands. The referee saw this as an indirect attack, but he only gave her a stern warning for her actions.

Possible the craziest fan stories ever happened was during the second half. A fan named Ethan (not his real name) sneaked on his way to the dressing room, presumably to meet the players after the game. He only spent a good amount of time vlogging for his videos before security breached the doors and kicked him out of the place. That didn't stop Ethan from trying again as he not only sneaked back into the dressing room again, but he barricaded the doors just in case anyone wants to try to enter. As it turns out, Ethan was asked by his viewers to do exactly what he had done as a daring challenge. Surprisingly, the security couldn't notice Ethan heading back to where he was 'meant' to be. As Khytonya went back to their dressing room after winning the game, Ethan quickly escaped and went out of the stadium undetected. We'd hoped to meet him and tell us more about his experiences. For now, this seemingly 'absurd' story went viral on the internet for how it resembled a scene in a spy film than anything else. It's a good read even if it were turned out to be fictional.

Well, here you go. All fan stories featured in this article. There might other stories you want us to share but there's no time to fit all in. It'll be time-consuming and we'll be all dead by the time it's all finished. Instead, let's focus on the final matchday against Hebitaka. Praise to those who will guide them in victory. Let's go, you Magical Bhoys!

by **Freechi** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:36 am

Freechi classified and a wonderful victory!

The Freechi Football Confederation

Team Roster

The Grand National Arena hosted yesterday an interesting game in group G: a match between the tied group leaders, Caryton and Freechi. The north side of Háttmark was commuted with fans of both teams, integrating their cheer with the industrial atmosphere of the district. The Emperor Sandrose II attended the match, and was received with comfort by the stadium's administration, that had decent facilities for international events of this kind. The Guardians fans (Caryton Team fans), the majority at the stadium seats, sang church hymns during the whole pre-match, listened with admiration by the mostly-agnostic Freechians at the arena. The friendliness between the fans was impressive, with Sandrose II orienting freechians to follow an elaborated “Guidebook for Respectfulness to Caryton People”, an exaggerated but expected act by the polite Freechian Emperor.

The coach Sofiya Kuznetsova stated nothing to the press for this game, but seemed worried with the team and spent the whole pre-game talking to the players. With the first referee whistle of the match, the Guardians started the game showing a systematical domination over the field, with a high rate of successful passes and shots at goal, the freechian defense hold the score for most of the first half, but at the end The Guardians' attackers managed to break the defensive line, with Zion Glick scoring a goal in a face-to-face move with the goalkeeper at 43'.

At the end of the first half, Sofiya Kuznetsova never seemed so angry. Without a single shout, she managed to set an aura of urgency and coldness in the team for the next 45 minutes of the match. At the return of the game, the Freechi team’s objective was to neutralize the heavy attack of the Guardians, with intensive passes on the middle field. When the Freechian attack maintained the ball possession for the first time, the intense Guardians' zonal marking stopped to be efficient, Kondo Achebe and Jengo Solarin’s dribbles guaranteed that the opponent’s defense was broken, giving the chance to Solarin score the first freechian goal of the match, at 53'.

A short time later, with the score tied, the whole Freechi Team was inspired by Solarin's goal, the tiebreak was inevitable, with a more aggressive posture of the players to take advantage of the inspired moment of the attack line. The second goal of Solarin was right at the door, with a perfect-placed shot that passed through the whole Guardian defense, at 70'. Surprisingly, after the advantage taken by Freechi on the score, the team did not retreat. The aggressive posture was maintained by the squad, as the Guardians tried to recompose. The final minutes of the game were dramatic, with both teams adopting long passes to the attack and ambitious long-range shots. But in the end, Freechi solidified the victory with a beautiful goal from a free-kick by Kondo Achebe, at 87'. The game ended with a 3 – 1.

Now, Freechi is leading the already decided Group G and we have classified to the Round of 32 in the BoF! Our next and last opponent at the group stage is Silvedania.

Match Report:
Goals: Glick, 43' :: Solarin, 53' :: Solarin, 70' :: Achebe, 87'
MVP: Solarin, 9.3
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: N/A

Group G
Caryton 1–3 Freechi
Silvedania 1–0 Acastanha
Magnecia and Galmencia 0–1 Ranoria

                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Freechi                   4    4   0   0     8    1   +7    12
2 Caryton                   4    3   0   1     6    3   +3     9
3 Ranoria                   4    2   1   1     4    3   +1     7
4 Silvedania                4    2   0   2     3    3    0     6
5 Acastanha                 4    0   1   3     1    8   −7     1
6 Magnecia and Galmencia    4    0   0   4     0    4   −4     0

In other news: The Emperor Sandrose II submitted a "kraken sighting" entry on his new Q-Maps profile.

by **Bonbokh u Piche** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:16 pm

A MATTER OF VERTICALITY

From the heights of the treetops, Boimuse Datare leaned down to look at the ground. From so many meters high, the tangle of bushes and wet earth became an indistinguishable chaos. He grew up in Roiles, a suburban town where there were no large buildings. The incessant heat was making him dizzy, and vertigo unsettled him. He held on tight to the lift and closed his eyes to keep from breaking down.

Datare has the ball. Gonzalez is approaching at full speed. The Bonbo-Pichean midfielder has to act fast if he doesn't want to be locked up. Macdonald comes up behind him. Datare takes the ball and tries a feint. But he loses his balance and Gonzalez gets rid of him without problem. Cascadia's team deploys everything on attack. Bonbokh u Piche desperately tries to regain their defensive position. This isn't looking good for the Peeps. Gonzalez passes the ball to Lewis. Gildonosda narrowly missed it. Lewis sprints with the ball, beats Mafalno and reaches the end line. He sends a cross ball to the area. Chambers receives it, but has no angle to shoot. He passes it to Rees and… Goal! Comrades, Cascadia Empire scores the first goal of the match.

The whole situation overloaded him. Just a few weeks ago he was at home. Contemplating the mountains on the horizon, on a typical quiet afternoon in Bonbokh u Piche. Today, dozens of meters high, under exhausting heat, in the middle of the jungle, Datare is overwhelmed. His head is spinning. He doesn't even know where he's standing.

Cascadia is racing forward. Bonbokh u Piche is completely disorganized. Wood passes the ball to Battle. He passes it back. The fullback comes forward. Bomoi swoops in to tackle him, but Wood reacts in time and hands the ball to Saunders. Saunders passes it to Gonzalez. Datare and Gildonosda do their best to fill the gaps, but it seems impossible. The Cascadians move deftly. Gonzalez sends a filtered pass, Chambers sprints for the ball. Donoche can't reach it. The striker approaches the goalkeeper and passes the ball to the center. Saunders receives it alone and kicks! Goal! Cascadia 2, Bonbokh u Piche 0.

He stumbles and falls seated. Gildonosda walks over and holds out a hand. "Hey, are you okay? Sit down. Have some water." Datare sits quietly, thinking. He feels the responsibility to his people. He must be in top condition to face Cascadia. This may be his most difficult game so far. He can't afford to fall like this.

The Bonbokh u Peeps don't give up. There is still a long time to go, and we can still recover. Nixel Suños takes the throw-in. He delivers the ball to Datare. Kereldulo and Grude offer themselves for the pass. Datare advances. Cross pass to the right wing. Mafalno controls the ball, passes it to Bomoi and runs to the box. Battle follows closely behind. Bomoi passes the ball to Kereldulo, who approaches quickly. The striker gives a first-touch-pass to Mafalno. Mafalno again with Kereldulo. Tunase! Gooooooaaal!

After all, he has faced great challenges his entire life. He saw his own father die during the Revolution, and managed to move on. He lived all his life in the desert areas of Am Piche. What can the lush jungle have that the harsh desert doesn't? How much more imposing are the Pesfield treetops than the Los Tios Mountains? What can Cascadia do that the untamed Bonbokh u Peeps can't?

Gochoforal takes the ball. Bonbokh u Piche goes off to attack. The center back passes the ball to Datare. Datare sends it to the wing. Nixel Suños receives it and runs past Grude. Macdonald tackles, but is left behind by the Bonbo-Pichean. Nixel Suños passes the ball to Datare. Datare crosses it to Bomoi. Bomoi makes a pass to Kereldulo. And Wood knocks him down! The Peeps complain with the referee… He points to the middle of the box! It's a penalty!

Kereldulo prepares… Gooooaaaal! He kicked into the center of the goal and secured it.

After a few minutes, he no longer feels sick. On the contrary, he feels refreshed. Ready to face any obstacle that comes his way. Now he sees it very clearly, it is in the blood that runs through his veins. He is Bonbo-Pichean. Their strength is resistance. They can always get ahead.

The end of the match is near. We are tied 2-2. Cascadia dominates, but Bonbokh u Piche threatens a lot every time they take the ball. Saunders will take the free kick. The center pass goes to the opposite side of the box. Chambers heads but the goalkeeper catches the ball. Loskhal rushes to send a long pass to the midfield…

From among the leafy branches, a halo of light illuminates hundreds of trees. A cool breeze gives him a respite from the heat. Datare looks up and stares in wonder.

The ball flies at full speed. Tulpard disputes it with Fesseden. They both jump but neither manages to control it, and the loose ball reaches Grude's feet. He pushes it forward and strides toward the box. Two defenders approach to intercept him, but he passes the ball to the center…

Among the houses in the treetops, far away, illuminated by the Sylestonean sun, something catches his eye.

Datare is alone. He runs towards the ball with fierceness...

As a spiritual sign, hanging from balconies, it reassures him of who he is and why he's there.

Datare shoots!!

THE BIG FLAG.

GOOOOAAAAAL!!!!

by **Muralos** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:57 pm

Training site of the Muralosian national football team, December 23, 2020
The Hawks arrived on the pitch wearing thick down jackets. Venko, their official kit provider, designed these jackets specifically for the Baptism of Fire; they were a notch thicker than the ones that the former men’s national team brought to Havynwilde. Some had hands in both jacket pockets, bringing their arms a bit closer to themselves to savor the warmth. Training today would be under much crueler conditions.

With a much larger squad, essentially the former men’s national team and women’s national teams combined, warm-ups required an elaborate system of rotations. Half the team would be doing dynamic warm-ups – those that involved moving across the pitch. The other half would be doing relatively static warm-ups, ranging from stretches to jumping jacks. The two sides would then switch off.

At this time, head coach Jozefo Koltakov blew a short whistle to call the Hawks to attention. Koltakov was looking professorial as usual, despite his upright posture – like a teacher who plays a lot of sport, and not a sportsman who teaches a lot. (To borrow a memorable line from Gao Hui during the International Football Cup, he has the presence of a Zamenhof University professor who really likes to work out in his spare time.) Koltakov’s co-coaches, Pavel Li and Hina Kageyama, stood beside him with a certain fire in their eyes, one that compensated for the sun’s absence.

“Morning, everyone,” Koltakov began. “I know, like usual, we share a lot of thoughts over team dinner, and I don’t want to recap them any more than necessary. You all had a lot to say about yesterday’s match against PSTCT. It was definitely weird to play against what looked like 2-dimensional ponies who in fact occupied 3 dimensions.”

“I know you all voiced a lot of frustration, too, about the fact that you couldn’t quite defend the ponies when they took possession from the side, especially with their back legs. Ryo talked about them dribbling the ball between their back legs, at which point it would be very disorienting to try to steal the ball,” Koltakov continued.

“Yeah, it also made film very hard to review,” interjected Hina Kageyama. “If anyone wants, they can still review some key plays today, but because of how cartoon-like the ponies appear, it’s hard to see the ball in relation to them.”

The players acknowledged Coach Kageyama, some with an emphatic nod of the head, others with a more reflective bow.

“But I all want you to know something,” Koltakov said as he re-took the floor. “The way that you all performed in this match shows how well you are able to adapt. I may have said this casually yesterday, but I think this deserves some serious recognition.”

“Right.” Pavel Li finally chimed in. “You did well in executing the plan we eventually decided on, to create scoring opportunities for the defenders. Rebekah’s pass to Ryo was excellent; he had a lot of space and a clear view of the target, without having to worry too much about the 2D ponies.”

24’ GOAL! - Muralos 1, PSTCT 0

“Of course, defending against the ponies was a much more difficult matter. The fact that there was so much back and forth is really something. Rarihoe really put a lot of power into their first goal.”

37’ GOAL! - Muralos 1, PSTCT 1

“When Tanya made that goal kick, though, I felt that we were in good hands. It’s good that you haven’t neglected this aspect of your game, even if you find it less important. I will say that the wind played such a big deal in this one; what a howling wind it was yesterday!”

43’ GOAL! - Muralos 2, PSTCT 1

“And, of course, it also helped PSTCT score right after the second kickoff.”

45’ GOAL! - Muralos 2, PSTCT 2

“Georgo, I’m glad you were prepared to take that corner in the last third of the match. That one needed an especially wide arc so that Rodion could take it, and you delivered.”

In response, Georgo flashed a thumbs-up toward Coach Li.

72’ GOAL! - Muralos 3, PSTCT 2

“I think at the end of the day, we were more than capable of creating chances, but it was our defense that faltered a bit against such unfamiliar opponents. It was a well-fought game, though, and that is always good.”

77’ GOAL! - Muralos 3, PSTCT 3

“All in all, we should be happy that our efforts to adapt to the other team paid off, indeed,” Hina Kageyama added.

FINAL
Muralos 3 - 3 PSTCT [Somehow Related to Rarity]
Takeda 24’, Lubimova 43’, Markov 72’ | Thick Everest 37’, Rarihoe 45’, Painbow Bruh 77’

“Now, I’d like to talk about what we should do to adapt to our next opponent, Gouvanarch. They have a similar propensity for attacking, much like we do; at the same time, some of their defenders are exceptionally strong. We’ll be doing some 3-on-3 drills to make sure we can get past that, or make sure that someone can stay open in a high-pressure situation.”

“We’ll also spend some extra time on practicing free kicks and how to defend them; at least one player on their squad is formidable when it comes to taking free kicks. Finally, we will run a very short scrimmage with a mix of starting and reserve players on each side. Since the match is later today, so we shouldn’t exhaust ourselves.”

With that, it was time for team captain Adamo Brava to begin the time-honored (if corny) ritual of all Muralosian national teams. All twenty-three players on the national soccer team outstretched a hand, stacking them on top of one another’s.

“Ni iru, Muralos!” began Brava.

“Ni iru!” replied everyone in unison.

by **Quemorr Isles** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 1:35 pm

"We won something, now we are INVINCIBLE."
"Shark, how many times do I have to tell you? We might've won but we are never invincible."
"And we're now in fourth and will qualify."
"Hopefully, yes."
"HOPEFULLY??? Is that even a word?"
"It appears so."
"But we will, right?"
"If we beat PSTCT and Sannyamathland don't slaughter the H Corporation."
"Seems pretty straightforward, PSTCT SUCK."
"That would be nice. But they have beaten us before."
"NO ONE HAS EVER BEATEN US BEFORE, MANTA."
"Let's go back to those first three games of this competition, hey?"
"I don't remember. I think it was, a 1-0 win against Muralos? 3-1 and 4-3 against Gouvanarch and the H Corporation?"
"They were the other way round."
"NEVER."
"If you say so."
"Please stop saying that."

The Manta Ray momentarily stops and stares with horror at the Great White Shark.

"You. Just. Said. Please???"
"Yes, I'm very polite, aren't I?"
"Uh huh."
"Glad you agree."
"Anyway, game's starting soon, let's go get ready."
"Prepare, train? NEVER."

Manta Ray groans and walks inside.

by **Bluecliff** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 1:37 pm

Now this was something completely new. The representatives of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League hadn't considered this, even for one single second. Attend a match at the Baptism of Fire? Very odd idea for members of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League to watch one of the games they are forced to deal with. The tournament is something happening in the background, another bit of nonsense to slog through each day at the office. When it was brought up that someone from the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League might travel to Græntfjall, for the express purpose of watching the team representing the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League compete, well, it had never crossed anyone's mind.

The decision was made, though, in part because of the close relationship between the Bluecliff League and Hindu Ram Rajya and Logano Fraza. Neither nation's citizens have concerned themselves in the least with WCC events. The football fans in the Bluecliff League and the football fans of Hindu Ram Rajya were united around one thing - there is no point at all to the nonsense that is the Baptism of Fire. The match between the two nations, then, was cause for considerable revelry and enjoyment.

The match was to kick off at 9pm local time, at the VG Arena. Fittingly for two teams who wished to be elsewhere, the VG Arena is a total dump. Normally, the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League would at least enlist the services of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League's Standing Organizational Committee's Subcommittee for Appointing a Task Force to Inspect Foreign Stadiums and Consider Delivering a Report on the State of the Earlier Mentioned Stadiums, and you'd tend to think that the Working Group on Preparing and Delivering Such Reports would also be involved, but in the case of the VG Arena on the outskirts of Waltenberg, Græntfjall? It was a dump.

A team of players who hate each other, versus a team of players nobody knew about, neither of whom wanted to be here, set to square off in a dilapidated stadium nobody cared about, in a city full of people who hated them, in a country that, judging by the sheer number of frostbite cases per capita, God had clearly forsaken. It was perfect. The place was buzzing. Electric, even. The clap (singular) and cheer (singular) started from the very first whistle, as Cota kicked off to Salamono and Ninyan Makkak's recklessly incomprehensible attack began.

Directly off the kickoff, the ball went wide to Zul Buru, who streaked down the right and was able to put in a booming cross to Dubois in the box. It was a stupid move to try and volley it, but somehow Dubois banged in a picture-perfect shot. Top corner. The representation of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League was fuming. It was always the Colhautois who performed these reckless maneuvers. Getting away with this type of crap and scoring one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament in the second minute of the third match in group play the Bluecliff League was dominating in was typical. It would only encourage more scoring plays.

Unbelievable, thought the representation of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League.

It was scarcely fifteen minutes later that the same exact thing happened. Zul Buru up the side, ball into the box. Mercifully, this time, the goal was less spectacular. Mark Cota Ramire almost clumsily knocked it into the bottom corner. While Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino has just kind of been wandering around at the back, Zul Buru and the Colhautois have teamed up for two goals. There was, it turns out, no point in paying attention to this stuff.

The Hindu Ram Rajyans, to their credit, immediately rectified their strategic missteps. Two down, they swooped in on Buru and Dubois, closing down the flanks and forcing the play to the weakest part of the Bluecliffian game - everything but the flanks. The Rajyese strikers tested Fridèk Hòjak once, twice, three times in the next ten minutes, but nothing gave. Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino let through two more attempts at goal, one that hit the crossbar.

Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino let through another attempt at goal that went in, but was called offside because Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino had been in an incomprehensible position. This tensed the atmosphere, charged the spectator, and demonstrated to the Rajyi that their play was working. Zul Buru had, it seemed, gotten twice lucky with his assists, and came off for Yakota at halftime.

The Hindu Ram Rajyar team tried to put two more shots of note past Hòjak, both of which he quite competently and confidently turned away, to eye rolls from the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League. As time wore on, Ninyan Makkak was clearly less and less involved in delivering goals, and more and more interested in keeping his players rested and healthy for the back leg of the group stage. The match ended much as it began - with nobody happy, everyone bored, and half the place numb from cold.

Hindu Ram Rajya 0-2 Bluecliff League
2' Dubois
18' Cota

It had been a truly dreadful experience, and now they had to do it again. Logano Fraza was, of course, as utterly disinterested in the events in Græntfjall as the Bluecliffians and the Hindu Ram Rajyois.e.s were. The Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League felt obligated to, again, send some poor sap to watch the match between Logano Fraza and Bluecliff as well.

It was garbage, even worse than the first, from the very start. Held in the old Laxenvöllur, which was not so much a dump as a wreck, the game was marked by lovely passing stretches, clean, dominating possession by the Bluecliff League, and even some solid stops by Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino. In all, an utter bore.

When Zul Buru (again) and Dubois (again) put two each past the Logano Frazese in the second half, the eye rolls could hardly be contained. Eye-catching, attractive football again from Ninyan Makkak as he cruised to victory, it was disgusting. While the Logano Frezians and the Bluecliffians shook hands, the representatives of the Football Federation of the Fourteen Free Cities of the Bluecliff League checked the Belesad Cup fixtures on their phones. Ridiculous.

Bluecliff League 4-0 Logano Fraza
55', 87' Dubois
49', 61' Buru

It is the end of the group stage, and Makara Keho still has no clue.

Ninyan Makkak didn't come here with the goal of winning anything, much less running the group. The game against United Pink States is utterly meaningless for classification purposes, and nobody has any pride to play for. Makkak's playing the whole second team (well, except Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino. He still hasn't figured out how to get this man, who does not know how to play football, to do anything but stay out there for the full 90 minutes):

GK: Fernando Sedvonte Zapatedo

RCB: Saompaorn Bonag
CB: Tīnisivitolīno Vīlalatonosatānatino
LCB: Radoslaf Lànik

LCM: Luwik Leɣan
DM: Whirun Kotori
RCM: Ratão Lachmi Tchôdri

LW: Stefana Yakota
CF: Sua'ili Po'ipelo Salamono
ST: Tumas Ukyaqa
RW: Zul Buru

by **Hispinas** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 1:55 pm

ES | EN | EU | FIL

Hispinas' PREMIER sports magazine!

Golden Sealions clinch Round of 32 spot after Socialist New Britain win
Hispinas currently second in Group D despite shaky start

DUNKIRK, SYLESTONE - Despite a worrisome start of the campaign with a draw and a loss, The Golden Sealions of Hispinas have punched their ticket to the Round of 32 following two consecutive victories over North Alezia and Socialist New Britain in Betham and Dunkirk respectively.

Hispinas' campaign initially turned worse, as a 2-1 defeat to Sett Forest made their quest for a playoff berth a more tricky affair, with Trinidad Quevedo scoring first in 21st minute before two late goals from their opponents mean that the Atlantian Oceanian nation snatched all the points available in their matchday 2 encounter. With a few tweaks to the lineup for matchday 3, putting the speedy Peppi Palmero up front instead of either Ozeano Amunategui or Adrin Losada, the Rushmori nation run riot, scoring four goals past North Alezia, with Cordovan Chia scoring the opener in just the second minute and Palmero scoring in the first half. Amunategui eventually subbed in for the Piedramarilla native and scored a goal in the 69th minute before Pancho del Olmo scored a very late goal to seal the game for the team in orange.

Manager Alfonzo Medrano used almost the same lineup against Socialist New Britain, and managed to snag their first clean sheet of their campaign when Errasti Ochoa de Olza replaced Natalio Londono at goal. It was the right winger, Gorka Uralde instead who scored the two goals for the recent Copa Rushmori quarterfinalists, both of which were scored in the first half. The opponents had no answer to the relentless offensive that Hispinas brought to Dunkirk with the team wishing they should have scored more.

The result sealed Hispinas' progression into the Round of 32, and Medrano may have been expected to rest some key players in their final group stage match against Rwekazaland who is sitting in 4th place, with a hope that the teams below them would not win their matches. For Hispinas, they would hope for bottom team Socialist New Britain to give Sett Forest a challenge to have a chance to close out the group stages being the winners.

Hispinas 1–2 Sett Forest
Baptism of Fire 74 - The Bay Reserve, Betham, Sylestone
HSP Scorers: Trinidad Quevedo (21')
HSP Lineup: Natalio Londono, Gurutze Aranaz, Chequil Puma, Casimiro Coro ▼ (▲ Guilla Ledezma 86'), Fermin Maquibar, Cordovan Chia, Maite De la Pena, Trinidad Quevedo ▼ (▲ Barkarna Anchia 81'), Gorka Uralde ▼ (▲ Florita Carrion 85'), Peppi Palmero, Ozeano Amunategui

North Alezia 2–4 Hispinas
Baptism of Fire 74 - The Bay Reserve, Betham, Sylestone
HSP Scorers: Cordovan Chia (2'), Peppi Palmero (33'), Ozeano Amunategui (69'), Pancho Del Olmo (90 + 2')
HSP Lineup: Natalio Londono, Gurutze Aranaz, Chequil Puma, Guilla Ledezma, Fermin Maquibar ▼ (▲ Latisha Gurule 83'), Cordovan Chia, Maite De la Pena, Trinidad Quevedo ▼ (▲ Barkarna Anchia 53'), Gorka Uralde, Pancho Del Olmo, Peppi Palmero ▼ (▲ Ozeano Amunategui 50')

Socialist New Britain 0–2 Hispinas
Baptism of Fire 74 - Ground of Dunkirk, Dunkirk, Sylestone
HSP Scorers: Gorka Uralde (21'), Gorka Uralde (45 + 2')
HSP Lineup: Errasti Ochoa De Olza, Gurutze Aranaz ▼ (▲ Geralda Uriarte 50'), Chequil Puma, Guilla Ledezma, Fermin Maquibar, Cordovan Chia, Maite De la Pena, Trinidad Quevedo, Gorka Uralde ▼ (▲ Carmelita Grimaldo 75'), Pancho Del Olmo, Peppi Palmero ▼ (▲ Ozeano Amunategui 64')

by **Sylestone** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:02 pm

Well, here we are! Will you make it, will you drop? Here are some headlines for you before you find out!

Final cricket match between Grearia and Sylestone rained out - first signs of the wet season coming to Sylestone
Massive crowds expected for the final round of Baptism of Fire group stage
Heatwave nullifies, 41C in Halpenley, everywhere else below 40C

And it's cutoff time.

Group A
Cascadia 4–3 Hafamarimet
Regmotto 0–3 Bonbokh u Piche
Mexi Catcha 0–1 Jabal Akhdar

Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bonbokh u Piche        5   3  1  1   12   7  +5   10
2 Cascadia               5   2  2  1   11   8  +3    8
3 Jabal Akhdar           5   2  2  1    5   3  +2    8
4 Regmotto               5   2  1  2    6   8  −2    7
5 Hafamarimet            5   1  2  2    8   8   0    5
6 Mexi Catcha            5   1  0  4    2  10  −8    3

Group B
Chartistan 1–0 Arklanda
Mand Blustopia 0–2 Red Kelp
U-Koro 1–2 Critical Operations

Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chartistan               5   4  1  0   10   3  +7   13
2 Red Kelp                 5   3  0  2    9   6  +3    9
3 Critical Operations      5   2  2  1    7   7   0    8
4 Arklanda                 5   2  1  2    3   4  −1    7
5 U-Koro                   5   1  1  3    5   6  −1    4
6 Mand Blustopia           5   0  1  4    3  11  −8    1

Group C
ArmedKing 2–2 Belac
North Japan 0–3 Treekidistan
Yerapia 0–0 Cirrus Azale

Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Treekidistan           5   4  1  0    8   1  +7   13
2 Yerapia                5   3  1  1   10   2  +8   10
3 Cirrus Azale           5   2  3  0    9   4  +5    9
4 ArmedKing              5   1  1  3    6   8  −2    4
5 Belac                  5   1  1  3    8  13  −5    4
6 North Japan            5   0  1  4    4  17 −13    1

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

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sett Forest                5   2  3  0    7   5  +2    9
2 Hispinas                   5   2  2  1   10   7  +3    8
3 North Alezia               5   1  3  1    4   5  −1    6
4 Rwekazaland                5   1  3  1    4   5  −1    6
5 T Republic                 5   1  2  2    5   5   0    5
6 Socialist New Britain      5   0  3  2    0   3  −3    3

* North Alezia and Rwekazaland tie broken via OOC coin flip, as everything else was exactly the same.

Fire League

(1) Chartistan - ArmedKing (16) @ Chamberley Institute of Sport, Chamberley
(8) Hispinas - Cirrus Azale (9) @ Ground of Dunkirk, Dunkirk
(5) Yerapia - North Alezia (12) @ The Trees, Pesfield
(4) Sett Forest - Arklanda (13) @ The Bay Reserve, Betham
(7) Cascadia - Critical Operations (11) @ Sunlife Stadium, Halpenley
(3) Bonbokh u Piche - Rwekazaland (15) @ Sentient Oval, Kirkham
(6) Red Kelp - Jabal Akhdar (10) @ Carson Stadium, Cleorough
(2) Treekidistan - Regmotto (14) @ Avondale International Sports Stadium

* Cascadia and Red Kelp switched to avoid a group stage matchup
* Regmotto and Rwekazaland switched to avoid a group stage matchup

by **Graintfjall** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:16 pm

The Jól break is almost upon us, so here’s a brief guide to what those visiting the Queendom can expect to see during the coming days.

Today is the saints day of Sankt Jakob the Badass, patron saint of Græntfjall. As such, you may observe the strange sight of people digging up fish from under the ground, which have been buried earlier in the winter in order to ferment. Tonight families will eat meals of the pungent dish, whose strong residue of ammonia makes it a distinctly acquired taste.

Christmas itself is celebrated on the evening of the 24th. The main meal tends towards regional divisions: in the north, goose; in the south, ptarmigan or duck. Turkey isn’t common fare. Modern tastes mean plenty of vegetarian and vegan alternatives are on offer, of course.

Trees will already be up in most Græntfjaller homes and hopefully presents (and the occasional misshapen turnip for a misbehaving child) gathering under them. Additional small presents will be gathering in the shoes left out by hopeful children for the Jól Girls, mysterious faerie trickster spirits who reward children with little gifts in exchange for small acts of mischief. So be sure to check your shoes before putting them on!

Religious Græntfjallers will head to midnight mass on the evening of the 24th, but the country is tolerant of those of different or no faith. The biggest celebration will be held at the Basilika Sankt Jakob in Háttmark. On the morning of the 25th, Queen Júlíana and her family will attend a private mass, after which she customarily makes a few seemingly off-the-cuff [in fact fanatically well rehearsed] remarks to television cameras.

Jól is a peaceful, quiet period with an emphasis on family (and an increasingly strong secondary emphasis on commercialism); there’s nothing for visitors to fear and we hope they will feel comfortable during the stay. One word of warning: be careful when sampling snowflake cookies handed out on the 25th, as doping control agents take a dim view of the growing popularity of cannabis cookies.

[OOC: And, before cutting off, an OOC organizational note. We will now have a break and resume scorination on the 27th December. If there are any problems I will be around during the period so feel free to TG me, but otherwise stay safe, enjoy the holidays, and we’ll see you on the other side!]

Cutoff for MD5.

Ranoria's RP was counted as they had requested an extension that I didn't notice in time, and I had not yet pressed the scorinate button.

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

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Khytonya                5    5   0   0    15    8   +7    15
2 Hebitaka                5    3   1   1    12    5   +7    10
3 Fjorsz                  5    3   1   1    10    6   +4    10
4 Aeprelh                 5    1   1   3     4    9   −5     4
5 Icecliff                5    0   2   3     1    6   −5     2
6 State of Trinity        5    0   1   4     7   15   −8     1

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

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Bluecliff League        5    5   0   0    15    5  +10    15
2 Stevidia                5    3   1   1    14    8   +6    10
3 United Pink States      5    2   2   1    10    7   +3     8
4 Saint-Domingue          5    2   1   2     8    9   −1     7
5 Logano Fraza            5    1   0   4     5   14   −9     3
6 Hindu Ram Rajya         5    0   0   5     2   11   −9     0

Group G
Ranoria 1–1 Caryton
Acastanha 3–1 Magnecia and Galmencia
Freechi 1–0 Silvedania

                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Freechi                   5    5   0   0     9    1   +8    15
2 Caryton                   5    3   1   1     7    4   +3    10
3 Ranoria                   5    2   2   1     5    4   +1     8
4 Silvedania                5    2   0   3     3    4   −1     6
5 Acastanha                 5    1   1   3     4    9   −5     4
6 Magnecia and Galmencia    5    0   0   5     1    7   −6     0

Group H
Muralos 3–3 Gouvanarch
Quemorr Isles 4–3 PSTCT
The H Corporation 1–0 Sannyamathland

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gouvanarch              5    4   1   0    17    9   +8    13
2 Muralos                 5    3   2   0    14    7   +7    11
3 The H Corporation       5    3   0   2     7   10   −3     9
4 Quemorr Isles           5    2   0   3    10   11   −1     6
5 Sannyamathland          5    1   0   4     5   11   −6     3
6 PSTCT                   5    0   1   4     9   14   −5     1

Ice Cup Round of 16 seedings

R1: (1) Bluecliff League v Icecliff (16)† @ Florus Stadion, Altendalur
R2: (2) Freechi v Quemorr Isles (14)* @ Spajoküm Arena, Háttmark
R3: (3) Khytonya v Silvedania (15)* @ Sanktjakobvöllur, Háttmark
R4: (4) Gouvanarch v Saint-Domingue (13) @ Kuodorf MSK Football Arena
R5: (5) Muralos v Ranoria (12) @ OptiFone Arena, Folte
R6: (6) Hebitaka v United Pink States (11) @ VG Arena, Maigburg
R7: (7) Stevidia v The H Corporation (10) @ Laxenvöllur, Mühlrich
R8: (8) Caryton v Fjorsz (9) @ Grand National Arena, Háttmark

* Quemorr Isles and Silvedania were exactly level. Quemorr Isles finished ahead for having a higher RP bonus [IC: coin flip]. However, in order to avoid an immedate group stage repeat between Freechi and Silvedania, they were swapped in the seeding order anyway.

† Aeprelh has CTEd, and therefore will be removed from playoff contention. Icecliff will take their place as the next highest active nation in their group.

Future bracket:

Q1: Winner R1 v Winner R8
Q2: Winner R2 v Winner R7
Q3: Winner R3 v Winner R6
Q4: Winner R4 v Winner R5

S1: Winner Q1 v Winner Q4
S2: Winner Q2 v Winner Q3

F1: Winner S1 v Winner S2

Winner of F1 will proceed to the grand final of the Cup of Ice and Fire to play the winner of the Fire Cup bracket. Loser of F1 will proceed to the 3PPO to play the runner-up of the Fire Cup bracket.

by **Ranoria** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:21 pm

Krauts, Miraculously, Enter MD5 With a Winning Record! Having Already Qualified for the Round of 32, How Far Will They Advance in This First Showing?

In all fairness, Magnecia and Galmencia came into this one without a win or draw, and they're easily eliminated from knockout contention at this point. Regardless, it feels good. With a wins notched into our belt, we've at least shown that the Krauts can keep from embarrassing themselves on the international stage. And hey, neither of our wins have been dominating, sure, but that's alright. This 1-0 win, with Barry Chlorid flashing his athleticism and scoring his first goal of the season in spectacular fashion, passing the ball to big Felix Graf on the outside. Graf himself is a physical specimen, and drew some attention the second he had the ball, but he was able to get it back to Chlorid just before the window closed, and the gridiron all pro nailed a corner shot midway through the first period.

The defense played well meanwhile, only allowing a pair of shots on goal, both from the same striker. The solid play from the back eight was what got us the win in a solid team effort, with Rayko Grossman proving to be a constant thorn in the side of the opposing offense, as he leads our Krauts in completed tackles by a solid margin this season.

So where does this position us going forward?

Well, we're third in the group, which isn't ideal, but the top four from each group make it into the round of 32, and we've already clinched that much. The only issue, perhaps, is that we'll have to play a higher seeded contender should we slip up and drop to the fourth mark. Fortunately, in a tourney where everyone is a newcomer, that isn't too big of a concern. With any luck, we can win our 5th and final group stage matchup to secure some momentum going forward into the knockout stages.

And hey, we say it all the time, but go Krauts!

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

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